home at last (zelda)

[trevena]

Ryan entered the neighborhood in the late afternoon, beaming. It wasn't often that he got off of work before the late evening, but there hadn't been very much activity in the past month. Tonight, there had been next to nothing, and so his boss had sent him out for the night. Ryan was rather looking forward to seeing Zelda and Caylee, he rarely got to see his daughter or wife awake, save for in the mornings before he left for work. Though most wouldn't call Ryan a doting father and husband, he still adored his family.

Granted, he had a reckless streak. A few nights a week he'd go out drinking, and had almost cheated on his wife on a number of occasions. Of course, nothing had ever happened, he became aware of the situations just in time. Ryan was terrified of losing Zelda, he loved her too much to intentionally harm her. Still, temptation was as hard as it was when he was a loose teenager. It wasn't his fault that he loved to drink and was a natural flirt. Still, Ryan was determined to start drinking less and start being the ultimate family man, because Zelda and Caylee deserved it.

Ryan entered the vicinity of his home and took out his wand, deactivating the protective charms to get inside. As a hit wizard, he was prone to being over-protective. He prayed for the men that would break Caylee's heart one day, because he would not be letting them near her anytime soon. Ryan stepped inside the door and cast the protective charms once more, shutting the door behind him. "Zelda?"

[zelda]

"Behind you, dear," Zelda said, catching the door Ryan had expected to shut behind him. She held Caylee in her arms, having just picked up the little girl from daycare where she spent much of her day. Zelda didn't get home nearly as late as Ryan, but she still couldn't be with Caylee all the time. At least her work schedule was flexible, though, she did enjoy being around her daughter.

"What are you doing home so early?" Zelda asked as she shut the door and unbuttoned Caylee's jacket so the toddler could head off into the living room like she was prone to do. Zelda was honestly surprised that her husband was home so early, since he usually worked late into the evening, often not coming home until Zelda was asleep. And since her work day tended to start early, she usually didn't wait up for him. So the fact that he was home just then was a huge surprise.

[trevena]

Ryan was surprised when Zelda shut the door behind her, turning around and smiling sweetly at his wife. It was very odd, he'd gotten home even before her. Grinning, he knelt down and opened his arms as Caylee ran to him. He hugged her, picking her up and spinning her around slightly as she giggled her adorable little toddler laugh. Setting her down on the ground, he kissed her forehead lightly, then lightly tapped her back, directing her to the living room. Then, he stood, frowning slightly at his wife.

"Not excited, hmm? Well, do I at least get a hello hug and kiss?" Ryan asked, a small smile developing on his face. Zelda was still beautiful to this day, even after everything the pair had been through. He walked up and wrapped his arms around his wife, kissing her lightly and then placing another kiss atop her head. "I got off work early today. Nothing to do, so they sent me home," he replied with a small smile. "I thought we could spend the night together, as a family for once, instead of me being away at work for such a long time, all the time."

[zelda]

Zelda grinned as Caylee gave her father a big hug before running off into the living room to play with her toys. The toddler could entertain herself for hours, which was nice for Zelda. She often left work early to take Caylee home, where she could just work on things while her daughter played by herself. Caylee wasn't really a big fan of daycare, and seemed to like that arrangement better.

Zelda smiled as Ryan kissed her, happily giving him a hug before taking off her coat. "Well that does sound nice," she commented. "Caylee seemed excited to see you home so soon, as am I." It wasn't often that Ryan got home before Caylee's bedtime, and even less frequent that he got home before Zelda, so this was definitely a treat. But Zelda supposed even the ministry had its slow days.

[trevena]

Ryan shed his robes, hanging them inside the closet. He'd only donned a pair of black slacks and a white buttoned up t-shirt, and he removed his black loafers, placing them by the door. He didn't necessarily enjoy Muggle clothing, but he'd gotten used to it with his job. Rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, he looked towards Zelda, eyebrow raising a bit. "Well, that's wonderful. Now, I'll go start dinner, my treat," he replied, beaming. Though not the best cook, he knew a few dishes that could be prepared.

"Unless you'd rather make dinner. Or help me with it," he added, laughing a little. Kissing his wife's cheek, he headed out towards the kitchen. It was very nice, being able to see out into the living room from the kitchen. Caylee was busy at play with the multitude of toys and trinkets laid out for her. He smiled at his daughter, and she did a cute little wave back before turning her attention to her toys. Caylee was growing up to look just like her mother, a gift from the Gods in his opinion.

[zelda]

Zelda smiled as Ryan offered to make dinner. She wasn't entirely sure how well that would go, considering Ryan wasn't the greatest cook in the world. Usually Zelda just made dinner for herself and Caylee and left the leftovers in the fridge for Ryan to have when he got home, but she supposed it would be a lot nicer to have him there to actually eat with them instead.

"I think maybe I should help you with that," Zelda replied with a laugh. She followed her husband into the kitchen, glancing over her shoulder at Caylee, who had already made herself comfortable amongst the toys. Zelda opened the fridge and looked around. "Chicken or tacos?" she asked, lifting her head back out to look at Ryan.