Tarin was still grinning when Lee made sure to point out that they hadn’t required any video support or outside help either and if Tarin wasn’t mistaken she sounded quite pleased with herself. Maybe even a little proud.

Excellent.

Kevin was apparently too stunned to speak for a moment and then heaped the teenage equivalent of effusive praise onto Lee’s cooking skills and went back to eat some more.

A moment later, Lee returned to the living room and sat by him on the couch, commenting about the game and the hat.

Well, since she had brought it up…

”I mean…all it would take is one solid hit and we’re down…they’ve already got one in base…”

He stopped there though and shrugged nonchalantly, ”But nah, it’s probably not necessary today.”

Glancing over his shoulder at Kevin who was still digging into the food, Tarin grinned, ”Gonna go for round two tomorrow, huh?”

Tarin started off listing reasons why she needed to wear the hat. At least in his mind.Because it would only take a single good hit to have the Mets be down.

But she didn’t need to wear the hat, he said. Probably.

So Lee settled down into the couch, resting her head against Tarin’s shoulder as she watched the game with him. Until he asked about the next day.

Lee shrugged. ”Well, we’ll have to do something with the cream and chicken before too long or we’ll have to toss it,” Lee pointed out. As she was speaking, there was another hit, putting a second runner on base. Lee frowned slightly.

”Plus I’d prefer to try it again to make sure it wasn’t a fluke rather than rush to find another recipe.”

Just then, there was another hit that looked like…no, Tarin hadn’t jinxed things, had he? But sure enough, the ball went over the wall. ”Crap,” Lee said under her breath. The Mets were now down 3-1. ”I’ll be right back.”

Getting up, Lee made her way over to the table she’d left her purse on. It was packed a little tightly, but Lee pulled a bag out of her purse, then pulled an item out of that bag. She then returned to the couch with it behind her back. But rather than walking in front to sit again, Lee stopped behind Tarin on the couch.

Lee then pulled Tarin’s hat off his head, putting it on herself before setting something back on his head. ”Happy now?” she asked as she finally made her way around to sit back down beside him.

Lee settled into the couch and leaned her head on his shoulder and Tarin turned his attention to the game, letting Kevin eat in peace.

They did have all of those extra ingredients, Tarin acknowledged when Lee brought up the fact that they needed to do something with them before they went bad. The meal had also been good enough that Tarin was happy to eat it again, even a few days later.

”So that’s settled.” he said, wincing as there was another hit and the opposing team got another runner on base. There was no reason to panic yet though, the Mets had gotten several runners on in the last inning and had only managed to get one home.

Lee also had an excellent point about trying to recipe again. Tarin was pretty sure it hadn’t been a fluke of any kind, but he wasn’t going to argue. Lee was in too good a mood considering the long night she had ahead, and she already knew they’d done well the first time.

The next batter was up though and Tarin groaned as soon as the pitch left the pitcher’s hand. He didn’t even need to hear the crack of the bat to know what had happened.

Lee got up then and Tarin frowned a bit, he hadn’t meant to be a spoil sport with his reaction. It wasn’t like the Mets losing was some sort of novelty and he’d honestly rather just hang out with Lee and hear about Kevin’s trip if they were going to play like garbage.

A few moments later though Tarin felt his hat coming off his head and then…put back on?

Tarin was confused and looked up as Lee came back around the couch…wearing his hat.

Reaching up and pulling the new hat off his head, Tarin looked at it for a moment. Lee had gotten him a new hat to wear when she was wearing his? It was nice too and Tarin couldn’t remember the last time someone had gotten him a gift.

Grinning practically ear to ear, Tarin looked over at Lee as he put the hat back on and pulled her in for a hug, ”Thanks.”

”Oh god, please don’t start being gross, I literally just got home.” said the peanut gallery and Tarin laughed and shook his head.

And just like that, a third strike was struck and the teams worked to switch places.

”Really though…thanks.” he said.

Tarin looked confused when she came around and sat down wearing his hat, and she just smiled at him, returning the hug. Just the grin that had appeared on his face when he realized what she had done would have been enough to make the 30 minutes she’d spent in the airport souvenir shop because Kevin’s flight had been delayed worth it as she tried to pick the best hat for Tarin (because there were a lot of them), even if he never wore it again. But Lee knew him wearing the hat was definitely going to happen more than just tonight.

”Oh god, please don’t start being gross, I literally just got home.”

Tarin had laughed, and Lee just shook her head. ”We’ll try to not be too gross, but I give no promises,” Lee informed her son. Which resulted in a disgusted groan from him.

”You’re welcome,” Lee said, then shrugged slightly. ”I just thought, you always wear your hat watching the game, but you didn’t have anything if I was wearing it.”

Tarin’s new hat just felt right, it needed a little working in and the bill needed to be shaped…but it felt really right. The silly little smile wouldn’t leave his face either, so he just kind of sat there for a few moments and enjoyed the feeling.

Lee refused to make assurances to Kevin, much to his chagrin and Tarin chuckled again. He’d been more spot on than he’d thought earlier when he’d teased about the fictional list earlier.

The reason Lee had gotten him the hat was exactly what Tarin had thought, and it made him smile all over again. ”And this one is from this side so there’s nothing to cancel out.”

The logic was absolutely sound. Two hats on two people from two different universes sitting on the same couch and watching the same game.

It was almost uncanny because right as Tarin was thinking the thought, the batter for the Mets hit a home run of his own. It was just a solo run because nobody else was on base, but still…

”Magic…” he said, looking at Lee and reaching up to straighten her hat a bit.

Lee kept glancing over at Tarin as they sat there watching the game. And everytime that she did, Lee saw a smile on his face. Which just kept one on Lee’s face.

She had thought that Tarin would like the hat, but it was reassuring to know for sure. ”Oh, so that makes that hat magic, too?” Lee asked, an eyebrow raised as she looked over at Tarin. ”As long as you’re wearing it?”

”Really mum? Magic?”

Lee shrugged as she looked over at Kevin. ”That’s what Tarin thinks,” Lee informed her son.

Just in time for the Mets to hit a home run and for Tarin to repeat that it was magic. And for him to straighten the hat on her head.

”Ugh, gross. I’m going to my room,” Kevin announced.

Lee wanted to be sure she had everything straight. As long as he was wearing the hat from this world and she was wearing the hat from his, nothing got canceled out.

He nodded, ”Pretty much.” he said with a smile, glad that Lee understood.

Kevin seemed skeptical of the hat and Tarin realized that the boy had missed the entire hat saga. ”Not just magic.” he corrected with good-humor ”Interdimensional hat magic.”

It had all started out as a joke, but man, as time went on it was a little hard to ignore the fact that the Mets did tend to play better when Lee was wearing the hat. Tarin hadn’t ever been the type to believe in such things, but when the evidence was staring you right in the face it was silly to ignore it all.

Apparently Tarin had taken things a step too far when he’d fixed Lee’s hat because Kevin announced that he was going to go to his room, ”That didn’t take long…” Tarin said, watching as Kevin made his way down the hall, disappointed that he wasn’t going to get to find out how things had gone the last few days.

The Met’s, however, now had two more runners on base and Tarin blinked a bit at the TV before looking at Lee again. ”It is starting to get absolutely uncanny…”

Kevin didn’t seem to be too interested in the idea of interdimensional magic from a hat influencing the Mets playing ability. Probably because it wasn’t actually true, and was just a joke they’d carried on for weeks now.

Except that the Mets had suddenly started doing better since Lee had put Tarin’s hat on.

”Honestly, he was probably looking for an excuse to be able to go get his computer out,” Lee replied.

The game continued on, though by the time that the 7th inning started, Lee’s leg had started bouncing. Though she was much better at managing to stay still when she had excess energy than she had been years earlier, there was only so much complete stillness that she could handle.

And Kevin reappeared a short while later, joining them on the couch to watch the end of the game. ”How’s the game?” He asked as he looked across the couch at Tarin. Then his eyes moved to Lee. ”Mum, can you stop that?”

It made sense that Kevin wanted to get on his computer. He’d traveled a lot and probably hadn’t had a chance to talk to his friends or play his games since he had left. Kevin also hadn’t seen his Mom since hed left for Texas though and him leaving seemed awful abrupt. Lee didn’t seem bothered though, so Tarin wasn’t going to be either.

The game progressed, and progressed well. The Mets did manage to reclaim the lead and Tarin had a good feeling about the rest of the game. Lee was starting to get restless though and he was just about to suggest that maybe she should take her run early when Kevin re-emerged from his room and joined them on the couch. Then the teen was asking about the game and asking Lee to stop bouncing her leg.

”Game’s good, still up by two in the bottom of the seventh.” Tarin said, weighing whether or not he wanted to continue his line of thought, ”And she probably can’t stop, airport was pretty crowded today, wasn’t it?” Tarin said lightly, then looked to Lee, ”If you wanted to start your run early, I don’t think it would be a big deal.” he said, ”I’ll text you when the game is over so you know who won.”

Lee hadn’t been completely conscious of how much her leg was bouncing until Kevin had mentioned it. And she tried to stop it as Tarin was telling Kevin how the game was going, but was only partially successful.

Then Tarin was reminding Kevin about how crowded the airport had been that evening. Lee looked at Tarin in mild surprise. Yes, she’d told him that the airport had been very crowded and that she’d need a run to even have a chance of sleeping that night. But he’d noticed her leg bouncing, hadn[t said anything about it, and knew that it was because of all the energy she had?

”Oh, yeah, it really was. Sorry mum,” he said, and Lee noticed that he even looked a bit chagrined.

Generally, Kevin was pretty good about dealing with the ups and downs of her powers, he had grown up having to deal with them. But Kevin was also a teenager. Tarin, on the other hand, had learned even a lot of the nuances of her powers extremely quickly. And remembered about them all the time.

Like now, with her leg. And suggesting that she could go for her run earlier than normal. To an extent that no one else ever had.

”You guys wouldn’t mind?” Lee asked. She knew Tarin wouldn’t; he would not have suggested it if he did. But Kevin had only gotten home that night and had just ventured out of his room. He may have minded.

Tarin managed to get the message across without hurting any feelings and that was a relief. Kevin even apologized to Lee and Tarin was glad that he’d thought to say something.

Why did Lee look surprised? Hadn’t she said that she’d be lucky if a long run would even let her sleep?

If she was going to have to run for such a long time, at least she could get done earlier and have time to wind down and relax before the next day.

Lee wanted to be sure it was okay though, and Tarin understood. Kevin had just gotten home,had just come back out to join them, and had been gone for a while.

Kevin was nodding though, ”I’m tired anyway. I was just coming out to see how the game was and say goodnight.” he said, and Tarin had to admire the flashes of tact that Kevin showed from time to time.

”And I don’t mind at all.” Tarin said with a smile.

Kevin was tired and had really only come out to say goodnight. Lee nodded. ”Ok Kev, we can hang out tomorrow and you can tell me about your trip,” Lee said, leaning over and giving Kevin a kiss on the cheek.

”Mum! Stop!” Kevin exclaimed, pulling away from Lee.

”Good night, Kevin,” Lee said as she got up off the couch. Grabbing Tarin’s hand and giving it a squeeze before letting it go. ”Don’t wait up, ok?” she asked softly before heading to her room to change for her run. Leaving Kevin sitting there with Tarin on the couch.

Things were settled now and Lee made plans to hang out with Kevin the next day and hear about his trip.

Lee kissed her son and Tarin had to shake his head at the boy’s intense reaction to the show of affection.

Lee was up then and going to change and Tarin smiled as she squeezed his hand. ”I won’t, promise.” he said, and meant it too. If Lee said it was unlikely she’d sleep that night and she didn’t need company, then that was simply that.

Then Lee was gone to change and that left Tarin and Kevin sitting and watching the baseball game.

”You manage to keep up at all while you were gone?” Tarin asked, nodding at the TV, ”You haven’t missed a whole lot if not.”

Small talk with a teenager. One of Tarin’s many skills.

Kevin kept his eyes on the TV once his mum was moving away after that kiss. If she had kissed him on the cheek, Kevin did not want to see what she and Tarin were going to do.

Then his mum was gone. At least that would mean there was no more grossness going on.

Kevin shook his head when Tarin asked if he’d kept up with the Mets while he had been in Texas. ”Not really,” he admitted. ”Well, Uncle Josh watched baseball pretty often, but he only watched the Rangers.”

---

It really didn’t take long for Lee to get changed, and shortly she was making her way toward the front door with her phone and earbud, grabbing her eyes on the way. ”Good night Kevin, Tarin.” She said before heading out the door.

”Rangers aren’t bad for the American League.” Tarin said, ”And like I said, you didn’t miss much. I don’t think we’ve got a prayer of making the playoffs.”

Lee emerged from her room then and said goodbye before leaving. Tarin said goodbye back and out the door she went.

”Your trip was good?” Tarin asked after a few minutes when Kevin hadn’t taken off for his room. ”Your Mom said you did a lot of riding? What’s your horse like?” he asked curiously, the nostalgia from earlier still present.