He held his hand up to hers innocently in comparison and laughed again. "I might be able to cover my palms," he teased. "They would get ruined," he laced his fingers with her for a moment, examining her hand. "I don't want to be responsible for um... for any frostbite or other such heinous malady that might come to your hands," he grinned.

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"And I would hold you responsible" she teased right back. It was nice how they fell into their usual pattern despite the unusual surroundings. "My fingers could be bitten off by wolves" Ella said seriously.

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"Wolves! I would never allow it, neither would Maurey," he said as if he were making a solemn promise. "We're like your personal anti-wolf hand chewing security team."

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"That's so sweet" Ella teased. "'Cuz you know, I was pretty worried that would happen and I'd never be able to paint my nails again!" Maurey had rejoined the bed and Ella hauled him onto her lap to scratch his belly.

"Are you excited about my pop's tofu turkey curry?" Ella asked, grinning. It was a little weird, but so was her dad. At least he wasn't a total dragon like Sera's dad. Ella supposed her and Jenny got pretty lucky to get picked up by such cool parents. "I promise it wont be awkward. Well, not unless dad tries to play the flute at the dinnertable aagin."

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"I do what I can," he said, laughing a little nervously.

"I actually am excited. After trying to shovel down my mom's lentil loaf I think it will be a welcome surprise," he smiled sweetly. "I feel like my mom would like hanging out with your parents. There's not much uh... not much makes me feel awkward anymore," he admitted. "Your dad could do yoga at the dinner table and I would still be totally fine," he laughed.

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"Ew, gross! He better not" Ella pouted. She wrinkled her nose at even the word 'lentil loaf'. At least her dad tried to disguise anything healthy. " My mum was super excited when I told her you were coming. You know she's like, in love with you right? She thinks you're a real gentleman" Ella teased. She hadn't mentioned that things with Hen were progressing, it would be almost unbearable.

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Jenny had been pretty solidly asleep for the last while, after dinner she hadn't really done much except watch television with their mother, before going to bed fairly early. She didn't really ask questions when Ella practically begged her for the bottom bunk, just obediently climbing up top and wrapping herself up in the nearest blankets. It was freezing, and she was asleep in no time.

It was much later now though, but she was still kind of freezing as she squinted into the darkness at the ceiling just a few inches above her face. Something had woken her up but what was..

Listening a little closer, it was hard to mistake the giggles from below, no matter how quiet they were being. Scooting over to the edge, the blonde hung her head over the side, peering at Hendrix and Ella upside down. "Dad so isn't even the one to worry about. Did you even lock the door?" Jenny asked, regarding them sleepily. "Mom will," she paused to yawn, "make a huge awkward scene if she walks in here and you guys are all like, snuggled up."

Carefully, she turned herself rightside up and climbed down the ladder, which was getting a bit small even for them. Making her way over to the door, she turned the lock, testing the knob. If they used magic, Paula would know something was up. Jenny's nosy side and powers of investigation had both definitely come from her mother's influence. Plus sneaking around with Charlie did sort of help with the tricks and tips of having a boy in your room secretly.

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Hendrix giggled nervously. "Uh... no, I had no idea your mom liked me so much," he blushed a bit. "I guess it's the southern gentleman coming out in me," he grinned. "I'm a weird Northern-Southern hybrid."

"Oh shiiii," Hendrix felt himself leaning away from Jenny's bent head. "Sorry Jenny, didn't mean to wake you," his heart was pounding hard in his chest and he was suddenly reminded that he had indeed snuck into a girl's bedroom late at night.

He looked at Ella guiltily, he could even feel his ears flaring up red. "Sorry," he whispered. "I suppose another twelve hours wouldn't have hurt but... kinda exciting to sneak around at night," he giggled again. "I felt like ninja... or a spy... a ninja spy!" he said excitedly.

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"Don't apologise to her" Ella said teasingly, swatting at Jenny's head. "She sneaked Charlie into the house all the time! Mom didn't even like Charlie."

Still, Ella was grateful hr sister had the sense to lock the door, even if they were only hanging out together.

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"Mom would have loved Charlie," Jenny replied, pouting as she carefully climbed back up onto her bunk. She was feeling a bit more awake after her trot to the door, and she turned on her side, propping herself up on her elbow. It made her head brush the ceiling. "She just didn't give him a chance!"

She had been around and around this argument with both her sister and mother, and neither seemed to see it her way. She sighed dejectedly. To them, Charlie was just a bum.

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Hendrix couldn't help but laugh, he was infinitely amused by sibling banter. He didn't have that even though he had five siblings of his own. "Charlie was definitely an interesting choice," he said evenly. "And I'm sure he had a lot of... nice qualities," he smiled at Jenny.

Then looking at Ella his blush deepened. "Definitely not the kind of guy for you though. He's too um... crude."

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Ella grinned and buried her head betwwen Hendrix's shoulder and neck. "He's too stinky, above all else" he muttered, poking her tongue out at Jenny.

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"He wasn't stinky," Jenny defended him automatically. Sighing dramatically, she flopped her head back against her pillow. "He was the perfect boy.. when he wasn't being an asshole."

Which, granted, had been a lot of time. But her memories were definitely still fond even if short. "If only I had time for a boyfriend, I'd look him back up," she joked quietly.

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Hendrix rested his chin on top of Ella's head, her closeness making his stomach flip, he wasn't even really listening to what he was saying. "Smell is... um... is an important aspect in any relationship," he mumbled.

"Hey... who said boyfriends had to take up a lot of time?" he asked, comically offended. "We're not terribly needy," he pouted.

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Ella tried to act casual but she was sure Hendrix could fele her tense up when he called himself a boyfriend. Was that was he was? They hadn't exactly talked about it. Or even kissed. Did that make Ella a girlfriend? But she didn't know how to be a girlfriend!

"Jenny's morning breath smells real bad but I still love her, so I guess I know what she means" Ella joked, hiding her wide smile behind Maurey.

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Though it would have normally been in her nature to protest in defense of her breath, Jenny barely even heard Ella speak. Her eyes had gone wide at the boyfriend comment, and she wasn't even trying to hide the wide grin on her face. Practically kicking her blankets off again, she swung back over the edge of the bed, peering at them upside down again.

"You're a boyfriend now, are you?" she asked, rather hopefully. She was leaned over pretty far and the blood was sort of rushing to her head, but it was still impossible to hide the excitement in her expression.

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"Oh! Oh no! I didn't... I wasn't... I hadn't meant it like that..." he panicked. "I mean! Not that I wouldn't want to be... a boyfriend... but not to just anyone... you know... more... particular..." he trailed off and pressed his eyes shut. He was pretty sure he had just shot himself in the foot eight times.

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Ella cringed and swung wildly at Jenny's head with her foot. Ella wasn't even going to pretend to know what Hendrix had just rambled and gave him a half smile of reassurance.

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Just barely pulling her head back enough to avoid a kick, Jenny scowled. "Jeez, sorry for being interested!" she huffed, flipping back up onto the bed and trying to get comfy again. "I'll give you guys your privacy," she mumbled, half-joking. She was already pulling her cell phone from under her pillow to text Sera about what was going on. This was big match-making history.

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Hendrix gave Ella a reassuring squeeze. "Sorry," he whispered into her hair. "You know... I don't mean to embarrass you," he mumbled.

"Sorry Jen," he said giving the bottom of the top bunk a little bump and grinning.

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"You don't... You would never!" Ella wrapped her arms around Hen's neck and pressed their cheeks together. He wasn't the embarrassing one. Grinning, she lifted herself up so she was half hanging off the side of the bed, face to face with Jenny whilst her toes just held on to the bottom mattress.

"You better not be texting Sera!" she yelled, trying to grab Jenny's phone. "Just let me read what you've written" she whined.

"Hen, I apologise for having a horrid sister" she giggled.

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Jenny was just quick enough to get the phone out of the way, Ella's fingers grazing it before the younger twin had it stashed away under the pillow again. "Talking about you, not to you!" she teased, grinning happily at her sister.

When Ella called her horrid, she made a face and reached over to gently flick the other girl's nose. "If you think your sister is horrid, you should meet mine."

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He wanted to kiss her, something inside him told him to kiss her but he didn't. He just sat there like an idiot with his arms wrapped around her.

His face was burning but he just laughed. "Don't tell Ser I was playing cat burglar!"

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"Tell her he climbed through the window like a freaking badass" Ella laughed, itching at her nose where Jenny had swotted her. "You jerk" she grumbled before suddenly pressing her finger to her lips.

It sounded like activity from the other end of the hall. They had probably been making too much noise and disturbed someone. Diving back under her covers, giggling madly, Ella shoved Hendrix into the corner and through the blanket over his head. "Do you think it's mom?" she whispered.

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"I told her you're both down there kissing like you always say we are," she shot back, giggling a bit but quickly silencing herself when Ella pressed the finger to her lips. She listened closely, her eyes going wide for a second before she flopped back on the bed more, pulling her sheets up to her chin.

She felt a lot more seven than seventeen, and it was extremely hard to hold in her giggles now. "Probably," she whispered back, cracking a grin and promptly pulling the blanket over it. "Should we play dead or pretend like we can't get to sleep?" she asked quickly, figuring their seconds to decide were dwindling.

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Hendrix felt his stomach bottom out as he was shoved into the corner and the blanker was thrown over his head. He was practically holding his breath the whole time. "Are my feet covered?" he asked quietly. He was almost sure that they weren't as he cowered down even lower.

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