May the fourth be with you {Ashley}

Indiana had a soft spot for most of the major holidays, though he couldn’t pin point why exactly that was, he figured that it was probably due to the fact that holidays had been one of the few things to bring his family together without any other pretenses. Today was the fourth of July, which was one of Indy’s favorite holidays, mostly due to the large number of explosives and the excuse to drink and eat food. It never hurt that the weather was generally good either. This year Indiana was spending the day with Ashley, as they had found themselves on the same continent for the first time in a while.

They’d decided to celebrate by watching fireworks and drinking beer which was usually already a win-win for the man. But this year they were watching fireworks from the back of Ashley’s flying motorcycle, which was how he found himself floating several hundreds of feet in the air watching the fireworks light up the sky in different colors and patterns, each one just slightly different than the last.

As they watched a multi-colored firework bloom across the inky night sky Indiana felt himself let out a whoop of appreciation “Even though you don’t need me to feed your ego, this has got to be one of your best ideas yet.” It was true, as much as Indy hated to give his brother any cannon fodder of any kind. Indiana paused to take a drink from the beer in his hand and added softly with a laugh “Cheyenne is going to be so mad we did this without her.” Indy missed his little sister, and wondered how she was celebrating without them, but found himself glad to spend time with his brother one on one, as they didn’t get to do things quite like this as often anymore. Another round of fireworks interrupted his train of thought as he watched them fade, and Indiana realized that it was moments like this that made him wish he could save snippets of time forever and revisit them whenever he wanted.

Maybe it was the light buzz he had that was doing it, but the wizard realized that he was well and truly happy, content, even. 

It’d been too long since they’d seen each other, but to stave off any other sad thoughts he didn’t want to entertain at the moment, Indiana asked “Do you remember that one weird summer where we ended up on a cape in that funny little neighborhood for the fourth of July?” They’d only been kids, Ashley had probably been more of a teenager, but Indy’s memory made it feel like everyone in it was smaller than they probably had been. “You got caught sneaking in, or out – whatever, of that girl’s basement and you had to climb a tree to avoid getting bit by their dog, or caught by her father?” He didn’t know if Ashley found it as funny as he did then and now, but Indy couldn’t help himself, and there wasn’t much Ashley could do besides scowl, so he felt safe enough.

@Ashley Morigan

Ashley loved July 4th. He was spending most of his time in the UK nowadays, but he always made it home for Independence Day. He loved being an American. He loved his home country and everything it stood for. He hated leaving, but he had made a good life over there. He had met some really nice, really pretty women. He has met friends and people he considered family. He had explored new territories and his business was booming. In fact, he was considering an official transfer over to the British Ministry, considering the difficulty and paperwork that came with the jurisdiction issues. He didn’t know how to tell his family, though. They would consider him a traitor, probably. Noah probably already knew, as he was very much that type.

Ashley had thought it would be cool to fly around, far enough away from the fireworks to be safe, but high enough they could see them in the sky. He took them out into the boonies, far enough away they wouldn’t be spotted, and kicked off his bike with Indy on the back. As unsafe as it was, he was letting Indiana drink a beer while they flew, making sure he held on tightly with his legs and free hand. Ashley didn’t drink while driving, but there were plenty of beers in the back of Indiana’s Volvo to keep them going for a few hours. He laughed as Indy recounted the story. “I remember.” He laughed. “That was a good night, all things considered.” Any night with a girl was a good night for Ashley. “That chihuahua was vicious, though, I’m telling you.” He teased. He flew the bike back down towards the clearing they had parked Indy’s car in. “You brought the goods, right?” He asked, talking about the bottle rockets and various other fireworks. “Let’s get them set up.” He smiled, parking his bike on the ground, and kicking up the stand.

He made his way to the trunk of the Volvo for a beer of his own. He cracked it open. He preferred cider, but wasn’t picky. He liked that Indy was older now, old enough to chat with him man-to-man, drink with him, talk girls, talk all that shit.

“So, tell me how’s school? Got yourself a pretty little thing? I noticed you didn’t want to introduce her to ma.” He teased.

The Chihuahua had been aggressive from what little Indy could remember of the dog. They’d had to walk by that yard to get to and from where they had been staying and the dog was always running after them along the fence line. It had disappointed Indy at the time because he usually loved animals, but he had also not wanted to get bitten. Indiana laughed “How long were you up in that tree?” to Indy’s memory it seemed like it had been ages.
 
As the wheels of the bike had touched the ground and Ashley began to park it, Indy slid off and made his way over to his car, which was as of yet unnamed “Of course I brough the goods, it’d be a waste of the elevation otherwise” He said, shooting his brother a quick smile as his excitement began to build itself up again. It took the wizard a moment to jiggle the trunk open, but once it was Indiana pulled out a large assortment of fireworks. There were big ones, small ones, bottle rockets, roman candles, firecrackers, sparklers, the list was endless, really. He gestured grandly at the pile once he’d managed to pull it all out of the trunk of his car “I didn’t know what to get” he confessed “so I got almost everything I could think of.”

As he watched his brother grab a beer for himself, it made Indy remember that he’d stashed some cider behind his seat. Tugging his baseball hat onto his head the ex-horned serpent slid across the hood of his car and over to the driver’s passenger side “I almost forgot, I did get you some of your favorite, or what I thought was your favorite.” he added with a shrug and set the case of cider on the roof of the car.

He tried to slid his way back across the hood of the car, but stopped sliding part way through which forced him to catch himself as his momentum carried him away from the car. He took another sip as he considered Ashley’s question. There wasn’t anyone at the moment, at least not anyone he wanted to introduce to Ashley, or his family in general. Girls you picked up at bars and hooked up with for a brief period of time didn’t really count in his mind. He offered a coy shrug as he teased back “I guess you could say pretty little things. But, nobody serious enough that I’m going to introduce them to Jessica.”  If anyone were to be introduced to someone he was serious with, it was likely to be Ashley before anyone else "You'd be likely to meet anyone before either of them." He confessed a little sheepishly, as the subject of their parents always made him feel a little defensive. Mostly because there were just too many feelings to unpack and Indy wasn't keen on trying.

School was, well school. It was both interesting and boring all at the same time “School is good, I guess. Lots of cool projects and things like that, a few trips too.” He thought for a moment longer “I guess I’m already ready to be done, you know?” He was feeling impatient these days, wanting to be able to put some real coin in his own pocket. As much as he knew he could ask Ashley for help, going to the Institute had made Indiana realize how much he'd depended on his brother, and wanted to try to do something on his own. “I am making friends and all of that though, everyone seems alright.” He finished with a stretch and gestured towards his brother “How about you? You’ve been awfully quiet about meeting any new ladies. Did your luck finally run out and they’ve caught on?” he finished with a wink. As an afterthought, Indy added “Know when your next job is, and where it’ll take you yet?” If he was stuck in school, maybe Ashley would at least let him live through him vicariously. While he waited for his brother’s reply, the wizard began to eye up the pile of fireworks, trying to decide where he wanted to start first. 

Ashley smiled as he saw the cider. It was, indeed, his favorite. He went about chugging his beer so he could get to it. He drank the whole thing in one breath and less than thirty seconds. He was dizzy when he pulled back. “Ahhhh…” He managed. He crushed the can and threw it into the back of the car. “Nice, gonna wash this down with something good.” He teased, popping open the cider. He took a little sip, his throat burning slightly from the carbonation from the beer he’d chugged. He smiled at Indy, liking that reply. He better meet any girls before Indy showed them to their mother. “You know, I’ve got a few things going on. Nothing serious enough that Mom needs to know.” He shrugged. Indy had met a few of his girlfriends. He’d met Nadia, Gwen… but not Mihwa, not yet. He didn’t even know if Mihwa could be considered his girlfriend. Nothing was set in stone yet. They probably should talk about it sooner than later, though. He’d shown her Star Wars, and Spaceballs. That meant they were almost engaged, right?

“Maybe you can come by London in a few and I’ll let you meet my newest girl.” He said, a little shyly. “She’s funny. Pretty. Smart. Former Gryffindor. I’ve been told I would’ve been a Gryffindor—you would’ve been a Slytherin though, you evil son of a bitch.” He joked, though Indiana probably would’ve honestly ended up in Slytherin, had he pulled that same “not wherever Ashley is” thing. He could’ve fit into a few houses, really. He was smart enough for the smart people house. Brave enough for the brave people house. Evil enough for the evil house. He could’ve been anywhere.

“So, what’re we gonna light on fire first, bud?” He asked. “You wanna save the big ones for last?”

Indiana watched his brother chug the can of beer, and raised his eyebrows in silent appreciation, it was almost impressive. “Hilarious, really.” He teased, his expression amused “But, you definitely shouldn’t quit your day job to become a comic.” He was grinning now. It was stupid stuff, but he’d missed bantering with his brother, just hanging and doing whatever they wanted. It was harder now that he was in school at the Institute, but Indy told himself it would be worth it.

As he listened to Ashley talk, Indy leaned against the side of the car, and sipped the beer in his hand. It was cheap beer, but that was the point. Plus, it had left more money for the fireworks, so he supposed it worked itself out. The wizard nodded, knowing what Ashley was getting at. Their parents seemed like the excitable type when it came to introducing serious girlfriends, or at least their mother would probably be.

Indiana watched his brother carefully, curious to hear what he had to say about this new girl. Indy knew that Ashley didn’t introduce girls left and right, and he had to admit that his curiosity was peaked, if he was finally bringing her up that meant some kind of something was up and Indy would have been lying if he said he didn’t want to know. He was about to ask where they met, but was distracted by his brother’s words. Indy laughed and rolled his eyes at Ashley “Me? Evil? I think you’re confused. I’m an angel.” His grin turned into one that made him look like the cat who had eaten the canary.

He was thinking about the last time he’d been home, he’d spent the better part of a day evading a gang of angry townsfolk after someone got mad at him for flirting with the wrong pretty girl. He couldn’t remember if Ashley had been there or if he’d told him about it yet.

The whole topic of sorting still made him uncomfortable, he almost felt as guilty now as he did roughly seven years later. But rather than let it kill the mood for once, Indiana chugged his beer and pulled another from the case, tapping absently on the top with his fingers. He remembered his earlier question for Ashley “How’d you meet this new girl of yours?” He was happy for the chance to change the subject.

Cracking the can of beer open, Indy held it in his hand as he considered the pile of fireworks again “I think so, yeah.” He was grinning again, careful to gauge his brother’s reaction “I did manage to find a few Roman candles and some M085’s. Otherwise we’ve got regular fountains.” The Roman candles and fountains were only a bargaining chip, in case Ashley got weird about it. But he hoped they could blow some shit up, honestly.  Until he knew how Ashley felt about it, the location of the M085’s would remain secret. If push came to shove, he could share them with Callum later.

“You don’t think I’m hilarious?” He teased. “I could be aa comic.” He joked, absolutely not serious. He had never liked public speaking or being in front of crowds. One-on-one conversations was one thing, but speeches and stuff were completely different. Even so, Ashley had missed the banter too. He loved Indiana so much, he could feel it rising in his chest. He would do anything for him—die or kill.

“Angel my ass. Like a fallen angel. By the name of Lucifer.” He teased. Indy was a good boy, really, but his rebellious streak and selfishness and attitude definitely pinned him the Lucifer type. He was self-righteous enough for it too.  He was going to say more, but got distracted by Indy’s question.

“Oh, a house call, believe it or not. She needed help degnoming her garden, and afterwards gave me a thorough thanking.” He teased. This happened more often than he was willing to admit. “I mean, we’ve been seeing each other off and on for a few months. We’re not serious or anything, just kinda casual but I do like her a lot. We’ll see.” He shrugged. “I’ve got a few other girls on the pull. Got a girl in Paris who writes me at 2 am to fly over.” He admitted. They weren’t serious either, but he liked her enthusiasm and willingness to tell him exactly what she wanted from him. There was no pretending when you get the “booty call” message at 2 am. He knew exactly why she was calling him and what exactly she wanted. And he was happy to provide.

“Oh shit, no way?” Ashley grinned, excited. “So we really are setting some stuff on fire tonight.” He teased. “Let’s go. No time like the present.” He took down another half of his cider.

“Yeah, for the community television station” Indy teased his brother gleefully before grinning widely at him to let him know he was really only kidding “Me on the other hand? Born for the stage” The younger Morigan finished with a flourish that was not at all serious and very much a dig at himself. He was better at it than Ashley, but had no interest in it outside of when it suited him personally. But, he did think he was funnier than Ashley was, and would take that opinion to his grave.

When Ashley mentioned Lucifer Indiana could only grin wider “Lucifer had all the fun anyway.” Indy truthfully wasn’t sure if he loved the comparison, but he certainly found it amusing nonetheless and he couldn’t deny that he and the fallen archangel might have had some similarities when it came to their family dynamic at present.

Indy snorted as Ashley told him how he’d met his latest girlfriend. It was not uncommon, but he wasn’t going to bust his brother’s chops that badly right now. So he nodded knowingly instead “Well, whatever happens, if she’s sticking around I better meet her, unless you’re afraid she’ll fall for me instead.” He finished and took a long drink of his beer. He shook his head as Ashley continued on 2 A.M. in Paris? Of course “Only you would manage to pull them both at the same time, too.” Indy was more impressed than he would admit though. He would see girls at the same time, but had yet to try and juggle the whole two continent thing.

“Hell yeah” Indy said, a smile breaking across his face as he saw his brother’s reaction was positive. Indy laughed and nodded at his brother’s sentiment and chugged the rest of his beer before he set about digging the fireworks out from underneath the backseat of his car. Once he had them in hand the wizard handed some to his brother and went about fishing his lighter out of his pocket “Ten quid says I can chuck mine farther than you” he dared.

“I’ll take that bet.” Ashley laughed, getting ready to throw his as far as he possibly could. “And you know you’re such a heartthrob, you know she’s bound to fall for you instead.” He laughed, being very sarcastic. Indy was cute, he was the smart one and the successful one—but Ashley was the handsome and cool one. It was a good trade off. Ashley was jealous of Indy a little bit. Indy could always go after what he wanted, but Ashley had to worry about what would make his parents proud. Indy always did go after whatever Indy wanted, to hell with the rest of it. Ash wished he had that kind of drive and selfishness. He needed to do what he did. He was obligated to do it.

“I’ve been pretty good, though, enjoying my time. Being single can be nice when you’ve got someone to spend your time with. What about you? Any girls in your life, Indiana?” He teased, using his full name. “You probably got three on the pull, all thinking they’re your one and only.” Indy wasn’t that kind of guy, though, so Ash hoped Indy knew he was teasing.

He lit his, and on a count of three, he chucked it about as far as he could, his eyes widening as it exploded loudly and vibrantly. It was good they were far away from society. “Fuck yeah.” He smiled, taking down the rest of his cider.