#(i just wanted something bigger than the twin sized barely soft one I already had)

[theamazingannie]

Asked my mom for a big thick fuzzy blanket for Christmas and she bought me this humongous California king size blanket and it is the greatest thing I’ve ever owned

[yandere-daydreams]

Kinktober - Day Nineteen

Prompt: Somnophilia

Pairing: Beelzebub/Reader & Belphegor/Reader (Obey Me)

TW: Non-Con, AFAB!Reader, Non-Consensual Touching, Slight Cockwarming, Orgasm Denial, Thigh-Riding, Dehumanization, and Unfortunate Implications.

You honestly weren’t sure why the twins bothered having separate beds.

They didn’t always get along, you’d been chained to them long enough to know that. Beelzebub could be inconsiderate, with his passive approach and his questionable priorities, and Belphegor was either abrasive, stand-offish, or aggressive. No, they didn’t always get along, and yet, they always ended up in the same bed by the time the sun rose, whether it was Belphegor falling onto Beelzebub’s after hauling himself back to their room in the middle of the night or Beelzebub waking up from an all-too-realistic nightmare and seeking out his closest brother for comfort. One way or another, they slept together, they always slept together.

Which means you always slept with them, too.

It was bad enough to just have Belphegor latched onto you, his head burrowed in your chest and his legs tangled with yours, but it was torture to have Beelzebub block out your only means of escape, slotting himself against your back and burying his face in your hair, one arm folded under his head and the other draped over your midriff. It was too warm, even without a sheet. They were too close, even if neither demon was trying particularly hard to pin you down. It was suffocating. You’d already tried squirming, writhing against Belphegor in hopes of dislodging yourself from his loose grip, but all you’d done was make things worse for yourself.

Because now, he was holding you even tighter, his nails digging into your sides, threatening to draw blood whenever you shifted. You could feel hot breath ghosting over your collarbone, the pointed edges of his teeth nearly making contact with your skin every time his lips parted.

Because now, he was grinding on you.

You cursed under your breath, making a half-hearted attempt to push him away. It must’ve been a dream, a repressed thought, something that spurred him to hump your thigh like a bitch in heat as soon as he wasn’t conscious enough to feel ashamed about it. The rough fabric of his boxers was already irritating you, but it was preferable to having no barrier at all. As long as he could get himself off quickly, quietly, you’d survive. As long as Beelzebub didn’t--

“Are you still awake, (Y/n)?”

Fuck.

There was a rustle from somewhere behind you, a slight dip in the mattress, and then Beelzebub chuckled, looking over the situation with a tired grin and half-lidded eyes. With a hollow thud, he fell back into place, pressing his chest against your back and kissing the top of your head, the gesture much too affectionate for what you already knew he'd say next. “He used to do this all the time, when we were kids,” Beelzebub explained, his voice heavy, trailing into a yawn as he settled against you. “It’s cute, right? Belphie’s always had really vivid dreams… He used to sleep-talk, too. Keep me and Lilith up for hours, when he got into it.”

It might’ve been cute. It might’ve been ironic, if nothing else, if his hand wasn’t already trailing downward, rubbing a slow, comforting circle into your thigh before finding your panties, thick fingers trailing over your covered slit. It was a lazy sort of affection, meant for efficiency more than pleasure, but that didn’t stop the heat pooling in your core or the blood rushing past your ears, your body already trained to know exactly where this was going. “Beel,” You tried, grabbing his forearm. He didn’t seem bothered, though, only leaning over to kiss your cheek as he cupped your cunt. “I just- It’s already pretty late, and I don’t know if I can do this--”

“You don’t have to do anything.” You felt him frown, contemplatively, pausing for a moment before your panties were pushed to the side completely. “I’m just helping out Belphie. He’ll be really happy in the morning, trust me.”

Usually, Beelzebub was the gentler of the two. He liked to take his time, he liked to have your slick staining his chin as kneeled between your legs, he liked for you to be prepared to take him, if only so you’d cry a little less when he finally decided to fuck you. That might’ve been why it hurt so much, despite the wet, audible clicks that filled the room as he forced two fingers through your tight entrance. Beelzebub was supposed to be the nice one. Beelzebub was supposed to be the kind one. He wasn’t supposed to hurt you, not for his own entertainment, not for himself.

But this wasn’t for himself, was it?

It was for Belphegor.

His digits curled, spreading apart, stretching you in a way that made you push your shoulders forward and forget about Belphegor’s frantic thrusts, your mind suddenly on that soft, sensitive spot inside of you, the one Beelzebub was petting and prodding and abusing, like a wild animal that couldn’t decide whether or not it wanted to behave. He didn’t have to cover your mouth, you took care of that on your own, biting down on the edge of your hand as a dozen different kinds of mewls and whimpers threatened to escape. There wasn’t a technique, a strategy - there never was, with Beelzebub. The heel of his palm ground against your clit, his fingers pumped in and out of your pussy, but all of it was messy, reflexive, careless. It shouldn’t have felt good, it shouldn’t have felt like anything, but it did. It did, and you hated him for it.

There was a gentle peck to the back of your neck, one that lingered far past its welcome, and without warning, his free hand snaked under your over-sized shirt, groping and pinching at your chest, doing just enough to make the pulsing in your cunt unbearable. You clenched your eyes shut, forcing yourself to go rigid, but you couldn’t seem to stop yourself from bucking into his hand, from trying to get him to go deeper, to move faster, to do something that’d push you over the edge. For a moment, it even worked, an airy sigh barely reaching your ears as he drew your hips flush against his, as the pressure mounted and he added another finger and, and, and…

And he pulled away, leaving your whining and clenching around nothing as he wiped your own slick on your stomach, keeping a strong arm around your torso as he reached past you. You couldn’t bring yourself to open your eyes. You couldn’t bring yourself to look, not as something hotter, something bigger than Beelzebub’s fingers pushed into your cunt, not as Belphegor went still and melted into you, and not as Beelzebub laid back down, thoroughly satisfied with his work.

You opened your mouth, but nothing came out. You weren’t sure what you might’ve said, but you knew it wouldn’t have made a difference. Not one that would’ve mattered, anyway.

They were brothers, after all. They were twins.

Clearly, nothing good would ever come out of trying from get between them.

[leia-imogen]

aaron & the family he's found all by himself; vol. 1 // vol. 2

( ft. the first meeting & the first family game night )

okay, rundown of his first meeting w the vixens!

the vixens don't really like the foxes. they cheer at their games and all, but outside of that, they mostly stick with the football players

bcs, well, the foxes are,, intimidating and most of the vixens don't get how or why katelyn started dating one

especially one half of the terrifying duo that is the twinyards. like these tiny blonde angst goblins have absolutely zero chill, and this is the backliner one, the one that shattered the nose of a dude basically twice his size

they may be short as fuck but they're scary, and the vixens are worried that he might break katelyn's heart

but katelyn's sure about aaron minyard, and when cleo softly asks, "is he worth it?" she knows her answer is a yes

savannah and the rest of the girls aren't convinced tho, so she asks aaron if he'll meet them for one of the afterparties they have after games

he agrees after seeing the hopeful look on her face

and surprise, surprise, it isn't a complete disaster!!

see, aaron has a habit of mirroring the nature of the person he's with. in the book, we mostly see him as an asshole bcs it's from neil's pov, and neil, as much as i adore him, is an asshole

i think that when he's with nicky ( someone he loves and trusts ), he's like, nicer. it's not in his nature to be cheery or anything but he's less,, hostile? and way more relaxed

and katelyn's been nothing but sweet and polite to him, bcs katelyn's sweet and polite till you give her a reason not to be

so he's sweet and polite back, or at least, sweet and polite as aaron minyard can get.

yeah, he's definitely interesting enough, clever and quick-witted enough, respectful and loyal and insanely talented enough, that katelyn decides he's worth it. doubts he'll ever get boring

and yes, she knows this is a big risk, bcs she knows the foxes' rep, knows how fucked up he must to secure a place on the psu foxes, notices how aaron flinches when she makes any sudden movement

but you know what? fuck it

so when aaron tells her his strange, twisted little deal with his brother, katelyn's willing to fight for him

and after nearly 2 months of this, she drags him to the vixens with their fingers interlocked and a hope in her heart that they'd play nice like she's asked ( practically begged ) them to

aaron's buzzing a bit with nervous energy. it's very endearing, how his eyes had lit up at the sight of her, then how she felt her anxiety about the night melt away into excitement

sav tries, bless her, tries to engage aaron in half-hearted conversation about exy ( which she hates ) and aaron tries back, but that fizzles out bcs for someone on a full-ride exy scholarship, aaron doesn't like exy at all

thank god that marissa, who's been trying to be less of a bitch all night, bless her too, lets it slip that sav detests exy

"okay, i can't anymore. minyard, savannah actually hates exy and she hates the foxes too, but we're hoping that you're an exception."

aaron, holding back a laugh: honestly? same.

sav: oh thank fucking GOD we have something to talk about then

"yeah, the entire sport sucks, doesn't it? i literally play it at college level and i still have barely figured out the goddamn rules."

"exactly! and my entire family's fucking obsessed for some reason, it's so annoying! ugh and the foxes suck even more, they're all so goddamn rude for no reason. except maybe the cute goalie."

". . ."

"eww not your brother, i meant renee walker,, and maybe you're not too bad either, minyard."

"you flatter me."

katelyn watches their exchange with more than a little amusement. aaron's not smiling, but his features have softened and he's flushed from the alcohol he'd had and she can't rly believe that this is the boy who they all thought would break her heart

bcs later when aaron comes up to her with a cookie dough cupcake ( her favourite ) she didn't even know was served at the party, leans into her so his face is buried in her neck, whispers "thanks for taking me", when she takes in all her friends laughing and chatting and waving at her, when sav gives her a thumbs-up and nods to aaron, she's never felt more whole

like she was part of something bigger than herself

then aaron starts hanging around them more! yeah he saw the look on katelyn's face and he was going to TRY for her or so help him- usually just with katelyn, sav, and cleo

she invites him to the "family game night" sav is making them have, and he's like "sure why not."

he knocks on the door of sav and cleo's dorm and sav lets him in

"yo, minyard! glad you make it, katelyn's out on a donut run but she'll be back soon."

okay,, okay. so he'll,,, what? interact w people?? hell fucking no

then he realises that it's only cleo in the dorm, plugged into her headphones, playing mario kart, and thanks katelyn for ensuring there would only be ppl that like, he didn't mind

the other vixens were okay, but way too LOUD, and aaron wasn't rly up for spending a whole night w them

cleo hands him a controller, an invitation to play, and he takes it gratefully. he and cleo hadn't talked that much at the party, but she was perfectly tolerable so far, which was a good sign

and mario kart was a part of his childhood, one of the only few that nicky's parents had owned, so he and his cousin had spent hours curled up in front of tv trying to beat each other

even tho he beats nicky most of the time, cleo absolutely destroys him. he mentally tries to brush it off as him being rusty ( which he definitely is ) but damn, cleo's good. still, she brushes off the compliment when aaron blurts it out

okay so then katelyn comes back with like way too many donuts and they start playing monopoly gathered around the coffee table

sav insists on putting on some music. wannabe starts playing. she winks at aaron and aaron winks back, still not smiling. cleo snorts and katelyn kisses his cheek

listen, cleo is a monopoly master. soon, she owns over half the board and it's pretty clear she's gonna win, someone ( savannah riley jameson, everyone ) flips the board

"jameson, what the actual fuck."

"shut the hell up, minyard."

"come on, sav, i was winning!"

katelyn's trying to pick up all the pieces and aaron bends down to help her, shaking his head at sav, who pouts and joins them while cleo grins, headphones slung around her shoulders while she perches herself onto the arm of the settee and hums to wake me up before you go-go

next, sav begs them to play twister. cleo's great at most games, but she has a particular dislike for twister, so she's out quick

katelyn is super bendy, bcs she took gymnastics for years, and aaron holds his own surprisingly well, considering the fact that he's short as fuck

sav: katie, right hand red

katelyn, ending up right on top of a blushing aaron: okay, you're doing this on purpose, aren't you?

sav: i stopped spinning like 15 turns ago, i'm surprised you didn't notice sooner

eventually aaron collapses and katelyn is hailed as the queen of twister and they spend the next 10 minutes just calling out random spots for katelyn to try

she gets all of them, and aaron is actually smiling now and it doesn't matter that it's only a tiny quirk of his lips, it's something and katelyn cherishes it

they play some sort of surgeon simulator thingy next, and aaron "gonna be a future neurosurgeon" minyard is awesome at it, bcs duh

katelyn's not very good at this. her hands get SHAKY okay

cleo also sucks at this, bcs she keeps getting nervous and having muscle spasms. sav's just doing the dumbest shit bcs it's bringing aaron closer to the edge of cardiac arrest

aaron: jameson holy shit what are you DOING

sav, slicing open the spinal cord: okay so what if i take out the lungs through the back haha

and now sav is sulking over the fact that she hadn't absolutely murdered the others at a game

so she brings out the ultimate game. the game of bastards, one that tears families apart, sets friendships on fire, starts wars too gruesome to be started by anything other than this wretched, cursed artefact. . .

s c r a b b l e

aaron's already having war flashbacks. katelyn groans and goes to make popcorn, bcs this shit's gonna take FOREVER and she knows it. cleo, an english major, is preparing herself for battle with the force of nature that is savannah

"the fuck do you MEAN fergalicious isn't a word???"

"savannah, please."

"no, here, listen to this."

"sav, we were listening to that!" katelyn complains. sav sighs and switches the song back to her "90's bops" playlist, then changes it to "hell yeah feminism" which instantly starts playing run the world ( girls )

katelyn happily starts singing and aaron's not even reluctant to hum along

sav and cleo are still arguing. this has been going on for so long. sav looks ready to flip over the board again, so cleo does it first

katelyn: cleo what the heck

cleo, the tired mom friend: don't fucking curse

aaron is also tired, but in a good way, in kind of that soft lazy droopy way

he falls asleep leaning against the sofa and katelyn's shoulder, with god is a woman playing in the background while sav and cleo continue arguing. cleo is standing on the coffee table. it's true anarchy

he wakes up on the sofa with a blanket thrown over him and sunlight streaming in through the lacy curtains and katelyn making a complete mess of the kitchen in a futile attempt to make breakfast. sav and cleo are draped across each other on the floor

katelyn, struggling to pick up burning toast: morning babe, how did you sleep?

aaron, calmly using a pair of tongs: pretty well. who wants pancakes?

sav, instantly shooting up: DID YOU SAY PANCAKES

so he makes pancakes! nicky taught him as soon as he'd gained custody of the twins, so he's pretty much an expert. he tries to teach katelyn, but then just gives up bcs she's clearly not listening in favour of staring at him

and they all gather around the coffee table and cleo's humming along to the song on her headphones and wow these pancakes are rly good omg

while aaron is chatting to cleo about what video games they should play next, sav whispers, "kate finley, if you don't marry this boy just for his god-tier pancakes, i will."

"sav, you're a lesbian."

"not anymore, i've decided that i am pancake-sexual."

aaron hears all of this btw, bcs cleo stops when she hears them talking. he blushes, and smiles, just a little bit

( if anyone actually cares about this, tell me! shoot me an ask if there's any particular ask you want to see with these characters, or just the foxes! )

[maybeimamuppet]

guess who?

hello friends, happy Wednesday!! this work is a birthday present to myself, so before we get into it: spoiler for the title, its a baby.

trigger warnings for:

pregnancy/childbirth (literally as non-graphic as I could possibly make it)

mentioned infertility

mentioned miscarriage

pregnancy complcations

otherwise, please enjoy!

-

Janis sighs heavily as she toes off her shoes. It’s her birthday, but she still had to go to work and had an exceptionally long day teaching angsty middle schoolers. All she really wants is a lot of food and a good cuddle session with her wife, Cady.

Their pets come up to greet her as she takes off her jacket, demanding their daily scratches. Janis obliges, rubbing Elvira’s head and scritching behind Daffodil’s ears. Daffy shakes her head once Janis stands back to flip the light on. Her collar shifts, and Janis suddenly notices the note tied to it.

“Aww, Daffy, a message for me?” Janis coos, bending down again to untie it and petting them both one more time. She’s not sure if her wife is home, since all the lights are off except the one in the kitchen. Maybe this will explain things. She unrolls it and reads,

Happy birthday, my love. First present for you in the bedroom ;) Love, C

“Hmm. Caddy?” Janis calls as she heads that way. She quiets when she opens the door. It turns out Cady is home, she’s just asleep. She’s on top of the covers and wearing one of Janis’ jackets, which is their usual formula for a special night. The jacket is buttoned, which is a bit odd. Cady usually leaves them undone to show off whatever cute lingerie she’s picked. But she’s covered their bed in rose petals, that’s a nice touch.

Janis doesn’t want to wake her up yet, so she changes out of her work clothes in the dark. She hears a sleepy groan come from behind her as she tugs a comfy shirt over her head, turning around to find Cady mid-stretch.

“Hi, lovey,” Cady yawns as she reaches for her. “Happy birthday.”

“Hi, baby,” Janis chuckles affectionately, coming to cuddle her and flipping a light on. “Thanks. How was your day?”

“Good! I got a lot done, and Daffy and I had a nice walk,” Cady replies. “How about you, how was your day?”

“It was fine,” Janis says with a small yawn. “Long.”

“Aww. Would your present make you feel better?” Cady asks, stroking through her hair. Janis perks up a little at the reminder.

“Oh, yeah, what do I get?” She asks excitedly.

“You’ll just have to unwrap it and find out,” Cady purrs, gesturing to herself.

“You just woke up, are you sure-whoa, okay,” Janis replies as Cady starts kissing her hungrily. Janis kisses back for a long moment before she starts working her way down, kissing and nipping at her neck.

She undoes the buttons one by one as she works her way down Cady’s chest, until eventually she feels something other than her soft skin against her lips and pulls back in confusion. It’s another message, painted across Cady’s tummy. The top of whatever it says is just barely peeking out.

Frowning confusedly, Janis undoes the rest of the buttons in one go and pulls the flaps of the jacket apart, revealing the words,

Guess who?

Janis gasps and claps her hands over her mouth, letting out a happy sob. “Are you for real?! We-we’re gonna be mamas?”

Cady gives a watery chuckle, already crying too. “Yeah, Jay, we are. I’m for real. Are you excited?”

“Oh my god!” Janis sobs, pulling her wife upright to hug her tightly. “Of course I’m excited, there’s a baby in you! When did you find out?”

“I’ve known for about two weeks, kind of, but I found out for sure yesterday,” Cady says. “I took a bunch of tests after you went to bed, and they’re all positive.”

“Is that why you were crying? You never told me what was wrong,” Janis says, wiping tears from her eyes.

“Because nothing was wrong,” Cady giggles. “But yeah. I didn’t want to tell you yet, or it would’ve ruined my whole plan.”

“And when you said you got food poisoning last week, that was...” Janis suddenly puts several pieces together.

“Morning sickness,” Cady grins. She leans over to her bedside table and opens the drawer, pulling out a little stick. Janis takes it with shaky hands, staring intently at the Pregnant+ on the small screen. “I’m already showing a little, look.”

Cady turns to the side and pulls the jacket away. She’s right, the slight swell of her belly at the bottom is already a tiny bit bigger.

“Isn’t it early for you to be showing?” Janis asks, looking back and forth between the test and her wife.

“A little, but I’m small,” Cady replies with a shrug. “I’m about five weeks, that’s pretty normal for someone my size, I think.”

Janis reaches tentatively to feel her tummy, but pulls back just before she touches. Cady takes her hand gently and rests it on her lower abdomen.

“There’s a baby there,” Janis mumbles.

“Yeah, there is,” Cady chuckles, drying the leftover tears from Janis’ cheeks. “Our baby. Breathe, sweetheart, you look like you’re gonna pass out.”

“I’m not!” Janis insists. “I’m just... happy. And scared. We... we’re having a kid.”

“Don’t be scared yet, we have time to prepare. Everything’s fine,” Cady comforts. “You’re gonna be such a good mom.”

“So are you,” Janis replies. “When do we get to see them?”

“A couple weeks. There’s not really much to see right now, they probably don’t even have a heartbeat yet,” Cady says. “But soon. Unless... unless something goes wrong again, then we’ll need to go in sooner. But I feel good about this one.”

“I do too. They say third time’s the charm,” Janis replies, rubbing her thumb gently over her belly. She feels as if the weight of the world is resting beneath her hand.

This was their third time trying for a child. The first time, none of their embryos had implanted successfully. The second, Cady miscarried in the third week. They’d spent months mourning their losses each time before they were even willing to try again.

“I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” Cady replies, leaning in for a kiss.

“Do you still wanna...” Janis asks, gesturing to the emerald green lingerie Cady still has on.

“Oh yeah,” Cady purrs, pulling Janis back on top of her.

“Cool,” Janis breathes.

————-

Halloween rolls around exactly two weeks later. It’s Janis’ favorite holiday, and this one is made extra special by the fact that she gets to see her child for the first time. She’s distracted through her whole day at work, wanting to be done so she can go home and then to the doctor with her wife.

“Christ, lovey,” Cady jumps as Janis throws the door open. “Hi.”

“Hi, sorry, are you okay?” Janis apologizes frantically, coming to hug her and protectively resting a hand on her tummy.

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” Cady giggles. “I take it you’re excited?”

“Of course I’m excited, Peanut,” Janis says happily. “We get to see our little peanut, I wanna go!”

“Okay, okay,” Cady laughs. “Our appointment isn’t for two hours, Jellybean, we have time.”

“And the place is forty-five minutes away, it’s late and a holiday so there’s gonna be traffic,” Janis says rapidly. She pauses with a sigh to calm herself.  “I just want to make sure they’re okay.”

“I’m sure they’re fine, Jay. I feel fine,” Cady says soothingly. “I feel good, actually.”

“Good,” Janis breathes. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, I’m glad you’re excited,” Cady chuckles. “Let’s go.”

-

Two hours later, Cady is checked in at the doctor and they’re sitting eagerly in the waiting room. Cady is fiddling with Janis’ fingers to distract herself.

“Sarkisian-Heron?” A nurse suddenly calls from the doorway nearby. Janis leaps up happily and holds out a hand for Cady. They follow her back and get Cady prepped, lying her on the uncomfortable table as Janis stands behind her.

The doctor comes in a few minutes after the nurse leaves, knocking on the doorframe as she enters. “Hello, ladies, congratulations!”

“Thank you,” Cady chuckles anxiously. Janis squeezes her hand gently.

“Let’s get right into it, shall we? How have you been feeling, anything you’re concerned about?” The doctor asks, making conversation to distract Cady as she begins the scan. Janis winces slightly at the process.

“I don’t think so,” Cady hums. “I’m exhausted and I’ve been… really sick, but I’m not worried about anything.”

“Sounds typical so far,” the doctor says pensively. “When did you have them implanted?”

“Sometime in September, I’d have to check to know when exactly,” Cady replies. The doctor’s eyebrows suddenly lift high on her forehead, then furrow. “Is something wrong?”

“How many embryos did you have done?” The doctor asks, shifting again slightly and seeming to ignore the question.

“Just the one, this time, that’s all we could do,” Cady sounds more frightened with every word. “Are they okay?”

“They are absolutely fine. You’re having identical twins,” the doctor says.

“What?!” Janis and Cady yelp at the same time. Cady hears Janis fall to her knees behind her, but is in too much shock to even check if she’s okay.

“Twins?” She breathes anxiously.

“Identical?” Janis chokes in about the same tone.

“Mmhmm,” the doctor replies, turning the monitor to face them. There’s two black forms in a sea of grey static. “You’re actually rather lucky, usually the process for determining what type of twins are present is more involved. But since you only had one embryo done, identical twins are the only type feasible for you to have. Your first baby, baby A, is here. And this is baby B up here.”

“Twins,” Cady sobs happily. “Oh my god. And they’re both okay?”

“They’re perfectly fine. Their heartbeats both look strong and their development is on track. You have two healthy babies growing here, congratulations,” the doctor says.

“Janis, look,” Cady sobs again. “Are you okay?”

Janis perks up from the ground, having previously buried her face against Cady’s side where she’s attempting to process everything. She looks up at the monitor to see what Cady’s pointing to.

“We’re having twins,” Janis says as her own tears start pouring down her face. “I’m-I’m fine, Butterfly. Those... those are our babies. No wonder you’re already showing.”

“What does this mean? For us?” Cady asks the doctor, holding Janis’ hand so tightly.

“Well, for you specifically it means you’ll have to be a bit more careful. More frequent scans, take a few extra vitamins, eat more calories daily. Your babies seem to be sharing a placenta, so we’ll need to monitor them for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, but I have no reason to believe that anything should happen.”

“Okay,” Cady breathes anxiously.

“And it does also mean your chances of delivering prematurely are higher, but again, that’s not anything to be concerned about at the moment. Your babies are healthy, and we’ll do everything we can to deliver them when the time is right for them.”

“Okay,” Cady says again, trying not to worry. Janis leans in to kiss her cheek and her fears fade for the time being.

“Can we hear them?” Janis asks shyly. “The heartbeats?”

“Of course,” the doctor says, flicking a switch to turn sound on. A rapid pulsing sound fills the room. “Here’s baby A.”

Cady turns to look at Janis happily, and Janis leans in for a kiss on the lips this time. “That’s our baby, Janis.”

“Baby A,” Janis murmurs back. The doctor shifts and suddenly a second pulsing sound overlaps the first. “And… and baby B.”

“They both sound perfectly healthy,” the doctor says as she presses some buttons to take photos. She prints out copies of a few and hands them to Cady, along with several informational pamphlets. “Congratulations again, ladies.”

She leaves then, leaving Cady and Janis alone to process everything and then leave.

-

Cady drives home when she sees how hard Janis is shaking. Janis doesn’t speak the whole ride home, she just clutches Cady’s hand and stares at the ultrasound photos.

Janis turns to her once they’re home again. “I know this is terrible timing and I don’t want to worry you, but can I please have some alone time?”

“Of course, my love,” Cady replies, popping up on her toes for a quick kiss. “I’m gonna walk Daffy and make sure we have everything for Karen’s party on Friday, I’ll check on you in an hour?”

Janis nods. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Jayjay.”

-

Exactly an hour later, Cady knocks on their bedroom door carrying two mugs of hot chocolate. With a touch of pumpkin spice, since it is Halloween. Janis pokes her head out from under the duvet. She’s spent the entire time staring at the photos.

“Do you want to talk about it now?” Cady asks gently, handing one mug to Janis.

Janis takes it with a sigh. “I’m-I’m terrified, Caddy. We’re having twins, two babies. What if something happens to you, or to them? Or... or what if I can’t take care of them? Or tell them apart? Two kids is gonna be way more work than one, and I don’t know... any of what I need to. I want to be what you need, what they need. I just... I don’t know how.”

Cady takes their mugs gently and pulls her into a hug. “Oh, mpendwa. I’m scared too, you know. I’m small, this pregnancy is risky. You’re right, there is always a chance something could happen. But I’m so, so excited too. Because I’m doing this with you, my love. I’m carrying your babies. We’re doing this together. I have you to help keep me safe and help me raise these babies into great humans.”

Janis doesn’t say anything, just cuddles in closer and rests a gentle hand on Cady’s belly.

“And yeah, two is gonna be more work than one. But we can do it. We’ll learn what we need to and deal with stuff as it happens. Take it one day at a time,” Cady says, nuzzling her nose into Janis’ hair. “For today, we have two healthy little peanuts inside me.”

Janis grins at that. “I love you so much. And them. I’m excited too, I don’t want it to seem like I don’t want them. I get two mini-yous to love on. I’m just… really scared.”

“I love you too, darling,” Cady chuckles. “But you realize they’re more likely to be mini-yous, right? You have more dominant features.”

“Man,” Janis grumbles jokingly. “Oh well. We’ll just have to wait and find out, I guess.”

Cady reaches to hand her back her drink, taking a sip of her own. “Speaking of finding out, do you want to find out the sexes?”

“If you do,” Janis replies. “It doesn’t really matter to me. And it’s not a guarantee of who we’ll be raising, anyway.”

“I want to wait, I want it to be a surprise,” Cady says. “And you’re right. It always felt kind of creepy to me that people make such a big deal over the genitals of an infant.”

Janis laughs. “It is a little weird. Surprise babies it is.” She takes another drink. “Can I do something?”

“Sure,” Cady says confusedly. Janis suddenly dashes away and comes back with some black washable paint and a brush. She gently tugs up Cady’s shirt and writes,

Guess who? (Times two!)

Cady laughs when she sees it, and goes to stand by a blank wall so Janis can take a picture.

“Smile,” Janis says, pulling a goofy face to make her laugh.

“You’re such a dork, I love you,” Cady giggles. Janis snaps a few photos.

“There,” she says happily, letting Cady come see them. “I love you too.”

Cady smiles contently when she sees the pictures, then clicks the phone off and sets it on the nightstand. “Now comes the fun part of all this, you know?”

“Mm?” Janis hums confusedly, finishing off her delicious beverage.

“Now we have to tell everyone,” Cady says casually, finishing hers too.

“Oh, shit.”

—————

They tell their families on Thanksgiving. Every year both of their families have Thanksgiving dinner in their apartment. Usually Damian and his mom join them, but his mother couldn’t make it this year so he went back to Illinois to be with her.

Cady is very clearly pregnant now, and has to wear one of Janis’ oversized sweaters to hide her belly before they want it to be noticed. Paired with some dark leggings, nobody would ever notice anything about the outfit.

Janis and Cady both make anxious small talk with everyone as they help prepare the meal, and grin excitedly at each other as they go to set the table. They made special name cards for everyone this year. In between Janis and Cady’s spots are two mini plates, with ‘Baby A’ on one place setting, and ‘Baby B’ on the other.

Their dining table isn’t big enough for everyone to sit and have all the food on it at the same time, so they leave everything in the kitchen and call everyone to come grab their plates to load up buffet style.

Their moms seem to notice something’s amiss first, and Janis’ mom gasps when she sees the little plates. She makes a beeline for that side of the table to see what the name tags say, and shrieks excitedly when she reads them. Everyone else rushes to see what she’s looking at.

“Oh my god!” Their moms both nearly-yell excitedly at the same time, running to hug them. Juliana follows quickly, shaking a concerning amount in her excitement.

“I’m gonna be an auntie!” She squeals. “And there’s two!”

Cady smiles widely as Julie hugs her gently and feels her tummy. “You’ll be the best auntie, Jules. I can’t wait to see you with them.”

“Do you know if they’re identical?” Janis’ mom asks. She’s an identical twin herself,  Janis’ aunt Alice is her sister. Janis and her cousin, Veronica, both take after them and look nearly identical themselves.

“They are, I’m hoping you can give me some tips,” Cady chuckles. “Daddy, what’s wrong?”

They both look up to see Cady’s dad visibly holding back tears, but they break through as Cady reaches for him.

“Nothing’s wrong, I’m just so happy for you,” he chokes, hugging his daughter tightly. “Twins, holy cow, binti.”

“I know,” Cady chuckles. “I love you. You’ll be a great grandad.”

Everyone crowds around both Cady and Janis in a group hug, sharing their love too.

“Okay, let’s eat. I’m eating for three now, I’m starving,” Cady jokes, taking her plate first and heading into the kitchen.

—————-

On Christmas Eve, Cady is finishing wrapping some final presents on their bed, cuddling Elvira on her lap as she works.

“Caddy?” Janis asks, entering from their living room. Cady checks to make sure anything that’s for Janis is hidden before she says she can come in.

“Yes, my love?” She asks, putting a last ribbon on a present and setting it aside.

“Can I paint on your tummy? I got this app on my phone that says what size the babies are,” Janis asks shyly. “Like, fruits and stuff. I thought it would be a cute way to track until they’re here.”

“Aww, Bluejay, of course,” Cady says as Janis rushes to grab her paints before coming back. “How big are they now?”

“It says they’re the size of peaches,” Janis responds, mixing some pink and a touch of orange together and brushing it over her wife’s belly.

“Aww, how cute,” Cady coos. “Precious little peaches.”

Janis just smiles happily at her, leaning down for a kiss before she adds some green leaves.

Cady just relaxes and enjoys the soothing texture of the paint. “This is nice. Oh, do you have any name ideas, by the way?”

“Not really, yet,” Janis replies. “But I have some rules.”

“Rules? Okay, shoot,” Cady says, looking up at her confusedly.

“The names can’t rhyme. That’s just gonna be annoying as they get older,” Janis says, adding some little details. “And they have to be spelled in a way that makes sense. I’m very tired of explaining that it’s Janis with an S, and I’m sure you’re tired of people calling you Caddy when they first read your name.”

“Yeah. You’re the only one I like calling me Caddy,” Cady grins fondly. “Okay, those are good rules. What if... are you okay with them starting with the same letter?”

“I can live with that,” Janis hums. “What letter?”

“I... no, never mind,” Cady says.

“No, what? I wanna know,” Janis pouts, adding two little happy faces on each peach.

“It’s stupid. But my favorite letter when I was little was L,” Cady mumbles. “I like the way it bends.”

“That’s not stupid, baby, it’s cute. L works for me,” Janis says.

“And I think we should each name one twin,” Cady says. “And then switch for middle names?”

“Sure. Do you have any names picked?” Janis asks, resting everything down on the palette and cuddling her wife while they wait for it to dry.

“Not first names,” Cady says. “But I want one of their middle names to be Rhys. Or Reese with the E’s, if they’re girls.”

“Of course, I love it,” Janis says, leaning down to kiss her.

“What about you, do you have anything?” Cady asks as she kisses her back sweetly.

“Um... since we’re doing L, could we name a boy Luca? After my dad?” Janis asks.

“That’s perfect,” Cady says, sounding choked up. “Luca Rhys. I love it.”

“Why are you crying?” Janis asks worriedly, cuddling her closer.

“I don’t know,” Cady sobs. “We just... we just named one of our babies, maybe. And-and you, I just love you so much!”

Ah. Hormones. “Oh, baby, I love you too. I love all three of you, come here,” Janis says, kissing her temple. “This probably isn’t a great time, but I have middle names picked already too.”

“What did you pick?” Cady sniffles, luckily calming down pretty quickly.

“Damian, if it’s a boy,” Janis says. “I have to. I couldn’t do it as a first name, I can’t handle two of them. But... I owe him so much.”

“I like it,” Cady grins through her tears. “What about for a girl?”

“Juliette. After my mom,” Janis says, wiping her tears away. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry, I don’t know where that came from,” Cady sniffles again. “So, Luca Rhys and something Damian, or something Reese and something Juliette. I like it.”

“Good,” Janis chuckles. “The paint should be dry now, do you still want to take your picture?”

“Yeah, might as well,” Cady chuckles. “I want to remember this. Crying because we chose a name and I’m in love with my wife.”

Janis laughs. “Go stand over there, Sunshine.”

Cady does, finally looking down and seeing Janis’ work. “Oh, Jayjay, they’re so cute! The little faces!”

Janis takes a picture then, finding Cady’s candid moments somehow even cuter than her posing. “There, got it.”

“But I didn’t do anything,” Cady says confusedly.

“You didn’t have to,” Janis says lovingly. “Come see.”

Cady starts to, but freezes suddenly as her eyes go wide.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Janis asks frantically.

“Come here, come here,” Cady says excitedly. Janis does, and Cady grabs her hand and rests it against the side of her tummy. Janis is confused until she feels a little pop beneath her.

“Is-is that...” She asks, already starting to cry as well.

“One of them is kicking,” Cady laughs through her tears. “That’s one of our babies.”

“Does it hurt?” Janis asks in wonder, resting her other hand on the other side. At her touch, the other twin sets off and starts kicking too.

“It feels like a tiny little kick, yeah,” Cady chuckles. “Little jolt. But that’s so exciting, Jay. This one must really love you, they only kicked when you came over.”

Janis bends down and peppers kisses all over the top of her belly. “Hello babies. I love you both so, so much. But it’s not nice to kick your mother, she’s doing a lot to get you here. And don’t kick each other, either.”

“You’re such a dork, you’re so cute,” Cady chuckles, threading her fingers through Janis’ short hair.

“I love you so much,” Janis says, leaning up again to kiss Cady’s lips this time.

“I love you too. Merry Christmas, love,” Cady whispers against her.

“Merry Christmas, Peanut.”

—————

They tell all their friends on New Year’s Eve. Every year they have a party to celebrate, and do their holiday gift exchange then as well, since they’re all with their families for the actual holidays.

Cady and Janis stayed in New York this year, so their friends already sort of know something is up. It’s still safe for Cady to travel, but she was uncomfortable doing anything that might strain their babies. Their families did Christmas and Thanksgiving all in one, instead.

The party is at Damian and Aaron’s apartment this year. Damian opens the door to find them both holding large stacks of presents. They got everyone little things individually, and then the baby announcements from both of them.

“Hey, gu-whoa,” Damian greets as he opens the door. “That’s a lot of presents, here.”

He takes about half of each of their stacks and carries them into the living room. Janis takes what’s left of her wife’s and follows after him. There’s a lovely tree and menorah set up, and he helps her arrange everything among all the other presents.

“Oh no wait, keep those separate,” Janis says. He looks at her confusedly but does so, resting all of the most important gifts to the side. “It’s a group thing, they’re all the same, I don’t want them to get mixed up.”

“Ah, okay. How was your lonely Christmas here?” Damian asks, finally able to hug his friends now that all the gifts are in their proper places.

“It was kind of nice, actually, we just watched Christmas movies and cuddled the pets all day,” Janis responds. She hopes he won’t ask her why they had to stay behind. She can’t lie to save her life.

“Living the dream,” Damian says instead, making Janis breathe a sigh of relief. “Caddy, why are you all the way over there?”

Cady’s been watching them and trying to figure out how to hug people without revealing their secret too soon. “Oh, just admiring the view,” she teases, approaching from the side and leaning in very gently. Damian hasn’t noticed anything amiss, somehow. “Are we the first ones here?”

“No, you’re the last, actually,” Damian chuckles. “The Plastics all went to help Aaron in the kitchen.”

As if on cue, Gretchen and Karen follow Aaron out of the kitchen then. The girls both squeal when they see Cady and come to hug her before moving to Janis. Aaron follows suit too.

Regina didn’t come with them, so Cady heads into the kitchen alone to greet her while Janis helps with everything in the living room. Cady finds Regina alone and sipping a glass of champagne.

“Hey, Gina,” she says quietly, pouring herself a flute of the non-alcoholic variety. Regina whirls around with a quiet yelp.

“Oh, Cady. Hi, sorry, I didn’t hear you guys get here or I would’ve gone out with everyone,” she says once she sees it’s just her friend.

“It’s fine,” Cady chuckles as she takes a sip. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just wanted a minute to thank. Reflect on the year, you know?” Regina says quietly.

“I get that,” Cady says meaningfully. She can suddenly see the gears turning in Regina’s brain as she looks her up and down oddly. “What?”

“Nothing! It’s nothing, sorry,” Regina says hastily, taking another drink.

“It’s fine, but really, what is it?” Cady says.

“Are you pregnant?” Regina asks quietly.

Cady chokes on her drink and looks around to make sure nobody else can hear them. “Um, yeah. How could you tell?”

Regina squeals excitedly. “You’re wearing a loose dress and flats when heels would clearly go better with it, you’re not drinking real alcohol even though New Year’s is the only time you drink, you didn’t go home for Christmas, and you keep touching your stomach.”

“Do I?” Cady asks. Upon looking down she notices her hand is, in fact, resting gently on her tummy. “Oh. Oops.”

“Congratulations!” Regina squeals. “Can I do your maternity pictures?”

“God, yes please,” Cady says in relief.

“Yay! Come on, you have to tell everyone else, I need time to fight with Damian about who gets to throw your baby shower,” Regina insists happily, putting her drink back in her hand and pushing her gently towards the living room. Cady pauses to grab one more glass of actual champagne for her wife before she goes.

Janis looks at her as she comes back, checking that she’s okay. Cady nods and comes over to her. “Here, love. Regina knows, but she won’t tell anyone.”

“How did she find out?” Janis asks, furrowing her eyebrows.

“She’s a therapist? She read me like an open book in thirty seconds flat and asked me point blank, I couldn’t lie,” Cady chuckles. “Get D to do the presents now, I can’t wait anymore.”

“Okay,” Janis replies. “Damie!”

“What?” Damian groans from the couch, where he’s cuddling his boyfriend and finally eating his snacks.

“Can we do presents now pleeeeeeeeease?” Janis begs, trying her hardest to make it seem like she wants to receive her presents and not give them.

“Fine. Who wants to go first?” Damian asks, hauling himself back upright and heading to the pile of presents. Cady and Janis both keep quiet, deciding they should probably go last.

Karen eventually volunteers Gretchen, who looks at her aghast. It turns out she took up crocheting over the past year and made everyone blankets in their favorite colors. They all get different baked goods from Regina, who explains that Gretchen has been teaching her how to cook and bake. Karen gives everyone very expensive face masks that are somehow perfectly catered to their skin types.

Damian and Aaron go next. Damian gives everyone fun socks with different animals on them. Cady’s have lions, Janis’ have turtles, Gretchen’s have cats, Karen’s have mice, and Regina’s have bunnies. From anyone else it would be a lame gift, but Damian is a professional. Aaron handmade each household a wreath for their doors. It’s a little late to use them now, but they promise to next year.

There’s a noticeable energy shift when it comes to Cady and Janis’ gifts. They try their hardest to act natural as they give their individual presents. Cady made little dishes in a pottery class she had done as a special date with Janis, and Janis painted mini portraits of all of them based on photos she had.

Janis then corrals everyone to sit together on the couch, somehow without arousing suspicion. Regina is on one arm and Aaron is on the other, with Gretchen, Karen, and Damian all squished together in the middle.

“This is from both of us but don’t open them yet,” she says as she hands out the packages. Cady is sneakily filming behind her, and turns to grin at her as Janis comes to hug her from behind. “Okay, read the cards first.”

She and Cady had made the cards by hand, decorating them with different cute designs. They all say the same thing, however: ‘Happy Holidays from Janis, Cady, L. & L. Sarkisian-Heron’.

Damian makes it to the end of the message first, and his brows furrow in confusion as he tears into his package. They shoot back up his forehead when he pulls out a t-shirt that says ‘Best gay uncle ever’ and everyone else follows his lead, pulling out matching ones with their respective sexualities and auntie or uncle titles. They watch them all process everything until it finally clicks in their heads.

Janis tries to count how many times Damian shrieks “Oh my god!” in ten seconds, but she loses count after twenty.

“How is this happening?” He demands, wrapping both of them in a tight hug. “Are you adopting or is one of you pregnant?”

“I’m pregnant,” Cady laughs as he takes a step back, adjusting her dress so her bump is revealed. Damian squeals and hugs her again, and everyone else joins in to make it a big group hug.

Regina, as always, breaks away first and heads back after just a couple of minutes. Gretchen follows to make sure she’s okay, holding her girlfriend’s hand as Regina reads through the cards again. Suddenly, she clocks the second initial.

“Guys, wait,” she says, patting Gretchen’s shoulder excitedly a few times. “There’s two initials here. Are you having twins?”

“Yes,” Cady says. Everyone screams and rushes to hug her again. She peeks up at her wife around everyone and grins happily. “They’re identical, the embryo split.”

“Oh my god!” Damian sobs. “I’m gonna be an uncle! To twins! And you guys are gonna be moms! To twins!”

“Aww, Dame, don’t cry,” Cady chuckles. “Your nieces or nephews should be here in May.”

“Oh my god,” he says quietly again. “Shit, guys, happy fucking holidays.”

Everyone laughs at that and scatters slightly, finally letting Janis and Cady breathe. Damian excuses himself to the kitchen to recover. Janis follows as Cady lets everyone feel her bump and answers their questions.

“God, Jan, congratulations,” he sniffs, wiping his nose on a tissue.

“Thanks, Damdam,” Janis chuckles. “You seem more excited than us.”

“I am! I’m so excited, I’m gonna be an uncle,” he says happily.

“Oh, yeah, um. About that,” Janis says. “Caddy and I were hoping you’d be more than their uncle.”

“What do you mean?” He asks confusedly.

“We want you to be their godfather,” Janis says.

“Really?” Damian asks, his eyes brimming with tears again.

“Yeah, of course,” Janis says, handing him another tissue. “Stop crying, you’re gonna make me cry.”

“I’m sorry,” he sniffs. “Of course I’ll be the godfather. God, I can’t wait to meet them. These are gonna be the cutest little dorky babies ever.”

“Hey!” Janis says as she comes to hug him tightly.

“Jan, we called ourselves the art freaks for ten years and Caddy is the biggest math nerd to ever live, you’re gonna be raising dorks in some form or another,” Damian says.

Janis purses her lips, realizing he’s absolutely correct. “I guess you’re right. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m so excited,” he says happily.

“Good,” Janis says, leaning in to kiss his cheek. “I’m gonna go find the mother of my children, I love you.”

“I love you too! All four of you!” He calls after her.

-

The excitement wears off just a touch by the time the countdown begins. Cady and Janis share a sweet kiss as it reaches zero and the fireworks go off around the city.

“Happy New Year, my love,” Cady whispers when they break apart. “It’s the year of babies.”

“The year of babies indeed,” Janis murmurs back.

—————-

They go shopping for baby things the next week. Technically, they’re supposed to be shopping for things they’ll need in their new house, since they’ve decided to move out of their tiny apartment and into a house that has enough room for them to raise two small humans. But, Cady passes by the baby clothes section on the way out and just can’t resist.

Janis follows and is instantly reeling at the sizes of everything. She nearly plows down a mannequin because she’s too busy staring at a little tiny bathing suit.

“Aww, Jayjay, look,” Cady says, weaseling her way around the racks to something she’s spotted. Janis leaves their cart where it is and runs after her. Cady heads to a rack with onesies that say ‘Thing One’ and ‘Thing Two’, patterned like the characters in the book. They have numbers that go all the way up to eight. Janis is suddenly very appreciative of the fact they’re only having twins.

“They’re cute,” Janis says. Cady grabs them in the newborn size. “Will they actually be this little?”

“Probably smaller, actually, we should be looking at preemie stuff too,” Cady says thoughtfully. Smaller? Janis tries to imagine something smaller than the onesies in her hand. It doesn’t quite compute.

“I have more rules,” she says suddenly, leading them back to the cart.

“Okay,” Cady chuckles. “What?”

“If they’re girls, we’re not putting them in those stupid bows that are the size of their faces,” Janis says.

“Agreed,” Cady says. She’s always found those tacky. “But can we do little ones?” She asks as she brushes a hand over a pack of more reasonably sized headbands.

“If you want, Butterfly,” Janis says, grabbing it and plopping it into their cart. “Have you thought any more about names, by the way?”

“Actually, yeah,” Cady says, resting a hand on her belly. “I want to name mine Leo. Boy or girl, I think it works for both.”

Janis grins happily. “I love it, that’s so cute. Leo Damian or Leo Juliette, it’s perfect.”

Cady comes over for a cuddle. “What about you, have you picked a girl name?”

“No,” Janis whines. “I can’t pick one.”

“You will. You’ll pick something perfect,” Cady comforts. “Let’s go home, I’m sleepy.”

“Okay, Peanut. Let’s go nap,” Janis chuckles.

—————

By Cady’s birthday in February, they’re officially in their new house farther upstate. Damian and Aaron helped with most things, since Cady couldn’t really do much. She packed most of their things and moved the lightest stuff, but she spent most of the move napping.

Damian also helped Janis do their nursery. He had begged to help, and Janis was all too happy for the extra hands. He put together all the white wood furniture Cady had picked while Janis painted the walls.

Cady had only gotten to pick their furniture and textiles, the rest is a birthday surprise Janis has been putting together. She painted the walls Cady’s favorite color, a pale yellow, and designed an accent wall for the one opposite the door to the room. She’d spent weeks doing paintings of different safari animals, and found a company who sized them up into big stickers. By the time everything’s pasted up, it looks like a scene straight out of Kenya.

Damian helps her push the cribs against that wall, with a nightstand in between and a lamp on top. The two-in-one dresser and changing table goes against the opposite wall, and Janis puts the bookshelf and the massive rocking chair in the corner next to it. The other corner has all the baskets full of soft toys and teethers they’ve acquired over the last few months.

Damian hangs the grey curtains patterned with little clouds from the curtain rod, while Janis unrolls a big matching rug. Cady had fallen in love with the little cloud pattern, so all the fabric in the room has it. The rug, sheets, changing table, lampshades, everything.

Janis had also come up with a cute way to make homemade mobiles. She and Cady had stitched little clouds and stuffed them, then hung them with fishing line from dowels that Janis had hot glued together. It’s a perfect touch.

She nearly breaks her neck hanging them over the cribs while Damian adds the soft grey baby blankets to the crib railings, and then the room is complete. Janis looks around as she and Damian catch their breaths, and comes to hug him for comfort.

“Damian, my babies are gonna be in those,” she mumbles anxiously, pointing to the cribs. “I’m not ready to be a mom.”

“Well, you’re not, yet, so that’s good,” Damian teases. “You’re gonna be a great mom, Janjan. You half raised Julie, and you’ve got the right instincts. You’ve taken great care of everything and everyone so far; I would bet all the money I’ve ever seen that you’re gonna be the greatest mom in the world. Well, Caddy is first, but you’re, like, a super duper close second.”

Janis whacks him on the arm affectionately. “Thanks, D. How do you always know what to say?”

“I still watch a lot of Drag Race, Rupaul is very wise,” Damian jokes. “And I just know you. Go get your wife, she should see this.”

Janis squeezes him one more time before leaving to go Cady-hunting. She finds her in their bedroom packing their hospital bag.

“Hey, baby,” she says quietly as she comes in. “Why are you packing the bag now?”

“Because we have no way of knowing when our babies are going to be here and I’d rather not have you do it in a panic while I’m in labor or something,” Cady shrugs. “I just wanted to get it out of the way.”

“Ah. That’s a very good idea,” Janis says. “Can you take a break for a second, though? I have another present for you.”

Cady nods eagerly and reaches for Janis to help her up. “Lemme go pee first.”

Janis grins affectionately as she does her cute little waddle towards the bathroom. Her belly is rapidly approaching the size it would be if she was full term with one baby, and their little ones are constantly pressing on her bladder. Cady’s already tired of it.

She covers Cady’s eyes when she comes back and leads her down the hallway towards the nursery. Janis steers them carefully around Daffodil, who’s trotting along beside them to see what they’re up to.

“Okay, ready?” She asks once they’re in the best place to view the whole room. Cady nods happily, so Janis takes her hands away.

Cady immediately starts crying, spinning around to look at everything. “Oh, Janis, this is perfect!” She heads to the far wall to look at the animals. “Did you paint these?”

“Yeah,” Janis says, coming behind her and lifting her tummy to hold the weight for her for a second. Cady gives a relieved sigh and leans back against her. “But they’re stickers, so once they get too old to want animals on their wall we won’t have to paint over the zebras.”

Cady brushes a hand over an elephant tenderly. “They’re so cute, you did such a good job.” She notices Damian in the chair nearby and reaches for him too. “Thank you guys, I love it.”

“You’re welcome, Cads,” Damian says, hugging her gently. “Happy birthday.”

“Thanks,” Cady chuckles, wiping the tears from under her eyes.

“I did one more thing, go look in the closet,” Janis murmurs, kissing Cady’s neck and sending her on her way. Cady coos at what she finds and is suddenly crying again.

Several teeny tiny denim jackets, hand painted by Janis with different designs. Teddy bears, little moons and stars, all sorts of things. “God, Jay, these are so cute. They can match you!”

“That was the idea,” Janis chuckles, instinctively going to comfort her wife. Cady puts the jacket she’s holding back on its hanger and hooks it back into the closet. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Cady sniffles. She tries to hug Janis, but her belly blocks her most of the way. She manages anyway. “Oh, they’re awake now.”

“Can I feel?” Damian asks shyly. The babies haven’t kicked at all any time he’s been around.

“Of course, here,” Cady says, taking his hand and resting it where she’s feeling the most. “That’s your uncle, babies. We’re all so excited to meet you.”

“Oh my god that’s so weird,” he says in awe as the babies kick against his hand. “Cool, but... whoa.”

“It is a little weird,” Cady giggles. “Little aliens. Man, they’re excited.”

“What are they gonna call you guys? Is Janis mother dearest?” Damian asks jokingly, yelping again as another round of little kicks starts.

Cady and Janis look at each other. “I forgot about that, we can’t both be Mom.”

“I forgot too,” Janis says. “I think you should be Mama.”

“That makes you Mommy,” Cady smiles at her. Janis’ eyes well up when she realizes she’ll have two little beings calling her that soon. Mommy.

“I like it,” she sniffs.

“Aww, lovey,” Cady coos. Damian has returned to his very comfortable seat and is genuinely reading through Goodnight Moon for fun by this point. “God, can you two give it a rest for two seconds? I’m trying to hug your mommy.”

Janis laughs at that, brushing a hand over her tummy and kissing her wife. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Jay.”

—————-

They decide to do Cady’s maternity photos in late March. It’s getting to be Cady’s favorite time of year, it’s just starting to warm up and all the flowers are starting to bloom.

Janis comes home from work the day before to find Cady in tears on the couch. She rushes over, afraid something is wrong or she’s in pain. “Butterfly, what happened?”

“I’ve gained so much weight!” Cady wails, sitting up and crawling into Janis’ lap. Janis is confused, Cady has never been particularly insecure about her body, but the hormones have really been getting to her lately.

“Oh, baby,” Janis hushes. “That’s normal. Does your dress for tomorrow still fit?”

“Yeah,” Cady sobs. “But it’s so much, Janis.”

“Angel, it’s normal for you to have gained weight, I promise,” Janis says desperately. “A good eight of those pounds you’ve gained are just our babies, and they also need nutrients and fluids to grow and be healthy. And the rest of those pounds make up my beautiful, lovely, amazing, strong, adorable, kick-ass wife, who I love very much. I won’t hear any complaints about her body.”

Cady cuddles into her closer with a sniffle before she starts sobbing again. “I love you so much. You’re so good to me, I don’t deserve you!”

“Butterfly, shh, please, I hate when you cry,” Janis says, holding her wife as close as she possibly can. “I love you so, so much. I don’t deserve you. Come here.”

“I’m sorry, these hormones,” Cady sniffles. “Daffy lost her favorite ball under the couch yesterday and I cried for two hours.”

Janis chuckles and kisses her cheek. “I think that’s perfectly reasonable. Did she get it back?”

Daffodil comes trotting down the hallway with her favorite toy in her mouth, seeming to know she’s being discussed. Janis takes it from her and throws it back down the hallway, and she scrambles to run after it.

“Crazy dog,” Janis mumbles affectionately. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Cady sniffles. Elvira comes hopping up on them then, bonking her soft head against their intertwined hands for pets. “Hi, Ellie.”

Elvira purrs happily as they scratch behind her ears, her eyes shutting contently. Once they stop, she opens them again and meows indignantly. She looks to see where their hands have gone, and notices Cady’s resting on her belly.

Ellie inches closer, sniffing at her tummy curiously. She brings a gentle paw up and bats at it a few times, so Cady takes her hands away so she can sniff more. Elvira changes her angle and bats gently at it again.

“Can you smell your siblings in there?” Cady giggles. Elvira suddenly looks up at her with wide eyes and a questioning meow, seeming to realize what’s happening. “Yeah, there’s babies in there! I’m surprised you didn’t notice earlier.”

Janis laughs at their kitty’s reaction. “I wonder if Daffy knows.”

“She doesn’t seem to, I’m not sure,” Cady hums. “Daffodil! Come here, puppies!”

Daffy comes trotting back down the hallway, still occupied with her ball. She approaches them on the couch and drops it on Cady’s lap, wagging her tail hopefully.

“Oh, you still want to play?” Cady chuckles. “Come here first, what’s in here?”

She taps carefully on her belly, getting Daffy’s attention. Thinking there’s a treat, the dog sniffs at her belly curiously. She seems suspicious when she realizes there’s no treat, but keeps sniffing. Her tail starts wagging harder when she realizes, and she licks Cady’s tummy excitedly.

“Yeah, there we go, you guys finally put it together,” Cady laughs. “Okay, here you go, go play.”

“Silly things,” Janis tuts affectionately as Ellie heads off to join Daffodil on her adventures.

“I always wonder what they get up to,” Cady says. “Anyway. Have you picked your girl name yet?”

“No,” Janis whines. “Help me, what names were you thinking about before you picked Leo?”

“Lydia,” Cady says. Janis pulls a face.

“That’s pretty, but I hooked up with a Lydia at a party my sophomore year of high school,” she explains.

“Really?” Cady laughs. “Okay, not that then. Um... Leah, but if we’re doing Leo that would be too close. What about Lucy?”

“Lucy is cute, but...”

“It doesn’t feel right, I thought the same thing,” Cady says. “How about Luna?”

Janis thinks about it. “I like Luna a lot, but it still just… I don’t know.”

“I understand, love. Laura and Lily are the only other ones I came up with,” Cady says.

Janis buries her face in her shoulder. “I’ll think about it, I’m running out of time.”

“It’s only March, love, you still have plenty of time,” Cady says. “Don’t stress about it, whatever you pick will be perfect.”

“I’ll think of something before your baby shower,” Janis says confidently. That gives her a little less than a month. “I should get started on dinner, what are you craving today, babe?”

“Noodles,” Cady says instantly. “And cuddles.”

“Noodles it is,” Janis chuckles. “I’ll cuddle you while we eat.”

“Okay,” Cady says happily. “Oh, can you add grapes to mine, please?”

Janis looks at her in confusion. “What?”

“Grapes.”

“No, I heard you,” Janis says. “Why?”

“I dunno, ask them,” Cady shrugs, pointing to her belly.

“Little weirdos,” Janis chuckles lovingly, leaning down to kiss either side of Cady’s tummy.

“I love you,” Cady says quietly.

Janis comes back up to kiss her before she goes. “I love you too, baby.”

————-

Cady wakes up the next day feeling much better. She’s not quite back to herself, but nowhere near as upset as she was yesterday. She checks the clock and finds that it’s only about ten, so she has a few hours before she even has to start getting ready. They’re not even meeting Regina until four.

Janis is still deep asleep, and so are the pets who are resting at their feet. Daffodil is supposed to be part of the shoot, so Janis tried to give her a bath the night before. It just about worked, but they were both totally exhausted by the end of it. Elvira is just always asleep.

Cady heads to the bathroom and also grabs a book from her shelf to read while she waits for her little family to wake up. Janis makes a sort of snuffling sound in her sleep and scoots closer so she’s pressed against Cady’s leg. Cady just strokes through her hair and keeps reading.

About half an hour later, Janis finally wakes up. “G’morning, Butterfly.”

“Good morning, Bluejay,” Cady chuckles back. “How did you sleep?”

“Good,” Janis yawns. “Your leg is comfy.”

“Thanks,” Cady giggles. “What should we have for breakfast?”

“Whatever you want, we have pretty much everything,” Janis responds. “Eggs, pancakes, fruit.”

“Something with fruit sounds nice,” Cady says. “I’ve been craving a lot of sweet stuff.”

“Don’t people say that your cravings say what you’re meant to be having?” Janis asks.

“Yeah, but everything is kind of contradictory,” Cady says. “I’ve heard that if you crave meat and stuff it’s supposed to be a boy, and sweet stuff means it’s a girl. But I’ve also heard the opposite.”

“Huh,” Janis says. “Okay, come on, I’m hungry.”

-

Several hours later, after both breakfast and lunch, it’s time for them to get ready. They’d decided on periwinkle as the color scheme for their photos. Cady has a soft white dress with periwinkle flowers, and Janis has a coverall jumpsuit the same shade. Daffodil looks very dapper in her matching bandana.

“So what do you think they are?” Cady asks as she brushes out Janis’ hair to style it. Janis had done Cady’s hair and makeup, and now it’s her turn to be pampered. Cady’s hair is just in her natural curls down her back, and she has a flower crown to match her dress. Cady applies a few products to bring back Janis’ natural wave and pins small chunks from the front to the back of her head.

“Think what are what?” Janis asks confusedly.

“The babies. Do you think they’re boys or girls? Biologically, anyway.” Cady clarifies.

“Oh,” Janis says. “I don’t know. I think they might be girls.”

“Really? I’ve been feeling like they’re boys lately,” Cady says. “They kick so much.”

“You’re probably right, then, they are inside you,” Janis chuckles. “We don’t have too much longer until we’ll find out.”

“True,” Cady says. “One more full month.”

“Do you think we’re ready?” Janis asks quietly.

“Oh, absolutely not,” Cady answers. “I don’t think we could ever be ready. But I think we can do it anyway.”

Janis tips her head back once Cady finishes her hair, looking up at her face upside-down. “These babies are making you rather poetic.”

Cady laughs and bends down carefully for a kiss. “I’ve just been spending too much time around you. You read poetry for fun.”

“And you do calculus for fun,” Janis retorts. “God, Damian’s right, our kids are gonna be dorks.”

“And we’ll love them anyway,” Cady says. “Come on, we should go soon.”

————-

They meet Regina at the scheduled time in a massive field of tulips. For whatever reason, Gretchen has connections to a tulip farmer, who agreed to let them take their photos in his fields so long as they didn’t trample any.

Regina is taking practice shots of her dog, Nutmeg, when they arrive. Nutmeg is sitting very patiently and even smiling for the camera.

Daffodil gets very excited when she sees her best friend and auntie, and makes a beeline over to them. Nutmeg breaks away too, and they both head trotting back to Regina after a quick meeting.

“Hi, Daffy, how’s my favorite little retriever?” Regina asks, flopping the dog’s ears around.

“Hey, Gina,” Janis calls as they head up after her.

“Hi! Oh, look at you!” Regina says excitedly, coming to hug them and feel Cady’s tummy. “Okay, I was thinking we should get the shots with Daffodil first so she and Nutmeg can go play, if that works for you?”

“Yeah, we should probably get them while she’s still nearly clean,” Janis says. “Daffy, come here!”

Daffodil comes running over to them for her photos, but looks longingly at her friend the whole time. Luckily, she’s quickly released again to go play, having been on her best behavior the whole time and getting her part out of the way quickly. They got several adorable photos of her sniffing and licking Cady’s tummy.

Regina is an excellent photographer. She lets Cady and Janis just do what comes naturally to them and then moves herself to get a good shot, and makes small talk while she works. They almost forget they’re even having photos taken in the first place.

“Cute! Janis, can you go find the dogs? We should get some of Cady solo and then bring you back when golden hour hits,” Regina says, resting her heavy camera against her shoulder.

“Yep,” Janis says as she tugs her shoes back on. “Come find me if you need anything.”

She heads into the small forest nearby to hunt for their puppies, since they’d gone that way a while ago.

Cady is a little less natural at posing when she’s alone, so Regina guides her through some of the basic ones.

“Do this,” Regina says, demonstrating how Cady should hold her belly. “And then think about how cute your little muffins are going to be.”

Cady does what she’s told, the prompt getting a genuine smile out of her. Who will they look more like? What will their personalities be like? What will they sound like?

“Perfect!” Regina says, letting Cady come see a few snapshots. Cady grins happily when she sees the few she’s allowed to.

“These are great,” she says. “Have you three ever thought about kids?”

“We’ve talked about it,” Regina says quietly. “We all agreed that we’re not ready and probably never will be. We’re just excited to be aunties.”

“You guys can babysit these two anytime,” Cady chuckles. “But I understand. I’m not sure I’m ready either.”

“Cady Sarkisian-Heron, you were designed to be a mother,” Regina insists. “You’ve been taking care of all of us since we were in high school. You’re gonna pop out two cute-ass babies and raise them into great humans.”

“You can’t just say stuff like that, I’m so emotional lately,” Cady sniffles.

Janis makes a reappearance then, emerging from the woods followed by two wet dogs shaking themselves off.

“So, it turns out there’s a river in there,” she pants once she reaches them. “They decided to go fishing.”

“Nutmeg! What are your other moms gonna say?” Regina tuts. “I have towels in my car, hang on.”

She passes the camera to Janis and heads towards where they parked. It’s a very expensive, fancy camera, and Janis holds it like she’s been casually handed the Ark of the Covenant. She hasn’t done much in the way of photography since her classes in college, but she decides she can take a few little snaps of her wife. For practice.

“Hey,” she calls to her wife. Cady turns to look at her over her shoulder. Click. “Guess what?”

Cady turns to look at her fully, tilting her head in confusion. “What?”

“I love you,” Janis says. Cady’s face splits into a wide smile. Click.

“I love you too, Jay,” Cady giggles. “Look at you go, little miss photography.” She comes to lean on her wife’s shoulder.

Regina comes back then with the towels, bending down to dry off the dogs. Cady and Janis kiss sweetly above her. “No being cute while I don’t have my camera, stop it immediately.”

The two of them break apart sheepishly, giggling as Nutmeg shakes the rest of the water off her once she’s been toweled dry. Regina dries Daffy as well, and then stands up and takes her camera back.

“Okay, just a few more of you two now that the sun is starting to go down, and then Gretch and K and I want to take you to dinner?” She says, stretching her spine out.

“Ooh, yay,” Cady says happily. She needs to sit, so Janis leads them to a bench she found while she was hunting for their dogs. It has several hills behind it that are absolutely covered in natural wildflowers, which Cady loves.

They get several with Cady and Janis leaning their heads together, grinning happily at the camera. Then Cady rests her head in Janis’ lap, and Regina gets a few candid shots of the two of them talking while Janis plays with her hair.

“I think we’re done here,” Regina says, looking through a few of the shots she’s gotten. “I’ll edit them a bit and get them to you in a couple weeks or so.”

“Thanks Reggie,” Janis says as they both hug her. She tenses slightly at the affections and huffs indignantly at the name, but does return the hug. “Do not call me that. But you’re so welcome.”

————-

Cady and Janis both spend a majority of the month of April in tears. Cady cries because she’s in a great deal of pain. Her body is shifting in ways it wasn’t really designed to, and she can’t take any painkillers that actually work because they might hurt the twins. Janis cries because she can’t stand seeing her wife in so much pain.

“Butterfly, can I do anything to help you?” Janis asks desperately as her wife lies weeping in her lap, where she’s been for most of the day.

“The heating pad? And rub my back?” Cady sniffles. “I just want to be held, mostly.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back,” Janis says, tucking Cady in carefully with their favorite blankets and running off to the kitchen. Cady can hear the microwave whirring as she heats up the pad.

Janis comes back carrying their heating pad and a mug of Cady’s favorite tea, with the perfect amount of milk and sugar. She hands it to Cady as she sits up, then wraps the heating pad around her shoulders and pulls her close.

“I’m sorry you’re hurting so much, baby,” Janis says softly, rubbing her lower back gently.

“It’ll be worth it,” Cady sniffles. Janis thinks she might be feeling better, but her lower lip starts trembling and she bursts into sobs anew. “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

“Oh, Peanut, it’s okay,” Janis comforts. Cady’s been nesting, stressed about making sure everything is clean and soft for their babies to come home to. Janis forgot to unload the dishwasher and Cady snapped a little. “I get it. There’s a lot happening to you right now, I know you didn’t mean it.”

“I’m still sorry. I didn’t mean it and I shouldn’t have done it,” Cady sniffles. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Kitkat. I love you so much,” Janis says. “Baby, be honest with me, can you handle having your baby shower tomorrow? I can call D and have them move it to another day.”

“I’ll be okay,” Cady sniffs again. “We don’t know how much longer we have until the babies come, and I miss everyone. I’m excited.”

“I’m excited too, Sunshine. We get a whole day just to celebrate you,” Janis says, working her way up to massage her shoulders.

“And you,” Cady insists. “You’ve done so much for us the entire time I’ve been pregnant. I couldn’t have done this without you. I can’t wait to see you be a mommy.”

“I can wait a little longer,” Janis jokes. “I’m still terrified. But I’m so excited to meet them.”

“I am too. I love you so much, Jay.”

“I love you too, Sunshine.”

-

They spend the rest of the evening cuddling, and Janis eventually falls asleep halfway through a movie. Cady cuddles her as close as she can around her very large tummy and plays with her hair.

She almost jumps out of her skin when Janis suddenly sits bolt upright. “Layla.” Is the first thing out of her mouth.

“What?” Cady chuckles affectionately.

“Layla,” Janis repeats. “I wanna call mine Layla if they’re girls.”

“That’s beautiful, my love. Layla Reese,” Cady says. “I told you you’d pick something perfect.”

“Luca and Leo or Layla and Leo,” Janis says. She leans down to kiss each side of Cady’s belly. “That’s you two. You have your names now. Mama and I can’t wait to meet you.”

Cady smiles contently down at her. They’d decided earlier that baby A would be either Luca or Layla, and baby B would be Leo. “Leo’s up here,” she says, guiding Janis’ hand to where they were in their last ultrasound. “And Luca or Layla is over here.” Janis kisses each spot several times.

“I love you so much, little ones,” Janis whispers. “I can’t wait to finally hold you.” Luca or Layla suddenly kicks against her cheek. “Hey, don’t kick me!”

“They know your voice,” Cady giggles. “They only kick when you talk to them, whenever I try they won’t do anything.”

“You’re their mama, you’re gonna be their favorite parent for, like, a minimum of five years,” Janis says. Leo kicks in agreement. “See?”

“I love you, loser,” Cady giggles.

“I love you too, dork,” Janis retaliates.

————-

Janis is awoken the next morning by Damian entering their house in a flurry, with far too much energy for ten in the morning. She pads down the stairs in her pajamas to shut him up.

“Damian, shush, Caddy’s still asleep,” Janis says.

“Oh, oops,” Damian whispers. “How is she?”

“She’s fine. She’s having a rough go of it lately, she’s in a lot of pain, but she’s managing really well,” Janis responds as she’s wrapped in a hug.

“Poor thing. Those babies need to come out soon and give her a break,” Damian says, adjusting his ‘best gay uncle ever’ shirt.

Janis chuckles. “We need them to stay in a little longer, it’s still way too early.”

“When is she due again?” Damian asks as he picks his box of decorations back up.

“June, technically, but it’s dangerous if they get too big, so she’ll be induced sometime in May if they don’t come on their own by then,” Janis says.

“Wow, only a month? Shit,” Damian says. “I’m so ready to cuddle these babies.”

“I am too,” Janis chuckles. “I’m terrified, but I just want to meet them. Where’s your boy toy, by the way?”

“He’s coming later, and Reggie said she’d be here in about ten minutes,” Damian says. “We wanted to make sure we have enough time to set up.”

“Nice,” Janis says. “Can I do anything?”

“Absolutely not, this is your day,” Damian says, batting her hands away from his precious box of treasures. “Go get your wife.”

Janis heads back to her bedroom obediently to wake up her wife. Cady looks so much more peaceful when she’s asleep, Janis really doesn’t want to disturb her. She lets her stay asleep for a while longer before she decides to kiss her awake.

“Wake up, Butterfly. It’s your day,” Janis purrs softly.

Cady yawns and rubs at her eyes like a cat. “Jayjay? Timessit?”

“About ten thirty,” Janis responds, looking at the clock. Apparently she’d let her wife sleep in a little longer than she’d thought. Even asleep, Cady is easy to lose track of time with.

“Ten thirty? Why didn’t you wake me up earlier, it’s so late!” Cady says with much more energy, trying to roll herself out of bed.

“Because there’s two humans growing inside you and you need to rest,” Janis responds, grabbing her hands to help her up. “Everything’s fine. Damian’s downstairs getting everything ready and Reggie will be here to help him in a few minutes. There’s nothing you need to worry about today.”

“Okay,” Cady breathes, calming herself down. “Do we have snuggle time?”

“I made sure of it,” Janis says. “But you should eat first. Babies need calories.”

“Okay,” Cady says, sounding much less frazzled. She follows her wife down to the kitchen, but stops to greet Damian in the living room. “Hi, Dame.”

Damian turns around from where he’s hanging a banner up. “Hey, Cads! How are you?”

“Exhausted,” Cady responds with a yawn. “But this looks great!”

“Thanks,” Damian says. “Go get your wife, I got this.”

Janis makes them some quick eggs and toast with fruit on the side. Cady gets a lot of extra fruit. Regina shows up in the middle of their breakfast, also having several boxes of activities and decorations.

“Hey, Gina,” Cady greets from her spot on the couch.

“Hey, Cady,” Regina responds, trying to catch her breath as she rests down a heavy box. “Christ.”

“You guys got a lot of stuff,” Janis comments around a mouthful of egg. “We didn’t invite that many people.”

“Damian went absolutely ape shit at Party City last week,” Regina says. “Wants to give you guys a rager before you have too many babies to party anymore.”

“Hell yeah,” Damian cheers as he comes down from his stepladder to check that his banner is even.

“Oh, Christ,” Janis groans. She’d let the two of them run wild, she just hopes they didn’t blow too much of her money.

“Sounds fun,” Cady cheers. “Let’s go get dressed.”

Janis kisses her cheek and takes their empty plates into the kitchen before following her wife back upstairs. The color scheme for the party overall is yellow and green, since Janis and Cady didn’t want to buy too much into the whole blue and pink thing. However, the invitations did say to wear pink or blue depending on what you think the babies are, which they both think is cute.

Cady wears the same dress she wore for her maternity photos, since it’s soft and light, and the flowers are close enough to blue. Janis still doesn’t have much in the way of pink clothing, but she borrowed a pink button down from Damian to go over her black ensemble.

Once their hair and teeth are brushed and some makeup is applied, they head downstairs. Regina and Damian made a lot of progress while they were getting ready. Streamers are hanging from the walls, the tables are decorated, and Regina is even stuffing a piñata.

“Reggie?” Janis asks. “Why the fresh hell did you buy a baby shaped piñata?”

“It was the only baby-related one they had!” Regina insists. “I know it’s bad.”

Cady laughs so hard at the idea of whacking a cardboard baby with sticks that she nearly falls over, Janis has to grab her.

“That’s great, I love it,” Cady giggles, wiping tears of laughter from under her eyes. “This all looks so good!”

Damian comes in from their backyard, where he’s been decorating and setting up the outdoor activities. “Why, thank you!”

They finish a few minutes later and take the two of them on a short tour before the guests come. Cady starts giggling at the games they’ve come up with. They’ve changed ‘pin the tail on the donkey’ to something along the lines of ‘get the spoon in the baby’s mouth’, with velcro spoons to attach to a large cartoon baby.

Janis gets a chuckle out of a water balloon toss, called ‘don’t break the water’. There’s also a few calmer things, like decorating play-doh babies or leaving a message on a poster with one of the maternity photos in the center.

“Also, if you’re okay with it, I thought it would be fun to try some old wives’ tales since you’re not doing a gender reveal,” Regina says once they’ve seen everything. “Just the normal ones like the ring test and stuff, not the ones with, like, your pee or anything.”

Cady laughs. “Yeah, that sounds fun. This is amazing, thank you guys.”

-

Janis and Cady greet all their guests, which is mostly just their old friends from high school and college who could make it to New York, and any family who could make the trip.

Cady is surprised when her cousin Emma comes in, Janis decided to surprise her. Emma brought her wife Alyssa, and their son James.

“Oh my god, hi!” Cady says happily, hugging both of them as tight as she can. They still live in Indiana and haven’t been able to visit for a few years. “Hi James!”

James is a little over a year old, and just waves as he cuddles shyly into Alyssa’s shoulder. Janis looks at him for a moment. Soon she’ll have her own babies to cuddle like that.

It turns out Cady had a similar surprise, since Janis’ cousin Veronica enters soon after, flanked by all three of her girlfriends. Janis remembers that one is technically her wife, but she can’t remember which Heather married who.

“Vera!” She calls happily, running to hug her cousin. “You didn’t tell me you were coming!”

“I told Cady,” Veronica says. “And obviously I’m coming, my favorite cousin is having a baby!”

“Two, actually,” Janis says.

“Shit, dude,” Veronica responds. “I forgot about that. Congratulations!”

“Thanks,” Janis chuckles. Veronica hugs her back for a second and then leads her girlfriends to check out the party. “This is bad.”

“What’s bad?” Cady asks worriedly.

“I can’t tell the Heathers apart,” Janis says anxiously, chewing a thumbnail. “I memorized the colors they wear, but now two are in pink and the other is in blue.”

“Oh,” Cady chuckles. “Well, you’re in luck, I memorized the hair in case of something like this. Chandler is the one Veronica married, she’s got red hair, and she’s the other one in blue. McNamara is blonde and she’s one of the ones in pink, and then Duke has dark hair and she’s the other pink one.”

“You’re a lifesaver, Butterfly,” Janis chuckles. “I think that’s everyone.”

Cady closes the door and pokes out a hand, which Janis takes with a squeeze and a kiss to her knuckles. They head into the party hand in hand.

—————

Several hours later, the party is over and Cady is sound asleep against her wife, surrounded by all sorts of adorable gifts. Janis wishes she had the strength to carry her up to bed, but carrying three people is too much even for her.

Regina and Damian are both spending the night in the guest rooms, so Cady and Janis don’t have to worry about taking down any of the decorations. Janis hugs both goodnight and then wakes her wife, leading her up the stairs to bed.

They had a good day.

—————-

The next day is very bad.

Cady wakes Janis up around nine in tears. “Baby, what’s the matter?” Janis asks in concern.

“Something’s not right, Jay,” Cady sobs. “I can tell. They haven’t kicked since last night. They-they always kick in the mornings, something’s wrong.”

“Hey, I’m sure everything’s fine,” Janis soothes, trying to hide her own panic. “I’ll call the doctor and see if we can get you in for a scan.”

“Okay,” Cady sniffles.

-

The doctor tells them to come in right away for an emergency ultrasound, which doesn’t make them feel any better. Cady is desperately holding back tears and clinging to Janis’ hand like a lifeline.

The doctor’s brow quickly furrows as the babies come into view, and Janis almost collapses in worry. Something isactually wrong.

“I’m afraid I have some bad news,” the doctor says in that tone of voice. “You’ve developed twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, from what I can see here it seems to be about a stage three.”

“How-how bad is that? What does that mean?” Janis asks shakily, trying to comfort her wife and herself at the same time.

“Before I explain, I don’t want you to panic too much. There are steps we can take, you have a good chance of having two healthy babies,” the doctor prefaces. That’s never good.

“But?” Janis chokes.

“But, stage three means that one or both of your babies’ hearts are affected,” the doctor says apologetically. She flips the monitor at an angle so they can all see. It’s obvious just looking that something isn’t right. “Here. TTTS just means that the twins aren’t sharing blood vessels evenly. Baby A has too much blood and fluids, things like that, going to them, and B isn’t getting enough.”

“But are they okay?” Cady cries desperately. “Are my babies alive?”

“Yes,” the doctor responds calmingly. Cady gives a sob of hope and clings somehow tighter to Janis. “But I am worried. Baby B’s heart is very weak. If we don’t take action soon you run the risk of losing them both. I’m going to send you for a corrective procedure right away.”

“Procedure? Like… surgery?” Janis asks, her face blanching. How did everything turn around like this?

“Nothing terribly invasive. Just a laser to sever some of the shared vessels, she won’t even have to be opened up,” the doctor says, taking a few pictures and ending the scan. “It’s not without its risks, but it really is your best bet here.”

“What are the risks?” Janis demands.

“Jay,” Cady says gently. Janis looks at her and takes a deep breath.

“Sorry.” Janis apologizes.

“It’s perfectly understandable. Giving news like this is the worst part of my job, I get all sorts of reactions,” the doctor says calmly. “To your wife, there is almost no risk. However, there is a chance that it will be too traumatic for the babies and you’ll lose them both.”

“No,” Cady sobs desperately. “They have to- I need them to be okay.”

“The chances of that are very low,” the doctor comforts. “With the surgery, your chances of both being born healthy is about seventy-five percent. If we do nothing, their chances of survival drop to about ten percent.”

Cady dissolves into broken sobs behind Janis, who is hollowly trying to process all the information she’s been bombarded with over the last few minutes.

“I don’t care about the risks to me, just save them,” Cady weeps. Janis pulls her up and cradles her so tightly, letting her own tears drip onto Cady’s hair as her wife cries into her shoulder. The doctor leaves with a quiet apology to send off the referral, leaving them alone to process. “Janis, I-I-I can’t lose them. They have to be okay, I can’t-I need them to be okay.”

“They will be,” Janis says with false confidence. “We-we’ll get you the surgery, everything’s gonna be fine.”

They both know there’s always a chance something will go wrong, but for now they need to believe that everything will be okay.

—————

The next day, Cady is prepped and readied for the surgery. Janis can only be there in the beginning, as she’s put under anesthesia. Cady is crying and clinging to her desperately. Janis knows she can’t do anything. She’s never felt more tortured.

“I love you so much, it’s gonna be okay,” she murmurs, kissing Cady’s forehead as she’s wheeled away.  She’s absolutely terrified herself. Janis spent the night before frantically researching TTTS and was horrified to discover they were only two stages away from their worst nightmare. The fifth and final stage is the death of one or both babies.

Janis heads back to the waiting room, past where all their friends and family are waiting for news, and out the door into the parking lot. Everyone looks at each other in concern, but Damian is the one to get up and follow her.

He doesn’t say anything, just follows after her while still maintaining a bit of distance. Eventually she reaches a sort of garden area and turns around to him with tears streaming down her face.

Damian reaches for her, but Janis just starts pacing, letting out choked sobs every time she pivots. Damian finds a bench and lets her get it out.

“It’s not supposed to be like this!” Janis screams eventually, startling some exhausted looking medical student walking by, along with a few birds. “Everything was supposed to be okay this time! Why-why is it not okay?”

She hunches over with the force of her cries, and Damian rushes to wrap her in a hug. Janis clings to him desperately and sobs into his shoulder.

“It’s not-it’s not fair,” she weeps quietly. “It’s not fair.”

“You’re right, it’s not fair,” Damian says gently. “You’ve both been through too much already, this isn’t fair. But it’s gonna be okay. One way or another. We’re all here for you.”

Janis doesn’t respond, she just bursts into another round of sobs. She continues weeping desperately until she tires herself out after a while, so Damian hands over some tissues.

“You ready to go back in?” He asks quietly as she blows her nose. She nods hollowly.

“I should. I need to be there for news,” she whispers.

“If you’re not ready that’s okay,” Damian says. “Someone would text us if they heard anything, and we have time before she wakes up. We can wait here if you need more time.”

“No, I-I need to be there for her,” Janis mumbles. “I’m fine.”

They both know damn well that nothing is fine here, but Damian nods and leads her back to the waiting room.

-

After what feels like an eternity, the surgeon comes out with an intern that Janis doesn’t recognize. The intern calls for the ‘father’ of the Sarkisian-Heron babies, and Janis dashes over.

“Is she okay? Did they make it? Where is she?” She asks desperately.

“Father only,” the intern snaps.

“She’s my wife! My wife just had surgery because our babies might be dying, I don’t have time to deal with your petty, homophobic bitch ass. Where the hell is my wife?” Janis calls.

The surgeon steps up with a weak grin then, gesturing for Janis to follow her. “Everything went exactly as planned, there were no complications. Your wife and children are completely fine.”

Janis gives a heavy, shaky sigh of relief, feeling like the drama of the last day or so is escaping her chest. She’s led back to where Cady is resting, going to sit by her wife’s sleeping form and taking her hand gently.

“She should wake shortly,” the surgeon says quietly. “And my apologies for Sarah’s behavior. I would also like to thank you, I’ve been waiting for someone to call her out so I can report her ass to HR.”

Janis gives a weak grin, the closest to a smile she’s come in more than twenty-four hours. She looks back down to her wife and kisses her knuckles gently. “Happily. Thank you, for-for saving them. And her.”

“Just doing my job,” the surgeon replies. “We’ll be back to check on everything in a few minutes.”

Janis nods and the doctor leaves. Cady stirs a few moments later, her eyelids fluttering before she finally opens them with a good bit of effort.

“Are they okay?” She whispers, squeezing Janis’ hand lightly.

Janis nods and brushes tears from her own face. “Yeah, baby, they’re okay. The doctor said everything went perfectly, there were no complications. Our babies are both fine.”

“Thank goodness,” Cady says with tears brimming in her eyes. “I couldn’t handle losing either of them now.”

“I couldn’t either, Peanut,” Janis says quietly. “But they’re okay, we don’t even have to think about that now.”

“I love you,” Cady whispers.

“I love you too, Sunshine.”

——————

Cady is officially cleared to go home six days later, and is to be on strict bed rest until the babies are born. She’s taken an emergency medical leave from work which will stretch into her maternity leave.

But, in typical Cady fashion, she didn’t want to leave her work, even temporarily, without a goodbye. She wrote notes during her very long stay in the hospital, to all of her students as well as the substitute professor who would be taking over for her in her absence. Janis and Damian delivered them and cleaned her office out for her while Cady relaxed at home.

Janis, on the other hand, still has to go to work until her ‘paternity’ leave kicks in.

“Jayjay, it’s gonna be okay,” Cady comforts a nearby panicking Janis. “Everything is good now, I’m gonna be fine. And Damian offered to come keep me company, I’m not going to be alone.”

“But what if you go into labor and I’m not there? Or something else happens?” Janis asks worriedly.

“Jellybean, I’m not even having braxton-hicks contractions yet, these babies aren’t coming for a while,” Cady chuckles. “But you won’t be far, I’ll call you right away if something happens.”

“Okay,” Janis mutters, taking a deep breath to calm herself. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Go teach those kids,” Cady replies, shooing her out the door from bed after a quick kiss.

Cady has a lovely day watching musicals with Damian and cuddling their pets. Janis texts periodically to make sure everything is okay.

And it is.

-

They keep this system all throughout May. Their families have long since left back to Illinois, but at least one of their friends spends the day at their house with Cady so she doesn’t get lonely, and to keep her safe if anything happens.

Until, in a beautiful fit of irony, Cady goes into labor on Mother’s day.

She and Janis had a lazy Sunday, celebrating their last Mother’s day with just the two of them with a long snuggle session and waffles for dinner.

Cady started feeling off at around six in the evening, but played it off as being uncomfortable due to the fact that she’s a small, heavily pregnant woman. Janis pampers her with lots of loving kisses and nice back rubs. Cady tries to focus on them instead of the bursts of pain popping up periodically.

She’s concerned when they don’t stop. Janis heads to bed around eleven, but Cady stays behind an extra few minutes to grab a snack. She’s Googled the difference between phantom and real contractions, and learned that phantom ones tend to go away after eating something.

So, Cady has some veggies and lets Daffodil out for a late-night frolic through the backyard. She’s finished her carrots by the time the puppy comes back to paw at the door. The contractions don’t seem to have stopped. Uh oh.

Daffodil leads her up the stairs to bed, so Cady follows and lies down next to her wife. Maybe sleep will help. Elvira is already there, and nuzzles in between both of them while Daffy takes her usual place on the ground beside them.

-

Cady is woken up no more than a half-hour later by a much more severe pain. On instinct, she reaches for Janis’ hand to squeeze.

“Ow,” Janis groans tiredly. “Whassamatter?”

“I’m in labor,” Cady says quietly, the realization finally hitting. Janis nearly clonks their heads together as she sits bolt upright.

“Are you serious?” She asks, rubbing her eyes.

“Yeah,” Cady says, trying to hold back anxious tears.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Does it hurt?” Janis asks in concern, stroking a hand over Cady’s cheek.

“No,” Cady whimpers. “Well, yeah. But… I’m scared, Jay.”

“Of what? Everything’s gonna be fine, we’ll take care of you,” Janis says gently.

“They’re not ready, Janis,” Cady sobs. “I’m only thirty-four weeks, it’s too early. They’re gonna be too small, they’re not… they’re not gonna be healthy.”

“Oh, Peanut,” Janis frowns. ��They’re gonna be fine, I promise. They might be a little small, yeah, and they might need some stuff to help them out for a while. But it’ll be better for them to be out, they’ll be easier to monitor and help, and it’ll be easier to make sure all of you are healthy.”

“But what if they don’t look like you?” Cady wails suddenly.

“Then they’ll look like you, and they’ll be perfect,” Janis comforts. “Shh, angel, please. Everything’s gonna be fine.”

Cady sniffles and leans into her shoulder. She winces and scrambles for Janis’ hand again when another contraction hits.

“How long have you been having contractions, baby?” Janis asks, wincing but not complaining at the series of pops her knuckles give.

Cady looks at the clock, it’s just a few minutes past midnight. “Six hours,” she says sheepishly.

“You what? Butterfly,” Janis demands. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t know at first, they weren’t that bad,” Cady replies as Janis goes to put clothes on. It’s just leggings and a sweatshirt, but is slightly more presentable than her pajamas.

“Okay, tell me when your next one starts,” Janis says, holding her hand gently and bringing up a timer on her phone. Cady does, and they time the next few. They’re long and getting closer together. “I think it’s baby day, Cads, we should go to the hospital.”

“Okay,” Cady sniffs again. “God, I can’t wait to not be pregnant anymore.”

Janis laughs as she hands Cady some clothes to change into and grabs their bag. “I don’t blame you, Peanut. You’re almost in the clear.”

Cady changes clothes carefully and takes Janis’ hand to be pulled up. “Baby time.”

“I can’t wait,” Janis says, kissing her sweetly before they head to the car.

Cady texts their families on the way so they can plan out their travels, and then texts her friends to let them know as well.

spacecadet: Hey, turns out it’s labor day! We’ll keep you guys updated :D

damecupboard: AAAAAH NO WAY

ilikemouses: but it’s mother’s day???

georgewashington: She means the babies are coming, honey.

ilikemouses: oh

ilikemouses: oh!! yay! 📷📷📷📷📷📷

fetchen: yay!! we’ll go get daffy in the morning!!

a-aron: and dame and i will get ellie. good luck guys!!

“Okay, everyone knows. Our parents found a flight for tomorrow morning, somehow, and Julie’s already in town for work,” Cady says.

“Oh, is she? She didn’t tell me,” Janis says, turning into the hospital parking lot. “God, she’s gonna lose her shit when she meets them.”

“Just make sure she’s sitting before you let her hold them,” Cady chuckles affectionately.

“That’s a good plan,” Janis says. “Let’s go get you some drugs.”

“Yay,” Cady says weakly, following her to the doors.

-

Since they’re not an ambulance and it’s after hours, the doors are locked. Janis pushes a buzzer she finds, and jumps a little when a voice buzzes out from the speakers, asking what they need.

“Um… we’d like to come have our babies, please,” Janis says, not knowing how else to respond. Cady bursts out laughing behind her as the doors click and then swing open.

“You’re so cute, oh my god,” she giggles. “Oh, I shouldn’t laugh, ow.”

A small team lead them to where they need to be and help get Cady hooked up to all the monitors and finally pumped full of painkillers. She pulls a face when she has to don a hospital gown, and it only deepens when she finds out she can’t take it off until the babies are born to keep everything sanitary.

She and Janis are left alone once everything is sorted and instructed to try and get some sleep. Cady settles in and looks over to the monitors, watching her babies’ heartbeats pinging steadily.

Janis lies on her uncomfortable cot in the corner, and they both try to sleep.

-

By three in the morning, it’s clear sleep is not coming easily for either of them.

“Jayjay? Are you awake?” Cady pipes up.

“Yeah,” Janis yawns. “What’s the matter?”

“I can’t sleep,” Cady grumbles. “Will you stay with me?”

Janis rolls out of her spot and comes over to her. She knows she’s really not supposed to, but neither of them are used to trying to sleep apart. She shifts all the wires and tubes carefully and lies on her side, while Cady inches herself over to the other side of her bed.

“They’ll probably be here in the morning,” Cady whispers, resting a hand on her belly for what could very well be the last time.

Janis nods against her shoulder and links their fingers together on top of her wife’s stomach. “I can’t wait to meet them. And hold them.”

Cady leans her head against her wife’s. “And I can’t wait to see you hold them. I love you.”

“I love you so much,” Janis responds. “You’re doing such a good job. I can’t believe you’re my wife.”

“Thanks,” Cady chuckles. “I’m so lucky to have you. Goodnight, Jay.”

“Goodnight, Butterfly.”

————-

They manage to sleep until about nine the next morning, when Cady wakes up with a pained gasp.

“What is it?” Janis asks frantically. The monitor shows that the babies’ vitals are still fine, but the one that tracks Cady’s contractions has suddenly gotten a massive spike. “Oh. Breathe, baby, you can do it. I’m here, you got this.”

“Shuck,” Cady breathes when it comes to a blessed end. “They’re gonna be here soon. Like, really soon. Ow.”

Sure enough, the doctor comes in to check Cady out, having been alerted by the large spike. A nurse gives her another smaller round of pain medication in the meantime. “I’d say we have about an hour,” the doctor says.

“Only one?” Janis squeaks in fright. “I’m not ready.”

“Oh, you’re not ready?” Cady teases. “Come here.”

Janis comes to lean into her wife, ironically needing comfort herself now. “What if they don’t like me?”

Cady laughs. “Janis, you’re their mommy. They’re gonna love you. They already do, they know your voice. They’ll learn your touch and your smell and what you look like. They’re gonna love you.”

“I should be comforting you,” Janis whines.

“It’s okay, my love. I get it,” Cady says softly. “But yeah, I could use you right now.”

Janis takes a deep breath and calms herself. She’s had seven months to prepare. She gets to meet her kids today. Cady needs her.

“Okay,” she breathes, her voice still a couple octaves higher than normal. “I’m okay, we got this.”

“Yes, we do,” Cady chuckles. “Panic later, I need you.”

“Oh, I definitely will,” Janis whispers to herself, coming to give Cady hands to squeeze and lots of moral support.

Cady’s water breaks after another fifteen minutes, and it’s officially go time.

————-

At exactly ten in the morning on May 14, 2029, their first baby enters the world. The second twin follows three minutes later, and Cady collapses back against the bed with a final pained cry.

“Are they okay?” She asks weakly as two loud cries split the air. Janis brushes a hand over her cheek and leans down to kiss her forehead.

“They’re perfect, baby, you did it. Look,” she sobs happily. Cady tips her head up to see the doctors holding two tiny, squirming babies. “Those are our daughters.”

“Girls?” Cady whispers with a sob of her own. She reaches out for them and brushes a gentle hand over each small head.

“Mmhmm. Two beautiful baby girls,” Janis replies happily. She gets to cut the cords, and her hands are shaking so hard she can barely manage it. Cady reaches out again, wanting to hold her babies, but they’re whisked away before she can make contact.

“No,” she cries desperately, trying to sit up to get them back.

“Baby, hey, it’s okay,” Janis hushes gently, resting her back down. “They just need to be checked out and then you’ll get them back, I promise. They’re right over there.”

“Go get them,” Cady pleads as the doctors get to work patching her up. “Please, Jay, go make sure they’re okay. I’m fine.”

“Okay,” Janis says, kissing her forehead one last time before she heads to see her children. The older one, Layla, is being weighed and measured while Leo is cleaned up. Janis looks on in wonder as her babies cry. She can’t totally see their features, but they clearly got her dark hair, and a lot of it.

Leo’s lungs are slightly weak when they evaluate her, so she’s quickly fitted for breathing tubes. They both get hooked up to monitors to make sure they’re absolutely safe, then are put into their first diapers and tiny little hats, and are finally tucked back into Cady’s hospital gown for skin-to-skin contact.

“Oh, hi,” Cady breathes happily when she has her babies back. She kisses each of their foreheads gently. “I’m your mama. Welcome to the world, little ones.”

Janis smiles through her tears and leans down to kiss Cady’s temple. The twins quiet once they’re back with Cady and can hear her heartbeat again.

“God, Jay, they’re so tiny,” Cady whispers.

“They’re perfect, baby,” Janis replies. “You did such a good job.”

Cady doesn’t say anything, just leans her head against Janis’ and looks down at the babies resting on her chest. She can’t really tell whose features they have from this angle, but she smiles when she sees the tufts of dark hair peeking out from under the soft beanies.

Suddenly, she feels tears soak into her shoulder again and hears Janis sniffle quietly.

“What’s the matter?” Cady asks quietly, concerned for her wife.

“I love them so much,” Janis sobs quietly. “They’re here now, and I can… touch them, and hold them, and-and see them. They’re so beautiful.”

“Aww, Jay,” Cady coos. “You girls haven’t even been here for fifteen minutes and you’re already making Mommy cry.”

Janis gives a watery chuckle and reaches to brush a tender finger over each baby’s soft cheek. “Their skin is so soft.”

“They’re… fresh babies,” Cady surmises as an explanation. Janis laughs again. “Don’t laugh at me, I still have baby brain.”

“Sorry,” Janis chuckles. “I love you so much. I’m so proud of you.”

Cady turns her head for a kiss and smiles happily as Janis presses their foreheads together afterwards. “I love you, Jay. I’m so lucky I get to have these little squishies with you.”

Janis tries to hold back more tears and kisses her wife again. They continue sharing ‘I love you’s and cooing over their daughters as Janis tenderly cleans the sweat from Cady’s face and brushes out her hair, then re-ties her ponytail and helps get her out of her hellacious hospital gown and into the comfy pajamas she’d packed.

“Much better,” Cady sighs happily when she’s back in familiar fabric and not covered in sweat. “We should let everyone know they’re here, where’s your phone?”

Janis grabs it from its forgotten place on her bed and comes to take a picture of her wife and daughters. Cady smiles happily and holds the babies up slightly so they’re visible.

Janis makes sure nothing important can be seen and sends it along to their families, and then a different message to their friends.

gaylien: Sent a picture: y’all have some mcfucking NIECES

reginald: Janis, really? Your wife just gave birth and that’s how you let us know? Congratulations, though, guys. They’re adorable.

gaylien: nobody here has gotten any decent sleep in a solid 24 hours can you blame me

damecupboard: Oh my god they’re so precious!!! Good job Caddy!

fetchen: aaaaahhhhhh yay!!!!!!! congratulations!!!

ilikemouses: yay babies!!! congrats guys! 📷📷

a-aron: congratulations! they’re so cute!!

damecupboard: Jan what are their names

reginald: Oh, yeah, we want deets!

gaylien: layla is the bigger one on caddy’s left and leo is the little one with the breathing tubes

gaylien: i’ll give you guys more pics and info later, i’m gonna go back to my family

damecupboard: Wow Janis used a comma

Janis laughs and comes back to Cady’s side to show her the text thread. Cady smiles at everyone’s reactions and laughs when she reads the last message.

“You girls already have so many people who love you,” she says softly, carefully adjusting Leo’s nose tubes.

“So many,” Janis agrees quietly, still in awe at the beings they’ve brought into the world.

“Do you wanna hold them now? It’s been long enough,” Cady asks. Janis nods and goes to grab the soft baby blankets on a counter nearby to swaddle them with. Cady hands Layla over first, and Janis wraps her up expertly. She practiced on Elvira, so she’s a total pro by now. Cady takes her little burrito back and hands over Leo for her turn.

Janis hands her back once she’s been carefully swaddled, still a little anxious about holding them. Cady cradles both in her left arm and looks down at their faces. Janis leans in next to her and looks as well, trying to puzzle out their features.

“They look just like you,” Cady says happily. “Your hair, your face shape, your lips.”

“But your nose,” Janis replies as Cady runs a tender finger down the bridge of Leo’s. “And your ears.”

Cady is about to repeat the brushing motion on Layla’s tiny nose when the baby suddenly gives an adorable sneeze and both sets of eyes fly open in surprise.

“Oh my goodness, bless you,” Cady giggles. “Oh, Jay, look.”

Janis does, looking down to see two pairs of wide crystal blue eyes blinking up at them curiously. She grins excitedly and gives an involuntary squeal.

“Your eyes,” she says happily. Cady leans up for a kiss before gesturing for Janis to hold her arms out. Janis does, and Cady rests Layla carefully in her right and Leo in her left. Janis feels tears start pouring down her face again as she holds her babies for the first time. “Hi, sweethearts. I’m your mommy. God, look at you. I love you so much.”

Layla yawns suddenly, showing off her tiny pink tongue. Janis giggles and carefully brings her up for a forehead kiss.

“Am I that boring already?” She asks as the baby drifts off in her hold. “Looks like it.”

“That one’s still looking at you,” Cady chuckles, pointing to Leo. Sure enough, when Janis looks, her smaller daughter is still awake and looking around the room curiously. Janis brings her up for a kiss too.

“My little bumblebee,” Janis says happily.

“Bumblebee?” Cady chuckles affectionately.

“She was baby B. So now she’s baby bee. Baby bumblebee,” Janis explains. Cady grins widely and gives a coo when she hears it.

“You’re so cute,” she says. “What about Layla?”

Janis looks back to her other daughter to see what name suits her. “Ladybug.”

“Perfect,” Cady murmurs happily, watching her little family. Janis notices her stifle a yawn and watches her eyes start fluttering slowly.

“You should rest, Butterfly,” Janis says quietly. “You’ve already done a lot today.”

“I don’t wanna miss anything,” Cady says. “You’re so good with them already.”

“They’ll still be here when you wake up,” Janis replies. “We get plenty of time with them, now.”

Cady nods with a smile and shuts her eyes, drifting off quickly after her morning of hard work. Janis is left with the babies in her arms. Carefully, she stands up and hooks her fingers around all the monitors and devices the twins are hooked up to, and wheels everything over to the chair in the corner.

Layla wakes again at all the commotion, so by the time Janis is settled she has both twins awake and blinking heavily at her. She shifts Leo over so they’re both in the same arm again to see both at the same time.

“Hello, sweet girls,” she murmurs softly so she doesn’t wake Cady up. “I love you so much. You’re so incredible already. I’m so excited to see who you turn out to be.”

She takes the moment of them being awake and relatively calm to see if there’s any differences in their features. Janis can tell they’re almost perfectly identical, but there do seem to be a few key things.

For one, to Janis’ delight, they got Cady’s freckles. Just a few, speckled over their cheeks and noses. And, their freckles are in different places. Leo has one just on the tip of her nose, and Layla has one almost perfectly beneath her left pupil.

Leo also seems to have longer hair, and Janis grins when she spies the slightest hint of a curl to it. It’s too early to tell, yet, but she hopes they have curly hair like Cady’s.

And then there’s the eyes. Janis still smiles involuntarily whenever she sees them. They’re almost exactly the shade of Cady’s eyes, a perfect reflection of their mother’s. Layla’s are a tiny bit wider and closer together than Leo’s, but Janis can tell that’s not going to be particularly noticeable to anyone who isn’t staring intently at their faces the way she is.

Layla suddenly starts fussing slightly, trying to move in her swaddle and giving a quiet cry.

“What’s the matter, Ladybug? Oh, shh, you’re okay,” Janis says quietly, bouncing both babies slightly. Leo seems fine and content to be along for the ride. “I know, it’s different out here, huh? We all have a lot to get used to.”

Layla appears to realize that this is one of the voices she’s been hearing all this time and goes quiet after a few minutes.

“There we go,” Janis says contently when she stops fussing. “Maybe I can do this after all.”

She brushes down each of their noses gently the way Cady did, and watches their eyes gradually flutter shut as she continues. Eventually, she has two sleeping babies in her arms, and stares at them contently as they rest.

-

Without totally realizing it, Janis winds up cradling her daughters for four and a half hours straight. Every once in a while one baby wakes up and fusses at her, but she hushes and rocks and cuddles them until they drift off again.

Until they both kick off at once. Janis rocks and bounces them both, but they won’t go quiet again.

Trying not to wake Cady unless she absolutely has to, Janis stands and heads to the window, continuing her efforts.

“Shh, angels,” she hushes, bouncing both gently. “Mommy’s got you. Look out here, this is called rain. A lot of people don’t like it, but I do. It reminds me of your mama.” The babies quiet a little as she speaks, so she decides to keep going. “Your mama taught me how nice rain can be. She taught me how to dance in it, and showed me how peaceful it can be. You two and Mama are the only sunshine I need.”

Janis whirls around when she hears a sob come from behind her, finding Cady awake and crying gently.

“I love you so much,” Cady weeps, reaching for her family. Janis comes back to her side and hands over Leo, making it easier for her to bend down for a kiss.

“I love you too, Sunshine,” Janis murmurs against her lips. “So much. Did you have a nice rest?”

“I did, thank you,” Cady says with a sniffle. “Did you sleep at all?”

“No,” Janis says sheepishly. “I couldn’t stop looking at them, I just held them the whole time.”

Cady smiles at her contently. “That’s adorable. But you need to sleep too, we’re not going to get much for a long time.”

“I know,” Janis says. “But they’re so cute, I just… I don’t want to let them go.”

Cady reaches for her again, so Janis bends down for more kisses. Cady eventually scoots herself over again, inviting Janis to crawl in next to her.

“They already sound different,” Janis murmurs happily as she looks down at the babies resting in each of their arms.

“Do they?” Cady chuckles, leaning against her.

“Mmhmm. Leo’s cry is higher and more squeaky,” Janis says. “Layla’s is lower pitched.”

“How cute,” Cady hums. “Our little family.”

—————

They stay that way for a long while, through the first feeding, during which they learn that neither baby will eat properly. Janis and Cady just roll with the hits as they come. This is nothing compared to what they’ve already been through.

An hour or so after that, a voice rings out through a speaker on the wall. Janis perks up when she hears Damian’s name, and he enters with Aaron just a couple minutes after Cady lets them know they can come in.

Janis looks up from Leo’s tiny face when he enters and, for the first time, rests her down in her cot. Damian catches her when Janis flies into his embrace.

“Damian, I have babies. I have daughters,” she mumbles into his chest. “And they’re-they’re so perfect.”

“Congratulations, Jan,” he says back.

Janis steps back after clinging to him for a moment and heads to pick her baby back up. Cady reaches an arm for a hug from her friends, leaving the other resting over Layla, who’s sleeping on her chest.

“Gorgeous, how are you?” Damian asks, bending to hug her gently.

“Physically, woof,” Cady chuckles before she looks down at the baby resting on her. “But I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy.”

“Aww,” Damian coos. “And who’s this little angel?”

“This is Layla,” Cady says contently. “She’s the older one, and the bigger one. Layla Reese Sarkisian-Heron. And Janis has Leo. Leo Juliette Sarkisian-Heron.”

Damian coos over the little one excitedly. “She’s so cute.”

“Do you wanna hold her?” Cady asks.

“Can I?” Damian asks anxiously.

“Of course,” Cady laughs. “I need to do skin-to-skin with Leo anyway. Just wash your hands. Jayjay, can you swaddle her for them?”

Janis gives Leo to Cady and gently takes Layla, kissing her little cheek and wrapping her in her blanket again. Damian and Aaron both wash their hands thoroughly and sit on the bench under the window. Damian reaches out, so Janis rests Layla gently in his arms. His eyes suddenly go very wide.

“What’s wrong?” Janis asks with a slight chuckle. The monitors stay stable, so she knows the baby is fine.

“Nothing, sorry,” Damian breathes. “I just realized that this is, like, a person. That you made. You guys made this person.”

“That we did,” Janis laughs. Layla’s eyes flutter open slowly at all the new voices. “That’s your Uncle Damian holding you, Ladybug. What do you think of that?”

Layla pokes her little tongue out at him, making everyone laugh. “That’s about right. They look so much like you, Janjan.”

“They really do,” Aaron agrees. “I think it’s the hair.”

Janis heads back to her wife and other baby a few feet away, curling protectively around them. “They’re healthy and they got Caddy’s eyes, that’s all I care about.”

Leo wakes too, blinking at her against Cady’s chest. Janis rests her head next to her, so her nose is almost touching the baby’s. Cady giggles and brushes her hands over both of their heads.

“You are one of the most precious things in my life,” Janis informs the baby seriously. “You’re so small, but you run my whole life now.”

“Five pounds of raw power,” Cady chuckles. “And cute chubby cheeks.”

Janis kisses one of said chubby cheeks and then pulls back to rest against Cady’s shoulder, but Leo lets starts to cry when she does. Janis rests her face back down and she goes quiet again.

“I told you they’d like you,” Cady whispers. “She wants to see her mommy.”

Janis just grins slightly. “Maybe one will be a mommy’s girl.”

“I think so,” Cady says. “But they both love you. We all do.”

“I love you too,” Janis says, tipping her head up to see Cady.

Leo drifts off again after a few minutes, so Janis gives Cady a quick kiss and heads back to Damian and Aaron.

“Oh, are we the first ones to visit, by the way?” Aaron asks suddenly, sitting up from where he’s been leaning against Damian’s shoulder.

“Yep,” Cady confirms with a kiss to Leo’s forehead. “The Plastics had work and our families aren’t in town yet.”

“Yes!” Damian cheers quietly. Janis looks at him in confusion. “We’re the first to meet them. And we got them presents, so we get to give them their first ever presents. After they’ve been born, anyway.”

“You got them gifts?” Janis asks quietly. “Aww.”

Damian carefully hands Layla to Aaron and grabs a bag that Janis had somehow missed. He pulls out a stuffed giraffe and a stuffed elephant from himself, and pacifiers with matching miniature stuffed animals on the end from Aaron.

“Aww,” Cady coos from the bed. “How sweet. They’ll match their room, too. Their first stuffed animals.”

Janis takes the giraffe over to Leo and Cady, deciding that should be hers since she was technically a quarter-inch taller than Layla. Layla is more than a pound heavier, so she gets the elephants.

“So cute,” Cady says happily, resting the giraffe next to her on the bed. Another voice suddenly rings out through the speaker on the wall, letting them know the Plastics have arrived. Cady calls them in, and they come parading through the door with even more presents.

Regina pouts when she sees Damian and Aaron, realizing they beat them there. She hands Janis a gift card and ties a balloon to Cady’s bed rail, explaining that she didn’t know what to get in terms of an actual present, so they have a thousand dollars to spend on whatever they might need for the twins. Janis chases her around the room to try and give it back, making everyone else laugh, but Regina refuses to take it.

Gretchen gives them even more handmade blankets, this time teeny tiny and pastel rainbow patterned. Karen brought a whole cheesecake.

“Oh my god, thank you,” Cady laughs at both gifts. “Oh, these blankets are so soft! Look what Auntie Gretchen made you, Bumblebee!”

Janis takes Leo and wraps her loosely in the new, impossibly soft blanket. She smiles as the baby brings her hands up and squishes her own cheeks in her sleep. Cady takes the cheesecake and a fork and just goes to town. Nobody judges.

“Can I hold one?” Karen asks shyly. “They’re so cute! Baby emoji, confetti emoji.”

“Thank you,” Cady chuckles around a mouthful of her delicious dessert. “And of course you can hold them, just wash your hands.”

Karen does, and Gretchen and Regina follow rather more apprehensively. Karen sits by Damian on the bench, and he hands over Layla. Janis gives him Leo to meet instead, and Gretchen and Regina sit on either side of their girlfriend to peek at the babies.

Karen proves to be a natural with babies, cradling Layla perfectly and being careful of all her monitors. Gretchen and Regina are a bit less natural. Gretchen tenses quickly when Damian passes Leo over carefully, but relaxes once she has a solid grip on her and is positive the baby is okay.

After a while, she hands her to Regina, who also immediately tenses. But Regina doesn’t relax.

“Damn, Reg, you were less tense in the spinal halo,” Janis jokes from where she’s cuddling her wife. “She’s only five pounds, she can’t hurt you.”

“But I can hurt her,” Regina mumbles anxiously. “And I really don’t want to.”

Karen helps adjust Leo so she’s resting more comfortably, and rubs a spot on Regina’s back that always helps her calm down. Very gradually, Regina loosens up and holds the baby like a normal human would.

“What are you looking at, you little punk?” She coos when Leo wakes up and stares at her.

“She wants to see her Aunt Reggie,” Janis says. Regina snaps her head up.

“They are not calling me Aunt Reggie,” she insists. Janis pouts at Cady, who chuckles quietly and nods at her. Janis grins victoriously. “God, you look like Janis.”

“Everyone keeps saying that,” Janis says. “But it’s not all me, they got Cady’s eyes, and nose, and ears. And size.”

“Hey!” Cady says, flicking her gently. “I’m not that small. And the doctors said they’re a good size for preemies.”

“I was kidding, Butterfly,” Janis says, leaning in for a kiss. “All three of you are perfect.”

————-

Cady and Janis continue watching as their friends coo over their daughters. Janis takes a long moment to watch Regina and Aaron in particular. She never thought she would have kids, and certainly never would’ve thought that Regina George would be one of the first people to meet them. And, in another universe, she and Aaron might be in each other’s places. Janis is very glad she lives in this one.

Everyone stays as long as they can, but eventually do have to leave to get back to their own responsibilities. They’re left alone until their own families arrive. Janis stands by the door and waits, catching her sister as she comes barreling in, being trailed by their parents. “Hands washed and sit down, then you can have one.”

Juliana listens immediately, quickly but carefully cleaning her hands and running to sit on the bench. Janis gives her Layla, since Leo is a little more delicate. She trusts her sister, but still wants to be careful.

“So precious,” Julie says quietly, calming down quickly for her own standards. “I’m gonna buy you guys so much candy.”

“No,” Janis says immediately.

“Legos?” Julie compromises.

“Sure,” Janis agrees.

“And puppies, and then I’m just gonna leave them,” Julie chuckles. Their mom sits down by her and peeks at the baby’s face.

Janis hands Leo to Cady’s dad, who instinctively starts rocking her gently. He tears up quickly as he looks at his granddaughter.

“What are their names?” Cady’s mom asks quietly, running a tender hand over Leo’s head.

“Julie has Layla Reese,” Cady says, watching her parents both start crying quietly as they hear the middle name. “And you guys have Leo Juliette.”

Janis’ mom also tears up when she hears Leo’s middle name. Julie hands her Layla, and she takes her with a sniffle.

“Nice job, binti,” Cady’s dad says quietly. “Proud of you.”

“Thanks, Daddy,” Cady chuckles thickly, wiping her own tears away. She’s still quite hormonal, and watching everyone cry was too much for her.

“I can’t decide who they look more like,” Janis’ mom says. “So much of my Janny, but then those eyes. All Cady when they’re open.”

“Ha,” Janis says. “They’re not all me. My mom says so.”

“You’re such a child,” Cady laughs, kissing her tenderly. “I love you.”

“I love you so much,” Janis murmurs back against her lips. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Cady asks in confusion.

“For them,” Janis says thickly. “For doing this. Giving us a family. I love them so much it hurts.”

“We were a family before,” Cady says. “Now it’s just… bigger. More love.”

“More love indeed,” Janis agrees.

I didn’t think I could love you more.

-

LOL PRANKED ITS TWO BABIES

anyway. I hope you enjoyed! I know babies aren't everybody's thing, but if y'all would like to see more of Leo and Layla please let me know and I will absolutely do more.

request status is still paused, but I am hoping to reopen them in a couple weeks.

thanks for reading!

lots of love,

ezzy

[stevenbasic]

”...Here, let's go for a walk,” Melissa said, as she stood from our dinner table at the resort’s outdoor restaurant. 

I couldn’t help but stare as she rose, and rose, and rose. I’d noticed before, while at the bar with Rich watching her arrive, that she was wearing big heels, crazy tall. It made me nervous. In fact - just so I wouldn’t have had to walk next to her, surely a head shorter than her, past the other diners - I had let her get to our table first, before me, and only left the bar when I’d be sure she was already seated. But now...my moment of reckoning, such as it was, had come...

From my seat I stared up at her, and swallowed dryly. 

“What..? What is it?” she asked, smiling down at me as I sat, still frozen in place.

“It’s...it’s just sort of..dramatic,” I found myself saying, before I could think.

Her eyes took on an excited shine. “What? Watching me stand up?” she smiled, “Because I’m tall?”

“Uh...y-yeah…” was all I could manage, causing her to giggle. It was not lost on me that it was just yesterday, on the plane, that we were talking about my lost height, how I’d somehow become (if I’m being honest) nearly four inches shorter over time. She knew how I felt about it, how emasculating it was. And yet here she was tonight, at our dinner together, wearing six inch heels...

“C’mon…” she said, offering me her hand, “...I want to go look at the moon on the beach.”

Without another word I pushed back my chair, placed my napkin on the table, and stood up. I had taken her help in standing and she’d urged me towards her with a subtle pull, so when I was finally up we were face to face. Or rather...I faced her, uh...

She must be a foot taller than me.

“Th-those are the heels you bought on Friday, hm?” I asked, trying to look anywhere but at her plunging neckline, which hovered just below my line of sight. It took every ounce of my will not to look into her cleavage, which beckoned my eyes with it’s overfilled, swollen ripeness.

“Mmhm,” she confirmed, raising her chin a fraction, peering down at me mischievously, “couldn’t wait to wear all six inches of them for you…”

“Grrreat, thanks...” I replied, causing her to laugh and start tugging me away from our seats.

She lead the way, holding my hand and pulling me in tow through the maze of tables, and I felt each and every person in the restaurant watching the busty, Amazon beauty and her smaller, reticent charge. Blood rushed to my face and I smiled wanly, trying to look relaxed and not like the simp I was. We must have made quite the couple.

But soon we were alone, finding ourselves the only ones on the low boardwalk among the thick palms, on a dimly-lit path leading down to the resort’s beach. A light breeze had picked up. By the time we made it to the sand, moonlight was our only guide.

“So...this is where you were this afternoon?” I asked as, at her suggestion, I was removing my leather docksiders and stepping onto the sand, carrying them in my right hand.

“Mmhm, it was nice,” Melissa replied, likewise stepping out of her tall heels, “I had my water, got myself an umbrella...sat right over there…”

Looking out over the darkened, nearly abandoned beach, I saw where the rows and rows of lounge chairs had been lined up, all facing the water. In truth, most had been pulled back, stacked away nearer the trees by the staff for the night. But some remained. A lone couple sat together on one chair, down far to our right. Another beach walker was drifting towards them, feet in the quiet surf.

“But here, let’s walk this way…” Melissa suggested, taking my hand again and leading me out to the left onto the beach, away from the boardwalk, the last lights, and any other people. Soon we were at the water’s edge, strolling in the soft sand in the moonlight. She had kept my left hand in her right one, her high-heel shoes dangling casually from the other. The lights of the resort, though still visible above the trees, disappeared slowly behind us.

“This is much more fun with some company,” she finally remarked, eyes glittering down into mine as we caught each other’s gaze for a second. Even without her heels, she was taller than me by a good six inches; that the shore was sloped and I walked closer to the water than her didn’t help my situation, either.

She swung my hand playfully.

“H-how was your afternoon down here?” I asked, remembering her Instagram bikini-shot from earlier today, imagining the spectacle of her sunbathing, the sight she must have been.

”Omigod I have to tell you…”

...

...She has just set herself down, towel arranged on her beach chaise just right, big bottle of springwater already beading up with moisture in the sand beside her. She was looking forward to some sunbathing in the mid-afternoon sun, but had not even taken off her cover-up or unwrapped her sarong when she was approached. “Heyyyy remember me?” the man said, boldly stepping right up alongside her chair, looking down at the fox he had met at his table in the vendor hall yesterday, “Max, from Marshville Medical Supply.” Jesus, the bod that had been strutting around in that smart skirt and tight top was here, he thought, now’s my chance. Maybe away from everybody else she’ll warm up a little. From below, and from behind a big pair of dark plastic sunglasses, she gazed up at him. Inwardly she sighed, and attempted a smile. “Oh, hi.” She remembered this guy, a salesman here representing his company at the conference. Not in his suit and tie at the moment, and behind a loud pair of wrap Oakley’s she couldn’t see his eyes, but the shaved head was the same. Her smile crooked a touch as she remembered further. Oh yeah, she recalled, the short guy. He was short, kind of comically so. But he obviously had confidence to spare. “So, enjoying the conference?” he asked, brazenly crouching down aside her chaise, near her left hip. Shirtless and in swim trunks, he held a green beer bottle, nearly empty. “Mmhmm…” she replied noncommitally, laying her head back and closing her eyes, hoping he’d get the hint. He’d been over-friendly yesterday, like an eager puppy, and the last thing she wanted to do was encourage him here today when all she wanted was to relax and get some sun before her big dinner with her boss. That she was looking forward too. “Well, when are you gonna let me buy you that drink?” he asked, undaunted by the shade and smiling big, giving the brunette beaut an unseen wink. “You said you were busy last night, how ‘bout tonight?” She knew his type, a guy who held himself a little too confidently for her tastes. Too belligerent to take a polite ‘no’ for an answer. And a serious case of little-dog syndrome to boot. This is the type of man she knew the speakers at Evolution meetings were talking about, entitled from countless years of patriarchy, audacious in his cluelessness. And she knew that, unless she put an end to it, he wouldn’t stop talking to her. “Cool shades,” she finally replied, turning her head just enough to regard him, where he nervously bounced and twitched aside her, crouched on the balls of his feet, “Take them off.” She actually wanted to watch this, see his reaction. Predictably, the bald little sales-rep guy did exactly as he was told, pushing his sunglasses up atop his pate and fixing her with a shit-eating grin that made her skin crawl. He nodded, and chewed something, maybe some gum. His grin changed, his eyes left her placid face as slowly, she began to pull the diaphanous fabric of her sarong off her lap, parting it so as to reveal her thighs. His eyes bulged as he looked down now onto her bare, powerful legs, and began to try to grasp what he was seeing. She fought back a smile as she slowly started to flex the muscles in her thigh, making it bigger. At the same time she subtly tilted her hips towards him and allowed herself to release her perfume; not the ones she used so often at the office, but...one of the others, a darker sister. Almost immediately she saw the frightened look on his face as it took hold and he realized that her fully flexed thigh is, like, nearly the size of his whole upper body. And then she flexed the other, filling the space alongside its twin and completely overwhelming the poor man with this casual display of her strength. “I have more muscle in one leg than you have in your entire body,” she finally said, with cool detachment, “So why don’t you just run away, little man...” ...

“You scared him away?!?” I marveled, half-incredulous but...why would she make this up? “With your legs?!?”

“Yeah,” Melissa giggled, still swinging our arms between us playfully as we walked the water’s edge. We really were far away from everything, now. “I have a way of making people feel the way I want,” she added, which gave me temporary pause, “I have since I was a girl…” She was quiet for a moment, thoughtful. “Well, maybe I was 13 or 14…”

Probably a D-cup even then, I found myself thinking.

“Here let’s sit - “ she finally said, returning from her reverie and leading me a few yards up the dark beach towards a lone group of lounge chairs. I was, I knew, allowing myself to be pulled into more and more intimate situations, and felt helpless to resist. Her smile, her perfume, her dress - I was powerless to do anything but follow. I knew I was being too passive, but the promise of what might happen here, alone with her if I let her do what she wanted, was a dark, illicit thrill.

But still, I took another pause as she sat sideways on a chaise - fully reclined, without armrests - and looked up at me, expectantly. She’d left enough room for me to sit aside her. The beach was dark, the beach was empty. Her smile was big, full of excitement. Her eyes reflected the bright light of the moon back at me.

Bare feet in the sand and seeing my hesitation, she tossed her shoes aside and adjusted the skirt of her dress, pulling it away from her thighs. “They don’t scare you do they?” she said with good humor, as she slowly flexed them. Then crossing them, accentuating their musculature even more, posing them for my approval. Jesus, they were huge. Long and thick and muscular, rippling with strength and yet her lap - bare nearly to her hip - looked so soft. Maybe she saw my reaction, as best as I tried to hide it, because she giggled and then took the opportunity to reach up again for my hands and guide me down to sit next to her, on her left. “Big huh?” she said with obvious pride, seeing my eyes still plastered to her thighs.

“y-y-yeah…” I agreed, clearly awed and basically speechless. Of course I knew I - a married man - shouldn’t be sitting, alone in the dark and half-tipsy, with a woman more than ten years my junior and looking at her legs. I tossed my shoes onto the sand and sat.

“You haven’t lived,” she quipped, smoothing her dress again away from her, “‘til you’ve been with a girl that can squat you.” She took my hands in hers again, squeezed them playfully.

At her little joke I tried to laugh. “y-yeah…” I felt her watching my face, studying me as, finally, I was able to tear my eyes away. I began to struggle with myself, knowing I should say something, do something more appropriate than let this twentysomething girl lead me around with her drop-dead figure like a worshipful pinhead. “H-hey, uhh…” I began.

“Shhhh…” she stopped me, one of her hands leaving mine and snaking up behind my shoulders, “You’ve had a long day, you look tired. Lay your head down, here on my lap...”

!!!

“C’mon,” she continued, brightly, already readjusting herself, shifting herself on the chaise to accommodate me, “remember what we said - it’s just you and me. Friends, together, here. It’s okay…” Already she was easing me down, gently but firmly urging me to recline, sideways onto her. “...I can be very comfortable <giggle!>”

Before I knew it, I had my head down, resting on her soft, bare lap. Her big thigh was warm and silky smooth against my right cheek

“See? This isn’t so bad, is it?” she cooed, stroking my hair with tender fingers, “Finally a good use for these thighs.”

“y-y-yeah…” I admitted, eyes fluttering as I breathed in and took a deep lungful of air, full of her scent. “B-But, Melissa…” I began, but soon found my voice failing as her hand stroked my cheek.

“Shhhh….it's alright...”

I looked at her knees, and closed my eyes. This was a new level of intimacy between Melissa and me, and as innocent as she maybe thought it was I knew it couldn’t be anything but trouble. But I was impotent against my own weaknesses to do anything about it.

“That’s right, gooooood…let me help you relax,” she whispered, still slowly stroking my face, petting my hair, “I’ve always had a way of making people forget about their problems, and I want to help you forget yours.”

My eyes opened again. “wh-what sort of pr-pr-?“

“Shhhhhhhhh….” she hushed me again. While one hand stroked my head, the other had come to rest on my arm. It was then that I noticed I had begun to harden, in my pressed khaki shorts. Jesus, this was too much. “I want you to relax, listen to me, listen to the sound of my voice…”

I was in no position to disagree. “oh-...okay…” I peeped, frozen motionless, the rest of me laid out on my right side, supported by the rubbery, plastic webbing of the chaise. My hands were gathered up by my chest. I waited for her to speak again, losing myself more by the second in the soft pleasure of her lap.

“We’re okay here, we’re fine, you and me…we’re good together like this,” she began, “you hired me to organize things, take the load off of you, make life easier for you.” She stroked my arm slowly, soothingly. “You hired me to watch out for you, protect you, take care of you,” she continued, her voice quiet and even, “isn't that right?”

I, uh...I’d hired her as an administrator for my practice, an Office Manager. And though I wouldn’t have put any of that in a job description, I...god…”y-yes…”

That was what she wanted to hear.

“Yes, that’s right, good,” she praised, “I’m here for you, for you…” She continued to pet my hair. “And I want you to feel totally comfortable around me. I know your life at home is tough, you have so much stress. I want to be the shoulder for you if you need. I’m strong if you need support, I’m soft if life gets too hard.” Jesus her thighs are like heaven. “I’m warm if it gets too cold.”

The thoughts that whirled around me confused me. What is she saying?? What sort of invitation was this?! What would happen if I…turned towards her, into her lap, buried my face into her lap, kissing her legs? Christ I was getting harder and harder by the second, the outsized thing swelling uncomfortably in my shorts; it was pushing up my hip, making it even more impossible to think clearly. Between it, the booze, the ocean air, her perfumed skin and abundant lap I was not only made motionless but passively mindless.

She took my meek silence as a cue; I felt our congress here settle into a new level with a change in her voice. “Sweetheart,” she said, “I’m here, Melissa’s here, and she’s going to take such...good...care…” She shifted her legs, readjusting me on her lap. “...of her...little...man.”

Urk. Wait what? What was that?? Did I…did I hear that right? And worse...did I just shudder?

I needed to say something.

“u-uhhh, M-Melissa,” I found the strength to say, “y-you don’t have to talk to me like I’m a...a…”

”A beta?” she answered, when my voice failed.

”A w-what?” I stammered, shocked. I had been expecting ‘child’ but...not that.

“Oh, sweetie,” she cooed, “relax. You are totally a Beta.” She paused, let that sink in. She knew I must have heard the term before, recently. It was something that the media had picked up on, had started to use when addressing these new changes and movements in society, in gender relations - usually describing men. “Beta”: a man acquiescent to a power shift between himself and a woman, yielding if she was looking to get ahead, become more than him. And it was not just used as a term to label the submissive personality in a relationship. It was also a word describing those who’d been passive and unresistant to these changes happening in the world, and by their inaction be complicit in them.

“But that’s a good thing,” she soothed, continuing, “Betas are great. Betas help us, help us get this equality they know we deserve. They don’t get in the way of changes, they understand the way things should be.”

Where was this coming from?? I felt like I should say something, speak up, defend the male race - a sad lot that’s been taking hits recently. But the last thing I wanted to do right now was bring argument to the moment. I was too enthralled with being humiliated.

“Besides,” she went on, giggling, “Betas are adorable.” At that she shifted me again, urging me to turn towards her so I was now on my back, her hand moving my head such that I was looking up at her, and held it there. I could see the glitter of eyes as she peeked down at me over the imposing swell of bosom. “And, sweetie, you don’t have to worry. I know it’s hard, that there’s so much pressure on you to be strong and smart and in charge. But it’s okay, I know what’s natural for you.” She smiled down on me generously. “You can be beta with me.”

She sat back a bit, her face all but disappearing behind her breasts. My hands were still clasped tensely at my sternum. My heart raced as my cock grew, plastered against my left hip and now threatening to push up and up further past the waistband of my shorts. “I-I-I…” I stammered, struck mute. Why couldn’t I speak?? Was I actually this sheepish??

“Shhhhh it’s okay,” she told me, “You can still be yourself. You can be a doctor, our boss, a man. But you can also be someone who realizes that others, women sometimes, just have stronger personalities.”

“uhhh…” I had to stop this. “I…”

“A lot of the girls in the office have strong personalities, don’t they?” she said playfully, while at the same time her left hand - trying to get me to relax - lifted my balled fists from off my chest.

“Do some of them make you uncomfortable?” she asked now, laying my left arm, and then my right, down by my sides. “Hm? Am I hiring girls with too much personality? Surrounding you with too many alpha females?” She giggled, considering my plight. “It’s like they’re everywhere, huh?”

She looked down at me curiously, regarding me, waiting for my reaction, maybe some input. None came; I could barely breathe let alone speak.

“Well, what if that’s the way the world is becoming?” she continued, as if musing to herself, “If they really are everywhere? If roles are reversing, if women are becoming more alpha? Getting better education, getting better jobs? Getting smarter than men? Bigger than men?”

“B-bigger?” That took me aback. Her statement about women’s advances had struck a bit of a chord, but it was true. I’d seen the statistics, read and been told recently about college degrees, income levels, women’s greater successes. But the physical stuff? That seemed...unlikely, right?

But, I started to think, what would the world be like if the traditional size relationship between men and women started to flip? I looked up at her and - with her huge, muscular thighs below me, her fit, shapely torso towering above me up into the night sky - I suddenly, acutely, felt in my fragile bones just how much physically bigger Melissa was than me. How would men deal with this if...if this was the way it was? How would society deal with it? What would change? What would become of us?

My cock throbbed, insistent and still growing.

“I hadn’t thought about it too much before,” she continued, “but I kinda like the idea, this...what do they say? ‘Role-reversal’?” Her left hand had found its way to my middle, casually playing with the fabric of my pique-cotton polo. “We talk all about it at these seminars I go to.”

“S-seminars?” I asked dumbly.

“Oh, well, maybe they’re more support meetings? Focus groups? Organizational things?” she began to explain, “At Abby’s work, a couple evenings a month. Just a bunch of girls, ladies, getting together…helping one another, talking about ways we can help ourselves, further the cause. Keeping us up to date on everything going on.” The breeze had just started to pick up more, off the water. “I’m kinda new to it but I love it. You’ve maybe heard about some of these meetings, happening all over the place, not just at Evolution. I think Sheryl’s been to a few?”

These things with Olivia? That’s what they’ve been doing?

“It’s so very cool recently. They talk about changing the world, making it a better place, more equal, getting women out of the shadows,” she said, a strange excitement in her voice, “I think it’s wonderful…”

Her left hand took one of mine in hers, held it, held it up. Showed me how much smaller than her own it was.

“And just…just look at you…” she marveled, her tone thickening, queen’s honey, “you’re like the perfect guy for it all. You’re not just a beta, you’re actually getting, like, actually, physically...smaller.”

She wrapped her hand over mine.

“M-M-Melissa…?”

“Oh, sweetie, it’s nothing to be ashamed of,” she clucked, “Like we were saying yesterday- we love it, girls love it. It’s kind of a fad now, shorter guys, taller girls...” She put my hand down - oh my god, too close - on my hip, near the undeniable swell of my erection. “...weaker men, stronger women.”

Lightning flashed, out of the clouds, over the water. Something, brewing.

“How do my legs feel? Still okay?” she asked. On cue, muscles rippled powerfully below me, cradling my head and neck.

“y-y-yeah…” was all I could manage. I saw a gust bring her hair to life.

Her free left hand rested itself on my bare, thin thigh, just above my left knee. She squeezed it, tenderly, feeling out what meager mass I had. “I mean, you hear what people are saying, right?” she continued, as a gentle roll of thunder settled over us, “Why the New Woman party is getting so popular? Why they’re thinking they’re going to win some elections next month?”

“I...I hadn’t been really k-keeping up...” I admitted.

“It’s the same thing,” she explained, “People are starting to like seeing women big, bigger than men, not just physically. They like to see women occupying bigger jobs, bigger positions. They like to see them taking them from men. It’s empowering to women and, face it...guys secretly find it sexy. A lot of them won’t admit it but they like it, seeing women doing this. Don’t you? Hm? Don’t you like seeing women finally getting what they deserve?”

“Uh, well, y-yeah, of c-cour-” I agreed, not wanting to sound like a jerk.

“And then sweetie, what better way than to beat the men in elections? Take their offices?” she continued. Yes, she seemed to be repeating some mantra, some doctrine she’d been fed. But she honestly seemed to believe it. “People want to see women have, like, a stronger place in government, start to be able to make some real changes...”

More lightning, a violent flash. Melissa seemed unperturbed.

“People want to see women grow and succeed...it’s just the thing these days…” she spoke, her hand now just inches away from...

“Oh...uhh...I dont…”

Thunder, closer.

“I think a storm is coming,” she finally said.

As if on cue, rain. A spattering at first…

“I...I think you’re right,” I agreed, as I watched Melissa look up into the night, into the inky blackness. The stars had disappeared.

...and then, water. A deluge.

“Eeeek!!!” she squealed, suddenly, as instantly we were being pelted, the heavens having opened up with an onslaught from the dark sky. “Oh my god!!!” she laughed, as I rose from her lap, as I sat and she grabbed her heels and me my docksiders, as we both moved quickly to stand, and to run.

We were getting soaked. More lightning over the water, more thunder in the distance.

“Run, run!!” she called as, taking my hand now in hers, she lead me over the beach towards the trees. Water came down in buckets. I had stumbled at first but with her help finally found my footing, and we ran together through the rain until we reached the shelter of the palms, both of us now laughing and drenched. Winded, from the short run, I pressed my back against a trunk, seeking its protection from the storm. Light from the resort filtered through the trees; it was less dark, here.

My chest heaved, “Oh man..!” I hooted, “that is some r- urk!”

Laughing, Melissa had come up to me, also taking cover, all but pressing herself face-to-face against me to stay under the palm’s umbrella. She was breathing heavy, giddy with excitement from our mad dash across the sand through the rain, her dress - like my shirt, my shorts - soaked through. Looking down at me, her face was scant inches from mine. Her hair hung wetly; she pushed it behind her.

She smiled, dangerously playful. Body heat, our wet life, intermingled, intimate.

“Are you okay?” she purred, obviously amused by the position in which we found ourselves.

“y-y-yeah,” I replied, “j-just a little...w-wet.” She was so close. So warm. So big. I tried to ignore how her dress was now plastered to her like a second skin.

“Wet? Look at you, you poor thing. You’re soaked,” she pouted. It’s true, I looked like a drowned rat, my clothes plastered to me as well. “We’ll have to get you a towel later.” If anything, she inched in closer, bringing the warmth of her bigger body towards my smaller one. I was shivering, and not just from the rain. “Are you cold?”

“n-no…” I managed, “I’m fine..”

She looked down on me, watched me struggling with my thoughts. I knew I shouldn’t be here, I knew I shouldn’t be allowing this to happen. But I was helpless, still. Helpless because she was just so...nnngh…so close.

“Without Sheryl around I’ll have to take care of you, keep you warm, hm?” Melissa giggled while the rain continued to pour down around us. The palm was shielding us, mostly, from the heavens. “So…” she began, choosing her words carefully, “she takes good care of you, right?”

Whether she saw or felt me shudder I don’t know. What did she mean? “W-well…”

“C’mon- Sheryl has a great job, so successful. She’s an attorney, a powerful woman, right?” Melissa asked, reaching up to push wet hair off my forehead, “Isn’t it nice having someone so...capable, taking care of you?” Her left hand came to rest on the trunk of the tree, aside my head. “Don’t you find that...sexy?”

“Uhhh..”

“Doesn’t that kinda...turn you on?” she asked, smiling mischievously, “I mean, she makes more than you, right? I hear her salary just got, like, astronomical. The girls in the office talk about it all the time. Plus all the company boards she’s on?”

“Uhhh…” I struggled. I couldn’t say anything...and I certainly couldn’t deny it. But…’the girls in the office’? What were they all saying about me??

“It’s very empowering for a woman, you know,” Melissa continued, “to have a man financially dependent on her.”

At that, my male ego, shrunken and beset as it was, raised its head and bristled. “I’m n-not..’financially dependent’ on her…” I said, hearing the uncertainty myself in my voice.

“She owns the building the practice is in, doesn’t she?” Melissa asked, innocently.

“Well, yes, but..” I started to explain. Sheryl did keep separate accounts from me, handling our household and mingling some of our finances...but holding many of her own assets, too. Stocks, funds, real estate. It had seemed only fair, I’d always figured, seeing what she came to the marriage with, versus what I did. “I-it’s complicated.”

“Mmm…” she acknowledged, her free hand straightening the wet collar of my shirt, smoothing it out, “I’m sure. But...she owns a majority share in the practice, now, right?”

How much do these girls know?? I marveled in shocked indignity, mortified. It was true, though. Sheryl and I did start as partners, 50/50 shareholders in the business - she had the money, I had just gotten done with med school and residency. As her income grew and mine trailed, she bought the building, a few years in, and leased the office space back to the practice. She always paid herself rent with stock options, slowly owning more and more of it herself and paying me my salary. Initially I had my doubts, maybe thought it wasn’t the best idea, but she'd always been the one with the business sense, told me it was the best thing, saving cash for the practice to reinvest in itself. But..it’s mortifying. She owns the lion’s share of it all, now, and I realize my mistake. And, with the way our relationship at home is...I…

Jesus I felt small. Small and afraid.

Melissa looked down at me, her right hand now also on the trunk of the tree aside my head. I felt trapped. I was trapped. “I want to be like that someday, be the breadwinner, bring home the bacon,” she mused, eyes glittering in the semi-dark, looking at me, “I so want to have a guy need me like that, tied to my apron strings.”

What few words I had were caught in my throat. I swallowed them down, dryly.

“Sheryl is so lucky, to have a guy like you,” she continued, pondering me as she bit her lip in thought. Her smile curled a little bit. “What would it be like if she was as tall as me? How would things change, be different between you two?”

I have to admit, by this point I had gone beyond feeling just aroused, the evening had passed the point of being just titillating. Secretly I was becoming a bit...scared.

And that just turned me on more.

“If Sheryl was six feet tall...taller…” Melissa continued, making me consider the thought, the possibility, as she drew in closer, stood up a bit taller, “if she was bigger, stronger than you? What would that be like?” She watched my face twitching, me struggling with myself. “...I think you might kinda like it.”

I craned my neck to look up into her face, rather than let my gaze fall to what approached from below: her soft, inviting cleavage. “I, uh….”

“Does she like you being beta?” she asked.

“d-does she wh-wh-what?”

“Does Sheryl like you being beta?” she repeated, “Does she like having you be...this way?”

I thought for a moment, about Sheryl and I, about what our marriage had become, before answering. “I...I dunno...I th-think she finds it kinda...pathetic,” I answered, knowing immediately I should have thought a moment longer, should have held my tongue. Jesus I just admitted it didn’t I? What my relationship with Sheryl is really like?

“Oh, that’s too bad…” Melissa cooed, pouting again but eyes alive and excited, both hands coming down to once again play with my collar. “Well, I think it’s cute…” she said, her hands now resting possessively on my shoulders, “little Dr. J...my little beta boss...”

Again, my beleaguered ego. “H-hey, c’mon, Melissa-”

“Shhhhh...like I said…” she stopped me, massaging my thin shoulders with firm, gentle hands, “You can be beta with me.” Another roll of thunder, this time further away. The rain still came down into the sand all around us, and the tropical air was heavy, full of her perfume. “In fact I can help you, especially if you like women being strong and taking care of things for you. Just think. I can hire more alpha girls, we can do more around the office. You can take a backseat, watch us run things...I think you’ll like it.”

“b-b-but…” This, of course, was already out of hand. And I felt powerless to stop it from getting worse.

“Shh, remember...I want you to be comfortable with me. Be yourself, let me take care of you and don’t worry about how others see you,” she insisted, “And always know you can tell me anything you want…” She giggled. “No judgies.”

“I...I d-don’t...” I looked up at her, at her perfectly strong jaw, her divine cheekbones.

“Is there something you’d like to tell me?” she asked, curiously. She saw my eyes admiring her face and gave me a dazzling smile, causing me to take a full, deep breath of her perfume. I felt my tongue loosening, my ego wilting.

“I-I, uh,” I began, unable to help myself, “I like how you’ve...been taking care of things...a-at the office.” My erection was straining painfully in my shorts, pressing straight up towards my belly.

“See, I’m glad you said that….that’s a start,” she said, encouraging me with her smile, now petting my cheek, “Tell me more…”

Wh-what else could I say? I knew I should stay quiet, but found my cock talking for me, wanting to please her. “I l-like how you’ve been, like, making a lot of decisions for me…” My shame welled in my throat, heated my face, but I couldn’t stop.

“Mmhmm…” she purred, “and..?”

“I’d like you to...do that more…” I continued.

“There you go,” she praised, rewarding me with a tender smile. The rain, it seemed, had suddenly stopped. “Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

She waited for my answer.

“n-no…”

“Good boy…huh, now, it looks like the rain’s done. Why don’t you put your shoes on and we’ll get you home?”

“O-okay…” I conceded, already finding myself leaning over, awkwardly slipping my docksiders back onto my feet. Thoughts and shame swirled around me, through me, thoughts of what had just occurred. But mostly, suddenly, I was thinking about my shoes.

...jeez these seem big. Didn’t they fit better earlier?

============================================================

Had some help from DoubleBurger on this one - thanks to him and everyone reading

[slashermom]

How do the Sinclair bros celebrate their birthdays with their s/o? And what if there s/o is like super into birthdays and wants to make it special for them?

Bo

Truth be told, birthdays never really mattered to Bo.

Why should they when they were never truly about him? Attention was always fixated on Vincent and how it was Vincent’s special day.

He only kept track of them as he got older so he could know when he could legally buy his own smokes and beer.

But even now they’re not particularly a big deal to him.

You: It’s your birthday Bo! :D

Bo: *ducks head out from under the hood of his truck with a cigarette hanging out the corner of his mouth* Well ain’t that sumthin’. You think I can get a free meal at Hooters?

He’s pretty adamant about keeping the celebration down to a minimum.

A drink and some birthday sex will suit him just fine.

But if you’re hellbent on giving him the birthday he deserves he’s not gonna stop you.

Not like he could if he tried.

Just as you suspected, Bo woke up completely forgetting that today was his birthday and went about his normal routine.

This gave you more than enough time to decorate the kitchen and part of the living room with birthday decorations and bake a good-sized cake.

You actually commissioned Vincent to make some little candles for the cake. You reminded yourself to make sure he came up and enjoyed himself and give him the gift you picked up for him. It was his birthday too after all.

You laid everything out neatly and triple checked all your little decorations and placements before the sound of the front door opening pulled your attention.

Bo went to let out a noise of question but you didn’t let him process the thought and shouted a joyful ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY!’

Raised eyebrows and wide eyes scan the Sinclair house with disbelief. You really went out of your way to do this for him?

Believe it or not, Bo may be prideful and confident but he also considers himself more trouble than he’s worth and knows he doesn’t deserve good things.

So this sentiment leaves the quick-witted man speechless for a moment.

You push him into the kitchen where all the gifts and cake are while you mention something about Lester stopping by.

You shove three presents toward him with a smile. You felt bad that you had to wrap them in old newspaper, completely forgetting about wrapping paper but it’s what in the wrapping right?

Bo will protest he doesn’t need anything. That you’re already making a man blush but you shake your head and tell him to open the damn presents already. So he does.

A pair of new work boots, a cap, and a shiny new lighter. Nothing too extravagant but all things he could use. Practical, you reasoned with yourself. You wanted to get him more but your budget was already stretched thin as it was and-

Bo didn’t allow much time for you to feel guilty about what you couldn’t give him. Quick to show his appreciation with a kiss and a genuine smile.

You make his heart feel so full.

You’ve done more for him in these few moments than anyone has his whole life and if this is how all birthdays are he’s gonna have to start paying attention to them more closely.

Vincent

Birthdays slipped away from Vincent after he left Ambrose.

With nobody there to wish him happy birthday or show any sort of appreciation for his day of birth he just let them slip away.

He knew how old he was or had a rough idea, but just hadn’t truly celebrated since he was a young boy.

Vincent wasn’t oblivious to his twin’s dismay at the day and wondered if he could ever make it up to him for all the years Bo was swept under the rug.

Most of the time, he spent his birthday hiding away in the basement from Bo. Vincent knew Bo probably didn’t know it was their birthday but he didn’t want to risk it and piss him off.

But you weren’t as weary about Bo as he was.

You were gonna give Vincent (and by extension Bo) a fantastic birthday!

You started off his birthday by waking up the sleeping artist with some breakfast in bed. A meal he often skipped or grabbed the bare minimum.

He was startled at first.

Didn’t know why you were being so generous to him before you explained that it was his birthday and he felt heat spread throughout his cheeks.

You remembered. You knew.

He wanted to jump right up and snatch ahold of you and never let go.

But Vincent settled on a lovely kiss.

You tried to convince him to take the day off but he reasoned that he had to get another wax figure in the museum. You eventually gave in and told him to take it easy today. It was his birthday after all.

It gave you some time to make sure you had everything.

As Vincent sat in his workshop long after your surprise this morning, he could still feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest. Vincent considers himself a very stoic person, but you are able to pull emotions from him almost effortlessly.

You checked on him multiple times that day.

Each time you would wish him a happy birthday and leave him with a kiss or a nice back/shoulder rub.

You did most of these things on a normal day but they felt more special today.

As the day came to a close and the night crept in, you began to get restless.

To kill some time, you ran down to the service station to drop off a piece of cake and Bo’s gift but he seemed to be preoccupied in the basement and there was no way in hell you were going down there.

Once you returned to the house and puttered around a bit more you grew tired of waiting and decided to bring the party down to Vincent.

Balancing his presents in one hand and his piece of cake in another you thumped your way down the stairs into his work space.

Vincent just stands there in shock for a few seconds as he asses the situation before him.

You mean to tell him you did more for him?

Vincent’s heart is beating so loud in his chest that he’s pretty sure he’s just gonna keel over.

Placing everything on a clean space on his workbench you usher him over to sit at the stool and open his gifts.

Vincent tells you that you didn’t have to do this, that he’s more than happy with the breakfast and all the birthday wishes.

You only shake your head and push the gifts closer.

He’s careful unwrapping each gift and each gift he pulls free of its wrapping he feels his breath gets caught in his throat.

A few sticks of charcoal, some nice new color pencils, two hardcover sketchbooks, and some paints.

A bunch of small items that made it seem bigger than it really was.

Vincent could only stare at the gifts.

He’s pretty sure that even if he was a big talker he would still have trouble finding the right words to express his appreciation and love for you.

He plucks your hand from his shoulder and presses it to the lips of his mask.

Vincent quickly decides that this contact is not nearly enough and stands from his seat to pull you closer.

You might not be able to tell but he’s got the biggest grin on his face. Even though it stings and aches he can’t help it. You make him so happy.

Lester

Much like the harsher of the two twins, birthdays were tricky for Lester.

He didn’t get to have too many at home before Trudy got sick and the ones he could remember were very brief and cold.

He had a few birthdays here and there in the system that were somewhat memorable but nothing special.

Lester did see other kids at birthday parties with their friends and family and did always wonder what that was like. But he knew better than to stare for too long.

As he got older, he would maybe treat himself to a meal out but besides that, it was just another day.

He spent many of them alone but that was gonna change this time around.

You knew Lester would get up early and be at work for most of the day if not till early evening.

Giving you the opportunity to go out and get everything. You had waited to pick up what you needed until now because you knew that Lester would be inclined to snoop. He always did during Christmas.

But you did make sure to slip his birthday card into the front seat of his truck for him to find sometime during the day.

You were left the rest of the just wait for the scrawny man to return and you couldn’t wait for him to see his reaction.

You had thrown up a few decorations but nothing too extravagant. You understood that simplicity was key.

After spending the day impatiently waiting for Lester to return, you finally heard the telltale squeak of the front door and his boots hitting the floor.

You rounded the corner to see Lester staring in awe at the decorations as well as the cake and gifts laid out in front of him.

He had the birthday card held tightly in his grasp.

“You do all this for me?”

You chuckled and nodded, going to pull him closer into the room but he instead pulled you closer and pressed a kiss to your cheek before grabbing your hand and tugging you toward the gifts.

Lester raised his eyebrows as if asking permission to open his own gifts. You told him to get on with it and he did frantically.

First, he unwrapped the new long sleeve shirts.

He definitely needed some new shirts. His old ones were forever stained with his work. Not to mention, they reeked even after you washed them more times you could count on both of your hands.

Lester was so excited he was already trying them all on.

Making comments about they’re so soft and you got just the right size and how he’ll never take them off.

But he was most excited about the new Bowie knife you had presented to him after he got done trying on all the shirts.

His old one was getting dull and although you found it comical watching him struggle against the hide of some poor dead critter it was time for a new one.

He cries.

Wraps his arms around you and whispers thank yous and I love yous into your neck. He really, truly, absolutely means it.

The moment was broken up by the sound of Bo kicking open the front door with a loud: “Happy Birthday you smelly son of a bitch!”

Lester pulled away to go meet his brothers and you laughed watching the three men converse in the entryway.

Lester spends the rest of the night glued to you. Every once and awhile turning to get a look at you and smiling to himself about how lucky he is.

[monbeebeestuff]

Dancing with Darts: 2

The wagon shook as it moved along with the dirt ridden path. The horse was old and very tired, most likely having traveled from such a long distance with barely any breaks in between. After another jolt, you cursed. You were stuck in at the back and the hay was going everywhere, specifically in places they shouldn’t be.

You had just lost your bag. The one bag you spent months saving for. You couldn’t remember where you dropped it. You chose to run away in panic after jumping down the window near the courtyard. Worse, the prince was there, leaning on the large apple tree that stood right under the window.

The wagon halted, and you breathed a sigh of relief. Pulling the hood of your cloak over your face, you climbed outside, huffing and shaking off the hay from your body. The driver gave you a small salute and drove off with a burst of maniacal laughter.

Truth be told, that person seemed too familiar. You couldn’t be sure; you knew the person you met last week was a woman had a fringe and was wearing a pearl necklace, dark stockings, and a green floral dress. A bit odd choice of clothes for the job, but you didn’t want to judge too much. This one was a man though, and he was an extremely bad driver. He was bad at directions too. He went into the wrong road and got lost two times that you were almost tempted to push him off his seat at the front and take over. You honestly feared for his safety on the road.

To your relief, the streets were empty, and you were able to sneak into the back of your father’s bakery. You were a sight indeed; your hair hung soaked in sweat, your boots caked in dirt, and you still had hay on your clothes. A loud tapping echoed in the room until you came face to face with your father, who was still wearing his apron, smelling like freshly baked bungeoppang. Your father wore a grim expression with his hands resting on his hips.

“Did you cover for your brother again? Since he started gaining bigger roles for the opera, he’s been getting more involved in mysterious things. He would not even tell me what my two children are doing,” he said, gesturing in the air hysterically. “You too. I do not know why I let you two punks off every time. What am I to you two? Am I not your father?”

You made a face and placed your bag on the table. “You are our father, and you are awfully sensitive again today.”

It was almost midnight, so the bakery had already closed hours ago. However, your father was still busy coming back and forth from the bakery to the city center to cater for the party. The house was bright, and the windows were wide open as the smell of different pastries filled the air. There were loud movements from the busy left side of the house when you tried to sneak in through the back door, looking as though you had been pulling carriages for the horses.

Your family didn’t own a title or a lot of lands, but you have managed just fine because of the bakery your family had owned for decades. You lived in a well-kept and extremely neat middle-sized house. You were raised in a conservative and disciplined household, but your parents supported both you and your twin brother on your career choices. Your brother went on to become an opera singer while you were still stumped, stuck in the house, occasionally running errands, and doing your brother’s dirty work.

“You’re calling me sensitive? In my domain?” your father said, aghast.

You shook your head and ran up the stairs towards your room before your father could flick your forehead as he yelled after you. Your body was aching for a thorough shower after today’s job. You liked doing it because you liked feeling useful, but it wasn’t the easiest. Sneaking into the palace was usually easy. The head knight usually helped you, however, he found himself stuck in the ballroom. The women won’t let him leave their sight, and he was too nice to do something that would make people sad.

Honestly, you couldn’t believe that man was even a knight. He was big and strong, yes, but he was very soft. Almost like a big baby. He worries too much about hurting other people while being the kind of person that makes you worry about accidentally hurting his feelings.

*

Your brother knocked twice before twisting the knob and entering. You were drying your hair after spending at least an hour in the bathroom. It was a bit disorganized in there, so you took it upon yourself to wipe the shelves clean and scrub the mud on the floor.

He gave you a stink-eye, slumping his back on the closed door. “Where’s my dress?”

“I lost it. I think I dropped it somewhere,” you said, tapping your forefinger on your wooden brush.

“You lost it? That was the only thing that I told you to bring, and you lost it? Be grateful that was only a prop. I would’ve gotten in trouble if it was more than that,” he frowned.  

“I was almost caught, you know. Big prince was lounging under a tree and your dear friend wasn’t there because he was practically imprisoned by those women at the ball.”

Kihyun huffed and crossed his arms. “The driver was there at least?”

“You sent me a nutcase who could barely even drive!” you exploded.

Your brother was now at a loss of words. He resorted to pacing because he knew you were at your wit’s end. You were a relatively nice person for the most part, but he knew better than to piss you off. You were older for a solid three minutes after all.

Kihyun finally stopped pacing and turned to you, his eyes lost in deep thought.

“We still couldn’t find who was trying to kill the Prince,” he spoke, glancing around carefully. “Mother checked the food earlier, and they weren’t poisoned. They put the poison on the utensils that were only to be used by Prince Hyunwoo.”

Masterlist

[jadekitty777]

Puppy Love

Bit of a weird entry and a challenge to write - but it only seemed right with a prompt like this, to write from the perspective of one of Tai and Qrow's "children".

Day 4: As Parents @taiqrowweek

Rating: T

Words: 5,300

Summary: Every dog in the shelter dreams of the day they'll be set free of their metal prisons to join a pack all their own. Despite being so  inadequate he wasn't even honored a name, he dreams just as hard; though, with each adoption, that place he wishes to be seems to be getting further and further away.

And then, one word changes everything.

"Puppy?"

Ao3 Link: Puppy Love

~

The best day of his life happened exactly eight weeks and four days after he was born.

It had started out as usual. He woke up to the sound of the rest of the kennel-bound dogs starting up a ruckus as the keepers of their metal prisons walked down the line, cleaning cages and checking water and food bowls. After that, the big dogs were let out in small packs so they could play in the field. He never got to go; he was too small. Instead, he stuck his tiny head between the bars and said hello as they passed.

Most of them paid him little mind. Hades and Zeus, the Doberman twins, jeered his way. Roxie stuck up her nose, sassy as ever. She told him once her poodle pedigree made it impossible for her to converse with peasants. Whatever that meant. He made sure to duck his head back in if Captain was with them – the coonhound liked to snap at him.

Still, there were a select few that always took the time to say hello. Like old Benji, always limping over to give him a sniff. Or the energetic husky, Skystorm, hunkering down on his forepaws as if they might actually get a chance to play. Or the motherly Lady Lucy, who would fuss over him like he was one of her long-gone pups. She never tired of telling him how much he reminded her of her ‘clever little Dodger’.  

“Why he could even get cats to work for him!” She told him today as she passed. “Cats, can you imagine?”

Polite as always, he said, “No ma’am. It sounds incredible though.”

“You’re gonna fill his head full of air with stories like that Lucy.” Benji laughed.

“Nonsense! Stories build character. Who will he ever know who to aspire to be like otherwise?”

The dog in the lead of their pack growled out, “You wasting your breath on that orphan.”

“Hunter, don’t be so rude. He’s just a pup!” Lady Lucy cried.

“Oh sorry, am I not coddling him enough?” Hunter swung his head around. He only had one eye, the other lost in a fight, but the single red orb seemed to freeze him in place. “You’ll have to get used to it, brat. No human’s gonna take a stubby runt like you.”

“You’re just nasty because no one’ll ever adopt you.” Skystorm barely dodged fast enough to avoid the rather vicious bite the alpha tried to deliver.

He heard the argument continue well down the hall until he could no longer make out the words. Not that he wanted to anymore. He pulled his head back in, walking to the back of his cage and laying on his bed of rags, intending on settling in for his after-breakfast nap. But he couldn’t get Hunter’s words out of his head.

As young as he was, even he had heard the talk about how great a home was. Some of the dogs here even came from one themselves – and those who hadn’t had tales from something they’d heard. A motley mesh of things like ‘leftovers’ given underneath the dinner table that left everyone slobbering just thinking about it. Of playtime chasing all sorts of fun toys. Of walks to the beach where he could dig to his heart’s content. Of endless belly scratches and ear rubs.

He’d dreamed of it all at least a dozen times. Imagined how soft his own bed would be or how large a yard he’d have to run in. But most of all, dreamed of the family that would take him in and never let go. He wanted it more than anything!

But, was Hunter right? He had never been treated like the other dogs here. They all had names and skills. He wasn’t a working dog. He couldn’t retrieve and he couldn’t herd. He wasn’t a fancy one either, like Roxy, who was convinced she’d have a life again as a show dog. He didn’t have a Doberman’s ferocity or a husky’s vigor or a pit bull’s strength. If he couldn’t provide for his pack in any way… then why would they want him at all?

He buried his nose into his paws, but it was a long time before he fell asleep.

~

When humans came, it was time to perform.

A lot of dogs barked and yowled and produced up a racket for attention, but his voice wasn’t powerful enough. So, instead, he stuck his head between the bars and let his tongue loll out, entire body shaking as he wagged as hard and excited as he could whenever the people passed on by. It often earned him a pet.

Today it was a big family of seven, and the nice, stout woman who had long nails gave him such a good scratch behind his ears, it left his hind leg shaking.

“Oh aren’t you precious?” She cooed. “You would look just great in my purse.”

“Gale, we’re not here for a lap dog.” One of the men of her pack chastised.

“It doesn’t hurt to look!”

His ears fell flat as she breezed on by.

They were there for some time, looking from cage to cage. They even had the caretakers take a few out, to do a “walk test”. Roxy was prim as ever, trotting like she was putting on a show. Skystorm raced them. Zeus kept trying to bump Hades aside. No one came back to his cage.

And, worse yet, they chose the best of them all.

He couldn’t help but whine as Lady Lucy was led out with her papers all signed. The setter’s long ears raised up, looking to him. “Now none of that. You keep that tail up little one! I’m certain you’ll find your way soon.”

He tried to find strength in that encouragement, but all he discovered was the breaking of his heart as the door down the way slammed closed. He turned away, padding back to his rags and flopping over.

This day couldn’t possibly get any worse.

“Puppy!”

…What?

He lifted his head, looking back.

Standing there, in a bright, pleated dress, was one of the smallest humans he’d ever seen. Even when he stood up and walked towards her, she didn’t tower over him like most humans did. She was his size.

Her eyes went wide, a huge grin spreading on her face. “Hi puppy!” She giggled and, when he came close enough, she didn’t even wait for his trick, instead sticking her hand through the bars. She gave him a few uncoordinated, slightly rough, pats to his head. “Good boy!”

“Ruby!” A shout echoed down the hall as a man sprinted into view. He was overly tall, with legs that were spindly like a bird’s. He snatched the girl up into his arms, lifting her well out of reach. “What did I say about running off like that, pipsqueak?”

The newcomer was almost immediately joined by two more.

“You found her? Oh thank gods!” The other male of the pack said. He was almost as tall as the first, but wider built all around. It was like looking at a Labrador standing next to a greyhound. Alongside him, being held by her hand, was another young girl with wild hair. It reminded him of Benji – the briard’s fur was always in his eyes too.

“Daddy, lookie!” It was hard to tell who Ruby was speaking to, as both the men looked down at him at the same time.

It was the bigger one’s whose eyes lit up. “Oh, what a precious little guy!” He knelt down, clicking his tongue, holding his fingers out. “Come here Yang, just like this.”

The other little girl, bold as can be, pressed her fist against the bars.

Right. Tail up. Time to act.

He bounded forward, wiggled low and stuck his head right through, lifting it upwards until he could feel their fingers against his snout.

Yang giggled immediately, rubbing her knuckles along his skull. “He’s funny!”

“He sure is. Be gentle now.”

“No. No way.”  The bird man groaned. “We agreed on a dog. And we don’t even know how big this one is gonna get.”

The other man got that spot behind his ear. Oh yeah, that was the stuff. “He’s a corgi. They’re about the same size as a beagle, only chubbier.”

“Yeah well, he’s still a puppy. You really want to deal with pee puddles all over the house?” He asked as he set Ruby down.

The littlest one stomped her foot. “But I like this one!”

“But Rubes, they’re a lot of work and I’m sure there’s a lot of – now don’t give me those doe eyes kiddo. Tai, help me out here!”

Tai, in all his wisdom, turned to his pup and said, “Want to pet him Ruby?”

“Yeah!” She toddled on over, where he showed her how to do the really good scratches.

This was the life.

Leaving the girls to it, Tai rose to his full height, winding an arm around the bird man’s shoulders and tucking him against his side. “It’ll be fine Qrow.”

“You’re such a traitor.” Qrow grumbled.

“I know, I’m the worst.” He conceded, pressing his lips against his temple.  

There was a long, slow sigh. “I guess then we’re getting-” He squinted at the paperwork that hung from his cage. “Puppy Two? What kind of name is that?”

“Maybe he goes number 2 a lot!” The older of the girls said.

Ruby’s nose wrinkled up. “Eeeew Yang!”

“You know,” Tai started thoughtfully, “If there’s a puppy one we could get him a friend and- mghpfa!”

Qrow cut him off by shoving his hand in his face. “Just go sign the paperwork already!”

~

Even when the door came open, and he was lifted up out of the cage, he wasn’t quite sure it was real until he was being taken out of the facility altogether and the big, wide world was in his eyes. Then it was speeding past his eyes, as the large machine he had been placed in moved at speeds he couldn’t comprehend.

“Oh wow! What was that? Oh, and that! Did you see that?” He asks the girls as he hopped between their laps, trying to look out the window.

“Yang, try to keep hold of him!” Tai called from the front seat of the contraption. “He’ll get hurt if he falls.”

“’Kaaay.”

Suddenly, a grip stronger than a choke chain was around his middle and he found himself firmly pinned down. He wiggled about, but there was no give.

Ruby pat his backside. “He’s got a funny butt.”

Well now, that was just rude.

There was a guffaw from Qrow. “Speaking of Mr. Funny Butt, s’pose we better name him.”

His ears perked. A name? Just like the other dogs had? He wouldn’t have to be known as mutt or pup or orphan anymore? He wagged his clipped tail excitedly.

“Oh, oh! I was thinking Cerberus.” Tai offered. “Doesn’t that sound intimidating?”

“Dad, that sounds dumb.” Yang was wiggling her fingers along his side, prompting him to roll over and – oh, tummy rubs really were everything the other dogs said they were.

“Ouch. Well little missy, you got a suggestion?”

“Uppercut!”

From his upside-down position, he saw the way the man looked back, then to the bird man sitting beside him.

Qrow glanced up from the lit-up square he was holding. “Don’t look at me! I’m not the one teaching her.”

“I wanna name him Strawberry!” Ruby cut in. She had grabbed hold of one of his paws and was squishing down the pads. It felt kind of weird.

Tai turned back to the window. “That’s a good one. We’ll think about that one sweetheart.”

Yang started to flap his ears around, which made it a little hard to hear Qrow when he spoke up again. “How about Dos?”

“Dos?” Tai echoed. “Like dose of medicine?”

He stuck out his tongue. Most of the choices had gone right over his head. But he did know what medicine was. The sickly dogs told him to beware if a human ever used that term, because that meant they were going to force feed him something gross.

“No. D-O-S. It’s an old Valian language. It means two.”

“Alright well, uncle Qrow has decided to be unhelpful, so keep ‘em coming girls.”

Similar to the way the anticipation would overwhelm the shelter whenever a human walked in, his new pack seemed to have the same habit of yapping over one another.

“Blackie!” Ruby called.

Then, Qrow. “Don’t like that one? How about Ni?”

Tai, snipping back, “We are not naming him knee!”

“At least call him roundhouse.” Yang’s voice was getting a little shrill.

“No! No martial arts moves!”

Ruby, again: “Palm strike!”

“Yeah sis!” The slap of the girls’ hands made him jump a little.

“Okay you two are banned too. We’re naming him Cerberus.”

“Noooo!”

Oh, he knew this cry! He pulled his head back, howling with them.

In the wake of the noise, silence followed, all eyes on him. He looked around, confused. Why had they stopped?

Then, all at once, the four of them started to laugh. He knew it was the human’s way of wagging their tails, since they lacked them and all. So, he wiggled and yipped, feeling more like he belonged then he ever thought possible.

Eventually, Qrow’s game won out. The name, his name, was chosen just as the contraption rolled to a stop.

“Hey, how about this one? Zwei.”

Tai drummed his fingers along the circle he was holding onto, looking up with a frown. “I hate how much I like that.”

“Hah! See, and you were making fun of me.” He twisted around, looking back at them. “What do you think rugrats? Is Zwei a keeper?”

“Yes!” Ruby chimed in.

Yang gave it more thought. “Zwei as in…” She smooshed his face, tapping their noses together, “Zwei’re you so cute?”

“…I regret everything.” Qrow looked like someone just stole his nest. Beside him, Tai doubled over, barking with more laughter.

From that day on, he was part of the pack.

~

Four months and eight days after his adoption, any lingering doubts he had left about his place among his newfound pack were completely abolished.

“Come on Zwei,” Ruby whispered to him as she opened up the back door, giggling behind her hand. He’d come to learn that was a sign that they were going out to play.

So he rushed around her feet and into the backyard, paws immediately sinking into the muddy trail that had been caused by a passing storm. It was still rather dreary overhead and he could scent the petrichor coming from the surrounding flora. His packmate ran past him, heading around the shed with the same sense of purpose she got when she was stealing treats out of the cupboard for the two of them. Were there some back there too?

“Wait for me!” He called, bounding after her in excitement. As he came around the back, he found what had captured Ruby’s attention so. Behind the shed was a lake-sized puddle, caused by the way the land dipped ever so slightly. She was already ankle deep in the water, gathering up globs of mud and setting it on the grass in a pile.

When he approached, she told him, “I’m making mud pies!”

Oh, that was a type of food! Tai had made it before. It had been something really sweet smelling that he wasn’t allowed to have.

He hears Ruby’s giggles when he practically sticks his nose right in, taking a deep breath. Just as quickly, he pulls away with a huff of displeasure. Definitely not for eating.

“Mud Pie Zwei!”

He perked up at his name, only to hunker down as the next handful of mud is deposited on his back. When Ruby dips her hands back in, he hurries away before she can load on more. He could feel the thick of it weighing down his fur and the wet of it sliding down his haunches. It wasn’t pleasant at all, so he shook himself to fling most of it off.

“That was gross!” He barks, which only seemed to increase her laughter.

Well. Two can play it that game.

He leaps with as much distance his little legs can provide, landing in the puddle with a big splash.

“Zwei!” Ruby shrieks, her dress now covered in wet spots and mud.

He wades towards her, taunting back, “What are you gonna do now?”

If he didn’t know better, he would have thought she truly understood him what with the way she responded by scooping her hands in the water and throwing it at him. In retaliation, he races around her, little waves kicking up in his wake. At the edge he pauses, lowering down on his forepaws until his chin brushes the water, waiting to see what his packmate would do next.

“Oh, it is ON!” She hollers, charging for him.

“Bring it!” He challenged right back, darting to the side and ducking around her when she tries to make a grab for him.

It begins a game of chase; one he’d already grown quite familiar with and one he was certain to lose. Ruby was bigger and faster than him, spirited like Skystorm had been. The rest of their pack didn’t appreciate that level of liveliness like he could. He was always happy to engage her, finding new, creative ways to escape her clutches before she ultimately snatched him up. Today he was trying to zig-zag the same way he saw that little black snake move in the garden; until his pack alpha crushed it into black smoke under his boot, that is.

It seemed his new trick was his best yet, because Ruby was having to scramble after him. “Hah, can’t catch me!” He called back at her, dashing for the tree line.

“Zwei don’t go in the – ah!”

He heard a yelp and the feet coming after him abruptly stopped.

Then, a more terrifying noise boomed over his senses, “Zwei! Come!”

He slid to a stop so fast, he somersaulted over his paws, landing on his back hard enough to make the air in his lungs whoosh out. He tilted his head back, looking at the upside-down view of his secondary alpha, his near permanent frown more pronounced than usual. He hadn’t even heard him approach! What kind of hunting skill was that?

“What were you thinking?” Qrow demanded of the young pup he had under his arm. “I’ve told you a thousand times not to go into the forest!”

Ruby wiggled valiantly in his grasp to no avail. “We weren’t gonna!”

“Ain’t gonna believe that when you already broke the ‘no going outside today’ rule.” He looked up, then pointed down aggressively. “Zwei, I said come!”

Obediently, he rolled over, slinking forward with a pitiful whine that sometimes got him out of trouble. “We were just having fun, honest.”

Qrow had never been quite as movable as his other alpha though, only scooping him up under his other arm and storming back for the house. “Gods you’re both a mess. I’m throwing you in the tub.”

“Nooooo!” He howled with Ruby.

Beyond a gripe about ‘thinking more before they go running into mud’, the alpha largely ignored them, hauling them upstairs. He paused only long enough to peek into one of the bedrooms. A little lump of blankets on one of the beds trembled every now and again and a loud hacking started up.

Some of the tension on his scary face finally melted, his voice a gentle timbre when he speaks, “How you doing firecracker?”

“M’okay.” She snuffled back from her hiding place.

“Okay. I got to get these escape artists into the bath – but holler if you need anything alright?”

“I will.”

Zwei’s ears dropped when her hacking started up anew. It had been just a small thing this morning, but now she sounded worse than some of the dogs back at the shelter when they got plagued by kennel cough.

He didn’t have long to dwell on it, as Qrow continued on his way, kicking the bathroom door shut with his foot before setting them on the bathroom rug. “Alright, clothes off.”

Rather than listen, Ruby crossed her arms and sat down stubbornly. He walked the few steps it took to join her, plopping down as well.

Their alpha sighed, stepping over them to get the water started. “Kiddo, work with me here.”

“No!”

An agitated hand ruffled through his hair until it seemed more like a puffed-up cat tail. “How about for a scoop of strawberry ice cream?” Rather than answer, she held up two fingers. “…Who taught you this level of swindling? Fine! Two it is. But no telling your dad.”

“Deal!” She hopped up, throwing off one of her layers and dropping it with a wet plop on the ground.

“Hey wait!” Zwei stomped over to Qrow. “What do I get?”

Apparently it was to be picked up and dropped into the tub. The water was just enough to cover his paws. He scrambled for the edge of the basin, too small to actually make it over. He wasn’t left alone for long, Ruby eventually climbing in beside him, all her normal, colorful furs gone. The water eventually rose up until it touched his chin, and he had to paddle a bit to get around – not that there was anywhere to go.

Zwei didn’t really like baths. The water was warm, but the ground underneath his feet was hard to stand on, causing him to slip and sometimes water would go up his nose when that happened. Then there was the shampoo. It was some really awful smelling, awful tasting stuff that would get lathered into his fur. The stink of it would overwhelm him, his own, better scent being cancelled out by the gunk. Even when he rolled it out into the grass, it persistently clung to him for days.

So no, he didn’t like baths. He especially didn’t like Qrow’s version. He was too rough. His fingers would score through his fur like he was trying to rip it away and he’d push the undercoat in all the wrong ways until it left everything kind of hurting. Today was no different.

“Ow, ow, ow!” He wailed. “That’s too hard!”

The scrubbing, if possible, got worse. “Quit bellyaching, we’re almost done.”

“He’s kind of a baby, isn’t he?”  Ruby asked from her side of the tub, trying to turn her bubbly head fur into sticks just like a porcupine.

“I am not a baby!”

“Oi, don’t jump Zwei!”

“You know, this is a lot of racket for a bath.” The final voice was new, but familiar.

His tail started to wag immediately, slipping out of Qrow’s grip so he could hop and get a look at his other alpha. “Welcome home! I missed you!”

“Hi daddy!” Ruby greeted.

“Hey there.” Tai said, stepping into the bathroom. He peered down at his mate inquisitively. “Need help?”

“Please.”

The response was a jovial laugh as the man rolled up his sleeves and settled down beside him. Zwei felt a little jealous when he attended to Ruby. “Were you causing trouble for your uncle?”

“Nuh-huh. I behaved!”

Qrow snorted, resuming his torture. Ignoring Zwei’s calls of displeasure, he instead spoke to his mate. “You find the medicine?”

“Yeah. Gave it to Yang before coming in here. Tip your head back honey.” Tai poured a small pitcher full of water down Ruby’s head, using his hand as a shield to keep any from falling into her eyes. As he scooped up more of the bathwater to douse her again, he continued, “We’ll have to keep an eye on her fever. We might want to let her sleep with us tonight.”

“No fair! I wanna sleep with you guys!”

As his chin was lifted up, Zwei huffed out, “Me too.”

“Tell you what Rubes,” Qrow said as he took the pitcher that was handed over to him, going through the motions with him now. “Why don’t you and I have a little sleepover of our own? We can set up a fort in the guest room and everything.”

Her face lit up. “Really?”

Zwei’s ears fell. Of course the alpha would do that – Ruby was so obviously his favorite pup. Looks like he was stuck downstairs. Alone. Again.

“Yeah. We can even bring the little scamp here.”

He blinked back as Qrow looked down at him. Wait… did he mean…?

“Just don’t have an accident and make me regret it, you got that mutt?”

He did. He did! His whole body practically vibrated with the force of his excitement, jumping out of his grasp so he could lick his hand. “I’ll be good, I promise!”

Qrow drew his hand back immediately. “Ack gross!”

Tai’s boisterous laughter echoed, before he reached out for his pup. “Come on Ruby. You’re done.” He lifted her up and out of the tub, wrapping her up in a towel and walking out of the room. “You want me to help you pick out an outfit?”

“I want my combat skirt!”

“Alright, alright…”

It wasn’t long before Zwei followed her out, draped in a towel of his own and brought downstairs. A fire was made in the hearth to combat the chill settling in as the day waned on. Eventually, that’s where he found himself stretched out in front of for his midday-play nap, stirring only when his pack moved about.

Nothing managed to rouse him completely until a commotion started up in the next room and he awoke to a day much darker than before. Ruby and Yang were on the couch, the latter curled up in a miserable ball as they watched their colorful moving pictures on the television.

He got to his feet, stretching out with a long yawn, before he trotted over to the kitchen. His alpha pair were both there. Qrow was sitting on the counter by the sink, sipping an amber liquid in a short glass and watching his mate as he fussed about the stove. Whatever Tai was making smelt absolutely delicious, like chicken and rice kibble but more refined and fresher. Mouth watering, Zwei slunk underneath the dining table chairs and emerged just into their sight. He sat himself down at the edge of the rug, making sure not even a claw touched into the ‘Never Ever Cross While Alpha is Cooking’ section of the kitchen.

“Can I have some?” He beseeched lowly.

Tai looked over his shoulder, smiling brightly. “There’s my good boy! Up!”

He sat up on his hind legs, snatching the morsel that was tossed to him in his jaws. He savored the scrap of chicken slowly, licking his chops once he’d swallowed it.

“Good catch!” His alpha praised him, before turning back to his work. When Qrow started to shift off the counter, he pointed a knife towards him. “And where are you going? We weren’t done.”

It seemed his mate thought they were, with the way he scoffed. “Look, if you want to ground her so bad, you do it.”

Zwei had come to realize that breeding pairs were very strange. Or perhaps maybe just his were; he certainly couldn’t make heads or tails of their lack of pheromonal compatibility. More critically was in how little they ran the pack like a unit. It made for a rather confusing predicament when Tai would let him nestle on the armchair – but Qrow would absolutely not tolerate it. He had to wonder if his other packmates ever felt the same.

Tai’s sigh was tinged with a rarely heard frustration. “It’s not about the punishment, it’s about who’s giving it. I can’t keep punishing the girls for rules you lay down.”

“Why not? You’re the dad here.”

“You really think Ruby hasn’t figured out that when you’re the only one home, she can get away with whatever she wants?”

Qrow snorted, downing his drink and setting it on the counter he’d vacated. “She’s six Tai. Not exactly in her prime to be a master manipulator.”

“No.” He set down the knife, turning to him fully. “But that doesn’t mean she’s dumb.”

Coming to the conclusion no other treats were coming his way, Zwei laid down on the rug, head between his paws, mostly tuning them out as they carried on. Maybe he should just take his post-nap nap. He was just starting to drift, when one particularly loud shout had him jolting out of his daze.

“Oh so I just don’t care, is that it?”

“I didn’t say that! And keep your voice down.” Tai shushed. “I know you love them, Qrow. I just… don’t understand why you want to turn them against me.”

His mate jerked back a bit, as if struck. “What in Gods’ name are you talking about?”

“Can you really not see where this will eventually go?”

With a long exhale, Zwei settled again, listening to them with only half an ear. This wasn’t the first growling match they’d partaken in, but he wasn’t worried by it. For the outcome was as certain as the sun would be rising tomorrow.

“I don’t see what the big deal is.” Right on time, Qrow’s tone shifted as did his body. Away. Vulnerable. If he had a tail, he was positive it would be tucked between his legs. “It’s not like you have anything to lose.”

Tai tilted his head, as if trying to figure if the words truly came from him. “Okay, what are you talking about?”

“Nothing. It doesn’t matter.” He tried to retreat, only to be stalled by a hand suddenly on his shoulder.

“No. Come on don’t-” A sigh. “Do you really think the girls will just cast you aside just ‘cause you have to be tough on them sometimes?”

The answer was so soft, even Zwei had to strain to hear. “Been thrown out for less.”

“Oh Qrow.” Before the thinner man knew it, Tai was pulling him into what Zwei could only describe as a ‘standing snuggle’. It looked warm and inviting. “There is nothing in this world you could do to make us stop loving you.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do know that.” And then Tai said something Zwei would never forget: “Family isn’t a competition where the prize is love. Love just is. You don’t earn it by performing your best, you’re just given it from being here and caring about us just as much as we care about you.”

There were a few more things that were spoken, but the fight was over for sure when the mating pair started licking each other’s mouths. Overzealously, as usual.

But the call for peace, joyful as it was, did not impact Zwei as much as his pack leader’s words. For they washed over him with a great ferocity, reaching in and cleansing him from the inside where Hunter’s dark words still resided in his heart. The fear that had footed there that he would not be wanted finally came loose, strand by strand, until it was hanging by nothing but a thread.

It wasn’t until that night, with Ruby’s head nestled into his back and his nose tucked against the welcome warmth of Qrow’s side, that the final root broke as the words finally hit home.

There may be a lot he lacked, but no amount of skills compared to the simple act of just being there. The one thing he knew with absolute certainty was that love was something he could give this family without end.

So no, he wasn’t fierce like a Doberman. Or noble like a shepherd. Or even charming like a poodle.

He was just Zwei. And that’s all he needed to be.

[one-leaf-grimoire]

“illusion” ch 8

Link to the full work

Warnings: none :) Except Julius being cute and charming as usual.

Julius freezes on the spot, but it's mostly just from surprise. I mean, he has a right to be surprised... until a couple weeks ago, I barely talked to him, and now here I am, crying into his arms. He doesn't know that he's the only anchor I have right now, the only thing that could possibly protect me and keep me safe. Alice wasn't enough... at the bar, I still got hurt. But Julius... he was the one who found me. There's no way he knows any of that, but even so he relaxes a moment later, one hand still squeezing my shoulder while the other pats my head gently, not presuming to touch to much, but just enough that I know he's there.

Maybe I should feel embarrassed to cry in front of him, but I don't.

"It's alright... it's better to let it out than to keep it all bottled up inside, you know."

"...I know..." I sniffle a little as I finally straighten up again, letting myself stay close to him. Close... ah!!! We're so close right now!! I feel my ears heat up, but that's not what I want to think about right now. "I...um..." I'm not exactly sure where to begin. "I have something I need to tell you... It might be a lot, though..."

"That's fine." Julius gulps, obviously a little worried about what I'm about to tell him. "Er, let's sit down?"

The awkwardness still hangs in the air, but it starts to thin. I quickly nod and let go of him, not really realizing how tight my hands on his shirt were until I released him. Calm down... everything is fine, at least for now. I let myself take one deep, soothing breath before sinking down onto his couch. Julius's room is just a little bigger than mine, but since he is a leader, he gets it all to himself. There's really only a fireplace, couch, desk, a couple of dressers, and his bed, which is queen sized rather than a twin like everyone else's. I'm sure the Captain has a king sized bed, but I've never been in there. It's warm, and welcoming... cozy, actually. Exactly what I need.

But now, I have a new challenge: How on earth do I explain this whole crazy situation to Julius without sounding so paranoid? I can barely even bring myself to look at him as he sits down next to me, only sparing a brief glance. But I have to... right now, he's the only one who I can trust. Not even Alice...

"So... I guess I'll start at the beginning."

I look away from his concerned eyes, taking one more deep breath before closing my eyes. A simple gesture, but one that melts away my anticipation, if just for a moment.

Above all else... be clear. Don't sound emotional.

"On New Years night, a couple hours after I left you outside, I woke up in the mess hall alone. I cleaned up and took some extra wine bottles into the cellar. However, on my way down, someone ambushed me and pushed me down the stairs. A second person closed the door, leaving me blind and defenseless. The first person, a man, hit and choked me until I was unconscious, while the other stood there and watched. Before I passed out, I felt their clothes, and I'm almost certain they were wearing a Grey Deer cloak. That was all they did, and I woke up alone."

It all comes out slowly but surely, my voice calm and level. I willed myself to keep my emotions at bay, and I've succeeded. But there's a little more.

"Then, last night, weeks later, when I thought the danger might be gone... someone drugged my drink. I checked the bar tab, I only drank one drink, not enough to get me drunk. When I realized what was happening, I ran and hid before anyone could hurt me. Luckily, you were the one who found me. But-" I sit up a bit. Somehow, I feel like a weight has been lifted from my chest. Confessing all this is... refreshing. It makes more sense once I say it all out loud.

"But, it confirmed what I feared was true. Someone, at least two people on this squad, tried to attack me twice, in different ways. I have no idea why, or what they want... but I couldn't stay in my room alone tonight, which is why I'm here."

....

I finally look up to gauge Julius's reaction. His eyes have widened considerably over the course of my story, and I can see that he's still processing it all. "I'm sorry... you probably didn't expect this kind of story when you let me in..." I almost let out a little chuckle at the absurdity of it all, but a small bubble of sadness wells in my chest. "But... you're the only person I can trust, right now."

"...you were attacked... twice... by a squad member..."

His voice stays soft, but I pick up on a tiny spark of emotion in his words.

...anger? At me-?

"That's terrible... unforgivable..."

Okay, so not at me. Julius leans forward on his knees, his fingers threading together. It's almost scary, the way his eyes have shifted now. He's no longer processing my story; he's calculating. Desperately trying to come up with an answer for the question who could have done this? Suddenly, his eyes lighten a little and he straightens up to look at me again, softness returning to his gaze. "And... because I found you last night, I'm the one you can trust to tell this two?"

I nod, but there's more. "Not just that... on New Years, Alice came home late and said she saw you outside still. If you didn't come in at all that night, you couldn't have been one of the people attacking me."

"Right, I see... that's smart. You can't trust Alice?"

"I thought I could... but she was with me last night, and I still got drugged. She might have been involved."

Alice...

My oldest friend... the one who's helped me through my darkest times. If she's involved in this somehow, then I've lost everything I had-

"Hey."

My despair is halted by a gentle hand on my shoulder, and I feel Julius smiling down at me once again.

"Thank you for telling me... I can't believe you've been shouldering this yourself. No one's that strong. To be betrayed by your own comrades..." He shakes his head a little, and I see the anger flash in his vision again, making my heart skip a fearful beat. Not just anger though... familiarity? Has this happened before?

"I won't let anyone hurt you here, don't worry. I assume this is why you've been staying close to me all the time, right?"

"O-Oh, yeah-" I actually manage to laugh this time, although it's a little nervous. "I, um... I'm sorry, I didn't want to annoy you or anything, but I didn't really have much of a choice."

"It's fine." Julius chuckles as well, patting my shoulder before letting go. "I was a little dumb, though... I thought it was because- well-"

The waver in his voice takes me by surprise, but not as much as the blush that suddenly blossoms on his cheeks.

"I thought... you might have gotten a crush on me or something, ahah-"

A... crush? 

"Oh! Uh- I- er-" I feel bad that he looks so awkward right now, which is not a look I'm used to seeing on my distinguished Vice-Captain's face. "I can definitely see how you would think that, I was being a little clingy, wasn't I?" I laugh a little, hoping to put him at ease. "Sorry about that-"

"Sorry? Oh, no, don't be. I..." Julius's voice trails off without warning, but he starts talking about it before I have time to consider what the momentary lapse could mean. "I didn't think you were clingy. After all, I poked holes in my own theory soon enough. I realized that something was wrong, even if it was just in my gut..." He points at his own neck. "Those bruises you had on your neck that morning, you couldn't have gotten them from just falling down the stairs, could you?"

"No... you noticed that?"

"Of course. It's my job to take care of my squadmates, isn't it?"

"...right."

His hand suddenly lands on my shoulder again, squeezing once comfortingly. His fingers don't relax completely.

"I promise... I'll help you figure out who did this, and they'll be severely punished. I won't leave you alone again."

I don't understand... 

"Thank you, Julius."

... how one man can be so... warm?

"Now, I guess you'll have to stay in here tonight, isn't Alice on an overnight mission?"

It takes a moment for his question to sink in. Oh! I completely forgot about that part... but I have to stay in here? In his room?! Sleeping?! It takes everything I have to keep from turning red again. "...yeah, if that's okay. I-I can sleep on the couch, if you have a pillow and blanket to spare-"

Julius cuts me off with a laugh. "No, no, what kind of host would I be if I made you sleep on the couch? You can take the bed, you've had a long night. I'll sleep here."

"Alright... thank you."

On the inside, I'm screaming. A.) I have to sleep in JULIUS'S bed (alone, but still-), B.) that means I'm forcing HIM to sleep on a couch (which I feel pretty bad about), and C.)...

Eek! I have to sleep in his bed...

Julius hums to himself cheerfully as he starts gathering a blanket and pillows for his makeshift bed. I just stand there awkwardly, not really sure what to do. My eyes follow him as he finally sits back on the couch, wrapped up in his blanket. His eyes catch mine. "Oh, I guess you don't have to go to bed now... uh-" He smiles and holds up his book. "Want to read with me? It's a history of mana development over the ages, it's quite fascinating!"

Hmm, I don't know about that... Despite the seemingly boring content, I nod my head and sit back down next to him, my posture a little stiff as he opens the book so we can both see it. I don't want to lean too close to him, because what if our knees brush? Or our shoulders press together? I think I would die... I've created a weird enough situation as it is, and Julius already thought I had a crush on him before. How embarrassing! It's too early for anything with him, anyway...

I had a crush on him when I first joined the squad, like most of the girls here. How could I not? Luckily, it faded quickly, overshadowed by my pressing engagement. Of course, feeling never truly go away, do they? Elia is proof of that, her early crush still clinging to her heart to this day. Even for me... I can't help but dream. Maybe one day... once all this is over... I can make a move. If I were to date anyone other than Lawrence, it would be Julius, after all...

But I can't think about it right now!! Not with everything happening to me right now. I need to focus on my two current crises before creating a new one for myself.

To my surprise, Julius's book is actually pretty interesting, but despite that, I start to get real drowsy. I can last a few more pages, right? Julius glances down at me, and I nod, prompting him to go ahead and turn the page. This is nice... I don't really want to stand up.

So, I don't. Inevitably, my eyelids close and my head falls straight onto his shoulder. I don't even have time to be mortified; I'm too tired, and his shoulder is just too comfortable. 

...oh well. I can deal with the consequences later.

Julius doesn't seem to mind. He even relaxes a little as I doze off. He doesn't make a move to touch me or anything, but he slowly closes his book. My eyes are closed and my mind is far away, so I don't see his expression change. His smile falls, and a dark look comes into his eyes as he stares down at my peaceful face.

Something terrible is going on... in my squad. She isn't a peasant like Zara was, but someone's put a target on her back, anyway.

The movement is quick, and almost absent-minded. But his hand comes up, resting in my hair for just a moment.

I won't let it happen again... I promise.

[rainsonata]

Doppelgänger 14/15

Chapter 14: The Cataclysm 

Fandom/Pairing: Elsword; none Rating: T Word Count: 6,968

Summary: It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one’s reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.   

Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves   

AO3 Link / FF.NET Link

— [Chapter 01] [Chapter 02] [Chapter 03] [Chapter 04] [Chapter 05] [Chapter 06] [Chapter 07] [Chapter 08] [Chapter 09] [Chapter 10] [Chapter 11] [Chapter 12] [Chapter 13] [Chapter 14] [Chapter 15] —  

----------------------------

Class Notes: 

Canon Path: Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen   

Alternative Path: Rune Master, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

Transformation Path: Immortal, Metamorphy, Twilight, Nova Imperator, Code: Sariel, Centurion, Shakti, Bloody Queen, Mad Paradox, Iblis and Anular (Diangelion), Herrscher

---------------------------- 

Code: Ultimate 

Henir’s Time and Space existed in a separate plane of its own, balanced between all dimensions and existed at a point where time did not exist. A portal cracked open from the side, forming an enclave big enough for their group to squeeze through. 

Ultimate entered first. She forced her wings to fold back to avoid crushing the person behind her. It was the same as it was the last time she had visited. They all landed on the familiar blue platform shared by parts of Elrianode. Electric circuits glowed beneath their feet. Blue cubes hovered around their platform among the stars. A dark sun eclipsed by the moon floated above their heads. 

Despite gaining access to knowledge from the libraries and databases from her journey, Ultimate had little understanding of Henir’s Time and Space and its existence. Its architecture bore strong resemblance to that of the corrupted monsters and machines in Elrianode. The administrator of the facility was placed in what appeared to be a form of punishment. Ultimate felt her circuits hum into mild stress at the thought of being locked into one place.      

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE DIMENSION WILL COLLAPSE?” 

Loud chatter disrupted Ultimate’s train of thought. The queen of destruction closed her eyes and allowed her programs to run scans in the background. Glave was nowhere to be seen, but Ultimate needed to update her database on Henir’s Time and Space. 

“I’m sure she was joking.” Knight laughed nervously. The red knight fought to restrain Aether by placing his hands over her shoulder and gently nudging her away from Metamorphy. The elementary mage did not back away and had her staff out with a dangerous look in her eyes. 

Ultimate recognized that expression. It was the one humans had when frustrated and confused. Aether was both.   

“I don’t joke,” Metamorphy said with a bright smile. She was unaffected by her counterpart’s outburst and stepped out of the portal with her arms behind her back. 

Her sensors notified Ultimate that other organic beings were present. Orange and red light filtered through her ocular lens to let her know there were a few dozen warm bodies. Metamorphy was correct in that they were the last group to have arrived. The platform they were on was one of many. Small stairs connected each platform and formed a chain of them to travel in between them. 

Ultimate heard their names being shouted by the others that saw their arrival. It was too much for the Nasod in keeping track of them all. She allowed herself to ignore them and instead watched her friends interact with each other. Their reunion would be short before they learn about their fates. 

A figure appeared from the mass of people. Ultimate’s scans shot up in response to the high energy levels emitted from Paradox. The time traveler’s energy level was unstable, making it difficult for Ultimate’s systems to keep up with the changes. It was as if Paradox wasn’t human.  

“Of course it’s you causing all the noise.” Paradox was in his adult form and covered his mouth to hide a snide smile. He said to Metamorphy. “So you told them your intentions. Didn’t think you would become the harbinger of bad news.”

“I don’t remember asking for your input,” Metamorphy’s expression soured. “I doubt your group took it any better than mine did.” 

“You took us here knowing we were going to react like this?” Knight protested, “You’re okay with us watching the world be destroyed?”

“Reborn,” Metamorphy corrected. 

“Explain,” Ultimate looked at Paradox and Metamorphy with cold eyes. She noticed more people crowding around them and listening in to Metamorphy’s explanation. Did they know about this before they did? “I don’t quite follow what you mean by rebirth.”  

Destruction and rebirth were two concepts humans liked to bring up through history. Their religion and cultures were built around both. When one group had fallen, another would rise, sometimes stronger than the last in ways Nasods wouldn’t be able to. 

Ultimate was placed into deep slumber because her creator feared that his race had once again fallen into the cycle of death. He was correct, but Adrian failed to recognize that humans were just as compatible with creation as they were in destruction. For she had seen her teammates come up with plans and concepts that helped others. However, Ultimate began to understand his sentiment when Metamorphy showed glee in explaining the death of a dimension the Nasod queen had only come to known for a few days. 

“Rebirth makes it sound grander than it actually is,” Metamorphy said. “It’s more like a soft reboot. Having everyone into the same dimension is stressing the system and forcing it to shut down to reset itself.”

“You’re saying it’s going to come back?” Phantom asked. 

“Yes,” Metamorphy hummed. “Maybe not one-hundred percent. It should be restored to the state before the dimension broke down.”

“We’re really doing this.” Bangs covered Knight’s eyes, “We’re letting people suffer again.” 

There was tension in the red haired man’s features. His shoulders rose and a hint of blue flickered over his glassy eyes. Ultimate frowned and questioned the El’s influence over Knight. Did the El have a stronger presence with Knight than it did for Rune? 

“I’m sorry we had to resort to this,” Rage offered Knight an awkward pat on the back. 

“So this is what happens when too many timelines intersect,” Bringer mumbled to himself. “This is the end.”   

Being a few hundred years old, Ultimate wasn’t one to be as sentimental as most were in occurrences such as the soft reset Metamorphy was suggesting. The end wasn’t a foreign concept to her. According to numerous history books, many Elrian civilizations documented the Nasod war as the death of a prosperous era and the end to the benevolent relationship between Nasods and humans. Rune’s sacrifice to the El was the end of their search for the El Lady and the El Masters. A soft reset would mark yet another ending of a story arc in human history. 

Was there truly an end? 

“Resetting will fix everything?” There was a bite to Flame words and sharpness in the look she exchanged to Metamorphy and over to Paradox. Biting the bottom of her lips, Ultimate could see the flame user trying not to get excited. 

“I don’t know about that,” Paradox scoffed. “No one has done a reset before. I’m not sure if Glave can even do it.” 

“Is that why you brought us here?” Abysser asked. “I knew Glave deals with time and space, but do you really think he’s going to agree to helping us?”

“Didn’t he already help you in Elrianode?” Crusader had his arms crossed, “He gave us information about the corrupted Elrianode monsters and about the Dark El.” 

“I suppose it could be too soon to ask for help again.” Empire said, “We’re already here, so we should at least try.” 

Empire had what humans called “cautious optimism”. When Ultimate expressed her confusion, Rune explained that people wanted to see the bright side of something, but remained careful out of the fear of being wrong. The knight captain remained so, putting on a composed mask but smiling as a way to reassure the others. Flame did the same, but her enthusiasm was more overt and offering loud cheers. 

Crossing her legs, Ultimate examined a floating cube reflecting her face back. She hadn’t noticed before, but some of them acted as monitors and showed the viewer different worlds. Each surface focused on a different part of Elrios, but one caught her attention. Ripples formed over its otherwise smooth surface and offered her a glimpse of a moving figure. 

A woman sharing Devi’s face darted across a muddy terrain with a toothy grin. She wore white outfit similar to that of the warriors from Fluone's Northern Empire, followed by a white fox with many tails. Behind her was a blonde man in a white suit covered by equally pristine armor and a destroyer. An elven woman was with them. Her hair was tied back into a long braid and hoisted a sword and a bow. The sky was red and they were fighting a monster several times their size, covered in spikes and baring sharp teeth. 

An emotionless face reflected back at Ultimate from the screen. The Nasod queen froze, waiting for her circuits to process the face of her twin. Pale blue wings sprouted from the back of her counterpart from another world she didn’t know of. Were these people her friends from another dimension?        

“My, my. There are more of you than usual.” A male voice mused, “Your group gets bigger each time we meet, but this is the biggest I’ve seen.” 

A single orange eye peered through the metal mask Glave wore. His voice made it impossible to tell his age, a quiet chuckle followed by a light toned statement that placed many people on edge. The locks placed around his collar were for a man who had committed unspoken crimes.  

“You took your time,” Paradox sneered. “Where have you been?” 

“Hello, Add.” Glave chuckled, “I see you have made use of the knowledge I have given you.” 

“Cut the crap and tell us what we need to do to undo this idiot’s mistake!” Bringer growled. 

“It looks like there’s three of you now,” Glave looked at Bringer, Dominator, and Paradox. “I suspected this day would come. How can I help you?” 

Bringer fumed as Bluhen commented about the brawler being singled out with his other selves. Dominator was less pleased of being grouped with his alternatives, crossing his legs and sitting on Dynamo in a silent sulk. Paradox became a sitting duck as soon as Glave showed up, glaring at the administrator of Henir’s Time and Space with distaste.

“We need your help,” Crusader explained. “The Demon Realm where we came from is falling apart. If we don’t do something, we won’t be able to save Elrios.” 

“Is that so?” Glave looked at the mob, “Is that because all of you were involved?”

“Yes,” Anemos said. “Add said there were too many of us and it’s causing problems for everyone and the people living in Demon Realm.” 

“I expected this to happen for some time,” Glave admitted. 

“Because you taught someone how to time travel?” Nova raised a brow. 

“Yes, but he isn’t the only one learning to open portals.” Glave said, “I’m sure you remember the demon invasion in Velder?”

“That’s right, they were trying to open portals to invade Elrios!” Aether exclaimed, “But what are you trying to say? Metamorphy said you could reset the dimension and return us back to where we were supposed to be!”

“Did she now?” Glave said, “That is a heavy task you are asking of me.”

“Please, Glave. You helped us before and you gave us all the information you knew about the Dark El.” Knight lowered his head, “I don’t know what we can offer this time, but you’re the only person I know who can help us.” 

Ultimate looked back to Knight, trying to understand his intention. He led a massive group, yet maintained the humbleness Rune had. There was no humor in his intonation, coated by shame and guilt. She was confused about where the unnecessary emotion came from. He was no different than Rune. 

“What can you offer this time?” Glave chuckled again, “Resetting a dimension so I can send all of you on your merry way? It will only take time before all of you find each other again.” 

“I know it’s our fault this happened, but that’s why I want to change that.” Knight said, “I only want-”

An arm blocked Knight from getting closer to Glave. Immortal stepped up and shook his head to Knight, effectively silencing his counterpart with a tiny smile. The sword user beamed at Glave and offered the man a forced grin. 

“Yo, Glave! I got a better deal than myself over there,” Immortal nudged Knight to the side. “Why stop at resetting one dimension? You’re right, we might try to see each other again and that means you’ll have to fix our mess again. So why don’t you sit down and listen to what I have to say?”

“Oh?” A smile could be heard in Glave’s raised intonation, “What do you propose?”

“Why don’t you make it so that dimension traveling is stable across our three dimensions?” Immortal nodded, “You won’t regret this because you will never be bored!”     

Anemos once proposed to Ultimate that Glave’s strange requests were done out of boredom. She kept her voice low and hushed with a snide comment that was uncharacteristic of the elven woman. Ultimate couldn’t relate to the emotion as Nasods did not get bored, but she knew that humans had a tendency of finding ways to entertain themselves when placed in isolation. She could see why Glave would go to such lengths to reach out to the El Search Party when his traveling was limited to a few spots. 

“Never get bored, huh?” Nova laughed to himself, “That’s so Elsword.” 

---------------------------- 

Chevalier

In contrast to the cold weather in Varnimyr, there was nothing in Henir’s time and space. It was warm yet cold. Big, yet small. An infinite sea of platforms floated in space, small stairs suspended in midair and connected to one another. Just big enough to fit all twenty nine of them and its administrator. 

The first time he had visited Henir’s time and space was by Glave himself, who had a tendency of showing up at resting spots in Elrios. A strange light in his eyes gave away that the man had plans of his own. He wasn’t one to share his intentions and Chevalier didn’t want to do with any of it. Chevalier didn’t lack strange people in his life after he formed a pact with Ishtar. 

It has been weeks since Chevalier last saw the administrator of Henir’s time and space. With a look of boredom and a shrug, Glave offered useful information on the Dark El and a quick history lesson of the Henir heretics involvement of it. Their dependence on Glave brought discomfort to the half-demon butler. 

“Are we nothing more than entertainment for this man?” Ishtar scowled, “Fixing someone else’s mistake in exchange for our livelihood. What kind of nonsense is this?” 

Chevalier hushed the former demon ruler. He had seen the hasty plan wrapped together by the newcomers as if it was second nature for them to dimension jump at a last minute’s notice. There was no reason to give Glave a moment of doubt in handing over a gift to their group. 

“How would we travel to each other’s worlds?” Apsara asked. 

“I gave the coordinates to the nerd and the musclehead,” Paradox snorted. “I think that’s enough.” 

“This is a good idea?” Chevalier wondered aloud, “Demons have tried to cross into Elrios through portals in the past. What makes you think they won’t find out about our new access to them?” 

“It’s only a problem if you blurt it out in the cold open like the amateurs you are,” Paradox grinned. “With twelve of you, that surely won’t be a problem, would it?”

Chevalier couldn’t make head or tail(s) about the man who shared Doom Bringer’s face. The time traveler had two forms he could use however he pleased. That was how he tricked Knight into believing he was harmless, yet they were expected to take Paradox’s words as truth. The butler’s gaze locked into Bringer, who nodded as a confirmation. 

“That’s right, he gave us the coordinates for each other’s dimensions.” Bringer said, “Is that all you want to say?”

“You’re not the type to have idle conversations, are you?” Dreadlord chuckled, “I suppose it can’t be helped with our situation.”      

Was the Demon Realm they came from beyond saving? It wasn’t their world, but it was the one the El Search Party promised to protect. It was a relief to make amends with the dark elves and the other creatures living there. Despite the poor relation between demons and Elrios inhabitants, there were civilians living in both. Most importantly, it was Ishtar’s home. Behind her sly smiles was sadness and nostalgia for a place that no longer accepted her.  

Chevalier and Ishtar poured blood and sweat into fighting their way into Demon Realm to restore her reign as a ruler, only for all that effort to go to waste. He couldn’t imagine the thoughts going through Ishtar’s mind in watching her world be reduced to ashes. 

“It’s fine,” Ishar placed a hand over Chevalier’s left forearm. She said with a forced smile, “It doesn’t bother me. Everything will be okay.” 

“Are you sure?” Chevalier disliked how childish he sounded when he asked a seemingly simple, yet personal question to the one he was supposed to protect. 

“Metamorphy said it would be reset, so I’m sure of it.” She closed her eyes, “My people are no strangers to rebuilding themselves. We should be thankful Grave is agreeing to help us again. This will be the second time we owe him.”  

“That’s already several times less than some of us,” Immortal gave a light chuckle. “Are you ready then?” 

All this talk about portal and interdimensional travel was a familiar topic that gave Chevalier a migraine. He could understand why the ability to do so was so appealing to demons. With that sort of power, Chevalier would gain access to stronger allies, multiple versions of himself that would likely share the same objective as he did. It took the effort of many people to prevent such power from falling into their enemy’s possession.   

Meeting their alternates added an extra layer of complexity on top of the original intention to seek out the Dark El. The butler knew they wouldn’t hear the last about portals after the first time they attempted to cross a dimension over from Lanox. Chevaliar had doubts that their group would return to Elrios any time soon.  

“You all right, there?” Abysser’s annoying voice popped into his vicinity. “What’s going on in your mind?”

“Nothing,” Chevalier said. 

“No one thinks about nothing,” Abysser snorted. “Hey Ish, what’s he thinking?” 

“Don’t call her that!” Chevalier growled. Why was being around himself so grating? Ishtar gave Abysser a small smile, but the demon monarch mentally cackled at the exchange between the two butlers. Chevalier sent glares at the tiny demon, struggling not to fill his mind with profanities. That only made Ishtar laugh harder.

“Did I say something funny?” Abysser was concerned, “You look like you ate something bad and Ishtar is giving me a weird look.”  

Chevalier stared ahead, focusing his thoughts and eyes on Glave. The administrator’s lips were moving, but he couldn’t hear the words. For the first time, he wished Ishtar didn’t have to share the same mental space as him. The demon monarch was usually good about backing off and giving him privacy, but Ishtar was taking delight in picking at his thoughts whenever Abysser was around. Her Cheshire grin was one that was usually reserved for teasing Bluhen.      

“Ciel was telling me how much he likes you!” Ishtar dared to speak a complete lie. Her lips couldn’t have spread out even further if she tried. The demon monarch bore a mischievous smirk that was more in line with her appearance age. 

“Aw, I think you’re cool too!” Abysser beamed. 

Chevalier groaned. 

He spied a camera shot of Varnimyr from one of the reflective cubes floating nearby. They functioned similar to the Nasod technology used in Elysion to monitor the city. Red clouds swirled in a dangerous haze, obscured by dark portals consuming the rest of the sky. Demons trekked across the fiery path, seeking for shelter in confusion to what was happening to their world. The demon realm was a mirror to what Lanox was weeks before the demon invasion. So this was how Glave always knew where to find them.  

Past his former days as a hitman, Chevalier pondered on how he would use them. How easy would it be to find his target before they realized he existed and... Chevalier didn’t allow himself to complete the thought. Those days were over. He would have easily picked to live in the present than in a bloodtorn past where he too often scraped the bottom of the barrel for less savory jobs.   

“It’s okay if you don’t know what to think about any of this,” Abysser read his silence as uncertainty. His eyes glazed over the cubes. Anger appeared in a short moment before he said, “I don’t think anyone would know how to react.” 

“You think?” Chevalier gave a dark chuckle. At least Abysser’s voice was good at distracting him from those troubling thoughts. “I was questioning my sanity when you introduced yourself.” 

“I can’t be that bad,” he feigned a hurt expression. 

“It’s like a dream,” Chevalier said. “Everything gets resolved as quickly as the problem came.” 

“We must be blessed because we now have three Elswords,” Abysser smirked. “Lady Luck seems to like them.” 

“I wouldn’t call it luck if it means having to sit through the world crumbling before us,” Chevalier said. 

“You’re welcome to join them,” Abysser grinned. 

“I’ll pass,” Chevalier scoffed. 

“Don’t you ever get bored of acting cool all the time?” Abysser asked. 

Chevalier shrugged, wondering what the demon meant by that. While he was troubled by the idea of watching a dimension reset itself, Ishtar did not need to add his premature death to her list of growing worries. Having sympathy for demon realm civilians wasn’t going to make him into a martyr. He was not Knight.  

“What needs to be done to begin the reset?” Anemos asked. 

“Your visit was unexpected, so I won’t be able to start immediately to fix your… mishap.” Glave said. “For saving the dimension, I expect a token of exchange shortly after. I’m sure it won’t be difficult for one of you to acquire it.”  

Chevalier was sure the first part was a lie, but he didn’t have the proof nor motivation to say otherwise. He took Glave’s word for it and nodded in agreement. His mind glossed over the mention of payment, mildly interested in what the administrator of Henir could want. Glave had previously formed exchange services for them running errands. The requested items were often unique objects obtained from strange circumstances and battles.    

“You can tell us about the price after you finish saving the world,” Immortal said impatiently. 

Similar to Knight, he carried weight in his steps and was terse in his words. He had a sharp look in his eyes, hazy from the effect the Dark El had. Chevalier could feel the Dark El radiating from the sword user, yet he retained his reason and intelligence.  

“There will still be limitations on how many can visit different worlds,” Glave added. “Your dimensions will no longer collapse under the new laws, but having large groups together will cause a delay in regular timeflow.” 

“As in…?” Flame squinted. 

“Try not to visit in big groups,” Phantom finished for her. 

“Having big groups does make it harder to avoid detection from the enemies,” Daybreaker remarked. 

Being forced to arrive as small groups sounded cumbersome, but it was more than what he expected from Glave. Impressed by Immortal’s ability to sway the administrator of Henir, Chevalier quietly thanked the redhead and offered a pat on the shoulder. Immortal backed away, as if the young man had seen a ghost. He kept looking at the butler’s face with a careful expression before moving his eyes over to Ishtar. Fear struck across Immortal’s gaze before he apologized to Chevalier for staring. 

Confused by Immortal’s reaction, Chevalier accepted the apology but frowned. Was it something he had said? Did Immortal have a bad relationship with the other Ciel from his world? It took a split second for Chevalier to force himself away from drawing out his gunblade because of the way Immortal looked at Ishtar, an expression he was quick to recognize. It was one of fear mixed with anger. What did the other Lu do to make Immortal respond like that?   

“Forget it.” Immortal rubbed the back of his head, a trait he shared with Rune and Knight when frustrated. “I need to let the others know what’s happening.” 

“I know you have a lot on your plate, but Glave won’t be ready any time soon.” Chevalier said. He wished there was something he could do to help the young man. “You should take the time to rest.” 

“Lucky for us, time doesn’t exist here.” Immortal let out a dark chuckle.  

“So after this, we’ll return to where we were before like nothing happened?” Chevalier asked. 

Immortal nodded. 

Rune’s group would go back to Elrianode before they entered Demon Realm. Would they once again attempt to enter their Demon Realm or would they change plans and remain in the ancient city? Chevalier and his friends would return to a restored Varnimyr with its inhabitants being none the wiser, still in danger because of a strong demonic presence they have yet to identify. Where would Immortal and the others go? 

“Don’t waste your time thinking about the things that don’t exist in your world,” Immortal said. He gave the butler a critical expression, “I’m sure you’re curious about what my world is like, but that’s our problem to figure out.” 

Problem? Chevalier realized he was judging a group of people he had only met a few hours ago and felt guilty. It wasn’t his place to make opinions on something he didn’t understand. 

“Perhaps we’ll meet again under better circumstances,” Chevalier said. 

“Maybe,” Immortal’s expression softened. Despite his young face, there was age in his eyes. Chevalier didn’t understand why, but he sympathized with Immortal’s struggle to hold the team together. That was something he could relate to. “Maybe not.” 

“Can you at least tell me if you found the Dark El?” Chevalier asked when Immortal excused himself. 

The redhead broke into a burst of genuine laughter, “Would I be here if I knew the answer?” 

----------------------------   

Immortal 

Resting his head back against the palm of his hands, Immortal took deep and controlled breaths as Shakti had taught him. He felt his chest hover before deflating, letting his mind wander off into the distance and blocking out the pointless chatter around him. 

More waiting. Nothing he could do to speed it up. Time didn’t exist in Henir’s Time and Space, which was great because that meant the stakes were lower, but made the extraneous delay worse for the sword user. Immortal was itching to get up and find something to do. 

Paradox didn’t trust Glave, but it wasn’t a question about trust. Glave was useful. He had access to knowledge and power that could easily switch their position in their current battle against the demons. Immortal wasn’t going to ignore a viable resource, not when Glave was so eager to offer his services. 

It was torturous sitting around and waiting for Glave to do his thing and send them back. To hell with Glave saying their visit was unexpected. He knew the guy was keeping a careful watch on his group. Something about them having “potential”, whatever that meant. Glave was never confused when his team visited the administrator, often offering them valuable information they needed. There was no reason for Glave to begin being surprised by their appearances.

Immortal’s concentration was broken by girlish giggling. Scowling at nothing in particular, he opened his eyes to see Metamorphy pointing at Paradox while talking to Devi. The magical girl motioned a pair of cat ears with the use of her index fingers. Devi had a similar expression as Immortal, confused by Metamorphy’s chatter. Flame was amused and mouthed a few words Immortal couldn’t hear over the rest of the mob.    

“It’s hard to hear your own thoughts,” Nova commented. The older man settled down next to Immortal. “I’m surprised it took effort to find them.” 

“I’m surprised too,” Immortal mumbled. “We should have let Aisha lead.”

“She would be happy to hear that.” He could hear the smile in Nova’s tone without looking at the former mercenary. “Convincing Glave to let the paths crossover more than once was a bold move.”

“So was letting the Dark El take over.” Immortal balanced one of his blades to see his reflection shine over its glossy edge and smirked, “I’m a bold guy.”

“If you say so,” Nova chuckled. “I understand wanting to restore their dimensions, but why take the extra steps to let them transverse to our worlds?”

Portals weren’t a novelty for Elrios. Humans and demons alike have spent centuries toying with the idea of interdimensional travel, fighting to ignore the barriers placed by the gods to prevent them from mingling. In many ways, demons held very human qualities in wanting what couldn’t be obtained. If it wasn’t Knight or Rune’s teams attempting to use portals, Immortal was sure the demons would make additional attempts to break into another dimension. 

“I like to call it a haunch,” Immortal said. “Just in case something like this happens again. Besides, they could use the extra help.”

“In fighting Rosso?” Nova raised a brow. 

“Not so loud!” Immortal shushed him, “I don’t think they know about him yet, at least that’s what Paradox told me.” 

“Letting them know won’t hurt them,” Nova gently told him. “They already know they will make it because of us.”  

Immortal questioned if it was wiser to let the other El Search Parties know what they were getting themselves into. His team had barely scraped out of the battle with bloodied cuts and bruises that took days to heal. Unlike Knight’s team, they had no healers and relied on potions crafted by their alchemists.

What would he tell Knight and Rune? That they were going to be ambushed by a burning midget with a giant blade? Immortal sighed, frustrated by the dilemma. Their timelines were already tangled up thanks to Paradox. There was no use in hiding knowledge from each other, yet he hesitated.     

Their small team of eight grew at Rosso’s awakening. Paradox showed up when the first blood was drawn. When asked why, the time traveler shrugged with a mischievous smile. Immortal could never understand what went through Paradox’s mind and wasn’t sure if he wanted to. 

It was one of the rare fights that summoned Iblis and Anular from the depths of hell. Iblis’s face was twisted with madness and delight in the pain she was able to inflict on their enemy, dragging Anular along on an invisible chain formed by their twisted bond. Their party was down to the last of its members able to fight when Immortal thought he saw red hair and a claymore before passing out. When he woke up, Bloody Queen was nowhere to be seen. 

“You think our help will be enough?” Immortal pondered on the implications of being able to regularly interact with his alternates. They were just a walking distance from him, but he couldn’t bring himself to face them. 

Nova noticed his hesitance. 

“You should check on them,” Nova followed his gaze over to the two red haired men talking to each other. “I’ll let you know when it’s time for us to leave.”

“What if they hate me?” Immortal was surprised by his own doubt, annoyed by how honest he sounded.  

“Before you finish that thought, I think they’re more concerned about their problems than about you.” Nova said without heat in his words, “They followed you through this plan because they believed in you. I think your appearance might be a breath of fresh air for them.” 

“You sure put a lot of faith into this eighteen year old,” Immortal laughed. 

“If age was a concern, I wouldn’t have followed you when we first met.” Nova smiled. “If they give you trouble, I can talk to them too.” 

“I don’t think that will happen,” Immortal laughed again. Knight and Rune were foolish, but had good intentions. That made three of them. He gave a mock salute to Nova with a toothy grin, “I won’t be gone for long.”  

It wasn’t hard to find Knight and Rune. They sat huddled together like they have known each other for years, speaking hushed whispers that raised Immortal’s radar. He forced those thoughts away, putting on a big smile as he was supposed to. Relaxed, waving at the two as if he wasn’t bothered by the idea of being the bringer of bad news that they were going to have to deal with a half-demon brat in a matter of hours, two weeks in Rune’s case. 

“Yo!” Immortal heard himself speak. He waved to them, “Fancy seeing you two here!”

“You’re the one who brought us here,” Knight waved back with a sigh. 

“I know,” Immortal kept smiling. “I told you I would help you guys get home!” 

“That felt a little too easy,” Rune said. “Do things always go smoothly for you?” 

“No,” Immortal heard Knight’s voice alongside his. He stopped to look at Knight, who wasn’t as surprised. “Really?”

“Yes,” Knight stressed. The look on his face was one of someone who was exhausted from all the interrogating from others. Impatient, he pressed his hand against his forehead when he saw doubt in his alternates. “Maybe the things I went through weren't as long and strenuous as it was for you, but I have struggles too!” 

“Never said I didn’t believe you,” Rune patted Knight on the back. “Just surprised, that’s all.”

Even if Immortal had purposely avoided talking to Rune and Knight up to this point, he was envious of how easy it was for them to talk to each other. Knight and Rune lacked the tension in their shoulders, relaxed and eager to trust others. It wasn’t that Immortal couldn’t relax, but there was a constant nagging voice in the back of his mind. Conwell urged him to take the next step to avoid the uncertainty of death. 

“Did you make Raven worried again?” Rune asked. 

“Me? Worry him?” Immortal smirked at the idea,“When isn’t he worried? He’s going to get white hair if he keeps fussing like that.” 

“Ours already has white hair,” Knight said without humor. 

Having only caught a short glimpse of Rage from a distance, Immortal was only able to recognize the former mercenary by the monstrous arm. It was nothing like what Immortal was used to, a strange mesh of machinery and organic compounds.   

Rune threw his head back and let his hair flop over his face in uncontrolled laughter. Covered in runes, his appearance was a sharp contrast to Knight’s conservative armored look. It was amazing how consistent their looks were to their personalities. If not for their shared names, they could have been different people. 

“Anyway, I think it’s only fair I share some information about what’s coming up for both of you.” Immortal ran one hand through his hair. 

“You mean what was causing the earthquakes in Varnimyr?” Knight asked, “Yeah, Paradox mentioned something about that. Rune and I were talking about that.” 

“Did Paradox mention how strong the next enemy was?” Immortal asked. 

“We’re going to have to fight something stronger?” Rune laughed, “When is that not the case?” 

They were taking the news better than Immortal thought, maybe too calmly. He didn’t like how quick Rune was to accept his word. No hesitance or questioning involved. Maybe Paradox was right about him needing more caffeine. Knight blinked, letting the new information process before nodding in agreement to Rune. He looked at Immortal with interest and ushered him to keep talking. 

Well, that’s why Immortal was here - letting them know what they were getting themselves into. It wasn’t going to stop them from going after Rosso, because they were Elsword and none of them could ignore someone’s cry for help. If no one was going to fight Rosso, who would? The ones who felt the most connection to the El. Good gods, why did all of them have to be big damn heroes?    

“The enemy will be heavily protected from outside its tower,” Immortal explained. “You need to take down the barriers quickly before they overwhelm you. Make use of everyone’s abilities and distribute your strengths. If one person gets shot down, let someone else take over.”

“People died?” Knight looked alarmed. 

“No,” Immortal realized his wording and stepped back. “But you’re going to need all the help you can get.” 

“Is that why you asked Glave to let our dimensions overlap?” Rune asked. 

Immortal cocked his head to the side, “Am I scaring you yet?”

“Not really.” Knight’s brave front was betrayed by his face losing color. Clearing his throat, he said, “Telling us what you know will make the fight easier.” 

“Will it be easier?” Immortal asked more for himself than to the others. “I doubt things will ever be easy for any of us, but you’ll continue?”

“Of course!” Rune bumped his fist up, “Who the hell do you think we are?”

Knight nodded in agreement. 

“Figures,” Immortal smiled. “Then I see no point in stopping either of you from doing what you have to do.”

He sat with his legs crossed with his body leaned back, looking up to the stars surrounding Henir’s time and space. No wonder Glave kept finding excuses to leave this bubble and interfere with his group. There was nothing to see once the novelty in the monitor panels and space wore off. 

“What’s your team like?” Knight asked. 

“You already saw half of them,” Immortal said. “What do you think?”

“Blunt. They have a lot of energy,” Knight after some thought, clearly putting careful consideration into his response. How cute.   

“They have a lot of powers we haven’t seen before,” Rune commented. “Where did Paradox learn to use portals?”

“None of us know,” Immortal shrugged. “Metamorphy thinks Glave is involved, but that’s besides the point. Paradox does what he wants.” 

“You mean he isn’t with you?” Knight asked. 

“Yes and no,” Immortal said. “Our team is a little smaller than yours because we don’t travel together.” 

Immortal saw the wheels spinning in Knight’s head, taking in the new information and forming new questions to throw at the sword wielder. He caught the red-haired knight tongue-tied on whether to probe further. It didn’t matter to him. If Knight asked, he would let the other know that their team functioned differently. Having a smaller team didn’t bother Immortal. It made traveling easier and drew in less attention. 

“It must be hard fighting that enemy if you had a smaller group,” Rune said. 

“We’ve managed,” Immortal replied. 

Although Iblis, Anular, and Paradox had joined for the bigger fights, he wasn’t sure if they counted as allies. Their loyalties laid elsewhere, not in him. Anular followed wherever the corrupted queen went and Paradox had a separate agenda unrelated to the El. It was better than no help at all. He wanted to offer the two El Search Parties more than that. No one deserved to barely scrape by with burns and blisters on their sides. 

“I hope we get to see each other more after this,” Knight spoke up. His voice was quiet, but firm. There was determination in his tone. “Not just to help each other, but to talk. It would be nice to stop thinking about saving the world for once.” 

“You need to come visit!” Rune exclaimed, “Not sure how similar our worlds are, but it would be nice to take a break once in a while.”

“That sounds nice,” Immortal closed his eyes. 

Yeah… he liked the idea of that. When was the last time Immortal rested and didn’t stop to think about the state of the world? Traveling with his friends for the last several years was fun, but it’s been months since Immortal got to enjoy himself. Maybe he could ask COBO services for suggestions. 

“Elsword!’ Nova’s voice forced him to blink and look up. “Glave said he’s ready!”

“What do you know, it’s already time.” Immortal murmured to himself. “Guess it’s time to watch the world end.” 

“It’ll be okay.” Even Knight sounded unsure. He turned to Immortal for help, “Right?”

“Guess we’ll find out very soon,” Rune had an uneasy smile. “We have the front row seats to watch it unfold.” 

Immortal wondered what went through Rune and Knight’s minds as they passively sat there and witnessed a cruel image. Displayed on multiple screens was the same climatic scene of a redden world. Varnimyr was already red from the chaos caused by Rosso, but the portals have crushed the mountains and trees that made up the region. They dissipated into fine dust and sucked into the portals. The inhabitants’ cries were silenced by the light. 

A blinding light flared from where they stood, beaming downward into a distant galaxy containing the demon realm. Immortal watched the light consume what was left of the crumbling dimension with a promise of starting anew. His very being felt electrified in response to the Dark El in the demon realm inverting on itself.

Glave remained standing in silence. His fingers traced over a diagram of portals overlaying between different spheres of galaxies and interdimensional planes. The display of writing and symbols meant nothing to Immortal. 

“I look forward to watching the three of you make use of the reset” He heard Glave chuckle, “Don’t let it go to waste.” 

He watched as Glave manipulated something to make the lines intertwine before his body snapped into shock. Unable to hold his head up, Immortal lost his focus and closed his eyes. Glave’s laughter echoed in his head.    

[archadianskies]

your hand in my hand, so still and discreet

→ Part one

→ on Ao3

He knew it was going to rain at some point that day, he just wished it happened later rather than sooner. Daniel groaned as the first few droplets splattered atop his head, and he pulled his hood up as he looked around for shelter. The mountain pass was a long, winding, steep little track that was already difficult during the best weather and so he knew it would be wise to wait out the storm rather than hurrying down the rest of the way, even if he didn’t have far to go.

There was an alcove up ahead, not large enough to be a cave but deep enough to provide ample shelter from the elements. Daniel carefully made his way towards it, nearly stumbling twice before he crawled into its furthest end and hugged his knees. He tucked the bag of mushrooms at his side, mindful not to crush them and make the arduous journey all for nothing. 

Simon wouldn’t be mad, that wasn’t Simon’s way, no, he’d be worried firstly about Daniel’s well-being and then he would be disappointed in that quiet way of his. That’s just how Simon was, his silly soft brother with his silly soft heart that he gave away so easily. It’s why Daniel tried so hard to protect him, tried so hard to do all the hard labour so Simon could stay home with their herb garden and all his little bottles, all his little tins and sachets. 

Simon was always the more powerful witch between them. Daniel was too rough, too explosive with his magic, unable to harness it usefully like Simon. He took after their mother that way, her magic was always tied so strongly to her emotions but useless in the day to day save for what small encouragement she would ebb into her light touches. Simon was like their father, with his quiet nurturing ways, steadfast and hardworking and where he poured his magic into woodworks, Simon poured his into potions. 

And it had been an ordinary life, a slow and harmless one, until one day Daniel realised they were intending to sell to a coven in exchange for a larger casting ground, one where the soil was more fertile and rich with runes. Their own flesh and blood, sold to a coven where they would be worked like slaves, the magic bled from them for stupid things, for tourist trinkets, or poured into the marble to strengthen the foundations of a casting ground.

He’d snapped. He could remember the air crackling, the hairs on his arms rising as magic thrummed in the air and he remembered the look of horror on their faces and he remembered thinking: yes, that’s right. This is all your fault. The explosion levelled their home and burnt the garden to ashes and there were no bodies left to bury. Just Simon standing there with tears streaming down his sooty face. And that’s how it had been from that day forth. Just Simon and him, making their way through life in a faraway quiet town where no one knew their name. There were a few witches too, which made it feel less foreign. 

Not that he spent much time in town. He preferred to fetch Simon whatever he required, he preferred to keep himself moving so as not to dwell on the past. It’s why he had left before dawn’s light that day, making the trek up the mountain pass to the mushroom caves where rare, glowing mushrooms grew. Simon would use those for healing tinctures, and Daniel would use the ordinary mushrooms that grew outside the cave for beef and mushroom pie. It was always worth the trip. He just wished he had control over the weather. That certainly would have been a more useful power.

The rain starts to come down in sheets, louder and louder, and Daniel hopes against hope that it doesn’t turn into a storm. He can’t stand storms. A large shadow suddenly blocks out what dim light made it into the alcove, and Daniel looks up just in time to see a huge feathered creature clumsily scrabbling for purchase, no doubt also trying to hide from the rain. Daniel grabbed the precious bag of mushrooms, hugging them to his chest as the creature tried to curl itself up to fit in the small space. Their eyes met, and Daniel found himself looking at a rather human face, with claret-coloured eyes, and a soft pleasing mouth opened slightly in curiosity.

“Oh.” It spoke, tipping its head with a smile. “You’re a witch.”

“You’re a Fae.” Daniel frowned, tightening his hold on his bag as the creature wriggled to sit up, tucking its massive wings at its back.

“I’m Connor, the Crown Prince of the Rose Court.” He offered a blackened hand with long talons and Daniel looked at it incredulously before carefully giving it a shake.

“I’m Daniel. From uh. From the town of Jericho.”

“You were at the caves.” Connor held up a pouch dangling from his wrist. “I was there too. Looks like we both got caught by the storm.”

“It’s not a storm.” Daniel muttered, and Connor looked over his shoulder at the incessant rain.

“It will be. I can feel the lightning gathering.” Daniel swallowed thickly, trying to calm his breathing.

“I hate storms.”

“They never last.” Connor reassured lightly. “Do you use the mushrooms for curatives?”

“My brother does.” Daniel peeked inside the bag, comforted by the soft blue glow the mushrooms emitted. “We take orders from the townsfolk for curatives. He’s the magic caster and I’m the errand boy.”

“That’s not entirely true, you brim with magic.” Connor pointed out, and Daniel scowled.

“It isn’t a useful kind of magic.”

“You could be a powerful caster for a noble family.”

“I’d rather die than be enslaved to a family as some attack dog.” He scoffed, reminded all too well of accidentally discovering the signed contract his father hadn’t meant to leave out on the table. 

“Fair enough.” Connor nodded, dropping the subject. “Are you the older or younger brother?”  

“Older.” The rain was so loud it seemed to fill his head with its deluge and had to raise his voice a little to even hear himself. He thought of Simon back at home, waiting for him, likely worried because that’s just what Simon did: worry over Daniel. “We’re twins but I’m the older one. It’s been just me and Simon for a decade and a half now.”

“I’m the older brother too.” Connor smiled. “My younger brother, Ronan, is actually bigger than me. He’s a Knight and protects our Court. We look almost like twins if not for our size, and his eyes are grey.”

“My brother looks exactly like me.” Daniel snorted a laugh. “Except softer, somehow. That’s just how Simon is.”

“My brother is surprisingly gentle. Well, not surprising to me but to others.” Connor added, shuffling a little so his back was pressed to the same wall Danny leaned on. From this close Daniel could feel the magic that seemed to pulse out of him, that same aura all the fae had wrapped around them. 

“Does the Queen really let her son fly around and fetch mushrooms?” Daniel narrowed his eyes and the smile he received in reply was incredibly sheepish.

“She didn’t exactly...give her permission. And I wasn’t meant to be gone long!” Connor added hastily, chewing his lip as he looked out at the rain. “It’s just too dangerous for me to try and fly home right now.”

A flash of lightning seared white light in his vision temporarily and a loud clap of thunder rolled in its wake. Daniel winced, feeling his heartbeat spike in terror. He was there again, there in their family home with the crackle of magic like lightning in the air. He could hear the crash, the bang, the explosion of his magic blowing the home apart and the thunderous downfall of wood and stone hitting the ground. 

Squeezing his eyes shut, he clapped his hands over his ears and pressed hard to try and drown out the sound. He hated storms, he hated storms so very much and he wanted to be home instead, he wanted to be by the fire or perhaps by the ovens making Simon beef and mushroom pie with rosemary from their garden because it was Simon’s favourite and-

Hands slid over his own, warm large hands, cupped close to his head. When he opened his eyes Connor looked at him with concern, brows creased in that worrisome way as he held his hands over Daniel’s tightly, the added barrier successful in reducing the thunder to barely a murmur. Shuffling forward, Connor carefully unfurled his massive wings and curled them around Daniel, cocooning him from seeing anything other than black feathers. Belatedly he realised he was trembling almost violently, but the moment Connor folded him close his breathing shakily settled into something manageable, something less panicked. 

Closing his eyes again, Daniel leaned forward and rested his brow against Connor’s shoulder. He felt, rather than heard, him make a soft hum in acknowledgement, and Daniel focused on the rise and fall of his broad chest and the steady thrum of his powerful heartbeat and everything was alright for now.

*~* 

The sound came back gradually and Daniel stirred from the light sleep he’d accidentally fallen into. Connor looked down at him with a small smile, arms back at his sides and no longer clamped over Daniel’s ears.

“The rain’s stopped now.” He said, once Daniel lowered his own hands.

“Better head home before the Queen gets really upset.” Daniel managed a quirk of a grin, and Connor smiled that sheepish smile again.

“Yes. That and my brother will be worried, and when he’s worried he’s prone to lecturing me.”

“Oh same.” Daniel laughed, gathering his bag and slinging it at his back. “I better get going too. Still have to make my way through the forest before I reach home.”

“The mountain path is incredibly dangerous.” Connor frowned. “You should wait until it dries a little, otherwise you could fall very easily.”

“Won’t make it home by nightfall if I do that.” Daniel shrugged. “It’s okay, I’ll be careful.”

“Simon would not think that’s okay if you were to twist your ankle, or break a leg trying to rush home.” Connor huffed and Daniel thought, oh, this must be how Simon feels, to be Older Brothered all the time. “I will fly you home.”

“You will not!” Daniel gaped, shaking his head. “That’s the worst idea ever! There are hunters in our town!”

“Well they won’t be out anyway. That storm would’ve driven everyone home. They won’t be in the forest, and there’s still heavy cloud cover anyway.” Connor said matter of factly, in the exact same stubborn way Daniel often spoke to Simon. “I will fly above the clouds and occasionally dip down to get my bearings. I’ll fly you to the outskirts of the forest, closest to your home.”

“Connor-”

“I’m doing it.” Connor cut him off with a Look and Daniel scowled. “Hey, don’t give me attitude, I’m not doing this just for you you know. I’m going this for Simon, because I know my own little brother will be worrying back at home too.”

“Ugh, okay, alright fine!” Daniel grumbled, following Connor out of the alcove. “How...do I-?”

“Oh, like this.” Connor stepped forward and wrapped his arms around him much like giving him an embrace. That was all the notice he gave before he crouched down and jumped up, pushing off the ground and beating his massive wings to climb higher and higher and higher. Daniel may have yelled. He clung tightly to him, face buried in his feathered shoulder, unable to manage more than an occasional glance below. The mushroom cave was high up, but not this high. Daniel’s never seen everything look so...small. 

True to his word Connor stays above the heavy grey clouds, dipping only briefly below to situate himself. Daniel managed to recognise the thick sprawling cluster of trees and he knew they were almost home. 

“I’m guessing that quaint little cottage and wonderful garden is your home?” 

“Yes, but don’t drop me off in front of it, Simon will kill me!” Daniel hissed, and Connor laughed indulgently.

“Alright, I’ll land a ways off and you can walk the rest of the way.” The prince tucked his wings close to his body and the sudden freefall made Daniel yelp in surprise, clutching at Connor’s shoulders a little too hard. The ground rose up to meet them at an alarming rate, and just when Daniel thought he truly was about to smash into jam, Connor opened his wings and buffeted them up briefly before making a gentle landing and depositing Daniel back on his feet. He promptly fell to his knees, legs like jelly, and Connor crouched down worriedly.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. No? I’m-” Daniel stammered, accepting his hand as he helped him upright. “I’m just glad I’m back on solid ground. Um thank you. For- for back there. During the storm. And for flying me home.”

“It’s alright. It was nice talking to someone-” he paused, searching for the right word, “not in the Court. You didn’t treat me differently. We were just...two strangers, sheltering from the storm. So thank you.”

Oh that’s right. Connor was the Crown Prince. Daniel had forgotten some time ago, some time before he held him close and drowned out the bad memories. 

“Now hurry home, so Ronan doesn’t worry.” Daniel ordered, because aside from being the Crown Prince, Connor was also the big brother and had an equally worried little brother waiting at home. The fae smiled, all sharp teeth that somehow didn’t frighten Daniel one bit.

“Got it.” And with a powerful downstroke of his great black wings, he was airborne.

*~*~*

Ronan was, predictably, pacing the large landing balcony. Upon spotting his brother, a myriad of emotions flashed across his face- worry, anger, relief, gratitude- he settled on relief when Connor’s feet touched the tile, wrapping his arms around him tightly.

“When the storm rolled in-”

“I’m fine.” Connor soothed, nuzzling into his shoulder affectionately. “Connor I was so worried! Not only did you sneak out, you didn’t even take me with you!” Ronan clutched him almost desperately. “What someone had ambushed you?”

“Nothing happened. I just waited out the storm, that’s all.” Connor held out the little pouch dangling from his wrist. “I got those mushrooms from the cave.”

“Thiriums?” Ronan brightened, accepting the bag and peering inside to marvel at their blue glow. “I’ll have the cooks make us that pie we like.” His smile vanished and he frowned. “I am still mad at you for leaving.”

“I know.” Connor laughed. “I thought this could at least soften the blow.”

“Why do you smell like-” he wrinkled his nose thoughtfully, trying to place the scent. “I don’t know. You smell like...Magic?”

“I met a witch. We both sheltered from the storm together, in an alcove on the mountain pass.” He thought of Daniel’s bright blue eyes and his sharp handsome face. “He was up gathering thiriums too. His younger twin makes them into curatives.”

“Oh?” Ronan blinked, intrigued as he led Connor inside, waving away the servants to fetch him a towel himself so he could pat down his feathers. “That’s quite the journey for a witch if they’re from Jericho. That’s the closest town but that’s still a long trek.” 

“It’s what I’d do for you.” Connor tapped his nose. “I got these for you, after all.” 

“Don’t guilt me into forgiving you.” Ronan huffed, freezing when he spotted their mother behind him. He straightened and bowed respectfully as Connor scrambled to do the same.

“Mother-”

“I’m sure Ronan already lectured you?” She cocked a perfectly arched brow. Connor sighed.

“Yes, he did.” 

“Well. There’s no use in me repeating the lecture.” She looked from one brother to the other. “Clean yourself and have the thiriums sent to the cooks. I can almost smell the pie already.” A faint smile graced her lips and Connor tried not to look so eager when he returned it.

“Yes mother.” 

 “What was he like? The witch?” Ronan asked curiously once the Queen was gone. “I’ve never met one, they know to stay away from the Courts unless they come to bargain.”

“He was…” Bristly and defensive and yet soft at heart. Warm to hold, and smelled like berries and lavender. “Nice. Pleasant to talk to. Wary of me but I think he was more worried about his brother worrying about him at home. They live on the outskirts of the forest, on the other side of the end at the foot of the mountain pass. He spoke very fondly, dearly, of his younger twin. I think we bonded over our role as the older brother.”

There was a pause, lengthy, and he thought the conversation over when Connor spoke again, quieter this time as if too shy to share such things.

“He looked like winter; hair the colour of the winter sun, and eyes the colour of clear winter skies.” Connor shook his head as if trying to shake himself from his reverie. “I think he was beautiful.” 

Ronan turned that piece of information over and over in his head. A home on the outskirts of the forest, on the other side of the end at the foot of the mountain pass. Two witches, brothers, one a kindly, dear potion maker and the other a nice, pleasant gatherer. How very curious. Perhaps it would be his turn to sneak out of the palace. Perhaps it would be his turn for a new adventure and perhaps meet an unlikely new pair of friends.

[nd43kinks]

important fjord and caddy daddy thoughts

you know i have Thoughts.  In this, Fjord is trans and Cad is genderfluid with a penis.

because it’s me i have to insist that fjord gets pregnant while they are having some sort of wildmother ritual sex.  because i love that shit.

normally Cad is pretty passive when they have sex, he’s a chill service top who takes things slow with Fjord, but this ritual gets him in his rut and he becomes so possessive, so feral with want for fjord that it’s kinda overwhelming.  I dunno if firbolgs should have knots but if they do this is definitely the first time he knots fjord.

they have sex in a field and their union makes flowers bloom around them because WILDMOM APPROVES.

the intention was not to have a baby, it’s the passion of the union that the ritual requires, so they don’t really think much about it in the coming weeks, until fjord starts getting morning sickness (which he fears is ukatoa trying to control him again)

they find out when Cad is healing fjord after a battle and senses the little heartbeat

THE WHOLE GANG GOES CRAZY.  A BABY!??! A BABY!!!!!  They lose their goddamn minds.

Fjord is insistent that he stays traveling with the group even in “his condition”.  he doesn’t want to be left behind.  Everyone becomes so much more protective of him.  Fjord definitely has to endure some conversations about his recklessness and impulsive tendencies in fights from the group, but not from Cad.  Cad understands him.

They spend a lot of time talking about the kid.  Caduceus comes from a big family, and has always dreamed of having a large one of his own, while Fjord never really knew what having a family was like... they’re both excited and scared but so HAPPY to be doing this together.

there’s a lot of sweet firbolg nuzzles on fjord’s belly as he starts to show, and cad talks to the baby all the time.

They are... concerned about gestation, since Firbolgs gestate for about two years, and orcs for only about 6 months.  Cad is very attentive and monitors Fjord’s health constantly.

the baby is pretty active when it gets bigger, especially when Fjord uses magic.

cad has always been pretty soft with fjord but he gets so much Softer and tender with lots of long glances and lingering touches and gentle kisses.  Fjord was already so in love with him but this erases any doubt he may have still had - he’d absolutely die for this firbolg man.

The Nein are all pretty much constantly on Baby Alert now, and they all have their own way of dealing with it.  Jester especially is so ready to be Auntie Jesse, and she constantly gives (terrible) suggestions as to what to name the baby.

Nott is also constantly giving Fjord teasingly bad advice... as the only parent in the group, she’s the expert, but she can’t help but mess with fjord.  Fjord pretends to believe her constantly, causing her to freak out when it appears that he really is going to do something like eat nightshade to “make the baby stronger.“

There has to be some sort of scare at one point where Caduceus goes down in a fight, maybe protecting Fjord, and Jester has to rush to heal him while Fjord is desperately trying to hold his hand and press it to his belly with urgent cries of “stay with me!  stay with us!”

When fjord’s belly gets too large to wear armor anymore, he begrudgingly agrees to step back from combat when able.  He doesn’t like it, but the baby kicks too much to really be an effective fighter anymore, and his large belly is just a huge target now.

after passing the nine month mark (longer than orcs or humans usually carry for), the toll on Fjord’s body starts to be too much, and he has to be bedridden.  I’m not sure if it’s at the Clay family home (I haven’t gotten that far but it seems chill) or at the Lavish Chateu (Marion being a great help to them as a mother herself) or just at the Xhorhaus.

the baby is big for Fjord’s body, being half firbolg, so he looks like he’s having multiples even though it’s just the one.

it’s hard to judge when he will go into labor, but they all agree it will be “early” for a firbolg child.  There’s no way his body will hold up for two years like this, and while it’s unclear exactly how long a quarter-human?-quarter-orc-half-firbolg should gestate, they pretty much all agree fjord won’t be able to hold on that long.  They all brace themselves for a premature birth and hope the baby will survive.

his water breaks at 10.5 months, and he goes into labor surrounded by the nien, all of them reassuring him and doing their best to help.  Caduceus is Afraid, and never lets go of Fjord’s hand.  Nott actually delivers the baby with help from Caleb.

She’s Big for a human but Small for a firbolg, and the labor lasts hours.  But finally she is free, and she is breathing, and Caleb places her gently on Fjord’s chest.

the moment he sees her Fjord knows he will never be the same again.  He’s now 600% devoted to this little baby.  She’s got big floppy ears like a firbolg, and a scruff of course black hair down her back like an orc, but she’s covered in downy grey fur and has a shocking tuft of pink on top of her head.

he is instantly worried in his post-labor delirium that she’s a runt (how big should she be?!?  We just don’t know) but Cad assures him she’s beautiful and perfect.  She’ll need to be watched closely, they’ll need to take care of her round the clock until they’re sure she’s healthy, but they’re in new territory here, and they don’t know what to expect from a baby with this genetic background.

I feel like they name her either Camila, Cleo, or Celeste.

It’s touch and go for a while, but the baby pulls through and eventually gains the strength and weight she needs.  It’s not hard when she has two dads and four aunts and one uncle to watch her constantly.  They all take turns staying up with her and feeding her and rocking her to sleep.

All of the nien turn out to be great with kids.  Jester loves to play with the baby and keep her entertained with magic.  Beau shows what a great older sister she would have been for her baby brother, constantly bouncing the baby and keeping her smiling.  Nott can barely hold her, she’s so big for her, but she still gives advice to the new dads (though now her advice is much more truthful).  Caleb is like “oh god i cannot hold the baby i will drop her or something” but once he gets used to having her in his arms she’s inseparable from him.  She ADORES her uncle Caleb.  Yasha is a little more reserved, the group gets the impression that she would have liked to have kids with her wife, but she’s tender and sweet with the baby and holds her like she’s made of glass.

Fjord’s milk production is usually not enough to keep her full, so Caduceus asks the wildmother for help.  She grants Cad milk of his own, so the baby can stay healthy.  They take turns letting her nurse, and Fjord’s heart grows three sizes every time he sees his little girl curled up in Cad’s arms to suckle.

When the baby gets a little older, Fjord and Cad discover she has firbolg magic (she’s able to disappear, which has caused Much Panic from Fjord).  She also grows in her Tusks pretty quick, making Fjord’s attempts to breastfeed her significantly more complicated.

Despite all the panic from the pregnancy and premature birth, Fjord is talking about having more kids pretty quickly.  Cad insists that they should, like... actually do some preparation this time, now that they kinda know what to expect.  They research potions and magics to help with the pregnancy and ease the strain on Fjord’s body.

The next time Fjord gets pregnant, it’s twins, so he’s fucking glad they did that research lol

[yandere-daydreams]

Some Yandere!Kyoya/Reader/Tamaki for the lovely @lunalightmidnight . It’s been too long since I’ve written for these boys, honestly. 

Word Count: ~2k

You could hear the door to your room start to unlock before you saw either of your captors. Twelve deadbolts, all lined-up vertically, lightly worn from both your efforts to break them and normal wear-and-tear. You briefly considered getting up and attempting to hide in some dark corner, but one glance around the small, cramped cell freed you of that possibility. Maybe it would’ve been better if you had some closet to lock yourself in, or a window to crawl out of. Instead, the only comfort you had was the small, paper-thin mattress, laid next to the books Tamaki had been kind enough to give you.

Forcing yourself into a corner, you pulled your knees up to your chin, hiding your face the best you could. You could vaguely hear the door crack open, Tamaki and Kyoya stepping inside, but stopping before they reached you. You knew they were whispering, but neither of them had ever been good at that sort of thing.

“...she’s not eating,” Tamaki said quietly, the harshness in his voice still coming through clearly.

Kyoya sighed. You could almost see him rubbing his temples, in only out of habit. “I know, love. I can see as well as you can.”

“Well, what are we going to do?! I swear, if you say-”

“We aren’t going to do anything, and that’s final. Things will work out, you’ll see.”

There were a few seconds of tense silence, before Tamaki huffed, taking a few hesitant steps towards you. A hand ran through your messy hair, smoothing it out. Or trying to, at least. You knew he was kneeling in front of you, that damned smile still spread across his lips, but you didn’t dare to look up. You only shifted when his palm pressed against your cheek, the warm skin a stark contrast against the cold room.

“Hey there, darling. Are you alright?” He asked, almost sweetly. Gently, he tilted your chin up, forcing you to look at him. Both he and Kyoya were still dressed formerly, like they’d just gotten home. Half of you was touched that the first thing they did was come visit you, while the other half wanted to beg them to leave. “Why aren’t you on your bed? Is something upsetting you?”

You choked down a sob, trying to keep your voice as neutral as you could. But, acknowledging your situation while maintaining the unfulfilling level of emotion you wanted to display was… difficult, to say the least. “You kidnapped me. I’m never going to be ‘alright’ again.”

Finally, Kyoya stepped forward, putting his hand on the blonde’s shoulder. “I think what he’s trying to say,” Kyoya paused, glaring down at his counterpart. Tamaki took the hint, letting go of you and slotting himself into your side. “Is that we’re trying to make you as comfortable as possible. Is there anything you need, (Y/n)?”

“My family,” You stuttered out, frantically. You’d already tried asking to go outside, to leave your room, to roam around while they weren’t home, but all you’d ever gotten was disappointed stares and a lecture on how you had to be good before you got any privileges. Small things got a response, at least. “Are they looking for me?”

The two exchanged a look, but only for a moment. Tamaki nodded, and Kyoya gave up trying to stand, just sitting in front of you. He took your hand, and for once, you didn’t resist. As long as he told you what you wanted to know, he could do whatever he wanted. “Not exactly… I mean, I wouldn’t call it looking.”

“They filed a missing-person report,” Tamaki added, optimistically.

You pursed your lips, squeezing Kyoya’s hand, coaxing him to continue. He averted his eyes, dropping the empathetic pretense. “They don’t care. But, that doesn’t matter. You’re home now, with us. You shouldn’t have to care about anyone out there.”

At that point, you couldn’t take it anymore. You felt Tamaki wrap an arm around your shoulders as you started to tear up, pulling you closer when you actually started to cry. You didn’t try to push him away, too busy with trying to cover your mouth and retain the growing break-down that you’d been putting off for weeks, now. Kyoya rubbed circles into your back, seeming hesitant to touch you. 

But… you were glad they were there. This wasn’t ideal, not in any sense of the word, but you didn’t want to be alone, either. 

~

“You’re getting heavy, (Y/n),” Tamaki laughed, pulling you further onto his lap. Despite the new cot they’d gotten you, he still didn’t like you sitting on something so… lower-class. Whenever Tamaki visited you, your feet never touched the ground. And even when he wasn’t nuzzling into your side, a vast collection of pillows and stuffed animals easily made up for his absence. “Guess this is what sitting around all day gets you. I’ll barely be able to lift you, in a few months.”

You punched him playfully, too light to actually prove anything. It took more self-control than it should’ve to keep from smiling. You missed domestic moments like this, badly. But, you didn’t let yourself fall into the illusion. Your arms are around his neck for support, you told yourself. It would be too much trouble to push him away. Playing along was easier. “Shut up! You don’t get to keep me in the same room all day, then complain about me gaining weight.”

“I could never complain about you,” He purred, bringing up a hand to pinch your cheek. “I’m just observing.”

Kyoya cleared his throat, dragging your attention towards him. The boy was sitting cross-legged next to you, back pressed against the nearest wall. The distance was normal, his affection more reserved than Tamaki’s. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t miss the feeling of his hands brushing hair out of your face, or the tiny, genuine smiles that just made you feel so special… But, you couldn’t want those things anymore.

You couldn’t want Kyoya anymore, or Tamaki. You weren’t allowed to want any of this.

“So, you’ve been well-behaved, lately.” The words sounded practiced, like he’d been waiting to say them for a long, long time. You didn’t mind. You’d been waiting to hear them for a long time, too. “We’ve had a room for you, one of your own. It would be nice if you could share with us...” He paused, fighting back a few choice words. “But, we’ll live with it.”

“I’m getting my own room,” You mumbled, not bothering to repress your grin. You tried to move forward, already eager for the change. “Does it have windows? Do they open? And a computer?”

Tamaki moved with you, draping himself over your shoulders as you kneeled in front of Koyoa. With his chin propped on your shoulder, the blonde interjected. “I had to convince Mommy that you wouldn’t run away, but there’ll be windows. No laptops, radios, or phones without our supervision, though. We aren’t that dumb.” You felt yourself cringe in disappointment, but there wasn’t much you could do. Not now, anyway. “Besides, there’s nothing but trees around for miles. Why would you want to look at any of that, when you have your loving, handsome partners right here?”

Kyoya nodded in agreement, and you clenched your fists, trying to shrug Tamaki off of you. “There’s a balcony, too. We knew you’d want one.” He slowly reached over, laying his palm over yours. It was a sweet gesture, until you tried to pull away. You forced yourself not to look down as his nails dug into your wrist. Seeing the blood the drew so often would only make not fighting back harder. “But, the cameras are staying. I know you don’t like them, but it’s for your safety.”

“Fine...” You smiled, moving forward and out of Tamaki’s arms, letting him fall. “I won’t complain, as long as I get a twin-sized bed. Nothing bigger.”

“Queen-sized,” Kyoya compromised, finally letting go of your wrist. “You don’t want to see Tamaki cry again, do you? Personally, I don’t think my eardrums would be able to take it.”

Muffled rebuttles came from the blonde, but you just narrowed your eyes. “Twin sized,” You repeated, more sternly. “Or else I’ll start crying, too.”

With an exasperated groan, he relented. Tamaki pouted, find his way back to your waist. You got the feeling that he wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. “Fine, but I’m getting you a collar.” 

“Don’t you mean a choker?”

“No.”

~

As time passed, you found yourself lingering in the hall between the two bedrooms more often. Running your fingertips along the walls, curling up in the huge bay windows that you might’ve been able to jump through, making conversation with passing maids and butlers… the normal stuff. But, at night, you would trail through the hall, pauseing outside of Kyoya and Tamaki’s door before talking yourself out of knocking. Ultimately, you’d drag yourself back to your bed, berating yourself for ever considering something so desperate as an option.

But, your little ‘method’ got harder to keep up as weeks turned into months, the advances of your captors growing more… accepted, something you’d come to expect whenever they came home. Tamaki’s whines and shameless compliments grew endearing again, like they had been before he went off the deep-end. Kyoya’s gentle, soft gestures were something you started to crave, enough to behave well if a reward was promised.

And worst of all, you started trying to ignore their worse habits. You’d sit quietly and distract yourself while they argued about what you would wear on any given day. You didn’t bother asking to go outside anymore, sympathizing with Tamaki’s ideology of ‘there’s nothing worth seeing unless we’re with you, so there isn’t a point’. You stopped trying to avoid the view of their security cameras, just settling into one of your marked blind-spots whenever you wanted real privacy. Even that only happened once or twice a week, now.

You could feel complacency wrapping its hands around your neck, but there was nothing you could do. Not unless you wanted to get yourself killed, or be locked in that awful, awful room again. You’d tried once, screaming at Tamaki to stop touching you and to let you go, but he’d just frowned, asking if you really wanted to let Kyoya hear you say something like so heartless. After that, you’d stopped forcing yourself to be mad at them. It just wasn’t worth the effort, not for the response you got.

It was a dark, stormy night when you finally broke. The rain wasn’t loud, but the constant noise was enough to keep you awake, enough to keep you uneasy. Suddenly, the room you thought you’d gotten used to was too big, too open, too empty. Without thinking, you swung your legs over the side of your bed, standing as soon as your feet hit the ground. It took three minutes to find their door in the darkness, and four more to convince yourself to open it. As you slipped through the narrow entrance, Tamaki stirred, sitting up completely by the time you found your way to his bedside.

“I… the rain kept me up,” You lied, rubbing the back of your neck. Tamaki eyed you suspiciously, but luckily, kept his mouth shut. “Your room is practically in the center of... wherever we are, so I thought it would be quieter.”

He reached down, tilting your chin back up to face him. He was smiling sleepily, still blinking the sleep out of his eyes. “You know you don’t have to lie to me, darling. Everyone gets lonely.”

You opened your mouth to argue, but he shushed you, taking your hand in his, guiding you onto the bed and next to him. The sheets were soft, silkier and more comfortable than yours. Between them, the house seemed warmer, safer. More sheltered than it had been since your arrival. “I’m not lonely,” You whispered, firmly. “I just can’t sleep. There’s nothing else going on.”

“Sure, (Y/n), whatever you say.” With that, he laid back down, fingers tracing your face as you followed his lead. After a few seconds, you felt Kyoya lay an arm over your waist, pulling you into his chest and cuddling into your neck. “Finally,” the boy mumbled, his closeness already filling you with comfort. “I was starting to think we’d have to drag you here.”

[nautiscarader]

5 - Zack/Melissa

(this was one of the smutember prompts, together with another 5, with a dose of 23, roleplay and some pregnancy shenanigans. for @vickyships)

((Ao3)(Next>>)

They say that a moment after an orgasm, one can achieve the state of ultimate clarity of mind, and right now, Zack knew what that meant. His hips slowed down, sending last spurts of his thick warmth inside Melissa’s body, while his girlfriend let out softer and softer mewls with each one, arching her body as her orgasm permeated throughout her body, forcing her to thrash underneath him.  

Zack blinked, looking at the angelic, blissful face of his lover. Her curly hair looked even move dishevelled, a proof that the past half an hour wasn’t just a dream, though it has certainly seemed like this. They came back from the party just a little bit drunk, and from dance number five Melissa was giving him more than subtle signs that the she had enough courtship rituals, and she is ready for what comes after the mating dance.

She started undoing his shirt in the elevator, not caring if they’ll run into other students on their floor, though fortunately, they did not. They crashed onto his bed, and though at first they acted clumsily, they quickly picked up the pace, especially after Melissa took the package of condoms from Zack and threw it aside, speaking a line that made him sink inside her in an instant.

- Take me raw tonight, baby.

Raw. Zack blinked again. Something wasn’t right. Melissa’s soft, needy moans echoed in his head, and as he looked at her, he remembered the words that made him lose himself inside her, again and again.

 - Yes, Zack! Give me… give me every drop…

He could almost feel her feet gently kicking his back, simultaneously locking him in the position she needed him in, and prompting him to cum.

Drops of cold sweat appeared on Zack’s forehead, and it took him another minute to realise why. And then he felt it, the un-familiar stickyness he was afraid of, and he looked between their sweaty bodies, as he pulled out of her. He gasped when the first glob of his cum bubbled from Melissa’s used, twitching pussy, to which his girlfriend replied only with another tired, content moan.

Zack looked back at her smiling face with one of pure terror and stuttered the only thought he had on his mind.

- Mel….Melissa! I… I came inside!

The red-head closed her arms around his neck and brought his shivering lips to hers.

- Mhm, yes you did. - she let out a lecherous moan - More than once from what I can feel. And trust me, what you can see is just a tip of your creamy iceberg…

Zack looked once again between their bodies, watching as a small river of cum flows from her opening. He wasn’t sure what was worse, the sheer volume of it, or the nonchalance Melissa was taking this danger in.

- Melissa, what-what’s gonna happen now? - Mhm, I think we both passed high school biology, we know what will. - she brought him to her lips again - The usual procedure is for a man to completely freak out, you are doing great sweetie - she added - And then, well…

She moved her arm towards her underbelly, guiding Zack’s together with her, pressing it against her heated body.

- I might start looking for a bit bigger dresses from now on… - she kissed him - I might already pick a bigger size, cos there is no way only one of your boys will find his girl here.

Melissa moved his hand up, and watched as his eyes get bigger and bigger, as he sobered up. She then put her hand back at her entrance and took a handful of his cum between her fingers and licked it off, short-circuiting his brain again.

- Mhm, there’s so much of it… - she moaned, sliding her finger in and out - It really would be shame if it all go to waste… - W-Wait, I-I know what to-do do! - Zack suddenly screamed and jumped back, almost falling from his bed, and sprinted to the only other room of his small student dorm. - Don’t worry, I got it here. -  Melissa reached for the paper towels and cleaned up the hefty mess her boyfriend left her. - Actually, if you’re in the bathroom, bring me my blue satchel, I want to make sure I took… the… the…

Hearing Zack’s bare footsteps Melissa looked back and for a split of her heart stopped. Her mind was evidently slower too, as it took her a moment to realise why her boyfriend was on one knee next to his bed, and why the thing he was holding in his hand looked nothing like her prescriptions.

- …pills.

His eyes widened when she finished her sentence, and for a long while neither of the two naked young adults could utter a word, looking at themselves, petrified in their undignified poses.

- Z-Zack? - Melissa’s voice quivered and she felt a tear in her eye. - Melissa? - he stuttered - You’re… you’re not… - Of course not, silly. - Melissa laughed, wiping the river of tears that flowed on her cheeks. - I-I’d never… Zack, is that what I think it is? - she pointed to the box with golden ring inside it. - Uh, y-yeah…

Zack scratched his head and stood up, sitting on the edge of the bed. he felt that a second longer on the cold floor would make him collapse.

- We, we basically thought… - We? - Me and Milo. We came up with the plan, that you know, if something does come up, and-and we screw things with protection, cos you, know, stuff happens with us… a lot - he raised his brow - We-we wanted to be sure that you and Amanda won’t be left and…

He shied away and looked back at her, and nearly dropped the ring when Melissa erupted into laughter, throwing her arms around his neck, peppering him with kisses.

- Oh, my beautiful idiot. Beautiful medical student idiot. - I wouldn’t let you cum inside me without protection. And even if we had an accident, it’s not irreversible… Though, then again, with you, it might very well be…

She looked between her legs, where a veritable pool of white, thick substance has poured from her twitching pussy, surprising even her.

- But still, that was very thoughtful and romantic of you. - she kissed him - Shall we continue?

Melissa stretched out her hand, prompting Zack to go back to his original plan. He kneeled again, cleared his throat and asked with a quivering voice.

- So, Melissa Chase, would-would you do me the honour and… be my wife? - Yes, yes I will - she replied, her cheeks burning with heat. - Though maybe after college?

She let Zack put on the ring with a rectangular, green stone, then she grabbed him and pulled him into her arms, kissing him senselessly, as they rolled back and forth. She let him win, and as if their misunderstanding never happened the two landed almost precisely where they finished, carefully avoiding the dreadful wet spot Zack has created.

- So… so you’re not gonna get pregnant… - Not right now. -she smiled - Though you say this as if you were disappointed… - N-no! - he stammered and tried to stand up, but her arms and legs have already locked him in place.

Melissa leaned her head onto his shoulder and whispered into his ear, feeling his cock already springing back to life with each word.

- Admit, it, Zack, you would like that… - she cooed - You’ve been imagining me begging you to fill me with your seed… - Melissa… - Ssh, Zack.

She cupped his face, and only when she saw a faint smile on his lips she continued.

- Okay, so… it’s five years from now, we’re engaged, we’ve finished our studies, and we’ve decided it’s time to make the family a bit bigger… - Do we have the money? - Oh, yes, we do. - she giggled - Enough for twins, or maybe triplets… The questions is…

She brought his trembling face against hers.

- …do you have it in you?

Melissa shrieked, as instead of a reply, she was pulled into the air, and the very next second she felt her pussy being spread open when Zack impaled her onto his cock, and began swinging her back and forth. She automatically tightened her grip on him, letting only soft mewls escape her lips whenever he would hilt himself completely inside her. She was quite frankly stunned where he could gather the strength for it, after this evening,but at the moment, her mind was too filled with lust to overthink it. The cum from his previous orgasm acted as a lube, making his dives even smoother, stimulating each inch of her pussy many times more than she’d imagine, driving her to pleasure almost immediately.

- Za-Zack! - she cried, watching as his face gets torn with grimace after grimace - Keep-keep going, baby! - Tell me… - he wheezed - Tell me what you want…

Melissa clutched his head and brought her lips to his in a long and ravenous kiss, but as if that wasn’t enough, she clarified it when they parted, looking directly into his eyes.

- I want every single drop of your virile cum in my-my pussy… - she whispered - A-Actually, send it to-to my womb… I’m so fertile right now… I so ne-need you…

She shrieked again when Zack gently tossed her into the air, to put her legs onto his shoulders. They both knew he won’t gonna last long, and Melissa had a perfect way to bring him to his climax she was craving.

- Zack, baby… Let’s have one!

Melissa cried when she felt her boyfriend collapse on top of her. Free of his impressive, but tiresome position, and with her legs pressed against her body, his final few pushes were certainly the deepest, and when he finally cried her name, Melissa replied with his, hoping her walls will milk him of each drop of his cum shooting in long, thick ropes directly down her pussy and into her womb. Her legs flailed above his body each time a new portion of his cream filled her, and Melissa almost felt that with each hefty dose her orgasm starts anew, making her babble incoherent, mangled bits of words that would have created lewd and carnal taunts to keep Zack cumming, if her mind was not overwhelmed by pleasure.

And just like before, it took the tired lovers a few minutes to regain their senses, and with their lips pressed against each other, that moment was prolonged until Zack had to assure himself again.

- Okay, so, that was a roleplay too, right? - Yes. I’m hundred percent safe. - she nodded - I’ve got a magical ring now, and I can now do stuff like that.

She pointed her ring finger against him and playfully pushed him, making him move his body around.

- I wonder if I get the allergy to colour yellow, like in the comics… - I’m gonna get some clean sheets. - Zack spoke, giving her hand a kiss. - Wait, wait. - she reached and grabbed his phone - Let’s document this…

With her legs already high up, she just had to wait for her used pussy to twitch one more time, and a steady trickle of cum oozed from it, making more and more mess, proving Zack’s virility and love for her. Melissa reached between her legs, looked at the phone in Zack’s trembling hands and brought a handful of his seed to her lips, slowly licking it, hoping the lighting has captured the entirety of her lewd show she has put on.

- Now you have something to look at when we don’t see each other for a whole day. - she smiled, letting her legs down - And hey, if something does go wrong, now we have technically the first picture of our… - Melissa!

Zack cried, before Melissa jumped up and kissed him again, silencing his worries.  

[justadramaqueenswritings]

Words count: 1373 words

Chapter 1

The light of morning filtered from the canopy of the trees, while the birds sang their favourites songs from the branches of the oaks.

The water flowed in the river’s bed, where the fishes swam happily, and the animals went to drink.

The quiet and still atmosphere of the forest was broken by the sound of someone running through the trees, breaking sticks and the fallen leaves at their passage. Their cheerful laughter echoed within the woods, until they fell to the ground with a loud thump. The boy smirked in triumph from above the girl

“I cached you! “ he said grinning.

“No you didn’t” the girl replied pouting.

“ Uff… you’re no fun” he sighed.

“I’m super funny, idiot brother” she said with a smirk “and you’re super heavy” she grunted while proceding to shove him to the side and standing up, whiping the dirt off her clothes and the leaves from her hair.

“Oh, look, you missed one” the boy said having already stood up and taking the leaf caught in her hair.

“Thanks” she said stroking his hair.

“Hey! Don’t do that! ”

“Anyway,“ she said, ignoring his comment “ i’m tired of playing tag, what do we do now, Ayden?”

“Maybe” the boy, Ayden, said putting his hands on his hips in a jokingly authoritative pose “ We should stop playing around and actually continue our journey to the next village? “

“… now you’re the one who’s not funny… “ she said pouting, voice barely above a whisper, but loud enough to be heard by Ayden.

“Listen Alyssa,” Ayden sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose “ I know that you would rather play all day, but we need money, and the only way we can obtain is-

“to fight and win the matches. Yes, I know, I know… “ Alyssa said looking down, resigned.

Ayden’s gaze softened and his pose relaxed as he reached with his hands to cup her cheeks, making their eyes meet, he gave her a kind smile. “Look, you know I like this even less than you do, but-“ he clenched his teeth. He didn’t want to say it, he didn’t know how to say without sounding selfish or useless.

Who was he kidding? He was useless. Since then he didn’t do anything useful. Alyssa was the one who had to fight to have at least enough money to eat, while he remained on the sidelines just waiting and praying for the match to finish and Alyssa to be unhurt.

Sadly, it rarely happened, every time she fought she was at least covered in bruises and scratches.

The worst part is having to watch as his precious sister was being brutally beaten. One time in particular was worse than the others.

Alyssa was fighting against a man twice her size, she was doing fairly well, swinging her war ax at him, her weapon had a very long handle, which resulted it to be as tall as her.

Alyssa was a really good fighter, but when the man came at her running, ready to strike, she wasn’t able to dodge the blade, that trapassed her shoulder. She let out a cry of pain and Ayden felt his blood freeze at the sound of her scream.

Alyssa fell to the ground grunting in pain, Ayden’s eyes widened at the sight, he was still frozen in place, not having quite understood what just happened.

Then it clicked.

“ALYSSA! “ he screamed, starting to run towards her.

Nothing mattered anymore, to him there was only on thing that counted, only one thought inside his head : he had to make sure that Alyssa was alive.

When he finally reached her, Alyssa was laying on the ground, passed out from blood loss and pain, he crouched down and held her in his arms, careful not to aggravate her wound.

He watched as her face contorted in pain, he grimaced, he was afraid, really really afraid, not of the giant man’s still standing in front of them, but he was afraid that he was going to lose her, the last living member of his family. He couldn’t, he just couldn’t lose her, not her.

The giant man took a step forward, annoyed by the fact that someone interrupted his match. He took another one, with the full intention of attacking the siblings.

But Ayden wouldn’t let him hurt her.

Not again.

Not if he could help it.

The usually calm and collected look in his eyes shifted to something dangerous, almost murderous.

He glared at the man, challenging him to take another step forward, and if looks could kill, that man would be six feet under.

The man became in the face and his legs started to tremble, but before Ayden could actually do anything, the man ran screaming terrified, while Ayden was still burning holes in his head with his eyes.

“Urgh” a soft groan escaped Alyssa’s mout.

Ayden’s eyes flashed wide open and he instantly whipped in the direction of the sound.

His eyes met with Alyssa’s kind ones, a small smile adorned her face, while one of her hands reached to cup his cheek.

At that sight Ayden’s gaze became softer and worried. Of course, Alyssa was awake now, but they still had to close the wound, so he removed the last piece of the blade, grimacing as Alyssa let out a grunt of pain and her breathing started to get faster.

He then examined the wound and norrowed his eyes, it was deep, the blade had pierced the shoulder leaving a bloody hole . He frowned at the thought that he will have to cauterize it with his fire.

“Don’t worry” he tried to reassure her with a smile, but he couldn’t hide the worry in his own voice “I’ll fix it. I’ll take care of you. I promise”.

She looked at him with a sweaty face and tired eyes, and then smiled at him – as much as she could with the last forces she had left –, understanding his intentions and giving him her permission.

They shared a last look.

He then proceeded to put a piece of clothing in her mouth for her to bite on. He then took both sides of her shoulder in his hands and ignited them, concentrating not to burn her more than necessary. The smell of burnt flesh filled his nostrils, but his eyes were focused on the wound, trying not to pay attention to the smell or Alyssa’s muffled screams.

The moment he finished Alyssa had already passed out from the strain, but she wasn’t in life threatening danger anymore, so Ayden allowed himself to sigh in relief.

He then looked at her sleeping form. He had never been much bigger than her – they were twins, after all-, but in that moment her frame seemed so small and fragile, and he knew she wasn’t weak, Lord, he knew that, but for once he wanted to be the one to take care of her and not the other way around. So he piked her up, careful not to touch her new wound, and glared at anybody who looked their way.

Alyssa seemed to understand his thoughts and gave him a sad smile, she knew he blamed himself for that time, and she also knew that if he could he would fight in her stead, but Ayden hated fighting, so she insisted to fight for both of them and she couldn’t stop now.

She had to be strong, for both of them.

She knew what he left unsaid.

But you have to

She didn’t know what else he was thinking though.

Because i’m a useless brother who can’t even protect his sister.

She hugged him tight, and he froze for a brief moment, eyes wide open in surprise, but he then returned the hug, squizing as hard as hear if not more, the tears formed in his eyes threatening to fall down his cheeks.

“ Thank you” he said with a soft and broken voice, squizing his dear sister even tighter, while he shook in the imbrace, glad of the silent comfort she offered.

He didn’t know what he would do if he ever lost her.

Note:I wrote this at like 3am so I apologize if there are any errors, also on my Instagram you can find my drawings of Alyssa and Ayden (@erica_doodles)

[knox-knocks]

timeless ~ chapter 4

read on ao3

It was just after sunset in a bustling city and Andrew found himself walking down the side of a road. He wasn’t far from his hotel, a couple blocks maybe, but it was already out of view. The city had grown even larger since Andrew last found himself here, new skyscrapers reached for the sky, towering over the smaller, older buildings. Andrew imagined they would only get taller as space grew scarcer. Humanity would continue to go up until it couldn’t even remember the ground anymore.

Andrew thought he was doing just fine with his feet planted firmly on the ground.

The city must have repaired the sidewalks because the cement was smooth and unblemished under Andrew’s feet. There were no cracks or lines to step over, nothing to keep Andrew’s brain occupied except all the change around him, something he didn’t particularly care to think about.

It had been ten years and three days since Andrew last saw Neil Josten, ten years and three days since Neil died and Andrew, once again, was left to deal with the aftermath of a man with no ID, no proof of existence, dying in his apartment. Ten long years and three days since Andrew began his search for a solution, a way to put an end to Neil’s reoccurring deaths. Now Andrew was back in Columbia waiting for Neil to come back, just like he promised.

But Neil was late.

A part of Andrew, what started as a small whisper bubbling up in his chest transforming into something bigger, something less manageable, began to think that Neil wouldn’t be coming back at all. Neil did say that there was a chance he wouldn’t.

Panic was a wretched creature. It was just three days, Andrew reminded himself. For all he knew, Neil had been expunged from the void and was hiding out somewhere, waiting for him. Andrew sucked in a deep breath of fresh air and held it in his lungs. He’d stopped smoking about six years ago, the smoke never would have killed him and Andrew didn’t want it to. If there was a way to fix this, then Andrew would want fresh lungs to work with.

Andrew closed his eyes and tipped his head back, breathing in the warm autumn air. The sound of traffic filled his ears and an insect buzzed around his head. He’d stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, forcing the stream of people to go around him like a river flowing around a stone.

Renee had told him that immortals were souls separated from time, a disconnect from the very thing that dictated the world around him. He was a twig caught in a stream, the river of time diverting around him, leaving him behind.

Andrew opened his eyes and continued to walk.

It was almost midnight when Andrew heard it. The sound was nearly swallowed by the hustle and bustle of hundreds of people coming and going, but Andrew’s ears were attuned to the sound. He’d been waiting for it.

Nobody noticed when Neil Josten appeared out of thin air and stumbled forward, it was too dark to see or people simply didn’t care. Andrew caught him under his arms and pulled him to the side, out of the way of anybody who might run into him. Neil slumped against Andrew, shaking with exhaustion and relief. Neil’s hand curled around Andrew’s bicep in a weak grip.

“Hi,” Neil croaked, his voice scratched to hell. His body was skinny and battered, like the last few times he had been reborn. There was blood smeared on his face, dripping from his nose and a cut on his forehead. Andrew couldn’t remember if that cut had been there last time. Instead of dwelling on it, he wrapped an arm around Neil’s waist and pulled him against his chest. If anyone saw, they would have written it off as a hug. Maybe it was.

“Hey,” Andrew replied, soft. Neil dropped his head on Andrew’s shoulder.

“Wasn’t sure if I could make it out of the void this time,” he said into Andrew’s neck. “It was close, really close.”

Andrew could have said, let’s not talk about this here, or I missed you, or even a simple glad you’re back. But he stayed quiet. Nothing was quite so simple with Neil Josten.

“My hotel is around the corner. Can you walk?” Andrew asked. When Neil nodded, Andrew shrugged off his jacket and gave it to Neil to cover up his bloody shirt. Neil nodded his thanks and pulled the hood over his head.

Neil stumbled a few times when he walked, weak from another ten years in the void and readjusting to his legs, but Andrew was there with a careful arm around his waist or a hand on his shoulder to steady him. He’d be damned if he left Neil to die after just getting him back, and by falling off the damn curb for fuck’s sake.

The hotel was mostly empty when they arrived, and Andrew and Neil didn’t run into anyone on the way to Andrew’s room. At one point the hotel might have been grand, with high ceilings and intricate paintings that reminded Andrew of the Sistine chapel that had burned down years ago. But the building was sagging and faded in places from age and years of neglect, and the room Andrew paid a week’s stay for had hardly put a dent in his wallet.

Andrew unlocked the door and allowed Neil inside. He’d gotten a room with two twin beds, in case either one of them needed it. Neil didn’t notice or didn’t care, he kicked off his shoes and collapsed on top of the closest of the dinky beds. Andrew went past him to his duffel bag and dug out a pair of sweats and a t-shirt for himself and then some for Neil. He’d brought a couple extra pairs of clothing in Neil’s size so they wouldn’t have to share, but there was only enough for about a week. The rest of his and Neil’s clothes were in Andrew’s room at Fox Tower.

Neil was fast asleep but woke with a start when Andrew tossed his clothes at him.

“You need dinner before you go to sleep. You haven’t eaten anything for a decade,” Andrew said.

“I haven’t slept for a decade, either,” Neil pointed out, frowning at the flat pillows piled at the head of the bed. He batted at the useless square pillow with the scratchy sequins that was more for show than for usability and let it drop to the floor.

Andrew ignored that and dressed quickly, trading his black tank top for one of the old t-shirts he had carried with him throughout the years, soft with age and too many cycles in the washer. There was a hole in the collar, the threads tickled Andrew’s chin when he dipped his head down, but it was comfortable. He peeled off his armbands and threw them in the general direction of the duffel bag before changing into sweats, the hems worn from treading on them too much.

Neil hopped in the shower while Andrew got dressed so Andrew picked up his clothes and stuffed them in the duffel. After a few minutes Neil left the bathroom, steam swirling around his head, making the image of him hazy and distant. His face was still blotchy with bruises, but the blood was gone and he was already dressed in the clothes Andrew had given him. Neil sat on the foot of the bed, water dripping from wet hair, blinking sleepily.

Andrew felt Neil’s eyes on him when he passed by to get to the tiny kitchen in the hotel room, but he didn’t meet his gaze. He knew Neil was watching him as he dug through the even tinier refrigerator, and he didn’t acknowledge the frown tugging at Neil’s lips when he pulled out a frozen meal and stuck it in the microwave.

Andrew kept his eyes on the microwave, watching the plate of spaghetti turn slowly through the screen and wondering how many hotels even used microwaves anymore.

“Andrew,” Neil said. Andrew tilted his head toward him but kept his eyes on the dull light from the microwave. It beeped and Andrew took it out, grabbing the edges of the container to keep from burning his fingers. He peeled back the plastic sheet and stirred the contents with a fork and stuck it back in the microwave for another two minutes.

“I thought of you, you know.” Neil’s voice was soft. “When I was in the void and had to relive my deaths, I just kept thinking of you.”

The microwave beeped and Andrew jabbed at the button until the door opened. The spaghetti was steaming and Andrew burned the pad of his thumb on the container.

“I think it’s the only thing that got me through,” Neil mused. Andrew hadn’t heard him move, but his voice was closer than before. “I think I would have faded if it weren’t for you.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Andrew murmured and gave the spaghetti one last vigorous stir.

Neil hummed in obvious disagreement. He was close, Andrew could almost feel the heat from his body, the static between them, pulling them closer. Neil’s brush of fingers against Andrew’s sleeve, just barely grazing his skin, was a jolt of electricity. Andrew turned his head to face Neil, staring at the collar of his shirt to avoid seeing that soft look on his face that drove Andrew crazy.

Andrew’s heart beat hard in his chest, more of a fragment of a memory than an actual function that kept him alive. He turned his body so he was facing Neil fully and finally succumbed to the voice in his head whispering to give in. Andrew pulled him close around the waist, his hands rubbing up and down his back as he leaned his forehead against Neil’s. Neil breathed a sigh and curled his arms around Andrew’s neck, trickling his hands down until he and Andrew were fully engulfed in each other. The warmth from Neil’s palms was at once soothing and made him ache.

Something released in Andrew’s chest. He expected it to be like stretching a rubber band until it broke and snapped back against his hand, leaving behind stinging red marks, but instead it was the unraveling of a rope constricting his lungs, quiet and small yet a release of pressure.

It was all too much, surrounded by Neil’s scent, masked by the generic, flowery soap from the hotel bathroom, and Neil’s skin, clean and soft to the touch. Neil, Neil, Neil. After so long, finally, Neil. Andrew never wanted him to leave.

It was too much, so Andrew had to say, “I found a way to help you.”

Neil tensed and Andrew told himself that he hadn’t ruined it. He was about to pull away when Neil relaxed, tucking his head against Andrew’s neck, and whispered, “How?”

Andrew hummed and began to explain.

Technically, help had found Andrew in the form of Renee Walker. It had been eight years since Neil died, and Andrew was no closer to finding a solution than he was before. He was tired of the dead ends, the leads that lead to nothing, and the hopelessness dogging his steps. He was slipping back into the gray depression that left him adrift, aimless in the ample time he had. King helped, and if he hadn’t had to get out of bed every day to take care of her, he would have listened to the familiar voice whispering to him to give up, give up, give up.

The timeless, Renee had told him, were people who time affected differently than mortals, or in Andrew’s case, not at all. Renee was a time traveler, as was David Wymack, the director of Palmetto. Wymack was the man who founded Palmetto, an institute for the timeless, a safe haven of sorts, nearly twenty years ago. Andrew didn’t believe in safe havens, but Wymack and the other timeless had accepted Andrew immediately and he stayed with them for two years until it was time to collect Neil.

“You think they can do it?” Neil asked tentatively, his breath ghosting over Andrew’s skin.

Andrew shrugged, careful not to disturb Neil. “They’ll have to look at you first. Run tests to see if you’re able to endure the procedure.”

“But?”

“But it’s better than nothing.”

Neil nodded, and Andrew felt him swallow hard against his shoulder. He knew Neil must be scared, and maybe a little hopeful. They still had so much to talk about, a lot to discuss before Neil would be ready for a decision like that. But for now they stayed silent for a long moment, standing in the kitchen and breathing together as the minutes stretched in front of them. Andrew only pulled away when Neil’s stomach gave a loud rumble and he remembered the spaghetti sitting forgotten on the counter a few feet away.

The separate beds proved to be unneeded, as Andrew pulled Neil to one of them to share. That night, head pillowed atop Andrew’s chest and Andrew holding him tight, Neil fell asleep quickly.

~

Andrew watched the sun rise through the window. Neil was still asleep, breathing evenly and snoring a soft whistling sound. It wasn’t until the light spilled in from the window and lit Neil’s hair ablaze did he begin to stir.

Neil’s eyes fluttered open enough for Andrew to glimpse the color but he fell back asleep with a heavy sigh. Deciding to leave him there, Andrew carefully moved Neil off of him and sat up. Andrew rubbed his eyes, feeling a headache starting in his temples. He felt grungy and in desperate need of a shower. He felt like he accidentally slept for two weeks, despite not actually sleeping at all the past couple days.

Andrew stretched, feeling his spine crack. Yawning, Andrew glanced at Neil. He was still curled up under the sheets, hugging the pillow Andrew had just vacated.

The hotel bathroom was small and cramped with ornate marble counters that may have been shiny at one point, but were now left lackluster. The mirror was clear, at least, and Andrew considered his reflection, the smudges under his eyes, the weariness tugging at the lines of his face, far too young for the years he had lived. Andrew sighed and turned away.

All Andrew had to wash his body was the small containers of shampoo and conditioner and a thin bar of soap. Neil had used most of it the night before, but Andrew did his best at scrubbing away the past couple days, years, decades even. He turned the water off after he rinsed the suds out of his hair and already missed the hot water. He finished up in the bathroom by brushing his teeth and drying his hair with the last fluffy towel.

He felt worlds better after the shower, his body less stiff from sleepless nights and worrying. Neil was sitting up, groggy and with a serious case of bed head when Andrew left the bathroom. Neil blinked at him, his face creased from the pillow. Something soft settled in Andrew’s stomach as he plopped down on the bed. He felt the mattress shift underneath him as Neil moved, lowering himself so he was level with Andrew.

“Good morning,” Neil said. Andrew hummed, content just to look. The dark circles under Neil’s eyes had almost faded completely but his face was thinner than it should have been and the cuts and bruises still had a couple days to heal.

Andrew leaned forward, tired of the distance, and waited for Neil to meet him in the middle. Neil’s lips brushed his and it was as if the ten years between them dissipated. Andrew sighed into the kiss, relishing the feel of Neil against him.

They spent that day and the next in the hotel, lounging in bed and exchanging slow kisses. When they weren’t tangled up in each other, Neil was sleeping or flipping through the different channels the hotel television offered. Instead of going out to eat or making anything, they ordered takeout and had it delivered to their room. It was out of laziness and the lack of desire Andrew had to forfeit the quiet comfort he had with Neil more than anything.

They were sprawled out on the bed when Neil settled on a cheesy sitcom that Andrew didn’t know was still airing from 2074. Andrew squinted at the screen as the ridiculous characters did something ridiculous and let his head fall back against the headboard. “This is terrible.”

Neil snorted beside him but didn’t say anything. When Andrew sneaked a look at him from the corner of his eye, Neil was enthralled with the stupid thing. Andrew rolled his eyes, feeling perhaps a bit fond. The episode ended and Neil grabbed the remote to lower the volume.

“I want to see Columbia today,” he said. “I haven’t had the chance to look around the past couple times I’ve been here, and I bet it’s different than it was in 1995.”

“Okay,” Andrew said. “Get ready.”

A small smile curved Neil’s lips and he pressed a kiss to Andrew’s jaw. He rolled out of bed and dug through Andrew’s duffel for his clothes. He grabbed the nice green t-shirt and dark jeans, Andrew noted, before disappearing into the bathroom and leaving the door ajar behind him. They would look good on him.

Ten minutes passed and Neil still hadn’t left the bathroom. Andrew could hear the sink running, so Neil should be finishing up. Andrew checked the time on his phone. It was an older model from 2063, practically obsolete, but Renee had given it to him for cheap and it was more than what he needed. It was already half past eight in the morning, so they could grab some breakfast before spending the entire day walking around Columbia. Andrew slid his phone in his pocket and went to collect Neil.

Rapping lightly on the door frame, Andrew looked inside. Neil was dressed and his hair was no longer in disarray, but he was staring blankly at his hands, his toothbrush clutched in one hand and toothpaste in the other, the cap abandoned by the sink. Andrew narrowed his eyes. Neil wasn’t eyeing the crisscross of scars on his hands like he sometimes did, instead his eyes were glassy and empty.

“Neil,” Andrew called, firm enough to draw him back but quiet enough to not startle him. Neil didn’t respond, he didn’t even twitch. That wasn’t unusual by itself, sometimes when Neil was deep in the void it was hard to call him back on the first try.

“Neil,” Andrew said again. And then, “Abram.”

Neil tilted his head in Andrew’s direction and blinked slowly back to awareness as he came back to himself. He lifted his eyes to Andrew’s in the mirror. He still looked distant and unfocused. Andrew approached, careful and slow, and curled his hand around the nape of Neil’s neck. He kept his grip firm until he felt Neil’s body relax. “Ready to go?” Andrew asked.

“Yeah,” Neil said. “I just need to brush my teeth.”

~

The city was busy that morning, the streets bustling with people dressed in nice black suits, holding cups of coffee and rushing to their office jobs or people walking at a more leisurely pace, nowhere to be and nothing to do except to enjoy the warm October air.

Andrew tore a strip off his chocolate éclair and bumped his shoulder against Neil’s. They were heading down town, closer to where their old apartment was located. The apartment was long gone, a series of condos and office buildings in its place. A part of Andrew twinged at the thought. A year was not a long time compared to the lifespan of an immortal, but his and Neil’s apartment had been the first home Andrew had since his family’s farm burned down. He’d had different apartments since then, but it wasn’t the same.

But, Andrew thought, if everything went well, he and Neil could have another home to share, and this time they wouldn’t have to worry about losing it. It would be theirs and theirs alone. Andrew swallowed. Wymack told him not to get his hopes up, and he wasn’t, but it was the only solution Andrew had managed to find in the ten years he had been searching. And it was a pretty promising one.

One more day. Andrew just had to keep Neil alive until they headed to Palmetto and fix this for good.

“Is that Eden’s Twilight?” Neil asked, breaking Andrew out of his thoughts. He nodded his head to the building in front of them. “It’s so different.”

“They renovated everything about two years ago. Practically tore down the entire building and built it new again. I don’t know what it looks like inside, I haven’t gone in since 2067, but I didn’t stay for very long,” Andrew said. Neil stayed quiet. 2067 was the last time they were together, before Neil died of the fever.

Andrew nudged Neil to keep walking. This wasn’t what he wanted to show him.

They stopped a couple times along the way, Andrew pointing out new and old buildings and Neil commenting between bites of his fruit parfait.

“Holy shit,” Neil said with a grin. “It’s the Exy court.”

Andrew sighed. “They made a bigger one when Columbia started growing in population. The Dragons don’t play here anymore, they were replaced by the Columbia Badgers a while ago. I wouldn’t be surprised if they named the team after you.”

“Why, because I’m stubborn?”

“Because you stink.”

Neil tipped his head back and laughed. Andrew had missed that laugh, carefree and loud. When Andrew first met him, Neil never did anything loudly. He hung back and stayed quiet as if he was trying to fade away. The first time Neil laughed like that, Andrew realized his feelings for Neil went deeper than he first thought. Now, it settled something inside Andrew. Warmth grew in his chest until Andrew was sure he would explode.

“Will you play Exy with me? I’ll buy you your favorite chocolate,” Neil said, his neck craning to keep his eyes on the court.

“Later, Junkie,” Andrew said. “And Hershey’s doesn’t sell chocolate anymore.”

Neil made a sympathetic face and offered a bit of his yoghourt to Andrew in consolation. Andrew accepted the tiny dollop off of Neil’s spoon without a word. He wasn’t much of a fan of fruit parfait, but it was sweet and reminded him of Neil.

When they passed the row of tall condos that replaced their old apartment and started toward the oldest part of the city, Neil grew more curious.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

Andrew didn’t reply. Neil would find out soon enough.

Identical houses with various paint jobs lined the street in neat little rows, the shrubs and trees all trimmed neatly to keep the synchrony of the neighborhood. White picket fences and wide, open windows. It was just as unrecognizable to Andrew as it was to Neil because he hadn’t been to this side of town in over two hundred years. A fat ginger cat lazed in a bed of purple flowers, its large green eyes lazily following Neil and Andrew as they passed by. With a pang, it reminded Andrew a little of King. He missed her already.

It wasn’t the neighborhood that was important. It had only been around for less than fifty years, after all. Andrew didn’t care about the houses or the neat lawns or the cat. He stopped in front of an old schoolhouse, wooden walls cracked and decaying. It leaned precariously to the side, sagging with age. The lawn was green from regularly being watered, but the weeds had overgrown and little yellow dandelions popped up in groves. It was as much of a museum on the outside as it was on the inside.

“What is this?” Neil asked, his voice quiet. The air seemed still around them. Nothing disturbed the peace; even the birds were quiet despite the time of morning. Neil’s lips were pulled down in a slight frown. Andrew could see him glancing at Andrew from the corner of his eye.

Andrew took a deep breath. “My old home.”

Neil’s eyes widened as he looked back at the schoolhouse. He swayed on his feet, as if he were about to take a step closer and then decided against it. “This?” he asked.

“Not exactly. I told you my house burned down, and it did,” Andrew explained. “The entire farm was pretty much gone by the time the fire was put out. I sold the land and a couple years later they built a school right on top. Now the place is a museum or something.”

Andrew had looked it up a couple decades ago, curious and filled with longing for his old home and his late family. He was surprised to find the school was still standing, more surprised that the city hadn’t torn it down and built something new like everything else.

“Can we go in?” Neil asked.

Andrew looked at the overgrown grass, dotted with dandelions. He dragged his eyes along the dull red paint flaking off of the wood, the clear windows and white curtains inside. A bird chirped a cheery tune somewhere behind them, apparently done with the quiet. Andrew had promised himself he would never come back here after he buried the empty caskets. He never wanted to be reminded of his life here, but so much was different and, quietly, Andrew acknowledged that it didn’t hurt as much as it used to.

Grabbing Neil’s hand, Andrew led him inside.

~

The sun still had hours before it would begin to set, but Andrew and Neil made their way back to the hotel anyway. The schoolhouse museum was mostly a brief history of Columbia. It wasn’t that interesting, considering Andrew had witnessed the growth of the city with his own eyes, but he and Neil went through every exhibit and read each placard anyway. Between exhibits, Andrew whispered stories of his family and his life on the farm and quietly admitted that he missed them. In return, Neil began to open up about his own life before he first died. They stopped for lunch at a nice restaurant after Neil decided he was sick of takeout and leftovers, made a quick stop at a convenience store nearby, and headed back to the hotel.

Andrew could read the contentment in every relaxed line of Neil’s body. It looked good on him, this quiet happiness. It made something in Andrew thrum in every one of his veins, a buzzing, a sense of urgency pulsing through his body like a livewire. When they got back to the apartment, Andrew barely waited for the door to close behind them before he was pushing Neil up against the wood, rucking up his shirt with his hands to reveal bare skin and old scars, and murmuring an urgent yes or no.

Neil’s yes was hushed and laced with the same need pumping through Andrew’s body with every beat of his heart. He buried his hands in Andrew’s hair and let Andrew take him apart before they needed to move it to the bed.

Afterwards they lay facing each other, the sheets draped around them like liquid silk, sharing the space but not quite touching. Neil’s eyes were closed but he wasn’t asleep, and dappled light fell across his face, making his eyelashes cast shadows over flushed, freckled cheeks. He played with the bedding near Andrew’s hand, plucking at the fabric and smoothing it out again. All sense of desperation that accompanied their touches was gone, replaced with the softer need to simply be near each other. A smile tugged at Neil’s kiss-swollen lips and Andrew untangled his hand and traced it with his thumb.

Neil peeked open an eye and kissed the pad of Andrew’s finger. Andrew slid his hand around to the back of Neil’s neck and brushed the soft curls at his nape. Neil shifted so he was laying on his back and stretched, raising his arms above him and arching his back like a cat. He let his arms flop back down before turning his head back to Andrew and hooking their pinkies.

“We leave tomorrow,” Andrew said softly, not wanting to disturb the peace of the late afternoon.

“Palmetto,” Neil breathed. Andrew heard the quiet awe in his voice and fought back a frown. He told Neil not to get his hopes up – that they didn’t fully know if it would even work. But.

But Andrew felt the same small tug in his heart, the fell swoop in his stomach when he thought of a life with Neil – not just a life but a beginning, and an end without all the uncertainty. This was their chance, and Andrew wanted it badly.

It was too much to dwell upon, and thinking about it made Andrew’s heart ache – with anticipation and worry and everything in between. It was easier to think about the steps before, packing their things, leaving the hotel, boarding the train and arriving in Palmetto to introduce Neil to the rest of the timeless. This was certainty where everything after was not. This was easier, safer.

But the wonder in Neil’s eyes held, despite the hesitance in Andrew’s. Of course Andrew wanted it, not just for Neil but also for himself – mortality – but Neil wanted it most of all. He didn’t say it out loud, and he didn’t need to. Andrew could see his aching want to finally be released from the void after so many agonizing years in every line and twitch of his body.

Years of apathy and carefully cutting his emotions out like a tumor couldn’t stopper the flood of anxiety and dread in Andrew’s chest. Neil had made him feel, the thawing of a glacier, the drip, drip, drip of ice melting away to reveal the interior that had long since frozen over. Andrew, albeit slowly, was getting warm again. Except with the warmth, came fear.

And Andrew was very much afraid.

He could lose Neil forever. He, himself, could die without even knowing if he had saved Neil at all. Something could go wrong; Neil could be reclaimed by the void and Andrew wouldn’t know where to find him if he came back. He’d be lost, lost. Andrew couldn’t go through that again.

This was it. This was their only chance. Their only hope for their own salvation. Everything in Andrew told him to throw it out, get rid of it before it could take root and cause damage when it inevitably failed. Although he hadn’t felt it in decades, he was all too familiar with the dangerous tether called hope, and the sinking weight it always seemed to be attached to.

Andrew took a deep, steadying breath, and was relieved to hear it wasn’t as shaky as he felt on the inside. Neil’s eyes were droopy, and Andrew knew he was well on his way to sleep. The light was already fading, taking the radiance and the brilliant colors with it. Soon it would be dark, and then it would be time to go.

Andrew no longer had all the time in the world, and he could feel a new clock ticking in his chest, right alongside his heartbeat.

~

Palmetto was unchanged in the years Andrew had lived there. It was untouched by time, like the people that inhabited it. To outside eyes, it still looked like a university, even though the school had been closed down nearly twenty years ago due to education being transferred largely online. Few physical schools remained standing, and Palmetto was one of the last to be repurposed.

The tall white and orange buildings were still an eyesore, but Andrew had lived there for the past two years of his life, and he almost considered it a home. Neil’s eyes were wide as he took in the campus. His hand hung from the strap of Andrew’s duffel that he insisted on carrying, and he took a few steps towards the fence before rocking to a stop.

“This place used to be a school?” he asked.

Andrew had explained Palmetto’s history on the train ride there. It was only a forty-minute ride, the duration greatly reduced by the speed of the train, but it was more than enough time for him to tell Neil how Palmetto came to be, and how David Wymack went from coaching a college sports team to founding a safe house for the timeless.

The real function of Palmetto was largely unknown to the general public. Most people thought it was some sort of research facility – which wasn’t exactly untrue. But Palmetto’s resources were more expansive than that, and if an immortal or a time traveler were in need of help – or a void walker, in Neil’s case – Palmetto would find a way to help them.

“I told Wymack we’d be back today,” Andrew said, urging Neil to keep walking. “He’s an ornery old man and will be pissy if kept waiting.”

Andrew led Neil to the Lab. It used to be an Exy court, and by the look of Neil’s expression – like he had just swallowed a lemon – he could tell. Neil shot him a look but Andrew stared at him blankly.

“I’ll take you to the court in Columbia if you behave,” Andrew said before Neil could complain about the mistreatment of a former Exy court. Neil rolled his eyes but stopped when he saw the man waiting for them in the lobby.

“Andrew,” Wymack grunted in greeting. He didn’t look like a coach or a director of anything, dressed in jeans and a plain t-shirt, the flames of his tattoo climbing up his arms like ivy on a wall. His face was grizzled and lined from years of life and dealing with the misfits that inhabited the place. “I hope you’re not bringing more trouble to my door.”

Andrew stopped next to Neil and inclined his head towards Wymack with a blank stare. “Don’t be rude, Coach. He has a name.”

Neil shot Andrew an annoyed look for that, which Andrew smoothly ignored. Wymack eyed Neil up and down, from his tattered shoes to the collection of scars on his face. The attention didn’t seem to bother Neil so much as it used to, Andrew supposed he was used to it, but he did shrink under Wymack’s gaze like he expected Wymack to find him lacking and throw him out on the doorstep. But despite his gruff words and posturing, Andrew knew Wymack could never turn down someone in need.

“You can leave the bag in your room,” he said to Andrew. “Then meet me back at the Lab. Abby wants to see you.” This, he directed to Neil. Neil nodded but his eyes flicked around the room like he was counting exits and escape plans. Andrew hadn’t seen him this flighty since they first met. Andrew nudged his shoulder and gestured for Neil to follow him. With one last glance back at the Lab, Neil hooked his finger through Andrew’s belt loop and let Andrew lead him to Fox Tower.

Renee was waiting for them in the hall when Andrew arrived at his door with Neil in tow. He wasn’t surprised to see her; he knew she would want to meet Neil after hearing so much about him from Andrew.

Renee’s white-blonde hair was pushed back behind her ears, revealing several gleaming piercings, five different studs and loops in each ear, and the pastel tips of her hair were cut just above her shoulders. A silver cross hung from her neck, nearly tucked underneath her white button-down blouse. She smiled when she caught sight of the pair, Andrew first then Neil behind him. When they were close enough, Renee offered a hand for Neil to shake. Neil was hesitant, obviously wary of Renee’s serene expression, but took her hand and shook it once.

“Neil,” Renee said, her voice sweet, “Andrew has told me a lot about you. I’m Renee.”

Neil mumbled a hello and dropped his hand. Renee didn’t seem perturbed by his hesitance, instead she turned to Andrew and smiled again. She reached out her arm and Andrew let her pull him into a short hug. “It’s good to see you again, Andrew.”

“I’ve been gone a week. You people act like it’s been a year.”

“It’s been a lot longer for me, you know,” Renee countered neatly. Renee, like Wymack, was a time traveler. Andrew quirked an eyebrow at her but Renee’s calm smile betrayed nothing. Usually Renee spent her free time in the 1940’s, her girlfriend’s timeline. Andrew assumed she had been spending a lot of time with her, then.

“I hope you didn’t forget you were supposed to be watching my cat,” Andrew said, stepping past Renee and digging in his pocket for his keys.

“Of course I didn’t forget about King,” Renee said. “She missed you.”

Neil perked up at that. “You still have King?” he asked, craning his neck to see past Andrew’s shoulder. Andrew had barely opened the door before Neil slipped past him and let the duffel bag fall off his shoulder when he spotted the mangy gray furball lounging on the couch.

Andrew nodded his head towards Renee in thanks before following Neil inside. For the past two years, this had been his place to stay, somewhere he didn’t have to move on from before too many people noticed that he didn’t age. Cat toys were scattered across the living room, and he had actual furniture and a room with a bed and a mattress with sheets on it. Andrew had never been able to settle down anywhere for long, it was too risky and too much work to keep up pretenses of a normal life. But this was his, and this could be permanent if he so chooses.

King picked herself up from the couch and stretched before winding her body around Neil’s and Andrew’s legs. King had always been a friendly cat, but she headbutted Neil’s open palm with particular affection, purring loudly like an engine of an old car. She remembered him, Andrew realized, and noted the quiet satisfaction in his chest.

“Hi lovely,” Neil cooed, and Andrew should not have found it as endearing as he did. “It’s been awhile.”

King meowed in seeming agreement.

Andrew stooped down to scratch King behind the ears before scooping up the duffel Neil dropped and throwing it in the bedroom. Neil was seated on the couch, King kneading his thigh as he petted her. Andrew watched them for a moment, unnoticed in the hallway, before interrupting with a small tug on Neil’s hoodie.

“Come on,” he said. “Pissy old man waiting.”

“Right,” Neil said, and lowered King off his lap and back onto the couch.

Abby and Wymack were waiting in the lab when Andrew and Neil arrived. Abby wore a long lab coat, the white sleeves rolled up her arms and a clipboard clasped in her hands. She projected calm and support like she always did when a new time traveler or baby immortal showed up on Palmetto’s steps, and she must have sensed Neil’s anxiety. It was rolling off of him in waves. Andrew slid his hand to the back of Neil’s neck and gripped firmly. Neil twitched, leaning into Andrew’s hand the tiniest amount and drinking in the strength Andrew lent him.

“Neil Josten,” Abby said, transferring her clipboard to one hand so Neil could shake her hand. “I’m Doctor Abigail Winfield but you may call me Abby.”

“Hullo,” Neil said dully and shook her hand before slipping it into the pocket of his hoodie.

Abby smiled. It wasn’t the sweet, calm smile of Renee’s, or the goofy smile that split Matt Boyd’s face wide open. Her smile was meant for comfort. “It must be strange coming to this place full of people you don’t know who already seem to know you.”

“I have Andrew to blame for that,” Neil said without heat. His shoulders dropped a fraction and Andrew squeezed his neck once. “You think you can fix me?”

“I believe there is a procedure that may help you. I will tell you more about it tomorrow, but I’d really like to give you a tour of Palmetto and tell you more about the timeless. If that’s alright with you.”

Neil nodded slowly.

“Great.” Abby smiled her warm smile again and motioned to Wymack. “David will be accompanying us. Andrew –” Abby said to him, “are you coming with?”

Andrew looked to Neil, studying his face, the deep furrow between his brows and the small pucker of his lips. “I’ll be okay,” Neil said.

“He doesn’t need a babysitter.” Andrew tapped his finger on the back of Neil’s neck and withdrew his hand. “I’ll be at the Tower when you’re done.”

~

“There’s no one else like me,” Neil said a couple hours later, flopping down on Andrew’s bed. “But she said I’m similar to a time traveler.”

Andrew frowned, shoving around in the cupboard for something to eat. He was almost hungry. He hadn’t felt his stomach growl for nearly two hundred years and that – that was weird. It must have been some sort of placebo effect. “But you’re not time traveling at all. You live through all the years and you don’t age.”

Neil shrugged, an awkward motion from the way he was sunk in the mattress, his arms outstretched by his sides. “Maybe I do age though.” Andrew looked at him. “I mean, not in the void. But outside of it. I don’t know. Do I look like I’m twenty-four probably going on twenty-five?”

“You look the same as you always do. Except with more sulking.”

Neil groaned, throwing his hands up and letting them fall over his face. “This is so fucking weird. I don’t even know what time sick means. How can a soul be infected with time? That doesn’t make any sense.”

Andrew hummed noncommittally. He’d heard the spiel from Abby countless times: Immortals were souls separated from time and time travelers were souls intertwined with it. Mortals were souls dictated and void walkers, apparently, were souls infected by time. Andrew didn’t understand how it worked either, but at least it was straight forward.

“Everything’s just so overwhelming,” Neil muttered from the bed. Giving up his search for food, Andrew sat on the foot of the mattress beside Neil and waited for him to uncover his face. “My life has been a constant cycle of short lives and long deaths for decades, and now everything’s changing and it’s just so much information all at once.”

That, Andrew could understand. Going from living in shitty apartments and working temporary jobs, moving on every couple months or years, to staying in one place and being surrounded by people who understood – it was overwhelming. Andrew stretched out beside Neil, leaning on his elbow and pushing back the fringe of Neil’s hair from his forehead.

“We could look for another solution,” Andrew said quietly. Neil’s brow crinkled.

Andrew wasn’t surprised when he shook his head fervently and said, “No. This is it, there isn’t going to be another chance after this.”

“Did Abby tell you about the procedure, then?” Andrew asked, hesitantly. He wondered how Neil reacted. He wondered if he knew. If he knew what Andrew was planning, if he knew what could happen.

“A little. She didn’t go into details but she said it’s really risky and has only been attempted once before.” Neil perked up. “Kevin Day. It was successful for him. He was a time traveler, so was Kayleigh Day. Did you know that Wymack is his father?”

“I did,” Andrew said, grateful for his junkie’s addiction to Exy for the first time in his very long life. He didn’t know, then. He would never let it slide if he did. Andrew let out a small breath.

“He coaches the Foxes too. Imagine having a whole other life outside of your own timeline….” Neil trailed off. He frowned and worried at his lip. Andrew waited for him to spit it out. “Some people have two lives and I barely have one. Not one that matters, anyway.”

Andrew shifted so he was lying flush with Neil. They were pressed together from ankle to hip, hip to shoulder. Neil scooted over to make more space for the both of them and turned his head to face Andrew. “I mean, I have you and that matters. But I can’t even keep it for longer than a couple months at most.”

There was a sadness in Neil’s eyes, a yearning for something just out of reach. Andrew was familiar with that feeling too, and he hated it. He reached up, his hand trailing a path up Neil’s chest and jaw, and pressed his thumb into the corner of Neil’s mouth. “Even just a couple months is worth it with you.”

Neil’s face crumpled as he finally let his worry and fear from the past couple days, past couple decades break free and overflow like a dam bursting from holding back millions of gallons of water for far too long. He leaned in close, forehead barely brushing Andrew’s and let Andrew cradled his face with one hand.

Neither one of them moved until the shadows in the room took on a different dance. It was only in the late afternoon, but Neil’s breathing was getting slower, the rise and fall of his chest dragging until he was asleep. Andrew’s hand was still wedged between the bed and Neil’s cheek, but not wanting to disturb him, Andrew stayed where he was. Until there was a quiet knock at the door.

The three unhurried raps told Andrew that the matter wasn’t urgent, but no one would be knocking on his door if it weren’t important. Andrew wiggled his hand out from underneath Neil’s head and got up to answer the door.

“Hello, Andrew,” Betsy Dobson said when Andrew opened the door. Her round face was warm and open, and Andrew was grateful to see her.

“Bee,” Andrew greeted, and opened the door wider as an invitation to come in. “Neil’s asleep, but he sleeps like the dead.”

“I won’t be long.” Betsy didn’t step inside, but she inclined her head towards Andrew. “I was actually hoping to have a word with you.”

Andrew glanced back at Neil one more time, curled around the pillow in Andrew’s vacancy, and followed Betsy outside. The hallway was empty when they stepped outside, but Betsy continued down to the elevators and out of the Tower. They walked around the green, a large grassy area edged with trees and shrubs. A few birds chirped as they passed, but it was mostly quiet.

“It’s nice out today, don’t you think?” Betsy said, watching a bird hop from branch to branch above their heads. Andrew said nothing. It was relatively warm, but there was a chill in the wind that meant it would only get colder in the coming months. Winters have been shorter lately, but Andrew still despised the cold.

“What did you want to talk about,” Andrew asked in his dull monotone. Abby was the first to figure out Andrew’s plan, and she told Wymack immediately. But they couldn’t stop him, this was Andrew’s choice and he wasn’t going to let them talk him out of it. He wondered if Abby sent Betsy to try and dissuade him.

Instead, Betsy surprised Andrew. “I think,” she said, “that it would be beneficial for you to accompany me back in time.”

Andrew blinked. Betsy studied his carefully constructed mask and continued, “We’ve talked about your family before in our sessions and you said that you would have liked to have more closure over their deaths. I would like to give that to you.”

“You can take people through time with you?” Andrew asked, keeping his voice flat, his face even. He knew the answer to that question already because Renee had told him, but he couldn’t quite prod his brain into working.

Betsy nodded. “It is difficult, but possible. I’ve done it for several patients in the past and I believe this could be good for you.” Betsy stopped to nudge a pebble back into the dirt on the side of the path with her foot before continuing. “However, there are rules that must be followed. But I trust you will not find that difficult.”

Andrew swallowed. What Betsy was offering him, it didn’t seem plausible. She was a time traveler, and she could travel to any part of the past, no matter how far, but this wasn’t just time travel. This was seeing Nicky and Aaron again after two hundred years. This was finally saying goodbye. The thought almost made something in Andrew stir. He didn’t let it.

“I’ll give you a couple of days to think about it, and if you decide to go, I’ll prepare you.”

When Andrew didn’t respond, they circled around the green and headed back to Fox Tower. Betsy didn’t bring up Andrew’s family again but she filled in the silence with idle chat about the places she traveled to since Andrew was gone. They parted ways at his door, and Neil was still asleep when Andrew slipped back inside.

~

“You should do it,” Neil said between mouthfuls of noodles. He woke up right before dinnertime craving Chinese so Andrew ordered takeout for them to share. Four containers of food were scattered between them, and Andrew was fending off Neil’s fork with his own from the orange chicken. “When you see Aaron and Nicky, you could tell them to leave the house before it explodes and save their lives.”

Andrew shook his head, sifting through the fried rice for another piece of egg. “I can’t do anything that would change the timeline. At most, I would say goodbye and leave again. Anything else could get Bee and me stuck in a time loop.”

Neil grimaced and stole a piece of Andrew’s orange chicken. Andrew leveled him a glare but Neil popped it in his mouth with a smug glint in his eye. When he swallowed his stolen chicken he said, “Still, closure is good too. It would be nice to see them again.”

Maybe. It was true that Andrew never had the chance to say goodbye. It left him with a nagging hole in his side that dogged him throughout the years, no matter how much it had started to heal over. But Andrew didn’t know if he could be so close to them, knowing what was going to happen to them. He couldn’t go back and be helpless to save them just for a goodbye that they wouldn’t even know was a goodbye.

“If I can be fixed, then you can have a chance to see your family again, Andrew,” Neil said, meal forgotten. His gaze was keen on Andrew’s, open and earnest and Andrew wanted to resent him for it but he couldn’t.

“I’ll tell Bee I’ll go with her,” Andrew acquiesced, “and you’ll talk to Abby about the procedure. Tomorrow.”

Neil smiled. “Deal.”

~

After a breakfast made up of syrupy pancakes and eggs in the cafeteria with some of the others, Andrew and Neil split ways. Neil headed to the lab where Abby was waiting for him while Andrew walked the long, winding path to Betsy’s office. It wasn’t far from Fox Tower; Andrew spent the ten minutes it took to get there stepping over the cracks in the concrete and watching with interest as the birds hopped from branch to branch over his head. The sky was clear, devoid of any clouds and airplanes, and a light blue that reminded Andrew of a robin’s egg.

He kicked a rock with the toe of his boot and watched it skip across the sidewalk and disappear in the shrubs, scaring a couple pigeons taking shelter underneath the thick green branches. It was October already, but the leaves on the trees were still slow to change and the air was barely cool enough to warrant more than a long-sleeved shirt.

Betsy seemed to be waiting for him when he arrived outside her office. She wasn’t the only therapist in the building, but she specified with people dealing with the effects and consequences of time. Andrew wondered how well known the existence of immortals and time travelers were, if people knew about them and simply didn’t care or if it was all kept hush hush. He’d looked online the days before Palmetto, when he was searching for a way to help Neil, and maybe for other people like him, but he didn’t find much more than speculation and theories.

Andrew shook away the thought and raised his fist to knock. Betsy opened the door with a smile, not at all surprised to see him. “Andrew,” she greeted warmly, like she had every time Andrew found himself on her doorstep. “Would you like to come in? I was just about to warm up some milk for cocoa.”

Andrew took the invitation and found his usual seat on the lumpy couch with his back to the door. Betsy stuck a couple mugs in her ancient microwave – the yellow one with ‘time is of the essence!’ printed on it that Andrew had given to her as a joke, and the green stripy one that Andrew liked.

Andrew watched the cups turn on the glass plate inside before tearing his eyes away. He took a steadying breath and said, “I want to see my family.”

“There are rules, ones that must be followed very, very carefully,” Betsy said. “But I would be glad to take you.”

The microwave went off and Betsy removed the cups, stirring the milk with a tiny silver spoon. She spooned some of the caramel chocolate hot chocolate mix into both the mugs, and stirred them in. “Marshmallows?” she asked.

“Four marshmallows,” Andrew replied. It didn’t matter that he didn’t need to eat, or that the hot chocolate provided absolutely no nutritional benefit, he still enjoyed the warmth and sweetness of it. It was almost a ritual at this point, a cup of caramel chocolate cocoa with four marshmallows for every session with Bee.

Betsy handed over his mug and settled in the chair across from Andrew. “Time travel,” she said, “is a tricky thing. Time itself is fickle and cranky, if messed with or disturbed in any way, there will be consequences.”

“You talk about it like it’s a living thing,” Andrew said, sipping his cocoa.

Betsy smiled a knowing smile. “It is, in a way. It keeps our world running, it provides structure and keeps things moving smoothly. Like oil in gears. Even with people like me, who can grasp the strings of time and travel along them, there is still a certain rigidity to it. Control. We, not necessarily just mortals, are woven into the fabric of time.

“That is why it is so important that the time line must never be messed with. Small changes will most likely not have an effect, like running into someone or switching an apple for an orange. But bigger changes, like – ”

“ – preventing my family’s farm from blowing up will be detrimental and could change a lot more than their deaths,” Andrew interrupted, feeling irritated despite himself. “I know. The house blows up, my family dies, I become immortal. I’m not going to mess with that.”

“There are always loopholes, Andrew. Ways to get around the timeline without disrupting it. That’s what it means to be a time traveler, and that’s what is going to allow us to travel to the past.” Betsy set her cocoa on the table in front of her and laced her hands together. “Now, I know that it was a long time ago and memories can be faulty, but I need you to remember a time that we can jump to. It is of utmost importance that your past self never sees you, otherwise we will be doing a lot more than changing timelines.”

Andrew frowned. He didn’t like it, but it would have to work. “Right before the fire should work. I won’t be off from the pub for another couple hours but Aaron and Nicky should be at the house still.”

Betsy smiled. “Perfect. I will have to prep you, before we go. Time travel can be very uncomfortable to people who have never done it before. And if anything goes wrong, then you could be lost in time forever.”

That didn’t seem particularly pleasant, but Andrew motioned with his hand for Betsy to continue.

“Time travel feels a lot like being pulled through a thin straw. Your lungs will constrict and your body will feel too tight. Some people even feel like they’re underwater or that their heads are too big for their bodies. I suggest holding your breath. Luckily, the whole ordeal will only last for a couple seconds at most, and then it’s over.” Betsy leaned back in her chair, sipping at her hot chocolate. “We don’t have to worry about period-accurate clothing, since we will only be there long enough for you to talk to Aaron and Nicky. We will be in and out.”

“Okay,” Andrew said.

“Okay. Ready?”

Andrew stared. “Like, right now?”

“Why not?” Betsy’s eyes twinkled. “What better time than now?”

Andrew’s throat suddenly felt very dry. He placed his mug on the table and stood up. Betsy smiled and followed suit. Andrew watched as Betsy smoothed the lines from her shirt and adjusted the large, jeweled necklace she wore that day. He hadn’t realized that they’d be ready to go right away, it seemed too fast. Andrew’s heart sped up, in just a couple seconds he would be back in 1897 and he would see Aaron and Nicky again, talk to them even…

“What time is it exactly?” Betsy asked.

“December 16, 1897. The fire was in the evening so…seven. If we go around three in the afternoon, we should be fine.”

Betsy held out her hand and Andrew gripped it with his own. “Hold your breath,” she said, and then the ground was ripped from underneath Andrew’s feet.

Betsy was right – time travel was extremely uncomfortable. Andrew’s lungs tightened, and although he didn’t need to breathe it was horribly disorienting. He couldn’t see anything, whether it was because there was nothing to see or because Andrew couldn’t quite peel his eyes open, he didn’t know. He was hurting through the air, faster than the speed of light, he was falling, falling, falling, and then it was over.

Andrew opened his eyes, sucking in a breath of air he didn’t need. At first all he saw was light so bright it sent a spike through his skull and if it weren’t for Betsy’s steadying hand on his shoulder, he would have toppled right over into the snow. Andrew blinked until his vision cleared. Shit.The house, the roof intact, no burn marks, no ash coating the ground and turning the snow into a dirty slush. Everything as it was two hundred years ago. Then was now. They’d traveled back in time.

“I’ll wait in the barn,” Betsy said, breaking Andrew from his tiny existential crisis. “I recommend we leave in about thirty minutes.”

Andrew nodded, still a bit dazed from the jump. He approached the house; his feet and hands numb from cold and shock. The door opened and Nicky stepped outside, a basket propped on one hip and his free hand shielding his eyes from the sun. He caught sight of Andrew and carefully placed the basket on the porch away from the snow. Nicky walked toward him, unhurried like he had just seen Andrew a few hours before.

“Andrew!” Nicky called. His white shirt was dirty and he had suspenders hooked to his battered tweed trousers. He hopped down the steps to stand in front of Andrew, boots leaving deep indents in the snow. He was smiling but he looked confused. “What are you doing here? I thought you were at the pub. Uh, what are you wearing?”

Andrew didn’t respond, he couldn’t, not when the words were lodged in his throat. He took in Nicky’s button up shirt and thick jacket. Andrew remembered that jacket, of course he did. Nicky never went anywhere without it during the winter months and he had gotten Aaron and Andrew similar ones for their birthday a few years back.

“Andrew?” Nicky asked, frowning. His brow scrunched. He knew not to touch Andrew, especially when he was in a bad mood, but he wavered on his feet like he was thinking about it anyway. “Are you okay? If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’d seen a ghost.” Nicky gave a little laugh, but Andrew could still see the concern in his brown eyes.

“I meant to fix the gate,” Andrew said. He still couldn’t wrap his mind around all of this. He’d been alive for two hundred years and never aged a day, but the thought of going through time, backwards instead of forward, was what dumbfounded him.

Nicky smiled, shaking his head. “That’s okay, you can just do it tonight. Or tomorrow, whichever. I’m making dinner tonight, stew with potatoes and carrots, all the good stuff. I went into town today and got everything. I was able to sell those hens I was telling you about.”

The door to the house opened again and Aaron poked his head outside, likely trying to see who Nicky was talking to. He caught sight of Andrew and raised his eyebrows.

“Skipping your job, too?” he called. “We need the money, Andrew.”

“It’s only a couple hours,” Andrew retorted. It was instinct to bicker with his brother after all. Even after so long he remembered the arguments, getting on Aaron’s nerves and Aaron getting on his. Each one the end of the world, now it all seemed so irrelevant now.

Aaron rolled his eyes. “Come inside at least. We can’t afford for y’all to get sick. And what the fuck are you wearing?”

It was warm in the house, with the wood stove burning away in the corner. The wood cracked and Andrew remembered the house collapsing, Aaron and Nicky trapped inside.

Betsy said he couldn’t change the timeline. But for a moment Andrew debated telling Nicky and Aaron to leave, to go to the pub and stay out of the house. He thought about turning the stove off completely, dumping all the smoldering, cracking longs into the snow outside and letting them cool where they wouldn’t harm anything.

For a long moment, the urge to stop all of this was so strong Andrew could feel the words on the tip of his tongue. Leave. Get away from here. He reined it in before he could do anything stupid.

Betsy’s words echoed in his head, there are loopholes, Andrew. Loopholes, loopholes, loopholes…

Nicky was chattering away in the kitchen, puttering about, while Aaron sat at the table, bent over a book. He was trying to get into the fancy university a few towns over in the big city to become a doctor. He studied all through that summer and winter, up until the very moment of the fire, it seemed. The books must have burned up in the flames too, pages curling, turning to black ash. If Aaron and Nicky didn’t survive, there was no way these books did.

They never found their bodies, Andrew had said to Neil once. Technically, these coffins are empty.

“There was a pretty gal I saw in town today, Aaron,” Nicky said from the kitchen. “Think you might be interested. She looked smart too.”

Aaron’s eyes flickered up from his book to meet Andrew’s and then back down again. There was a dark smudge of ink on his cheekbone “I don’t need a gal if I’m headin’ to school.”

Loopholes, loopholes.

“I know that, but in the meantime – ”

“I’m from the future,” Andrew said abruptly, putting the words out there before he could convince himself not to. A crash from the kitchen told Andrew that Nicky had dropped a pan, and Aaron was staring at Andrew like he’d grown two heads, book suddenly forgotten.

“The fuck,” Aaron said. Nicky fell from around the corner of the kitchen, mouth gaping open like a fish.

Andrew didn’t have time for this. The sun was already cresting the sky and beginning to sink. “I’m from the year 2077 and in a couple hours, you both are going to die. But you don’t have to.”

“Well Andrew’s officially lost it,” Aaron said, blinking like he hadn’t been betting on it for three years.

“Are you feeling okay, Andrew?” Nicky asked.

They never found their bodies.

Loopholes…

If Andrew brought Aaron and Nicky back with him to his present-day, the unattended stove still blows, the house still burns down, and past-Andrew still buries empty caskets. The timeline remains intact and Andrew’s family doesn’t die. Andrew never asked what would happen if they took someone from the past to present-day, but he knew it couldn’t have been that big of a deal considering Allison Reynold’s frequent appearances at Renee’s side.

Aaron and Nicky took a bit of convincing, and although they still looked thoroughly bewildered, they followed Andrew outside and into the barn Betsy was waiting in. Betsy’s lips thinned into a line when she saw them behind Andrew, but she waited for Andrew’s explanation.

“Their bodies were never found,” Andrew said. Betsy looked unconvinced. “If we take them away now, nothing gets changed. The timeline will not be disrupted.”

Betsy said nothing. She looked behind Andrew’s shoulder, to Aaron and Nicky. Aaron was staring hard at Andrew, eyes flicking from him to Betsy as he tried to make sense of what was happening. Nicky looked scared, eyes wide, shifting from foot to foot.

“Okay,” Betsy said. Andrew let his shoulders relax a notch. Then she turned to Aaron and Nicky palms outstretched, and smiled her warm smile. “This will feel very awkward, but whatever you do, don’t let go of mine and Andrew’s hands.”

~

The first thing they did when they got back was deliver Aaron and Nicky to the lab. They couldn’t go anywhere without getting a number of vaccines first, and when they were done – they had to come back in two weeks for round two – Andrew and Betsy introduced them to Wymack. He was not impressed with Andrew’s stunt, but unsurprised. As per usual with Andrew.

The entire time Nicky and Aaron gazed around them with wide eyes. Fox Tower was far from the tallest building in the area, but it was still impressively tall to Nicky and Aaron, who had never seen a skyscraper before. Nicky was practically jumping on the balls of his feet through the quick tour before getting the key to his room. Aaron was much quieter, but the look of amazement on his face never left as he studied every inch of the future.

“2077?” Aaron asked. When Andrew nodded, he said, “But how? You should be dead.”

“Later,” Andrew said, and gave him a push on the shoulder. When Aaron and Nicky were safely in their temporary room in the dorms, Andrew went back to his own room.

Neil wasn’t at the lab when Andrew arrived with Aaron and Nicky in tow, so Andrew assumed that he was already waiting inside. It was nearly six, and Andrew felt burnt out from all that had happened. Jumping through time, twice, seeing his old home, seeing his family again after so long. It was too much thrown at him all at once, no matter how he tried to prepare himself, and Andrew was exhausted. He didn’t want to do anything else, he wanted to close the door behind him, take a deep breath, and settle in with Neil for the night. He could check on Aaron and Nicky again tomorrow, but for the time being he was done and he was shutting himself off from the rest of the world.

The suite was dark when Andrew entered, the only light emanating from the kitchen. Andrew wondered in Neil was already in the bedroom, if he too was tired of the day. King was sprawled on the couch in the living room, fluffy tail flicking with acknowledgement when Andrew scratched behind her ears. She yawned, stretching her legs before curling up on the cushion and falling asleep again.

Andrew didn’t feel like eating anything, he felt like changing out his jeans for sweatpants and curling up next to Neil under the blankets until morning. He reached for the kitchen light to turn if off but paused when he found Neil sitting alone at the table.

It didn’t look like he had eaten, there was nothing in front of him, no plate or even a cup of coffee, and there were no dishes in the sink. He sat perfectly still, back oddly straight in his chair, head bowed and staring at his hands clasped in his lap.

“Neil,” Andrew said quietly, thinking he must have been spacing, drifting somewhere in the void in his head. But Neil’s hands clenched and when he spoke, his voice was low, measured and careful.

“Were you ever planning on telling me?”

Andrew blinked. Uneasiness wormed its way into his stomach, making him feel unsettled and antsy. “Tell you what?”

Neil stood up from the table and when he turned around, Andrew could see how tight his face was, how the muscles in his jaw bobbed when he ground his teeth. There was a quiet sort of fury in his eyes. Blue pinpoints of fire. Andrew felt his shoulders lifting, his back going rigid with tension.

“The procedure requires a donor,” Neil said and cursed inwardly. “You knew that. Abby told me you were volunteered yourself.”

“It won’t kill me,” Andrew felt the need to say.

“Really?” Neil said. There was a hysterical edge to his voice and Andrew thought he might crack right open. “I’ll be sucking the life out of you Andrew. That doesn’t sound like death?”

“You’ll be sucking the time out of me, actually.”

“This isn’t fucking funny!” Neil’s voice had risen to a shout. “Did you seriously think that I wouldn’t realize? Or that I would be fine with it, that I wouldn’t fucking care that you sacrificed yourself just so I can live for another couple shitty years?”

Andrew ground his teeth together. “It won’t kill me, Neil. I’m just giving you time, something that I have plenty of. It’s been done once before and – ”

“And Kayleigh Day died. She hooked herself up to the fucking machines and it took everything out of her and she died.”

“Kevin Day lived. You’ll live too.”

“I don’t want to if you’re not with me. How can you expect me to just move on after this?” Neil said, incredulous. “After so long of only being allowed to be around enough to see that the world’s moved on without me only to die again before I could do something about it.” He paced the kitchen as he ranted, voice thick with anger. He made a cutting gesture with his hand and turned on Andrew again. “I’ve spent more time in the void than I’ve even been alive and I don’t know how to deal with that.”

“And you think I want to do it?” Andrew snarled. “I’ve lived for far too long and I’m sick of losing everyone who has ever mattered. I’m tired, Neil. I’m fucking tired of this shit.”

Neil shook his head. He’d stopped pacing and now he stood in the middle of the kitchen, shoulders hunched and fists curled loosely at his sides. The fluorescent light from the ceiling cast him in a yellow glow, washing out the fine details of him. He looked like a grainy photograph, old and warped with age. The furious wrinkle between his brows tightened as dragged his glare from the floor to Andrew’s face, mouth twitching as he thought of the words he wanted to say.

“I’m not going to help you kill yourself,” he decided on. “This is my choice, and I won’t go through with it.”

“You’re being ridiculous.”

Neil didn’t say anything, just shook his head with that stubborn set to his mouth. Andrew took a step toward him but he held out his hand for Andrew to stop. “Just – just – ” he said. He made another sharp gesture with his hand before brushing past Andrew. “I’m going for a run.” He slammed the door shut on the way out.

Andrew kicked the leg of the table with a frustrated growl. He did it again, for good measure, and sunk into the chair Neil had vacated. He rubbed at his eyes, tired, too tired, and thought about going next door to where he’d left Aaron and Nicky but decided against it.

He didn’t know what he was doing anymore. He was just so fucking tired and he didn’t have the energy to find any other ways to pull himself through. His chest was tight, reminding Andrew a little of time traveling with Betsy, and for the first time in two centuries Andrew thought he might be dying.

Neil might be dying. He’d left so quickly Andrew couldn’t stop him, and who knew when he was due for another death. This argument that left Andrew feeling so drained could have been the last time he ever talked to Neil, ever saw him. He didn’t even say goodbye.

Tugging on his hair once, Andrew let his head drop to the table with a thunk. He stayed like that until he felt King’s soft fur against his legs and heard her quiet meow as she jumped up on the table. She knocked her head against Andrew’s and Andrew crooked his fingers in her fur, not petting or stroking her soft coat, just holding on.

It was hours later when the door opened and Neil returned, seemingly unharmed. Andrew had since moved to the couch to stare at the blank TV screen. He hadn’t bothered turning it on, he wouldn’t be able to focus on it or even hear the words over his loud thoughts.

Neil slipped in the room like a shadow. He closed the door behind him, toed off his shoes, and leaned against the wall with a heavy sigh, studying Andrew with an unreadable expression on his face. He didn’t look angry anymore, but Andrew detected the same ragged weariness he felt.

“I didn’t think you would come back,” Andrew said quietly.

“I wouldn’t just leave,” Neil replied, just as quiet.

“That’s not what I meant.”

Neil pushed off from the wall and sunk down on the cushion next to Andrew’s. He left several inches between them, close enough that Andrew could see his throat bob when he swallowed, but far away enough that he couldn’t feel his warmth. “I know,” Neil said and tipped his head back to rest against the back of the couch.

Seconds seemed to stretch into minutes in this silence, Neil tracking the pattern in the ceiling with his eyes, brow furrowed, and Andrew watching him do it. “I’m not fragile, Andrew. I’m not going to break as soon as someone touches me. You spend so much time worrying about me that you forget about yourself and I hate it. Whether or not I agree with the procedure, it is my choice and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Andrew thought about saying nothing, thought about letting that hang between them before it dissipated. But he didn’t want to fight anymore. They didn’t have the time. “If we don’t do anything then you’re going to die again,” he said. “There are no other ways.”

Neil tipped his head to look at him. His eyes looked like black pools in the lack of light. “I know that. But what if I wake up and you’re gone?” He inhaled a shaky breath. “I don’t know what I would do.”

This time, when Andrew moved toward him, Neil met him halfway. Andrew wrapped a hand around the back of Neil’s neck and pulled his head down on his shoulder. Neil’s breathing was erratic, broken as he hiccupped for air.

“Breathe, Neil,” Andrew said as if that could coax the air into Neil’s lungs by itself. “Just breathe.”

“I don’t want to lose you,” Neil gasped. He was shaking, trembling like a leaf. Andrew grabbed his hand and squeezed. “I can’t lose you.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Neil took a shuddering breath and let his head drop to Andrew’s chest, the tension draining from his body. He was still for a moment before he tugged far away enough to look Andrew in the eyes. “If I go through with this,” he said, eyes wide, desperate, “you have to promise me that you won’t go too far.”

Looking at Neil like this, falling apart while trying so hard to keep it together, Andrew would have given him anything. “I promise,” he said.

~

The next morning, Andrew went with Neil to the lab. Abby was at a table with a couple other people in lab coats when they entered, but Abby dismissed herself when she saw them.

“Hey,” she said, pushing up the sleeves of her lab coat and nodding at them. She turned to Neil. “You left kind of quickly yesterday. Everything alright?”

Neil nodded. “Just wasn’t feeling well. I’m fine.”

“Glad to hear it.” Abby turned her gaze on Andrew. “And Aaron and Nicky? How are they adjusting?”

Neil glanced at Andrew curiously. Andrew had filled him in after he had calmed down last night, but he hasn’t seen them yet. Aaron and Nicky were both dead to the world when Andrew checked on them, snoring soundly in their beds. Betsy told him it was often a side-effect for first time travelers, and they’d likely be sleeping it off all day.

“Sleeping off the adverse effects of being pulled through a straw and spit out in the future.” Andrew shrugged. “They’ll get used to it.”

“Mhm.” Abby looked slightly befuddled at his answer but brushed it off. “So, what brings you to the lab?”

“I want to do the procedure. I want you to fix this,” Neil said, gesturing to himself.

“And a donor?” Abby asked, her voice affecting obliviousness. She slid a look in Andrew’s direction. She knew that he was planning on giving his time over to Neil, she’d told him so after all, but Andrew answered anyway.

“Me.”

“Great,” Abby said carefully. “We can set an appointment and I’ll get the equipment ready. I know you both know of the dangers,” she pinned them both with a look “and although medicine and the study of time has progressed immensely since the last time this procedure was attempted, I can trust that it won’t be taken lightly.”

It wasn’t phrased as a question, but there was a certain uptick to her voice that told Andrew differently. Neil nodded, taking a deep breath. “We know what we’re getting into,” he said, glancing at Andrew. “We’ve already talked about it and decided that this is the best decision.”

Abby smiled and reached out her hand to squeeze Neil’s shoulder. He tensed, but only for a moment. “It’s going to be okay,” she said. Neil nodded, averting his eyes, and took a step back.

“We should go,” he mumbled and nodded a goodbye to Abby.

~

It was dinner time when there was a knock on the suite door. Neil and Andrew decided to eat in tonight, not wanting to have to deal with anyone in the cafeteria. Andrew knew the looks made Neil uncomfortable, and if he were being honest with himself, he didn’t necessarily want to be around anyone else either.

Neil got up to open the door, and Nicky poked his head inside to find Andrew on seated on the couch. “There you are!” he said, and looked Neil up and down. “And who’s this sweetie?”

“Neil,” Andrew grunted. “Come in and shut the door behind you.”

Aaron shoved past Nicky, looking groggy and rumpled from sleep. Heavy bags under his eyes told him he still wasn’t finished sleeping off the time travel. He ignored Neil completely and slumped in one of the chairs at the kitchen table. Nicky snorted and mimed sleeping before plopping down on the couch next to Andrew.

“I like the future,” he said, stretching out his feet and folding his hands behind his head. “It’s super nice. Loud, but nice. I like that box thing with the pictures – what’s it called? Aaron?”

“A television,” Aaron mumbled, half asleep, eyes closed and chin propped up in his hand. “You’re loud, Nicky. The future suits you.”

“What’s new.” Nicky shrugged and nearly toppled over when Andrew pushed his feet off the coffee table. Nicky didn’t seem to mind. He eyed Neil, a little more than curiously, and said, “Are you an immortal thing too? A time traveler?”

“Void walker,” Neil said, still standing by the door.

“Oh? That sounds interesting. What do you do?”

“Die a lot.”

Nicky blanked, for once in his life at a loss for words. He laughed a little, glancing at Andrew to see if it was a joke and when he didn’t get a response he grimaced. “Oh, um.” He looked to Aaron for help but Aaron was asleep. He rallied quickly. “How long have you two known each other?”

“We’ve been together for eighty-two years,” Andrew said. Nicky’s eyes bulged, his mouth dropping open into a wide O.

“Together? As in…involved? Partners?” he asked, almost a whisper. Andrew wasn’t surprised that was the part he focused on, rather than Andrew has been alive for over eighty years and still looks to be in his mid-twenties. When Andrew nodded, he gasped. “That’s allowed?”

“Welcomed,” Andrew said, and Nicky looked like he was about to cry. Andrew made a mental note to tell him about pride later.

“I love the future,” he declared, slumping back into the couch with a loud sigh.

Turns out, Nicky also loved Chinese takeout. Aaron woke up at the smell of food and devoured two and a half cartons of orange chicken by himself. Nicky chattered away as they ate, asking questions about Andrew’s life since 1897 and what is was like being an immortal. He avoided the topic of Neil’s deaths, and Neil seemed to appreciate that. Instead he badgered Neil for information about Andrew and what it was like being with him.

“He used to have the worst sleeping habits,” Nicky said, shaking his head. “I would wake up hours before sunrise to find him bothering the chickens in the coup.” He leaned forward with his hand shielding his mouth as if he were telling a secret. He lowered his voice into a fake-whisper. “He won’t admit it but I know he found it amusing to try and catch them. I don’t know how he didn’t lose any fingers to those beasts.”

Neil laughed, darting a look at Andrew. Andrew pretended to be annoyed, but he couldn’t be, really. He didn’t think Aaron or Nicky could get on his nerves, not after missing them for two hundred years. Not that he’d tell them that. He wouldn’t want them to think they could start getting away with things, now would he.

Halfway through dinner, Andrew noticed Aaron’s heavy stare on the side of his face. He caught the small glances he shot between him and Neil, knew he was making the connections. Idly, Andrew wondered what Aaron thought of it but decided he didn’t care.

When Nicky had absorbed Neil into a conversation about electricity, Aaron leaned over and whispered to Andrew, “Our deal?”

Andrew leveled him a stare. Their deal, to him, seemed so long ago that it hardly mattered. But to Aaron, that was days ago. “Burned in a fire,” Andrew said. Aaron pursed his lips, regarding his brother for a long moment before nodding curtly.

It didn’t take long for Nicky to tire himself out and for Aaron to lead him back to their suite. When they were gone, Neil sat next to Andrew on the couch and folded his legs up underneath him. “Your family is nice,” he said.

Andrew quirked an eyebrow. “Insufferable, you mean.”

Neil huffed out a laugh and bumped his head against Andrew’s. Andrew caught him and directed his head to his shoulder. “But they’re here,” Neil said.

“Observant,” Andrew said.

Neil traced his pinky along the shell of Andrew’s ear. “Three days.”

Andrew’s mouth twitched downwards at the non-sequitur. It took him a moment to realize Neil was talking about the procedure. In three days, Abby was going to hook Neil and Andrew up to a machine and Andrew was going to give a bit of the time ingrained into his soul over to Neil. He still didn’t get it, didn’t even understand how it could be possible or how it would work, but he’s seen so many things that shouldn’t have been possible these past couple days, that he decided not to think too hard about it.

Three days. These past few weeks have moved fast, and Andrew could already feel the anxiety nagging at him. Neil only had to make it three more days until the procedure, but what if he didn’t? Andrew knew better than most how sudden someone’s death could be, and a thought echoed in his head: What if Neil never even made it through the night?

Or worse, what if he lasted the three days, only for something to go wrong? The procedure wasn’t only just dangerous for Andrew, it could kill Neil just as much as it could Andrew. All this way, all this time, only for Neil to die anyway. Andrew grit his teeth and focused his breathing in one of the exercises Betsy taught him.

There was nothing he could do now. Either Neil died, or he didn’t. The procedure worked, or it won’t. Andrew went too far and lost himself, or he didn’t.

Neil was asleep, Andrew realized with a bit of a surprise. He hadn’t realized how tired Neil really was until he heard the quiet snores coming from him. Carefully, as not to disturb him, Andrew scooped Neil up in his arms and carried him to the bedroom. He took off his shoes and threw them in the corner and switched out his jeans for one of Andrew’s pajama pants. Andrew didn’t bother changing himself because he didn’t plan on sleeping, but he tucked Neil in and sat on the edge of the bed, wishing for the first time in years for a cigarette, and waited.

~

The day of the procedure, Neil spaced out three times before breakfast. For the most part, Andrew kept him tethered with a hand on the back of his neck, squeezing just enough to bring Neil back when he drifted. Neil picked at his food, hardly eating anything more than a few bites of toast. They decided to forgo the cafeteria that morning, and when Neil had choked down a few more bites of toast slathered with strawberry jam, Andrew and Neil dressed quickly.

Andrew finished brushing his teeth and spat in the sink, letting the water wash away the toothpaste spit. Neil was walking around the suite behind him, rummaging through drawers and pacing groves in the carpeted floor. Andrew watched him, leaning against the edge of the sink with his arms folded loosely across his chest.

“The bathroom is free,” Andrew called. Neil looked up, his gaze distant and hazy.

“Thanks,” he replied after a beat that lasted too long.

They walked to the lab, Andrew a step behind and Neil lagging behind. Neil’s anxiety was palpable in the air in the way his silence was strained, and how he kept his eyes averted, darting all around him like he was scanning for threats. Andrew fisted the sleeve of Neil’s hoodie and Neil seemed to take comfort from that.

A medical intern waited for them in the lobby and directed them to one of the rooms in the back. When Andrew found Aaron and Nicky waiting there, he quirked an eyebrow in question.

Nicky smiled his toothy grin and hopped up from his seat next to Aaron. “Hey! Matt told us you and Neil would be doing your procedure thing today. Me and Aaron wanted to be here.”

Andrew didn’t roll his eyes, but it was a close thing. He should have known that Aaron and Nicky would have had breakfast in the cafeteria, and it was only a matter of time until the gossips did what they did best – gossiped. Andrew almost regretted introducing his brother and his cousin to the timeless. He didn’t expect them to get along so well, at least not this quickly.

“So, what does this thing actually do?” Nicky asked. Aaron lifted his head from his place at one of the metal tables, and Andrew noticed he had been studying diagrams from a medical book. An intern with bouncy, strawberry-blonde curls had been pointing out the different pictures to Aaron and she looked up, blinking when she realized Aaron’s attention had shifted. Andrew narrowed his eyes at him but Aaron’s expression betrayed nothing.

“If successful, Andrew’s immortality will transfer to Neil and cancel out his time sickness.” Andrew hadn’t noticed when Abby entered the room, dressed in her white doctor’s coat. Nicky sent her a startled look. “They’d both be rendered mortal.”

“And if it’s not successful?” he asked.

Abby pressed her lips into a thin line. “Death. It’s a tricky procedure, but I have a team of doctors and assistants that will be helping me. Your brother is in safe hands.”

Nicky didn’t look any more reassured. He looked wildly from Andrew to Neil, before retreating back to Aaron for help.

“Are you going to cut them open?” Aaron asked bluntly. Andrew knew he was thinking of the surgeries performed in the nineteenth century. They were brutal and usually opened the body up to infection. Unless the surgeon was particularly skilled and delicate, people often didn’t live long after surgery.

“It’s not surgery. They will be hooked up to machines that will aid the transfer, but it’s mostly up to Andrew. He’ll have to focus his energy into transferring his immortality to Neil, and Neil will have to choose to receive it. It’ll will be quick, lasting only a couple of minutes at most.”

Aaron and Nicky exchanged a look but said nothing more.

“Katelyn,” Abby addressed the intern sitting next to Aaron. “is the equipment ready?”

“It’s all set up and ready to go,” she said. Andrew found her cheery attitude to be extremely annoying, close proximity to Aaron only increasing that ten-fold. The worst part was that Aaron didn’t seem to mind at all.

Abby ushered Andrew and Neil into a large room with machines Andrew didn’t know the purpose of hooked up to walls. Three separate monitors were set up around two metal tables. Andrew assumed they would show body functions such as heart rate and blood pressure, but he didn’t know if it would show his immortality and Neil’s, well, sickness. He wondered if immortality could even be shown on the screen, if it were a physical thing.

Abby left the room so Andrew and Neil could change into white hospital gowns, and knocked on the door a few minutes later to announce that she was coming back in. She directed Andrew and Neil to lay on the metal tables and then a stream of interns and assistants flooded into the room to power up the machines.

The metal was cool and uncomfortable under Andrew’s back, seeping the warmth from his skin and providing little comfort. He leaned his head back and tried to calm his rapidly beating heart. Beside him, he could hear that Neil’s breathing was a tad too quick. Andrew flicked a look at him and found him glancing from machine to machine with wide, panicked eyes.

“Neil, look at me,” Andrew said softly. Neil’s breath hitched and his head jerked to the side towards Andrew. Andrew reached out his hand and Neil gripped it like a lifeline. “I’m not going to let you go, okay?”

Neil nodded and took a deep breath. “Remember your promise,” he said, his voice strained.

“I remember,” Andrew said.

Katelyn was the one who hooked Andrew up to the machine, chattering amiably all the way. She placed cold sticky pads all across his chest and forehead while another assistant did the same to Neil. Andrew had to withdraw his hand when Katelyn snapped wires to the buttons on the pads and placed a something over his thumb that was supposed to monitor his heart rate. The monitor in front of him displayed a picture of his heart and all its chambers, pulsing with every beat in his chest.

Once they were all hooked up, Abby told them that she would have to go behind a protective wall where she could control the machines.

“You will feel a slight tugging sensation,” she said. “Nausea is normal, and so is a little bit of a headache that may last for a couple days. Ready?”

Neil nodded and took another deep breath. Abby disappeared behind a wall, and then the wall disappeared, shimmering like a mirage. Abby’s voice as she gave orders to the other doctors was muffled, and Andrew realized it must have been some sort of glass. Neil twisted to look at Andrew the best he could with all the wires constricting his movement. His face was still pale and his expression tight, but he held Andrew’s gaze for as long he could. “See you on the other side,” he said and squeezed his eyes shut.

Andrew’s vision went black, and a slight tugging sensation wasn’t exactly how he would explain what he felt. It was similar to traveling through time in the sense that he felt his entire body was being squeezed into a small space, but different because he didn’t feel like he was moving. He could still feel the metal table under his back, but it was like all of his insides, his stomach, his lungs, his heart were being jostled from inside of him. His pulse pounded in his temples, and over his heartbeat he heard a loud whooshing noise.

Somehow, Andrew forced his eyes open and the room came into all-too sharp focus with bright fragmented colors that arranged in his brain to make his heart monitor, his heart beating rapidly on the screen. Andrew forced his head to the side and squinted to see Neil. Neil’s body convulsed on top of the table, his eyes and mouth stretched open in a silent scream. Sound came back all at once and Andrew could hear the choked gasps coming from him.

Panic overtook him and Andrew shot up, pawing at the patches on his chest, yanking at the wires as much as he could in his weakened state. He could feel the pain his head receding, he stopped feeling so shaken and his organs returned to their places. But Neil – Neil was still seizing.

Neil.

“Don’t stop,” Andrew ordered, bordering on shouting. He didn’t care that he was infringing on his promise. If this was the only deal he broke in his entire life, then it was fucking worth it. “Don’t fucking stop until Neil is okay.”

Muffled voices in his ears, a scream that Andrew couldn’t tell the origin of. The machines whirred, lighting up red warnings that Andrew didn’t need to know that something was very wrong. Andrew ignored them and pushed and pushed until his vision darkened at the edges and he fell back against the table.

He was gone, he was falling, he was lost. He couldn’t feel anything anymore.

~

The ringing in his ears turned into a dull beeping sound, and it was another couple minutes until he was able to force his eyes open. The patches on his chest were gone, but there was a circular IV in his arm and he was in an entirely new room. Andrew squinted, trying to remember what happened. The image of Neil on the table, dying, and the sucking darkness when Andrew tried to save him.

But Andrew was still here, and Neil wasn’t. He failed.

“Hey, Andrew, don’t sit up okay? Abby said you’ll be a little sore.” Nicky’s voice to his right was obviously meant to be soothing. A hand on his forehead pushed his hair back but Andrew pushed it away. He felt like he was imploding as grief ripped through his body, his organs collapsing on themselves until there was nothing left but his hollow shell. Nicky seemed oblivious to all of this. “Aaron is in the cafeteria getting us dinner. We didn’t know when you’d wake up, but we can always get more.”

“Where’s Neil?” Andrew croaked, his voice scratchy and near unintelligible. He swallowed and tried again. Even if it was over, even if he failed, he needed to know what happened. He didn’t care about food, despite the loud rumbling his empty stomach made.

Nicky hesitated, playing with the sheets by Andrew’s arm. Andrew couldn’t stand this. If he had only pushed harder, Neil would still be alive. Andrew had failed and now he was left with nothing to show for it but a severe headache. Neil was gone, and this time he wasn’t coming back. The back of Andrew’s eyes burned and his throat constricted painfully. He desperately tried to shove it away, lock it up before it overflowed but he couldn’t stop thinking of Neil. His smile, his laugh, the way his body jerked on the table like a rag doll.

“Nicky,” Andrew demanded. He hadn’t heard that desperate note in his own voice in a very, very long time. “What happened?”

“He’s still asleep,” Nicky assured. Andrew stilled. He was alive? Neil was still alive? “He’s pretty banged up, but Abby said he’ll be okay.”

The air was knocked out of Andrew, and yet it was the first time since he woke up that he could breathe. He stopped struggling against the sheets of the hospital bed, he felt all of his energy drain out of him and he slumped against the pillows. His throat worked. Neil was going to be okay. They were both going to be okay.

A part of Andrew never believed that he would make it through. He knew that when it came down to it, Andrew was always going to do everything he could to save Neil, even if that meant letting himself go. Andrew made Neil a promise, and he meant it, but making the promise while Neil was living and breathing was different than keeping it when he was dying.

“He’s okay,” Andrew repeated, having to taste the words to believe them.

“Yeah, Andrew. The procedure worked.”

He couldn’t wait any longer. Andrew forced his way up, pushing off of the pillows with his elbows. His body felt heavy, but Andrew managed to swing his legs over the edge of the bed.

“Hey, no. Don’t do that. Andrew – ” Nicky tried to coax Andrew back to lying down, but Andrew used Nicky’s shoulder as leverage to get down from the bed. “Wait a minute. Where are you going? Andrew?”

“Neil,” Andrew grunted. A tug on his arm reminded him that he was still attached to the IV. Andrew scratched at it with his fingers and peeled it off. It was a lot like the patches on his chest and forehead during the procedure, except tiny needles retracted from his skin when he removed it. A voice in the back of his head told him that removing an IV is bad, and messy, but there were hardly more than tiny pinpricks of blood that he wiped away with his thumb.

Andrew stumbled, his heartbeat still pounding in his temples, and Nicky caught his elbow. Instead of shaking him off, Andrew allowed Nicky to steady him and then made his way out of the room and down the hall.

They were still in the lab, just in different wing than where they had the procedure done. It wasn’t hard to find Neil’s room, there were only three other rooms in the medic wing, and only the one on the end was closed. Andrew opened the door and went through without knocking, Nicky quick behind him with an apology.

Abby was leaning over the bed, fiddling with wires and tapping at the monitor. She looked up at Andrew’s entrance, surprise and disapproval on her face. It turned into exasperation when she saw who had barged in. “Andrew? You should be resting. Neil isn’t going anywhere.”

Andrew ignored her, because there Neil was, laying in the bed with the blankets tucked around him. He looked pallid under the fluorescent hospital lights, his skin a shade paler than his usual golden tan, but otherwise unharmed. He was also hooked up to an IV, but the monitor recorded a strong, beating heart.

Abby looked annoyed when he pushed past her but she didn’t try to stop him. Neil was already stirring when Andrew came in, and when Andrew hooked his fingers in the collar of Neil’s hospital gown, he was beginning to blink open his eyes. Ocean blue, the color of a summer sky, Andrew didn’t care what color Neil’s eyes looked like, just that they were Neil’s and that a slow smile spread across his face like oil on water.

“Andrew,” he said, like it was the sweetest thing on his tongue. He reached his hand for Andrew and pulled him closer. Andrew climbed into the bed, keeping errant knees and elbows from accidentally jostling Neil, and curled his body around him. Neil shifted so his head rested on Andrew’s shoulder and clutched the fabric he found on Andrew’s chest.

Peppering kisses on Neil’s forehead, Andrew felt like he could finally breathe. He was alive, he was alive and Neil wasn’t going to die anytime soon. Abby had ushered Nicky out of the room to give Andrew and Neil some privacy but Andrew hardly noticed. He didn’t care. At that moment, the only thing that mattered was Neil’s lithe body cradled next to his, was Neil’s even breaths of air small puffs against Andrew’s neck.

Something welled up inside Andrew, expanding like a balloon. He pulled Neil tighter against him, refusing to ever let go. It was over, it was all over. Andrew felt a weight lifted from his chest, his entire body. He had Neil in his arms and they were okay.

Neil laughed, a small relieved sound, and sunk into Andrew’s embrace. They stayed like that for only a couple of minutes, but it felt like hours. Abby came back in the room, holding Andrew and Neil’s neatly-folded clothes in her arms. She placed them on the foot of the bed and smoothed the fabric with her hands.

“I’ll be back in a couple minutes to check on Neil’s stats again, and then you can get dressed and head home. How are you feeling?” Abby directed the last part at Andrew.

Andrew stared back at her, considering. His body ached, and his head still felt like someone had cleaved it in half with an axe, but he was breathing and so was Neil. They had the rest of their lives ahead of them, a life spent with each other. It was almost too much to hope for, and it made Andrew dizzy with the thought.

Andrew brushed his fingers against Neil’s wrist, over a tiny mole on his skin, and said, “Never been better.” He was only being a tiny bit ironic.

Abby let them be and then they were alone again. Neil was tracking his eyes across the painted black spots on the ceiling and Andrew traced his fingers over Neil’s scars, proof of what he lived through, proof that he was alive and that he had healed. Neil turned his head and met Andrew’s gaze, bumping their foreheads together.

“What was that about taking me to the Exy court later? I believe you even said you’d play with me,” Neil said, a pretty smile curling his pretty mouth.

Andrew snorted, devoid of its usual exasperation. “I don’t recall,” he said. Neil didn’t argue any further, he didn’t need to. They didn’t have all the time in the world, but they had a lifetime and that was enough. It was more than enough.

It was everything.