#my husband is very relieved we never had twins

[thefirstcourtesan]

Except I am the worst twin namer ever and literally named them Andi and Drew 😂

[isfjmel-phleg]

After my presentation of the Secret Garden and CEN paper, someone in the audience asked about applying the lens of CEN to other children's book from the same era. I thought about it afterward, and the best example that came to mind was Anne of Green Gables.

Anne Shirley, before her arrival at Green Gables, has experienced CEN. It has played out in a much different way for her than it does for Mary and Colin in TSG, due to differences in social class, but the principle has been the same. As an orphan raised in homes that viewed her as an inconvenience and a sort of unpaid servant, she has never had an adult in her life who prioritized her emotional well-being, who took the time to be kind to her, to listen to her, to teach her how to function in the world beyond basic survival. She is aware that no one wants her after her parents' death, and she is made to feel guilty by her caretakers for having the audacity to exist and need to be "brought up by hand." It's difficult for Anne to even talk about these experiences when Marilla asks her. She's relieved to get relating them over with, because "Evidently she did not like talking about her experiences in a world that had not wanted her."

And then there's this exchange:

“Were those women—Mrs. Thomas and Mrs. Hammond—good to you?” asked Marilla, looking at Anne out of the corner of her eye. “O-o-o-h,” faltered Anne. Her sensitive little face suddenly flushed scarlet and embarrassment sat on her brow. “Oh, they meant to be—I know they meant to be just as good and kind as possible. And when people mean to be good to you, you don’t mind very much when they’re not quite—always. They had a good deal to worry them, you know. It’s a very trying to have a drunken husband, you see; and it must be very trying to have twins three times in succession, don’t you think? But I feel sure they meant to be good to me.”

Anne has clearly been mistreated, but she's describing--and pointedly not describing--suggests less of aggression and physical harm and more of something missing, an emptiness, a lack of love--CEN. Likewise, she herself exhibits some signs that can be associated with this type of maltreatment. Difficulty with emotional regulation, attachment problems, extreme sensitivity to rejection, negativity toward herself, excessively immersing herself in imagination (a mild dissociative tendency), anxiety around social situations (regarding how to behave correctly and whether people will like her), etc.

And in a way, the entire first book of the series deals with how she finds healing from her past of CEN, through gaining the love and acceptance of her new family, of friends, of an entire community.

From what little I know of L. M. Montgomery's life, CEN was likely a factor in her own upbringing, and it repeatedly features in her novels (The Blue Castle and Jane of Lantern Hill, for instance, in particular feature heroines who have experienced CEN) with poignancy. Montgomery paints moving portraits of how badly children can be scarred by a lack of love and affirmation.

Anyway, situating Anne's backstory as rooted in CEN helped me put my finger on one of the reasons that I felt that the recent series Anne With an E--at least the first season, which is all I've seen--misunderstood the nature of Anne's past. In this version, we see flashbacks to Anne's past, in which she is being viciously bullied by other children for her talkativeness and imagination. They even go so far as to stuff a mouse into her mouth, and the show suggests that Anne has PTSD as a result of this kind of treatment.

And yeah, Anne's childhood in the book isn't great and clearly has hurt her deeply, but this interpretation felt off to me. What Anne has to say--and not say--about her past in the book suggests not that she was targeted as an object of others' aggression but that she was disregarded. No one was giving her a second thought. That's not as dramatic and shocking as vicious bullying, but it's another, more subtle, insidious kind of maltreatment, just as hurtful in its way but harder to pin down. It's easy to portray a quick, sensational scene of our protagonist being obviously, overtly, grandiosely mistreated, but how do you show the gradual piling up of years' and years' of being treated like you don't matter? All the tiny incidents that chip away at one's sense of self-worth? The building of a worldview in which you must earn love and acceptance but somehow you can never manage it and of course it's your own fault?

And I'm reminded how recent adaptations and retellings of TSG shift the narrative toward grief, which is easy to dramatize, big and impressive and full of obvious pathos. It's an easy way out of depicting a subtler kind of suffering, and the same way, Anne With an E replaces Anne's CEN with bullying and PTSD. There is a place for such stories, but Anne's isn't one of them. It's almost as if there's an inability to understand or a reluctance to depict any kind of suffering that isn't big and grand and shocking. There are many ways that people can be deeply hurt, and it doesn't always look like a major traumatic event that's easy to pinpoint. Sometimes the hurt isn't a tidal wave that engulfs in a single devastating event; it's a slow drip that erodes oneself away little by little. That's closer to what is depicted for Anne, and Montgomery's other protagonists who have experienced CEN, and it's important to recognize what exactly is going on because this sort of thing still happens every day in the real world, in many forms, and it needs to be seen and combatted. And seeing this form of maltreatment play out in literature helps us recognize it and empathize with and reach out to those whom it has impacted--or possibly even to identify it in our own histories and search for our own healing.

[grandmanightmarerealm]

I wrote a mini Panville/Dramione fic. I didn't have anyone to share it with, so here you go, Tumblr.

~

"The pressure to give your children hideous names is a very bizarre Pureblood trait. I really feel for Walburga Black, if she'd had a different name, perhaps she wouldn't have been so vile."

"Don't I know it," Pansy replied darkly from the St. Mungos examination table, "I was almost Crocus. Luckily, Mama sold my halmeoni on Pansy instead. I think even Papa was relieved, but he would have done anything his mother said. Speaking of, you know Draco is absolutely doing the same thing, right?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, a hand on her ever-growing stomach, "I'd never subject my son to the name Scorpius. Draco and I had enough troubles growing up with our unusual names. Narcissa won't win that fight."

Neville's eyes darted between the two women anxiously and he cleared his throat, "Does, uh.. does Hermione know, Pans?"

"I think that's really Draco's hex to take, wouldn't you say?"

"What?" Hermione looked suspicious and Pansy waved her off.

"Not to worry, just a little gamble we made with Narcissa when we were younger. It's really only of consequence if I end up ever having twins. Which is a slim chance, considering I absorbed my twin in the womb. Papa said he thinks I didn't want to share the spotlight," she grinned and Neville stared at her.

"You terrify me sometimes."

"Only sometimes?" Hermione muttered, while she waved her wand over Pansy's baby bump to begin diagnostics, "Anyway, what was the wager?"

"If I end up having twins, Draco has to name his first son Scorpius."

Hermione nearly dropped her wand.

"You didn't think to mention this at all in the last six months?" she demanded, leveling her best friend with a glare.

"Like I said, Draco's wheelhouse. Besides, what are the chances?"

"Pretty high, all things considered," Neville mumbled.

"You do have a remarkable breeding kink, love, but I'm not sure you necessarily managed twins on the first try," Pansy smirked, patting her husband's arm as he turned bright red.

"Sweetheart, I thought we talked about announcing private information in public."

"It's just Hermione, she's literally my OB and my best friend, it's not as though she doesn't know we've been having sex. Besides, she's up the duff as well, I wouldn't be surprised if Draco's the same way."

The curly headed witch turned away to hide her pink cheeks, "Getting back on topic, hopefully Narcissa won't hold Draco to that particular bet."

"Unlikely, he made an Unbreakable Vow."

Hermione closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. She was going to murder her husband tonight.

"Hermione, relax. This was back in 6th year, when we still thought Draco and I would end up married. We were on Christmas hols and drunk. I think she came up with the whole thing to distract us from all the trauma," Pansy looked at her husband, brushing back a strand of her black hair, "Do you think Narcissa has a kink for the Unbreakable Vow?"

Neville, with his endless patience, replied in a tired kind of way, "Considering her son was involved in both instances, I think we can rule it out."

"Hm. Still odd that it's happened twice."

"If you're quite done ruminating on my mother-in-law's bedroom preferences."

Neville looked at the magical pregnancy diagnostics hovering over his wife's abdomen and a slow, very Slytherin smile graced his features.

"Pansy, I'd like you to meet your godson, Scorpius Malfoy," Hermione said a little ruefully.

"Really? I thought you just said-"

"Yes, well, I really don't fancy being a single mother. Looks like Narcissa wins this round. Congratulations, Pansy Longbottom. You're expecting twins."

Pansy's face paled and she examined the two magical signatures for a moment before suddenly bursting into tears. Neville wrapped his long arms around her shoulders, grinning ear to ear.

Hermione smiled as Pansy started laughing through her tears.

"Would you like to know?" The couple nodded in unison and Hermione's smile widened, "Both girls, both healthy, both showing a lot of magical potential. I'm so happy for you both. You're going to be wonderful parents."

"I guess you won our bet, you'll be getting the plant names you wanted," Pansy said, wiping her face.

"Seriously? Do all Purebloods do this?"

Pansy ignored Hermione's indignation, hiccuping and still swiping away tears, "Just anything but Crocus."

"I'll come up with something better, I promise," Neville held her face in his hands and kissed her forehead.

"Is this a joke?" Hermione asked, running a hand through her curls in bewilderment.

Neville looked up at her seriously, "I never joke about plants."

[beast-towers]

Further in the facility, in a lonely cell housed a woman. Sitting in a corner as her legs hid her head; one of her sleeves was ripped and now partially covered in some bandages, due to being injected with the Joy Serum.

Feeling physically sick and her mind spinning into confusion, a false happiness trying to claw its way in. Yet she is very resistant to not give these people the satisfaction of seeing her joining them or cracking with a twisted smile. All she can do is try to sleep it off to let the serum pass, but there was one thought that’s keeping her mind anchored… her sons.

Tears began to form as she thought about the twins. Are my boys okay? Are they truly safe? Did these monsters also went after them?… so many thoughts flooded her mind; only to finally snap out of her thought as a soft male voice echoed.

“Are you okay?…” He asked. Causing the woman to look up to the window of her cell wall to meet a man. “They didn’t bring you to those other sections, didn’t they?”

“I’m… okay, just very exhausted. No… I think? All I do remember was when they tried to held me down in here to inject me with… whatever they had… I’m still feeling very lightheaded from it…” She responded, feeling somewhat relieved she isn’t the only one here… what ever here was. “Do you know where we are?… I was with my sons when we wanted to ride on a roller coaster, but I couldn’t get on due the ride being full…”

“We are in the Sanctuary. If I remember correctly, that’s what they called it… it’s rubbed by an organization named, The Ministry of Joy… more like the Ministry of Hell.” The man huffed out with anger. Yet he calms himself as he looked over to the woman again. “I do apologize for not introducing myself. My name is Alden Belle, I’ve been investigating the disappearances that the Ministry took part. I’ve … never imagined a theme park held a dark secret….”

“A pleasure to meet you, Alden. My name is Nicole Alonso, funny enough I’m also in that department branch…” Nicole spoke, yet Alden noticed a surprised look on her face.. “This place… they kidnapped people…? But why?…” She thought until hearing Alden’s voice again.

“Have you also received reports of people disappearing in the United Kingdom?” He asked, which made Nicole look to the side.

“Yes. I’ve tried to research before I had to take a break and I left to be.. here. I passed on the case to my colleagues back home..” She sighs with a truthful shame. She wasn’t the only one who also took on the investigation; others tried everything in their power to find them… but no one succeeded.

Now silence filled the room for the two, until Alden perked up again. “It’s… not your fault. I can tell you wanted to help… of course you do need your time to be mentally prepared. We can move on from that for now. I do remember you saying you have sons, how old are they?”

“They’re both eighteen. My twin boys… Thomas and Tobias. My Rock-N-Roll stars.” Nicole softly chuckled, as a warm motherly smile formed. “Their father taught them to play the guitar and drums when they were young, and now they use their musical passion to remember their father. What about you? Do you have children?”

Alden smiled softly upon hearing Nicole talk about her sons. “Living stars in the making. And I do! Her name is Eleanor, a very clever girl. She’s trying to learn how to be an investigator like myself, but I feel like her mother taught her very well puzzle solving skills.” He softly chuckled, but a small itch of realization hits him. Now unsure if it’s a good idea to ask her about her husband.

“Do you believe this god forsaken place is now trying to find our children? Making sure to… leave no trace behind?” Alden asked with worry, causing the woman to huff up.

“If they do I will rip this place into pieces! I… already lost someone important to me. I will fight to the bitter end to make sure my sons are safe… they’ve done everything for me… I can’t lose them…” Nicole hissed protectively, yet a sense of sorrow began to emerge as tears formed.

“We’re not. And we’re not going to let them.” Alden gave a determined look. “I have a plan. I’ve been studying their time visit to… well that. One comes in while the other wait or guard, if we pretend that we’re sick, we can team up to fight them off and make a break for it.”

“As long they’re not in a big group, I’ll do it.” Nicole lay here head on her arms, looking very tired. “Thank you, Alden… I’m honestly glad you are here to talk… I needed that.”

“Same here Nicole… please rest as you can. We will find our freedom…” Alden said, as he sat back down to watch while Nicole rests. As soon as Nicole fell asleep, Alden began to whisper softly, “Mary… please watch over us and Eleanor… I pray to god she is safe… especially Nicole’s sons… Please continue to give us strength to fight back…”

To be continued…

[rocksandmirrors]

[SPOILERS FOR FOR THE FUTURE]

OH BOY DO I HAVE MANY THINGS TO TALK ABOUT.

Amity seeing the twins again. 10/10, made me tear up (where tf is Alador tho. i need to see my cringefail husband again)

Willow bottling everything up like girl same lol. i'm so happy to see more of her, but at xhat cost </3

SO MUCH MATTHOLOMULE CONTENT. so his name is Mat(t?) Tholomule?? Mattholomule Tholomule??? why does everything need to be so complicated wit this kid. i like the fact he's never corrected anyone either in the past like ajhsajhsf ALSO HE'S DOING ABOMINATION MAGIC?? I MAY BE DRUNK BUT I SWEAR I SAW HIM USE ABOMINATION MAGIC. AND GUS TEACHING HIM ILLUSIONS IS CANON. GUSTHOLOMULE NATION RISE UP, I WANT ALL YOUR BEST FANARTS ON MY DESK BY MONDAY

[edit: it was just Amity's in Matt's place. i may be dumb, but hey i could see him try abomination magic]

i'm so happy he gets so much screentime and so many interactions with Gus like!!! i've been FUCKING FED. still no palisman tho </3 (unless i've missed it?? i've blacked out a couple times i think)

also i can't believe his facial hair was actually drawn on, i guess i have to update the comic i'm working on ajhsfajsf SHIT. "Man-ttholomule" my ass. it's funny how the Matt fans instantly recognized that the weird faces the squad was pulling in one of the trailers was actually because of him, we know him so well <3

LUZ'S PALISMAN IS SO FREAKING CUTE!!!! i love how everyone thought this was gonna be a snake aaand close enough <3 lil shapeshifter friend. a lovely pal. can't wait to see more of them (i can't remember their name I'M SORRY-)

why is Kikimora always so extra. i swear this woman is going to be the death of me, like ma'am this is a school full of traumatized kids, get outta here

i actually cried at Camila talking to Luz right before her palisman hatched. i wish she was my mom and would kiss my dumb lil forehead

the Collector being manipulated by Belos ONCE AGAIN ASAJSF i swear he's going to be his therapist's most loyal patient </3 i was really expecting him to lose his powers and thus Belos being the true villain of the very last episode idk

also can you guys leave Raine alone for 2 minutes. my pal's been through enough, let them just kiss their monster wife in peace like 🙄

HUNTLOW SHIPPERS HOW ARE WE FEELING..... Hunter tackling Willow into a hug like he had 10 seconds left to live......... mgnhmmn

SPEAKING OF WHICH i knew Hunter gaining Flapjack's powers was a popula theory BUT I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED LIKE!!!! GO WHITE BOY GO

Boscha being Amity's bitter ex is so funny to me. it shouldn't be bc hey, Amity dropped her to hang out with a stranger that has been here for just a couple months, but it's still funny to me. stop white girl stop

also hot take but i'm really not a big fan of Lilith's new haurcut I'M SORRY </3 she's prettier with long hair imo. she's very cute as a ginger tho (no comments on Eda, she's as hot as ever)

i can't wait to see what(s gonna happen in the very last episode!!! i'm still convinced the Collector will lose his powers in some way and Belos will get his ass kicked

speaking of Belos i'm relieved he didn't get to use one of Caleb's bodies, could you imagine the trauma for Hunter to see this shit?? also the weird Caleb ghost following him around like. my man's haunted by the narrative etc

last but not least: this was Odalia's most huiliating episode. would recommend watching just for that tbh

in summary: 9/10 could use more Steve content tbh

[countrymusiclover]

14 - Back to New Orleans

Part 15

Family is More than Blood

@secretdreamlandmentality

@icefrye19 - thanks for helping write this chapter

Slight mature content

Shutting the car door with my foot Klaus was carrying the twins inside the Mikaelson compound. The four older Mikaelson kids headed for the main entrance running until they got inside the doorway. Shrugging on my red leather jacket I put my hands in my pocket hearing a baby's crying from upstairs. "I'm assuming that must be Freya and Keelin’s  son up there." 

"I'm just relieved none of our kids were screamers like that one appears to be." Klaus pointed out sitting the baby carrier on the floor. "It's bloody irritating with vampire hearing." 

Someone began coming down the stairs where I saw some bright blonde hair bouncing around as the figure came closer to the two of us. “Nik, I’m utterly shocked that you didn’t make a grand entrance like you normally do whenever you enter a room.” 

“Hello to you too, little sister.” He smiled jokingly before he extended his arms open and they embraced one another. 

Rebekah smiled, embracing me in a hug afterwards. “There’s my favorite sister in law.” 

“Hi Bex. It’s good to see you. Is everyone scattered across the world now or did they come home for the weekend?” I asked the blonde, knowing that it had been two years basically since we had seen everyone after we defeated the Hollow’s magic for good and moved to Mystic Falls. 

The three heard someone coming down the hallway where I could see it was Elijah messing with the sleeve of his suit jacket coming down the stairs to greet us. "Elijah." I smiled as I walked towards him. Even at home, his ever-so-formal clothes never failed to amuse me.

“Raelyn, it's been too long," he said, his smile warm and inviting. He knelt down slightly and kissed my brow in a fraternal fashion. 

"It certainly has," I agreed wondering how he was handling everything after the incident with wanting to sacrifice his life to the Hollow to save our kids. "How have you been?"

"Busy, as always," he said, smoothing his suit jacket in his usual manner. "But the compound isn't the same without your raucous laughter and chaos."

I giggled, returning my gaze to Klaus, who was now attempting to soothe the twins. He was making amusing faces that would have horrified any other toddler. Rebekah spun me around so I was facing her when she made a disappointed face to her brother. “How could you not tell me that you were pregnant?” 

“The school has been keeping us rather busy with the chaos of monsters and everything. So that’s why we thought we should come home and introduce the little ones.” Shrugging my shoulders that she was holding onto I sent her a smile speaking the truth. 

"Speaking of chaos, I see Niklaus is handling fatherhood well," Elijah observed as he followed my gaze. 

"He's more of a natural than he admits," I said, beaming affectionately at the sight of my husband with our children. 

Elijah laughed seeing that the other four kids weren’t standing beside us anymore like they had been. "I get what you mean. And where are the others?"

“Running around here somewhere. “ I said. “They are so wild sometimes.” 

 “Like their parents," Elijah remarked. Another shriek came from above before we could finish talking. 

I sighed and said, "Well, I guess I should go and check on that. I swear, every time I hear a baby cry,  I feel like I've run a marathon."

Another round of laughter from Elijah reverberated throughout the big hall. "Go ahead; when you return, we'll be here. After all, a Mikaelson gathering wouldn't be complete without some drama, right?”

I concurred, moving swiftly in the direction of the stairs. "You're right about that," I said. The sounds of my family below filled the formerly silent compound with life and noise as I ascended. And it felt like home for the first time in a very long time.

Reaching the bedroom with the crying I saw Keelim holding the bay while Freya was trying to do some spell. More than likely to calm the crying infant. “Looks like you two could use some parenting.” 

As I was about to offer my assistance the compound's big oak doors flew wide with a loud thud. When I turned around to face the door, I noticed two recognizable people and a small smile formed on my face. “Davina and Kol, about time you guys show up.” I said, my voice echoing through the house.

Kol merely rolled his eyes while a wry smile played on his lips as Davina grinned and strolled with her brown hair in curls. "We wouldn't miss it for the world, Raelyn," Davina said, her eyes glistening at the sight of the twins. 

Kol, however, was more intrigued by how the mayhem was developing. "So this is how the Mikaelson family gets together.” He pulled Davina in by casually wrapping an arm around her.

 

I shook my head. “ Kol, you've been a member of this family for a time. By now, you ought to be accustomed to this.” Vamping towards the pair I hugged them both mirroring the smiles that they gave me. 

“So you all get together and I have to learn from a text from Rebekah. I feel a little left out, Rae.” Turning my head around over my shoulder I recognized the voice of Cami coming inside the compound. 

Freya followed me downstairs greeting the familiar vampire bartender. Hugging her I smiled before Klaus came walking over with the twins who were still laying down in the car seat. “Hi Cami. Now that everyone is here I think we should go into the living room so we can introduce the newest members of the family.” 

“Ohh I’m so excited.” Cami clasped her hands together loving babies. 

The entire family moved into one of the rooms with a large fireplace so Klaus and I were standing in front of it. Everybody else moved to sit down on the furniture watching us. Clasping my hands together in front of me I couldn’t help but grin. “So we all know I can get pregnant and that four kids should be more than enough to handle but…we have to add two more adorable ones to the family.” 

"First off this little princess is Rapunzel Swan Mikaelson …" Klaus picked up our baby girl and handed her to Cami. He then picked up our second boy. "And this little prince is Charming Robin Mikaelson." 

Rebekah rose to her feet taking the baby from her brother smiling. "He's so handsome." 

"Now little Nik won't have to grow up without some cousins his own age." Freya responded holding her now sleeping son in her arms. 

“Yes, our kids can be playmates now.” I said, smiling down at my nephew.

Klaus asked, putting his hands behind his back, curious. "So will he be a witch or werewolf since I know you had Vincent help create him." 

"Nik, don't ask like that." I warned him. 

He shrugs his shoulders. "What Rae?" 

"She just wants to not admit that she can't resist bedding our half brother." Kol teased with Davina glaring at him. 

“Well, brother in law, we don't know what species our son is yet.” Keelin answered. "Whatever species he is, we will be happy with it." 

Cami was still holding Rapunzel. "So what species do you suppose these cuties will be?" 

"Don't know yet. We'll have to ask a witch that can predict the future like Gloria." Shrugging my shoulders I mentioned the dead witch's name from Chicago. 

“Well, I bet these little children will be some powerful figures like you two are.” Rebekah said.

Nodding in agreement, baby Charming started clapping his hands and we all turned our heads seeing a blown out candle suddenly light into flames. “I guess we got our answer.” Freya smiled. "Another one I get to teach magic to."

Davina cleared her throat. “Don’t forget me.”

“And Davina as well.” I said pointing my index finger at her.

Keelin lifts her head. "Not to bring the mood down but has Henrik turned yet?" 

"Uh no…he hasn't activated his wolf or vampire side yet." I stuttered, reaching for my husband's hand. 

He clears his throat sensing I wouldn't be able to get it out. "Missy is struggling with her heretic abilities. Especially now since she is trying to have a human boyfriend from Mystic High…even though we have yet to meet the guy. Alina and Jackson are fine in their werewolf marriage." 

"Hold on, Nik. Melissa has a boyfriend and you haven't even met him yet. How is that possible?" Rebekah sent him a shocked expression. 

Klaus glared at his sister. “ I don't know, my daughter has been keeping things from me.”

I shook my head at him. “ My love, I'm sure she has an explanation for that.”

“She's dating a human.” He raised his tone a little telling me he was getting frustrated. “She snuck behind our backs and didn't tell us.” 

“Lay off my niece, brother.” Rebekah said. “She probably didn't tell you because she was worried about how you would react.” 

Kol pointed out something from his past. “Difference is you can’t dagger your children for disagreeing with you…thankfully you’ve improved from that.” 

“Kol, don’t give him any ideas,” Elijah warned his younger brother. 

The Hybrid shook his head grumbling something under his breath. “She shouldn’t be worried about how I will react…I let her sister marry a bayou werewolf.” 

“Hey if you guys need somdowntime. We can watch them for you. And I can assume that your other four kids are around here somewhere.” Cami suggested and everyone nodded before I watched my husband leave the room. 

Running after him I thanked my blonde bartender friend. “Thanks, Cami. Nik, wait up.” 

Vamping into our old bedroom inside the compound I dropped my arms at my sides eyeing my husband who was standing looking out on the city in front of the large room. “You want to tell me what that was to tell me what that was about out there? I thought we had an agreement on it.” 

Klaus turned around facing me. “ Drop it, Raelyn. I'm not in the mood to hear it.”

He walked past me about to walk out the room until I waved my hand locking the door. He turned his head glancing at me in disbelief. “Bloody hell, enough with the magic already!” 

“Why are you shutting me out?” I demanded, gazing at him sadly. 

“Again, I am not in the mood.” Klaus grumbled, walking past him heading outside on the balcony.

I followed after him, refusing to back down.  Are you serious, you're acting like a child now.” He shook his head not answering me, he jumped off the balcony vamp speed away much to my shock.

But he forgot that I was just as stubborn as he was so I did the same thing and followed his hybrid trail. Vamping through the window I followed his hybrid trail, vamp speed through the city until almost finding out somewhere  in the bayou. “What the hell is going on right now. Nik, this is ridiculous, stop acting like a child and just talk.”

“Because I don’t want her giving her heart to anyone, Raelyn. As much as I love Rebekah I don’t want any of my children to be hopeless romantics. Only to get their hearts broken over and over.” He finally blurted out flashing me his golden werewolf eyes. 

I gazed at him deeply, understanding his concern. “Darling, we can't stop her from loving someone.  I know you're scared that she'll get her hurt broken, but if she does we will be here to help through it.” 

“I’m more than just scared, Rae. It’s bloody awful not knowing what will happen. The only reason that Alina is with Jackson is because it got the wolves of the bayou on our side when we were at war. Otherwise she wouldn’t already be married to that bayou wolf!” He snaps back in my direction.

Slowly walking towards him I grabbed his shoulders making him look at me with tears in his baby blue eyes. “Nik, look at me. Please listen to me okay. This is what being a parent means. We can’t shield them from living life. Even though we’d both love to kill anyone who hurts them, we can’t do such a thing.” 

“Then what are we supposed to do if he breaks Missy’s heart?” He croaked through some more tears until I pulled him into a hug. 

“We do what parents do.” I said holding his face in my hands when we broke the embrace. “ Be there for her, helping her through it, that's all we can do.”

Klaus nodded agreeing with my words. “But, if he breaks our little princess' heart I'm going to rip his heart out his chest.”

I smiled amused at his words. “ Yes, I know. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.” Lopping my fingers through his hair softly. We vamped back to the compound where I sent him a smile seeing where his head was at. 

“So what do you want to do now that we have a few hours to ourselves hmm?” 

Klaus gazed at me with a devilish smile on his face, that was his crooked smile. “You.” 

I shook my head at his words. “Be serious.”

“Oh, I am my love.” He said, grabbing me by the waist. “ It's been too long since we've had a moment alone together regardless of us shortly having two new infants."

Rolling my eyes I was smiling the whole time. “Yes but the reason is because we couldn’t keep our hands off each other in Paris. Not that I’m saying I don’t enjoy it. I just-“ 

“Rae, love. Enjoy the moment and stop talking.” He cupped my face in his hands, cutting me off with a long fiery kiss. 

Pressing my lips up on his he smiled wrapping my arms and legs around him before he vamped us inside the bathroom shower before he finally broke the kiss briefly. “Take off your clothes.” He growled, letting me stand on my own two feet.

I looked up at him with a smirk while slowly unzipping my jeans and tugging them down my legs. I threw them to the side. I lifted my shirt off my head pulling it off me and throwing it to the side where my jeans lay. 

I stood there wearing nothing but my bra and underwear, tilting my head to the side. I gazed at my husband deeply. “I am in need of some assistance, darling. Would you mind helping me?" 

Klaus’s eyes began to darken. He grabbed me by the waist and all but tore off my bra, ripping off my underwear. I let out a gasp at his actions. “Nik, I love that set.”

“I'll buy you more.” The hybrid said, undressing in front of me. He ripped off his clothes within seconds before capturing his lips down upon mine.

I leaned back into the kiss wrapping my arms around his neck.  We stumbled into the shower, he backed me into the shower wall hard.  “ I want you so bad, my love.”

I grinned up at him. “ Then, kiss me.”

He crashed his lips down upon mine in a second where one of his hands accidentally turned on the water soaking the both of us yet we didn't care. "We didn't burn any sage, Rae." He pointed out holding my hips, praying the other supernatural creatures didn't hear us

"Maybe they'll be smart and leave the compound with kids and the babies because we're doing this now." Resting my hands on his shoulders I smirked devilishly drawing his lips back down onto mine. 

Our lips locked in a passionate kiss, our bodies melting together as hot water poured down on them. Klaus's hands moved up and down my body, causing me to moan into his mouth. He shifted me against the icy shower tiles, his body pressing closely against mine against the wall. His lips proceeded down to her neck, sucking and biting the skin, causing her to moan.

"I love the sounds you make, love," Klaus hissed, his teeth scraping her pulse. "I've missed this, and I've missed you."

I chuckled breathlessly, my hands tracing the muscles on his back that I knew so well. "Klaus!...ohh…I love you." My fingers threading themselves into his wet dirty blonde locks tugging on them causing him to moan in response. 

He couldn't stop looking at her, his hands greedily probing her body, his mouth never leaving her flesh. The water provided a wonderful distraction, providing comfort against the cold tiles. Klaus lifted her onto him with his hands on her hips.

Our  bodies moved in the familiar pattern, only  moans and gasping filled the room. Klaus pressed his face against my neck, his breath warm across her skin. He could feel her pulse pounding beneath his lips, her heartbeat matching his.

The world outside the shower had vanished, leaving only their bodies and the water. They moved together, their bodies searching for that familiar feeling.

"Rae," he growled, his voice hoarse with desire. He pressed his forehead against hers, their breaths mingling, their bodies moving together. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Nik," I  replied, my  voice barely a whisper. I kissed him passionately, our  bodies moving together, the water a comforting presence.

We remained in that position as the water washed over them and their bodies continued to move in time to the beat of their love. Outside of the shower, nothing mattered. They were the only two individuals in that moment and it was utterly perfect.

[gnattyplayssims]

1948 Pt2 - The Butterfly Ring

A few weeks after moving to Copperdale, Kye finally made the visit to go see Aly Riddle the widow of his late best friend Kent. "I'm so glad you were able to make it. How are you liking the new house?"

"It's beautiful, thank you for helping Kye pick it out."

"Lukas I can't believe how big you've gotten."

"Ten years will do that, they don't stay kids forever"

"I was actually thinking of taking the twins to the carnaval. Might be nice for them to get shown around by a local"

Anabelle stood "I'll go ask them. I'm sure they'd love to"

"The Carnaval? Just the three of us? What about you?"

"We're just going to be here talking about boring adult stuff, go do something fun for a little bit. Kent's a very nice young man who has made a rather generous offer."

Stefan was eyeing Kent. "If there's ice cream, I'm in"

Back in the house things got serious. "How are you both enjoying Copperdale?"

Anabelle let out an exasperated sigh and Kye leaned forward. "Copperdale is beautiful."

"We miss Evergreen."

"We miss our friends in Evergreen. We had a support system there and nothing here...yet."

"I totally understand that. I'm from the Valley you know, moving to Copperdale was hard enough when I had Kent and then the war. I held onto the hope that he would come back but...well eventually I needed to put down roots of my own."

Anabelle leaned forward. "How?"

"Copperdale is known for it's school and the community that surrounds it. Many of the friends I have now, I met while Lukas attended."

Anabelle pulled on a sting on her dress irritably and Kye took her hand, letting her play absently with his fingers. "How did you do that?"

"How did I make friends?"

"How did you bond with your dead husbands kid-brother who you weren't even blood related to?"

Kye tipped his head back in exasperation while Aly sat blinking in shock. "What my overly blunt wife is trying to say is...we've been having some trouble."

Anabelle started picking at her dress again and Kye pulled her to sit front of him, tracing her throat and ear in a way he knew calmed her.

Anabelle took a breath. "It's Sofia. We're struggling to connect with her."

"Ah. She's at a fragile age, I remember it well."

"What worked with Lukas?"

"Oh I never had to try with Lukas. We both lost Kent and we both took care of each other. There wasn't a struggle. But there was something that my stepfather did for me when I was a teenager. It's the reason we have a relationship."

"What was it?"

A few days later Anabelle waited in the upstairs hall. She gasped when the door opened and Sofia emerged. "Darling you look beautiful. I think pink might be your color."

"I don't know, it's a little too bright for my liking."

"Well do you feel beautiful?"

"Like a princess."

Anabelle sniffled and blinked away a tear. "Mom are you crying?"

Anabelle laughed and took her daughter's hands. "I'm just so overwhelmed to have Stefan AND you in my life. When you were born I thought a moment like this would be impossible. But I'm so proud to be your mother."

Stefan took his dad across the river to a bar and grill in Prescott Square then headed to the thrift shop to wait for his mom.

Kye waited nervously. He felt more nervous than his first date with Anabelle. He had wanted to impress her then and he wanted to impress Sofia now.

The ballad on the jukebox was doing nothing for his nerves. "Hi Dad."

He let out a relieved breath "Hey there Dandelion."

"You know dandelions are weeds?"

Kye chuckled, "Beautiful, resiliant ones that never give up. It's what you are to me. Beautiful and Resiliant"

"Oh." Sofia said nervously as she took her seat.

"I have something for you." He produced a flower. "The lady at the shop said pink is for admiration." He took her hands. "Sofia, I know I came into your life late, but I'm here now. I want to know who my daughter is."

"I...want that too." He touched her face. "You look so much like your mother."

"Will you tell me about it? How you met, fell in love...how we came to be?"

"Are you asking me about Woohoo?"

"No!...yes...I don't know. I just wanna know how it works. Falling in love and stuff."

The two talked until the restaurant had mostly cleared out. He told her everything, answering all her questions.

"Sofia...I love your mother very much but I wish we had done things differently. If we had waited to woohoo till marriage, we would have been a family from the start."

"So you regret it then?"

"I don't regret that we had you, but I do regret that our choices hurt you. I want to save you that pain. One day you'll find a man who loves you as much as I love your mother and on that day I will bawl my eyes out the entire way down the aisle."

Sofia laughed and Kye took her hand again. "I got you something." He slipped a simple butterfly ring onto her finger.

"What's this?"

"A reminder of how you deserve to be treated and that you should never accept less then the best. Remember this night and how much I love you."

Anabelle found him in the living room later that night. "How'd it go?"

"Really good. I told her our entire story and gave her the ring."

"Wait, you told her our ENTIRE story?"

"Yes she asked. She wants to know who she is Anabelle. She deserves to know how she came to be."

Anabelle snuggled up against him. "No, of course, you're right. I just worry. She spends so much time in those books. I just don't want to see her disappointed when life turns out different."

"That's why she has us. To guide her down the right path. That's what parent's do."

1949 Pt1 - The Romance Festival

[hollywoodcannon]

Anonymous asked: How did you and Nikolai handle the Twins becoming little ladies? That change in hormones must have been a little rough on you both though I would bet high dollar on both of you making damn sure the girls knew what was going to happen them (no sudden shocks or thinking they hurt themselves) and that there was nothing shameful in it.

It was challenging for Brian to accept the changes that were slowly happening to his beloved daughters. Little girls no more, where conversations used to be dedicated to plotting devilish schemes, side hustles that would bring them easy cash on the schoolyard, they were then filled with gossip and makeup and boys. Sometimes girls - Eva and Ena were still just babies in his eyes - the Loose Cannon nearly sent into shock, close enough to descend into a true fit. It didn’t seem possible that such a thing could’ve occurred within his own family. Certainly to others but not his own, every day that they grew older, came more and more time that he and Nikolai spent teaching their children about such bodily, emotional, transformations. What they knew from experience in the matter, their close friends and family, what could be gathered from books, internet article pages. It was difficult, and yet, they all were prepared. And Brian found himself biting his tongue more often than ever before. Sparing Eva’s feelings on whatever it was that made her become so upset and wounded, withholding from Ena an opinion that, otherwise, would’ve seemed a touch too harsh, Daddy’s mouth an honest, if not also, foul one. 

Such changes had taken a toll on the girls, too. Bodies always becoming something far better than it was before, older and wiser and cuter still, prone to do what it was meant to, even if it made Eva and Ena uncomfortable. Aches and pains the worst of it all - their discomfort a knife straight to Brian’s heart - cramps unable to be soothed so quickly from many heating pads, warm cups of hot chocolate and fuzzy blankets wrapped around tight. Even their papa couldn’t relieve the hurt, no matter how much he tried, his smarts working overtime to figure out a cure, Nikolai looking just as tired as his daughters. But it was out of reach for both fathers alike. Only able to do so much, for what they couldn’t, they made up for in constant affection, gentle embraces, kisses to the heated skin of their Eva and Ena. Still, it was the most awful form of torture that Brian had ever come to know. Worse than having his ankle shattered by a psycho Texan, worse than almost having his very life taken several times over. An agony unlike the rest. 

“We handled it as best as we could.” Brian replied. “But it wasn’t easy. I don’t care what anybody says, because, truthfully, it’s hard to go through as a dad when your kids are girls. Guys and chicks, we’re built different. There’s things that my daughters were going through that I had no damn clue about. Sure, I’ve been around women, dated them, was raised by one, but I’ve never actually seen the changes up close before, not on such a personal level. I didn’t know what to do or how to even start talking about that stuff with them. Nikolai and me, we read probably over 20 books about the topic. It felt like I was back in fucking sex ed, but this time around, I was trying to make sure that I really understood enough about puberty and adolescent hormones for the sake of my Ena and Eva, rather than trying to shove my tongue down Macy Duncan’s throat. Maybe if I spent more time paying attention to what my teacher said back then, less time goo-goo eyeing my classmate, I might’ve been able to help my girls out sooner now. But thanks to my hero of a husband, I wasn’t too lost on the required reading. It was actually pretty interesting. I’d like to think it helped out the girls, least in some way, a little, too.”

“I had a harder time than either Ena or Eva did, though. Seeing my baby girls turn into women, it was a lot. It was damn weird. One minute, I was playing dolls with Eva, and within a blink of an eye, I’m acting like Archie Bunker to her, telling her to get changed because her skirt was a touch too short, that she couldn’t go to a friend’s birthday party in it. That’s Nik’s job to be the hard-ass parent, not mine! And do you know what she did? My 14-year-old daughter pulled the ‘daddy, please’ trick on me. She pouted, fluttered her lashes at me, and said, ‘but, Daddy, all my friends are wearing it. Please, Daddy.’ I couldn’t believe it! My little princess, who never, ever pulled a stunt like that before, just whipped that one right out of her back pocket. She tried to play me like putty. I almost did, too. I almost caved. But damn it, I couldn’t. She can be cutesy around me with certain things, but miniskirts at 14, hell no. I could only imagine what kind of mutts were going to be at this party. Just trying to sniff up my baby like she was a piece of prime beef. I was one of those dirty bastards when I was her age! And with her being as pretty as her papa - she looks just like him - anybody with brains would’ve tried to paw at her. I wasn’t going to entertain such a thought. Fuck, no.”

Brian smiled, laughing a bit as he continued sharing his story. “Eva liked to try and win me over most of the time, but it was always Ena who went after Nik. They have a special bond. Whereas her sister holds more similarities facially, Ena acts just like my husband, her father. They’re both science geeks. So, when the girls both hit that age of no return, Eva targeted me with her boo-boo lips, and Ena went to win her dad over with some chemistry, physics stuff. Whatever they were discussing in recent. Just like Nikolai, too, our daughter’s damn smart. She could outmatch me in anything academic. Admittedly, I was never a good student. I played sports. I read books. Did I ever study, really give it my all? Eh, that’s up for debate. But, anyway, that was Ena’s gameplan. She’d nearly get my husband, too. She’d have him get so lost in their conversation, that he’d almost forget about whatever request she was asking for. My favorite was when she tried to get out of the house past curfew in order to see her best friend. A best friend who lived 15 minutes away. See, I know that trick. I tried to play it on my own mom once. 15 minutes turns into 2 hours, and I don’t know how the hell it got so late.”

“Nikolai saw right through her. Told her no, flat out, she had to obey her fathers’ rules and curfew hours, but he still answered her research question. You could understand now why my mother likes him so much. I think she likes him over me. Look, I do too. But it was then that our daughter discovered as much for herself. Nobody can beat Papa. He’s too intelligent for that. He loves Ena too much to risk her safety. Just as I love her and her sister. Sure, seeing them grow has been a pain-in-the-backside at times. Sometimes, I just wanna lock them in their rooms forever and never let them go. But it hasn’t all been terrible and getting to know them for who they are is pretty great. Seeing their personalities shine through - I can actually talk to our daughters and they can talk to me. They’re their own people now. It’s strange, makes me want to curl up into a ball and pretend that they’re still small and needy for me, that I’m not an old man, but I do like it. Ena and Eva, they’re not just my kids, but they’re also my best pals. I love seeing them grow more and more each day.”

___

[melis-writes]

we need a continuation to the afermath of Victoria finding out about Apollonia's pregnancy. She gets really sad and heartbroken after what Michael told her, with the postpartum homones only spiking it. She's falling asleep in the twins nursery and barely eating anything. After being questioned abt it, she lets it all out in a heartfelt conversation with her mother-in-law, that is heard by Michael.

"I love him so much...and it hurts, Mama. Why did he need to keep that from me? What if I had gotten married and pregnant before and kept it from him?"

"Maybe I feel jealous that she was his first love. She knew a Michael that I'll never know"

Oh my God, this prompt!! 😭💔 And we already know it’s canon too based on what happened in the main chapters of the fic. Honestly, my heart feels for Victoria. Michael needs to be more honest and transparent with her, all she wants to do is know her husband better, have him open up to her, etc. 🥺 She’s very understanding, but in this prompt/scenario, Michael definitely isn’t… Maybe a part 3 with Carmela confronting her son about breaking her daughter-in-law’s heart soon…?! 👀

“You know how serious it would be if it impacted Miss Ferrari, you know that, right? She doesn’t know you’re a widower.”

Words of what would otherwise be wisdom from Vito to his youngest son Michael on the day you were engagement to him had Michael actually listened to prevent the endless tears streaming down your face right this moment.

“And she doesn’t have to know.” 

You slam the door shut to the bathroom down the hallway of the second floor just outside you and Michael’s bedroom—making sure the door is locked behind you.

Hiccupping through your sobs, you’re quick to lean over the sink—feeling the weakness in your knees growing as you turn on the tap for cold water at full blast, mostly to muffle out your crying to anyone who may be in the hallway.

“Be honest and transparent with the woman of your life, Michael.”

You swallow down the lump in your throat, taking shaky breaths and attempting to calm yourself down as you begin to splash ice cold water over your splotchy, reddened face.

“She doesn’t deserve to be caught up in the strings of the past, if there are any. How do you feel about her?”

‘Apollonia Corleone. Before me, it wasn’t even her. It was Kay, and then it was her, wasn’t it?’ Just the mere thought of Apollonia carrying Michael’s last name sends sparks of jealousy through you—a jealousy that you think you shouldn’t be experiencing and one that makes you feel inadequate and even worse.

“I am being honest and forthcoming with you Victoria, just like I promised.”

‘Why does he lie to me?’ You hiccup again, this time clasping a hand over your mouth as you can’t stop yourself from sobbing even harder than you were  before. ‘Why? I would never lie to him about anything—big or small. Never. Why does he keep things from me?’

“If I don’t tell you every miniscule piece of irrelevant information regarding anything, then I’m a ‘liar’, then I ‘keep things away from you’, right?”

‘I don’t know who Michael Corleone was before he met me.’ You force yourself to wash off your face quickly, no longer completely aware if what’s dripping down your face and cheeks is the water from the sink or your own tears anymore. ‘I can never know. That man is gone, I know, but I just wish… I wish I could reach out to him just a little bit—I wish I could understand what’s gone.’

You take deep breaths, attempting to calm yourself down as you close your eyes. You continue to let the cold water wash over you, relieving how hot your face has gotten from sobbing until you no longer feel tears escaping your eyes.

‘First it was a marriage kept from me—one I still can’t understand why I wasn’t told. Everyone else knew, but not me?’ You know when it comes to anything with Michael, the heartache inside of you will haunt you like none other unless you find closure, comfort or reassurance—something you know you’re not going to get out of Michael now.

‘Would he have ever told me if I didn’t find those photographs?’ You turn off the tap, staring at your wet face in the mirror; you appear distraught, heartbroken, but at least not as if you’ve been crying your eyes out anymore.  ‘Would I ever have a chance to know one way or another?’

You clear your throat, leaning your head down towards the sink and practice taking in deep breaths again until you no longer feel your throat tightening or hear any shaky breaths.

‘I don’t understand. Why keep it from me? That’s why I’m upset—because I’ve been lied to when I know I would never do the same. If he had just told me before…’ Feeling yourself grow steady and calm, you back away from the sink and gently wipe off your face with the nearby towel, at least looking semi-presentable and feeling alright enough to step out of the bathroom.

‘I would have understood. I would have felt horrible Michael went through something like that.’ You run your hands through your hair, smoothening out any stray or frizzy strands before gazing at yourself glumly in the mirror. ‘If he just told me, I would be able to understand everything he went through… I would never judge Michael. I love him too much—so much.’

You close your eyes once again, listening intently to make out any sounds or footsteps in the hallway but hear nothing.

‘I wish you wouldn’t lie to me so much, Michael.’ All you want to do when you open your eyes again is feel Michael’s warm and loving embrace come up from behind you—give you a kiss on the cheek, apologize and hold you in his arms. ‘I wish you wouldn’t keep things from me.’

But when you open your eyes, he’s not there. You’re alone in the bathroom and the only sound you can faintly hear is a pair of footsteps already long gone down the spiral staircase.

‘I wish I didn’t have to find out everything in the form of literal blackmail.’ Pulling yourself together amidst the intense postpartum hormones only spiking up how emotional you’ve been since you gave birth to the twins, you glance at your watch to read the time; 7:12 PM.

‘Why does it hurt?’ You sniffle, forcing back any further tears as you unlock the bathroom door and take a step out into the hallway. ‘My heart hurts so much.’

As you walk closer towards the staircase, you can’t make out any sound of Michael but know at this hour you’d usually be spending dinner at the family estate altogether—something you know you won’t be attending tonight, not like this.

‘I just want to be alone right now with my babies…’ You move towards the nursery, knowing the nanny, Esther, was just here shortly before you had your fight with Michael putting the twins to sleep.

Judging on the fact you can’t hear the twins and that Esther isn’t in the nursery anymore, you already know the babies are fast asleep.

‘My babies.’ You feel your heart swell up in your chest as you push open the nursery door, seeing Niccolo and Verona across from each other in separate cribs, sleeping soundly. ‘My little babies.’

‘Mama’s going to stay with you two for a little while longer…’ Unbeknownst to you, you’ve kept the nursery door ajar as you take a seat on the beige, velvet chaise lounge in the corner of the room. ‘And if you awake, I’ll still be here.’

It’s where you’ve always comfortably sat and laid down on when the twins crawled around on the carpet to play with their toys or when you had back pain while breastfeeding—now practically serving as a place you can watch over the twins while you take some time to yourself.

‘I don’t want to be near or with anyone else, just my babies…’ You grab the neatly folded blanket off the chaise lounge and unravel it, snuggling it over yourself as you curl up on your seat.

With your head already pounding from sobbing, your eyes weak and little to no energy left inside of you or your voice from fighting with Michael, you give into the sense of restlessness that washes over you.

You let your eyes shut and your breathing grow soft, just wishing to rest and sleep for a while to block out the rest of the world around you and relax.

You don’t want to think about Michael, you don’t want to remember anything consisting of your fight—all you want to do is feel at peace near the twins for a little while longer even if your heart still aches like none other.

As you drift asleep, gaining a momentary peace of mind in the nursery, thirty minutes pass before Michael steps out of his office.

Straightening out his tie and knowing dinner will be served within the hour, Michael makes his way out to the living room—expecting to see you there or at least near the kitchen only to find a rather empty house.

Raising his brow, Michael neither hears any sound of you upstairs or downstairs, and the front door still locked signalling you haven’t left the house for dinner yet either.

Michael walks up the staircase—his curiosity beginning to grow at your whereabouts but at the same time he too knows with no apologies said or truly an ‘end’ to the fight you two had where you rushed off in tears, Michael doesn’t expect you to be too forgiving or approachable.

Instead when Michael gets upstairs, he also finds the bedroom empty. Just as he’s about to go towards the study, Michael stops when he notices the nursery door is ajar rather than fully open as it should be.

With the evening setting in, the nursery’s grown dark and from where Michael can stand, he can make out the sky from the window with the lights turned off—telling him that the twins are both asleep and someone else is inside too.

Taking a peek in, Michael notices you asleep on the chaise lounge inbetween both Niccolo and Verona’s cribs.

You sleep just as soundly as the twins do, utterly exhausted from not just the emotional toll your fight with Michael took out on you, but also your continuing recovery from birth and having to raise two newborn babies with a major lifestyle change.

Michael glances at the twins, hearing them and you breathing softy in sleep as he comes to quietly approach you.

Michael can hardly make out much of your figure from the chaise lounge being in what would be the darkest corner of the room at night, but stops right before you to lean down and tuck the blanket over your shoulders as you sleep on your side.

The rotating security light on the compound grounds spins to momentarily flash some light inside the nursery as the curtains aren’t pulled back.

Your face is illuminated to Michael for just a second, but enough to show you’ve been crying up until you came to nap up here—something Michael knows you don’t regularly do at all unless you’re utterly exhausted.

For a minute there as the light continues rotating and reflecting through, Michael admires his wife, still feeling nothing but absolute love and respect to you even if they were the last things he showed to you during your fight earlier.

Michael lets out a soft sigh, making sure the blanket covers you fully and keeps you warm.

He then turns the night light on by the twins’ dresser before pulling back the curtains—making sure to do everything quietly as not to wake or stir the three of you from sleep.

The twins don’t awaken and neither do you as Michael makes his way out now to get to the family estate—having not bothered to wake you to accompany him to dinner with the family.

“Hi, honey.” Mama Corleone’s voice chimes out as she notices Michael walking towards the dining room in the central family estate. “Dinner’s just about ready. Victoria must be starving.”

“Victoria?” Michael raises a brow, stopping by the kitchen.

“Mhmm.” Carmela lets out a sigh, “she didn’t eat a thing during lunch—I still have her full plate right here. I’m hoping she has more of an appetite tonight, right, Victoria?”

Carmela moves back to look outside the kitchen, expecting you to be by Michael’s side which only confuses her further to see just her son there with nobody else. “Oh. Where is she?”

“She’s with the twins.” Michael replies plainly, “she won’t be here for dinner.”

“She’s still not hungry? Maybe little Niccolo and Verona are really keeping her up these days.” Carmela frowns. “Connie tells me she hasn’t eaten all day—” but before Carmela can even finish her sentence, Michael’s gone into the dining room already.

Michael doesn’t want to give away in any shape or form that the two of you have fought—to him it’s between the two of you alone and the last thing he needs is his own mother questioning your absence by his side and Michael’s lack of answers.

In truth, Michael still has nothing to say to you, but he doesn’t know what you’ll have to say to him when you awaken.

“She’s in the nursery room with the twins,” from Michael is repeated once more at the dining table as dinner is served, and no further questions are asked about your absence.

Connie and Sandra remain especially quiet, knowing the true reason behind why you’re not at the dining table with everyone else, but the looks on their faces give it away to both Michael who knows the obvious, but also Mama Corleone.

After dinner with the family, Mama Corleone cleans up with Sandra, Connie and Theresa as usual, making normal conversation as always.

Mama Corleone hides her concern, noticing Michael’s the first to leave as he promptly makes his way to the courtyard of his and your estate to relax.

Once the kitchen and dining room are spotless and the chores for tonight are finished marking two hours past, Carmela no longer accepts the excuse that you’re “just in the nursery” and enters your estate.

Just as Mama Corleone expected it to be, the first floor of your estate is completely empty and left to the darkness of the night setting in.

As Carmela glances up to the top of the spiral staircase, she makes out a faint glowing light that comes only from the nursery—where she’s headed next.

Carmela’s aware Michael’s out in the courtyard smoking by himself now after dinner while you’re upstairs and alone with the twins.

Just as Mama Corleone reaches the door of the nursery, she hears the faint sounds of Verona and Niccolo cooing happily inside.

Carmela slowly pushes the door of the nursery open as not to barge in and surprise you, and finds you sitting at the very edge of the chaise lounge with a plush carpet set out for the babies who crawl on it under your supervision with their toys.

“Victoria.” Mama Corleone can’t help but smile at the sight of you spending time with the little babies. “There you are.”

“Hi, mama.” You speak softly, your voice feeling a little hoarse and weak. “How’d you know I was up here?”

“How did I know?” Carmela repeats, shaking her head as she closes the nursery door shut behind her. “More like—how did any of us know? Michael told me, but I would have expected it myself since you missed dinner.”

“Michael told you?” You murmur as if it stings to say his name.

“Mhmm.” Carmela notices the look of sadness crossing your face as she approaches the window just above the twins’ dresser—pulling back the curtains a bit and opening up the window for some fresh air.

“Honey,” Carmela sighs, facing you. “You hadn’t eaten a thing at lunch and you missed dinner. All I could think about was coming up to see you here as soon as I could.”

Even though the nursery looks down directly at the courtyard, it’s unbeknownst to you and Mama Corleone that Michael can hear your conversation with her very clearly.

“I’m not hungry, mama.” You admit, your voice cracking. “I’m just not. I have no appetite.”

“But you can’t tell me it’s because of these two.” Carmela gestures to the twins, sitting across from them on the carpet, cross-legged. “I know it’s something else that’s bothering you. Sandra and Connie had that guilty look on their faces but they’re not up here with you now.”

“It really has nothing to do with them,” you sniffle, raking a hand through your hair. “It would make no sense for them to get involved, mama.”

“So something did happen.” Carmela points out. “It’s very unlike you to miss dinner, let alone being holed up in here—with or without the twins. I know something’s upset you, Victoria. I can see it all over your face, darling.”

“I don’t know how to explain it.” You swallow hard. “Something happened then, something happened now. I’m upset over something that happened over three years ago that shouldn’t make me react like this—it shouldn’t hurt me, but it does. I hate myself for it—I don’t want to be this way, but I don’t want to be a burden for everyone looking at my face and thinking ‘something’s wrong with Victoria’ when we should all be enjoying dinner instead.”

“While you fall asleep alone in the nursery and eat nothing?” Carmela frowns. “It doesn’t matter to me what’s upset you or how long ago it happened—if it hurts, it hurts. You obviously didn’t want Sandra or Connie’s presence, so I can only imagine what’s been bothering you like this. Please, talk to me, honey. I want to help you.”

You gaze up at your mother-in-law for a moment, taking a deep breath before your expression twists and the tears start flowing all over again. “It’s Michael, mama. I fought with Michael.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” Carmela pouts, handing Niccolò his toy that he accidentally threw out of his reach. “I could have guessed. He wasn’t exactly looking overjoyed himself tonight. What happened, honey? You can let it all out on me, I want to listen.”

You shrug your shoulders weakly, letting Verona hold your finger with her entire hand. “It didn’t even exactly start out as an argument, mama. I was having lunch with Connie, Sandra and Deanna like any other time and they began talking… You know, about motherhood, the twins, and Deanna if she would ever have children with Fredo—” you notice Carmela grimace which makes you smile a bit—“and then somehow the conversation went over to Michael. How he wanted to be a father, how we conceived the twins so soon. The girls assumed it was because Michael suddenly found himself in the family business after they took an attempt on Papa’s life, and then of course Sicily was mentioned.”

“Ah, I see.” Carmela nods, listening to you.

“I know Deanna doesn’t know much at all, but she was wondering if that girl really died the way she did—blown to bits in Michael’s car, and so we said ‘yes’ and answered her. Connie then spoke as if everyone had already known that at the time, Michael’s first wife—” You feel your bottom lip trembling, “was also pregnant with his child at the time of her death.”

Carmela’s eyes widen, not in shock of the revelation but rather you hadn’t known about the pregnancy to begin with. “Just how much has Michael told you about his previous marriage, Victoria?”

“You know, mama.” You speak throughout your tears, “when we fought about two weeks ago over it. Just that much. Nothing until I f-found those photographs Fredo put in my nursery bag of the two at their wedding and…”

You squeeze your eyes shut, sobbing, which attracts the attention of the twins. “A-and I had to yell at him, mama! I had to scream and fight and make a scene just to get answers out of my own husband who should have been forthcoming and honest with me from the start! It wasn’t even u-until the fight spiralled out of c-control that he answered me at all.”

“Oh, Victoria…” Mama Corleone scoots over to your side, placing a reassuring hand over your shoulder. “I know honey, I know. I know how much that took a toll on you—you remember you were just as heartbroken then as you are now telling me all about it.”

“Yeah.” You hiccup, looking up at Mama Corleone with tear-filled eyes. “I thought I was being cheated on, mama. I thought I was the other woman and somehow, somebody knew and they wanted me to see those photographs to show I was the ‘other woman’ in New York while Michael had a wife in Sicily.”

“But we know that wasn’t true, darling.” Mama Corleone speaks to you in a soothing tone. “I can completely understand how you came to that conclusion—I would have to.”

“He s-sat there—” anger begins to grow in your expression, “and told me he was going to be honest with me about everything. About this Apollonia girl, about what really happened and then he lied to me, mama. He lied to me again!”

You wail. “He kept the pregnancy from me after saying he told me the whole truth—he said he would never lie or hold things back from me again—that he wanted to be transparent and forthcoming always but he lied!”

Carmela pulls you into a warm hug, rubbing your back in lazy circles as you sob uncontrollably over her shoulder. “Oh, sweetheart. I see now. He purposefully didn’t tell you she was pregnant either. To him, it must not have mattered.”

“R-retracting things is lying too.” You hiccup throughout your sobs, “it’s not like I would have reacted any other way if he also told me. I thought that was the whole truth! Why am I finding out things about my husband from my sisters when I should know myself? How is that fair?”

“It’s not.” Carmela frowns, growing grievously disappointed in her youngest son. “There is no excuse and it’s simply not fair. I can’t understand why he wouldn’t tell you either.”

“Doesn’t he know me b-by now, mama?” You slowly pull back, feeling your hands shake as Niccolo begins to crawl over your thigh. “We’ve been together almost a year and…and he doesn’t trust me, does he?”

“Victoria, please.” Mama Corleone helps Niccolo up on you lap gently. “Don’t say these things. Michael loves you, he admires you and he trusts you. Yes, none of this makes sense as to why he would hold back such information from you and he’s definitely not in the right at all. I completely blame him for doing this to you—look at you. Oh, it pains me.”

Carmela glances down at the twins. “Two little babies, just gave birth not too long ago and you don’t need this kind of stress either.”

“I would have understood, mama.” You attempt to calm down your breathing to no avail. “Because I know what h-happened to Michael was horrible. I wouldn’t have reacted poorly if he told me e-everything before. So… Why did he keep that from me? I would never do that to him, mama. I’ve never lied to Michael, I wouldn’t dream of doing so because I love him! I-I love him, I love him so much and it…” You look down at your babies, snuggling them both up on your lap. “And it hurts, mama, it hurts.”

Your glassy eyes  meet with Carmela’s. “What if it was the o-other way around? If I had gotten married before in the past and was pregnant, then kept it from him? Now he just tells me I’m jealous. Refuses to apologize for lying and that h-he’s in the wrong—says it doesn’t matter but it matters to me. It matters to me…”

“Jealous?” Mama Corleone raises her brow. “Even so, honey, that’s completely normal to feel. Wouldn’t any other woman feel that way if their husbands kept things about former lovers from them? It all seems a bit suspicious, doesn’t it?”

“I-it does.” You agree. “B-but I won’t deny what he said. I am jealous. There, I said it!” You hug the twins gently over your lap. “M-maybe I am jealous because she was his first love—not me.” Your voice wavers, giving out.

“I j-just wanted my husband to open up to me, to know I care so much about him and will never judge him for his past—no matter what. I do the same for him… I just expected it in return and it seems that was wrong for me to do because now I’ve just gone and upset him too. H-he’s so secretive about it that I know now to myself he’ll always love her more than he loves me. She knew the old Michael, the one in those photographs who smiled and was happy… She knew and was married to a Michael that I’ll never know—a Michael even he doesn’t want me to know. Never…”

[mysticalrambling]

Coming Home (C.E)

Chris Evans Fanfiction (Fanfiction Masterlist)

Summary: dad!Chris Evans. Chris comes home to his twins fighting and he scolds them. But he also takes care of their wounds with you and then you all go out to eat ice cream and have a family day.

Warnings: None. Minimum angst but fluff all the way.

._._._._.

"Where are the kids?" Your husband came and sat right next to you on the couch. It was a shock to him when he didn't see his two little munchkins clinging to his legs the moment he entered the house. It has been kind of their routine from the moment they could walk on their little two legs.

“They are busy playing in their play room. Why are you not happy about it?” You knew that after a full day of shooting, coming home to two energetic kids was tiring and stressful. So you were shocked when he wasn’t glad to have a moment of peace by himself.

“Well, they are a part of my routine now. It feels weird not having them jumping around me.” The three year olds have always been more attached to Chris than you. Initially, you were a little jealous that the twins focused all their attention on your husband but now you were glad. Having a piece of quiet while he handled the children was pretty awesome.

You both had pretty successful careers and when the twins came into your lives, you both decided that you would handle it all together. In the start, each one of your married girlfriend told you that you had to quit your job as the marketing head because being a mom was a full time job. You were scared and when you shared your concerns with Chris, he consoled you and told you that you would both do it all. Having successful careers while being good parents.

“Just spend sometime with me while Emma and Jason are distracted.” Pouring him a glass of wine, you leaned in to him with your head on his shoulder.

“That is a good way to spend my evening. How was your day, sweetheart?”

“It was hell. My boss gave me a project to complete with a bizarre timeline and when I couldn’t complete it on time. He just took it all out on me in front of my colleague.” Today was humiliating for you and you couldn’t wait to get home, drink a nice glass of wine and relax. “Hated it, babe. How about you?

“Well, my co star couldn’t get her part right so we had to do the same scene five times. We are behind on shooting now and I have to get up early tomorrow morning so that we can catch up to the schedule.” Sighing, he took a long sip of the red liquid and felt his muscles relaxing.

There was a moment of silence that enveloped the room and you just basked in it. “A crappy day for us both.”

“Indeed. Let’s do something exciting then.” He kissed you and just when things were about to get heated, a piercing scream interrupted the moment.

“What-What is happening?” He was still in a haze and couldn’t properly interpret anything.

“It looks like your kids are fighting again.”

“Are you going to handle them?”

“Oh no!” Laughing at his incredulous request, you picked up your glass again. “You wanted to spend time with them so go on.”

Chris got up from the couch and went upstairs. Emma and Jason love each other to death but they have been fighting from the womb. Emma is the stubborn one and while, Jason backs out most of the time. Sometimes, he retaliates and it turns real bad, real fast. They were pretty hot headed, just like you.

“What is happening here?” The dad mode was fully in place when he saw his little girl sitting on the floor with hands pressed to a bloody forehead and his little boy trying to console her.

“She pushed me and then I pushed her. Not my fault. But she hurt, daddy.” The panic in Jason’s eyes was evident.

“(Y/N)! Come here, right now!” You scrambled to your feet as soon as Chris’s voice boomed across the living room. “You never hurt your sister, Jason. This is not alright.” The stern voice was new for Chris but the situation required it.

“But, daddy-”

“No excuses, Mister. Now, apologise to your sister and no toys for you for the whole week.” He got in to action with the first aid kit that he took out of their walk in closet. Emma was still crying her lungs out even when Chris tried to console her. She was not letting him touch the wound and was squirming uncontrollably in his lap.

“Daddy, why you always bla- blame me? Hate you.” Hiccuping, he stuttered on the big words and then stomped out of the room. You tried to stop your son but he just ran past you.

“What is- Oh my god!” The blood was now soaking up your little girl’s shirt and she still wouldn’t let Chris touch the wound.

The one thing that your kids inherited from your husband was the fear of blood and stitches. The small three year old knew that a boo boo that hurts really bad will lead to stitches. You knew how to handle all three of your babies in situation like these. Taking Emma from your husband, you hugged her lightly.

“Bubba, I need to look at your boo boo and then you can have the Elsa bandage.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” When she removed her chubby, little hand, you were relieved that the cut was not big or deep. A bandage would just do the trick. You softly hummed a tune in her ears while you applied an antiseptic to the wound and then the band aid. She had tears streaming down her face and she was sniffling quietly. Chris took her from you when you were done and gently rocked her in his arms. He always loved it when both your children seeked comfort in you. It reminded him of how lucky he was to have you. “Where did Jason go?”

“I scolded his regarding this and he threw a tantrum.” When Emma heard Jason’s name, she further curled herself into his chest.

“Give her to me.” Raising her face by holding her chin, you sternly asked her. “Tell me what happened, young lady?”

With a guilty tone, she told you both that she was the one who pushed Jason first. They were both playing with the doll house that Chris bought Emma as her third birthday present. Jason wanted to add his toy cars to the doll house but she won’t allow it. She pushed him first and he hit his wrist on the small coffee table but then he pushed her back. When she fell back, she hit her head on the side of the wooden house.

“You are going to apologise to him, Emma. I told you that this much anger is not alright, bubba.” Chris took her to the twin’s room that had two different themes running through it. Emma was never a fan of the color pink so she went with purple and Jason really loved yellow, so he got that. The room looked like a clown’s den but Chris was never the one to deny his children’s requests. They had his whole heart well, except you.

“Jace, Emma would like to say something to you.” Setting her on her feet, she went towards his elder brother by barely three minutes.

“I am sorry, Jacey. Never should have pushed you. Kiss your boo boo to make up?” He nodded gently when his sister climbed in to the body. Extending the bruised wrist, Emma held it in her hands and lightly pecked on it. Meanwhile, you got a numbing cream for Jason and you stopped in the doorway with Chris and watched their interaction. They were your and Chris’s two little bundle of joys and you both couldn’t get enough.

“I am sorry that I yelled at you, baby. You two will not have your toys for a week. But who wants ice cream right now?” They both jumped at the mention of their favorite treat.

Chris had a way with the children. He completed all their wishes from eating ice cream as dinner or buying the most expensive toys for them. Making them happy was his primary job and he fulfilled it with great joy. However, he knew when to step up. He knew when to tell them no because he didn’t want his children to be some spoiled brats. He knew how to mediate and that was one of the many thing that you loved about him.

“I will get your jackets while daddy will help you with your shoes.” Going downstairs, you placed Dodger’s food in his bowl because you were going to be out for sometime. Chris always turns a simple outing to a full blown family day. A walk in the park, dinner at a high end restaurant and then shopping at the mall.

“Let’s go.” He buckled both the kids in their respective booster seats and made sure that they both had their preferred stuff toys. God knows, if they didn’t have them on their car ride.

The ice cream place on the fifth avenue was your favorite because it was where Chris took you on your first date. Both the children went for chocolate ice creams and Chris cleaned them up after they were done anything. It was so wholesome to watch him perform his dad duties.

“Then Oliver tried to eat dirt and the teacher gave him a time out.” You never understood why your son was friends with that boy because all he ever cared about was dirt.

“That’s why I hate boys. They are dirty.”

“That’s right, bubba. They are all dirty and disgusting. You stay away from all of them.” Gently nudging him with your shoulders, you playfully scoffed at him. He was sometimes very protective of his children.

“Ollie said girls also have icky germs.”

“Yes. You also stay away from them.” Chris was full on laughing at the situation right now because both the kids were in some serious thoughts.

“Okay dadda.” They both started skipping on the side walk and already started bickering about who was their dad’s favorite. He took you in his arms and kissed you on the forehead.

“Thank you for all this, babe. I love you.” He was truly thankful for you and for everything that you brought in his life.

“I love you too. Now let’s buckle them in before they start pushing each other again.”

Hope you guys enjoyed it!!

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A/N: Dad Chris Evans is a dream so I wanted to write a little blurb related to this idea. Hope you guys enjoyed it. You guys can send in requests but I will get to them a little bit later because I am focusing on my drafts right now. Tell me if you guys want to be added to the tag list.

Taglist: @justile

Like, comment and reblog.

[swanmaids]

in which celebrimbor’s mother follows the same bloody path as her husband. or, tyelpe takes a break from daddy issues to look at his mummy issues instead.

Narvi found his friend staring morosely into the flames of the forge, in that strange unseeing way of Elves. 

“What ails you, my friend?” he asked, breaking the silence. 

Celebrimbor started. “Forgive me, Master Narvi, I heard not your entrance. As for what ails me, it is only that it is my late mother’s begetting day tomorrow, and I confess she has been on my mind accordingly, along of course with my father.”

Narvi paused to consider this. He was in somewhat dangerous territory here, as Celebrimbor rarely mentioned his family. He knew the topic made his companion unhappy. Still, Narvi did not think that Celebrimbor would have raised it, if he had no wish to discuss his parents. He decided, then, to follow the thread. 

“You have not spoken often of your mother.”

Celebrimbor gave a harsh laugh. “And many would rather I never did! Such a lineage is not one that most would take pride in. Ah, but my friend, I know you have not come to judge me. So I shall speak to you of her, and in doing so perhaps relieve myself a little of her shade for tonight. 

“I cannot discuss my mother without my father, and likewise for him. When I think of them together, they remind me of nothing so much as a medical phenomenon among Men, whereby twins are born fused physically connected. Where my father went, she went by his side, and she followed him unto her own ruin, and he her!”

Celebrimbor paused. His eyes were a little wild. Narvi took the moment to bank the forge and begin to tidy away the tools.

“I am sorry. I do not wish to upset you- we can table this discussion, if you wish.”

“No, do not apologise. I am the one who bought it up, after all. My mother- I did not- I could not- understand her, for a very long time.  At times I find her more confusing than my father. No Oath drove her- unless you count the one she swore when she married him.”

“He forced her to follow him?”

Celebrimbor smiled without humour. “Many believe that! But in truth, it was not so. Curufin could no sooner have forced my mother to do anything she did not want to do, than he could have called down lightning from the heavens. Mighty Woman he named her, Meletyë in our tongue of old, and he loved her for it. Theirs was no soulless political match- nothing like what would have occurred between my kinsman and Luthien.

“My belief is that they needed each other. For all my mother’s pride, she was oft given to sorrow, and she would stay in her rooms for days, and he was the only one who could rouse her. I would be given to a nurse or my uncle. And yet he often said that he would not have survived those early days in Beleriand without her, and I believe him.  His younger brother dead, his oldest as good as, to say nothing of the loss of his father whom he worshipped! They tended each other’s wounds, and they loved each other, and to me that is the real tragedy of it- that such a true love between two kindred spirits could wreak such a path of disaster and ruin.”

Narvi felt his eyebrows rise. “When did you come into the picture? Surely they did not bring you into exile as a babe in arms?”

“They did not! They did not, for I was born into the relative safety of Himlad, and dwelt there with my parents until its untimely fall.” Celebrimbor sighed then, and was silent for a long moment. 

“I confess I still remember those days with fondness, though it was a time of strife in many ways, and despite what my parents did to get to Beleriand and afterwards. 

“They were the people who taught me the forge, as you know. My mother was a great jewelsmith, and rarely was she seen not covered in jewellery. As a boy I remember sitting at her knee while she got ready, and I was fascinated by her gems! I would try to “help” her to choose which jewels to wear- and she would end up looking like the bright lights of Cuiviénen. But she never contradicted me- she said her son was a stylistic genius! That is why my parents named me Silver-fist, for I was always clasping her jewels in my chubby little hands to shower her with.

“I always knew that she loved me. She loved me as much as my father, only in a different way. Theirs was the all-consuming madness shared by two, that doomed them as much as it healed them, whereas she loved me without judgement or condition, like the Mother in nature loves her young. In the end, in Nargothrond, I could not make her choose between me and my father. She would not condemn him, so I made the decision for her.”

“By all accounts the right decision, but I am sorry that you had to make it. To turn away from one’s parents when one realises they are wrong - surely that is the most painful end to one’s youth.”

“Thank you, my dear friend. And it was difficult indeed to do! Often, I look back and I wonder. Should I have stayed? Could I have saved them from their bitter and pointless end in Menegroth, if I had? But I think it is not so. I think the tiles had already been set up to fall where they would long ago. 

“I was so furious, when I heard how they had died. Would that they were never born, would that I was never born! Would that they had never existed to mete out such suffering! But in truth I cannot feel that way today- especially today. For all the wrong they did, I love them still, for better or worse. I suppose all I can do is try to leave a better legacy than they did- to leave Middle Earth a kinder place than they made it.”

Celebrimbor gazed back into the banked forge, apparently exhausted by the topic. Narvi could not blame him, feeling somewhat wrung out himself. Yet he found himself impressed by his conflicted and compassionate friend. 

“You are wise indeed, son of Curufin and Meletyë. But I think we should leave this topic for now, for it is getting late indeed! I propose we find ourselves some decent ale and something to eat, and perhaps we can raise a toast to your folks on the eve of your mother’s begetting.”

Celebrimbor gave a proper laugh for the first time that evening. “You call me wise, yet that is the most intelligent thing I have heard today! Let us go hence, Master Narvi.”

And so they did. 

[saintlike78]

i loved your bill fic! maybe a bill x pregnant reader over the course of the readers pregnancy: things like, telling bill, telling his family, cravings, gender reveal, an ultrasound, the baby kicking, the labor, and after the babies born?

Babies on the way [B.W.]

A/N: Thank you so much, it really means a lot that you like my writing! And thank you so much for the request, it was really fun to write, even though I’m not the biggest pregnancy/children fanfic reader, it was still fun to try something out of my comfort zone. I really hope you enjoy the fic, it turned out way longer than I planned.

Words: 1.4k

Warnings: Fluff, reader being pregnant, mentions of food, labor pain, crying (happiness), mention of blood (if you blink you miss it), if I missed anything please let me know.  

Closing the front door behind him, Bill was met with the sweet smell of your baking coming from the kitchen. Without having to see the cake, he already knew what it was because it was his favorite. His mind was racing, trying to figure out why you had baked that of all things because you only baked it for special occasions.

Removing his shoes and coat, he moved towards the kitchen, excited and confused. All he could hope for was that he hadn’t forgotten an anniversary, which he never normally would, but maybe that would be the day.

Standing in the doorway, he watched as you stood with your back towards him, decorating the cake. Happy upbeat music filled the background as you swayed your hips to the sound, clearly happy about something. Bill couldn’t help the smile that broke out on his face as he watched you.

“Hi darling,” he said and made his way over to you, giving you a short loving kiss.

You smiled into the kiss and put your hands on his face, making the kiss last longer.

“Hi,” you breathed out when you broke away from each other.

It was impossible for him not to notice how you were beaming with glee, your eyes shining, little crinkles forming because of how big your smile was.

“What’s the cake for?” He asked cautiously, not wanting to give away anything if he really had forgotten an anniversary or something important.

Letting out a small chuckle, you caressed his cheek, the light stubble coarse against your hand. “Don’t worry, you haven’t forgotten anything.”

He let out a breathy laugh, very relieved, but now very curious as to what you were celebrating.

“Look at the cake,” you said plainly, but eyes holding a playful glimmer.

Raising his eyebrow, he turned and looked at the cake. On the top, in green icing, it said, ‘for Daddy’, which made him chuckle lightly and smirk as he turned to face you again. But when he turned, he was met with you holding up a little baby onesie, tears starting to well up in your eyes.

The sly smirk dropped from his face as soon as he saw you. The things starting to add up in his mind, making tears start to form in his eyes as well.

“Does this mean?” he asked hopefully.

You just nodded, scared that if you spoke you would start crying.

You never in a million years thought you would hear the grown man you called your husband squeal, but that was exactly what he did at that moment. He let out a squeal, startling you, and wrapped you in his arms while he spun around, laughing like a mad man.

“I’M GOING TO BE A FATHER!” he yelled excitedly, still spinning.

“Bill, please stop spinning or I’m gonna be sick,” you said in-between laughs.

Putting you down, he gave you a lingering kiss, happy tears spilling out of both your eyes mixing together.

“I love you so much,” he whispered.

_________________________________

You were laying on the hospital bed, with weird cold goop on your stomach, Bill’s hand squeezing your own, as you both looked at the screen.

“So, as you can see there,” the doctor said whilst pointing at a point on the screen, “you are carrying twins.”

You and Bill looked at each other with a huge smile and then back at the doctor.

“The babies are healthy and doing good, there seem to be no problems at all,” she said with a smile.

Bill gave your hand another squeeze and leaned over to kiss your head. When the doctor looked back at the screen, Bill whispered, “I bet George and Fred will be ecstatic that their twin pack will continue.”

You giggled quietly at his comment and nodded.

“Would you like to know the sexes of your babies?” the doctor asked, turning her head to look at you.

You looked at Bill, asking him a silent question. You both nodded at each other and another grin spread across both your faces as you turned back towards the awaiting doctor and nodded.

“Okay, I have something I want to say,” you said as you stood up from your place around the table.

The chatter died down, all eyes on you. The entirety of the Weasleys (plus partners) present at the Burrow, looking between each other wondering what you were going to say.

You put your hand on Bill’s shoulder as you started to speak, his own hand falling on top of yours, giving it a small squeeze.

“So..”

“You’re pregnant!” Molly yelled, slamming her hands on the table before you even had the chance to say it.

“yes,” you laughed out.

“Oh, Godric! That’s fantastic,” Molly said excitedly clapping her hands.

The rest of the family talking excitedly and congratulating you and Bill.

“Actually, there’s more,” you said with a slight smirk. The room quieted down again, and all eyes on you again.

“Not only is there going to be one baby, there are going to be two.”

“NO WAY!” Fred and George yell at the same time, making you laugh.

“You hear that Georgie; we get to pass on the legacy!” Fred says excitedly to George.

“oh no you won’t, you will not be allowed near those babies,” Molly scolds.

“We’re going to be the cool uncles who give great gifts and teach them great pranks!” George says, completely ignoring Molly’s statement.

Molly just shakes her head and lets out a sigh of defeat.

“Aaaand, one more thing,” Bill starts, also standing up, “we also know the genders.”

“Unfortunately, we won’t be able to name them Fred and George Jr. unless one of them is named Georgianna or something like that,” Bill says with a laugh.

“How lucky! A girl and a boy,” Molly exclaims.

“We will pay good money…”

“…for them to be named after us,” Fred starts and George finishes.

“Not in a million years,” you and Bill say at the same time.

____________________________________________

“BILL! GET IN HERE! QUICK,” you yell from your place on the couch.

You hear the clinking of a spoon being dropped and the sound of rushed footsteps coming from the kitchen.

Bill bursts through the doorway, almost falling over.

“What’s wrong, are you okay, what happened!?” He rushed out, making his way over to you with a milkshake in one hand and a bowl of chips in the other, your main pregnancy craving. The trick was to dip the chips in the milkshake, chocolate milkshake to be specific. Bill thought it was absolutely disgusting, but you told him that you liked it even before your pregnancy, but now it was almost the only thing you wanted to eat.

Setting the food on the coffee table, he quickly starts inspecting you.

“I’m fine, nothing happened, but feel,” you say and take his hand guiding it to your stomach.

He releases a breath of relief and lets his hand rest upon your stomach, feeling after what you were talking about. Suddenly he feels a little kick and he jumps excitedly, giggling like a child and then getting on his knees to be face to face with your belly.

“Who’s kicking your mother right now?” he asks.

Your heart was bursting with happiness, watching Bill talk to your babies and looking so happy. You were so excited to see him excel at being a father, you already knew he would be great. You really didn’t know how you got to be this lucky.

Bill was looking up at you with the biggest smile, still holding your stomach with his large hands, gently feeling around hoping to feel another kick.

__________________________________

“Almost there, my darling, you’re doing amazing,” Bill said as he tried to help and soothe you through the worst pain you’ve ever felt.

Sweat covered your face and tears leaked from your eyes, face red as you tried to shove not one, but two babies out of you.

“I can’t Bill,” you cried as you turned your face towards him.

He stroked your sweat-covered face and kissed your cheeks and then your forehead.

“I know you can do it, my strong girl, you’re so close, I love you so much,” he said, and you nodded focusing on the task at hand once again.

After a lot of blood, sweat, and tears (literally) you were sat with your baby girl in your arms, your baby boy in Bill’s arms, his eyes leaking with tears of joy.

You were exhausted, but yet you didn’t want to rest, too afraid of missing the first moments with your precious ones. You didn’t know that you could feel this kind of happiness, it felt like you were going to burst. You couldn’t explain this feeling to someone who hadn’t felt it for themselves because no words would do it justice.

Looking at your babies and Bill, you felt complete, whole. Your life was a huge puzzle, but you finally had all the missing pieces, and it created the most beautiful picture.  

[beck-a-leck]

I hope I'm not too late on the smooch prompt! A very self-indulgent #24, please 😳. I know that you know who, lmao. 😅

It is never too late for Smooch Prompts!

Enjoy your self-indulgent smooches, Cliff and Claire getting a little frisky at the winery, and I maybe sprinkled in my own self-indulgent bits. It was hard not to be indulgent with this prompt 😁

#24: Deep kisses where they have their hands tangled in each other’s hair to pull them closer.

Thank you for the prompt!

💋💋💋

Claire chirped a cheery greeting to Duke as she passed him in the doorway of the wine cellar. He was heading out whole she was going in.

“Enjoy lunch, see you in an hour,” Duke said, with an absent wave as he headed into the main house for his own break.

Claire shifted her hold on the picnic basket and made her way carefully down the steps. She and Cliff made an effort to eat lunch together most days; some days he came home, some days she brought lunch to the winery, and sometimes they let Doug and Ann feed them. The basket today was a little heavier than normal – Claire might have gone a touch overboard putting lunch together. But could she really be blamed? Winter was a season of ample free time, and Claire didn’t do well with idle time. Add to that the work restrictions she was under, and she had been putting a little more effort than normal into lunches with her husband.

Cliff was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs, relieving her of the basket and planting a kiss on her cheek in one smooth motion. “Oh my god, did you bring the whole pantry?” He asked, caught by surprise by the basket’s weight.

“Everything sounded good, I couldn’t make up my mind.” Claire defended herself, with a slight blush.

“And you carried it all the way here?”

“Of course I did, it’s not that heavy.” Claire pecked him on the cheek. “I know telling you not to worry so much about me won’t make any difference, but honey, try not to worry so much about me.”

They settled in at the little table in the wine cellar, the one usually used for tastings, and tucked into lunch. Claire really had brought a little bit of everything from the fridge and pantry, but she had wanteda little bit of everything, and these days what Claire wanted, Claire got.

As they finished eating, Claire couldn’t help but make a face at Cliff – that worried little crease had appeared between his eyebrows again.

“What’s on your mind?” she prompted, brushing her foot against his leg beneath the table.

Cliff frowned slightly, rubbing his hands together. “Are you warm enough? It’s kind of cold down here. You sure it’s okay?”

“I am perfectly fine.” Claire affirmed with a smile. “It’s much warmer here than it is outside, and you’ll never guess where I, a farmer, spent my morning.”

Cliff laughed. “Okay, I guess I deserved that.” He reached across the table and took Claire’s hand, brushing his fingers over her knuckles.

“Keep it up,” Claire threatened lightly, “And I might just have to kiss those worries away.”

Cliff was sorely tempted to think up some reason to get Claire to kiss his worries away, but was also very conscious of the fact that Duke would be back from lunch soon. Instead, he changed the subject. “We put the special vintage in the casks today.”

Claire perked up. “What did you decide on?”

“I’ll show you.” Cliff took Claire’s hand and led her into the cavernous depth of the winery’s aging room. Closest to the doorway were the newest casks, waiting to be hoisted onto their shelves for a long aging process.

Stamped proudly on the barrels was their last name and the year. Claire inspected the barrels and then noticed something. “There are two kinds of wine here.”

Cliff rubbed at the back of his head. “Duke insisted we have a red and a white. A Cabernet Sauvignon and a Riesling.”

“Does he know something we don’t?” Claire asked with a teasing smile. “Are we having twins?”

A brief moment of blind panic overtook Cliff and he shuddered. One baby was enough to worry about. Hands on his hips broke him out of his thoughts as Claire pulled him close.

“You’re worrying again.” She whispered before pressing a kiss to his lips.

Cliff settled his hands on Claire’s waist, pulling her flush against his body, before snaking his hands beneath her shirt. She squeaked a bit at his cold fingers, but didn’t back off. Deciding fair is fair, Claire worked her hands slowly up Cliff’s back, dragging her fingers up his spine to rest briefly on his shoulders.

Encouraged by the little moan of pleasure Cliff let slip, she took her hands from his shoulders and slowly worked her fingers into his hair. His locks slid like silk over her fingers as she worked her fingers into the brown tresses, dragging her nails tantalizingly over his scalp, pulling just hard enough.

Cliff gasped slightly, surprised, breaking off just long enough to catch a breath before Claire pulled him back in. They stepped back just a little bit until they were backed fully into the wine casks. His hands worked their way up under Claire’s shirt. And then –

Thump. Thump. Thump.

That was Duke’s heavy tread on the cellar stairs.

With a muffled yelp, the two of them jumped apart like they’d been electrocuted. Both suddenly remember where exactly they were. Holding back nervous laughter, they hurriedly fixed mussed hair and clothes, and looked perfectly presentable by the time Duke came within eyesight.

“Ah, Claire! I see you’ve found your vintages.” Duke boomed, clapping the farmer on the back. “I know you two just wanted one wine for the baby, but Manna and I also wanted to give them a gift, you know, And what would be better than a fine wine made just for them?”

“It’s a very generous gift, Duke. Thank you so much. I can’t wait to try them.”

“Well, kids, like wine, get much better the older they are,” Duke said with a hearty laugh. “Though, there will be plenty of other wines ready for you two when you end up trapped in the Terrible Twos.”

“I appreciate the offer.” Claire laughed in agreement. “I better let you two get back to work. Cliff, we’ll finish our… discussion later, okay?”

Claire scooped the picnic basket off the table and made her way to the stairs and disappeared. As soon as she was out of earshot, Duke shot Cliff a sympathetic look. “In the doghouse already, son? Don’t take any arguments too seriously. In this stage, almost anything can set her off.”

Cliff smiled tightly, he wasn’t about to admit to his employer what he and his wife were doing in the wine cellar. Instead he said, “Thanks for the advice. I think we’ll okay, though.”

[systlinsideblog]

Part 6

There was a terrible disorientation, darkness, pressure, and then he was lying facedown on something soft. He flinched as a familiar weight thunked against the back of his thighs; his shield. His sword was still in hand; he was gripping it tightly, out of pure instinct.

Somewhere above him was movement, and the sound of a sword being half drawn, and then a gasp. He recognized the distinctive traits of all three; and decided to simply lie there a bit yet. He had a raging headache suddenly, and there was no danger he could think of that could possibly get through his wife to harm him.

“Foicatch!?” She sounded shocked. There was a soft thump as Ice hit the soft rugs beneath them, and then hands on him, on the back of his shoulders and on his cheek. “Beloved?”

“Fuck.” He said into the carpets. With some effort, he pulled himself up to his knees and took a look around, instinctively taking in his surroundings and the lay of the land.

A tent of some sort, on a wooden platform. A wagon, most likely, judging from the slight give and sway. A large camp, from the noises outside. The tent was rich; gold and jewels glittered in lamplight, and the pallet he was on was of rich, soft carpets and furs. He did not recognize any of it, but was again not surprised. Gods played games with his wife’s life, and wherever she was he knew in his bones that she’d soon rise to the top.

Quite suddenly, arms were around his neck, and Systlin was clinging to him in a bone-creaking embrace. He started, surprised; she was normally a reserved woman, but now she was acting as if she’d not seen him in weeks.

“Sys.” He said weakly. “Sys. Darling. What…”

“Is Senna all right?” She pulled back and stared at him, her eyes bright, desperate. “Is she all right?”

“Of course she is. You saw her half an hour ago.” Foicatch rubbed at his aching temples. “What the fuck was that?”

Her whole body seemed to relax, almost slumping with abject relief, and she pulled back a little, but left one hand on his knee. “For me,” she said. “It’s been three months.”

He blinked a couple of times. “What.”

“Three months.”

“How…”

“The Lady.” When he’d been a boy, he’d never dreamed that he’d ever hear someone make such a matter of fact sort of statement about the Lady, Mother of All. Let alone that he would be married to that person, and that such a statement would make utter sense. “We’re on a world called Gor.” A slight pause. “’Catch, love, you’ve no clue how happy I am to have you here. This place is a shithole.”

“It can’t be that bad.” He waved a hand around at the tent. “This seems nice.”

“I had to kill three thousand men to unfuck this one tribe.” She said bluntly. “And it’s still not really done; that was just lancing the boil. ’Catch, the men of this world are slavers. All of them, from what I can tell, or at least most. They keep women as sex toys.”

Foicatch stared at her for a solid minute or so, appalled.

“What.” He finally managed.

It took her half an hour to fill him in on the details. By the end, his headache was fading, but a second one was threatening on his heels. He’d gotten to his feet some time back, and he was incandescently furious and pacing the tent. (The Ubara’s tent. He felt a flash of pride, at that. Of course she was Ubara; queen by her own hand within a day. He’d expect nothing less of her, and marveled, again, that such a woman as her had chosen him.)

He stopped his pacing long enough to touch her face, to brush her plait back. “You said you killed three thousand that first night.”

“Yes.” She said. The word was a flat statement of fact.

“You must have used your power.”

“Yes.” Again, a statement of fact.

“Are you all right?” He asked it softly. She never admitted to anyone else save Sura the cost of her gift for Breaking, the strain it caused when used too much. But he knew, because she trusted him.

“I am.” She covered his hand with hers. “I told you once; it gets easier to restrain it, with practice. And I’ve had a lot of practice. And the women…” She looked off, at the tent flap. “They’re remarkable. All they’ve been through, and survived. Many are brilliant, and funny, and kind, and fierce. They’ve not let me stew alone.”

He nodded, relieved. Do not let her be alone, Sura had told him once. Sura, bright, brilliant Sura, who’d realized before anyone else living what Systlin was, that there’d come a Breaker strong enough to break even her curse to her will.

They stood there for a moment. She stepped into his arms, and leaned against his chest. He looped his arms around her waist, and let her take comfort as long as she needed it.

At last, he said “So you’ve been gone months, but it’s been but moments at home.”

“Thank the gods.” Systlin’s voice was muffled by his chest. “I’ve been so, so worried, about you and Senna.”

“It’s reasonable then to assume that however long we take here, little or no time will have passed at home.”

“Thank the gods.” She said again, fervent.

“Well.” He said. “We might as well make a proper job of it then. Why don’t you show me around, Ubara?”

   He was a very tall man, broad and muscular and strong, a fighting man in true. He wore a sword and shield with the air of a man long accustomed to their use. His eyes were green, and sharp. His hair fell to his shoulders, caught back in a leather tie. His beard was braided into a short plait bound in silver.

This is a proper man, I thought, but then to my horror I saw the glint of silver in his ear.

A man….a man, a fighting man! Had allowed his ear to be pierced! It was shameful, beyond shameful.

The she-sleen emerged from the wagon behind him. She said something, and he turned to listen. I realized that the ring in his ear was a twin to the silver one she wore, and in a flash realized that this was her mate, the one she’d claimed to be bonded to.

He laughed at something she said, and she grinned at him.

 I thought that I had seen the she-sleen fight, that day she had slain Kamchak, Ubar of the Tuchuks.

I had not. Not truly. I had realized, of course, that she had been toying with him, toying with a Tuchuk, known as the fiercest and cleverest of warriors. But I had not known, not really, what she was.

I stared as she sparred the man…her husband, it still was a thing of horror to think of bedding such a woman, but if there was a man to master such a woman then I could believe it of this man.

He was magnificent. It was hot; he had stripped to his waist, baring a marvelously formed body to the sun. There were scars here and there, showing that he was a fighting man and had won many battles. His eyes were fierce and keen, and he wielded that metal shield and his sword as easily and lightly as if they were wooden toys, muscles rippling under taut bronze skin. He was fast, as fast as a snake, and his footwork was superb. Any city would have been honored to have a fighting man such as he in their ranks; I am man enough to admit that in battle he could have bested me, and it would have been no shame to lose to such a superb warrior.

But then there was her.

He was magnificent, the pinnacle of what a fighting man strives to be. And out of the three bouts I saw them fight, he lost two.

He was fast. But she was like the speed of a falcon bound into the body of a woman, and made the swordplay look almost as a dance. She would, I thought, have been magnificent in dancing silks.

She flowed like water around strikes. She was, quite nimbly, never where a strike seemed to go, and used her blades with the precision of a physician excising a tumor. Her stamina seemed boundless; indeed, even under the heat of the sun she was not even sweating.

The first match ended after what seemed an impossibly long time to hold out against either of those displays of masterful swordsmanship, with his sword at her breast. My heart soared; surely, I thought, now he would put her in her place, teach her what it meant that he was a man, and she but a female…

But it did not happen. She laughed, and he grinned, a brilliant flash of white teeth.

“See what I mean?” She said, and rolled her shoulders, stepping back. “I’ve needed this. There’s no one here who can really test me, and I’ve been getting sloppy.”

The comment stung; she’d faced the whole of the Tuchuk, and me, a warrior of Ko-Ro-Ba!

He snorted. “The Lady should have brought Stellead here if that was what you needed; a training dummy and someone to teach.”

“Hm.” She gave him a look out of the corner of her eye that shocked me; it was playful, and warm, and very unlike the coldness she usually showed. I wondered if there was a slave under that armor after all, but then of course that could not be; no self respecting man would let a woman who was his slave on the couches and in the furs carry on so in public. “No, I think I’m glad. You are much better looking.”

“Well.” He smiled again. “With all due respect to your lovely and very terrifying aunt, I must agree.”

There were more like her? The thought was horrific. But then they crossed swords again, and I could only watch.

She won that second bout, and the third. At the end of the third, they were staring at each other with a particular heat in their eyes that I knew well; I have seen lust, in many forms.

I was shocked again when she grasped the end of the short plait of his beard, pulled his head down with no great gentleness, and kissed him as thoroughly and passionately as a slave girl might.

I had thought that she must be frigid, in denial of her own womanhood, wishing to be a man and putting from her head all thought of licentiousness and lust. And yet here I saw her, dusty from the training ring, her sword still in her hand, still as unyielding as steel, her movements and body language all sureness and authority, and kissing like a passion slave.

It was shocking, as well; she was demanding of him, not begging, and instead of silks she was attired entirely unflatteringly in leather and wool. And yet somehow the magnificent warrior seemed as enthusiastic about this embrace as a Gorean man with a pleasure slave at his mercy.

She pulled back, but did not let go of his beard or break eye contact. “My tent, I think.” Her voice was all anticipation. “You can leave the boots on.”

“Only if you leave the sword belt on.” He took her hand, and they were gone.

A wagon is not really the most sound-proof of dwellings. Out of some terrible fascination, I drifted towards the wagon of the Ubara.

The noises were loud, and enthusiastic. They lasted quite some time. At times, it sounded as if a pitched battle was taking place within the wagon. It was, indeed, some hour and a half before the she-sleen emerged at last from the wagon. She looked quite pleased with herself. Her hair had been freshly plaited, and she was wearing new clothing. She headed off again towards the training fields, humming some tuneless little song to herself.

Foicatch exited the wagon some time later. He looked the way that a man only does after he has been well and thoroughly pleased. He had put on a tunic, but it was not laced up the front, and his magnificent musculature was still visible through the thin cloth anyways. He was eating a sar fruit. There were imprints of small, even teeth several places on his neck, I saw, and scratch marks down one forearm. He seemed equally pleased with himself.

He saw me staring, and gave me a wide grin. It was quite a smug grin.

“Jealous?” He laughed quietly, drew another sar fruit from his belt pouch, and tossed it my way; I caught it on reflex. “Can’t say I blame you. She’s magnificent, isn’t she?” He looked off in the direction of the practice rings, his expression fond.

“I would think,” I said. “That in going to bed with such a creature, you would risk death should you be found wanting.”

“Oh.” His grin grew wider. “Well, that’s gotten around already? It’s true, actually. She does kill lovers she finds unsatisfying.”

“Foicatch!” A sharp voice, as the she-sleen appeared again, and shook her head at her mate. “You are terrible.”

“Likes to nail the skulls up in the bedroom, just for motivation to any new ones.”

“Foicatch!”

“What? I’m only adding to your legend.”

She rolled her eyes, and gave him a look that was both fond and exasperated. “Terrible.” She vanished back into the wagon. “The council will be here soon to discuss strategy for gathering resources on the migration route. There’s many small towns and cities along the way, and I don’t intend to leave a single whip unburnt in our path.”

“And before you ask,” Foicatch said, as she vanished. “Yes, we’ve been married for thirty years.” A self satisfied grin. “Take from that what you will.”

I stared at him.

“What? Shut your mouth before a bird nests in there, man.”

“You…” I struggled for words. “But you are…you’re a red-blooded fighting man!”

A slight shrug. “Last time I checked, yes.” He finished the fruit.

“And you let your woman be…that?”

“Ah.” His expression shifted in a moment, going dark. “Right.” He gave me a disgusted sort of look. “To begin, there’s nothing on this world or any other that could make Systlin be anything but whatever she wishes to be; she’s herself, and that is why I love her.” The frown deepened. “Just because you lot on this world can only handle women fawning at your feet and fearing for their lives if they say one word against you, doesn’t mean we’re all such cowards on all worlds.”

That struck me deeply. I am many things, but a coward I have never been! I am a fighting man of Ko-Ro-Ba! I am a fighting man of Gor, where the strong rule!

“I am no coward!” I hissed, and had taken a step towards him before I knew it.

“Mmm.” He sounded unconvinced, and was entirely unconcerned at my anger. “Right. That’s why you keep women in chains.” He straightened a bit. I am a tall man, but he was taller, and I had to look up to stare angrily at him. Quite suddenly, in a flash, I wondered if this was how a slave girl felt, before a warrior such as myself, having to tilt her head back to look up at him. “Just because none of you can get a woman without buying her like a horse, chaining her to your bed, and beating her into submission…On my world, such a man would be ridiculed at the least and most pathetic of men.” A pause. “Well, and then executed. But also ridiculed.”

I stared. I had never heard it put so. “They are just women. They deserve no better”

I saw the blow coming, and moved to avoid it, but he was terribly quick and I was still recovering my full fitness since my broken leg. The strike across the face was sudden and sharp, and to my humiliation I realized that I had not been struck with a closed fist, as befitted a warrior, but backhanded like I was a misbehaving slave.

“Did that hurt?” His voice was low, and I realized that he was terribly angry. “Would you like it, to spend your life cringing, waiting for that at any moment because you did not stand correctly? It is braver, I think, to survive such a life than to be the monster who holds the other end of the chain. You are a coward, Tarl Cabot, and every man on this world is a coward if he thinks as you do. If you are afraid of women holding any role but your slaves, that is your failing, not that of men of other worlds.”

He spat in the dust at my feet. “Systlin said the men of this world were awful.” A shake of his head. “I didn’t realize how very much she was right. Go. Get away from this wagon. If I see you again today I might have to throttle you to death.” He turned, and ducked once more into the tent.

[jaehyunspeachparty]

daddy jaehyun

iv.lix. (a)

During the night, Kiwoo woke up a couple of times. He didn't like it at all, that you no longer breastfeed him. But you can't do it with your strength anymore. But at some point he fell asleep. You go back to bed, but you couldn't sleep. But then you see how the lights in the house get on again and Jaehyun came home. "Hey, how was it?" You ask him when he walked into the bedroom. He looked at you in surprise and you could see that it was quite drunk. "Good ... funny." He unbuttoned his shirt and undid his pants. "That’s good." You smile and lie back on your pillow. "Why are you still awake?" He asked when he came to bed with you. "You know, Kiwoo. He's a little clingy right now and then I couldn't get back to sleep." You sigh and look at your husband. He looked down at you too and smiled. "You make me so happy, you know that?" Jaehyun was suddenly very sensitive, very tender. He stroked your forehead and suddenly looked so vulnerable. "You me too," you say very quietly and put your arm over his upper body. "Are you wearing my shirt?" He asked with a laugh. "Yes, it's so comfortable and I'm slowly getting too fat for my things ..." You pout and stroke your stomach. "You are not too fat, you are pregnant." Jaehyun laughed and leaned over you. He put his lips to yours and immediately kissed you passionately. But you notice something that was different. "Did you smoke?" You look at him in surprise. "A little bit." Jaehyun knew that you hate it when he did that. When you got together, Jaehyun smoked more often, from where Miga was born he had stopped, but now and then he smoked one. Especially when he'd had a drink. "I'm sorry," he mumbled drunk, but you didn't want to make him feel bad. It was his evening. He needed to relieve stress. "Everything's fine," you say and look up at him with a smile. "You look so good in my shirt." He stroked your whole torso and then kissed your neck. Apparently he was hot for you because his voice changed and he rubbed more and more against you. "And you look amazing ... as always," you whisper and stroke his bare torso. The result was that you made out a lot. His lips and hands were all over your body. He couldn't get enough of you and he showed it. When he had drunk he was more uninhibited and freer and you liked that. He showed you how much he wanted you. His kisses just said more than words. He took off your shirt and kept playing with your full breasts. As he put your nipples in his mouth, you hear him moan. He was horny, definitely, but when you reached for his length, everything was still soft. You try to massage him, to stimulate him, but nothing happened. And at some point Jaehyun stopped. Disappointed, he hung his head and lay down next to you. "FUCK!" He shouted, seeming so angry. You didn't know what to say because it was a difficult subject. "That's the alcohol, don't stress yourself," you say gently and stroke his hair. "We both know that I couldn't do it before either." He was so disappointed and so angry with himself that it was hard to help. "And we know we're both stressed." "But I can't even fuck my own wife," Jaehyun looked at you with worried eyes and you knew his ego was offended. "I think you've been able to prove to me enough times that you are potent. The last proof is here." You put his hand on your stomach because you knew it will calm him down. He was looking forward to this child so incredibly, sometimes you couldn't understand that. "What is your feeling? Is it going to be a girl this time?" He asked you, caressing your stomach. He was suddenly very different, very calm and almost looked happy again. "I don't know. I was almost certain that the twins would be girls, but then we had the two beautiful boys." You smile and stroke your belly too. "I'm sure it's a girl this time." "What if it turns out to be a boy? Are you disappointed then?" "No, never," he said, slowly closing his eyes. He fell asleep, but his hand stayed on your stomach.

That weekend, Jaehyun only spent time with you and the kids. He enjoyed the time and wanted to stay with you forever. But on Monday he had to go back to work. He didn't have to go to the set that day, but he had some things to do at SM. "You have to tell him." The Aespa manager faced the NCT manager. Jaehyun came into the room with Johnny and Yuta and the boys immediately noticed the tension. "What's going on?" Asked Johnny, looking at the two managers. "Jaehyun, can we talk?" The manager waved him over and Jaehyun briefly looked surprised at his friends. But he nodded and followed him. The two went to another room and the manager sat in a chair. "Jaehyun, you once said that you ... especially your wife, had problems with a stalker." He looked very serious and Jaehyun didn't quite know how to react. First he sat down on the next chair and put his hands on the table. "Yes ... Mathew. We had a lot of problems with him, the police didn't take us too seriously, but it's been quiet for the past few months." Jaehyun swallowed and he began to worry more and more. "Usually we ignore that. Idols often get hate messages through social media ..." The manager pulled out a few documents. "What's happening?" Jaehyun finally wanted to know what he wanted. "There are recordings of your wife and you ..." The manager sighed. "What?" "So we think it's you in the photo. We don't have any more ..." He pulled out a photo and pushed it over to Jaehyun. Immediately he took the picture and looked at it. In the photo they could see you and Jaehyun's back. It was in an elevator. Jaehyun could still remember it very well, even if the event had been over for a while. Several months for sure. You were invited to a party and you had a lot of fun. Jaehyun was so horny and so were you, and you two make out pretty much in the elevator and around the car and it went on in the car... you thought you were alone. "I am that guy ... where did you get that from?" Jaehyun's hands started to shake. "We got it sent. Underneath was the message: All of Korea should see what kind of slut she is." The manager swallowed, it wasn't easy for him either. Jaehyun didn't know what to say. "We found several such messages on social media. We would report it to the police." The manager tried to remain calm, but it was difficult even for him. "What do they want? Money?" Jaehyun got angry and he was desperate at the same time. Why hadn't he done something against Matthew earlier? "That's the weird thing. The person doesn't want money. We don't know what he wants. Should we know something else before we go to the police?" "We're having another child. Y/N is just in the 10th week. Shit ... after the thing with Suji we already had a miscarriage ... I can't do that to her again." Jaehyun couldn't think clearly anymore. He clutched his hand so tightly that he was almost bleeding. Tears gathered in his eyes. "Shit ... I mean....congratulations, but I know what you mean." The manager was upset and couldn't find the right words. "Jaehyun, I would say you take a driver now, pick up your daughter from school and drive to your family." The manager patted his shoulder and got up, but Jaehyun was petrified.

daddy jaehyun masterlist

[mrskurono]

I shamefully admit I had never ever thought about Bokuto, he just didn't get to me... but those two Bokuto thirsts? they opened my mind to so many p o s s i b i l i t i e s with that cute lil owl✨

May I ask more about that "Bokuto is the most underrated switch"? it's for science 🧐

much love to ya

- 🐝

See for me it was immediately "Oh my god that's my twin I love him and would marry him for tax fraid purposes." But the more and more I look at Bokuto (while also fully admitting owls are my favorite animals) I'm like, yeah, ok. We get married for tax fraud but like, we don't have to get unmarried afterwards. He wants to fuck around like a married couple I ain't gonna say no ¯\_( ツ)_/¯

But switch!Bokuto. Oh switch!Bokuto. Where to begin-

First off, this mans entire desire is pleasure. Your pleasure. His pleasure. Doesn't matter feeling good means multiple orgasms and he has the strength and the energy to go until you tell him to knock it off.

And the enthusiasm? Bokuto doesn't care what it is if you bring it up he'll try it once. You suggest bondage? Immediate yes who's tying who up. You suggest some fun with toys? Bokuto is already excited by the prospect of seeing you cum on a cute crystal jelly dildo (and quite interested in what a pocket pussy and your mouth might do for him)

You wanna peg him? Bokuto makes the cutest bottom as you make him lay face down. Fucking him with the toy he picked out (a lovely light blue clear dildo that still has the realistic veins to it) that lovely little bubble but you know he has. Bouncing off your hips with each thrust into him. And Bokuto so shamelessly pushes back and tries to ride your strap on. Begging and pleading for you to help relieve his poor cock the entire time. But Bokuto is just such a good boi if you tell him no, he'll whimper and moan until he realizes he's cumming just from you fucking him and he loves it ♡

But once he's came that leaves you high and dry right? Wrong. The second you give the go head that it's your turn to cum, then Bokuto is all over you. Between your legs, lips against your clit and fingers stuffing your cunt until either you've came once or are pleading with him for his cock. Bokuto sucks at teasing so you better bet he gets right to business stuffing his wonderful dick in that sopping wet core of yours (he's blessed with girth and length I'm sorry I don't make the rules) and he has and will fuck you until your legs are numb and you can't cum anymore. He just can't help it. He gets inside you and he's like a horny puppy who won't quit until you're tapping out tell him enough is enough. But that just means Bokuto has to hurry up and finish. Snapping his hips into yours frantically chasing his orgasm. Until you tighten around him one too many times and he bottoms out in you as the first twitch of his cock is followed by a flood of cum in you. At this point, you can simply just lay back and enjoy it as Bokuto moans and whimpers into your neck, grinding into you and emptying every last drop of himself into you ♡

Anyways, Bokuto is very trainable husband material and legally a switch that can do anything (: