vslvano - Tumblr blog

[vslvano]

aslan didn't know how to breathe, much less answer that question. "he's stable. they're running tests." the words came out flat. aslan sat in the chair near the bed, it had surely been brought in just for him, too comfortable for a hospital chair. "the doctor will tell us when they have an update." if he could keep his voice even then, he would lose it.

DECEMBER 26, 2023 —

@vslvano

four weeks. they only had four weeks to go but things don't always go as planned. the events leading to layla being curled up in the hospital bed were all a blur, and she felt numb. aslan's re-entry didn't lift her gaze, only causing her to hug the blanket tighter over her shoulders. "is he okay?"

[vslvano]

"i don't think i've ever been calm and collected," aslan replied with a sheepish smile, sounding about 15. he didn't quite laugh, mostly because if he tried to smile any wider his face hurt. "That was about football and you know it. that's what should do. him and stupid friend and mine in a football match." aslan didn't take the ice from her, didn't curl into himself and away from her. he just let hafiz care for him. from this angle, brown eyes full of concern and care, she looked like their mother. "that doesn't make me feel better. her seething rage is scary. barbara is a good friend of her's. long before me." he chuckled, "well, i doubt she's used to being told the truth so starkly. you stood up for yourself. i'm proud of you."

The winding change in their relationship would have surely shake the foundation of the younger, embittered version of herself. Hafiz yearned for this closeness and after so many moons, she finally got a taste of what it was like to worry about him so openly. To care for her brother as if it were as simple as breathing. "I'm sure he did but you didn't have to engage with his childish behavior. What happened to the calm and collected husband and father? For a moment there, I saw the former lion of Ankara.." the thought invoked a soft giggle. Aslan, much like the rest of their family, had a vicious temper. She had seen him unleash it at any given moment for Miray and just this once he allowed that fury to appear to defend her. It was nice. Hafiz gingerly held the ice to his cheek. "Knowing Layla she's probably flustered by it until it'll cool into a seething rage. Pregnancy hormones, you know." She held for a beat before sharing in his joy. "Good. It was about time someone stuck it to them. You should have seen Barbara's face when I told her the truth no one else had the guts to say. I have never seen her walk away so quickly."

[vslvano]

hafiz was fussing over him, and aslan was letting her. perhaps he should have been thinking barbie and her husband, this never would have happened otherwise. "he started it, hafiz, really. i would have finished it but those damn guards..." aslan trailed off, watching her ruin a silk scarf to make an pack for him. he shut his mouth with a click. "i know you're right. do you think she's really pissed at me or overwhelmed by all of it?" it was layla so probably both. he relaxed back into his seat and the moment his sister asked the question he smiled. "yeah, i felt really fucking good."

"Shush," she hushed the big baby that sat across from her. Her own fingers fanned across her forehead while the other laid gingerly along his. He seemed a little sweaty but it may have been from the way he rolled around the ground like some ruffian. The display was both embarrassing and touching at the same time. Was this what it felt like to have your brother defend you on the playground? Nevertheless, he deserved the verbal licking that tickled her tongue once she had sent Layla off. The stress wasn't good for her. "You shouldn't have done that," she parroted. "Even if you two have a century long's worth of bad blood, you have to be the bigger man. The stress isn't good for your wife and the optics won't look great as we climb close to day you can claim your birthright." She eased herself back into the leather seat with a slow emerging smile hidden from view. She begun to unfurl the silk scarf from her neck to pack the ice from the miniature ice box; it's a shame the dom perignon will have to warm for the sake of his eye. . "..but it felt good didn't it?"

[vslvano]

"i'm fine," his temperature wasn't the concern, it was the blooming black eye. though he wasn't looking forward to the ice pack to the face. he was waiting for hafiz to snap at him, the limo was on the road now, there was no one else around. "i shouldn't have done that, should i?" @oh-hxfiz

[vslvano]

aslan was no more coordinated on the floor than he had been standing up, but he had a slight size advantage, and he used it to start with, hands fisted in the front of andres' jacket. but when the older man recovered, aslan was toppled, pressed to the floor. he felt the arm against his throat and the beginning of pressure, panic set into his blue eyes. then andres is off him, and aslan was being hauled into a sitting position. he struggled for a moment against the hold and then settled. he was the one of royal blood here and he hadn't thrown the first punch, he could salvage this. "enough," he said in heavy accented english, tone haughty, and the guard let him go immediately. aslan stood and stared andres down. "we're done here," he straightened his jacket, chin tilted up as he turned away.

His balance is still thrown off, footing not quite found when Aslan throws his body back, when he grabs Andrés jacket, before Andrés own grip betrays him. He's falling and rolling on the floor not unlike a school boy fight. His jaw aches from the Turks reply and he tastes the blood on this tongue. It's fucking infuriating. Belittling to be on the floor like a fucking bug. He can tell B's family is going to have a filled day talking about how improper it all is. He's so unfocused for the first couple second he doesn't manage to defend himself from any of Aslan's attacks. Once he finally turns them around, he barely has time to place his forearm on Aslan's throat and put his full weight on it when he's being grabbed and pulled back. It takes a second for his body to relax from the perceived attack. But it's just the Italians security. Their hold on him is not as tight as it probably should be - B's mark on him somewhat giving him bias in their eyes.

[vslvano]

the first punch connected painfully and aslan's groan turned into a growl. he was already teetering back and he wasn't going to let that second punch land. aslan grabbed the lapel of andres' jacket, throwing off his own punch and getting andres in the jaw. he let himself fall, pull the older man with him. the second punch half connected with his cheek and they rolled, grappling.

By the time the wine from his glass hits the floor as Andrés stumbles back from the push his grip on Aslan's shirt turns into a fist. It's possibly the only thing that even keeps him up. The glass however follows the wine soon after and crashes on the floor with a loud sound. He barely got his footing back and he's already turning the momentum back to swing at Aslan's face. It catches him just between his left eye and nose. The fist full of dress shirt, wrinkled by his hand gives him enough of an anchor point that the slight height advantage the Turk might have is nothing and he's already pulling his arm back for a second punch before he even has the time to enjoy this moment. 6 fucking years coming.

[vslvano]

layla does not need a scene right now. the last thing she needed was this sort of stress at a public event. he should go find hafiz's stupid boyfriend and their coats and go home to nuray. but then the idiot spanaird put a hand on him. "how about you take your fucking hand off me." it wasn't a question, and it was punctuated with a shove, aslan pushing forcefully at andres' shoulders, fully intending to put him on his ass.

Andrés had every intention of sucking up this party for another 2 hours while enjoying his first (and only) glass of wine for the night. The only reason it had even been allowed is cause neither he nor B wanted people asking questions of why they weren't drinking. Why she wasn't drinking. Questions would just stress both of them even more and Dr. Sousa was very precise about what stress did for both of their fertility. What he had no intention of was even looking at the fucking Turks. He drops his hand heavily into Aslan's sholder as he turns and squeezes. It's both a warning and a way to ground himself. "How about you take my wifes name out of your fucking mouth instead?"

[vslvano]

they were supposed to be getting out of here but hafiz has told him about the encounter with barbie, and now his hackles were up. he took a detour from getting their coats when he saw andres. "hey," he was not, per usual, thinking this through at all, it was all red, "tell your wife she owes my sister an apology." @vndrcs

[vslvano]

aslan would have protested that there were appearances to keep and politics to engage in. but that would be met with skepticism at best. he could smooth any ruffled feathers later. "they will get their day soon enough. empires fall and dynasties crumble. we know that perfectly well." either with time, war, or scandal. the italians had had plenty of that. he chuckled, putting a hand on layla's waist. "i can't believe i married all for your benefit." he glanced towards hafiz's bunkmate. "he's rich enough. he can get his own ticket." @laylabahiti

"we do not need excuses; we made an appearance and now we are leaving for the night." layla hadn't planned on attending until hafiz decided to, knowing someone should be in her corner for support. "i have yet to see an event in italy end happily, so we should go while we are ahead." @oh-hxfiz

[vslvano]

he'd shown up, that was more than enough, as far as aslan was concerned. if it was any less than a coronation, he wouldn't have. "i agree. i think we can make our excuses. maybe take the plane back to casablanca tonight." @laylabahiti

"I feel like we've done out due diligence by staying this long. I don't know about you but I think I've had my fill." @laylabahiti @vslvano

[vslvano]

he rolled his eyes, he had sort of walked into that one. he scrubbed at his face briefly. "nuray's excited about the baby. really excited. but i don't think she gets it yet and i worry they'll start off on the wrong foot." though would either of them remember it? they were so young, they had time. aslan sighed, that was a much harder question. "she's not dealing with it. i don't... hafiz, i don't know what to do. it's like she's pretending it's not happening."

"You still don't understand paylaşmak.." she hide her smile behind the stuffed teddy. "..but Nuray will adjust just fine. It won't all be smiles at first but she's already very gentle with Asami. We're just going to have to continue to remind her how wonderful and important that she is. The new baby is a blessing not a distraction," it was a lesson the Sultan never taught them. "How is Layla dealing with this? We're all excited but I know this year hasn't been easy for anyone and I know the hormones may be overwhelming."

[vslvano]

"nuray finally understands sharing i think. well, she understands the word 'مشاركة' not 'paylaşmak' but it's something." he let out a heavy sigh. "i'm starting to understand layla's worry about getting her ready for a sibling. she's used to the whole world revolving around her." and why shouldn't she be? she's the presumptive heir to the crown. @oh-hxfiz

[vslvano]

"okay, not today." he would insist it was soon, though. it was important. they could ignore this. literally. "she will adjust as we all will. she's a child, they are very good at that. we will prepare her like every other parent does. this, i think, is actually a solved problem." he couldn't rationalize her anxiety, he knew this well but he made his heart sink. "layla, beloved, do you want another child? don't overthink the question. just yes or no. and know that i am right here with you. all i ever want is you, happy. you. my future queen."

this afternoon?? having a doctor here, even her own, wouldn’t ease layla’s nerves. the unknown was safer, less scary now. hell, in the unknown, she was still her mother’s daughter and amon’s full-blooded sister. she endured too many ups and downs over the past year that, now, she’d rather feel nothing. “i do not want to see a doctor today.” or tomorrow, or the next day. “she does?” nuray’s happiness was a glimmer of hope that was soon swallowed by more worry. “but what if she does not get a baby sister? and what if she realizes having a sibling means divided attention? how are we supposed to prepare her for that?”

[vslvano]

it wasn’t that he was without anxiety. never. but he couldn’t imagine this being a bad thing. well, he could imagine a hundred bad things, but he was trying not to. "maybe. but you haven't been feeling well either. my understanding is that every one of these is different." please don't cry. he thought but knew enough not to say. "we can have a doctor here this afternoon. and we can hold off feeling anything about this at all until then if you like." aslan wiped his thumb across her cheek, gentle and meditative as he tried to center himself. "you know who will be happy about this? nuray. she wants a baby sister like asami."

it wasn’t that he was without anxiety. never. but he couldn’t imagine this being a bad thing. well, he could imagine a hundred bad things, but he was trying not to. "maybe. but you haven't been feeling well either. my understanding is that every one of these is different." please don't cry. he thought but knew enough not to say. "we can have a doctor here this afternoon. and we can hold off feeling anything about this at all until then if you like." aslan wiped his thumb across her cheek, gentle and meditative as he tried to center himself. "you know who will be happy about this? nuray. she wants a baby sister like asami."

[vslvano]

aslan laughed, "if it's a gift you're after just tell me what you want." layla had something about love languages once and he hadn't been paying attention but he thought this was what she meant. he felt lighter, yes, but also guilty. he was the one who had done this to hafiz. him and his father certainly but he didn't want to be associated with that man in this way at all. "she did. she'd be happy for you too. asami suna is beautiful. i don't doubt that she'd be buying all sorts of things for that ridiculous nursery you have going."

"we have peace now, there's nothing for me to get in trouble over anymore. unless andres wants to start another fight." it wasn't unlikely. it was also a lie. there was plenty of trouble in the world and his eyes still drifted to the mediterranean, full of potential and profit. "of course. whatever you need." a pause, "how is that boyfriend of yours doing? still your boyfriend?"

From the outside looking in, she swore the world would deem her a star craving lunatic. The rush of emotions flooded her senses like water through a crack; no matter how desperately she attempted to apply pressure to keep them at bay it never stopped flowing. Hafiz believed the truth set everyone free. Aslan’s admission set her free from the weight of the chip on her shoulder. She could finally breathe. They could spend another afternoon unpacking the trauma that they both acknowledged to be true. For now, she was happy to just bask in the rawness they shared. “I’m not crying,” she grumbled softly. “I never cry but if we’re talking gifts I’ll put on my most oscar worthy performance..” Hafiz turned her head to take in finer details of his expression. Not really as stoic or burdened. It was a start. “Really?” A smile spreading greedily at the thought of their mother putting a man in their place. She wondered if that’s where she got it from. “She’d be happy to see how you’ve created such a beautiful family. You are a pretty great partner and father. If you were any less, you would have already heard from me about it.” 

“Yeah,” she nodded. “You’re gonna have to find another thorn in your side. I’d like to be someone you can rely on.” Hafiz reached out to take his hand in her own. “Thank you for being here through everything. It’s been difficult lately.” 

[vslvano]

he looked at her, bewildered for a moment. she laughed. she'd called him a bastard and laughed. of course, he was a bit of a bastard so it was a fair assessment. "please don't cry," he said, half laughing as well. "i can't even stand it when nuray cries. i have to buy her something every time she does." he glanced down at the mention of their mother. "she would, yeah. she would be proud of you in particular. she never let anyone get away with anything. i saw her dress down a councilman once." he huffed a laugh, "are you?" he wanted to make a quip about how it was great that she was ready. they always had to do it on her time. but that would do nothing but push her away again.

and he found he didn't want to be that passive aggressive anymore.

he looked at her, bewildered for a moment. she laughed. she'd called him a bastard and laughed. of course, he was a bit of a bastard so it was a fair assessment. "please don't cry," he said, half laughing as well. "i can't even stand it when nuray cries. i have to buy her something every time she does." he glanced down at the mention of their mother. "she would, yeah. she would be proud of you in particular. she never let anyone get away with anything. i saw her dress down a councilman once." he huffed a laugh, "are you?" he wanted to make a quip about how it was great that she was ready. they always had to do it on her time. but that would do nothing but push her away again.

and he found he didn't want to be that passive aggressive anymore.

[vslvano]

barbiebraganca​:​

     - ‘ I KNOW we all went through the exact same thing but not all of us had the exact same experience with it. with everything that’s happened recently with her family on top of that and hafiz being taken with your niece after and the fact that she had nuray in a situation where she likely felt useless in protecting her kid, it might all just be too much for layla to process right now. it’s probably not that she won’t tell you what’s happening with her, but that she doesn’t entirely understand it herself. she can’t explain something to you if she doesn’t get it first. she needs time to figure it out. but, by no means, do i mean she needs you to distance yourself. for the love of god don’t make that mistake. ’ she knew from andrés having been this stupid that it did no good. ‘ be supportive and be there because she needs you, but let her deal with her emotions and feelings at her own pace. ’

this was not new information. though he appreciated her confirming everything he was doing, aslan was not known for his patience. this barbie (and her husband more so) knew well. he let out a breath. “yes, i’m doing that. there’s a very thin line between supportive and overbearing, by the way.” maybe that was just for him and a comment like that would put him back on (keep him on, let’s be honest) her bad side. “i just worry at some point, something will be really wrong. she could be ill and she won’t say anything.”