HTTYD - Day 23, Part 2a

So for those who weren't aware, I had a cold for most of last week, and would get headaches just from looking at my computer screen, so I didn't really get any writing done until the weekend. That's why there wasn't a chapter of HTTYB, and also why this one is late, I've been catching up.

This isn't really the full chapter that I was intending to write, but my irl family's doing something later tonight and since it's been so long since the last update I wanted to at least publish the first half :) "Part 3b" will arrive in the coming days, and the next chapter of HTTYB too, won't skip it this week. Even at half length though, this is still as long as an average chapter though so I hope you guys enjoy!

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Friday, November 6 (cont.)

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The two girls hugged each other, and Paris set her things down so she could come to the door and greet Veronica as well. Marcus was still transfixed, vividly remember that night from only a week ago when she had walked him up to her room and confessed her feelings for him.  He had hated that whole encounter, and was angry (and a little scared) by the fact that the only reason it had been able to happen was because he was barely taller than two and a half feet. He might’ve been an adult, and Veronica obviously had known that, but clearly she didn’t seem to view him as one. “I wasn’t actually sure if you were gonna make it,” Jessie commented, stepping aside and inviting the girl into their home.

“Of course!” Veronica replied, smiling kindly back at Marcus’ daughter and giving Paris a hug. “I was actually kinda surprised you invited me at all, I don’t think I’ve ever even been to your house before. It’s just you and your dad, right?”

Jessie nodded, “Yeah.” Then she turned to her dad, who was still standing over by the door to the garage. “Hey Daddy, do you remember Veronica from the party we went to last week? You should come and say hi! I already told her at school about bringing you along, so she knows you were the spider-man.”

“Right, yeah, I remember you a little bit,” he answered carefully, trying to downplay his memory of the whole evening a lot more casually, while also pretending that he’d never been taken up to her room in the first place. Veronica took off her shoes by the door as Jessie shut the door, and Marcus made his way over.

“Hey Mr. Tilden, nice to formally you,” Veronica said, turning back around after setting her shoes down, and extended down her hand to shake his. She didn’t bend down like most people tended to do, but he wasn’t sure if he was appreciative of that or not. On one hand, it often made him feel like a child to have someone bend down to talk to him, but on the other hand, it could be intimidating to interact with people who didn’t make any effort to alleviate their difference in height. He couldn’t help but gulp reflexively upon looking up at the tall girl; even without her shoes, or obviously the 4-inch stilettos she had on the first night they met, she was still so tall that the top of his head didn’t even come up to the crotch of her pants. She was dressed in a scarlet-colored sweater, and wore pale-blue jeans that popped against the Japanese girl’s tan skin. It was a modest outfit, even by conservative standards; nothing form-fitting or revealing. And yet the young girl’s body was still so developed that it was impossible not to notice her curves slightly visible through the looser clothing. He slowly reached up his hand in response, and she quickly took ahold and firmly shook it, polite but confident. She had remembered that night just as vividly as he did. And now she’d come back for a second chance.

Veronica wasn’t used to not getting what she wanted, so it wasn’t often that she needed second chances at all. It wasn’t that she was spoiled, although her millionaire parents’ money certainly played a part. She’d just grown up with the perfect blend of looks, wits, and genuine kindness, that allowed her to easily persuade and convince other people in her life to get her what she wanted, even if she wasn’t aware of it. But she’d only recently become cognizant of her influence in the past few years. After her Halloween party, she didn’t want to just accept Marcus’ rejection, no matter how much logical and ethical sense he made. So she’d started talking with Jessie a lot more at school in the week that had followed. It wasn’t even a fake friendship either; Veronica legitimately enjoyed Jessie’s company, but she’d just never really gotten a good chance to hang out with her until her party. Going to watch one of Jessie’s games on Tuesday had helped out a lot too. So when Jessie invited her over for a sleepover earlier that day, Veronica had been giddy with excitement. It had only taken her a week to grow their bond, and now she’d already gotten a chance to come over to Jessie’s house. Like anyone else her age, she’d had plenty of celebrity crushes before, but this was the first time she’d felt attracted to an adult that she actually knew in real life, and it was her friend’s dad! Obviously they could never ‘be together,’ Veronica was smart enough to know that… But still getting to hang out at his house was satisfying and exciting enough.

She let go of his hand, and he smiled uneasily up at her before turning to face Jessie. “Hey, can I speak to you for a minute before you hang out with your friends?”

“OK, sure,” she nodded. “I’ll be right back,” she told Veronica and Paris. “You guys can take your sleeping bags and stuff to my room.” Marcus led Jessie down the hallway as the other girls went to grab their things while the father and daughter had their discussion. Jessie had to be careful to take tiny steps so as not to bump or run into her dad, since his walking speed was obviously a lot slower compared to hers.

Marcus’ room was at the end of the hall, which is where he led Jessie into, stepping aside so he could close the door after she entered. “Actually, let’s head into my bathroom so they can’t hear us,” he said quietly, and she obediently turned to head towards the furthest room in the house as her perky, wagging butt once again led her dad for the second time that day towards the room he requested. Once they reached his bathroom, he closed this door as well, before turning back to see his daughter already facing him with her hands on her hips, and a camel toe formed by her tight leather pants directly in front of his face. He tried to take a step backwards to give himself some space, but his heel rammed into the door and he realized he couldn’t go back and further. So he just ignored it and took a deep breath, looking up at her.

“So what’s wrong?” she asked.

“Is Veronica gonna be staying the night?”

Jessie glanced to to the side, like the answer was obvious. “Well, she brought her sleeping bag, so I’m assuming she is.”

“Did you invite her for a sleepover? I thought it was just gonna be you and Paris.” He didn’t, but he was being honest about not expecting Veronica to get an invite.

“Well, yeah. I told you at school today, I was gonna invite some friends over which is why I wanted you to clean my room for me. Which, thanks by the way,” she smiled, shimmying her shoulders.

“But you don’t really know Veronica that well, right? I mean, isn’t this your guys’ first time hanging out together?”

Jessie shrugged, “So?” Just the one word put a stop in Marcus’ tracks. If he was being honest, he didn’t fully know why he wanted to speak to her in private, since he couldn’t reveal his and Veronica’s conversation from a week ago anyways. And that was really the only ammo that he’d be able to use to get the girl to leave. So instead, all he was able to do was voice a half-assed mix of confusion and disapproval, but neither of which would realistically change his daughter’s plans with her friends for the evening. Marcus bit his lip, looking aside. What else can I say? Am I just gonna have to power through with that girl in my house all night?

“Aww, Daddy,” Jessie cooed. “Look at me,” she added, then leaned over and gently took Marcus’ head in her soft hands, and directed his face to look back up at hers. “I know today was a big day for you, coming to school and meeting my friends. And that we—“

“That’s not what—“ he started to say, but was silenced as her thumbs pressed up against his jaw and closed his mouth for him.

“Don’t interrupt,” she instructed, keeping her thumbs firmly pressed to keep him from cutting her off again. “Like I was saying, I know we haven’t had anyone new in the house since you shrunk—well, except for Camila. And Harper. But I’ve gotten to know Veronica a lot better since her party, and she’s really nice and super fun. I know she’s pretty tall but I think you’ll like her. Mkay?” He didn’t know if she was still intentionally keeping his mouth closed, or if she’d merely forgotten that her thumbs were even keeping his jaw shut, but all he could do was nod in response. Technically, he could’ve shaken his head if he’d disagreed, but he’d already come to the conclusion before Jessie had even said anything that there was nothing he’d be able to say to get Veronica to leave without exposing her confession. “Good,” his daughter replied contentedly, leaning down even further and accidentally giving Marcus a peek down his daughter’s hoodie before she kissed him on the top of his head and stood back up. “Now let’s head back out there.”

“Sorry about that,” Jessie announced as the two of them emerged from Marcus’ bedroom. Veronica and Paris were sitting on the couch in the living room, trying to find something to watch on TV. Marcus stayed behind in his bedroom as Jessie walked ahead, figuring that if he couldn’t get Veronica to leave, he could at least spend the evening getting some work done and leave the girls to have fun. But Jessie stopped and looked behind her as she realized he wasn’t following her. “Wait, are you staying in your room?” she asked.

“Yeah, I was just gonna get some work done.”

“Well you might’ve been done with me, but I wasn’t done with you,” she said simply, beckoning him to come follow her. He didn’t know what she was talking about, but he did as he was told anyways and followed her once more as she headed into the living room to join her friends. “My dad’s been giving me foot massages every once in awhile after matches, and sometimes practice,” she explained nonchalantly to Paris and Veronica, taking a seat in the middle of them. Veronica offered Jessie a stick of gum, who happily accepted and popped it in her mouth.

“Ohhhh, that’s so sweet!” Paris exclaimed. “I figured the one at school was just a one-time thing.”

“Yeah that’s pretty nice of you,” Veronica agreed, looking at him adoringly. Not only was her secret crush pretty cute, but apparently her friend’s dad was quite the gentleman as well.

“Oh. Did you… want me to rub them now?” Marcus asked. It felt unexpected considering she was with her friends, but after earlier today at lunch it technically wouldn’t be the first time he’d massaged his daughter’s feet while her friends were around.

“Well we did just get back from practice like, 5 minutes ago,” she laughed. The smacking of her gum made a cracking sound as she pulled off her shoes and tossing them behind her without looking. She knew they’d land somewhere close to the door. Good enough.

“You can have my seat Mr. Tilden,” Paris offered, quickly standing up to make room for her friend’s dad, but Jessie coerced her back down, speaking for Marcus.

“No no, it’s fine, you can sit down,” she told her friend, and Paris slowly returned to her spot on the couch. “You don’t mind sitting on the floor so my friends can have the couch, right?” she asked her dad. “How bout you get the ottoman actually, and then you can sit against that while they use it.”

“Sounds like a plan,” he said, trying to feel like he was an equal part of his daughter’s suggestion. The footrest had been shoved aside to make room in the center of the floor for Jessie’s yoga sessions, but he pushed it back into position now, surprised that he was barely even able to move in the first place. He was promptly greeted by Veronica’s white ankle socks and Paris’ fuzzy green ones as the two other girls lifted their feet up onto the ottoman in front of him.

“Thanks, Mr. Tilden!” Paris cheered, as warmhearted as ever. Then he made his way around to the front of the couch and ducked under Veronica’s legs, before awkwardly sitting down in the narrow space between the ottoman and the couch, resting his back against the footrest for support. Seeing that he was ready now, Jessie pried off her black and blue athletic socks and deposited the warm, slightly sweaty foot into her dad’s lap below her. Her skin was still spongey and pink from the several hours of activity, and the smell wasn’t any less noticeable than it had been at lunch. Her other leg joined her friends’ on the ottoman behind him, and he looked up to realize he was sitting under a ceiling of legs, both from Jessie’s and her friends’. He accepted Jessie’s foot into his hands though as the girls started up an episode of Sabrina on Netflix, and began tenderly rubbing at her sole just like any other day, trying to forget that her friends were there too. It shouldn’t even matter that they’re nearby, he told himself. Paris is the sweetest girl in the world anyways, and Veronica…? He glanced upwards, and his eyes caught Veronica’s as she happened to look downwards too, and she gave him a wave with her fingers.

“Is he a pretty good masseuse?” Veronica asked Jessie, chewing her own gum as well, although a bit more quietly than Marcus’ daughter. “Like does he only rub yours or does he ever do your friends’ too when they come over for sleepovers and stuff like this?”

“Umm… well I guess he’s really only ever rubbed mine before, but I don’t see why he wouldn’t be able to do yours too,” she offered. “Right Daddy? You wouldn’t mind?” She blew a bubble as she leaned forward to look down at him, awaiting his answer as Veronica gazed at him too.

“Oh, well I thought this was just a thing we did, like between you and me,” he said, not wanting to add Veronica into the mix and taint his view of their new little father-daughter tradition.

“No I know that,” Jessie replied softly, revering the activity with as much specialty as Marcus did. “But it’s like, your gift to me pretty much, and now I wanna give the gift to them too.” Marcus hesitated, but didn’t say anything back, looking back down at her foot in his hands and continuing to rub at it gently. He wasn’t excited about the idea, so that was pretty much the best ‘OK’ he was gonna give. “I guess the answer is yes!” she announced triumphantly, sitting back in her seat.

“Should we keep our socks on or take them off like you?” Paris asked, biting her lip. Nobody had ever given her a foot rub before, so she wasn’t sure which was the more polite avenue to take.

“Socks on or off Daddy?” Jessie asked, leaning over again to ask him and smacking her gum noisily with her mouth.

“I guess… they can keep them on,” he answered.

“He says on!” I’m pretty sure they can hear me, he thought to himself, but didn’t bother saying anything as Jessie leaned back again.

“Why do you take yours off then?” Veronica asked, looking down at Jessie’s pale foot being tended to by Marcus’ dutiful hands.

“Ummm… I dunno,” Jessie shrugged, glancing down at her dad. “I guess cuz it feels a little bit better, cuz he doesn’t have to rub through the socks or anything. But that’s cuz it’s my volleyball socks though, so they’re pretty thick.”

“But don’t they smell worse that way?” Paris asked. “I remember being able to smell them when you took your shoes off at lunch.”

“I meeeean… probably? But they’re not, like, that bad.” Without warning, the young girl suddenly lifted her foot out of Marcus’ grasp, and then pressed it forward against her dad’s head. Her toes covered his eyes as the ball of her foot brushed up against his mouth, but most importantly, his nose was sent right into the gap between the ends of her toes and the top of her sole. He reflexively wanted to jerk his head back, but because he was sitting against the ottoman he had nowhere to go, meaning he couldn’t escape as her pungent sweat invaded his nostrils and reminded him of how long and active her day had been thus far. “And I’m pretty sure you’re used to it by now, right?” she asked, before retreating her foot and setting it back down into her dad’s lap. The whole moment had only lasted a couple seconds, but it left Marcus blushing out of surprise, as Veronica raised her eyebrow at Jessie’s audacity and Paris’ mouth opened, holding back a full gasp.

“Jessie,” he remarked, cringing in disgust. “I might be used to the smell, but I’m not used to… that.” The trio of girls burst out into laughter at the man’s response; even Paris found it a bit funny.

“OK, fair,” Jessie chuckled. “Maybe that was too far. I basically did that a couple days ago though and you didn’t freak out, but maybe I shouldn’t have done it again with friends here.”

Marcus rolled his eyes. “Ya think?”

“Well, unlike your daughter, I actually care about how I smell,” Veronica mentioned, causing Jessie to shove her new friend playfully for the not-so-subtle dig. She bent her leg towards her and slipped off her clean, white sock, laying her ankle on its side on her other leg to show off her foot to everyone. Her well-trimmed toenails were painted an ocean blue, and her skin was so clear, it was clear that she had the softest soles in the room. “I put lotion on them every night before bed,” she explained proudly. Jessie and Paris looked on with admiration rather than jealousy, and even from his spot on the floor Marcus could tell she took care of herself. “I won’t shove them in your face to prove it though, unlike some people who apparently have no manners,” she teased again, eliciting another lighthearted shove from Jessie, who rolled her eyes. “But I’ll still keep my socks on if that’s what you want,” Veronica concluded, sliding the dainty sock back onto her foot.

“Thanks,” Marcus said, grateful that she wasn’t trying to match Jessie’s ‘playful’ behavior this afternoon. Maybe tonight won’t be as bad as I was expecting.