peaceonearth | In my mom era

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In my mom era | For DJ

Alek and Zuzu handle most of the business meetings and decisions, but about once a year, Ruby has to visit some of the businesses that work with the rage spas or she has to visit some of the major spas herself (she and Sam tend to visit the smaller ones when they want a spa weekend or day). It's that time of year and Ruby hasn't been to New York City in a while. It's a bonus that DJ lives there now and she wants to check in with him. The meetings take most of the morning on into the afternoon so by the time Ruby shows up at the penthouse, it's late afternoon. She knocks on the front door to be polite (though she's still got a key). When DJ answers, she wraps him up in a big hug. "Hey, Kiddo," she greets him when he lets her go and reaches up to ruffle his hair. "How's it going?"

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He had heard from Sam over the phone that Ruby would be in New York today. Anticipation to see and talk with his mom stuck with him all day...when he wasn't thinking about Ariel. His emotions and ability to regulate were up and down all day. Point is that he was still looking forward to it.

Fortunately, he had class to keep his mind off thiings until the afternoon as well. He wasn't sure when Ruby would show but he heard the knock at his door around the same time he was contemplating a good book or some punk rock music to drown out time before making food for an evening meal. He didn't think anything of it when he answered the door. It could have been a package. He had ordered a few new accessories or spices off Amazon to try new recipes. Lately he cooked his frustrations away in the evening. Or it could have been something of Ariel's that hadn't arrived before the breakup. If so, he'd add it to the small death pile under the sink. He didn't know what to do with her things and he couldn't throw them out.

When he sees it's Ruby, he throws his arms around her, feeling a release of joy and comfort in the hug. "Mom! Glad you're here." He releases her in his own time but doesn't hang on so long that it signifies how torn up he is lately. He hunches lower to let her hand ruffle his head.

The question about how he's doing does give him pause. "It's going. Um, I was just about to make dinner. I'm learning a lot here...about what its like to take care of myself. I promise I'm doing my best not to mope like I said I would." That's only half true. "How's it going back home? How's Dad?"

Ruby has been looking forward to seeing him as well. Of course, she and Sam see him semi-regularly anyway, but she always considers it a treat to see DJ.

She would tell him that she has always had excellent timing. She would also tell him that even though visitors have to show the doorman credentials to get up here he should check the doorbell cam. She does not worry as much about him as she once worried about his father, but it's still important to be safe.

Ruby hugs him back just as fiercely. "Were you expecting someone else? Am I interrupting?" If she were, she'd tell him that he's just going to have to change his plans or let her tag along.

His response is just enough to make her arch an eyebrow at him. Clearly, something is up. She slips her high heels off at the door. "Dinner sounds good. We had stale sandwiches for lunch in the meeting. Let's go in the kitchen. You can cook and tell me about it."

He wouldn't deny that he has to be more mindful of his own safety. Living in New York is an adjustment. Though he wouldn't want to worry her and in such a case that she brought up his safety, DJ would assure her that he would do it next time. The only strange thing in the building was the lady one level down that always looked at him as if she saw the ghost of her former lover.

Can he lie to himself that he wasn't hoping it'd be Ariel? Never. His eyes give away sadness before he chooses to focus on the good in the visit. "Nobody. You're not interrupting at all. Come in." He steps back from the door, giving her access to the whole penthouse. He closes the door behind him.

Eventually, he will spill more of what happened. Right now, the last thing he wants to do is dump on his mom when the visit just started. "So let me guess, sandwiches are out. I can cut up potatoes to make fries." He already planned to make other things but an extra miss match of food never made him feel it was a burden to offer. In the kitchen, he opens his phone to the recipe he had in mind: Mushroom tacos with adobo sauce. "I was thinking about making this. We can batter and fry for something different."

Ruby will have to look into the lady one level down.

Of course, Ruby knows that Ariel and DJ were dating and she'd also worried about DJ getting his heart broken. The look in DJ's eyes worry her that is exactly what happened. Once inside, Ruby glances around, noticing a few changes here and there. "I like some of the things you've done," she tells him.

"Stale deli sandwiches are out. I'll eat whatever you cook. I can assure you, it'll be better than what we had." She glances over at the recipe on his phone. "I like tacos and I don't think I've ever had that kind. I can help you chop."

The lady one level down would likely be recognizable, only wearing more wrinkles and gray.

His effort to enjoy the visit continues to be his best in the moment. His body language lights up more when Ruby observes the changes he's made. "Thanks, Mom... I only changed enough to make it feel like home." He turns back, reminded of the biggest change he made.

"You should see what I did with the kitchen. I upgraded a few appliances with some of my funds." He is aware that he's outgrown always needing permission, but he looks for a little bit of approval from her.

He places his phone near the sink behind him then side steps to allow Ruby space behind the counter. He hands her what she offered to chop. "I'd love your help. You always made the bits almost undetectable. I've been working on making mine less chunky."

Probably best Ruby doesn't meet her then as she hasn't changed much in the last twenty years.

"It's yours now. You can change what you like," Ruby assures him. "I might be upset if you take out the bathtub though," she teases him. It had been one of her favorite things about the penthouse.

"Oh good. The kitchen probably did need an upgrade," she admits, especially since DJ will spend so much time cooking in it. She and Sam had cooked, of course, but never as much as DJ is cooking, heartbreak or not. "Show me what you've upgraded," she says as they step into the kitchen, making note of a new stovetop. Of course, he's free to use his funds almost any way he wants. DJ is responsible enough that she doesn't worry about that.

She smiles at the compliment. "Your dad used to say the same thing. Lots of experience with a knife," she says as she starts roughly chopping.

DJ on the other hand might want to give her the benefit of the doubt. Get to know her. Boldness and bossiness in a women is always attractive. Oops?

"Would I be in trouble if I moved it into the guest bathroom?" He jests. He loves it as it is a longer foot claw tub. "I'll try not to go too crazy. I have a few more ideas for the kitchen though." He lists off a few fancy appliances not already in the kitchen.

He starts with the stovetop by turning it on high to quickly heat up. One side is a gas range and the other electric. He places his hand on the safe side. "It recognizes what is steel and what isn't. It won't burn me." He holds his hand there long enough to make his point. Her trust in him living his life is why he feels so open to telling her everything. He is mostly responsible with his money. Thankfully, his main hobby is food so he can't really accidentally run out of his monthly stipend and not have food. Otherwise, he's still young enough to do that by accident.

"I remember the bedtime stories. I wanted to be like you one day. Good with a knife. But you know, in the kitchen." He smiles at being compared to his father more than or an equal amount to the memories warm listening to the stories in his childhood. "I miss when the three of us made dinner together. Dad would also tell stories about a memory tied to the food we made." One day, he would like to have his own kid(s) that experience to share the same experience with.

He's very much like his father in that way. It will certainly make things interesting should he decide he wants her to meet his parents.

Ruby gives him a look that says 'yes'. She knows he's teasing though and her look conveys that as well. She listens, nodding as he talks about the renovation of the kitchen. "Seriously though. You know you can redecorate if you want." DJ has good taste in general. He won't do anything that they can't resell or release once he's decided he wants to move.

Ruby oohs and ahhs over the changes that DJ has made. They're good upgrades that only increase the value of the penthouse. She stops short of telling him not to touch the stovetop, but just barely. That is helpful, though she hopes he knows enough to realize that he can call her or Sam at any point if he needs help. Yes, they'll talk to him about the why of calling, but be grateful he did call. "I may have to get you to redesign my kitchen," she says only half teasing him. "I could use a fancy stove or fridge."

"I'll teach you some of my tricks," she tells him with a wink. "You know, you don't have to wait until a holiday to come visit. You could just show up; we could make dinner together and you can tell me what's going on in your life." It's a not so subtle nudge; she knows he's going through something right now.

He would like it one day if Ariel were to be that person. The lady down stairs would certainly be more interesting, but he's not even thinking about her yet. He would have to run into her a few more times for that first.

He makes note of that permissive look and files it away for later. Should he find more free time in his schedule, Ruby will be the first to hear about additional renovations to the penthouse. One thing that always remains true is that he can say anything to Ruby and be heard. He feels motivated to share a few more of his ideas in detail. He finishes by motioning to the pantry. "And, of course I was thinking of opening that up too." The enthusiasm drips off of him. Open floor plans are back in. A lot of his ideas are a chef's dream. A part of him might never want to move and return to the penthouse if he ever did.

The oohs and ahhs only make him swell with pride in his decisions. It encourages him to keep talking until he's actually out of things to say, even if accidentally slightly on repeat. His only clue that Ruby was going to say something at all is how her mouth drops for half a second to speak. By then he's already taken his hand off the burner. "Cool, isn't it? I don't know if I could be an interior designer, but it wouldn't hurt to have the same kind of stove. The fridges are cooler. That one with the ice cream maker. I'd find an excuse to come home to that." Of course they both know he'd come no matter what.

The invitation means a lot more than she knows. He recognizes it's weird to feel the way he does, but things with Ariel and himself does not mean he's unwanted everywhere else. The reminder makes his dimples stand out. "You think I could take you up on that as soon as the semester is done?" He could come up for a week or two. Stop and unwind. A lot of his ability to function from the breakup comes from not allowing himself the time to come to terms with it. His biggest distraction comes in the form of creating more homework for himself in his pursuit of education. It's not healthy. "I want to tell you everything, but what if I don't have the words right now to tell you it."

Meeting Ariel as DJ's girlfriend would be incredibly normal since she grew up with Ruby and Sam. DJ might be a little nervous because it's a first, but it would go incredibly smoothly.

She will be happy to hear about the renovations. Interior decorating isn't really her thing, but she likes to hear most things that DJ is excited about. She might even ask him to help her renovate the kitchen at their home in Sioux Falls. It's been a few decades since anything was done to it outside of appliance updates when necessary. Neither Ruby nor Sam would mind if DJ stayed in the penthouse permanently. It had been bought as a home, not as a rental property so they'd rather see it enjoyed by him as such.

Ruby chuckles at that. "Check. Fridge with ice cream maker to get you to come back home," she jokes. "I'll see what I can do about that."

"Kiddo, you can come home anytime you want for as long as you want. Your room is already set up for you. Your dad would love to have you come garden with him and help with all the animals." She hesitates at that, brow furrowing a little. "You can hold onto it until you do, or you can just start talking and see if the words come. Sometimes it helps to get it out. You don't have to be succinct when talking to me." She focuses on the chopping while she speaks. She's also learned that sometimes it helps to have something to do with your hands when you talk about big emotions.

DJ would be relieved that his parents accept Ariel on that day. He has some growing up to do first. He has a few things left to learn, like patience.

He'd never say no if she asked him to make suggestions. Interior decorating isn't something he got from Sam, but the interest to have some practical to his interests is. A range that doesn't burn skin on contact is practical to him. If the fridge stopped working, an ice cream maker fridge would also be practical. Sam would say that most of the things they have still work. Most likely Sam could come on board with new appliances if the energy efficency was improved. Neither Sam nor Ruby live in the penthouse anymore nor have any intention to. A time might come where they talk about as parents what to do with the property if DJ wanted to stay permanently. A graduation gift? A gift for opening his first restaurant? There were endless options to showing their son support.

"I'll almost want to move back in." That's not a lie. DJ and Ruby both know he could never do that; his dream to be a chef is too strong. All the smiles he could never give up when people try something he made. A fond memory is of his parents truthfully enjoying something he made at ten years old as he set them up on a little date night. He put himself to bed that night for them. "Electrical outage of the fuse? I can make it happen the next time I come over" He suggests in jest. As a (half) demon, it wouldnt take much.

Being a called Kiddo reminds him that he doesn't have to have all the answers all the time. He's allowed to be confused. He hears what Ruby says to him and tries to open up by letting it come out as advised. "Gardening is one thing I miss about home. The farmer markets here isnt the same as growing it a home, not by a long shot." A small pops into his mind that might help him. "Did you have to date other people before you found Dad?" He knows the story of Sam's two lives. He asked a lot about it as child. Still, he didn't have the whole picture. Not even Sam shared or thought it was appropriate to tell DJ about Ruby's past. He only ever heard about why Ruby was the one for Sam and vice versa, to which he accepted as the whole story as a child.

It's good that he's doing some growing up and learning patience. It's part of living away from home and getting older. Ruby will still be a little salty that Ariel is breaking DJ's heart; it's her right as a mother.

It will be a discussion if and when DJ expresses a desire to stay in the penthouse.

"Don't tease me," Ruby jokes then because she's Ruby, "but also your father and I are enjoying being able to walk around naked anytime and anywhere we want in the house." Sorry not sorry, DJ. "I'll never tell your father how the electronics in the fridge really got fried."

"You know, you could set some raised garden beds out on the patio. With the right ones, you could grow enough for yourself," Ruby suggests, gesturing to the sliding glass doors that lead out to the enormous rooftop patio. It was one of the selling points of this penthouse when Ruby had bought it. She hesitates before answering DJ's question. "Yes and no. Your father dated some before he met me. I...my experience was very different as a demon before your father. I did have a relationship of sorts before him though." She tilts her head a little in a silent why do you ask encouraging him to keep talking.

It helps him feel better right now that Ruby came to visit.

As much as he grew up to see his parents' affection as a natural thing, he scrunches his face. "Mom! I won't tease you ever again if you promise to not tell me that again." Of course they both know that's a promise only as good as the next visit. "Your secret is safe with me."

"That's not a bad idea. Think you could help me set them up if you're here a while. How long can you stay?" For as long as Ruby was able, DJ was open to having her company. He needed it in some ways. He doesn't need to turn back to the spot she has in mind because he can picture how it might work. There would be a lot of space to walk around a garden bed if placed to one side or the middle. The penthouse was more space than he ever needed as a single person. He gives her room to answer even though he wonders what made her hesitate. "Can I ask what you mean? But...we can drop it too. I didn't mean to bring up if you had any hookups..." Her head tilt does encourage to keep talking. "I just mean...was wondering how did you know Dad was the one? Is it just like people say when you have to date other people to know which one you're supposed to end up with." He twists his perspective into what Ariel had said but at least he spills some of it.

She will always be there when he needs her.

Ruby can't help but laugh as her comment had had the expected reaction. "Scout's honor," she tells him. He's right though, it's only good for this visit, maybe even only this day. She and Sam had firmly believed that seeing their parents in love was good for the kids. Even if they hadn't, it wasn't like they were any good at keeping a lock on the public displays of affection. They never had been in any lifetime.

Ruby considers DJ's question despite the fact that even now she knows she'll stay at least another couple of nights. "I've got an even better idea. Why don't I call your dad, have him join us and we can get your patio set up with a garden and anything else you'd like." Yes, part of it has to do with the fact that Sam and Ruby don't like spending nights away from each other, but Sam is more the gardener and handy person than Ruby is; he'll genuinely be a help to the project. The penthouse has more space than even a small family really needed, but the available outdoor space the patio provided had been thoroughly enjoyed when they lived there. She wanted DJ to be able to enjoy and utilize it as well.

"It's okay," Ruby quickly reassures him. "I was very young when I died as a human and my parents were trying to marry me off. Relationships weren't done the way they are now. Anyway, after I died, I ended up in a relationship with the demon that made my deal. It wasn't a healthy one, but I didn't know that at the time. I thought that was just the way a relationship was supposed to work. Once she lost interest in me, I wasn't in any hurry to get back into a relationship. There wasn't anyone after her before your father." She didn't think DJ needed to know about the occasional sex while possessing a body long term long before women were allowed to say no. A smile curves her lips as she answers the next question. "He made me want to be a better person. When I first met him, I was still working for a big demon in Hell. My job was to watch him. It only took a few days before I realized I didn't want to tell Azazel about him; I didn't want Azazel anywhere near him because he was one of the few humans I realized I liked, because he made me want to be a better demon."

"I don't know if you need to date more people or not. I never did. I just had to get to know him. I did have a lot of experience with a lot of other humans. I don't know if I hadn't met the right ones or if everyone I had met was annoying and awful. I know you were seeing Ariel some when she was in town. Is that still going on? Or..." she trails off, giving DJ a chance to fill in the blanks.

His eyes reflect his reaction from a moment ago at her laughter. DJ relaxes at the promise. He doesn't expect that it'll last for longer than the day, or perhaps for the whole time Ruby stays in town. The mention of his father joining them certainly suggests that it won't last longer than a day. Most of the time, he never felt it was too much growing up. He had the comfort of knowing his parents weren't going to divorce. He'd seen a few other kids that went through divorce to know that he was in fact fortunate to have parents that were together. He never doubted that his parents were together for the right reasons.

He flashes a smile. "You should call Dad. It's strange seeing you two apart. Besides, uh, we all could work on it together. I want your input." Both parents' input. Sam would have a lot more mathical knowledge about where a patio garden might thrive under the sunlight and not obstruct a common pathway. Of course Sam would agree that seeing his son is a bonus. He would also agree that being away from Ruby, even for a few nights, is difficult. He finds it hard to sleep without her next to him.

There's sympathy in his demeanor, shock that things used to work that at one point in history. The fact that he hadn't learned about things working like that in school didn't even scratch the surface. To be fair to the education system, there was two-hundred and three-hundred years of history between when women first gained rights and his birth. His world view was ~~sunshine and rainbows~~ happier. He refrains from focusing on the bad for the positive parts. "Oh... Mom, I'm glad you got to meet Dad."

The insight to how his mother met his father might be viewed as ominous to some, but the way he sees it that they still found each other. He remembers the name Azazel; neither of his parents kept that Azazel was a former demon prince that sought to pull the strings of fate. DJ also knew from the Supernatural novels that Azazel was responsible for his other grandmother, Mary's death. He had to grit his teeth at how someone like that could have existed. "How did you get away with not reporting back on Dad?" He assumes, wrongly, that she did, only because they're together again through two lifetimes. Also he jumps to the conclusion this was when Sam was older. "What did you do next? Did Dad know? I can't see you being anything other than a good person Mom." He'll always be the grown version of the boy that used to cling to her leg as a child, aka attached to her.

"The thing is that I don't think I want to date anyone else. Things with Ariel felt different than the relationships I had in High School. Things right now... Things, I know, are off between us. I'm still confused if it means we're on a break or done. I think she wants me to see other people." His head shrugs slightly, almost as if to shake his head half-heartedly, meaning he couldn't make heads or tails of the blanks still.

Ruby raises her brow, giving Dj a moment to confirm he wants his father to join them. After that moment, she takes her phone out and they dial Sam on speakerphone. She explains, with DJ's additions, what they're thinking about doing. She's not surprised, but pleased, that Sam agrees to get on a plane within a couple of hours. They'll meet him at the airport later this evening.

The world is a much better place than it used to be. For DJ's sake, Ruby is glad of that. She smiles softly at DJ. "I am too. I don't know what my life would have been like without him." She suspects it would have been much bleaker and much shorter.

"I didn't. I was punished, but I escaped Hell when your father and uncle opened the gates. Your dad knew later that I had been watching him for a long time. At first, he just assumed I was in the right place at the right time to help him. I let him because he used to think all demons were bad." She shrugs a little at his confession. "I wasn't always. I took the easy way out and did a lot of things to make my life more comfortable, which as a demon usually means doing something awful. I was over six hundred years old when I met your father; that's a lot of time."

Her brow furrows when DJ talks about Ariel wanting him to see other people. She doesn't understand that. She never wanted Sam to see other people. It takes her a moment to respond. "Maybe...I don't know because your dad and I did things differently, but I know when he was young...I didn't want him to date anyone else, but I also worried that because he hadn't dated anyone else he'd regret it later. I thought that maybe he'd wonder if I had been the right one when I had been the only one. Maybe Ariel worries about that because she's older than you and has dated other people?" It's an idea, not something Ruby is certain about. This is a discussion; she wants to hear his ideas. DJ has dated other people, but he is young.

Ruby had promised call Sam with an update before he went to bed. It did not alarm him when he reached for his phone to answer and saw it was Ruby . His smile broke on his end as he answered. "Hey. I miss you a lot, too." His ear pressed to her phone as he listened to his wife suggest an evening with their son. "Let me wrap up a few things here first and I'll call you when I'm on the way to the airport." He ends the call with another affirmation that he loves her. To tell DJ that he loves him, too.

DJ shakes his head. "I can't see Dad happy with anyone but you." He means it too, if it's any consolidation.

His smile drops for a long as he's not able to shake the image of his mother in Hell. "That's a lot to go through-- I'm sorry that happened to you, Mom. Is it hard to talk about? I can change the subject." He swallows, mouth feeling dry. "I bet you weren't bad at all." He can only see the best in his mom. Bias or no bias. "I see you doing what you had to do but never what you didn't need to for no reason." The words mirror the words of Sam from a two century old discussion (2012-ish), pleading or hopeful, to understand Ruby isn’t a bad person. DJ is more hopeful it isn't the case. "You wouldn't have met Dad if you weren't a demon either. That's one good thing about it." He's aware of all the reasons that he should be wary of other demons if one ever approaches him. His sisters and Rowena, whom he's met only twice under curious circumstances in his life, are the exception.

He lets Ruby's words sit with him for a moment. There's a lot to go over. He tries not to let himself only hear the parts he likes the most and go with them instantly. "I think she could be the one for me. But you thought the same thing with Dad, about dating other girls, so to prove that there isn't anyone else, you think maybe I should try to date others to make sure of my feelings. It sounded crazy when she suggested it but I'm starting to see, maybe, it's normal. Did you ever tell Dad to date other people, or try to? What did he do?"

He's dated around but never dated anyone that made him feel as crazy as he does about Ariel.

Ruby responds to Sam's declarations of affection with her usual 'me too, Nerd' before she hangs up. She delivers Sam's message to DJ.

It does help a little, though DJ is biased. "I think we both realized that later, at least by the time we got married." Of course, there'd also been that dip into the future where Ruby disappeared and Sam was left on his own. That had helped confirm that Sam wasn't going to be happy with anyone except Ruby.

Ruby shakes her head at DJ's question. "No. It was a long time ago." She had struggled with it a lot when she'd first become human simply because human souls aren't meant to deal with everything she'd done and that had been done to her. Slowly, the nightmares and guilt had (mostly) disappeared. They rarely cropped up now. Ruby knows she isn't a bad person, though she would say that she had been at one time. "No," she admits. "I would have been dead centuries before he had ever been born." That had occurred to both her and Sam at some point in both lives. Rowena is only partially an exception. She's not enough of one that Ruby wanted her around DJ much.

Ruby hesitates because technically, that's what she said and she doesn't think it's a bad idea for DJ to make certain, in every way possible, that Ariel is the one for him before he commits. However, she knows she hated every moment that Sam dated other people. "I never could bring myself to tell your dad to date other people, but when he was a teenager, I didn't discourage it and he knew he couldn't date me; at least not until he was older. I hated every minute of it, but I also knew it would be better for both of us if he tried dating 'normal' girls. At least, he'd know what his other options were." DJ's situation is a little different since he's not human and dating 'normal' girls might be more like him now, but the future would look more like Ruby's future or Nate's than Sam's future. "I don't think it's ever a bad idea to make sure when you're talking about committing to someone. Maybe this is how you make sure or maybe it just soothes Ariel's worries about it. If you date other people and fall in love, you know she's not the one."

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In my mom era | For DJ

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