#that's probably the first time I drew Cres' left eye

[blank-ace]

“Look, we’re matching!” @cojick

[rwby-grimm-guardians]

RWBY Grimm Guardians Arc 2: Beacon’s Fragile Light Ch XI

Hey, everyone! This is the eleventh chapter of Beacon’s Fragile Light! Here, we head to the main event: the Fall of Beacon! As usual, please enjoy.

Disclaimer: Still own nothing!

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(At the Amity Colosseum)

To say that everyone was up Shit Creek without a paddle would be an understatement. First, Yang’s match with Mercury was almost compromised, Summer’s Grimm instincts were beginning to run rampant, and now Pyrrha’s match with Penny ended horrifically with Penny being destroyed. Ruby, who was investigating Mercury, collapsed to her knees at what she had just witnessed.

Summer hugged her tightly, also shocked by the recent battle. She began rocking the teenager as the young leader started to cry. “I’m sorry....” The former STRQ leader whispered, her voice filled with guilt. She reluctantly turned her attention to Ruby’s scroll, pulling it out and texting the other girls in a group chat. “This is Cres. You...all saw that… Right?” She asked.

Yang texted, “Yeah. Are you two safe?” “Safe, yes.” The former leader replied. Blake texted, “I’m sorry…. I know this isn’t the best time, but Yang, Weiss and I need you and Ember at the fairgrounds.” “On our way.” The blonde replied. “Cres, can you help Ruby?” “I’ll try….” Summer typed, before putting the scroll away. “Ruby…?” She called out. Her daughter’s head shifted slightly towards her, making her tears more visible.

“Ruby… We need to help Yang and our friends…” The elder Rose said, gently helping the young leader to her feet. Ruby wiped her tears away, before nodding and hugging Summer tightly. “Shh…. I got you.” The former STRQ leader whispered, pecking her daughter’s forehead. “I’m always here.” After a few moments, Ruby whispered, “This isn’t fair…” The elder Rose nodded, “Believe me, I know. I agree.”

The two jumped as a Nevermore, carrying several Grimm Sapiens, broke through the safety barrier and into the arena, before it locked eyes with a shocked Pyrrha. Summer growled, before Ruby said, “I’ll help Pyrrha.” Nodding, the red clad woman said, “I’ll take care of the pawns then.” Nodding in agreement, the young leader grabbed one of Floating Array’s swords, duel wielding it with her scythe.

Summer paused as she and Ruby saw the Nevermore being attacked. Turning, the two spotted teams SSSN, CFVY, ABRN, FNKI, alongside Jaune, Nora, and Ren, weapons out. “We got this beast.” Jaune said. Ruby gave a small smile, before nodding at her Weapon Spirit. The former STRQ leader chuckled, “Alright. I’ll make sure that the weaklings don’t interrupt.” before tackling a couple of the Grimm Sapiens to the ground.

As the five teams combined their strengths to conquer the Nevermore, Summer let herself loose, removing her eyepatch and tearing into the Grimm Sapiens and dismembering them. She ripped one in half, tore off another’s head, and proceeded to crush one’s spine, before snapping its neck. She punched a hole through two Grimms’ chest, killing them instantly.

One Grimm Sapien managed to sneak past the red clad woman and run towards Ruby. Summer froze, before moving at inhuman speeds and getting in front of her daughter. She then caught the beast by its arms, tearing them off, before kicking it to the ground. Before it could stand up and attempt to tear out Summer’s throat with its teeth, Ruby shot it in the head, killing it.

After a few moments of silence, the five teams, Ruby, and Summer gave a look over of the arena. The Grimm Sapiens were dead, as well as the Nevermore. The young leader sighed, before looking at the taller woman, “Are you alright?” “Are you?” The red clad woman asked, covered in Grimm blood, only for her daughter to give her a concerned expression. Sighing, the taller woman nodded, “I’m fine. Just tired.”

Ruby eventually nodded, “Your eyepatch is off.” Summer nodded, “We’re gonna need this power.” “Does it….you know. Hurt?” The young leader asked. The taller woman paused, brief tapping her eyelid, before smirking, “Just a bit numb right now.” The two then went over to Pyrrha, who was crying… Understandably so, since she probably believed that she was RESPONSIBLE for Penny’s death.

“Pyrrha…” The taller woman said, feeling her heart twist as the redhead let out a quiet sob. “This is my fault.” She whispered, prompting Ruby to bend down and hold her. “Pyrrha… This is NOT your fault.” The young leader said. “You aren’t responsible for what happened to Penny.” The redhead just looked at the red clad teenager, “How can you just...say that as if…?” “As if we know that truth?” Summer asked, finishing Pyrrha’s question.

Jaune placed a firm, yet gentle hand on his partner’s shoulder. “Pyrrha… We know you well enough to know that you would never do this....to anyone.”” He said gently. “We’ll find the assholes who’re being this.” He then looked at Summer and Ruby, “Right?” Summer gave a gentle smile, placing a hand on the young man’s shoulder, “Definitely.” She hoped that Jaune wasn’t wrong about that.

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(At Beacon Academy....)

“What...do we do now?” Weiss asked, breathing heavily as she almost collapsed to her knees in exhaustion. She, her mother, Blake, and Gambol had been fighting hordes of Grimm, White Fang soldiers, and rogue Atlesian androids for a good while now. Yang was almost there, but the heiress was beginning to worry if she, Ruby, and their Weapon Spirits wouldn’t arrive in time.

Gambol looked around, searching for a means to make a temporary retreat, before hearing the sound of footsteps and voices. Growling on instinct, she turned behind her and drew her blade, only to freeze when she noticed that what she heard were students. Arktis looked behind her and nodded at the elder faunus, “We keep fighting for now.” Blake nodded, “Gambol and I will see if we can derail the White Fang.”  Weiss nodded as the two faunus went in another direction.

After reaching another part of the campus, Blake looked around, “Okay… Where the hell are we going to find the bastard in charge?” A sinister chuckle filled the room, saying, “Now that’s a little rude, don’t you think, Blake?” The teenage faunus froze, feeling her blood go cold as she turned to face the voice she hoped she’d NEVER have to hear again.

Gambol growled, her pupils turning into slits and her nails transforming into panther-like claws. A red-haired bull faunus came out the shadows, causing Blake’s eyes to widen in horror. “Gods… Adam…!” She said, causing the man to smile. “Hello, darling.” He said, giving a very arrogant leer towards the two. “Why and how the fuck are you not dead yet?!” Gambol shouted, furious that the man had the gall to show himself after everything he had done. He smirked, “Now where’s the fun in telling you?”

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(Meanwhile…)

On a nearby rooftop, Cinder and Vampier grinned as they witnessed the chaos and destruction occurring. “Hope you’re getting good footage.” Vampier said to Mercury, who was broadcasting the violence. “Of course! This is fantastic!” He said. Cinder nodded, “Good.” She then turned to observe Emerald, who seemed...unsettled by what she was witnessing. The pyrokinetic sighed, deciding to not bother with Emerald’s emotions for the time being.

In his...or rather, THEIR office, Evergreen and Ozma watched the carnage happening throughout the campus. “We could’ve prevented this…” The brown haired man said in the mindscape that he and Evergreen shared. Evergreen looked at him in both anger and disbelief, “Oh really!? Then what was your ‘PLAN’ for that!?” The immortal soul opened his mouth, but said nothing, before lowering his head in shame and guilt.

Evergreen stayed silent for a few moments, before eventually sighing. “Look at me, Ozma.” He said. The immortal soul looked up at the man in shock. Not ONCE had he heard the headmaster call him by his REAL name. Evergreen took a deep breath, before saying, “I get that you have good intentions...but your actions are NOT supporting them.” The immortal sighed, “Then what do YOU think we should do?”

Evergreen, now in control of his body, grabbed the Long Memory, “You’re gonna sit back.” He then went out the door, saying, “I’M gonna fight back. Which is what we SHOULD have done from the start.” As he exited the building, the headmaster then began searching for Pyrrha. ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this….’ Evergreen thought. He did NOT want the red haired girl to take up the burden of one of the Four Maidens… But now, there WAS no other option left.

The earth beneath him trembled, before he heard the cry of a Wyvern. The dragon-like Grimm erupted from a mountaintop near Mountain Glenn. Even though he’s miles away from it, Evergreen can tell that it’s on route towards Vale, with possibly many lesser Grimm in tow. The headmaster began running faster, knowing that Beacon’s final moments may be drawing near.

As the students are still fighting, Pyrrha noticed the headmaster running towards them, before he came to a stop and began breathing heavily. Summer briefly split up from Ruby and went up to Evergreen and helped him upright. “Professor? What’s the problem?’ Pyrrha asked. Evergreen looked at her, “I need you to come with me…” Summer raised an eyebrow, before Evergreen nodded. “If something happens to her... veuillez la ressusciter en tant qu'esprit d'armes de Jaune.” He said.

Summer’s jaw almost dropped, “You...can’t be serious…!” The headmaster sighed, “Got no choice anymore…” “You...were against this… Right?” The taller woman asked, receiving a nod from Evergreen. “I hate myself for doing this…. But now the Maiden’s power is NEEDED.” The red clad woman opened her mouth to protest, but instead, she sighed, letting the man go. “You better be right about this…” She said. “I will do what I can if the worst happens.” Evergreen nodded, “Thank you.”

“Now then, please come.” The headmaster said. “I’ll try to explain as much as I can to you on the way.” Pyrrha raised an eyebrow, but eventually followed Evergreen. Ren, Nora, and Jaune looked at the two in confusion. “Where are they going?” Nora asked. “I don’t know…” Jaune said. Summer then shouted, “If you want to help them, then follow! That’s the best advice I can give you right now!” She then joined up with Ruby before the blonde teenager could give a response.

Clenching his fists, Jaune gave a nod to his teammates, ‘I’m going to see what’s going on.” He then ran to follow the headmaster and his partner. Cinder smirked from the rooftop. “Looks like things are finally in place.” She said, her eyes glowing. She gave a grin towards Vampier, “Looks like you’ll get your rematch sooner than expected.” The sadistic woman grinned, “Excellent.”

-To Be Continued-

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And that’s chapter 11! Now then, I suggest going to your regular translating engine (Bing and Google is what I use, personally) and copy-pasting what Evergreen said to Summer in italics on the left side in French.

Have the right side set to English (or your native language) and you will know what Evergreen wants Summer to do.

Now then, the next chapter WILL be graphic in some way. For that, there WILL BE A WARNING. Get it? Got it? Good. Anyway, I’ll see ya later!

[gallifreyanlibertea]

Flirt

“What are you supposed to be, Peter?”

“Harry Potter, Mr. Jones.” And Peter rolled his eyes, pushing his blond bangs up to expose the rather neatly-drawn lightning bolt on his forehead.

Alfred didn’t need to see the scar to believe that the boy was meant to be Harry Potter. In fact, he could see it in the very obvious Hogwarts Uniform and the wand Peter clutched in his little fist, yes, it was apparent enough.

But Lord forgive him for wanting to see that adorable little pout on Peter’s face, or the look of pure annoyance in Peter’s eyes as he informed the dumb adult in front of him, it was precious, really.

It reminded Alfred of the look he strived to pull out of the little boy’s father- A look, and really just any look from those eyes, that sent Alfred’s heart racing.

A look from the man who stood behind Peter with a similar, annoyed, green-eyed gaze, one hand on his hip, the other on Peter’s shoulder.

“You know, Peter, I actually have a wand that has a light-up tip. Call me to remind me the next weekend I go to my parents’ place and I’ll go get it for you.”

“Mr. Jones, you know I don’t have a phone,” Peter said with a giggle.

“Ah, well, you could just give me your dad’s number-”

“It was a good effort.” Arthur Kirkland said with brows that bounced up in tandem with the curve of Alfred’s abashed grin. “But no cigar. Try again later.”

Alfred laughed it off, watching as Peter shot away from Arthur’s side to play fight with Alfred’s own little angel, Amelia.

Alfred was grateful for the fact that she was still so young. Amelia was still obedient, still respectful, and most delightful of all, she still needed a chaperone to take her Trick or Treating, which meant Alfred would spend the next few hours attempting to woo Amelia’s best friend’s father- the man Alfred had been shamelessly in love with since he and Peter moved into the neighborhood a few months ago.

“I didn’t know we were required to wear costumes,” Arthur muttered.

“Heh, well Amelia insisted.” Alfred lied, hand rubbing at the back of his neck obliviously.

The obliviousness was faked, of course. Alfred was fully aware of his Superman costume and its emphasis on the body he’d been training at the gym. He was fully aware of the way Arthur’s eyes lingered on the contours of Alfred’s biceps before they glanced back towards the kids, who’d taken to running up their third driveway.

Arthur cleared his throat. “Well, you don’t seem too bothered by it.”

“Nah, I love Halloween.”

“I figured.” Arthur snorted, “You’re the closest to a child of all the adults I know.”

Alfred supposed that meant he was upgraded from weirdo neighbor to adult I know and he was fine with it. It was better than his situation last month, where he’d taken to jumping through hoops and hellfire to get the green-eyed man to spare him at least one glance. At least one smile.

Alfred never considered himself to be a bad flirt, yet Arthur had the power to reduce him to one. In fact, what was usually a two-minute endeavor to ask for someone’s number- “Hey, I’m your new neighbor! Here’s my number, I’d love to introduce you to the rest of the parents on the block, my daughter’s in your son’s class by the way!”

It became a- “H- uh, hey… I, um.”

“Yes?” Arthur had said, composure calm and cool. He’d had one hand on Peter’s shoulder, eyes inquisitive as he gazed at Alfred’s shuffling feet, at Alfred’s stuttering lips, at Alfred’s rather full shopping cart that he wished he could blame on Amelia if it weren’t for the fact that she had been at home with her grandmother that day.

“I-”

Pull it together Alfred. Compliment his son or something! “Your son Peter seems smart”… ah, no, he seems cute? Yeah, he’s cute. He’s cute.

Your son is cute. It was a strange yet valid compliment that Alfred had wished came out of his lips that day. Instead- “You’re, uh, you’re cute!”

Fuck.

“Uh, I meant- no, I- can I get your number?”

Fuck!

Arthur had furrowed his brows. “I beg your pardon?”

And Alfred should’ve used his good-ole charm to salvage at least something from that disastrous conversation, but no. “Ah, nevermind.” He’d said instead, and he’d speed-walked his cart away from a rather confused Arthur Kirkland.

Which was one of the reasons he’d dreaded every second of Amelia dragging him up the Kirkland driveway only a week later, to sell Girl Scout cookies to the place where one of her newest friends lived.

It hadn’t been enough time for Alfred to heal. He had stood, head down in shame, as Amelia knocked on the door.

And Arthur had opened it, still as strangely-attractive as ever. Arthur with his old-man clothes clinging to his thin, small frame, politely-smiling lips forming accented words, “Well hello there, love!”

He’d then glanced over at Alfred, eyebrows furrowing as if wondering just where he’d seen Alfred before.

He’d then paused, cheeks flushing a slight red before he turned his attention back to Amelia. “I’ll buy a box of the Thin Mints.”

Alfred supposed it would be over with that, yet Amelia just had to go squealing into the house, trailing behind a Peter who had promised to show her his action figure collection. It left the adults lingering at the door. Alfred waited for Arthur to meet his gaze.

A small, curt wave. “Hi, I’m Amelia’s father, Alfred.” He’d said.

Arthur nodded. “I remember you.”

A slight smile on Arthur’s lips, albeit just polite, had been what Alfred had taken as a sign to crack a dumb, idiotic joke. “And I remember you. You’re still cute.”

Arthur had blinked and Alfred wanted to kick himself.

“I-”

Alfred interrupted the other man, “So our kids seem to be best friends now, yeah? It’s weird how quick they befriend each other.”

Arthur seemed grateful for the change in topic, “Yes, children never cease to amaze me.”

If anyone asked how it had come to be, that Alfred would shamelessly flirt with Arthur who’d, in turn, ignore Alfred’s advances, Alfred would take them back to those very first interactions. Those very first interactions that set a precedent, that sparked a realization in Alfred’s mind that somehow, despite wanting to die after every single time he managed to embarrass himself in front of the man, it was worth it seeing that pale, freckled face change color.

Alfred had become addicted to it. “It’s starting to get cold out here, I love autumn.” Arthur had said to Alfred one day, as the two made small talk by their mailboxes.

Alfred had smirked, “I already miss summer if it means I won’t get to see you in shorts for a year.”

Oh, the look on Arthur’s face had been delicious. A blend of annoyance, a roll of those eyes, and an abashed flush of those cheeks. 

Addicting.

Arthur watched as Peter scrambled back with his pillowcase significantly more full than Amelia’s.

Amelia buried her head into her father’s stomach, “It’s not fair, dad!”

“I’m sure Peter won’t mind sharing,” Arthur assured, and Peter scowled up at him.

“Dad!”

“That’s alright, Peter, I was gonna go buy Amy three bucketfuls of candy after this anyway,” Alfred said with a warm smile, and Amelia perked up.

“Sweet!”

And the two were back on their mission to raid the neighborhood of its candy.

“How long do you think we’ll be out here?” Arthur huffed, eyes blinking down at the time on his phone. “It’s been an hour already.”

“Let them have fun,” Alfred said with a grin, waving back as Amelia turned to proudly thrust her pillowcase in the air, one that had become fuller after the latest reap. “Besides, it’s not too bad out here with just you and me, is it?”

Arthur’s cheeks glowed red. “It’s nippy, I worry about Peter catching a cold.”

“He’s got a scarf and the thickest cloak I’ve seen,” Alfred replied. “If it’s you that’s cold, I’d be happy to warm you under my cape.”

A pause. A clear of Arthur’s throat. “Peter’s actually very happy Amelia agreed to be the Hermione to his Harry, they’ve gotten so close. This is their- what? Fifth outing together? Or do they call these ‘play-dates’?”

“Play-dates, yeah.” Alfred bit his lip, eyes glancing over to find Arthur rather deep in thought with his eyes trained on the ground. “Yanno, we should probably start having some of our own, since we’ll be seeing each other so much ‘cause of the kids.”

Alfred found himself snickering at Arthur’s flustered response. A string of sputtered words, cheeks blazing as eyes glared into Alfred’s own.

“Wh- why do you always do that?”

“Do what?”

“Act like some high-school football-player flirt.” Arthur seethed, yet there was some degree of affection behind that mask of an expression. Alfred saw it in those smiling green eyes.

He saw it in the slight, abashed step Arthur took in the opposite direction as Alfred stepped closer. “I like annoying you, to be honest.”

“I get enough of that from Peter, I assure you,” Arthur said.

“I doubt Peter does it for the same reasons I do.”

“And what is that?” A roll of those eyes.

Alfred supposed Arthur didn’t expect him to be bold. Why would he, when Alfred had shied away from outright asking Arthur out- straight up, no jokes- so many times?

Hell, even Alfred didn’t expect himself to be so bold, but then again, he hadn’t expected to be so bold the first day he’d spoken to Arthur either. “I’ve been trying to go on a nice solid date with you for months now, yanno?”

Arthur stilled.

He shuffled his feet, something Alfred had never seen him do, no, because Arthur was too composed. This had to be the first time Alfred had gotten to him.

Alfred watched as Arthur checked his phone for the time, pocketing it to cross his arms, as if Alfred hadn’t said anything. 

Silence. 

His lips then parted for words, no doubt awkward ones to follow.

But Alfred was a grade-A idiot so he stepped to Arthur’s side, sweeping the smaller figure underneath his cape, an arm slung around those slim shoulders as if to shield Arthur from the harsh October wind.

“Wh-”

“Enough about me, how can a hero do nothing when you look so cold?” Alfred reasoned, and Arthur looked positively done. He drew his brows together, he snapped at Alfred.

“God, Jones, you are a right creep.” A right weirdo. You’re such a child, who even says something like that in their thirties? The rest of Arthur’s insults had drowned out underneath Alfred’s boyish laugh.

And Arthur did this for the rest of the night. Yes, banter upon banter upon a frustrated Alfred struggling to keep up with comebacks.

Arthur had never moved out from under Alfred’s arm.

Alfred had triumphantly entered Arthur Kirkland’s contact into his phone by the end of the day.

[shiroe-is-my-baby]

Birthday Surprise

Summary: The twins help Ashley put together a nice little birthday dinner for Shiroe, and Ashley hopes to bake a nice cake for him. When things start to unravel, she has to make a different decision and call for reinforcements.

W: self-insert, fluff, au

WC: 3370

( @self-shipping-angel )

Curses sputtered from my lips as I checked the time on the wall. Shiroe would be home any minute now, and the cake wasn’t even rising at all. It was just sitting in the oven, taunting me like it was waiting for the right moment. It wouldn’t be done before he got home like I wanted to. The entire house smelled rather nice, but I knew that he’d walk in and know immediately what was going on. I can’t have anything sweet around this man without him finding out about it.

I remembered the candy stash I had hidden when I was pregnant with Ariana, knowing he’d be a little upset to find out I had it in the first place. But I was having some weird cravings, and I needed to have it there to at least know that I did. Before too long, the man knew about it and had literally cleaned me out. I’m unsure if this was him or if he was just getting rid of it because he knew that it was bad for me to have. Either way, I was not very happy when I found out.

I let out a loud, heavy sigh and I felt my phone buzzing. I could only imagine that was Shiroe saying he was on his way home. Which meant I had little to know time to get this done, but it still wasn’t rising. I didn’t have enough time to bake a whole new cake. If this continues, I’ll have to ask someone to swing by and grab a cake themselves. A part of me was sad that I wouldn’t be serving Shiroe a cake I baked with my own hands, but the other part of me knew that was probably for the best.

Pulling out my phone, I started to dial a friend, hoping they could help me with this predicament. This was going to start off as just a family evening, but I didn’t mind calling friends to help and spend this special day together as well. Just as I did so, I heard two little feet scampering into the kitchen and a long tuft of hair bolting through the doorway.

“Mommy! Is it done yet?” Ariana asked, her big blue eyes staring at me with wonder and excitement.

I heard the dial tone in my ear, and I quickly turned to her with a somber expression. I knew she was going to be the most disappointed when I tell her the truth.

“I’m sorry, baby. But I don’t think the cake is gonna work out.”

“Bu… why…”

I heard the whimper in her voice almost immediately. Pursing my lips, I leaned down in front of her and shifted hair from her face. The pucker of her bottom lip was heartbreaking. I knew how excited she was to do this for her dad, but it was my fault. I just can’t bake. At all.

“I’m sorry, honey. But we don’t have time to bake another, your dad is going to be home soon. It’s alright, though. I have a plan. Don’t cry, okay?”

She didn’t seem to be listening too much, already growing sadder by the second.

Before I could say anything else, I heard the voice chime in on the other line rather quickly. I breathed a sigh of relief, standing back on my feet with a smile.

“Ashley! Hey! How’s the surprise going?” Sayeko asked, and I could hear the teasing in her tone.

“Hey, babe. It’s, uh… it’s goin’….”

“Oh shit. What happened?”

I let out a small chuckle, looking through the window of the stove to see the poor and sad lump.

“What always happens when I cook. Literally nothing,” I mumbled, chuckling even though on the inside I was kind of upset with myself.

I didn’t really need to beat myself up about it. Not when there were so many things I could do to fix it, but I just wanted everything to be perfect. But given that it’s me whose doing it, perfect is not nearly what it’s going to be. It would be mediocre at best.

Sayeko sighed softly, and I knew that she was feeling for me.

“I’m sorry, hon. I know you were looking forward to baking that for him,” She said, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Glancing down at Ariana’s soft pout, I reached down to ruffle her hair. The action always seemed to cheer her up a little bit and make her giggle. Probably because Shiroe does this all the time to her as a praise or just because her giggles are adorable. It helped her relax a bit, but I was sure she’d go right back to being upset again.

“Can you make a quick run to the store and grab a cake? One already made?” I asked, seeing Ariana’s eyes start to light up just a little bit.

“Yeah, sure! But wait, shouldn’t he be on his way home by now?”

I blinked for a second, already thinking of a plan to halt him. My smirk curled onto my lips when I heard a familiar voice in the background. It had to be a coincidence that the two were hanging out today of all days. “Hey! Naotsugu! He’s with you, right? Tell him to stall Shiroe for a bit for me! I can’t leave the twins right now,” I said, already feeling a little mischievous for this plan.

Sayeko called the man over, asking him about catching Shiroe before he came home. I could hear his little grumbled about the idea, but overall he didn’t seem to wave it off. She was probably giving him a rather intense stare which told him to be good. That thought made me laugh.

“What do you want me to do? Give him a freaking cookie?” Naotsugu asked, making me roll my eyes.

“I don’t know. Bright him to grab a quick drink, or meet up with him and take a detour through the freaking woods. I don’t care! Just make sure he doesn’t make it home for another half hour or an hour.”

“Why the woods? That seems really cre-“

“Just do it, please! I don’t have much time!”

“Okay, okay!” Naotsugu shouted, both at me and Sayeko who had softly tapped him on the head.

He agreed to do it, leaving when he gave Shiroe a quick call to set up the meeting. Since it was Shiroe’s birthday, it wasn’t going to be a surprise when his good friend wanted to pay him a visit. Sayeko left to get the cake soon after that, and I knew that within seconds I’d get a text from Shiroe. Telling me all about his run in with Naotsugu and how he’d be a little late getting home.

Which I was gladly replying to, telling him to take his time since dinner was running a little behind. But it wasn’t. Not entirely anyway. Dinner was ready and sitting on the heat to keep warm. It was the cake that I was waiting desperately for, and the twins were starting to get a little antsy. Especially Ariana. She was so upset that she couldn’t be there to pick out the cake.

Sayeko promised that she’d pick out the best one, letting her see a picture before she bought it just to be on the safe side. Ariana was content with that, bounding down the hall to her bedroom to pick out a nice dress for later. I let out a small giggle, glancing over at Sage who was hanging off the side of the couch upside down.

“When is daddy gonna get home?” He asked.

“He’ll be here pretty soon. Naotsugu stopped him for a bit.”

He gave a soft sigh, sitting up and leaning on the arm of the couch. I knew that Sage was bored and ready to get the evening started. Lately he’d been starting to act a little bit different, and I chalked it up to his age. I don’t want to push the subject, hoping that maybe he’ll come to me when he’s ready. He leaned over to the coffee table, motioning with his hand for me to come on over.

I walked over, leaning down beside the couch and watched him grab a piece of paper from the table. “I drew this for him… do you think he’s gonna like it?” He asked, quickly shoving it towards me. The little pink blush that appeared on his cheeks was all too cute. I gave a soft giggle, looking down at the little doodle. Sage has always been doodling since he was little, bit it was different than a little average doodle. He was far more advanced than most kids his age, because he’s constantly drawing everything around him. He loves being creative like that, and I can’t wait to see how well he gets if he keeps practicing.

It was a cute little doodle that I knew he was flustered by so I tried not to bring too much attention to it. But it was rather sweet. Just a cute little family drawing that I thought was really good for him, and I knew that Shiroe would love it. Almost to prove that fact to be true, Luna hopped up onto the couch and nestled into Sage’s lap. I raised an eyebrow, handing the picture back to him with a soft smile as I ruffled his hair.

“He’s going to love it, sweetie. It’s very good.”

“Thank you…”

His cheeks started to darken, but he looked happy with that little smile on his face. Every time he smiles he looks just like Shiroe. They both have that soft, somber smile and their eyes are sparkling somehow. I loved it so much, and I leaned forward to give his nose a soft peck. Sage, being the boy that he was, only got quiet and started to blush even more.

Giving him a wink, I turned around and watched Ariana come running back into the living room and giving a twirl for me. She asked for my opinion, which I couldn’t help but tell her how utterly gorgeous she looked. Because she was a beautiful little girl. My beautiful little girl. I picked her up in my arms, peppering her soft cheeks with kisses and listening to her high giggles.

“Mommy! That tickles!” She laughed, her face turning pink.

“My little Ari. You’re so adorable. Want to give your aunt Sayeko a call and see where she is?”

Ariana gave a quick nod, and Sage’s head perked up a bit at the mention of the name.

“Is she coming over?” He asked.

I gave a shrug, sending him a small smile.

“She and Naotsugu might stop by for a second, yes.”

He gave a small nod, though I could tell that he was really excited to see the two of them. Both the twins were very excited to see them, as they were with the rest of our friends.

Ariana took my phone from me once it started dialing, and I set it on speaker phone so I could hear their conversations. She was rather excited to hear Sayeko’s voice, though she had a lot of questions to ask her. I started to think maybe I should have warned my friend that my child was going to call and pester her. But the surprise was more fun.

“I’m on my way there now, sweetie! You got the picture I sent you?”

“Yeah! It looks really good! I think daddy’s gonna love it.”

“Awesome! I’m so glad!”

She then told me that Naotsugu was heading over with Shiroe now. The two of them had stopped by for a quick conversation but nothing much else. He wanted to keep him a bit longer, but Shiroe was really antsy to get home. Which is what I expected from my wonderful husband. He was just too sweet. Wanting to be with his family more than anything.

I thanked her, letting Ariana tell her goodbye and hand me back the phone. Not before sending her dad a little jumble of text with a smiley or two. He would know it was her immediately. I giggled softly, hearing Sage teasing her almost immediately after.

“You didn’t let me see the picture. What if I didn’t like the cake?”

“You didn’t say you wanted to. Besides, I was the one who wanted to help mommy in the first place.”

“Whatever-“

“Hey, you two,” I said, leaning down to pat both of their heads, “You’re both helping a lot, okay? You drew the picture for him and your sister helped with the cake. And you both helped me with dinner. So it was fair, and your dad is going to be so happy that you were big kids and helped me out. Don’t fight today, okay?”

They both nodded, heaving heavy small sighs that made me chuckle. I kissed them both on the cheek, instructing them to sit down while I made sure that dinner was still the same. And to throw away the remnants of the cake that still was nothing but mush. It was probably not mixed right, but at this point I couldn’t give a damn.

Sayeko walked through the door several minutes later, a cake in her hands that she had to balance when Ariana came bolting her way. I knew she was hear by the scampers of feet, both the twins colliding into her to hug her tightly.

“Hey, cuties!” She chirped, trying to hug them with the container balanced on her palm.

I came jogging in to take it from her, breathing a sigh of relief.

“Oh, thank you so much. I owe you one. You literally saved the day,” I said.

“I know I’m awesome. But you’re welcome.”

She giggled when I raised an eyebrow, now able to hug the twins forcefully with both arms. They both giggled and chirped around her, pulling her into the house to talk one after the other. Sage wanted to show her his drawing while Ariana wanted to show her dress. It was like a madhouse, and it only got worse when uncle Naotsugu came through the door.

I blinked, hearing the sounds of the twins voices over the laughter of my friends and then Shiroe’s soft tone.

“Wow, they’re excited today, aren’t they?” He asked, giving me a big smile.

“Daddy!”

I laughed, watching them both completely ignore our friends to run to him and hug his legs. Shiroe laughed, scooping them both up one after the other to give them each a hug and a soft kiss on the forehead. Again they tried to talk his ear off, wanting nothing more than attention from him. He didn’t seem phased by it, happy enough to be home and to hear their excited voices.

He didn’t even get to kiss me until sometime later, pressing a hand to the small of my back to greet me. Smiling warmly, I touched his face and whispered softly to him before anyone else could break it. “Happy birthday, love,” I said, softly. He smiled, pressing his forehead against my own with a soft sigh.

“Thanks, sweetheart. You didn’t have to go through any trouble.”

“Nonsense, babe! You deserve nothing but the best. Me and the twins wanted to do something special for you.”

“Yeah! We both helped cook dinner,” Sage chirped, pushing passed his sister to speak first.

“Yeah, well, mommy and I got a cake for you!”

I winced a little bit, hoping she wouldn’t mention the mess up cake and then having to buy a whole new one. Sayeko kept that little grin, probably waiting to distract her if she ever did let my secret out. It was really nice to have them all here with us. It was really nice to have good friends that would go through this trouble for us. That would be there for us. I really did want to do the very best for him. And I felt like I had finally done that.

Shiroe let out another chuckle, ruffling the twins hair.

“Thank you, guys. That was very thoughtful of you. Sounds like you guys had quite the day, huh?”

“Yep!”

They both chirped in unison, making us all chuckle softly.

Shiroe gave me one last soft kiss on the lips, letting his hand fall from my waist when Ariana wanted his undivided attention. The sparkle in her eyes was always the best. Sage would have been fighting her if he didn’t have Naotsugu and Sayeko to bug, which he did. Especially Naotsugu. He just loves climbing all over him and being a little crazy kid.

“Are you guys gonna stay for dinner?” Shiroe asked Sayeko and Naotsugu.

The two of them shook their heads.

“Nah, we’ll leave you guys alone.”

“Yeah, we had a thing to do anyone. Just wanted to stop by for a second and wish you a happy birthday.”

Sayeko smiled, giving me a wink.

The twins groaned, wanting them to stay. I knew that they would hate seeing them leave, but they were distracted once the idea of having dinner a little early came up.

Sayeko ran over to give me a hug goodbye, wishing us a good rest of the day. When they left, I couldn’t help but feel my chest lighten. I loved my family and friends more than anything. Especially this man right in front of me. He was the best husband and father that I could ask for. And today I wanted to show him that.

That evening during dinner, it was quite the show. Ariana ended up ratting me out after all, which made Sage laugh and me sigh heavily. But I wasn’t upset. Shiroe didn’t seem bothered by it in the slightest. In fact, he was rather touched to know that I went through all the trouble for him. He squeezed my hand, raising it up to kiss it softly.

“Thank you… seriously. This is more than I could ever ask for,” He said.

“You’re welcome, love.”

I wanted Shiroe to relax that evening, but he insisted on helping me clean up and get the twins ready for bed.

“Daddy, can we stay up for a bit and watch a movie?” Ariana asked, dragging her blanket behind her with her newly wet hair now clinging to her face.

Shiroe turned around to look down at her, seeing the sparkle in her eyes. I shrugged my shoulders once our eyes met, letting him make the decision for us.

“I don’t know, Ari, sweetie. It’s going to be kind of late…”

“Pwease?”

She pushed out her bottom lip, and that was it. That was all it took.

Shiroe let out a sigh and scooped her up in his arms.

He pinched her cheeks, listening to her soft giggles. “How could I so no to that face?” He asked, grinning and kissing her face again and again.

Sage jumped onto the couch, stealing the seat beside me and immediately screaming out which movie he wanted to watch. That was no surprise, but Shiroe had the decision tonight and ended up leaving it to chance. Which none of that mattered in the end. Within seconds of that movie, the twins were asleep curling up against each of us with their soft snores.

Shiroe ran a hand through Ariana’s hair, smiling gently. His opposite hand found my shoulder, caressing it and falling the curves of my face before making it back to my eyes again. “I’m so lucky to have you guys,” He said, gently, “Thank you.” I smiled, leaning over to lay my head on his shoulder. Sage stirred only a little bit, curling more against my side.

“I love you,” I said through a big yawn.

“I love you too, sweetheart.”

He smiled, watching me slowly close my eyes and fall asleep on him as well. He didn’t have the heart to wake me up or the twins. So he just watched, running a hand through my hair and thanking the stars for the gifts that him and I have been given.

I really believe that was the best day he- we have ever had.