I Fall for Your Eyes But They Don’t Know Me Yet...

[Straw Buckett]

Straw Buckett woke up, head pounding, in strange bed, with an even stranger woman sleeping beside him. Letting out a long sigh, Straw took a minute, holding his hands to his head, the taste of tequila still in his throat. His eyes darted around the room, it was dark but he could just make out his underwear, jeans and shirt, his wand hide underneath it all from the night before thankfully. Carefully he pulled back the lite yellow bed sheets and gently slipped out. ‘F*@k!’ he winced, stubbing his toe on the corner of the chest of draws. He quickly glanced over at the woman in the bed and breathed a sigh of relief when she didn’t wake up. This was a one-night and nothing more, he didn’t want to swap addresses, he couldn’t remember her name anyway, he really never wanted to see her again. As fast as he quietly could, Straw was dressed and creeping out the door. Finding his big black jacket on the floor near the door, he slipped it on and ventured into the snowy morning.

Straw thought back to how he ended up butt naked at 7am on a Saturday, in another stranger bed, given he really hadn’t had much planned after dropping the kids at his mother’s yesterday afternoon. He needed the weekend to himself, one to finish the Christmas shopping and secondly.. to have a little Straw time. He remembered something about a brunette and a short black dress and spending way too much on shots, something messy in a bathroom, some more shots and the rest seemed a blur. He flicked up his jacket collar and tucked his hands into his pockets, he needed breakfast and since his head continued to spin, walking was probably the more sobering solution as he didn’t trust himself to aparate anywhere.

Months had passed and Straw wasn’t having much fun as he used to. He was almost twenty six and this was the 4th stranger’s bed he’d woken up in this month alone. Yes he should probably be enjoying this but single life, back in the game, was not at all as sexy and tantalising as it was thought to be. All the conversations with woman, about their jobs, hope and dreams, where they grew up, what house they were in at Hogwarts, what they named their cats… it was always the same crap. Each one as brainlessly and sexy as the other and Straw was left feeling no less happier for it. Perhaps this was his life now, he needed to accept that he was a single dad to triplets and the only lovin’ he would get was from the next lonely desperate girl at the bar. ‘Maybe I should just quit my job and move to the forest and live like Logan… that’s gotta be more … enriching?!’

Finding the closets Café, Straw threw himself into the warm indoors and parked himself by the window. He ordered a coffee from the cute waitress and sat staring out into the snowy abyss. Things needed to change, he couldn’t keep doing this, where was the love? Straw berried his head back into and head, ’Why is it always tequila? ’

[Kelly Evans]

Just coming off night shift, Kelly needed coffee, and fast. It wasn't particularly safe to apparate after such a long stretch in the hospital so she'd decided to walk through London rather than pop home, and her favourite coffee shop beckoned. Wrapped in her favourite red coat, black beanie, scarf, boots and stockings, Kelly needed the warmth as well as the pick-me-up. Handing over a few silver sickles, Kelly turned away, gripping the coffee in her cold hands, and was about to begin the trek home when a familiar blonde head caught her eye.

"You look like hell, Buckett."

Kelly Evans shook her head at the beleaguered vision of her best friend, and slid into the chair opposite him. Her hands were already wrapped around a mug of coffee, steaming rising from the dark liquid, and she blew on it gently before taking a sip. Sitting back in the cold chair, Kelly crossed one stocking-clad leg over the other and raised her eyebrows, trying not to laugh. For it wasn't funny, not really. The sight of her recently single best friend trying to survive the wilderness once more should have been rather sad, not entertaining.

But hey. She'd always enjoyed other people's struggles. Better him than her. And she meant that in the nicest way possible. "So who was she this time? Because I know for a fact that you've already moved through my staff in the magical accidents wing, and that's just one floor." Kelly took another sip of coffee, enjoying the warmth it spread through her body but slightly wishing it had firewhiskey in it, as well. "I hope you turn the pictures of the children around when you bring all these women to your bed."

[Straw Buckett]

He barely looks up as Kelly finds him, it didn’t take long but he wasn’t surprised for this was their favourite spot to go. Straw could feel her gaze and smirk as she sips her hot beverage and quizzes him. He groans and rubs his face again, “Don’t start,” he replies, eyes fluttering shut. “Would you judge me if I said I couldn’t remember?” he moaned. His left hand props his head up as the cute waitress returns with a large coffee for him. He takes a moment to stretch and yawn before taking the first tantalising sip. “Ahh that’s much better,” and he smiles shyly at Kelly.

“Mary?” he blurts, “She may have been a Mary or Emma? I don’t know.. Well that’s one floor down… four to go?” and raising a playful eyebrow at Kelly and winks, “Narh I’m kidding,” he added when he saw her reaction. “And for your information I never take them home, ever. I have standards, you know, rules and stuff like that. One is I always go to theirs and they never come to mine. Unless she’s special...” Straw paused knowing this could be taken the wrong way and shook his head. “I mean, if she’s worth a second or forth date then maybe I’ll consider her meeting the kids. Otherwise no one gets to see them,” Straw had become very protective of his kids. If they weren’t with him, they were with Queety or his mother. He had not allowed Kat to see them yet but assumed she did when he wasn’t around.

He never said anything but assume when Kelly or Queety disappeared with them that Kat was close behind. Straw was still uninterested in talking to her, he had avoided her like the plague and the silence seemed to be working. He didn’t need her, he didn’t need any woman really. None could be really trusted and he’d accepted that he’d forever be a spinster with three children. “How’s whats her face?” Straw grinned, forcing himself not to laugh as he knew Kelly was probably still not be impressed with his antics with a particular nurse on her ward.

On one particular bender, Straw and a fellow Nurse Eve had ventured outside into a forest, believing skinny dipping and pretending run around the forest like Avatar could be fun. An unfulfilled fantasy of Eves that Straw was happy to assist with. A fantasy that undoubtedly ended with a half-naked Eve rushed to hospital with cuts and spikes in her bottom. This being the result of falling rear first onto a spikie plant, that much like the Whomping Willow, enjoyed fighting back unwanted intruders. Ironically he had not heard from her again, possibly because he hadn’t bothered to visit more then once.

[Kelly Evans]

Kelly laughed and shook her head. "No judgement from me, my friend. I know you're old enough and ugly enough to make your own decisions. But I am glad to hear that you don't introduce them to my godchildren. How are they, anyway? Have they driven Queety and her cats completely bonkers yet?" She didn't like lying to Straw, but she didn't agree with his decision to keep the children away from Kat. So, every time they were dropped off to her house by Queety as she rushed to work, Kelly made sure that it was also Kat's day off. Not that Straw needed or wanted to know that right now.

Taking another mouthful of her coffee, Kelly set the mug down onto the table top. "I don't imagine you have a great deal of time for women who are worthy of second or third dates," she said wryly, raising her eyebrows again. Quickly her expression changed, becoming very cool. "You should at least know her name, after she ended up in the emergency room," Kelly admonished, with a shake of her head. "Every time she sees me she gives me a dirty look, as if I was the one who dropped her in a bed of thorns and then abandoned her in the hospital."

"Finished all your Christmas shopping yet? Or have you been too busy with floozies?"

[Straw Buckett]

"Hey watch the ugly," he smirked, 'You're ugly!" this part he said softly like child unable to come up with a decent comeback. His breakfast with the lot quickly arrived and he dived into it like a hungry dog. He could not remember having a better bacon then this one right now. In fact he couldn't really remembered the last time he ate. 'Did I have dinner?' He shrugged to himself and continued to tuck in.

"What can i say, the ladies love me Evans! But I don't love the ladies," he said casually not caring. "I don't expect to find anyone, they sever one purpose and one purpose only." he said with a mouth full of toast and bacon. He cut up his eggs and mixed it with some barbeque sauce, his eyes so large he was unable to choose where to go on his plate, sausage, eggs, bacon tomatoes! "Why though?" he questioned Kelly in regarding to knowing her name. "It was never going anywhere, does she even know my name? And yes I've visited...." he added, "Once!" and he almost snorted with laughter. "She doesn't need to see me, she's a big girl." Straw said giving a saucy smile at Kelly and winked. What did he care of Nurse Thorn-bottom, he had kids to look after. She was a girl at the club and that was all.


On her next Question Straw nodded, "Yup all done, you should see what Queety and I have done, it's a little mental!" And took another large mouthful. "What about you? Got any plans?" then immediately regretted asking because she was probably doing something with Kat and he didn't want to know. He had the kids for Christmas and so far nothing was changing. Why should he be the one to approach the woman who obviously didn't want to be apart of their family and offer her some family time on the biggest family holiday of the year? Straw saw no sense and if she wanted them well she knew where he lived.

[Kelly Evans]

Kelly let go of her precious warm coffee mug and raised her hands in mock surrender. "I'm not judging," she said with a laugh in her voice. "I don't care who you shag, or whether you Floo them the next day or not." She dropped her hands and tried to look serious for a moment. "But because I am apparently the most responsible adult of the lot of us - and honestly I do not know how that came about after all my efforts to become otherwise - I'm just going to say be careful. You don't know these women, and as I'm assuming most of them are witches, you don't want to get on the wrong end of a love potion or something worse."

The witch dropped the subject at that, and picked up her coffee mug once more. She chuckled at the image her imagination painted of Straw and Queety's Christmas-y apartment. The children's reactions would make it all worth it. At the mention of Christmas though, Kelly couldn't help but level her gaze at Straw once again. Despite his obviously fragile state, there was something she needed to say, and Straw needed to hear it. "Speaking of Christmas," she began, trying to appear neutral. "What's the plan? Christmas dinner at my place again? Everyone knows that Jacques is the master chef of our little group."

In actual fact, Kelly didn't care where they ate, she just wanted Straw to give in and allow Kat to be with her children on Christmas day. Something she knew that he wasn't going to agree to easily. "You could have the morning with the children at your place, then bring them up in the afternoon."

[Straw Buckett]

Straw just scoffed to himself, she was totally judging him. “Hey I’m not totally hopeless, you know as well as I do that the only reason I’m meeting these girls is because you all encouraged me to get out and about. Try new things was it?” not able to remember who exactly said this to him. “Something about I need some time away?! That I need.. what do you call it again? Air?” he joked. Straw never faltered from his fathering duties, when he wasn’t working he was with the kids. When he wasn’t with the kids, he was working, the system worked and he saw no point in changing it. He had to kept busy, it was Straw’s way of coping without Kat. He had embraced his inner single father-dom, and refused to let Kat’s infidelity get the best of him.

Apart from recruiting Queety as housemate/baby sitter, Straw wasn’t doing so bad on his own. Straw was in love with his children, which made the pressure of taking on full care for them easier then he thought. In fact they were probably the only thing holding him together. Straw did everything in his power for them, they had honestly made him a better man. Since having the kids, despite being a big kid at heart, had caused Straw to grow up a lot faster than anyone really expected.

Straw couldn’t help notice however that Kat had not tried to get in contact with them yet. There was no second guessing that both Kelly and Queety, when asked to baby sit while he worked, would sneak them to see their mother. Straw didn’t complain, in fact something told him she purposely wasn’t putting up a fight because she knew he needed the children more than her right now as he battled to move on without her. Granted it was not an easy task, something his new flat mate was discovering all too quickly. With Queety’s help he was sure he could do the single father thing for the rest of his life.

Every once in a while all three girls would, as girls tend to do, over worry about him. They would insist that he needed to get out and try new things, ’God knows what the meant?!’ he’d first thought. What was he supposed to do? He didn’t have any hobbies or interested other than Quidditch. Where was he supposed to go and do? They'd take the kids, kick him out and he'd wander the streets of London looking for something to do. He's tried book club, First aid courses, trivia, chilling at the three broomsticks, art classes, anything to keep his mind off a certain blonde and her lack of love for him anymore. So far Straw seemed to have a bad habit of making too much of an impression on the witching community, the majority ironically worked with Kat and Kelly. “It’s ok, I’ll be careful,” he assured Kelly. He knew she was just looking out for him.

Straw surveyed Kelly for a moment, “I can’t be in the same room as her yet,” he sighed taking a moment to stop eating. If he had to be honest then this was it. “I know it can’t be easy for you Evans and I appreciate that you haven’t stopped talking to me but I can’t do Christmas with her.” Straw was yet to talk to Kat but decided he was not about to chase her down to organise it, if she wanted them then she knew where he was. “The kids interest comes first, they will always be my top priority,” he said looking Kelly directly in the eye, “And I know they need to see her eventually over the holiday but I can’t share Christmas with her yet. I.. I can’t look at her and play happy families. The kids don’t need to see me.. us …like that together.” He paused to look back down at his plate and dragged a hand half over his forehead and through his hair. “I want to have Christmas with you Kel but can’t with her. And as much as I’d love to ask you for lunch.. I feel you wont accept unless we’re all there?” he paused and avoided her eyes, he knew this would be awkward because he loved Kelly but felt her loyalties lied most with Kat. She would probably feel obliged to lunch with her then with Straw thus leaving Kat alone. “I appreciate your offer but I think Kat and I need to talk about what we’re going to do. The children come first, I get that.. she wont miss out on them though. The kids need to see their mother”

[Kelly Evans]

Kelly shook her head. She wasn't trying to force a reunion between her two friends at all; she knew, from both Kat and Straw, that neither one of them was ready for that just yet. Although she didn't say it, Kat was still feeling guilty - not so much about her actions, but about the circumstances that led to them. "I didn't mean have Christmas all together. Queety, Jacques and I are strong people, but I don't believe we have the constitution to deal with you and Kat in close quarters, particularly not after a few glasses of egg nog."

She paused for a moment to finish her coffee, before pulling on black gloves once the warmth of the mug was no longer available for her hands. "And of course I'll come down that horrid flight of stairs and see you and Queety and the children for lunch, you know I like to eat, and what's a better excuse for double Christmas than divorce? But I just wanted your permission to take the munchkins home with me for dinner." Kelly's lips twitched upwards in humour and she added, "it'll save me the trouble of having to bewitch you to sleep and sneak them out."

[Straw Buckett]

Straw politely smiled, this was a very touchy subject for him. He respected where Kelly was going with it but he honestly didn’t want to talk about it right now. “It’s ok Kel, you can come if you want,” he said quietly, “In all honestly.. they will be all tuckered out by seven, so she won’t get much out of them. I’ll talk to her about how we can do it later,” although Straw was not willing going to go out of his way to find Kat to ask if she wanted them. Straw valued Kelly’s efforts but his children was such a personal and sore spot for him at this point that he felt he couldn’t talk to anyone about them.

“Change of subject…” he said hoping to twist away from Kat, “I’ve been thinking..” and he hesitated because he knew exactly what he wanted to ask but feared what Kelly would think. “I wanted to ask you something,” He paused again as uncertainty took hold. He’d never had trouble sharing with Kelly before. It had never once crossed his mind what she’d think of him till now. Frankly Straw was embarrassed and he wasn’t sure how else to go about it solving his problem than to just come out and ask. “I want to see someone, I wondered if you could help?” he said sheepishly. “Do you know anyone in the hospital I could.. you know, talk to.. about.. stuff?” Straw of course was hoping for a councillor or psychiatrist, “But don’t tell anyone either?!” his eyes diverted back to his plate. “I don’t want it getting out to anyone if you know what I mean…”