The Age of The Masrui

(( The combination of Karsi being so supportive when Louis was sad, and Marlowe and Maddox realising they were so close to having what they wanted at the same time made me emotional :') ))

---

"If I did have them I would be using them too, trust me." Dorian answered quietly, flinching when he dropped one of the tent poles as he tried to pack it into the container the tent had come in and it hit against a more bony part of his wrist. "Fuck sake." He muttered in frustration, going to pick it up and try again - the level of frustration indicating that this was not the first time it had happened. "Opening pandora's box would be easier than this, I swear."

---

Louis groaned as he was stirred, blinking his eyes half open so that he was squinting at her. "Wh- What's going on? What time is it?"

---

"Get up, quick. It's an emergency." Marlowe hummed, grabbing his hands and pulling him to try and force him to sit up. "Just shove some jogging bottoms on, hurry."

"Like half eleven? You've got nothing on your schedule today so no panicking necessary." Karsi kissed his forehead. "Have some coffee, go get a shower and we've got the afternoon to ourselves."

---

Astrid chuckled a little as she headed over, moving him to one side gently as she packed it up for him swiftly.

---

"Oh god what? What's happened?" Louis sat up then, panicking as he quickly got out of bed and threw some clothes on. "Is everyone okay?"

((We love pain ))

Dorian took a step back to allow her to take over, rubbing the back of his neck as he lifted his head up with a small noise of complaint. "I slept so awkwardly last night, going to have this ache in my neck all day from it now. How was the night for you, you manage alone in the tent okay? I don't remember being woken up so I assume it wasn't as scary as you thought it would be?"

---

Marlowe laughed gently at that, "Nothing bad, deep breaths. It is just very time-sensitive that's all. Come with me." she hummed, kissing him gently before heading out of the apartment and around the side of the building.

---

"Oh.. Oh no, I was supposed to be looking after you today not the other way around. I didn't realise how much I drank." He groaned.

"You needed it... you've been under so much pressure recently and you've not had any time at all to just... be still. So last night was the start of it and then we have all day today together to just... do nothing."

---

"Think the wine knocked me out so, I dont think I woke up."

---

"Don't say emergency when it's nothing bad Marley! Nearly gave me a heart attack." Maddox groaned, following her quietly.

"I know, it was funny. Besides, time-sensitivity is close enough to an emergency for me." Marlowe answered, glancing over her shoulder at him with a playful grin as she walked. Crossing over the road and leading him up a set of steep stones stairs that opened up onto a field with a stunning view of the city. The sun rising in the sky, peaking just out from behind one of the building which caused rays of light to paint shadows on the grass. Not too far away from the steps, a blanket had been laid where Marlowe had placed a plate of still warm pancakes down, with a bowl selection of fruit, maple syrup, lemon juice and chocolate options for toppings. A jug of orange juice and two glasses also waiting. "Ta-da! We can't miss a view like this, hm?"

---

"It was quite something watching you stumble into the tent last night." Dorian laughed. "I hope you enjoyed it all the same."

---

"Mm, and what are we going to be doing on this do-nothing day?" He asked, reaching over to take the painkillers before picking up the cup of coffee.

"The quietness helped with the sleep... even drunk I dont think I've slept this well since I moved from home."

---

"Nothing at all, we're not leaving the house and I've dismissed the staff for the day so we're completely alone." Karsi grinned. "I was thinking of dragging the bedding down here in front of the fire and we can watch movies..."

---

Maddox grinned softly as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his head on top of hers as he watched the sun rise. "You know me well... thank you."

"That sounds like a good idea," Louis agreed. "Anything that involves sitting in front of that fire all day is a hard one to argue with."

---

She leant back into him, glancing upwards to study the way the sun and the shadows were hitting his face like a love-sick puppy. "Yesterday was stressful, we don't know what today is going to bring either. You love sunrise, so, I thought it would be a good idea for us to spend time together at the quietest part of the day." She explained softly, before pulling away and going to sit down. "Now come on, cold pancakes are disgusting and I burned like four different non-stick frying pans to make these. Cal isn't going to be pleased."

---

"That is really good. I'll have to take you back to the hustle and bustle of the city now I am afraid, I am sure your father is already livid at me for taking you somewhere where he can't contact you."

"You were with me, doing your job. If he gets pissed I'll say I took off and you just followed."

---

Maddox pulled her back to kiss her gently before moving to sit down with her, the soft smile never leaving his face.

---

"You go shower and get changed mm? I'll sort everything out whilst you're up there."

"Don't over work yourself, you are meant to be preparing yourself this week to take everything on and prove them all wrong, remember?" Louis hummed, though got to his feet and wandered up the stairs to shower anyway.

---

"Oh... okay. Thank you." Dorian answered gratefully, "Do you need help getting your tent down, then we can head off straight away?"

---

Marlowe poured herself a glass of orange juice as her gaze went back toward the view. "What do you think the people living in that little bungalow down there are doing right now?"

Karsi pulled the blankets down and set the fire up in their sitting room the whilst he was upstairs. Once she had everything set up she moved to sit at the piano in the main room, quietly playing twinkle twinkle little star over and over whilst singing along quietly, never quite getting it right as she struggled to remember the notes.

---

"I can manage." Astrid shook her head, returning to her own tent and packing everything up as carefully as she could.

---

"I've never really thought about it.. probably sleeping though since not everyone wakes at the crack of dawn." Maddox teased gently.

Dorian watched her for a moment or two with a smile, before grabbing as many things as he could. "I'm going to ut all this in the car, are you okay to follow me once your ready?"

---

Louis wasn't long in the shower, returning with his hair still dripping wet and only using one hand to try and towel dry it. Pausing in the doorway, he listened to her play with an amused grin.

---

"Don't they?" Marlowe hummed, seeming genuinely surprised by this as she turned her attention onto him. "What time do they wake up then?"

Astrid nodded as she gathered her own things together.

---

After a few more rounds, Karsi managed to finish the full rhyme with no mistakes. Grinning brightly as she just played with the keys then as she hummed lyrics under her breath. She looked up a few minutes later, jumping a little when she saw Louis. "How long have you been stood there?" she asked softly.

---

"Why dont you go knock on the door and ask them mm? Nosey."

"Just for a couple of attempts, your improving." Louis observed, wandering over to stand behind her with his hands resting upon her shoulders gently. His wet towel moving to drape over his own shoulder, water still dripping off of if.

---

Dorian headed up the dirt path then, opening the car up and throwing the things he was carrying in the boot with a tired sigh.

---

"You would be horrified if I actually did." Marlowe laughed.

“I can’t remember the last time I played... I’m not sure if it’s the injury or the fact that it’s just been that long...” Karsi hummed as she reached a hand up to rest over his on her shoulder, laughing a little as water dripped onto her, gently playing a soft repetitive melody with her free hand.

---

“Hmm. You’re not wrong.” Maddox laughed in agreement as he started to eat.

---

“Let me drive back mm? You can rest.”

"Oh, no. No I'm driving. What if someone is at the house, hm? Or someone starts to follow us. I need to be the one in control of the wheel." Dorian hummed, taking her stuff off of her and putting it into the back before walking to the passenger side and holding the door open for her.

---

"What is the most embarrassing thing, or embarrassing situation you have been in?" Marlowe asked, finishing off her drink before digging into the food.

---

"It has just been a long time, you've been so busy."

“I don’t think you’d want to hear.”

---

Astrid rolled her eyes and got in without another word, fastening her seatbelt.

---

“When did you last play? I can’t remember hearing you in forever...”

Louis paused thoughtfully before giving a one shouldered shrug. "I have no idea, it must of been years ago by now. I'm probably far too rusty for anything to come out any good."

---

Dorian headed to the drivers side and set off when they were both safely inside. Focusing on the road, the traffic slowly building up as they got back to the city.

---

"I asked, so, I do. Tell me."

“Picked up one of Karsi’s friends at a party a few years ago and took her up to my room, Karsi couldn’t find her so she panicked and since Cal was chaperoning he helped her look... they both walked in on us.”

---

“I’ll re-teach you later.” Karsi grinned before getting up and kissing his cheek gently, taking his hand to lead him to the set up in the sitting room.

---

“We didn’t miss rush hour then.”

"Really? Oh god." Marlowe laughed at that, "How did you react, how did they react?"

---

"Mm, that sounds like a good plan." Louis hummed as he followed her.

---

"Nope, lucky for us we are back just in time for the best time of day." He answered sarcastically.

"Great... fantastic." Astrid replied in a similar tone.

---

"I don't think Cal gave a shit - I think it's happened that often to him on both sides with the amount of brothers we have he just told me to hurry up before he left. Karsi was furious but I think that was more with the fact that apparently the girl hadn't told Karsi where she was going but the last thing that's on your mind when you're hooking up with someone is stopping to send a quick text." Maddox chuckled. "I was mortified... it's happened a few times since. Like I say, tonnes of parties when my parents weren't home which like three years ago they spent six months abroad whilst dad worked on some deal. But that first time made me wanna be swallowed up into a hole. Now if I'm not alone I just make sure the door is locked."

---

"You can choose the first movie." Karsi grinned as she moved to get under the blankets that she'd set out.

"Feel free to put the radio on, seems like we'll be in this slow moving traffic for awhile. The classic station is on channel six, I think. It might help you with the noise." Dorian informed her gently, narrowing his eyes when he was cut off by another car. Muttering absently to himself, "Idiot."

---

"I can't say that has ever happened to me," She laughed. "Mine would be when I was thirteen, I went to a park with some friends. Snuck out at a ridiculous time of night, they were all there taking drugs: nothing heavy, weed. I got peer pressured into it, the trip was... a good one, actually but when I came around I was passed out in this stream, pen scribbles all over my face in permanent marker that I couldn't get off for days. My mother was furious, I couldn't exactly deny what I done when it was written on my face. It won me social points, I've never done it since though."

---

"You know I dont like choosing first."

"I'm fine for now but thank you..." Astrid whispered, pulling her feet up to rest on the dashboard.

---

"I don't think I could think of anything worse than being a parent to teenagers." Maddox chuckled, "Some of the shit we did... absolute nightmare."

---

"Close your eyes and tap then." Karsi chuckled, leaving the blanket open for him.

"Feet down," Dorian hummed, reaching over to hit her knees gently. "Airbags live in that place, those are important. If I crash and your legs are up there then they'll kill you."

---

Marlowe laughed at that, nodding in agreement after finishing off her food. "It's toddlers I like, all the attitude of a teenager in a bite size cutie."

---

Louis nodded, walking over to the DVD cabinet and closing his eyes. Running his fingers across the spins and stopping on one. A James Bond film.

"Won't be a problem if you don't crash." Astrid shrugged, though put her feet down anyway.

---

"I often see the appeals in nannies when they start the tantrums." Maddox grimaced honestly. "I don't blame my parents for using them."

---

"Ah one of your favourites."

"Mm, which is fine but someone may crash into us too." He answered with a shrug, smiling when she out her feet down. "Why thank you."

---

"Mm, even if I had all the money in the world I would never hire a nanny. Can't appreciate the good times properly if you don't go through the bad." Marlowe chuckled, glancing to him. "I think you'll make a great dad one day."

---

"Mm, so it is. What ashame." He hummed with a small smirk, taking the disc out and putting it on before sitting down and joining her.