The Astor/Rosensteel Household

Ryan held his head in his hands, feeling as though the weight of the world was on his shoulders. And, he felt slightly sick as well. Finally, after Serenity talked him out for a good twenty minutes, he stood up.

"Serenity, I'm sorry, but I think I'm going home. I just need to think about this." Ryan gave her a loving kiss on the forehead, and squeezed her hand, to show that it was alright.

"Of course. Do you still want to go out for ice cream tomorrow?" She asked, sounding a little nervous still. "You don't have to."

"No, I would love to go out! Tonight, I just need to think about things."

"Alright, I don't mind. Bye, Ryan. See you tomorrow." She said, not getting up.

Dianna hadn't broken up with Brian. But, she had caught the stomach flu from him, and was throwing up just as badly as Brian had.

Her mother was standing next to her, holding her hair and sighing.

Ryan was rapping on the front door, with a cheesy little smile on his face, and a bouquet of pink and red roses in the other hand. He looked so terribly proud of himself.

Serenity opened the door with a smile- and as soon as she saw the flowers, she felt a bit guilty. She had been having her reservations about their relationship lately. The relationship was going well.. But frankly, Serenity wanted him to grow some balls. After all, her first husband had been Elroy. Dull, but ballsy.

"Hi, Ryan. Those are nice."

"Thank you! I, er, heard you liked flowers, so." And he quickly handed them to her. "Anyway," he took a step in the house, without waiting for her invitation. They had become so close, it didn't seem right to hold that barrier between them.

"What did you want to talk about?" he asked cheerfully, looking at her.

"I.." Serenity stopped, going to put the flowers in a vase. "Um, do you want me to be blunt with you? Because I can." She was playing with one of the roses as she spoke, more nervous than she had been before a judge.

"Sure, I guess..." Ryan replied, his heart sinking slowly but surely. He sadly thought he had an idea where this was going...

"Well.." Serenity said awkwardly, not bearing to look him in the eyes. "You're a nice guy, Ryan. Really nice. But, being honest, you need to grow a pair. You're not very brave. And I want that in a man. In fact, I rather need that."

"Whaaa?!" Ryan whirled around her, staring at her with her mouth a gap. Was this what she really thought of him, this entire time? He looked down at himself sadly... that was a major blow to his self-confidence. But then he looked up at her, with narrowed eyes, and a generally annoyed, but dangerous looking expression.

"Well, I don't call you out about your faults." he replied curtly.

"Excuse me?!" Serenity asked, her eyes snapping up at him. "This is just too much. It's not that I don't like you! I really like you. I think I love you, but you're not being very forward, here. Can you at least try? I've spent my whole damn life being in charge! Can't you try to take control of something for once?!"

"YES MA'AM!" Ryan shouted back at her. The normal Ryan would have crept back, and muttered some pathetic response. And, it was rather pathetic how he yelled at her right back, but hey, it was a start.

Serenity's eyes widened.
"Well, FINE!" Serenity shouted back, getting up in his face. "Why don't YOU do something for once?! Plan dinner! I'm sick of planning things!" She was getting started. "You know what else you could do? How about you offer to babysit Dianna? How about you do SOMETHING!?"

"Wait!" Ryan shrunk back, all that elated confidence suddenly popping and spinning around like a busted balloon. "Serenity, I was just trying to lighten the mood a bit!" he exclaimed. "And, I'd love to babysit Dianna and cook you food and change your sheets and scrub your toilet... it just seemed like you enjoyed taking charge..."

Serenity's mood completely deflated. Him yelling, well.. It kind of turned her on. But then he was back to his normal subservient self.
"No, Ryan. Just cooking me food and doing my chores for me doesn't make you in charge. That just makes you my bitch. Try to surprise me, and be chivalrous. What does taking charge mean to you?"

"Um..." Ryan paused and tapped on his chin, trying to think of the best possible answer.

"To be the boss!" he decided after a moment or two of deliberation.

"To be the boss. That means, you need to boss me around. Tell me what to do." Serenity said. "This is your chance to prove to me you can do this, that this relationship will work, okay?"

"Um, okay..."

"GO MAKE ME A SANDWICH WOMAN!" Ryan demanded.

SMACK!

Yes, Serenity had smacked him across the face, as hard as she could. It was really the only thing she could think of to do.

"What was that for?!" Ryan exclaimed, rubbing his cheek as he looked horribly confused. "You said for me to be the boss, and you just hit me across the face..." he said earnestly.

"You just told me to make you a sandwich. That's just demea--" Serenity took a deep breath, exhaling strongly through her nose. "Thank you for the flowers, Ryan."

"MMm.."

The soft grass tickled Dianna's skin, the air warm and muggy, slowing everything down to almost a standstill around her. An ant was slowly exploring her toe, but Dianna couldn't even feel it. She was sleeping there in the backyard, her eyelids fluttering, characteristic of REM sleeping. She was dreaming wonderful dreams, out in the beautiful grassy lawn.
The warm southernly wind had made the summer feel all the more hot, and just this morning, the house's old air conditioner gave out. Thus, Dianna was forced outside into the wild, dreaming her lovely dreams.

The serenity of this moment was torn straight in two by a rather shaky G sharp. Adam, disregarding the sweltering conditions indoors, was at his rusted, fraying strings again. He took a sort of pride being so consistent with practice every day, in spite of mother nature, in spite of the harsh protests he may receive from the females of the house, and, most of all, in spite of himself.