#e/c family

[nerdywriter36]

Contest Prize #3 - Like Me

my final prize for @blood-and-lychee​! i got a little carried away with this one, but i hope you enjoy! i’m really happy with this one :) 

erik finds out that christine is pregnant and is afraid the baby will be like him, but doesn't want to upset christine, so he stays silent while it consumes him from the inside

FFN: Like Me 

AO3: Like Me

~ 

Erik’s eyes were wide open and locked on the ceiling, even though the bedroom was dark and Christine slept soundly beside him. He couldn’t fall into a peaceful slumber as she had, not with the news she had given him earlier that day that he was still trying to comprehend.

Pregnant! But how could that be? Well, he knew  how and he could practically see the smirk on Nadir’s face already; they had had an incredible awkward discussion about protection, after all. That conversation had gone out the window, though; Erik couldn’t exactly recall a night of intimacy where he completely forgot that factor, but that had clearly been the case at least once or he wouldn’t be in the state of panic that he was. 

Panicked was a remarkable understatement - petrified was probably a better description of what he was feeling. Turning his head to look over at his wife, the knot in his stomach only tightened when he noticed the slight swell of her abdomen, plain evidence of the life growing inside of her - the life that they had created. Something so small and helpless, yet it instilled so much fear in his heart. 

He didn’t know the first thing about being a parent! He had never known his father, Giovanni had tried and failed in Italy, and Nadir was more of a brother than anything. On top of that, his mother was far from a good example, so he had no true reference point to pull from, and that inexperience terrified him. Not knowing was not something Erik was comfortable with, that much was for certain. 

With a heavy sigh, Erik slowly sat up and got out of bed, pressing a light kiss to Christine’s forehead before stepping out of the room to slip on his cloak and go to see the only person he knew he could talk to about everything on his mind.

~

“So Christine is pregnant. That is...quite the development,” Nadir said softly as he set a cup of tea in front of Erik. Admittedly, his friend had been rather peeved when he had arrived in the middle of the night to awaken him, but once the circumstances had been disclosed, he had relaxed quite quickly. 

“I don't know what I’m meant to do,” Erik replied, twisting his wedding band around his finger. 

“To be frank, not leaving your pregnant wife at home alone without telling her where you are going is a good start.” 

Erik looked down at his feet, ashamed of his own actions. “I didn’t know how long I could keep my feelings to myself. She had been gushing about the baby all day since she told me; about its nursery and names and all its little clothes. But I said nothing because I’m so terrified that the child...that they will…” 

“That they will look like you,” Nadir finished, his voice quiet as he sat down next to his friend. 

A simple nod was Erik’s initial response. “I couldn’t bear it. You know I have never been inclined to have children because I didn’t want them to carry the burden of the life I’ve led. I couldn’t curse them with a face like mine that will only mean suffering for them.” 

“Their life would be nothing like yours, Erik. They would have a mother that loves them, and a father that would do anything for them,” Nadir said, setting his hand on his friend’s knee. “They would be so well protected from any sort of adversity that might come their way.” 

“But I don't know what I’m doing,” Erik said, clenching his fists in frustration as he tried to get his companion to see the viewpoint. “I have never been around a child, have never felt any connection with one. I don't know how to be around them, how to be so...so gentle and tender.” 

“Well, that is a remarkable lie,” Nadir said matter-of-factly, giving Erik a small smile when he turned to him. “I’ve seen you with a little boy - with my little boy. You were the kindest and the gentlest I have ever seen you when you were with him. You do know how to be around a child that you care for, believe me.” 

“And then I betrayed the trust I had built with him and took everything from him,” Erik whispered as he looked down at his lap and tried to blink back the tears brought on by his ever-present grief over Nadir’s son. 

He only lifted his head when he felt Nadir tip his chin up with the crook of his finger and found his friend giving him a small smile. “I won’t let you apologize because what happened was in his best interests; we both know that. What I don't think you understand, though, is that you were his world, Erik. WEll, second only to me, but you were up there,” he said, his smile growing slightly when Erik laughed breathily at the comment. “But you were so good to him, and you will be no different with a child of your own.” 

“You were such a model parent, though. I could never be like that.” 

The snort that came in response from his friend confused Erik; what he had said was a genuine comment, not one that was meant to be amusing. 

“I believe we need to discuss your definition of a model parent because I am not that at all. You came into my parenting journey seven years along, which might be why I appeared to have a head on my shoulders, but that was not the case at the start. I was a single father; I became a widower the day my son was born, which left me without the woman who instinctively knew what to do. I was raising a terminally ill child, which complicated everything, and I was so young,” Nadir explained with a slight shake of his head. “I was only 22; I hardly had a handle on my own life, never mind a little life that depended entirely on me. I was lost for a while. 

“What you have to remember is that there is no book of instructions - you learn through experience. Even having examples doesn’t guarantee that you have it figured it out; I loved my father, but I knew that his strict way of parenting wasn’t how I wanted to raise my child. I learned with time, and you will too. You can’t be so nervous, my friend, and you can’t keep hiding what you’re feeling from Christine.” 

“I know I can’t,” Erik said with a sigh. “I just don't want to crush her spirits. She is so excited.”  

“You won’t break her spirits. You just have to be honest with her,” Nadir replied. “Now, go wash up and then go home to her. All will be well, I promise.” 

With a nod, Erik got to his feet and shuffled down the hall to the bathroom, shutting and locking the door before he slipped off his mask and rinsed his face in the sink basin. As he dried off with the small hand towel, he glanced up at his reflection in the mirror and leaned back against the wall with a sigh, examining his features more than he had in some time; pale, no nose, thin lips. There was nothing that he wished to pass on to his child. And yet...perhaps some things were salvageable; high cheekbones, a sharp jaw, golden eyes. Those...more desirable features of him in combination with any of Christine’s beautiful characteristics might go well for their child. Perhaps he could grow to adjust to his new circumstances just as Nadir had said. 

As he was lost in thought, though, a very familiar female voice caught his attention. “Christine,” he whispered, slipping his mask back on before he walked out of the bathroom to the parlour. There, he found his wife in tears in Nadir’s arms, her speech too warped by sobs for him to understand it. “Christine?” 

She looked up with a gasp and immediately ran over to throw her arms around him. “I thought you’d left,” she said through her tears as she buried her face in his chest. 

“I am truly sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” he said softly, pressing his lips to the crown of her head. “I just...I needed to go out and clear my head. I should have told you, I apologize.” 

“I thought you left because you didn’t want the baby and just wouldn’t tell me,” she whispered. 

Erik sighed and tightened his embrace, noticing Nadir give him an encouraging nod just before he stepped out to the kitchen to give the couple their privacy. 

Finally, Erik mustered up the courage he needed to speak to his wife. “My dear,” he said with a deep breath, walking to the sofa and sitting beside her, “it is not that I do not want this child.” 

“Then what is it?” Christine asked quietly, dabbing at her eyes with the handkerchief Nadir had seemingly given to her. 

“I...I am afraid, if I‘m to be honest with you. I haven’t the slightest clue as to how to raise a child - I had no parents of my own to learn from - and I...to give you a child that resembles me is the last thing I want,” Erik admitted. 

As he looked up at his wife, he frowned slightly when he noticed fresh tears in her eyes just before she cupped his face in her hands, then gently slipped his mask off. “No matter what this child looks like, I am going to love them unconditionally, as I do you,” she said softly. “And I’m afraid too; I don't have experience with raising a baby, but we will figure it out together, I promise.” 

Tears of his own filled Erik’s eyes at that as he wrapped his arms around Christine, burying his face in her wild chestnut curls. “I don't deserve you,” he whispered. 

“You deserve love, my darling, and that is what I wish to give you.” 

“You are far too gracious,” Erik said softly, kissing the side of her head before he straightened up and glanced down at her stomach while his hand hovered in mid-air, not knowing if he should touch her or not. 

Christine smiled when she noticed, then took his hand and gently set it on her stomach. “They haven’t started to move quite yet, but they will. You’ll feel it once they do,” she said with a nod. 

“I’m sure,” Erik said quietly, a small smile on his own face as he ran his hand over her abdomen and felt the same small bump he had noticed earlier that night. “I don't know how I’m going to do this.” 

“With me there with you. We’ll be alright, and our baby is going to be so spoiled by their Papa that they won’t know what to do,” Christine said with a quiet giggle. 

Erik couldn’t help but chuckle as he leaned forward to gently kiss her. “Perhaps,” he replied. “I love you.” 

“And I love you more, my angel. Both me and Baby.” 

[curiositykilledtheradiostar]

I think all the star wars fans out there need to listen to some sci fi podcasts, then re evaluate whether THIS is really the media you want to put your emotional investment into. Disney is such a piece of shit and they don't even hide it, just so many of us are either numb or perpetually angry to a point where it's emotionally draining. Just saying, Wolf 359 will make you ask questions that some of y'all desperately need to ask yourselves. Penumbra is hitting so many sci fi tropes and vibes but flat out doing it BETTER than Disney ever could. They're both like if Star Wars was actually as good as we pretend it is, and then better.

[ninja-knox-ur-sox-off]

“I can hear you.” 

Thought I’d jump on the glowy Six Eared Macaque bandwagon. The lighting was so much fun to play with hghsdlkmfaowef

[dinguswingus]

SPY X FAMILY NEXT EP PREVIEW.

Hes here. HES HERE. LIEUTENANT MOP. IM- NOBODY TALK TO ME NEXT WEEK.

[bakerolivias-archived]

nope y'all need to stop calling caroline a hypocrite just because the writers used her to prop up st*lena so the triangle of doom could stay alive. damon sexually abused her and compelled her and used her body as a free blood supply. caroline has every right to call d*mon a monster. for all of klaus's faults he never sexually (stress on this particular word) victimized anyone. say what you want but there is no comparison.

[lesbianuravity]

“raven’s bandit camp is where yang and weiss realised they were in love for the first time” is a great concept that should be talked about more.

[laurapetrie]

Audrey Hepburn photographed by Zinn Arthur on the set of Love in the Afternoon

[dragoneyes618]

Kit Snicket is the only daughter of E. Snicket.

Kit can be its own name. However, it can also be a nickname for Katherine.

Another spelling for Katherine is Catherine.

E. Snicket’s father is C. Snicket, Chas. (Charles?) Snicket.

Her mother is never mentioned.

Suppose her mother was Catherine Snicket.

After all, according to Kit, it is a tradition in the Snicket family to name children after people who have died.

And E. followed this tradition in naming her daughter after her mother.

This would mean - this is the Snickety part - that both of E.’s parents were C. Snicket. “She’s C. Snicket’s daughter.” “C. Snicket? Which C. Snicket?” “Both of them!”

[jrueships]

how can they have This many photos LIKE this?????!!!

[sparring-spirals]

listen. l i s t e n. the best quality of the Mighty Nein is the way they circle the wagons around each other. They fight to save each other. That is the point.

They all complement each other, they all come in and stack up under each other like bricks, steadying a wall.

veth, his partner in crime, pulling together an unconventional plan with unconventional tools (smearing glue on a cloak collar, like shooting arrows at hidden books).

beau, his empire sibling, his fellow nerd, his professionally-trained-to-root-out-corruption sister, working with his partner in crime to tackle trent, physically bringing him to the floor, holding him in an unyielding grip.

fjord, his blood pact bro, the one he shares solemn and steady conversations with, the one who once was so eager to go to the cerberus assembly, so excited to learn magic from caleb, being the one to cast counterspell when caleb was running on empty.

caduceus, grave cleric, (their cleric), a little fragile and so wise, the one with the foresight to cast death ward, his omniscience keeping caleb standing, just long enough.

jester, the cleric (their cleric), her hands steady, asking Caleb- do you want him, dead or alive? The same hands that could kill, turning to him and healing him for 70 points instead.

yasha, his fellow introvert, woman of few words but with heavy meaning, a sword on his chest, steady, like a mountain, like a guardian angel. "If you try anything, I will kill you."

and oh- essek, casting hold person at fifth level. holding him still. essek, too, is held there, despite his fear, despite the danger of retribution. essek is there for them- for him. and is steady, and ready.

and eadwulf- choosing to do nothing, instead of something. astrid, hands coming in where Caleb's falter, activating the robe with sure hands (sealing her fate, sealing her side).

pieces, coming together to make a whole. Stones stacked to support a center. Interlocking puzzle pieces to make a picture. I don't have anything more poetic than what already played out on screen. I love the Mighty Nein. (and they love each other).

[arkitiore]

"Where the hell did you even get a polaroid camera from?! They haven't made these things for years!"

[cruncherzz]

Alcina: *read somewhere that cats freak out around pickles and bananas*

Alcina: *grabs banana and sets it on floor in front of girls*

Bela, Cassandra, Daniela:

[sojutrait]

last night at the hotel

[thiziri]

“My husband”

[goddessofroyalty]

For you zaun family au when do they get the last drop?

During the pregnancy with Claggor. Claggor wasn't conceived there but he was born there. 

I think they get the keys a little before the 3 month mark of the pregnancy (which is relevant to the earlier ask this week because heats are 3 monthly in my verses so Vander wants them moved and in before Silco’s next heat only to be informed that, actually that won’t be an issue because they’re isn’t going to be another heat for about a year, and, oh). 

It's somewhat connected to the last member of Vander's family dying (I don't know which one). I don't know if it was that member’s previously or the money Vander got from the little inheritance he received from his family brought it but it's definitively tied up with them... somehow.

It also happens to be at the time when, while their focus is still on rebelling against Piltover, they've managed to build The Lanes up to something actually sustainable. With them at the centre of both those networks. So a place where they can have people coming and going all hours without it looking suspicious is very much necessary (and it’s a good time to focus on setting it up while Silco is out of revolutionary action because pregnant). And a bar is kind of convenient for that. Especially seeing the Last Drop seems big enough I feel like it has rooms upstairs - both the conference/meeting and... short stay variety (plus a basement that honestly I wouldn't be surprised if it was or ended up connected to underground tunnels).

Also, you know, they're about to have another kid! A bigger space for themselves and their family is something they were already looking for.

[rabbittush]

WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT DOLORES IN THE ENCANTO TAG