Eden spun around in confusion, her eyes searching the room until they landed on Cailen.
She gasped as well, dropping her oven mitts on the ground. Cailen thanks whatever god is up there that she wasn't holding a roast or something.
Stella turned as well, wondering who could have caused such a reaction and squealed when she saw him.
"Cailen! You came!" Stella said excitedly, making her way around the kitchen to pull him into a hug.
Cailen chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly but also being cautious of the knife she still held in her hand.
"If you poke me with that thing, I'm gone." Cailen teased as he pulled away, eyeing the knife.
She grinned at him, then turned to set the knife down. Cailen actually saw Stella not too long ago so she really hadn't changed a whole lot since then. The only thing that's changed is she may have gotten a hair cut, but Cailen couldn't be sure.
Eden also hadn't changed much. Maybe a few wrinkles that Cailen makes a note of not to mention to her, but really, she looked the same to Cailen.
It was a bit overwhelming, being back in the same place where everyone around him hasn't changed really, but he feels likes he's changed so much.
"Cailen, my boy." Eden said in a sweet voice as she too, made her way over to Cailen, pulling him into an even tighter hug.
He didn't mind though. He quite enjoyed it and even squeezed her back, trying to somehow apologize for not coming home for two years. She smelled like she used to, reminding Cailen of home and making him think he ought to come home more often.
"Hi, mom." Cailen mumbled into her hair.
She kept her hold on him until Cailen's back started to ache from the awkward angle and someone else's hand came down on his shoulder, making him pull away in curiosity.
It was Dean, smiling at him knowingly as if he somehow knew Cailen was planning this. Cailen smiled at him and pulled him into a hug as well, Eden still clutching onto his side.
"Dad. I'm sorry it's been so long." Cailen apologized.
"Don't worry about it. We know you've got a lot going on at Uni. We're just glad you're here now." Dean replied, squeezing him back briefly then letting go. Eden still held on and Cailen didn't think she was letting go anytime soon. He didn't mind.
"How is school going?" Eden asked, looking up slightly at Cailen.
"It's good. Boring, but I'll live." He replied with a small smile. Eden rolled her eyes, smiling fondly at her son.
"Soon, you'll be a nurse and I'll get to make fun of you in your scrubs." Stella teased as she went back to cutting whatever it was she was cutting before.
Cailen silently mimicked her, making ridiculous faces she would never make and earning a light smack to the chest from Eden. Cailen grinned at her innocently and stepped away, going to the fridge to retrieve a drink.
"Aunt Karen, good to see you again." Cailen greeted as he passed, stopping briefly to give her a hug. She smiled and hugged him back, speaking about how happy she is to see him.
"I do hope you're going to be getting a haircut, Cai. Yours is getting a bit long." Eden said from behind him.
Cailen chuckled because he hadn't even been home ten minutes and Eden was already fussing over him.
"Maybe." He replied, grabbing a soda from the fridge and cracking it open. "Where's Wil?" He asked turning around to see Eden giving him a look that said the hair conversation was not over but that they could move on for now.
"In his room with his friends." Eden answered.
Cailen nodded and said his farewells before hurrying upstairs to where William's room should be. He passed the living room and saw a bunch of people sitting around chatting, some people he knew but most he didn't, so he kept going in search of William.
He made it up the stairs and took a right, heading three doors down the hall until he heard William's familiar deep voice. He only knew his voice had deepened from the phone calls they had weekly.
Cailen slowed his pace, creeping up to the door so he could surprise him.
"Man, I'm still hungover from last weekend." A new voice said, a Scottish voice, Cailen thought but couldn't exactly be sure. He wondered briefly where William had met a Scottish man but didn't think on it long before he attacked.
"You're finally free!" Cailen shouted as he burst into the door, spotted William and jumped on him.
William startled and spun around in time for Cailen to tackle him to the ground. Cailen landed on top of him, grinning down at the curly haired boy. William still looked confused but then his eyes were widening as he realized who had just tackled him to the ground.
"Cai!" He shouted, a big smile spreading across his face. William wrapped his arms around Cailen as best he could while being squished by him at the same time. "You're here! I can't believe- I mean, I thought you had school?"
"Finished yesterday and got on the first flight I could." Cailen grinned down at him. "Do you really think I'd miss this? I couldn't miss you becoming a contributing member of society." Cailen said.
He decided it was time to get up and haul William to his feet so he could breath and they could give each other a proper hug. So that's just what they did.
"I can't believe this! You're actually home. I missed you so much." William said into Cailen's neck.
Cailen felt bad about being gone so long. He really did and the feeling was only getting worse with each person he greeted.
He really should come home more.
"I missed you too." Cailen replied, squeezing him one last time before letting him go.
William was grinning from ear to ear, his ridiculous dimples on display for everyone to see. Cailen now had the chance to take in William, his curls, his eyes, and his height.
"Jesus, when did you get so damn tall?" Cailen asked, looking up at William who grinned down at him. "And muscle-y." Cailen finished, poking William in the chest.
"I started working out..." William answered shyly.
Cailen could tell that much. He couldn't believe how tall William had gotten. He's changed so much. This made Cailen feel a bit better about him changing but it also made him feel bad because he missed this.
He missed William growing up because he was being an idiot and decided to avoid his family.
"Cailen," A familiar voice said from behind him.
Cailen spun around to see what he could only describe as a model from a men's fashion magazine with the styled up dark hair, sharp jaw, and mysterious dark eyes, but he knew this person was no fashion model.
"Matthew?" Cailen asked more than said.
Matthew chuckled, shuffling over to pull Cailen into a quick hug.
"Well, shit." Cailen mumbled, looking Matthew over one more time. Honestly, if Cailen hadn't known Matthew since he was eleven, he'd probably think he really was a model. "What happened to the awkward podgy kid I used to know?" Cailen teased, grinning at Matthew.
Matthew rolled his eyes, smiling. "He grew up." Matthew answered.
"That's for sure." Cailen mumbled, more to himself than anyone else.
It was then that Cailen noticed a new face, one that he didn't recognize at all and not just because they grew up. This person had blonde hair with bright blue eyes and a friendly smile when Cailen finally looked at him.
"Uh, Cai, this is Noah. He's a transfer student from Scotland. Transferred in the middle of last year." William explained. "Noah, this is my brother Cailen."
Noah's smile grew and the blonde held out his hand to Cailen. He took it, returning the smile.
"I've heard a lot about you," Noah said, his Scottish accent shining through. "You're all William can ever talk about." Noah chuckled.
"Well, I wouldn't go that far..." William mumbled, obviously a little embarrassed.
"I would." Matthew commented.
Cailen grinned at Matthew and was about to put in his own comment when William's bathroom door opened and out came a tall, muscular bloke. Not taller than William but definitely more muscular. Cailen could tell by the way his t-shirt stretched over the back of his shoulders.
When the person turned around, Cailen was met with dark brown eyes that looked very familiar but the rest of him are not.
His hair was shaved short along the side and longer on top, styled up into a quiff. There was a little bit of stubble framing his jaw and his arms… Good god, his arms.
Cailen desperately wanted to know why this person rang a bell in his memory but he couldn't place them. Surely he'd remember a bloke this fit.
"Ash! Cai's here!" William said excitedly.
And wait, what?
"Asher?" Cailen said in disbelief.