#He’s panicking a bit & also REALLY needs a drink but the infants keep stopping him

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 303

Constantine might be cursing everything and everyone he’s ever met because this? This is a goddamned mess that he does not want to be cleaning up, yet here he is! Three infant godlings who the American-Fuckin-Government decided to try and kill and worse clinging to his legs and huddling beneath his trenchcoat. 

Look when he followed the instructions on the magic green sticky note he was not expecting this level of bullshit, and honestly do these imbeciles want to get the entire universe devoured by angry eldritch gods!? 

Damnit, he needed a smoke- and to inform the League so they could deal with the government side of this shit- but mostly a smoke. Ugh. He was so not babysitter material, but none of the bloody tykes would be letting go or leaving the trenchcoat anytime soon. 

[sebaschian]

Automatically a Mama (Grelle Sutcliff) Chapter 1

Summary: While doing soul collection, Grelle gets faced with a situation. To take or not take in an orphaned human infant. Can she handle the responsibility of child care?

A/N: Female pronouns. Not your thing? Ignore this and don’t cause drama.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Kuroshitsuji series. I only own this fanfiction and the OC’s in here.

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Not much activity was happening in the human realm, but Grelle Sutcliff was tasked with the recollection of souls and records, not that she personally liked doing work but she was threatened with many more work if she slacked off or do what she wanted to do instead of work.

“Murder of a couple, South London... well this could be an interesting DEATH~!” She made her signature pose and head into the house. She inspected the scene, the couple had died holding one another close. The wife was on top of the husband, it seemed like their jewelry was stolen.

“Markus Rick and Marilyn Rosanne Harrington. Markus born February 8 1846 and Marilyn born August 19 1843, cause of death shot in the chest multiple of times, both of them owned a bakery and were very famous with their fruit crepes. Oh well, what a shame, they had to die this way.” Grelle saw through their cinematic records and put the COMPLETE stamp on their picture in the book.

“Well, I’m done for today, I gotta head off-” Grelle was about to turn and leave the place when, a tiny giggle stopped her in her tracks. “Huh?” she looked down and saw a small baby, being covered in blankets, looking as if their parents were trying so hard to hide them from the thieves that took their life.

“A baby...” Grelle felt for the little creature sure, but she had other things to do to pay attention to the tiny human who was playing with the blankets and looking at her. “I’m so sorry you have to be alone now, your mummy and dada are... gone little one. But I’m sure when the authorities come they will take you to an orphanage where they’ll care for you. Adieu, mon petit!” she then turned back to leave when the baby put a sad face behind her back and then started to cry.

Grelle felt a heartsqueeze just hearing those cries. They sounded so desperate, so scared, begging to not be left alone. Sometime inside Grelle was changing, could she really take in that mortal? No, she had to. She couldn’t really leave them like that. “Hey, hey, shhhh. It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m not leaving.” She then turned back to the child and carefully picked them up in arms. The baby giggled automatically, since they were picked up as they wanted to.

The baby didn’t look like they were were a newborn, they appeared to be around a year old or at least ten months old, had dark black hair and green eyes, almost like a reaper but they were human.

“Oh, what did I get myself into, little one. Here with you, what am I supposed to do with you, hmm?” She wondered as she held the baby close to her.

“Ma...”

“Hm?”

“Maaaa!”

“What do you mean, little one?”

“Mama!”

Grelle’s whole world stopped right there when that word escaped the young one’s lips. Mama. Why did that simple word made her heart skip a bit and why did her eyes were becoming watery. 

“W-what did you just say, tiny one? Can you repeat it?” She put the small baby to her face, looking at them hopefully it was what she thought they say.

“Mama, Mama, Mama!” The little one cupped her face and giggled, repeating it more times. Grelle’s shocked face slowly turned into a soft smiled, she was also shedding tears. Very joyful tears. She had always wanted to have a child of her own, that was her true life wish, for this one to quickly accept her as their mother with only seconds of meeting.

“Why yes, YES! I am your Mama!” Grelle squealed, letting the joyful tears flow more as she cuddled the precious bundle of joy that she had in her arms. Happy sobs all the way. She had found her opportunity to be the mother that she had wanted to be, there was no doubt. This baby was hers now.

“Do you have a name, mon petit?” Now she focused on the baby’s gender. How did humans check a child’s gender again? Ah, she remembered it now. She folded the blanket a bit and determined it now. “So a baby boy?” There was nothing in there that told the baby’s name, so Grelle decided to come up with a name. 

“Wiru Gary Sutcliff. Sounds about right!” Giving the baby that name, she put him back in her arms and grabbed the blanket wrapping him comfortably in it. “Come, I gotta go back to my own realm, please keep quiet, dear one. I don’t want to get into trouble for taking a human where they’re not supposed to go.” she said softly, took her death-scythe and hopped out the window, with the baby and off she was to the reaper realm.

Could she really, really be able to care for a human child, despite never being in contact with one before? Grelle was simply the type of person to do things without thinking before doing them, of course she would take a baby human and claimed that it was her baby.

(Grim Reaper Dispatch, Reaper Realm)

“There we go, Wiru. Nice and quiet, don’t make a single peep. Mama’s gonna be in trouble if you make a sound.” Grelle whispered, putting the baby inside the closet behind her desk on blankets and rubbed the child’s cheek. “Be a good baby and nap for a bit okay? Okay.” she looked from side to side and closed the doors and quickly went to sit on the chair inside her own office.

“Grelle Sutcliff, did you complete the task?” that was William the superior coming inside, keeping his expressionless nature and pushing his glasses up to keep them from falling.

“Aww, Will, darling! Of course I did!” Grelle as usually responded to him like that, her eyes being hearts as they usually turned when seeing the guys that she found attractive.

William sighed, ignoring the darling comment, he’d gotten used to it by now. “Reports.”

“Murder of a married couple. Their baby was orphaned.” Grelle started, of course behind her mind was, the baby’s not orphaned now for she just took him in.

William nodded pleased, for once Grelle did something formal instead of doing things the way she wanted. “Well done, Sutcliff. I must tell I am impressed by your performance today, you didn’t screw anything up. So congrats on that, keep it up.” he was impressed by it, which was barely true, since Grelle tended to get a little driven by her emotions in work and that caused her to make messes in the process.

“Ahh baba da dee...” Little Wiru suddenly let out those meaningless babbles for a baby who didn’t know any better.

William furrowed his brows. “What was that?” he looked around.

Grelle panicked and then came up with something. “My stomach! I am hungry! It was so early in the morning, they just contacted me and I couldn’t get any mouthful inside!”

A stomach talking? Ah whatever, William wasn’t even going to question it, he had many other things to do than to pay attention to that. “Well, have you eaten your daily portion of carrots on the way to work?”

Grelle made a face. “Will, dear, you know that I can’t stand carrots, they’re disgusting!”

“Grelle Sutcliff that is not up for discussion, you will eat them everyday.” William said with irritation, it always the same with this reaper, she never wanted to eat what already was a requirement. He pulled out a plate with six carrots and put in front of Grelle. “Eat. I want to see you.”

“B-but-!” Before Grelle could protest, William picked a carrot with a fork and stuck it inside her mouth.

“Eat.” He wasn’t going to relent until he saw her eating them.

“Mph!” Grelle sputtered and shook her head, why did William always have to do this to her! But she having no choice, so all be it reluctantly she started chewing on it, making disgusted faces. Luckily for her, William got distracted by something some other reapers were saying out there and Grelle spit the carrot out to her bin and did the same with the other carrots, taking off the leaves of one and putting it inside her mouth.

“Well, now- Did you eat them all already?” William stared at the redhead, but he could see crumbs of carrots on her cheeks so he believed it. “Well, now it’s over. I’m off, continue writing those reports down.” He whirled and exited Grelle’s office, closing the door behind him.

“Yuck, disgusting carrots.” Grelle then walked over to the closet and retrieved the baby. “That was very close, Wiru. Please don’t do that when Will is here, it could give Mama a very serious trouble, my sweetie.” She couldn’t really yell at a baby, she knew that it made them cry and if she had the baby crying it all would get seriousness thrown at her, so she sat down, cradling Wiru in arms.

Wiru looked like he was about to cry, because he was whimpering. And Grelle really had a worried face.

“Don’t cry my little one, Mama’s here, Mama’s here.” She started to gently rocked the baby in her arms, making shushing sounds. Everything she knew about babies was from the scratch as she had never been with one before, she was improvising all her actions. “Shhh, shhh.”

The baby was hungry, he hadn’t eaten anything from when his parents were murdered. Grelle couldn’t tell, but she figured it was hunger.

“Hungry? What do you human babies even eat?” She knew if they didn’t have their teeth yet, they couldn’t eat solids, it all had to be mushed and given to them. “Milk? I just have one milk box here.” Grelle pulled it out. But she didn’t have what was needed to feed babies. A baby bottle. She had to improvise, make something similar to it. So she pour it inside a normal glass and put a straw in it, gently getting the straw inside the little baby’s mouth, hoping he knew how to suck because then she’d have trouble feeding this little one.

Gladly, Wiru began sucking the milk and then drinking it, so Grelle was aleviated from this. She sighed in relief. Well maybe, raising a human baby in secret wouldn’t be much trouble.

[restingdomface]

So in a fit of brilliance I’ve decided the two posts tagged ‘coffee date au’ are set in the same universe where Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue agree to go on a date (they’re college buddies) but then suddenly they both show up slightly panicked and with a kid each (LXC doesn’t have a mom, and their dad is really agoraphobic since she died, and uncle is teaching a class rn, but NMJ still can’t convince his dad he should get a nanny for the kid and he’s having flashbacks to all the dangerous shit he chewed on as a kid and all the knives A-Sang could get his sticky hands on in their house, he swears he’s babyproofed like ten times now) and now it’s fate. Absolute love at first date and even if they break up they know damn well they’re gonna be sticking together for the sake of giving these kids some ounce of stability in their lives, and it’s actually kinda nice.

Anyways. One day when the kids are like six they meet Meng Yao, currently picking up like two kids from the daycare center (twins, his youngest siblings, now MXY cause he’s not born yet, but he’ll show up later) and they’re calling him brother and he’s fussing over them like a parent and then he looks at LXC and NMJ and they’re all ‘oh no he’s cute’ and invite a very stressed out looking Meng Yao (he has like twice as many classes as any sane person and he’s passing all of them with very high grades but he hasn’t slept in a while) to their weekly cafe date where they go to a nice little cafe off campus and buy a stupid amount of coffee and then spend the day playing with the kids cause LXC and NMJ never got played with as kids either, and MY isn’t really sure how to turn them down (they fukin hawt but also he’s on a scholarship and has basically no money that’s not going to keep the kids fed and clothed and he’s not really willing to spend it on frivolous things like dates) so he reluctantly ends up going, and it’s nice and they’re both basically rich boys who don’t make him pay and the kids make friends.

By the time they meet Jiang Chang and Wei Wuxian, the boys are both 10 and now Meng Yao is juggling two seven year olds and a one year old infant and tbh it’s actually Jin Zixuan who tracks him down when he finds out his father has been apparently dumping his bastard children on his first bastard son and Meng Yao looks TERRIFIED because he’s always been threatened that he’s not allowed to talk to his fathers only legitimate son and that if he does his father will cut off all contact entirely but leave him with the kids. Jin Guangshan has been keeping a tight leash on his finances, paying for his housing and stuff and food for the kids, but even then it’s barely enough and his boyfriends know that any sort of date or fun activity needs to be paid for by them or he can’t go at all because their father is terrible and just wants to abuse a poor kid who just made the mistake of agreeing to give his half siblings a better life.

Anyways. LXC and NMJ aren’t there yet or they likely would have threatened (lol LXC can’t threaten, he might try to deescalate the situation tho) Jin Zixuan, but they’re still not to the cafe yet and Meng Yao was in the middle of giving Mo Xuanyu a bottle and he’s basically stuck there, and he’s tired and the espresso hasn’t kicked in yet and JZX is saying something but MY isn’t paying attention.

Until the cafe doors open and two arguing ten year olds come barreling through, arguing about Pokémon or something and pulling each other’s hair. And JZX just sorta. Sighs.

He turns around to look at the kids with a disapproving frown. ‘A-Cheng, don’t pull A-Ying’s hair. Where did your sister get off to?’

Obviously, their older sister, JZX’s fiancé, was supposed to be keeping an eye on her terrible two, but A-Ying said she found a pretty hair pin in the store down the street and they got bored waiting for her and the shop owner scolded them for touching things, but then A-Cheng said A-Ying was the one touching stuff!! And now they’re arguing and pulling hair again and JZX has to get up and gently lead them both over to the table by the hand, getting them both settled down and asking what they want to drink.

This is so fucking surreal, Meng Yao almost forgets he has a fussy baby in his arms demanding attention until a slobbery little hand smacks him in the face and he goes back to gentle cooing at the little thing while giving him his bottle.

‘Oh! Is that A-Yu? Zi-gege said we were looking for A-Yu today! Can we play with him?’

Meng Yao isn’t sure what to do as the kids devolve from questions into arguing again. The twins are giving them funny looks, and since the boys were lead to the table, have finally abanonded their pretty drawings (they were drawing Yao-gege and also ErGe and DaGe too but they hadn’t gotten around to A-Zhan and A-Sang yet) to come back over to the table with Meng Yao and their new baby brother.

The two terrors stop arguing. A-Ying looks excitable. ‘I’m A-Ying! This is A-Cheng! Who are you?’

The twins look up at Meng Yao nervously, and he smiles at them gently, not knowing what else to do here.

Is Jin Zixuan here to take Xuanyu with him? He really hopes not. He isn’t sure what he and the girls would do to lose their new little brother. Things were tight around the house, just barely getting by with what they had, but Yao couldn’t lose him.

The first little girl, closest to Yao’s hand holding the bottle smiles. ‘I’m A-Ju, and this is my sister, A-Su.’

Su was a confident little one, but she had Yao’s tendency to watch people too critically before attempting to say anything. Ju tended to be more open.

JZX comes back and stands behind the boys after he’s given them a couple sandwiches and milky tea, and just stares at the two girls that he hadn’t realized were with Meng Yao, and his features went from hopeful to dashed quite fast.

The door to the cafe opened up and Meng Yao looked up to see NMJ and LXC coming in with a new woman that he didn’t recognize, but the boys across from him got excited to see immediately, shouting out for their jiejie. Meng Yao just sat back, feeling a little sick, entirely unsure what to do now.

The kids are playing together. A-Zhan is staring at A-Ying in a way that suggests he can’t figure the boy out, and A-Ying won’t stop poking at him like he’s some sort of toy. A-Zhan, for his favor, seems content to let him. A-Sang, as usual, abandoned all of them to draw with the twins.

Admittedly, Meng Yao might have been holding the baby a little bit tight when he finally agreed to go to a private table with JZX, but he hadn’t really calmed down from the request until JZX said NMJ could come with, and it takes a gentle hand putting pressure on his neck until he lets up the tense way he’s holding little Xuanyu at Mingjue’s guidance.

He can’t do this. They can’t do this. He’s had Xuanyu for almost six months now, he’s /bonded/ with the little termite. He’s watched the baby’s first steps, holding onto the couch as he tried to climb up to be with his sisters. He’s cut back on work hours.

Their father suggested he cut back on work all together. That comment had solidified it for Meng Yao in a way that nothing ever did before. Their father wanted him truly captive and reliant on his benevolence.

Zixuan, for his part, looks genuinely sorry. ‘I never came here to worry you. I don’t know what you /think/ I’m here for, but I promise I have only the best intentions, and I don’t want to take Xuanyu away.’

Meng Yao goes even more tense if possible, and his voice is shaking. ‘Don’t... don’t /want/. Do you /intend/?’

Zixuan makes a horrified little noise, shaking his head. ‘No no no, of course not. Not that either I promise.’

Meng Yao nearly sagged in place, tiredly turning the fussing child in his arms so he could gently bounce him, letting Xuanyu hold onto his thumb while Meng Yao forced himself to relax.

Zixuan sounded so desperately sad when he spoke again, and Yao could see tears in his eyes. ‘I’m... I’m so sorry he did this to you. I didn’t even know about the girls till they showed up.’

Meng Yao nodded a little, unsure what to say beyond a shrug. ‘If I had been less young, less naive, maybe I wouldn’t have so eagerly agreed just so he would have a reason to stay in my life. That doesn’t mean I won’t do whatever I have to to keep them.’

Zixuan nodded. ‘Of course, I would never want to do that. Listen, I didn’t know about the girls, or even if you wanted to keep Xuanyu, so I didn’t bring the paperwork with me, but I do know a way to get you out of all of... /this/.’

Meng Yao’s brows furrowed. ‘This?’

Xuanyu nodded slowly. ‘Father still pays for everything for you. Apartment, utilities, bills, all that goes through him. I, as his heir, have access to all those records. It’s supposed to be mother’s job, but she refuses to touch anything that has to do with fathers... illegitimate kids.’

Meng Yao doesn’t think he’s ever met someone who would talk so frankly about all this. It was oddly refreshing. Even NMJ and LXC didn’t want to admit their father had dug him a financial grave and was slowly burying him alive with the kids.

He frowned. ‘I can’t even move in with Mingjue or Xichen because he’s a raging homophobe who thinks I’ll corrupt the kids that he cares so little for he doesn’t even properly give us enough to survive off of.’

Zixuan looked honestly distressed at that. ‘Oh. Fuck that’s worse than I hoped for. I’m so sorry.’

Meng Yao sighed, moving to look out the window. He shrugged. ‘It’s not like I’m /forbidden/ from having a job. It’s just harder with three kids. Mingjue and Xichen have been helping out for years, he just doesn’t know it because he doesn’t realize that banks aren’t the only way to keep track of finances now days.’

Mingjue tolled his eyes, his thumb moving gently against Meng Yao’s neck. ‘It’s like the old man doesn’t even realize PayPal exists.’

Zixuan snorted. ‘He really doesn’t. That takes care of half of what I’m here for. Even if he was giving you enough that you didn’t have to worry about food or bills, I would still be here to give you the access info to an account I set up for you last week. When the papers are signed, the only thing anyone but you will be able to do is put in the money. No one but you can close the account or take anything out.’

Meng Yao looked at him in shock. ‘Why would you do that?’

Zixuan made a stressed out angry noise, nose wrinkling in the same way Yao’s did when he was mad. ‘Because, I’ve seen his finances. What he’s giving you barely counts as pocket change to his bloated rich ass. I could drop a five million on you right now to ask you to move away and never come back and he wouldn’t even /notice/ because that’s how little that amount would be to him. He wouldn’t even realize you four had left until he realized he couldn’t find any of you.’

Meng Yao considered it for a moment. ‘Why /dont/ you do that?’

Zixuan’s expression was pure distaste. ‘Because I don’t have any reason whatsoever to hate any of you. I feel terrible that you made the mistake of being fathers newest whipping dog, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to pity you. You’re in a bad position, and I’m here to help you out of it. But I’m also not going to leave you without financial support. You may want to keep the kids, but these weren’t your mistakes to begin with, and father has been punishing you for years for it.’

Mingjue snorted, sitting back with his arms crossed. ‘You really don’t like your dad, do you kid?’

Zixuan shook his head. ‘Not particularly, no. Other than the bank account, I can convince father to give over full custody of the kids to you. No possible way to get any of them back.’

Meng Yao blinked at his half brother, sitting up straighter again, looking at him in shock. ‘How would you do that?’

Zixuan shrugs. ‘He’s not the only manipulative one in the family. I could get him to panic and drop custody entirely.’

And so that’s the story about how Meng Yao had a coffeeshop romance and also ended up with some kids out of it. Later on he and Mingjue and Xichen all move in together in a huge new house with all the kids and they’re. Happy.

[themockingcrows]

Companionship Through Circuitry ch. 6: Setbacks

Bro/Hal cw: blood, violence, deathclaws, and a generally bad day in the wasteland

Journeys are never without their inherent dangers. When you're living in the wasteland, it's to be expected. Doesn't make them suck any less, though.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20942408/chapters/64071430

     I spy with my little eye-

     “Hal, pick a new game already.”

     I can assure you this is the best game to play out here.

     “Fine,” Bro said, exhausted. They’d been traveling for days on the remains of the highway by now and there was no sign of a proper township. He smelled, his back and legs hurt, and despite having plenty of food water was always a precious commodity. He also had at least four letters to send by now, including a few sketches and schematics he’d designed after toying with the Furby body some more, in case Dave wanted to get his hands on a little guardian bot of his own. The kid was smart, even he’d be able to handle basic scripting to make a functional system for it. Surely someone else he was buddies with could figure out an AI of sorts for it, too. 

     True, it would have been easier to follow another path by now, but following the main point of the highway just seemed the best, most direct route for him. Who’s to say it was brahmin who made the trodden paths that led further into the wastes, or humans? What if it was mutants, or worse, deathclaws stalking the wastelands? Scuttling parties of mole rats or vicious dogs.

     Would you like to know what I spy or not, Bro.

     “I don’t want to know, but I’ve got a feelin’ you’re gonna tell me anyway aren’t you.”

     Correct! I’ll give you a few hints.

     Bro groaned in irritation.

     “A bloatfly,” he guessed off the bat.

     No, though it is annoying.

     “As annoyin’ as you? Why isn’t there a fuckin’ mute option on these shades..”

     Your second hint is that it’s bipedal.

     That perked him up somewhat. Bro scanned the horizon further off for signs of a city or outpost, a wanderer, a courier. Anyone. Instead what he saw was the lanky, sharply pointed edges of a juvenile deathclaw. A definite pain in the ass, but nothing he couldn’t handle.

     “...And how long have we been in deathclaw territory for, Hal?”

     Uncertain, my saved map mentions shopping centers, not deathclaws.

     “Ooh, shopping centers?” he said. “Put a peg in it, if we find somewhere to trade soon we might do a run back to grab some more supplies for trade and keepin’.”

     The deathclaw is still nearby, you know.

     “I can avoid it if I want,” Bro said, taking out his sword. A juvenile would take some fast work, but he knew he was good for dispatching the monstrosities, and people paid good money for their clawed hands, even the small ones. Hell, even he wanted some bits off of one sometime, though mostly for show. How sick would a deathclaw fang necklace be, after all?

     You appear to be approaching the small one instead of fleeing.

     “Watch and learn, Hal,” Bro said as he shifted his weight and began to run. Aching feet or not, his boots cut into the crisp cooked layer of topsoil and sank ever so slightly with each step. The deathclaw noticed him and turned, beginning to awkwardly run towards him, long limbs ungainly but just as deadly as an adult. They met in the middle, Bro’s sword singing off the armored hide of the creature’s forearms, taking a chunk with it as he went. The deathclaw lunged for his middle with a shrill noise, catching a chunk of shirt on the end of one of its spiky hands, but just missing his tender vitals. He turned, and used the momentum to slice at the space where its behorned head connected to its body, the sword sliding against softer skin. Staggered, the small deathclaw stepped forward, then tottered back unsteadily as it began to bleed out.

     Bro lifted a foot and kicked the creature backwards to its spiny back, then followed with the sword to spear its chest, cranking the blade to the side once it glanced off a rib, forcing downwards till it stopped moving. Planting his boot on its chest, he yanked his sword free and swung it in the air a few times to rid it of blood, and smirked. Fuck, that felt good. Nothing like taking out a little nightmare to give a nice rush of adrenaline and dopamine. Hell, he wouldn’t even say no to a smoke or a drink right now, ride that high long as he could.

     Excellent, now how do you intend to deal with the mother?

     “Mother?” Bro asked, about a half second before he felt something plow into him like a freight train, sending him flying and pain searing through his right shoulder blade. He landed flat on his face and skidded before rolling over, hand on his sword raising it defensively and other hand reaching for his gun.

     Shit. Shit, shit, this was definitely a mother death claw, the hide was darker than usual. He must’ve just killed one of her brood. Not a good look for someone not interested in dying in the middle of nowhere. He fired a quick two shots, missing the first and nailing her in the left eye  with the second, though it only seemed to make her more enraged after a brief second of shaking her head. She raised a hand and slashed downwards where Bro was scooting backwards, forcing him to block with a weakened grip before the second slash sang home across his chest, blood spurting where her claws shredded flesh and fabric alike. One of the straps of Bro’s bags was severed, leaving him half dragging it as he continued to try crawling backwards, firing till his clip was empty.

     Hal was urgently trying to tell him something, but Bro couldn’t hear anymore, couldn’t think, could only focus on the burning in his chest and the taste of copper in his mouth. Things were flashing through his mind as he stared down the deathclaw, who was raising both of her hands for a double slash that he wouldn’t be able to block in the slightest. Things he still wanted to do, to say. Memories.

     Dave the day he left home to travel to the city, bag on his back and barely a look back as he wove past the traps. Dave as a lanky tween, perched by his side on the counter top as he cooked an omelette for them both, telling him a joke that he still didn’t think was funny but that he’d laughed at anyway. Dave at five, sitting on his lap as he fiddled with a new project that would eventually become a birthday present game for him, looking up at him with big red eyes almost full of tears when he refused to tell him what he was working on.

     Dave, still struggling to put weight on as an infant as Bro kept him warm on the sofa through a bout of fever, trying to coax him into eating just a bit more from the bottle, wondering if he should make the trek to find a doctor or keep hunkering down and hoping it would work itself out. Being scared out of his fucking mind about this tiny, sick thing in his arms and on his chest, worried he’d break if he moved wrong.

     This wasn’t fear he felt. It was acceptance. Dave being sick or hurt was fear, even when he’d been the one to hurt him in the preparations he’d run repeatedly over the years. A deathclaw? This was his just rewards for being cocky without backup. He wanted to have time to apologize to Dave, like he always really meant to.

     He wanted to apologize to Hal, too, for not managing to take him to get his body. For getting his hopes up about Dirk and then dying with him in the middle of nowhere. Maybe the shades would get crushed by the deathclaw after he died, spare him much misery. They’d both just go out like a candle in the breeze and nobody would be any the wiser.

     A shot rang out, and blood spurted from the side of the deathclaw’s head. She staggered, stomping her sharp feet on his abdomen and legs as she adjusted her balance and snarled in alarm at the new threat. More shots, each one more precise than the last, till finally one hit the same eye he’d shot earlier, and the beast went down on top of him. Though his ears were still ringing, Bro could feel his pulse slowing down and everything going darker as the feeling of faintness took over.

     Bro. Bro!

     “Sorry, Dave,” he mumbled, blood on his lips and eyes unfocusing as red eyes stared at him. No, wait, not Dave. “Hal..”

     AMBROSE.

     The last thing Bro was aware of was a high pitched repeated beeping pattern ringing out from the shades on his face, a signal he knew so well. Anyone out here could recognize SOS when they heard it, but Bro couldn’t care anymore who did hear it.

     Darkness claimed him.

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

     “...p. See? I think he’s waking up! Jake, push more fluids!”

     “I’m going as fast as I can, don’t you think he’d bl-........”

     “...ver if we don’t. Sometimes you have to do dangerous things in a time of crisis, just pu-...”

     “...rry chap, we’re doing our best. Why were you playing with a deathclaw mot-...”

     “...’s going under again, God damn it why don’t we have more gauze!”

     “...aid last time we wouldn’t need that many, let me check his ba-...”

     “....tting sick, stupid coat, ugh! Hand me a clo-...”

     “...ehozaphat he’s rolling in meds and chems! Lookit all this, it’s a kings ran-...”

     “...ab whatever you can, inject him with at least two, and hand the alcohol to me so I ca-...”

     “...nk he’ll make it? He’s in an awful way, Jade. We’re still at least a few miles out fro-...”

     “...re he’ll make it, we just need to hur-...”

     ...ve him. Please. Pulse is falling at an alarming ra-...

     “...re trying our best, believe me, it’s up to him if we ca-...”

     ...n’t lose him to-...

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

     When Ambrose woke, it was to clean sheets and a bright light coming from a window. He reached up to touch his face and panicked to realize the shades weren’t on him any longer, looking around as he tried to sit stark upright to look around. Tried being the correct term, considering when he got a few inches upright his abdomen and chest sang with burning pain and forced him to lay back on an aching shoulder. Sighing an exhale, Bro took the room and himself into account.

     The room itself looked to be a standard medical setup for a scap town, shelves of supplies and a few more beds shoved into the same room with him, a shabby gray curtain sectioning the space off from another area. He was laying on a cot with the aforementioned clean sheets, which were a hell of a commodity, and wrapped what felt like head to toe in bandages. His chest had padding underneath that seemed fresh enough, as well as his abdomen, and another bandage seemed to be wrapping his shoulder. His forearms had bandages, a shift of his legs revealed smaller areas of wrappings and-

     Bro snatched the sheets and lifted them upwards, looking down towards his groin in worry. Okay. Phew. Dick still there and in one piece, no need to panic. Thank fuck.

     Were you honestly more concerned for your dick than me? Came a voice from the top of the shelves, arms folded in and tucked at an angle to not get damaged or in the way.

     “To be fair, I’ve been attached to my dick longer than you,” Bro said, giving another try at this standing thing and getting as far as sitting upright before he had to stop, dizzy. He was also connected to an IV he realized, two bags half drained already and the tether attached to his arm carefully with another bandage and some tape to keep it from moving. One of the bags was unmistakably blood. “Where’s my stuff.”

     I’m fine, thank you for asking. I can really tell you were concerned for my safety after being nearly disemboweled. I can also tell you’re just dying to know how you went about not dying.

     “My stuff, Hal.”

     In the other room, safe and fucking sound.

     “Thank you. Gimme a second and I’ll come get you,” Bro said, running a hand through his hair. He realized with surprise that it was clean instead of gritty with sand and dust and blood, freshly washed like the rest of him. Someone had taken care to wash him thoroughly it seemed. Hell, even his fingernails were spotless. Shocking. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d been this squeaky clean, it was almost a shame he didn’t remember it. “How long have I been out?”

     Almost a week.

     “Jesus,” Bro rasped as he finally stood up on shaky fawn legs, reaching for the IV stand for balance before making his way over to the shelf, naked as the day he was born save for the bandages. He groped for the shades hurriedly when he started feeling faint again, and had just grabbed them when the curtain pulled back.

     A tall girl with dark skin, shocking green eyes and long wild hair tied back into evenly sectioned ponytails stood owl eyed behind large round glasses with a single crack in the left lens, a stethoscope around her neck and familiar leftover military gear covering her from head to toe. She frowned, and immediately rushed forward to grab Bro by the elbow and middle of his back, steering him back to bed.

     “How long have you been awake!” she asked. “Why didn’t you wait till someone came to help you? Are you in pain? Do you need any water? Food?”

     “Few minutes,” Bro said, more than a little startled. He sat and covered himself soon as he could, but the young woman didn’t back off in the slightest, swooping close to shine a pocket light in his eyes, checking his pupils.

     “Has there been any bleeding? Any night terrors? Do you have any numbness or weaknesses?”

     “I feel like shit, but otherwise,” Bro said, grimacing and jerking his head back from her grasp as she turned the light off.

     “I’ll get Jake to bring some lunch in for you, I’m glad you’re not running on glucose anymore. Actually, I’m glad you’re running at all,” she said with a grin. Her canines were strangely sharp looking. “My name is Jade Harley, and I’m half of the reason you’re alive right now.”

     “Is the chap who tried to cuddle the wrong end of a mother deathclaw awake yet?” asked another voice from beyond the open curtain.

     “He is! Get some of those mirelurk cakes and mac and cheese, please?”

     “I’ll bring some of that slackjaw jerky too, I imagine he’s half starved for real food,” said the male out of sight, before Bro heard distant sounds of dishes and metal scraping metal.

     “...So what, you a doctor?” he guessed.

     “We both are, in our own right. My cousin, Jake English, is the one who spotted you first out there. The primary reason you’re alive, however, is because we’re both sharpshooters! There wouldn’t have been much left to save if we hadn’t pegged that bitch into the dirt,” she said enthusiastically.

     Bro’s lip twitched in amusement. This person couldn’t have been older than her early twenties, but she was a doctor? And a sharpshooter?

     “So who really saved me?”

     Jade’s smile sharpened somewhat, looking predatory. “I don’t think I’d tease like that when you’re still so weak. All it’d take is a cushion to take you out right now, I bet.”

     “Sorry, just. You’re so young…” he trailed off as another figure entered the room with a dinner tray. This person didn’t look much older than Jade if he was a day, face clean shaven and hair styled but messy, standing at about the same height. He looked much more solid, though, shoulders broad and chest straining a little at the fatigues shirt he wore, and his demeanor seemed much sweeter than his cousin at first glance. More innocent somehow, or somehow less aware of the intensity of their surroundings.

     “Here you are, I’ll get some juice for you as well in a few ticks. First time I’m seeing this much of your outside as opposed to your inside since we got you scrubbed down!” he laughed, setting the tray on Bro’s lap. The food smelled fresh and was warm on his thighs beneath the sheet, mirelurk cakes looking greasy and delicious, mac and cheese that smelled plenty creamy from the box, and some kind of soft looking jerky rubbed with spices that made his mouth water as much as the fresh stuff before him

     “Try to eat slow,” Jade warned him as Jake trotted back out of view for a moment and came back with juice as promised. “Hope apple’s okay! It’s what we’ve got.”

     “Apple’s fine,” Bro promised, tucking into the mac and cheese first, eyes closing in bliss. Salty, creamy, rich. He could feel it flooding his system already, a body starved for nutrients beyond the bare minimum of functioning and safety. Once he shoveled a second bite into his mouth, he slid the shades onto his face and grinned a bit when haughty red eyes looked at him. Hal was clearly annoyed, angry even, but those eyes were full of concern too.

     “We’ve got tea too, though not everyone enjoys what we brew,” Jake chuckled.

     “Their loss, it’s delicious,” said Jade with a shake of her head.

     Scans show temperature readings as normal. Pulse normal. Pupils overly reactive to light, but not abnormal.

     “I hope he didn’t talk your leg off,” Bro said. “He’s kind of annoyin’.”

     You have terminal stupidity, I propose an immediate lobotomy to put you out of my misery.

     “Will you knock it off for ten seconds and let me eat before rippin’ me a new one?”

     It’s true. The doctor said so. You’re just stupid.

     “You were snuck up on by a creature twice your size in the wasteland,” Jade pointed out with a smirk. “Though I’m glad Hal’s giving you a positive reading. He was quite useful while we were saving you.”

     “How much did he talk,” Bro wondered aloud.

     “A bit,” she admitted. “We discussed why you were traveling, though he wasn’t that talkative about details. He let us know about Dave when you kept saying his name, in case you didn’t make it. He wanted us to be sure to let him know, and to send your other letters.”

     “You’re a long way from home,” Jake chimed in, taking a seat on the nearest bed to talk while Bro shook his head and went back to eating. “But it’s all fine now. Er.. mostly.”

     “How much do I owe you,” Bro said almost immediately, breaking a mirelurk cake in half with his fork before stuffing it into his mouth. He’d worry about manners when he wasn’t sitting in a room with two strangers who’d apparently saved his life and seen him in more detail naked than anyone else had in years.

     “We’ll figure out caps in a little bit,” Jade said. “You’re going to need to stay here a while longer either way, and we had to use a lot of your medical supplies.”

     “Helped ourselves to a little bit of your food as well, but mostly it was the chems and supplies we needed at the moment. Lucky for us you were damn near carrying a medics inventory on your back!”

     “Yeah, I just got through a vault,” Bro said. “Place hadn’t been looted yet till I got there.”

     “A vault!” Jake interjected excitedly. “Was it like they say, all sterile and eerily perfect?”

     “It was full of the people who used to live there, and they weren’t human anymore,” Bro said simply.

     It was quite a show to see that many feral ghouls get put down in one go.

     “Oh, that doesn’t sound very dapper.”

     “Vaults rarely are. They’re either fulla deadly shit, full of a shit load’a nothin’, or fulla people who don’t want you to bother them because you’re all gross from bein’ outside and they know you just want the goodies they’ve got.”

     “My grandpa was from a vault,” Jade said with a grin. “He’s the one who raised both of us, taught us everything we know.”

     They traded conversation for a time while Bro continued to eat, though it waned when he finished and looked exhausted, surprised that the very act of eating took so much energy out of him. Jake took the tray away and Jade performed a followup examination as Bro settled back tiredly on the pillows. Before she left, he requested his belongings, or what was left of them.

     He had an important letter to write.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

     Bro’s head ached sickly by the time he finished writing the letter, nearly as much as his heart, and his eyes were wet. He didn’t dare to rub at them, nor to even draaw attention to them, but the fact he’d cried while pouring his fucking soul out onto the page wasn’t something he’d admit to anyone. Hal, bless him, remained quiet aside from occasionally offering a correction on a phrase to make it sound better. At first Bro had resented the dictation, but found the changes in wording to be a positive thing, eliminating double meanings. What he ended up with was the letter he’d envisioned sending Dave when the deathclaw was about to do the killing strike, and the fewer mistakes and misunderstandings that could arise from it was for the better.

     It took another few days of resting, eating, and conversing with the doctors before Bro was strong enough to go for walks around the town. First thing was first: he paid express for his letter bundle to be sent to Dave along with some money, the most recently written one marked URGENT in bright red stamped letters. Secondly, he got himself a cola and drank the entire thing in one go. The doctors had been kind enough to spot him some clothes, since his shirt was ruined and his pants were scrapped in the moment by bloodshed and emergency bandage use on top of their general wear and tear. The down side was he hated fatigues… but hey, beggars couldn’t be choosers.

     He was settled with another soda at the little bar and grill early one morning, having shared breakfast with Jade and Jake once more (his own recipe this time, which only Jake seemed enthusiastic about once they’d tasted the product), but wanting to just sit outside and enjoy the early morning before the sun really got going on cooking everything in the wasteland to death. Hal was quiet, watching as well he presumed based on the little target viewers moving around every time someone moved.

     What do you plan to do if you don’t get a reply?

     “Keep goin’,” he said with a shrug, taking a sip. “I’m not expecting a reply to any of my letters, but he knows which way we’re headed if he wants to write back. Kid knows how to use a map of settlements to send ahead of the curb if he wants to.”

     ...I was worried I lost you too, back there. But you’ve never once apologized to me yet.

     “Apologized for what?”

     For nearly making me watch someone I care about die. At least the first one had the decency to not die while wearinng me on his fucking face.

     Bro was pensive and stretched his long legs out from his seat before tipping it back on its hind legs, balancing in place as he took another sip.

     “I promise I won’t die while wearin’ you, then.”

     You f-

     “I wouldn’t wanna hurt you at all.”

     … That is acceptable I guess.

[ddaeng-181338]

The Seven Sins | 01

☾Seven Deadly Sins AU

☾ OT7 x Reader

☾ Smut , Fluff,  Angst

The daughter of Satan himself doesn’t even know how much power she holds...so much power that she has the seven deadly sins themselves wrapped around her finger.

You dropped your pen onto the table, eyes fluttering shut as you groaned softly. You had been working on this assignment for three hours now, your hands were sore and your head felt like it was going to fall off your shoulders if you didn’t get some coffee soon. Why is he so obsessed with this topic. The Seven Deadly Sins — the topic your professor was obsessed with this semester and wanted a full project done on them.

Your eyes opened slowly to take in the small cafe around you, it was getting colder by the day — meaning the sun would leave earlier and earlier. It was only 6pm and it was as dark as midnight out. Your tired eyes moved begrudgingly back to your paper — you had typed the whole thing out but your professor decided today would be the day he told you he wouldn’t take it unless it was written out on paper.Your eyes moved down to the many papers before you and you begun to re read what you wrote.

Pride — this sin is said to be the foremost sin out of the seven, he is said to be the gateway for all other sins to enter the human soul. Pride is something we were taught from birth, we are told we are the best, the prettiest, the cutest. It is something we grow up with and all still have. This is why Pride is the deadliest of all seven sins. He will never leave us. No matter what we do. It is said that if you enter the gates of Hell because of the Sin Pride — your punishment is to be broken on a wheel.

Pride is linked with the horse and the color violet.

You had referred to each sin as “he” it was easier than calling them “it” every time. Referring to them as people was more personal for you and easier to write. Your professor wanted an introduction paragraph for each sin. In your mind Pride was the leader so he came first.  The next sin you wrote about was Gluttony.

Gluttony- this sin contains a strong desire to consume more than what is needed. We were weaned improperly as infants, always expecting more than just the milk we were given. He is also a very prominent sin we all contain. It is said that if you go to Hell for the sin of gluttony your punishment is to be force fed rats, and toads.

Gluttony is linked with the pig and the color orange.

Gluttony had only short descriptions in every book and website you found. He was pretty self explanatory. You looked up again — if you looked at your own writing for more than a few minutes the lines would blur together and you'll get nowhere. “Maybe I need a Coffee.” You toyed with the idea of leaving your chair to order a drink but decided against it and moved onto your next Sin — Sloth

Sloth — this sin is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work. In a more understandable way — he is a very tired and lazy sin. He is something we all possess to an extent. It is said that if you go to Hell for the sin of Sloth your punishment is to be thrown in a pit full of snakes and to dance for eternity.

Sloth is linked with the goat and the color light blue.

Your eyes scanned lower — only four sins left for you to proofread.

Lust — this sin is the inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body. Why do we do it? I’m sure you know I shouldn’t have to explain that to you. It along with Pride just might be the sin we are all guilty of no matter what. It is said that the punishment for those who enter hell due to the sin of lust will be smothered in fire and brimstone — not hugs and kisses

Lust is linked with the cow and the color blue.

Wrath — this sin is rage, anger and violence. We are wired to feel the emotion of anger, but some of us feel it more often than others. It is said that if you enter hell because of the sin Wrath your punishment is to be dismembered alive, to be torment as it happens.

Wrath is linked with the bear and the color red.

Greed — this sin is the desire for material wealth and material possessions.This sin cares more for objects than it does for anything spiritual. We all possess this sin form time to time, letting our possessions get the better of us. It is said that if you enter hell for the sin of greed you will be boiled Alive in the richest oils there are — but you’re still boiling alive so really does it matter?

Greed is linked with the frog and the color yellow.

Your eyes looked up to take in your surroundings again. There was only one sin left on your report but your eyes were dropping and you’d just have to suck it up and go order a coffee. You slipped off your stool and headed for the counter. There wasn’t really anyone else in the cafe besides a boy sitting in the corner using the free WiFi and two girls holding hands and flirting — they were regulars at this point.

But what caught your attention on your way up to the counter was the chocolate Labrador dog sitting outside the cafe window, eyes trailing you as you moved. You hadn’t noticed him before and were tempted to walk outside and see if he had a collar. However something in you told you not to and you decided against it — eyes turning back to the counter in front of you.

“How can I help you miss?” The girl behind the counter had a shy smile on her cheeks — in all the times you’d come here you’d never seen her. She must be new. “Hi! Could I just get the strongest thing you got.” You didn’t care at this point what it tasted like — as long as it woke you up. “Sure, one of those days hmm?” She tapped your order onto the screen and your order number and amount due popped up on the little machine in front of you.

“It’s definitely one of those days.” She gave you a sympathetic nod before leaving the counter to go make your drink. Once again your eyes trailed over to the window, the same chocolate lab sitting at the shop window watching you. Why in the world is that dog so content out in the cold like that? And why the hell is he watching me so intently?

“Ma’am?” You shapes back to reality and turned to the shy girl at the counter once more. “Oh! Sorry…” you took the cup from her hands — it was a cold drink. “Thank you!” You walked away, keeping your eyes trained on the floor below you. That dog outside the window was giving you an uncomfortable feeling. What the hell is wrong with me? It’s a dog. That’s it. A dog.

You sat down at your table again, poking the straw into your cup and taking a few long sips. Damn this shit really is strong. You felt it kicking in already, the caffeine bringing you to life. You flipped to the last page of your paper — one sin left — Envy.

Envy— this sin is the desire for others belongings, traits, statuses and abilities. We possess this sin because of the world around us — there will always be people who we believe are prettier than us, have more money than us, are better at things than us. It is said that if you enter the gates of Hell due to the sin of Envy you will be put in freezing water for eternity.

Envy is linked with the dog and the color green

You read the last sentence and froze. Eyes scanning over your words one last time before your head shot up — turning towards the window where the brown dog was still sitting. The uneasy feeling in your stomach intensified when you looked at that dog. Stop y/n, you’re...you’re being paranoid. You put all your papers back into the folder you brought with you. Your hands felt clammy as you shoved it in your laptop bag and reached out to grab your laptop. You didn't know why you need to get out of the small cafe or why that damn dog was making you panic but you needed to leave.

You shoved your laptop into your bag and threw whatever was left on the small table in the bag as well. “Ma’am is everything okay?” The same shy girl from the counter was now standing in front of you. You froze, eyes wide as you realized how insane you must look. “I...I’m fine.” You watched her for a moment, the panicking feeling fading the longer you looked at her. What the fuck

“Ma’am are you sure…” her voice morphed into something deeper and you snapped out of your daze. Panic formed in you again — this time morphed into utter terror. “What the fuck are you?” You backed up a step, eyes roaming over the whole cafe only to realize it was now empty. “Your worst nightmare darling.” Her eyes shifted, her dark brown eyes turning pure black, enveloping the whites of her eyes as her skin grew paler.

You backed away from her...it slowly, your skin felt freezing and your hands shook. She wasn’t human, in no way was she human. But if she wasn’t human...what was she? Before you could really register it the cafe door opened and a man in a long dark brown leather coat walked in. There was a mask over his face and his dark hair was covering most of his eyes. The thing in front of whipped around to look at the man and an inhumane sound before speaking.

“Envy? WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE.” Its voice ripped through the cafe and you jumped. “You knew from the beginning Lilith, i was sent to get her. Not you.” The creature — Lilith growled in response. “How am I supposed to trust the youngest of the Sins to come retrieve Satan’s daughter?” You froze… did she just call him...Envy? The Youngest Sin? I must be dreaming.

“You can trust the youngest sin because he has more power than you ever will Lilith. I can handle the girl just fine.” Lilith rolled her eyes and backed away from you, her demonic form shifting back into the shy barista girl you saw only moments before hand. “Sorry your highness, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” Your highness? Daughter of Satan? What the hell… “don’t mind her y/n. We need to get going now. You see i was sent to retrieve you and bring you back to Hell with me. I can explain on the way, but were on a time crunch so you must come with me now.”

“What in the fuck are you talking about? You think I’m going to willingly  follow you two? What the hell are you…” the room around you begun to spun and you stumbled back a bit. “I’m sorry your highness, but this is for the best.” Envy moved towards you and you felt as if the air was being taken out of your lungs. “I...I don’t…” your voice was deep and slurred and your arms and legs felt like they weighed a thousand pounds. Envy reached you and picked you up bridal style — you had no energy to fight back but being in his embrace you felt oddly safe.

“Just sleep y/n you’ll be safe with us okay? I promise.” You nodded sleepily, eyes shutting against your will as darkness greeted you like an old friend.

[paybackraid]

Kiss It Better

Summary: Madam Christmas may not have been your average mother, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t try. The first in a collection of one-shots about a boy and his foster mother.

Words: 3754

Warnings: Aftermath of a car crash, nothing else

Chris was never meant for motherhood. That, she knew for a fact. God, be she Ishvala, Leto, or whomever, had not crafted Chris in the same mold that she did many other women.

She could barely handle aunthood.

“Hold his head, Chris!” said her brother, Arlan, a portly man with a head of dark hair. He took her elbow and situated it just beneath the head of the infant in her arms.

The baby giggled in delight and reached his toes up as far as he could. His little fingers were stretching toward her face, and it was all she could do to not take her face away and keep tiny grubby fingers from her.

“How old is he now?” Chris asked, if only to keep up conversation. The baby was all the new parents could talk about of late. Chris hadn’t minded at first, but it quickly got overwhelming. She was just glad that they had been so busy with parenthood that they weren’t calling her up at all hours anymore to talk about him.

“Our Roy-boy is nearly two months,” Arlan went on, “and he’s got my strapping chin to prove it!”

Chris looked down to the baby in her arms and found that she would disagree. Roy’s face was as round as a playball.

He stuck his tongue out and breathed hard, blowing spittle around. Chris did take her face away then, although she was sure a few specks hit her chin anyway.

“Roy…” said the boy’s mother, Jiao, who went forward with a handkerchief and wiped off his chin. Jiao came directly from Xing, though Chris could never remember which clan. She met Arlan on a trip to Amestris and just… never went home. It was love at first sight. Chris hardly believed in love at first sight but, by some twist of fate, it worked for the couple. They had been together for nearly five years and had been living together almost all of that time.

“Isn’t he a beauty?” Arlan went on, chattering as he always did when he was excited. “Takes just after my beautiful Jiao, so I know he’ll be a lady-killer.”

Chris snorted. She didn’t find babies particularly cute. Newborns certainly weren’t; at least this boy had grown into his skin.

But she didn’t dare say so to the happy parents aloud. “Yeah, he’s a cutie.”

Jiao suddenly cooed and went for her baby, pulling him into her arms and smattering his face with kisses. “We wondered if he would want to spend a weekend with you,” she said, with a hopeful little smile.

Chris and Jiao didn’t really agree on a few things.  It wasn’t that they didn’t get along; Chris found her stories of her homeland fascinating. Unlike her brother, Chris wasn’t much of a nationalist, and found hearing about other countries far more interesting than hearing about her own. Their opinions just often differed and clashed.

There was one thing, though, that Chris did like about Jiao. She was to the point. If she wanted something from you, she asked it. Chris was the same way, so she could respect it.

“I live in a bar,” she reminded the young mother. That, and she was useless when it came to children, let alone infants. “I wouldn’t be able to be with him, I’m afraid.”

Jiao’s hopeful smile fell to something less pleased, but Arlan just laughed and patted her back.

“There’s a reason Chris isn’t married yet, Jiao. Maybe give it a few years.”

Chris frowned and shot him a withering glance. She wasn’t married by choice. She had no interest in marriage. She could hardly take care of herself, let alone do the womanly part of the marriage for her husband, and she had no desire to act the traditional wife’s part.

Finally, Jiao laughed a little and smiled, bouncing her baby boy. “I get it,” she said. “Kids are tough. I hope some day he gets to spend some time with you.”

Chris smiled gently at her, a little nervous at the thought. Unless Roy was ten or more, she doubted that she would be any good with him. “Maybe someday.”

Chris nursed a brandy, seated at the bar. She kneaded her temples tiredly, leaning her elbow onto the bar and her face into her hand.

She thought she had aged ten years in three days. And she didn’t even have the kid yet.

“Chris?” asked Jess, her most experienced girl. Chris had only gotten the bar less than a year ago, and could use every bit of help she could get.

“I can’t do this,” she admitted quietly. “I can’t. I’m not a mother. I really can’t.”

“He isn’t even here yet,” Jess hummed, crossing her arms in front of her. “You can’t blow him off before he’s even here.”

“I can’t. Look at this. I live where I work. You can’t raise a child like that.”

“Who says you can’t?” Jess countered. “You were fine with it a week ago.”

“I only found out a week ago!” Chris rounded on her, eyes flaring. She didn’t like what Jess was trying to do to her nerves. She knew her fears were irrational, knew they were unnecessary, but surprise surprise, that was no help. “I’m just… I’m not a mother.”

Jess put on a little frown. She pulled out the stool beside Chris and sat in it, taking Chris’ shoulder. “Well, okay. It doesn’t work out. What happens then? What’s option B? You have until you sign those papers. Until then, if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.”

Chris turned a heavy gaze on Jess, who was watching her steadily. Jess, and most of Jess’ life, had been the byproduct of insincerity and failing commitment. Very little meant more to her than sticking to your word.

What she was really saying was, “if you agree to do this, you stick with it until the end. No cutting out in the middle because it got hard.”

...And, she wouldn’t do that. Her brother had been family, and that was that. Family didn’t let down family.

“...Yeah.”

“You have two more hours to get used to the idea,” Jess reminded gently. She squeezed Chris’ shoulder again, leaning her face a little closer, “and you won’t be alone.”

Again, Chris nodded. She knocked back another swig and blew out a low breath, then stood. “I’m stepping out for a smoke. Watch the place?”

Jess smiled a little, clearly pleased. She knew Chris too well. Chris could smoke through a pack in a day seated in one place if no one got in her way. She didn’t mind the scent of the smoke or the heaviness in the air or the way that it hung around for hours in the bar.

No, when she stepped out to smoke, it meant she wanted to be alone with her thoughts. She wanted her own, unbiased opinion. She had so many things to think about. Like planning the funeral for Arlan and Jiao.

They had been cut down in the prime of life, by a drunk, who chose to climb behind the wheel of a car they didn’t know how to drive. They had been on their way home from something as mundane as the grocery store. A run of the mill, day-to-day activity. Their son had been in the backseat, with the groceries, when it all happened.

Apparently, when he’d been pulled out of the wreckage, arm broken, covered in blood, pried from his mother’s arms, he had been covered in cracked eggs. Jiao appeared to have leapt into the backseat to make sure he was alright, knocking over one of the bags, and ended up bleeding out over him.

He had been sent to the hospital, and had been there for the past week. Chris had been informed that, since she was next of kin, she would be getting him until they could find a more suitable place, and had spent the past week getting accustomed to the idea.

Now, the kid was two hours away from being there, escorted by another police officer, and only now Chris was panicking.

Chris wasn’t a mother. She and Jiao weren’t cast in the same mold. She wasn’t a comforter, and she wasn’t a nurturer, and she feared that the kid would need exactly that.

...But, Jess had a point. Most of her girls lived at the bar with her so, if nothing else, she’d have their assistance.

And she couldn’t abandon her family. Arlan wasn’t always her favorite person, but in many ways he had been her best friend. She had met the kid once as an infant, and now… now she would be doing more than meeting him.

She didn’t need anymore time. She had the support of her girls, and the blessing of his parents. She was taking this kid in, signing those papers, and… becoming his foster mother. Until he didn’t need her anymore.

She smoked her cigarette to the butt and stood outside in the afternoon sun. She was glad she had shut down the bar for the day, in preparation for their visitor. She didn’t have the energy or the sense to prepare the bar for service tonight. She could certainly use a drink, but that could wait until after the kid was settled in his room.

Chris took one last puff of her cigarette and flicked the butt away, then decided to head inside and pick up the dining room a little. Cleaning had been finished from the night before, but it would be good for the kid to be introduced to a better-than-acceptable home and get comfortable.

Four of her girls soon joined her, cleaning up the bar and sitting area and polishing glasses. She appreciated their silent support, their unspoken promise to stay. These girls were like family to her, as much as Arlan and Jiao were. As much as the kid was.

Two hours passed by sooner than she expected, and soon there was the sound of a car pulling up to the bar. Chris took a huge breath and released it in choppy portions. Her life was two minutes from changing forever.

There was a knock at the door, and one of her younger girls, Juno, flashed a glance at Chris and then headed to the door. She flipped the lock and opened the door, changing the rest of Chris’ life with no hesitation.

Officer Barron stepped in first. Chris knew him personally, for many reasons. He was one of the officers that patrolled this area and regular stepped in to “make sure that she was alright”. She knew, though, that his inquiry was not genuine. What he really searched for was a reason to shut the entire establishment down.

Though that was true, he also stopped in three nights a week to share a bed with one of her girls. She didn’t much like him, because he was a terrible hypocrite, and she hated hypocrites. Hated the way that they lied, hated the way that they walked around with their noses up, like they were better than everyone else. Chris may not run the most honest, lawful establishment in Central City, but at least she was up front about it.

All she knew was that Barron visited here the way he did in self-centered ways. Whether he visited at night to gather evidence not as easily found in the day, or visited in the day to keep this establishment open for his thrice-weekly ritual, he was selfish about it either way.

...Still. Though his eyes roamed all around the room, eyed all the girls, and though hard eyes landed on Chris, he didn’t appear to be looking for evidence for once.

“Mustang,” Barron grunted.

“Barron,” Chris snapped back, crossing her arms over his chest.

He took a few steps in, then turned to the side. He carried a big black plastic bag over one shoulder, but was careful to keep it high.

Behind the officer, tucked in his shadow, there was a tiny figure, hugging itself. When Barron stepped to the side, he revealed the shape of a little boy.

“Come on, Roy,” Barron grunted, reaching his free hand back to push the kid forward by his head. The boy stumbled a little, then came to a stop just a step in front of Barron.

This was Chris’ little nephew, the orphan. His right arm was braced in a cast, and he was leaning heavily on his left side. His head was so low that his chin brushed his chest. He didn’t lift his head and he didn’t lift his eyes, didn’t even speak a word.

Barron dropped the bag to the floor and shoved it to the side. He put his hand on Roy’s back and pushed him again, a little harsher. Roy tripped over his little feet but managed to keep his footing. His right knee bent a little, standing on his toes. Something in the accident must have messed with his ankle, judging by the way he walked.

“Go on, Roy,” Barron said, voice a little snappish, a little impatient. His voice carried the undertone of a commander; he clearly didn’t know how to speak to a child.

Not that Chris did, of course. Maybe in this case, she was the hypocrite.

Roy flinched from his voice, then took a few more steps forward, limping lightly. He appeared to be waiting for permission for… something. More than anything, he seemed impossibly lost in a dining room no bigger than forty feet across.

Finally, after what felt like twenty minutes of silence, it was Jess who worked up the courage to come forward. She had two little sisters, only a little older than Roy, that she went to visit some weekends, so she at least knew how to talk to kids.

She moved forward and crouched in front of him, getting so low they were nearly eye level. Roy still didn’t lift his head, even seemed to turn his head away from her. “Hi,” Jess finally said, resting her hands on her knees. “You must be Roy. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Roy turned his head back in Jess’ general direction. He didn’t lift his eyes, still stared at his feet. Very, very quietly, almost as silent as a ghost, he mumbled, “you’re not my aunt.”

Jess smiled a little, tilting her head to try and get into his line of vision. “No, but she and I are good friends. My name is Jess. I think you’re gonna like it here, Roy.”

Roy made a small noise with his mouth, but made no move and no other noise.

Jess smiled and let out an affectionate little laugh. “Come in, little one. Come meet the other girls.” She stood and reached for Roy’s good hand, prying it from his shirt. She pulled him forward until he stood right before his aunt.

Behind them, Barron exchanged a word with Juno, then stepped out and closed the door behind him, leaving the big black bag, what must have been all of Roy’s things, behind.

Jess dropped Roy’s hand and stepped to the side. His hand returned to his shirt sleeve, knotting it in his fingertips.

After another moment, Roy finally lifted his head just a little, just enough to get an eyeful of the force of a woman before him. Very quietly, he opened his mouth and mumbled, “the of-ficer said you’re my aunt.”

“I am,” Chris agreed, feeling a little catch in her throat. “You can call me Aunt Chris, or Madam.”

“I don’t know you.”

Chris nodded a little and took a step closer. “I met you once, but you were too young to remember.”

“Daddy talked about you, though.”

“Good things, I hope.”

Roy shrugged, but Chris had a feeling that it wasn’t because Arlan had ever had something vastly negative to say. He started quaking a little, his cast jostling, and Chris could feel emotion rolling off him. He was scared, lonely, lost, and hurt, in a place he had never been and with people he had never met. And the two people in the world who could help him, the two people who loved him unconditionally, had died right in front of him.

Chris’ throat closed up for a second and she forced herself to turn away from the sight of a grieving child. She wasn’t terribly emotional, but this child’s parents—her brother and sister-in-law—had died only a week ago, and part of her struggled with that thought.

“I’m sorry about your parents, kid.”

A sudden hiccup left Roy’s mouth, and he lifted his good hand to press against his face. He started jerking and shaking, sobs leaving his mouth, as if everything that happened was coming down on him at once.

And Chris, who was no good with kids, who hadn’t dealt with anyone younger than eighteen since she had met Roy that first time five years ago, who was no good with her own emotions, Chris did nothing.

After a full moment of watching this child break down in front of them, finally did Mia stride forward and crouch in front of him. She introduced herself so he had a name to his comforter, then asked if she could pick him up. After a second, Roy nodded his head in a way that could almost be disguised as a quake from his grief, so Mia scooped him up and held him close, fitting her knee beneath his rump to get him higher against her. His good arm went around her neck, his bad arm fell to his side, and his head fell into her shoulder. Mia bounced him for a second, then turned to her boss for direction.

“Bring him upstairs,” Chris said, jerking her head in the general direction of the stairs. They had a room set aside for him, the one nearest to Chris’, with a little bed and dresser ready for him.

Mia dipped her head, rubbed his back, and took off for the stairs.

With the sobbing boy gone, the tension disappeared at once. Juno came over and shared a word with Chris, mentioning something about paperwork that Chris hoped Jess would remember, then she went toward the living room.

The last girl, her chef Dyna, dipped her head in Chris’ direction and stepped out. She was one of the few girls who had a place offsite, and she had a dog at home, so Chris didn’t mind when she left a little early.

“...So?” asked Jess after just a second, eyeing Chris.

“...We’ll keep him,” Chris said gently. She lifted her bejewelled hands and pressed one against smarting eyes, then took a heavy breath. “We’ll keep him. He has a… a home here. He’s one of us now.”

Jess pursed her lips, but the way her corners tilted up told Chris that she was fighting off a massive smile, which put a little warmth in her heart. Jess nodded and headed upstairs, leaving Chris to her thoughts. Chris sat back against the bar and pulled out another cigarette, giving Roy the time to calm down and become somewhat accustomed to his newest surroundings.

Several hours later, Chris retired upstairs. In the time between, she had taken the bag of Roy’s belongings downstairs. She washed and dried the clothes, and cracked open the three books he had brought with. The only other thing in that bag, besides a pair of boots, was a little stuffed rabbit with blood on its right arm. She did her best to clean it, but the poor rabbit would spend the rest of its life a little pink.

She carried the rabbit on one arm, and a fresh set of pajamas for him on the other. She wanted to check on him before going to bed, hoping that his stuffed rabbit would help him sleep through the night.

She cracked his door open without announcing her arrival. Mia had gone off to bed a while ago, saying that Roy asked that she leave him alone. He was suffering, she said, and felt he had no one. Chris could hardly blame him.

The bed was in the far corner, about three feet from a window. Despite the soft moonlight spilling in, Roy was turned away from it on his side. Judging by his shaky breath, Roy was not sleeping.

Chris quietly crept toward him and leaned over him. Indeed, his eyes didn’t appear to be closed, and he didn’t even look like he was trying to sleep. He just stared ahead at the plain wall, silent, shaking.

“Get up, Roy,” she said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Get changed.”

Roy sniffed hard and turned his head a little to look at her. Now that she got a good look at his face, she saw that his injuries did not end at a gimpy ankle and a broken arm. There was a healing cut running down the side of his face, by his right eye, and another above his left brow. A bandage was taped onto his right cheek as well, but she couldn’t see what was going on beneath.

He eyed her, then very slowly sat up, wincing a little when he put strain on his arm. Chris helped him change without a word, then carefully led him back down into the bed and brought his blanket up to his shoulders.

“I w-want my Mama and Daddy,” Roy finally said with a shaking breath. When Chris passed him his rabbit, he buried his nose in it and started shaking against it.

Chris turned her head away when tears returned to his voice and his face. She patted his shoulder and, not knowing what else she was to say, she simply assured, “I know. Good night, Roy.”

And she, who was no good with kids and no good with emotions, who had just become this orphan boy’s foster mother, she walked away to rest up for a new day. Before she closed the door behind her, Roy breathed out a shaking breath, and seemed to fall quiet. She didn’t know if he fell asleep, or if he decided he was done crying, but whatever it was, Chris thought it would be good for him.

This was sure to present a lot of… interesting challenges in the future, but Arlan was her brother and Roy was her nephew. They were family, and you did not give up on family.

[xxxprettydeadgirlxxx]

Dark Paradise

Loki/OFC Rated M for Violence and NSFW Chapter 1 Chapter 2

                                                Chapter 3 "NO!" Jane made an attempt to run towards her cousin, only to be stopped by Natasha. "NO! NO! NO!" she wailed, falling to her knees

Natasha wasn't sure how to react to what she had just witnessed. Jane's cousin and Loki had just been sucked into a vortex and now everything was calm, as if nothing had ever happened. The only evidence that remained was the dead bodies of the creatures that had attacked them. Natasha just held onto a hysterical Jane and watched a panicked Thor run towards where they had been sucked up, with a lost expression on his face.

"Thor, what happened to them?" Tony asked cautiously, as he walked up behind him. "Are they-"

"Dead?" Thor finished; swallowing. "I do not know. I assume there was a long fall..." he didn't elaborate, and realized he had started to shake. How many times was he going to have to watch Loki die?

Tony closed his eyes for a moment. "Okay, say they did survive, she's with Loki. He'll protect her, won't he?"

"He will, but I fear it will not matter. I fear, even Loki will be outmatched for what they are to face." 

"Where did that take them, Thor?" Thor stayed silent for several moments before answering. 

"Muspelheim, the home of the fire giants that just attacked us."

 "Loki did okay back there?" Tony was confused. Loki could handle himself, why was Thor so worried?

"It's not the giants that are the threat, though, with enough, even Loki would be outmatched." Thor's voice had converted to a whisper. "I fear, I have once again lost my brother and Jane her cousin." 

"You don't know that for sure." Tony pointed out. Thor had never been so easy to give up. "You cannot just give up on them!"

"How would you expect me to get to them?" Thor growled. "The Bitfrost is still down, and I doubt father will allow Heimdall to grant me access to such a place." 

"You mean your dad would just leave them there!" Tony gasped. "And I thought my father was a shitty parent." 

"They are lost to us, unless Loki can find his way out." Thor sighed, shaking his head. How was he supposed to tell Jane that her cousin was gone, and more than likely dead already? Even if they did survive the landing, it wouldn't be long before something got a hold of them.

                                                 **** Octavia was startled awake by a loud growl outside the cave entrance. The moment she jumped, Loki had clasped his hand over her mouth, widening his eyes. "Keep still." he mouthed. She obeyed, mostly out of paralyzing fear. Octavia had no idea what was outside and she couldn't be entirely sure Loki knew either. Several minutes went by and they hadn't heard anything, so Loki silently, and slowly, crept to the cave entrance, peaking outside. "Whatever it was, it's gone now." Loki whispered, crawling back to sit beside her. "Though, I think we should wait a bit before we leave. To be sure." She nodded in agreement.

 "What was that?" she shuddered at the thought of what could be lurking outside.

"Don't know, seeing as I've never actually been here before." Loki looked at the girl, who was now even more terrified. "Your guess is as good as mine at this point."

"Are we going to make it out alive?" she choked, holding back tears.

 Loki sighed heavily. "Doubtful." He decided not to sugar coat it, she needed to know exactly how much danger they were really in. 

"You couldn't just lie to me!" she exclaimed. "Thanks a lot!"

Loki glared at her. "Fine then. Yes, we will undoubtedly make it out alive, today actually. Perhaps, maybe even now. OH look at that, we're home!" he spat sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Was that better?"

"No!" 

"Of course, it wasn't." he growled. "Now shut up."

 "Screw you!" she spat, flipping him the bird. "I wish you would have just let me go!"

"The feeling is mutual."

Ouch, that stung. Octavia didn't like Loki and it was obvious he didn't like her either, but he didn't have to agree. She just sank down against the wall and stayed quiet, wishing she could just disappear. Loki didn't say anything for a long time, at least, not until he had decided they needed to move on. She didn't argue and just followed silently and closely behind him as they left the cave.

 "It's so hot." Octavia complained. They had been walking for four hours and she was tired of not being able to bitch about it. "This sucks."

"No kidding." Loki scowled. He was pouring sweat, miserable, cranky, and still weak. His injuries had healed, but the heat was wearing on him. "I'm a Frost Giant, how do you think I feel?"

"A what?" she asked bewildered.

 "A Frost Giant, this form is nothing but a glamor." he smirked, knowing he'd freaked her out. "If it wasn't so hot, I'd show you."

"Uh, no offense, but shouldn't you be bigger?" she questioned. "I mean, the fire ones were huge, so..."

Loki glared at her. "Supposed to be, yes, but I was left to die, taken by the Alfather after the battle. I was only an infant."

"Harsh." Loki was a dick, but he didn't deserve that. "So what, you were too small, so they just cast you out?"

"I suppose. I really am not sure. I'd rather not discuss it." Octavia nodded, dropping the subject. They stayed quiet for a long time after that, and she couldn't help but start to feel a little bad for Loki. Maybe there was a reason why he was so angry.

"Why haven't we seen anything?" she decided to break the silence.

"I believe most of these creatures stir in the night. We will need to be sure to be in a safe location before dusk."

She nodded. "So, if you've never been here, how do you know so much?"

"Just because I have never been here, does not mean I do not pay attention. I also read." he scoffed. "You have not been to every place in Midgard, yet, you know the culture?"

"Yes."

"Same difference." Loki stopped suddenly, raising a hand for her to stay quiet. "I hear water. Come." 

Loki had led them to a stream, although, Octavia was a little reluctant to drink the water. Loki had used magic to filter it, placing it in a magically conjured bowl, but it still didn't give her a lot of comfort. In the end, she drank greedily, because she was too thirsty to deny it. While she sat by the stream, Loki had found an area of woods. The trees were burned and mostly dead, but it provided more seclusion than being out in the open like they had been. It was also going to be dark soon and Loki wondered if maybe he could find something close by and then go out and hunt for food. He went back to retrieve Octavia and led her through the dead woods, conveniently finding another cave entrance. This one was larger than the last and empty. Loki wondered why the past two caves he had found had both been empty, seeing as most of the creatures probably dwelled in them. Regardless, they needed shelter and he had decided this was going to be it for the night. He left her alone long enough to find them something to eat. He had found some type of mutated deer and prayed it was edible. He brought it back, cut it up, and even though they both hated to do it, they built a fire in order to cook their meal.

It was dark now and neither of them had gotten sick yet, so the "deer" must have been okay to eat. Loki made a mental note of that. He'd really rather no poison himself, that would be most unpleasant.

"I hate the weather here!" Octavia grumbled. "It's either too fucking hot, or freezing! Why can't there be a middle ground?" She shivered, rubbing her bare arms for warmth. It had been summer on her planet, so she didn't have any type of warm clothing for the harsh nights. "Is it because this cave is bigger, or is it colder?"

"It's colder." Loki confirmed. "Come here."

She didn't protest and all but ran and jumped into his arms. Octavia was freezing and even if she had to cuddle with an arrogant, asshole God, she would. "Thank you."

Loki chuckled. "I wouldn't thank me just yet, pet. I worry this will not be enough. The temperature will only drop in the next few hours." he smirked.

Octavia glared at him. "Did you just suggest, what I think you just did!"

"I suggested nothing. I only simply stated, holding you, as I am, will not keep you warm enough to sleep without freezing to death."

"You're already cold!"

Loki hummed in agreement. "That is right." he frowned. "Damn."

"I am NOT having sex with you! I will freeze first."

"You just might." The way he spoke wasn't threatening, but it was clearly a warning. She really might just freeze to death.

"Can't we build another fire?"

"Not in the night, they will see." Damn, he was right.

"This cannot be happening." Octavia felt her stomach drop. She realized she might have to have sex with him, in order to survive the night. Wonderful. 

[pen-scribbled-musings]

Mortality Lullaby: Chapter 2

Plumette was unknowingly pregnant with her and Lumiere’s child before the curse was placed, now that it’s broken her body has been restored, yet still carrying a child that died years ago.

Warnings: Miscarriage, infant death

1

Plumette lay curled up on her side as her fingers clenched at her sheets and she tried to breathe through the painful spasms that wrecked through her body. The dark moonless night outside her small bedroom window letting in no comforting light, the only glow illuminating her coming from the single candle that sat on the bedside table. This was ridiculous, she had never been one to really suffer from common illnesses and yet only three days after turning human again something foul had befallen her? The staff had joked between themselves who would first feel the bad effects of being human after years of nothing, most had their money put down on Cogsworth going down with something stress related, but really to not even get through a week was a bit embarrassing.

She grit her teeth, trying to not let out a pitiful whine out as Lumière peaked in through the door. After putting her to bed he had remained at her side fretfully keeping watch over her until she sent him away under the guise of fetching a cup of water to drink, while she had been a little thirsty she had mainly wanted him gone to change out of her clothes and into her heavy woollen night gown, it was a little unseasonally thick for this time of year but would hide the fabric still bunched between her thighs to stop any blood leaking, her stained skirts hidden away under her bed out of sight.

Lumière came over to kneel at her bedside, he brushed her hair away from her face lightly “I can't stand to see you like this, I wish I could take your pain instead”

At any other time she would have smiled, but now she only grimaced and took the cup from him and trying to sip from it without her shaking hands spilling it. She batted his hands away when he tried to hold it for her.

“Is there anything I can do for you? I can fetch a doctor?” he offered, as he had been offering since he had first heard of her pain during supper and had continued to do so through out the night, each time with a little more urgency.

“Don't be a fool, it's the middle of the night I won't have you riding all the way through the forest in the dark and waking the poor man up at some ungodly hour” she retorted stubbornly.

“For you I would ride to the end of the earth, blast the time I will wake every single person up in the village if it would ease you even a little”

“There's wolves in the forest” she tried, if she hadn't been currently trying to breathe through another sharp spasm she'd laugh at his insistence.

“I'll bring back their skins when I fetch the doctor”

She pushed the cup back to him, her throat at least less dry if nothing else “What is the time anyway?” she asked, genuinely wanting to know as much as it cut off his ideas of getting the doctor, it seemed a horrendously long time since she had come to bed, although her unwellness may have been distorting her perception so it was hard to say.

Lumière glanced at his pocket watch that sat where he had left it beside the candle “It is nearly three in the morning”

Plumette gave a distressed groan, knowing he was due to get up in only three hours to start work “Oh amour you should have been asleep hours ago, I'm sorry”

“Nonsense, how could I possibly sleep while you suffer so?” His fingers idly stroked her cheek.

She gave a weak smile, wanting to say something of more value, or to thank him for his dedication but only managing to whimper out “It hurts” her twitchy hands clenching and unclenching below her belly. “Stay with me?” she pleaded quietly, despite wanting for him to sleep and be rested she needed him, she was frightened and it hurt.

He nodded, face tight with worry “Of course cherie, whatever I can do”

“Please hold me” with that she dragged her arms and legs underneath herself, lifting to sit up and giving a startled cry as she did, more blood collecting between her legs as her body moved. She ignored his concern and with one hand locked on his shoulder guided him to sit against the headboard and pillows, leaning back into him, her back to his chest. One of his hands found itself in her hair and stroked at her forehead and scalp while the other very gently placed itself on her belly.

She pulled up her sheets to just under his hand and tried to get as comfortable as she could, the feel of his heart beating against her back soothing. “As soon as its daylight I'm fetching the doctor” he spoke, his thumb rubbing against her skin in the gentlest of motions.

“Go to sleep” she pouted, her words receiving a grumble in reply. She tried to settle down, closing her eyes and focusing on trying to breathe as her body felt like it was attempting to tear itself apart, after a while she noticed Lumière had drifted off with his breathing steady and the hand that had been petting her head had slipped down to loosely lay across her waist the other ceased its motions, she was at least thankful for that, her poor dear needed the rest. Plumette tried to lay as still as possible in the hope of also falling asleep but it cruelly remained out of her reach, the time ticked on relentlessly as she wished for the pain to ease.

She whimpered as another spasm tore through, her legs curling up to her body and her back arched, she became panicked when it lasted longer than the previous ones, her body refusing to relax and just as it ended another one quick on its heels, even stronger this time. “Ah.... ahh” she gritted her teeth and forced her body to sit up, her hands locking onto her stomach. A pained whine slipping out “Lumière... Lumière!” she lashed out, jolting him awake.

“... Cherie? What's the matter?” he quickly came around, all sleep being replaced by instant worry.

“Somethings wrong” was all she could manage as she had another spasm, even more brutal than the last.

He picked up the candle from the side and brought it closer as to see her better just as she shifted away from him, pushing the sheets off and crawling up onto her knees, one hand still clutched to her belly as she hunched down on herself. “You're bleeding!” he cried, seeing the dark stain on the bed where she had laid.

“I … I didn't want to worry you...” she panted before a cry erupted from her lips, her eyes snapping shut and her whole face contorting in agony.

Lumière leaped from the bed, buzzing with fear and his eyes wide. “What should I do? What's happening?”

“I don't know!” she wailed back, tears beginning to trickle down her face, her mind throwing up the only thought it could under stress “Fetch Mrs Potts! I want her!” she cried, the woman who had been almost a mother to her since she had first moved to the castle as a child would surely offer a solution or at least some welcome comfort.

Lumière nodded worriedly and turned around to run out the door, his footsteps echoing loudly through the dark corridor beyond her room. She tried not to panic more as she was left alone, knowing that it wouldn't be long but still just as terrifying all the same, her shoulders hunched in a little more and shook as she fought to hold onto any shred of rational thought as another pain hit.

She heard voices before she saw them, a hell of a commotion coming along out of the dark before Lumière reappeared with Mrs Potts quick behind him, the older woman dazed and still in her nightgown.

“What's wrong love?” she demanded, holding her own candle and quickly coming to sit before her on the bed.

“I don't know!... Ah!” Plumette cried, feeling a most peculiar popping sensation and then a flood of liquid rushing from her “I'm sorry” she whimpered in humiliation at the thought she had just soiled herself in front of her friend.

Mrs Potts took note of the clear liquid dripping down the younger girls thighs and seeping into her bedding before she took a good look at her, recognising what it was. “You're pregnant!?” she gasped.

“What? No of course not!” Plumette snarled back.

Mrs Potts placed a firm hand just above her groin, knowing exactly where the pain was to be found and felt a definite hardness under her fingertips. “Well dearie it looks like you're havin' a baby” she spoke and without waiting for any reply she called over her shoulder “Lumière, get Angelique!”

He was gone in an instant, back down the hall to the bedroom next door, banging on it and calling the other girl's name. After he had managed to rouse her and the door opened, there was a brief bickering and he returned clutching her by the arm and dragging her back into the room, the poor thing half asleep and scared out of her wits.

“Have you ever been present at a birth before?” Mrs Potts directed at the other maid, who was scrubbing a hand across her eyes in confusion.

“What? No” she glared around at the three of them, her blue eyes settling on Plumette accusingly.

“Never mind, I need you to fetch us towels, cloths, a sharp pair of scissors and hot water!” she requested, when the blonde girl hadn't moved immediately she hissed “Now Angelique!” With that she had scampered away for the needed items.

“But I'm not pregnant!” Plumette wailed.

“I'm sorry but you are”

“She's been a feather duster for ten years how can she be?” Lumière questioned, standing beside them, one hand rubbing at Plumette's back.

“Perhaps before the curse? Did you know?” Mrs Potts offered before questioning the girl, who merely sobbed out a negative reply and shook “When was your last monthly bleed? Do you remember if it had been a while before?”

“Mon dieu! That was a decade ago!” Plumette whimpered “How could I remember? Ahhh!” She cried, another contraction hitting hard, she rocked forward between them unsteady, her head hanging low.

“Easy now sweetheart, just lay back” the housekeeper soothed as she moved off the bed and directed Plumette to lay back against the pillows. “Now if you bend your knees, just like that and try to relax” she instructed, placing her hands on her calves and directing her, parting her legs with her feet flat against the bed. “I'm going to have a little look, alright?” She explained, reaching towards the hem of her damp nightgown.

“What? No” Plumette whimpered, her hands clenching her clothing down against her thighs, not wanting her maternal figure to go snooping around her bare genitals, the embarrassment alone would surely kill her.

“Dearie I really do need to check”

“I don't want you to”

Lumière had knelt himself down beside her, his hand gently curling around her cheek and tilting her face to look at him and blocking the view in from of her. “It is alright ma cherie, just look at me and all will be fine” he soothed, her tear filled eyes found his and she nodded, her own hands clutching desperately at his arms and wrists.

Mrs Potts carefully rolled up her nightgown and frowned when she discovered the blood soaked rags that had been packed in to hide the bleeding, she wanted to make inquires about it but wouldn't risk causing more stress to Plumette when Lumière had only just managed to calm her, his forehead pressed to hers as he whispered gentle encouragements and sweet nothings to hold her focus. She slowly removed the rags and at last had a clear view. “I'm just going to check now” she warned.

Plumette whined low in her throat when the housekeeper's fingers entered her and moved in searching. “I don't like this...” she sobbed to Lumière, tears rolling down her face and her breath hitching.

“I'm sorry darling, please try to bear it a little longer, I know you can do it you're so brave” he soothed, his thumb stroking along her cheekbone.

The door creaked open and Angelique struggled in carrying everything that had been requested, carefully placing a jug of hot water on the floor beside the bed before dumping the rest of the items too, her eyebrow raised as she made a sickened face watching the housekeeper. “If she is having a baby why is she not fat?” she questioned.

Mrs Potts sent a glare at her over her shoulder to silence her, not only for the possible interruption that could spook the labouring girl but also giving voice to the very thought that had been bothering her, Plumette was a petite girl, and she certainly didn't look pregnant which made her worry at the size of the baby.

Plumette looked away from her partner to also glare, despising the way Angelique was watching like it was something of great interest, another contraction hit making her arch her back and clamp down around Mrs Potts hand and her thighs crushing. “S-Sorry!” she panted when she could focus again.

“I've seen enough babies in my time dearie it's nothing to be ashamed of, Chip was a right little bugger, he decided he was comin' out backwards” she spoke conversationally with a shrug, her fingertips finally finding what they had been searching for and pressing through the dilating cervix, the baby's skull just within touch. She removed her fingers and took one of the towels from Angelique, wiping off her hand. “Alright the little one's head is right there where we want it, when you feel like you want to start pushing go for it”

“I don't want to push, I don't want to do this” Plumette shook her head as she trembled,

“Not much choice now dear” The housekeeper spoke gently “The best thing you can do is go for it, it'll be over soon”

“No I can't, I won't” Plumette moved to get up, to get away when another contraction tore at her making her cry out.

“Push love!”

At her command Plumette pushed into the contraction, bearing down as much as she could yet to her dismay it didn't make it feel any easier, it only felt worse, much worse. “It hurts” she sobbed as she gave up.

Lumière leant up to her, almost curling against her. “Plumette darling, it will be alright, you can do it” he spoke assuredly, but he also trembled, heart broken that she was hurting and scared for her.

“You... you believe I can mon amour?” her terror filled doe eyes turned to him

“I know you can, my darling love, you can do anything just think soon you'll have have a wonderful baby in your arms, ma cherie you're truly amazing” he pressed a kiss to her forehead, taking up her hand in both of his, kissing the back of her palm.

She nodded, her damp curls bouncing as she felt the beginnings of another contraction. She pushed hard, clenching at Lumière's hand while he continued to give her encouragements.

“Good girl! That's it!” Mrs Potts praised, still sitting between her legs and watching for any new development, Angelique coming to stand awkwardly behind her for if she should need assistance.

A scream slipped past her lips as she bore down, pushing and pushing until at last she began to feel something move and give way, stretching out her body until it felt it surely would tear, she screamed again letting out a string of profanities in a blend of English and French.

“... Mama?!” A small voice pitched up, all eyes in the room snapping to where Chip stood just inside the doorway, half asleep looking but quickly waking up as he listened to the girls screams.

“Chip! Bloomin' heck what are you doing here?!” Mrs Potts cried as Plumette let out another scream.

“What's wrong with her?!” the little boy shrilled, moving to come further into the room.

“Go back to bed!”

“But she's crying!” he wailed frightened and not understanding.

“Bed! Now!” Mrs Potts yelled at her son, in a moment of uncharacteristic anger under stress. Angelique jumped forward and grabbed him by the shoulder, turning him around and leading him out the door then shutting the door behind them.

She turned back to see Plumette sagging against Lumière, sweat and tears soaking her face. “I can't... I can't” she croaked.

The housekeeper's eyes went down to the worrying amount of blood that coated her inner thighs and stained the bed, pushing those thoughts aside as she spoke. “Nearly there! Just a little more!”

The next hard pushes finally slid the baby along her birthing canal, her screams getting louder as she at last managed to push it out, in the end coming out quickly. She slumped down against the pillows and into Lumière's arms, her eyes falling closed as she tried to remember how to breathe normally, feeling weak, hurt and rather wanting to throw up.

“You did it! C'est magnifique!” Lumière praised, kissing her face where ever he could reach, she offered what she could of a smile, pressing her face against his neck exhausted. While Mrs Potts cut the cord to separate the baby from her, bundling it up safely.

A few happy moments were spent between the couple, until the silence had become stagnant. Weren't babies supposed to cry? She remembered when she had been a small child, her aunt giving birth to her younger cousin, she had screamed as if it had been a massive insult to be born and wanted all of France to know of it, the little thing coming into the world loud and angry. But her baby was completely silent.

“... Why isn't it crying?” she inquired, shifting to look over and her blood running cold and the sorrowful look she was given.

“...I'm sorry love... it's not alive...” Mrs Potts whispered, tears wetting her lashes.

Lumière went stiff beside her “No...”

Plumette forced herself up a bit more, ignoring the pain it caused. “Show me” she demanded, her hands reaching out and Mrs Potts clutching the bundle wrapped in a towel closer to herself protectively.

“Please sweetheart it's best you don't see”

“Show me my baby!” she shrieked in a tearful voice, Lumière clutching at her arm, either to hold her back or merely just needing to touch her, neither knew.

Mrs Potts took in a deep breath, turning away from them and trying to quickly clean the baby up, dabbing at it with a cloth wetted from the water jug and shifting the tiny thing about to make it as presentable as she could before with the utmost care placing the bundle into the girl's waiting arms.

Plumette gave a low wail as she looked over the smallest baby she had ever seen, even in the low candle light she could see its skin was a distorted colour, purplish red with darker black patches, its tiny features flattened and its sealed eyes swollen. She screamed out, her hands uselessly clutching into the towel and Mrs Potts moving to gently rub at her back. Lumière reached out a shaking hand to gently touch their child, finding a tiny hand not much bigger than one of his fingernails and stroking it.

She screamed again.