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wordsablaze · 3 years

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13~ masked by my pride

tell me your problems (i’ll chase them away) Internal scars can be difficult to deal with but Eskel vows to heal any that Jaskier is weighed down by if it’s the last thing he does…

A/N: sorry it’s been a month but guess which dorks tried to borrow the braincell from scorpion ??

@random-nerd-3 @betaray-jones @w-s-kibela @in-love-with-writing002 @screaming-flapjacks @havenoffandoms @lasaga666 @mayastormborn @alllthequeenshorses

previous chapter

“You’re Jaskier the bard, aren’t you?” someone asks as soon as they get to Piana.

Jaskier doesn’t miss a beat before he nods, smiling politely. “That would be me, yes, lucky for you. Who’s asking?”

Eskel moves to go stable Scorpion but even as the stranger starts talking, Jaskier squeezes and tugs on Eskel’s hand just enough to stop him from going anywhere. He could easily pull out of the bard’s hold but he finds that he doesn’t want to so he just waits, biting back his smile lest he scares the stranger off.

There is no logical reason - or any other kind of reason, for that matter - as to why he’s become addicted to the feel of the bard’s fingers interlaced with his own and yet, he’s already resigned himself to that fate. And he’s not complaining.

“-nd should I report back a confirmation?” the man asks.

“Of course, it would be rude of me to refuse such a gracious offer,” Jaskier replies smoothly, and Eskel wishes he hadn’t zoned out of the conversation.

It’s not until they’re seated in the corner of a tavern that Jaskier relaxes, leaning into Eskel’s shoulder and slumping in his seat.

“Is something wrong?” Eskel asks, now trying to hold himself as still as possible so he doesn’t jostle Jaskier; he’s used to blending into the background but this feels different, like something precious.

“Of course not,” Jaskier replies immediately and, much to Eskel’s dismay, straightens up and pulls himself to his feet.

Eskel definitely does not sound at all forlorn as he asks, “Where are you going?”

Jaskier cocks his head to the right and holds his lute up with a small smirk. “We’re in a tavern, darling, and I’m a bard. The situation speaks for itself, I think.”

He’s bounding towards the man who looks like he’s in charge before Eskel can point out that he should probably take care of his own stomach before everyone else’s ears, but he’s not sure if that’s specifically a Jaskier thing or a general bard thing so he lets it go for the moment.

Obviously, he regrets it when Jaskier starts singing about Eskel heroically saving the continent from sirens, but he thinks even that’s growing on him already. And either way, watching Jaskier move through a room is a rewarding experience in itself, not that he’s incapable of taking his eyes off the bard, what an absurd situation that would be.

“Sing the other one! With the other witcher!”

Jaskier pauses, having just finished a song about pirates or something, and his eyes flicker to Eskel before he nods, launching into toss a coin with an easy smile. Eskel tries not to dwell on wanting to punch the man who’d requested the song - it has benefited them all, after all - and instead wonders how long it’ll take for Lambert to complain he’s being left out.

The second time Jaskier leans into Eskel’s shoulder is almost equally as precious. “How long before you need to set off again?” he asks as he tucks his lute back into its case.

Eskel frowns, pushing one of the two drinks that’d been set down on their table towards him. “We’ve been travelling all day, Jaskier.”

Jaskier nods but doesn’t move, clearing his throat after taking several large gulps and wincing. “You said you had somewhere to be.”

“There’s no hurry,” Eskel says, and he’s not even lying just to be polite; his path is generally north towards the keep but there’s still far too much time before winter sets in to be hurrying. Besides, he has little motivation for cold treks when he can feel Jaskier’s warm breath brushing against him.

“Well, in that case: fish.”

It takes Eskel a moment to realise that’s not some sort of cursing and instead a reference to food, which Jaskier immediately goes to find, leaving Eskel clutching a lute. It’s quite frankly just ridiculous how many times Jaskier gets away with slipping off somewhere in such a short space of time.

“Smells nice,” Eskel says honestly as Jaskier returns with two plates.

The bard smirks at him. “What, me or the fish?”

That takes Eskel a second to recover from. He shrugs. “Good point, could be either.”

Jaskier elbows him in faux offence as he settles yet again, but neither of them say anything more until their plates are empty. Not even two seconds pass before Jaskier yawns so hard that his eyes water.

Eskel laughs quietly. “We should head to the inn.”

“Oh but that would require moving,” Jaskier complains.

It was probably meant to be a humorous comment but Eskel can’t help frowning, wondering why Jaskier hadn’t asked for another break or something during their journey if he’d been getting so tired, not to mention why he’d decided performing was a good idea if he was ready to fall asleep.

“Stop that or I’ll actually write a ballad about the frowning witcher’s adventures,” Jaskier grumbles, poking his arm.

Eskel’s frown fades naturally as he smiles. “I thought you said the metaphors would be too hard?”

At that, Jaskier sits up and squints at him for a moment. “So you were listening after all, then. Is that a challenge, darling?”

“Maybe when your eyes aren’t drooping,” Eskel suggests, very much hoping Jaskier forgets about the whole conversation by tomorrow.

“My eyes are not drooping!” Jaskier argues, but the fact that he’s slumped against Eskel again doesn’t seem to do him any favours.

Eskel hums. “As you say, bardling.”

Jaskier pulls himself upright to prove his point, his hands on his hips as he raises an eyebrow. “See?”

Grabbing Jaskier’s lute as he stands, Eskel nods. “I see. Shall we head to the inn then?”

Jaskier’s mouth drops open as he glances between their now empty seats and Eskel. “You- Did you just- Did you just trick me into…?”

Eskel snorts, neither denying nor confirming the accusation. Thankfully, the inn isn’t far and they manage to get there with no problems, though that’s possibly because their hands are linked so even if Jaskier had started to wobble, nothing major could have happened anyway.

“We humbly request one of your fine rooms, if you will!” Jaskier beams at the innkeeper, a woman who looks a little sceptical at first but quickly softens as she looks over them properly.

“Just the one?” She asks.

Jaskier nods emphatically. “Just the one! No need to wear out the bedrolls, right?” he asks, more for Eskel’s benefit than the innkeeper’s, really.

“Right... Up the stairs, third door on the right,” the innkeeper says, handing him the key and nodding at Eskel with a hint of a smile, to which he nods back gratefully.

Jaskier pulls him along and yawns loudly as they find their room, finally letting go of his hand and flopping back onto the bed with his arms spread out. He’s only managed another quieter yawn by the time Eskel gets himself out of his armour and somehow, that’s equally as sad as it is endearing.

“Jaskier, you need to take your boots off at least,” Eskel whispers, trying his best not to laugh.

Jaskier looks up at him as if he’s just declared that lutes are outlawed. “Are you sure?”

Praying that he doesn’t take it the wrong way, Eskel sighs and goes to tug Jaskier’s boots off himself. He tenses up initially but when he realises what’s happening, he just laughs and awkwardly shrugs his doublet off to contribute.

“If you wanted to take my clothes off, you could’ve just asked,” he drawls, but then promptly yawns again.

“Unfortunately, I don’t speak yawn,” Eskel replies, and this time he does laugh, nudging Jaskier so they can both settle properly.

Jaskier vaguely kicks at him in response - assaulting only the air, of course - before Eskel feels arms around him. It takes a moment to relax his muscles and by the time he’s comfortable with the idea of Jaskier once again acting as a very strange but far from unpleasant blanket of sorts, said bard has already drifted off. Surprisingly, he finds himself doing the same.

“Eskel?”

He jolts awake immediately, his grip instinctively tightening on his weapon. Except it’s not a weapon he’s holding, it’s someone’s waist. Jaskier gasps sharply and Eskel all but flings himself out of the bed, leaning heavily on the closest wall as he clenches his fists and breathes slowly.

“Alright so perhaps waking you up with your name isn’t such a good idea,” Jaskier says eventually.

“I’m usually a light sleeper,” Eskel replies, beyond relieved that Jaskier seems to be amused rather than scared - he’s not sure what he’d do if Jaskier were to be scared of him.

Jaskier nods. “Right. Except you weren’t just then. Well, no matter, but if I don’t get to the privy in the next two minutes, we definitely will have a matter.”

Eskel doesn’t realise he’s kind of laughing until their room door swings shut. And even though Jaskier had taken absolutely no offence, he can’t help but feel embarrassed. So much so that he makes sure to slip out of their room just as Jaskier returns, freshening up before heading to the stables instead of opting for breakfast.

“Hey, girl,” he mumbles to Scorpion, who all but huffs impatiently when she finds his hands to be empty. “Sorry, I was in a rush,” he adds.

He opens his mouth to explain but she seems to be having none of it, stomping on his feet hard enough for it to hurt. He’s only just able to sidestep to avoid her doing the same thing twice, cursing under his breath. “You don’t need to break my toes to stop us from leaving,” he mutters angrily.

“You were leaving?”

Oh no.

Eskel turns on the spot even as the air fills with smoke and ash. Not literally of course, but it may as well be with how horribly strong the scent of distress is.

“Jaskier, I was just-” Eskel starts.

Jaskier shakes his head, exhaling slowly. “I don’t want to- Could you just answer the question? Please? Were you leaving?”

“No,” Eskel replies immediately. “No, of course not. I wouldn’t do that. And nor would Scorpion, it seems.”

Warm, fresh bread dilutes the smoky distress in the air and Eskel sighs with relief; apparently Jaskier believes him.

“Is everything okay?” Jaskier asks eventually, as if the answer to that doesn’t depend on his own emotions rather than whatever Eskel is thinking.

“I didn’t mean to worry you,” Eskel says honestly, “I just needed a minute.”

Jaskier nods. “I can give you a whole day, actually. How does meeting back at the inn tonight sound? Yes? Great, see you then!”

For all the good that enhanced senses do, Eskel wishes they came with enhanced processing because he’s getting tired of being too slow to register the bard’s words before it’s almost too late. Almost.

“Jaskier, wait!”

He’s not fast enough to stop Jaskier leaving the stables but thankfully the bard doesn’t disappear down some alley this time and he manages to end up in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. When Jaskier doesn’t say anything, biting his lip, Eskel sighs. “I don’t know what you’re thinking but it’s probably wrong. I simply… felt bad.”

“For what?” Jaskier asks softly, frowning.

Eskel clears his throat. “For this morning.”

Jaskier’s frown deepens. “What happened this morning? Did you break something or-” he gasps, “-did you hurt my lute?”

Eskel shakes his head, thoroughly confused. “Of course not! I- Why would I do that?”

With a shrug, Jaskier pinches the bridge of his nose. “What are you all guilty about then? We’ve not even been awake for an hour yet, what else could you possibly have done?”

“When you woke me up, I- I thought I might’ve hurt you?”

Jaskier blinks. And blinks again. He opens his mouth to say something only to close it again, then laughs. “Seriously? Oh, darling, that was nothing! It felt like getting hugged by an over-enthusiastic child, far from painful and definitely not something to fret your handsome self over!”

Eskel sighs, inwardly cursing himself for somehow having acted strangely enough to be compared to an over-enthusiastic child, and in an attempt to stop himself from genuinely attempting to flee, focuses back on something else that had bothered him.

“What did you mean by being able to give me a day?” he asks.

Jaskier offers him a sheepish smile. “That man yesterday? Well, I may have promised the Alderman I’d play for him again and then uh, forgotten? Turns out he didn’t forget and he’s ever so nicely offering to overlook the fact that it’s been several years if I perform today. Nothing important but it happens to be someone or the other’s name day and I usually attend those alone so…”

Oh. Of course very few people would want a witcher at their name day and even if they did, they wouldn’t want him; it’s not like scaring the children is ever part of the event.

“Well, I would hate to interfere,” he says after a pause.

Jaskier frowns again, seemingly considering something but only nodding in response. “Yes, there’s really no need. I’ll be done with it all by dinner and if you wouldn’t mind staying another night, we can set off tomorrow?”

Eskel smiles. “I wouldn’t mind at all.”

“Marvellous! Until then, my dear witcher!” Jaskier smiles brightly and this time, does slip past him, fleetingly squeezing his hand as he goes.

Never has he had such a bewildering conversation before breakfast. He thinks he can maybe understand why Geralt had initially seemed averse to travelling with a bard but no, he still cannot comprehend how all the warmth and kindness wouldn’t be seen as worth any amount of confusion.

He appears to have been blindsided by said warmth and kindness though, because it takes him a stupidly long time to remember that he’s capable of spending the day doing something other than just waiting for Jaskier. Capable and very much required to, in fact.

It seems he’s spending his day with the local drowner then.

i'm beginning to suspect this fic is merely a myriad of clichés hiding in a trenchcoat but we're too far in to question it,,, my utmost appreciation to anyone who's somehow still sticking around <333

thanks for reading! masterlist | witcher sideblog: @itsjaskier | next chapter

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catboysimulator · 3 years

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Story Two - Daily Grind

In the early morning of the desert, the weather feels warm yet fresh against one’s skin. In the wee hours of dawn is when the Seekers of the Sankres begin to awaken, eager to begin their day while the Keepers continue to rest after having turned in only an hour or two prior. Fortunately, the Keepers are quite used to the Seekers’ morning routine of sound-offs, some hooting and others chirping, while the rest bellow and lazily roar.

Coming out of their adobe homes after getting ready for the day, they are all prepared and eager to finish their workload. The inner machinations of the tribe work like the simplest, yet most efficient, well-oiled machine. Not one person works alone, every Sankre is integral to the pride for things to operate smoothly. Whether it is tending to the farm, taking care of the little ones, feeding the Gryphons, repairing, cleaning, cooking… The list goes on, and on.

After his arrival, Azhi’li had no idea just where his place was. Everyone worked so easily, as though it was complete second nature. Azhi’li was itching to work, to do something, yet he was worried about trying to offer his help, afraid of making a mess of things.

Of course, that was only after the first month or so of his arrival. He still feels a bit out of place, but he has gotten much more comfortable.

“Good morning, Zizi!” a crowd of little voices chime eagerly, screaming and laughing ringing throughout the caverns as a pile of young miqo’te crowd and climb onto Azhi’li. The red Seeker laughs in amusement as the children cling onto him, lolling their heads back as they tug at their cousin.

“Good mornin’, little ones! C’mon, y’all, get back down! Y’know very well I ain’t a tree!” he chastises them, yet his tone is purely amused. Still, the children listen, getting off Azhi’li and lining up, theatrically puffing up their chests and saluting the older Seeker by pounding their chests with their little fists. The older Seeker couldn’t help but bark out in laughter, rolling his eyes with a giant toothy grin while the young ones also laughed and lightly shoved at each other.

“Alright, come on. Let’s all head on over to the trainin’ grounds, yeah?”

Leading them along, the little miqo’te followed their cousin like little ducklings in a row, chattering amongst themselves.

“What are we going to learn today?”

“I don’t know! Maybe he’ll show us how to split rocks with our BARE HANDS!”

“Or maybe show us how to split the EARTH!”

“Oh, oh! What about if he--?!”

“Hey, hey! Come on, guys, cut me some slack! That’s all a bit too much ta be learnin’ right now, don’t ya think?” Azhi’li quipped in return while the children whined and asked, “So what are you going to show us today?”

“Mm… Well, before we start, how ‘bout we do some stretches, yeah? Come on! Early mornin’ stretches! Th’more relaxed ya are, th’better you’ll learn!”

As soon as that was said, the young ones were quick to quit their questions and move on to do as told. Once their 10 minutes of stretching regiments were completed, Azhi'li let out a "whew!" before grinning towards the kids and pumping his fists. "Alright, li'l pugilists! Let's get started t'day, aye?"

"Aye!" they repeated before laughing excitedly.

It has been this way for a few sennights now, where Azhi'li would show the children what he knows, ever since his uncle G'sena told him of their history.

"We were built on the backs of monks, you know," Sena informed him with a gentle smile. "Our ancestors were refugees of Ala Mhigo during the time of King Theodric, when he razed the Temple of the Fist. What few miqo'te that had been under Rhalgr's teachings escaped to Thanalan, and made our home the way it is today. They carved the sides of the mountains with their hands to make our home, and gave us the Sun." He gestured up towards Azeyma's watch.

"Yet, the people here have long since forgotten our monkhood, and we have instead taken upon blades and shields, bows and axes, staves and chakrams. No one here has encountered a monk ever since your father, and even then he was not taught the way you were. We have soulstones, but no one uses them, nor has used them for many summers," he explained further, holding a box within his hands. "No one can open the box without the blessing of our matron. Yet... I believe with you here, Dhezi, you might manage to rekindle that fire within our people and the matron. And the best place to start with that, if you are interested, is with the younger generation."

"I could see that you are feeling a bit out of place still, so this might be a great opportunity for you to get in touch with your cousins... What do you think, Dhezi?"

Ever since that conversation with uncle Sena, Azhi'li had volunteered to take care of the little ones who were interested in pugilism. He wanted to take them through the steps he had first learned back in Ul'dah with the pugilist's guild, and fortunately they all seemed to be taking in the lessons quite well.

For the ones who didn't understand or seemed to struggle a bit more than the rest, Azhi'li was sure to be patient with and take his time teaching them. He knows he has plenty of time here, plenty of time to learn more of his family and to teach them what he knows, as well as learn about what they know.

This is his home.

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

After training, he takes the little ones to have lunch. Moving into the kitchens, he cooks them up some aldgoat stew, the same way Mama Azhi used to make it for him. He wears a bittersweet smile on his lips the entire time he cooks, soft hums escaping him as his tail sways slowly behind him.

The children wait outside at the tables for their food, while Azhi'li is joined by some older miqo'te. Sunkissed, sunworn; the crinkles on their face creasing as they smile towards Azhi'li. "Dhezi, dear, that smells wonderful. Is there any way we can help?"

"Ah! No, y'don't have ta--," he stammers out, before one of them chuckles and places a gentle hand upon his arm. "We would like to."

That makes the red Seeker pause before smiling a bit sweeter, nodding. "Alright. Let's make enough fer everyone, yeah?"

And so they cooked together, making steaming pots of aldgoat stew. The smell wafted out from the kitchens out into the caverns, bringing in many Sankres from each corner. A feast was not really planned out, but, here they are, passing out bowls to everyone so they can all eat together.

Sharing a warm, hearty meal like this, surrounded by so many people who are considered his family... It feels so strange, honestly, with how many there are-- yet, it is not an unwelcome feeling. These strangers are warm, kind, considerate, and caring to someone who they were meant to know all their lives, yet only just met. It helps Azhi'li relax, helps him realize that these people are indeed meant to be his family.

The caverns are full of laughing, smiling faces. Warmed by Azeyma's rays, as well as embraced by Menphina's light. This is not the type of tribe people have always warned him about back in Ul'dah, ever since he was a kid. Truly, what farfetched lies and stereotypes he was fed.

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"What're ya making, Zizi?"

Approached by a young miqo'te, G’luna, Azhi'li looks up from his craft before offering a gentle grin. "Wanna see?"

"Yeah!" The little one's too-large-for-their-head's ears perk up and his giant, round eyes widen considerably as he steps closer and peers down at what Azhi'li was doing.

Weaving beads together, Azhi'li held onto the string carefully before lifting it to show the curious one.

"Oh! You're making a necklace?"

"Well, makin' that 'nd more. There's a lot of tagua that tio Sena told me about, 'nd the abuelitos showed me how to make jewelry out of them, so..."

"Why are you making so many, though? Do you like to wear them?"

"I do! But these are not for me. They are for m'friends 'nd family."

"... But we are right here? And we already have enough?"

Azhi'li couldn't help but to laugh lightly, nodding. "Ya are, 'nd ya do! But, I'm talkin' 'bout m'other friends 'nd family outside of the Sankres. I have more brothers 'nd mamas that aren't here, y'know!"

"More brothers? Why aren't they here, then?"

"Mm, b'cause they have their own family."

"... I don't get it."

"Haha, that's okay. So, y'know how y'have yer friends, right?" Azhi'li inquires while smiling, continuing to polish some more tagua before weaving them with string. Luna nods.

"Well, I have many friends. People who are not related to me, yet that I know and that I enjoy th'company of. Some a'those people I consider very close, closer than anyone else that I know... so they're like family to me, too. Yer family doesn't only have ta consist of th'people y'were born with, but they can be yer friends, too."

"-- Oh. Okay, I think I understand, now. So, my best friend can be family, too?"

"Well, why not?"

"I dunno."

"So then what would stop ya from callin' 'em such?"

"... Nothing?"

Azhi'li would give them a toothy grin at that, nodding. The young one released a small 'ooh' of revelation, before shifting to sit beside the older Seeker. "... Can I help you make these? How many are you making?"

"Aw, hey, a'course y'can. I'm makin' lots! I gotta make some fer Toadie, Miss Rei, K'ilhi, Mama Azhi, Zi'a, Zi'to... Miss Nana, Ryska, Si'ra, Livia, Latika'a, Yato... ... Poki," he murmurs towards the end, his voice growing smaller the more names he listed. The names he missed more and more as the days went by.

The little one canted their head to the side, looking up at Azhi'li with brows pinched upwards. "Zizi?"

He hadn't realized it, but globs of tears were pouring down his face. He takes in a sharp breath, lifting a paw to wipe at his eyes while muttering, "Sorry, 'm sorry."

Wordlessly, G'luna shifted onto their knees, shuffling closer to Azhi'li and embracing him warmly. "Papa always told me to never apologize for tears, he says they are blessings of one's love."

With a nod, the red Seeker shifted to return the embrace, taking a few moments of deep breaths before pulling away and stroking Luna's head. "Thank you, prime. ... Well, let's make the prettiest collares y pulseras for everyone, hm?"

"Yeah!"

#zizi's arc #story time #azhi

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tamakiamajikistentacles · 4 years

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To Die For {Katsuki Bakugo}

A/N: This has been in the works for months and I made sure I’d have it done for Blasty’s birthday 💥 After all, what better way to celebrate than with like, 9.1k of dad-to-be Bakugo? So ayyy happy birthday Katsuki, 4/20 explode it 💥💥💥

"Who would be stupid enough to come after us? We're the Bakugo's!"

He wished she had never said it, even if it was a joke at the time. He wished the thought had never even crossed her mind. The stupid woman was too optimistic for her own damn good and of course the universe had decided to give a huge middle finger to their little family in the worst way.

It was somewhat astounding that it had taken that long for something terrible to happen, really. Seven years together, three of them married, but the eighth month of pregnancy was the tipping point. Of-fucking-course.

Any other time in their lives she would be able to protect herself, no doubt in his mind, but now? She couldn’t use her quirk because there was no telling if the life energy it drew from to create her weapons and shield would harm the baby and neither of them were willing to risk that in any way. Her quirk, Ki, allowed her to harness her own life energy and transfer it into the shape of tangible objects, bursts of offense, or to another person for energy restoration; it was as useful as it was dangerous.

With a huge stomach she couldn’t just rely on her physical strength alone, and a miniscule part of him wondered if she thought it was the only way, would she use her quirk to try and fight back if the only other option was death? No, the overwhelmingly large part of him knew, she wouldn’t. She would fight physically without her quirk as a last resort but she wouldn’t endanger the tiny life inside of her in such an unknown way. She had been out of action of damn near a year now, her quirk dormant since the day they made their decision to start their own family. The doctor’s assessment of how her quirk could affect pregnancy was horrifying and she had resolved not to use her quirk from that moment until after their child was swaddled safely in Katsuki’s arms and at least ten meters away.

Her dedication to having a family was what made everything worse in his opinion. She had taken time off from hero work to get pregnant, be pregnant, and would take even more time off for the beginning of their daughter’s life. The highest ranking she had held was 22nd and it was just as she had announced her leave from active duty as a pro, and realistically both she and Katsuki knew that ranking would never recover; it couldn’t once she took her pre-planned schedule of reduced patrols and days on call for villain attacks.

Everything had been planned and there were backups to backup plans because they knew that not everything could go according to their plans despite how well-thought out they were but this was just sickening.

He had been on desk duty at the agency with both Kirishima and Sero which meant it was more relaxed, and even Bakugo could appreciate that every once in a while now that he wasn’t foaming at the mouth to prove himself as a hero. He was ranked 4th and it was the highest he had ever been, but he was the youngest person in the Top Five, just behind the old, aging bastard Endeavor, the still annoyingly plucky Hawks, and his personal favorite of those ahead of him, Mirko. Despite his pride in his current position, he was still determined to make it to Number One, and he knew he would, especially when he would have a little one all his own to inspire; “I did this for you,” a phrase he had at the ready for the day that ranking would be announced.

Desk duty was a part of that journey to the top whether he liked it or not. The good part about desk duty days, especially with Kirishima, were that lunch could truly be an hour long and spent at the ramen bar a block away from the agency. Their spicy miso ramen was his favorite and it made the jabs at his palate worth listening to as his mouth watered at the visible heat that could be seen rising from his bowl.

It was after lunch that he and the others were pulled aside into one of the affectionately named war rooms, all three expecting to be told to suit up and head out to respond to a call for backup. The last thing they could have ever predicted, though, was to be greeted by a solemn-looking man in a uniform with a corrections logo on his lapel.

The man stumbled through apologies and excuses as he explained that three high risk villains being transported from their correctional facility to a higher security institution had managed to disarm and disorient their escorts which allowed them to escape. A folder with profiles on each of them was slid in front of the three heroes.

Metal Morph – Quirk: Steel Claws – Retractable steel claws extend from his cuticles at will.

Harpy – Quirk: Avian – Has the beak, talons, and wingspan of a bird while maintaining some physically human characteristics.

Star – Quirk: Drain – By touching another living thing with all five fingers, he can drain their energy to whatever degree he wants, ranging from sleepy exhaustion to death.

Bakugo recognized them immediately from the takedown roughly two months prior. He had been the one to work out their plan of attack since the ringleader Star’s quirk acted similar to his wife’s whose own weaknesses he understood well. All in all it had been a quick and efficient job, the usual threats spewing from the defeated thugs as they were led away in quirk cancelling handcuffs. Generally those threats didn’t bother him, and at the time they hadn’t. “I’ll get you for this, Ground Zero, just you wait,” was pretty standard, but breaking out of custody was not and that’s what had him internally panicking.

Getting him back didn’t necessitate harm to him directly, not when it was a well-known fact that he was married to a fellow hero who had publicly announced her plans to step away from hero work to start a family.

Midway through the more in-depth recounting of the escape, he abruptly stood up. “I have to make a phone call.”

Several of the suits in the room began to protest when Kirishima snapped, “Three villains who threatened to get back at him just escaped and his wife is eight months pregnant, I think he has the right to make a damn call to see if she’s alright.

Bakugo heard him as he continued out the door and into the hallway, grateful that he didn’t have to dignify the idiots with his breath. He was too wound up, his heart pounding as he first texted Jiro to go to his apartment; his old classmate lived in the same complex and he knew she was home that day, so having her go as backup for his wife was only logical. Then he called his wife’s phone, every fiber of his being on edge as he waited for her usual greeting, a playful threat to get back to work that never came.

Pure unfiltered panic coursed through him when he pulled the phone from his ear to hang up only to find a text from Jiro asking why she should be going to his empty apartment. When he called her, she explained that she’d stopped by ten minutes earlier with no answer, assumed his wife had set out to satisfy a lunchtime craving, and gone back to her own apartment. He explained what had happened with the villains and she went back to his apartment, her spare key in hand. She didn’t even get a chance to finish her sentence when she told him of the broken balcony window and his wife’s cell phone still on the kotatsu before he ended the call and ran back into the conference room.

They knew, just based on his expression, that the worst possible scenario had already begun to unfold.

As soon as the briefing was over, Bakugo went into his office and sat down at his desk. His first instinct was to go in blasting anything that moved but he had to think it through, this wasn’t the time to go in and rain explosions without thinking. His wife and his daughter were at stake, and he had to be rational or it could mean that they wouldn’t…

The open-ended thought alone had him grabbing the small wastepaper bin and shoving his head into it so he could vomit his meal back up.

Panting hard, he made the decision to fight. He didn’t trust anyone but himself to head a rescue operation but that would take time to coordinate and he didn’t have time, he had a wife and unborn child being held hostage by villains with quirks that could do nothing but harm to the both of them. He’d taken out more than three villains on his own before and with the addition of who he was fighting for he knew he could sure as hell do it again.

He gathered the last pieces of his hero costume and shoved it into its carrying case that had been its travelling home since UA. Desk days meant being on call so he was dressed in a decent portion of his costume already, needing only his knee pads, gauntlets, mask, and neck piece to be ready for action. Pulling a hoodie over his head, he drew the strings tight and slid a pair of sunglasses on.

Ignoring the shouts of his friends and other agency members he breezed out of the building with his phone in one hand and his costume case in the other. He headed towards the train station, his destination only a thirty-minute trip.

Sitting in a deserted section of the train car, he kept his eyes glued to the open tracking app on his screen, his own orange dot updating coordinates every few seconds as he rocketed across several neighborhoods. The other dot, his wife’s, was stationary.

When they were married, they agreed that given the nature of their hero work there would be times where they could potentially be held hostage or transported via quirk to different locations. Neither of them wanted any sort of repeat of Katsuki’s experience during the training camp of first year; they hadn’t been together at the time, but it was hard on both of them nonetheless. So it was decided that their wedding rings would hold tracking devices so small that no one but them knew they were there. It linked up to an app that showed their locations to one another and could then be used for rescue and extraction.

In the three years since their wedding it had only been used by him to tease her about how often she went to the bakery four blocks west of their apartment building on her days off. Now he was thanking every star in the sky that they had decided on the small backup plan.

When the stop came he moved quickly to follow the tracker towards the dot that hadn’t moved since he left the agency. The coordinates led him towards a more suburban area that tapered off for two blocks before a large billboard advertising a new housing development came into view—move in date for next spring, applications being accepted now.

At the billboard is where he added the last pieces of his costume, the case and his civilian clothes set aside like so many times before; they always made their way back to him. Tightening his mask, he heard footsteps approaching him and he whipped around, palms crackling as he readied for a fight.

“Hell of a hello for someone here to help,” Kirishima laughed through hardened features, well aware of his partner’s potential reaction. He was dressed in his full hero costume looking every bit as ready for a fight as the blonde.

Bakugo relaxed his stance, a hard look set on his face. “How did you find me? I disabled the location on my comm when I got on the train.”

Kirishima held up his phone as his hardening retreated, his features back to normal. “Your wife gave me the tracking info for both of you. Great idea, honestly. Backup is coming too, we’ll probably just need to send out the exact info once we find where they are in this development.”

“The fuck you follow me for?”

“To have your back like I always have. And just like I always have before too, I’m ignoring you telling me that you don’t need me. So tell me your plan so I don’t get in your way.”

“I blast them to hell, you get her out,” he said simply. “Don’t let them touch her.”

“You can count on me,” he assured him, and Bakugo knew that he could. He knew that if anyone was going to come after him and watch his back, it would be Kirishima. He knew the redhead would sooner die than let him down, especially with a mission like this. To die for his best friend’s family would be a manly way to go—a hero’s way.

“Let’s move.”

They continued follow the tracking app deeper into the housing development, the wooden signs staked in the front yards bearing the lot numbers. It was eerie almost, the cookie cutter western style homes looking like something out of an American teen movie but still and quiet, no traffic noise or general sounds of habitation.

It was at lot number nineteen that placed Bakugo’s dot almost directly over his wife’s, and he tilted the phone screen towards Kirishima, nodding towards the door of the house. Moving closer, there were still no sounds from inside, and the quiet continued when they entered the building, quickly and methodically clearing each room one by one. When they found nothing in the general living spaces they descended into the basement, and still they didn’t find her.

Seeing Bakugo’s growing frustration and panic, Kirishima leaned a hand against the stone wall of the small basement, the cool, rough texture grounding him enough to try and think of what they may have missed. Until he felt it shift.

Eyes wide, he caught Bakugo’s attention and pressed harder on the wall to move it even more. He realized it was a door, the break in the walls not visible in the limited light, and it led to a small corridor towards what had to be an offshoot.

“Me first,” Bakugo told him lowly, a hand on his shoulder as he passed him. “Stay out of sight until I attack, then do everything you can to get her the fuck out.”

He nodded, determined. “They won’t touch her.”

Voices could be heard on the other side of the short corridor, the angry feminine one bringing relief like no other to the both of them. She was alive and she was pissed by the sound of it, insults flying from her mouth like bullets from a gun.

Kirishima hung back in the shadows just beyond where the dim lights of the other room could reach as Bakugo entered, completely visible to two of the villains standing around his angry wife across the room had they not been watching her. The ringleader only a few steps to his right had yet to notice his presence either.

“You’ve got a mouth on you,” he said, a grimace on his lips.

“And guess where the fuck she learned it from, shithead.”

All eyes turned to him, his wife’s looking relieved as a hand raised to push her hair out of her eyes.

“Well look who found us,” Star said airily.

Bakugo snarled, provoked by the indifferent tone, and prepared to strike. A body knocked into him as he moved to rush the cocky son of a bitch, sending him into the wall hard. He could taste iron on his lip but his resolve to kick the shit out of the one responsible for taking away his wife and daughter was stronger than a little bit of blood.

“None of you are walking away from this,” he said, spitting to the side as he regained his footing. “I’ll blow each and every one of ya straight to hell.”

With a shake of his head, Star met his gaze. "I'm going to make your life hell, Ground Zero."

The pro hero chuckled, thumbing at the trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.

"There's only one person allowed to make my life hell and she's gotten pretty good at it over the past seven years. You've got no chance, asshole."

The villain hummed sinisterly. “It’s going to be so satisfying watching your face as I drain the life out of her and that little leech in her stomach. I can drag it out, too. It’s usually more fun for me that way.”

Bakugo’s lips curled into a sneer, and he launched himself straight at Star with a quick burst from his palms. He’d have to be careful to avoid full contact with five fingers but he was versatile in battle, his attacks varied enough to be suitable for any range. He’d keep close but just out of reach, his midrange moves likely to be more than enough to blow the asshole away.

His issue came in the form of the bird one, Harpy, that was running interference to keep him away from Star who had no offense other than close range. Fine, he could keep two of them at bay.

Across the open area Kirishima was now in the room, entering into a stare down with the villain called Metal Morph, the blue haired man ready to keep him away from Bakugo’s wife who sat back against the stone wall, hands wrapped protectively around her stomach.

“If you surrender now, you can walk away unharmed,” Kirishima offered the villain. “No matter what you choose, you’ll be taken into custody. Make it easy on yourself.”

With a chuckle as the only response, the villain leapt towards him with steel claws drawn. He hardened his upper body easily and crossed his arms to block the slashes, digging his heels into the packed earth floor to stay balanced from the blow. He then charged Metal Morph, his arms taking on his Unbreakable form, having managed to master the move to the point where he could harness it in certain areas instead of his whole body.

Each of them being close range fighters, they were fairly even in terms of intensity, but Kirishima’s skill was unmatched. Within moments he was able to subdue him after a hard hit with an Unbreakable fist sent him flying into a wall, knocking him out as his head bashed against the stone and his body slid down to slump onto his left side.

Releasing his quirk, Kirishima turned to Bakugo’s wife and held out a hand to her, helping her up from her place on the ground. “Are you alright? Are you hurt? Is the baby okay?”

“We’re okay,” she said hoarsely. “They’ve barely even touched me aside from when they took me from the apartment. No hits, no falls. I’ve played nice to make sure nothing happened.”

“Good, that’s good,” he murmured. “I’m gonna take you out of here, backup shouldn’t be far out. Bakugo can handle those two. Do you mind if I pick you up? It’s probably faster, no offence.”

She nodded with a grin. “Get me the fuck out of here.”

He smiled as he scooped her up, careful to hold her steady but not too tight. Turning to the corridor he started towards it, glancing to Bakugo who was flung backwards, and he was fighting himself not to hesitate. He had his orders, he had to get her out—

The villain Harpy crashed into him and made him stumble, but he kept his hold on her and regained his footing. He couldn’t harden his entire body without cutting her with the way he held her and if he let her down the villain could take her. His mind raced with his next move as he felt her shift her legs off of his arm and to the ground, freeing his left side as his right kept her shielded.

Kirishima swung his arm back as he felt the shift in the air from Harpy flying towards him again, hoping to knock him away or off balance. He managed to hit the birdlike man in the temple which caused him to crumple to the ground, but not before he had sunk his talons over his shoulder and dug them in deep.

Pain exploded in his shoulder and he cried out, his hold around her waist dropping as he doubled over to clutch at his shoulder. His knees gave out and he sank to the ground, shock creeping across his skin as blood flowed from the cuts with each beat of his heart.

She knelt down next to him, guiding his head onto her lap. Basic first aid wasn’t much to wounds like this but it could slow the bleeding and buy them time until backup arrived. She just hoped it would be enough.

"Shit, Kirishima, you gotta be okay," she said, ripping the bottom of her dress to create a bandage to help stop the bleeding. "Fuck fuck fuck fuck!"

She wound the ripped pieces of cloth around his left side, his eyes hazy and unfocused. Little whimpers of pain escaped his lips as she pulled the fabric tight against the wound and pressed down firmly.

“Baby girl B,” he breathed out, wincing as he registered the pressure against his shredded shoulder. “Are you both…?”

She nodded, biting her lip. “We’re okay, Kirishima, we’re okay. You took the hit, and they never even touched us.”

He swallowed, nodding as his face scrunched in pain, his eyes closed. Sharp teeth bit into his bottom lip and his right hand balled into a fist.

Bakugo, who had seen the hit, froze at the sight of all the blood on his partner from where he had landed from Harpy’s last attack. It took only a beat for him to see his wife go to the redhead and begin tending to him, but it was a beat too long for him to have lost focus.

Five chilled fingers pressed against his exposed bicep and immediately his entire being felt like lead, his body leaning heavily against the wall. With all his strength he turned his head to see Star’s hand dropping from his arm, a self-satisfied smirk painted across his face. He stepped a few paces back, head cocked as if admiring his handiwork, and Bakugo decided in that moment what had to be done to end this.

“Real shame about Red Riot,” Star said in mock sadness. “Willing to die for his partner’s little whore wife to be saved only for her, the parasite you put in her, and him all to die right in front of your eyes.”

Bakugo’s heart picked up speed, his blood pumping the anger through his veins as he slowly uncurled his right palm and turned it out towards the monologuing villain. It never failed to get them into trouble, fuckin’ amateur.

“I won’t kill you, though, Ground Zero,” Star continued, “no, I’m going to make you watch them die. The three people you care about the most all dead and it’ll be on you.”

“None of them are dying today,” he ground out, palm heating.

Star smirked. “You heroes are all too—”

An explosive stream burst from his palm—a smaller version of his AP Shot designed to work like a blowtorch—and hit the villain in front of him in the thighs causing his knees to buckle, pitching him forward onto his hands and knees in front of Bakugo.

“You villains are all so fucking stupid.”

He shakily raised his right arm, fatigue crawling over his bones and his muscles screaming at the weight of his gauntlet.

“You came into my home, kidnapped my pregnant wife, made your cronies injure my partner, and had plans to kill the three most important people in my life—the three people who make up my fucking family.”

He opened his extended palm, aiming for the now pleading villain in front of him.

"You come after me and I'll kill ya," Bakugo breathed, his left forefinger hooking into the pin of the gauntlet, "but you come after my family and I'll fuckin' destroy you."

On his final word, he pulled the pin.

A massive explosion rocked the open space, the heat being felt on her cheeks as she turned away from the blast, curling herself around Kirishima to shield him from debris without taking the pressure off of his wounds. It would do no good for Katsuki to win the fight but lose his best friend.

Her ears were still ringing when the smoke around them began to clear, and she leaned harder into Kirishima’s shoulder. He gave a soft grunt at the pressure and his jaw twitched as he clenched his teeth. His eyes were still closed, and she could feel the tight coil of his body relaxing, panic running through her at the realization that he was slipping into unconsciousness.

From across the room she heard a shout of her name, “Are you injured? Is the baby okay? What about Kirishima—"

"I’m fine Katsuki, but how far out is backup?" she replied, hands slipping against bloodied skin. "He's in a bad way, Katsuki. I... I don't know how much more blood he can lose!"

His eyes widened as he finished snapping the capture cuffs onto Star, abandoning the crumpled villain and sprinting the short distance to her, dropping down to his knees beside her.

“Fuck! My comm was wrecked when I first came in, where’s his? He usually keeps it in these stupid gears,” he rambled, opening the compartment of his shoulder piece, careful not to jostle him or bump her hands.

Practically on cue, Kirishima's communication device radioed that teams were arriving at that moment and needed a pinpointed location. Bakugo grabbed it from within the compartment and brought it up to relay the info, his hands shaking slightly as he pressed the button to speak.

"This is Ground Zero, current location is an offshoot of the sub-basement of lot number nineteen. Red Riot's down and needs medics fucking stat, he's lost a lot of blood. The villains have been handled with use of potentially deadly force to protect all parties. Hostage is safe and unharmed."

She looked toward him, panic evident in her eyes as Kirishima's head lolled to his right, breath shortened to small puffs against her thigh.

"C'mon, Shitty Hair, don't do this," he muttered, gloved hands cradling the redhead's face. "You don't get to die today."

She continued the pressure on the wound, her heart hammering against her ribcage.

"You listen to me and you listen good, Kirishima," her husband continued, his teeth gritted, "I'll be fucking damned if you bleed out on my wife and don't get to meet my daughter. The hell am I supposed to tell her, huh? That you saved her and her mother but your stupid ass got killed doing it?"

"Katsuki," she whispered, eyes starting to sting as the sound of reinforcements arriving began to grow louder.

He glanced up at her, eyes wild and desperate. "No! He needs to know he's an idiot if he dies!" He looked back down to the redhead. "The day I got married you were so excited to be my best man and there's more I need you to do, you asshole! You gotta be here to-to be Uncle Ei for my baby girl! And I want you to be her godfather! I don't fucking trust anyone else to take care of my kid if something happens to us!"

Tears tracked down her cheeks as she watched his head bow, blonde hair obscuring his masked face further.

"You gotta fight," he murmured so softly she almost didn't hear amidst the shouting beyond the corridor. "You got me back at Kamino. You got my wife and daughter back now. You gotta fight so my daughter can meet the best friend I've ever had. C'mon, Ei. Just fight."

His words faded into the air between them, still for only a moment before the first responders appeared around the rubble and broke into smaller groups to tend to both Kirishima and the villains. Two others approached the couple once they moved back from their friend, Bakugo’s arms wrapped securely around her and hugging her close to him.

“I’m fine,” she started as one of them opened their mouth to begin a verbal assessment. “My forearm is a little scraped up so that will need tended to but other than that I’m unharmed. I just want to make sure the stress hasn’t had any adverse effects on the baby.”

They nodded, pulling out supplies to start treating the scrape and asking some follow up questions. Their partner turned to Bakugo and was also cut off before they even began.

“Cuts and scrapes. Gonna have a few bruises. They can patch me up at the hospital,” he said, tone final. As far as he was concerned, his wife, daughter, and best friend were much more important to be tended to.

His eyes slid over the responder’s shoulder to where a small crowd was around Kirishima, four men and one woman. The men were assessing him and applying more pressure to the wound, muttering flowing between them. The woman was calm in comparison, rigging up what Bakugo recognized as a small, portable transfusion apparatus to her own arm before working on fastening the other end to Kirishima’s.

“Blood type?” she prompted as she worked.

“O,” one of the men responded. It was common practice to send all relevant medical information to the responders heading towards a scene where pros were involved, a useful trove of information that allowed quick, informed decisions to be made when there were serious injuries.

“He’s high risk with this sort of trauma as a type O,” the woman informed them before finishing the setup in his arm, “but you know I’m not the type to lose a cute redhead.”

Bakugo wanted to snap at her to do her damn job, not flirt with his unconscious, possibly fucking dying if he was so damn high-risk partner, but a squeeze to his hand brought him back to the fact that he had his two girls to look after.

“He’s gonna be okay,” she assured him with a steady voice.

“He sure as fuck better be,” he grunted, fingers intertwining with hers as they were approached to provide statements. Neither of them were eager to stay back for them despite only needing ten minutes max between the two, but they both knew that Kirishima needed to be taken immediately and it would be easier in the long run for him if they provided everything they could now.

So as the redhead was taken out through the corridor and to the local medical facility, they ran through their accounts quickly, her abduction, hours held captive, and the fight between the heroes and villains that had one in critical condition pouring out as clinical and thorough as possible. With promises of a formal report once Kirishima was released from the hospital, Bakugo began to lead her out of the area, frustrated that they weren’t with Kirishima and afraid that something could be wrong with the baby despite his wife assuring him that nothing had physically happened to cause damage.

The fear didn’t melt away until they were at the hospital in an exam room with the strong, steady heartbeat of his daughter echoing through the small space. It calmed him down exponentially to hear the doctor tell them that everything was alright, that mom and baby were both just as they should be. So with that knowledge and the fact that Kirishima was in surgery to repair his shoulder and ensure there was no further damage, he allowed himself to be treated, the few cuts and scrapes he had sustained cleaned and bandaged.

Once he was finished, they headed towards the private recovery area to wait for Kirishima to be out of surgery, Bakugo’s knee bouncing for the entirety of the half hour leading up to a doctor asking if they were there for Eijirou Kirishima. They were told that he was stable and would recover just fine, but physical therapy would likely be necessary. The scarring he mentioned with a grimace made the couple snort—Kirishima had always thought that scars from hero work were “the manliest badge of honor a guy could receive!”

They were granted permission to wait in his room for him to wake up, something the doctor said could take a while based on how much blood he had lost. The immediate transfusion at the scene had definitely helped, but his body needed time to heal from what it had gone through.

While Bakugo understood that, he was still anxious when two hours later Kirishima’s eyes remained closed and his breathing even.

"He should've woken up by now," he muttered, arms crossed tight over his chest as he stared at his unmoving partner.

"Katsuki, he lost a lot of blood. His body's been through a lot, so I think it's okay that he's still out. The doctor said he's stable."

"Until he's awake and giving us that dumbass smile of his, I won't be happy."

"You know, I think Kirishima would prefer you focus on other important things while he's lying here in stable condition."

He fixed her with a hard stare. "What in the fuck could be more important than my best friend and partner not waking up after almost bleeding out in your lap?"

She shrugged. "I mean, I'm pretty sure I'm in labor so I figured you may want to deal with that."

"What the hell did you just say?" he whispered, voice soft.

"I started having contractions when they came to tell us he was out of surgery," she admitted. “They weren’t that close together and I knew you’d want to try and wait for him to wake up, so I didn’t mention it. But now, I think it would be best to get me admitted because they’re way more intense and have been slowly getting closer together for about half an hour now.”

Bakugo closed his eyes for a moment and blew out a breath. “With the amount of pure fucking chaos today has been, I’m not even surprised.”

“You’re not mad?”

“Babe, I don’t think I have any room for anger in me right now with all the fucking worry,” he chuckled darkly. “But I’m the one who needs the least amount of attention. C’mon, you need a room and one of those baby heartbeat belt things, right? Let’s go.”

She watched him stand up and head for the door, throwing a glance back at Kirishima’s unconscious form one last time, and stood to join him, her hands clasped beneath her belly as she reached him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided her through the off-white hallways. His calm demeanor was surprising, but more helpful than she could imagine.

As she was set up in the maternity room he stood by her side waiting for instruction from either her or the doctor, very unsure of what he was supposed to be doing at this stage. All the parenting books and articles he had (secretly) read just advised to do as he was asked but no one had asked him to do anything. He hoped that over the course of her labor he would be given a task, something to do to feel useful.

And they did, the tasks asked of him over the next few hours being small: calling friends and family, helping her into and out of bed as she walked around the room, fetching her cold compresses, massaging her sore legs. Whatever made it easier on her, he would do.

Her contractions had built in intensity throughout the night and into the early morning hours, her whimpers of pain tearing at his heart, but she continued to grit her teeth and keep calm. He was relieved when she was able to sleep even if it was only for an hour or two. It was at least some time where her discomfort wasn’t at the forefront of her mind. It also allowed him some time to begin outlining the report on the previous day’s events, a task he had no desire to complete but one he would rather finish as soon as possible if it meant he could begin his paternity leave quickly.

By noon she was dilated eight centimeters, in an intense amount of pain, and practically foaming at the mouth with the desire to start pushing. He tried to comfort her, reassuring her that it would soon be time to start pushing and they would meet their daughter which she found endearing more than anything; it wasn’t often that he was the one trying to calm her down.

To keep the time passing and her attention focused on him instead of the pain and waiting he talked to her about anything he could think of. He talked about the lunch he had with Kirishima and Sero the previous day and brought up memories of their days at UA when they were younger and dumber but not blind to the evils of the world. At one point they discussed names for the baby, a topic that up until then had been volatile at best. The same conclusion was drawn every time: “I have to see her to know what her name should be.”

Finally, at almost three o’clock in the afternoon, it was time for her to begin pushing.

For over an hour she pushed, her refusal for any help with pain something she resolved to revisit for any future children. Katsuki didn’t leave her side, his hand clasped tightly in hers and giving her all the encouragement she could ever need with curse words peppered in just as expected. She would’ve been disappointed if his coaching was anything else.

And suddenly it was over, her body belonging only to her again for the first time in nearly a year. It was over and another Bakugo had entered the world, her volume easily betraying her heritage as Katsuki cut the cord with a dazed expression on his face. He was speechless, watching as the little girl was taken to the other side of the room to be cleaned and weighed and swaddled while his wife continued with the delivery of placenta and receiving her stitches. While he didn’t leave her side, his eyes remained on the small baby as if he was afraid that she would disappear if he wasn’t looking at her.

As quickly as the room had filled with doctors and nurses, it was empty just as fast once everything was over and the tiny child was placed in her mother’s arms.

His wife let out a choked sob of a laugh as the last nurse exited the room with a reminder to buzz if they needed anything, glassy eyes trained on the little girl in her arms. She repositioned the edges of the blanket around her with shaky hands and a wobbly smile.

“Look at her, Katsuki,” she whispered, her voice wavering. “Look, she has your eyes!”

He couldn’t stop staring at the blotchy-faced little blonde in his wife’s arms, her nearly-too-light-to-see brows furrowed as she stared up at them wailing. She definitely had his eyes, the bright red even looking indignant at the fact that she wasn’t as warm as she had been for the last so many months.

“She’s… she’s finally here,” she continued. “We have a daughter, we’re parents.”

He felt emotion bubbling in his chest and he wasn’t sure if it was purely the exhaustion from being awake for a day and a half or the fact that his child was safely swaddled in the love of his life’s arms or the fear that his best friend was so close to never being able to meet his daughter, or likely a combination of everything. Regardless, he knew that this was a day he would never forget for the rest of his life, for both the good and the bad it had brought.

“Can I hold her?” he asked as he finally found his voice, rough as it may be with the emotions swirling beneath his skin.

She sobbed out another laugh, eyes misty as she beckoned him closer. “She’s your daughter, of course you can hold her.”

He didn’t respond, only wiping his nervous hands on his pants before leaning forward and allowing his wife to gently set the newborn in his arms. Hyperaware of how his hands supported her, he sat back in his chair and looked down at the slowly calming child in his arms.

His child, he reminded himself, his daughter with the woman crazy enough to stick by him for so many years. Somehow he had ended up with the both of them in spite of the unforgivable words he spoke as a teenager, the anger had used as a weapon for so long, and all the other mistakes he had made in his life.

A small huff of a laugh escaped him as he moved a hand to rest atop the blanket bundled around her. She was fascinating to him, red eyes and just a smidge lighter than his ashy blonde hair so easily traceable to him but surprising nonetheless. It was surreal to be holding her, finally, after so long watching her mother’s belly grow and speaking to the taut skin that was her first home, and he could only continue to laugh quietly in disbelief.

“I’m your dad,” he managed to tell her between giggles. “I’m your dad and one day I’m gonna be the highest ranked hero to all of Japan, but I’m always gonna be your number one hero, yeah? You and your mom gotta be my biggest fans.”

Having been discreetly taking pictures of the moment, his wife began to tear up again at his words. Never once had she imagined a scene like this when they were teenagers and began dating during their second year at UA, but watching it unfold right before her eyes was more than she could have ever hoped for. Katsuki would be happy when they finally met their daughter, she’d always known that throughout the past few months, but this was better than any other reaction she could dream of.

“We’ll always cheer the loudest,” she said with a watery smile.

He looked up at her, the grin still on his face. “You damn well better.”

They were both in awe at the little girl and the influence she held over them already, the next hour being spent still in disbelief at the fact that she was finally with them and able to be held close, kissed, and fawned over.

It was soon after that Bakugo’s parents arrived, excited to see the newest member of the family and eager to hear the fine details of the previous day’s ordeal with the villains. They fit right into their roles as doting grandparents, Masaru taking on an even softer tone than usual to speak to the tiny girl in his arms and Mitsuki cooing affectionately how much she looked like her daddy. Bakugo held so much pride in the little family he had built for himself, watching his parents interact with his daughter stirring within him the desire to be different, be better with her than they were with him. She would be great, but she would be humble.

He was happy that his parents could see how far he’d come, from explosive little brat to a hero with a family, explosions still prominent but saved for work alone. It was nice too for him to see them happy and proud of him, the phrase not something he had heard from them in a long time. Everything felt right, at peace, except for one obvious missing piece.

His parents stayed until visiting hours were over and left after many hugs and promises to help whenever they needed. That was also comforting to know they were near and able to help them if the need arose, her own family from much farther away and unable to come as quickly should they need grandparents’ intervention.

Bakugo blinked sleepily as he finished changing his daughter out of one tiny white hospital onesie and into another, grateful that his parents had been able to grab their hospital bags and bring them in so he didn’t need to leave the hospital himself. A day and a half with no sleep was beginning to catch up with him.

“Katsuki, you should sleep,” his wife said as she watched him scoop the baby up. “You didn’t nap when I did while I was in labor which means you’ve been awake for nearly 36 hours straight. You need to rest.”

He shook his head as he cradled their daughter close. “S’okay, I can stay up with her tonight, you’ve been through way too much in the last two days. Plus I’ll be able to get news about Kirishima as soon as there is any.”

“Baby girl is tired, I could probably get her to sleep if I feed her. She’s due to eat anyway so why don’t you go sit with Kirishima for a bit and if he’s not awake soon, come back up and rest.”

He sighed, glancing down at the wriggling little blonde in his arms. It felt like no matter what he decided he was going to be away from someone he cared about and feeling guilty.

“Gimme that baby,” she playfully demanded, beckoning him closer. “Sit with Kirishima then get your ass back up here to cuddle us.”

“I… yeah, okay,” he relented, moving to set the baby in her arms. He ran a hand through the tufts of hair on her head, one finger drifting down to run over a chubby cheek. “I’ll be back soon okay? I’m taking my phone so if you need me, text me.”

“Say bye to daddy, baby girl,” she giggled, taking her little hand and waving it cutely at him.

With a smile and a kiss to his wife, he headed out the door and to the elevators, the distance he put between himself and the maternity room feeling so much larger than he could ever anticipate. But still he walked, intent on at least seeing his best friend and hoping that he would be able to bring the happy news of his daughter’s birth.

He entered the room quietly and took a seat in the same chair he had been in when his wife had said she was in labor. That moment a day ago felt like another lifetime entirely. In a way it was, it was a life where he didn’t have his daughter in his arms, when her life in the outside world had yet to begin.

Alone with his thoughts, he watched Kirishima’s steady, even breaths, the bandages over his shoulder crossing his chest and having just enough give to ensure it wasn’t constricting his breathing. Surely he would see the bandages as another one of those manly badges of honor he always spoke of, and Bakugo would readily agree. His decision to go into a three-on-one fight wasn’t the best and without Kirishima, things would likely be very different. He didn’t want to dwell on it; it wasn’t what happened, and it could never happen again.

So he settled in to wait, slowly sliding down in the plastic chair as time ticked by on the clock above the door. He didn’t expect his partner to be out this long and he was worried. All of the good he had experienced in the last day wouldn’t feel complete, not truly, until he was seeing the goofy, sharp smile of his best friend. He wanted, no, needed him to wake up. And within forty minutes, when he saw red eyes open tiredly, he felt like he could finally breathe fully again.

When Kirishima regained consciousness and heard the distinctive beeps of hospital equipment, he didn’t even need to open his eyes to know that he and Bakugo’s mission had more than likely been successful. The soreness in his left shoulder was bearable so he’d been healed and if he was in a hospital bed then that meant that reinforcements had come and retrieved them.

Slowly blinking, he let out a sigh at the brightness of his room.

“Nice of you to finally wake your ass up.”

Turning to his right, he spotted a very exhausted Bakugo slumped down in a visitor’s chair.

“How—” he cut himself off, voice cracking weakly. He cleared his throat and tried again, “How long have you been here?”

Grunting, he sat forward. “In the hospital, a little more than a day. In your room, this time, about an hour.”

Kirishima furrowed his brows. “This time? Where else were you? Shouldn’t you be with your wife? Wait- is she here too? Is she hurt? Did something happen after I went down? Is the baby—”

“Shut up, Shitty Hair,” he groaned, rubbing a hand over his face before levelling the redhead with a tired look. “I took care of the villain after you passed out and reinforcements came in time to get your ass here to get your shoulder taken care of. We were both treated for minor cuts and we came here to wait for you to wake up, but she ended up going into labor, so I was with her for that. She’s fine and so’s my baby girl. They’re both asleep right now up on the third floor.”

“Baby girl B is here?” Kirishima whispered.

Bakugo’s lips quirked up into a soft smile. “Yeah, she’s here safe and sound. Little bit of a lighter blonde than me but she’s got my eyes without a doubt.”

“Bro, congrats, I can’t believe she’s here!” he said happily, his eyes stinging with the threat of tears. “What did you guys name her? When can I visit her? Did your parents already stop by? Have—”

“You gotta slow down with the questions, Kirishima. I’ve been awake for almost two days straight,” he grunted, no heat behind the words. “You can come up and see her as soon as you’re discharged which should be quick if you call in a nurse. My parents were here for about two hours after she was born but they headed home already. Visiting hours ended at seven but you get a special pass to come back with me for a bit tonight.”

Kirishima had never hit the call button for a nurse so quickly in his life.

Within twenty minutes, he had been checked over by the attending physician and officially discharged with orders not to return to the field for three weeks, a recommendation for physical therapy, and a bounce in his step as he followed his best friend to the elevators. He had been given a special visitors badge that allowed him in the maternity ward despite visiting hours being long over and not having a wife and child of his own to be with; generally he wouldn’t let his pro hero status be used to bend the rules like that, but considering he was about to meet his best friend since high school’s newborn daughter for the first time after a dramatic rescue, he decided that one time couldn’t hurt. Bakugo had been the one to ask for it anyway, so it wasn’t entirely on Kirishima in the first place.

His excitement was bubbling beneath his skin as he walked behind Bakugo towards the room his little family was assigned to. When they stopped at room 304, a quick but soft knock on the open door was all that needed to be done to announce their presence.

“Look, honey, daddy’s back,” his wife cooed to the small bundle gathered in her arms as she sat on the bed. She looked tired, but her smile never faltered as she glanced up to the two men. “Kirishima, I’m glad you’re alright. C’mon in, you’ve got someone who’s been waiting to meet you.”

The redhead cautiously walked forward with Bakugo who reached out to take the baby from her. Turning back, Bakugo gave him a wide grin.

“Alright, baby girl,” he murmured, tucking the blankets away from her face, “open those pretty eyes for me, there’s someone here to see you.”

Kirishima caught his first glimpse of her face, smooth skin and chubby cheeks surrounded by the minty green of the blanket she was swaddled in. Just as he’d been told, her hair stood out as paler than her father’s, but when her eyes fluttered open and he could see the bright red he’d always associated with Bakugo, he had to hold back the tears.

“’S a little Bakubaby,” he managed to laugh, his voice caught in his throat at the sight of the tiny child.

“Hold out your arms,” Bakugo instructed, placing his daughter in his hold when he complied. He watched proudly as Kirishima cradled her to his chest, then started to speak, his eyes on his friend but his words to his daughter, “Now, baby girl, I want you to meet your Uncle Ei. He’s the one who helped me make sure you and mama were safe, because he’s my best friend and has had my back since we were teenagers. He’s always gonna have your back too, you know. That’s what godfathers do, after all.”

That was the breaking point for Kirishima’s tears as he whispered out a choked, “Really?”

Bakugo nodded, chuckling. “Yeah. No one else I trust to look after my kid if something were to happen to us. You’d raise her right.”

He sniffled, then smiled back down at the tiny blonde. “Yeah, I… I’ll do my best for her no matter what. Did… did you two decide on a name for her yet?”

Bakugo glanced back, bringing his wife into the moment.

“We did,” she said, catching Kirishima’s attention. “We wanted to give her a name with meaning, and we decided that the most meaning we could find was in the man who helped make sure that she made it into the world. So, Kirishima, meet your goddaughter Kira Bakugo.”

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snarkywrites · 4 years

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Juno Retrograde: Balance & Independence

The Juno Retrograde happened on February 8th, 2020 in the sign of Libra and it will go direct on May 26th, 2020. This will impact Air and Fire signs. I debated posting this during Valentine’s Day but did not want to cause any panic. A Juno Retrograde will bring to the forefront issues with established relationships. This does not necessarily mean romantic; it can also impact friendships and other interpersonal relationships that have been on the rocks. In the sign of Libra, we will all focus on bringing balance to the situation and making sure it is implemented moving forward. There could also be issues that echo independence and freedom. Either way, we will all learn a lot about ourselves, our love languages and our ability to sacrifice all in the name of love after this transit.

(Check your Rising sign or the House that transiting Juno falls in.)

Aries/Juno in the 7th House – You will be greatly impacted by this Retrograde since it will fall in your house of partnerships. This does not mean that your relationships will end during this transit but it will bring to light any issues that you have been keeping to yourselves. Allow this period to enlighten and teach you about what you want in a relationship in order to reach its full potential. For those who are single, you will also feel this energy with close friends. You too will understand the importance of respect and balance since this is what the sign of Libra tries to teach us. Focus on stabilizing the energy between both parties and if you are expending more than they are, bring it to their attention and do not be afraid to discuss. Whatever ends during this period, will serve to help you grow more.

Taurus/Juno in the 6th House – You and Libra are both Venus rules signs. The impact of the Juno Retrograde will highlight your work environment and the relationship you have with colleagues. If things have been rocky for you, now is the time to make amends and bring about peace and order in order to help things to continue flourishing for you and those who are in the same workspace. Try your best not to ger caught up with petty drama during this time but focus on stepping up to your role as leader. The Juno Retrograde is here for several months, inspiring you to bring some diplomacy into your everyday life. If you have been the source of the chaos, reel it all in and do not let your anger take over. This is a great period for learning and growing as you come out of this with new insight and more positive perspectives relating to your dynamic with others.

Gemini/Juno in the 5th House – The Juno Retrograde might be a bit of a downer for those who want to find something more solid with their casual romantic pursuits. Do not worry, this is a trial run of what you will be expecting for the Venus Retrograde and you will learn a lot about love in the next year. For many Gemini’s this period of time will be here to teach you to grow, to experience and to learn what it means to truly love and commit. There can be setbacks, but nothing worth fighting for is easy, so just try and keep your head in the game. Your opportunity for growth and change is right around the corner when it comes to the romance department. It will be an interesting year and an eye-opening experience to see just where you are in terms of approaching partnerships. How you view commitment in the long term and how hard you are willing to fight for those impossible connections.

Cancer/Juno in the 4th House – It all comes back to home with you as the Juno Retrograde brings a focus to the connections made at home or to the space that you consider to be most intimate. This is a perfect time to reconnect with family, friends and others that you have pushed away. Creating harmony, the Libra way will provide you a sense of progress when it comes to connecting. The Retrograde will want you to go back to your roots and might make you feel like a bit of a homebody. To the married folks, you will have to find resolutions within your personal environment. Any issues will be dug up by the retrograde, so be prepared. Again, this is not a negative thing, it will serve to enforce a bond and to help find ways to strengthen it. You will have immense courage and faith after this transit.

Leo/Juno in the 3rd House – Juno here wants to have someone to share their thoughts with and will become silent during the retrograde. Remember, that in order to get to the root of a problem, you need to discuss and share because it is the only way for partners to grow. Libra wants us to hear our partners and be respectful of their desires. This also applies to friendships. We need to treat everyone with respect, especially if they have not harmed us in anyway. Retrogrades are a moment in time that allow us to focus on an issue and learn from them. Vocalize your hurt, your truths and reassure your partner with your words. This should not be an issue for the aristocratic Leo, but it will take a lot of pride for you to show your vulnerabilities and weaknesses to others.

Virgo/Juno in the 2nd House – A Retrograde in this house will make you reconsider your position in the world, identity and worth. How much do you value yourself in these relationships? Are you putting too much energy or are you being selfish? You will be focused on your stability and any threats can push you to the point of ending a relationship. Virgo likes to analyze and dig for answers even when everything is absolutely fine. This retrograde should not be a moment of paranoia for you, so do not go looking for issues in a situation that is has no problems. Instead, make sure to think about how you are feeling and your happiness. Libra wants us to find the balance, but the Aries side wants you to think about how happy you are and what you can do to expound on it.

Libra/Juno in the 1st House – The Juno Retrograde will be in your sign. No need to panic since this is just a period of evaluation in your interpersonal relationships. If you have been a bit of a pushover, now is your time to find some qualities that your sister sign, Aries will applaud you for. It is your moment to take control, discuss issues that you might be having with your partnerships and bring about plans to fortify this union. On the flipside, this is a period of time in your life that makes you think of the wonderful qualities your partner has and you will respect them more for it. The Juno Retrograde can bring ends as well as create stronger ties. You are the master of balance and understand the philosophies of unions. Trust your gut in determining which side of the coin you are on.

Scorpio/Juno in the 12th House – This will be a very intense retrograde for you because it will bring your detective skills here in order to break away from those potential romantic partners who are not worth your time and effort. In this house you will have less of a propensity to forgive because what is ended here, has no power to return. The Juno Retrograde will open your eyes to what truly matters when it involves intimate partners. This is also a great position for an evolved union with a partnership that builds upon trust, love and hope. Your partner, if they have the best interest in you, will help you find yourself and grow even in the toughest times. With Mars entering Capricorn, your investigative skills will be unmatched, as you decide whether those you are dealing with are truly friend or foe.

Sagittarius/ Juno in your 11th House – Here you might experience friction in your friend circles as well as with those who you meet. Make sure to bring harmony and not promote divisiveness. You will see those who are loyal to you as well as the ones who do not have the best interest in you or your accomplishments and hopes. Juno in Libra retrograding will teach you to approach situations involving your closest friendships with grace as well as disconnecting from those who are no longer being positive influences in your life. The ones causing stress and pain, you will have less tolerance for. This is a moment of forming even tighter bonds with people you have had years of friendships with as well as establishing boundaries with those who are no longer on the same wavelength as you.

Capricorn/Juno in the 10th House – A Juno Retrograde here will highlight those relationships through work and career. Your connections might be diminishing, or you might feel like you do not have a greater hold on them. With Mars entering your sign, you will get that extra push needed to keep powering through and show those in positions of power just what you are made of. Juno here can also depict that you might be in a position of control and will need to be more peaceful to your fellow co-workers. On the flip side, your passive nature could be pushed as you become more tempted to take on more aggressive tendencies to show just how capable you are. Remember to center yourself because burning bridges is never a good thing to do in a work environment. Practice diplomacy and be patient.

Aquarius/Juno in the 9th House – It will be an interesting time as you apply your ideology into your partnerships. There can be a great focus on expressing your freedom or wanting your partner to conform to your philosophies when it comes to most matters. A Juno transit here wants to break free but remain connected through a spiritual connection or mentorship. You will want more from your partner, an expansive quality that will make you want to change your perception. Communicating to your partners your wants and needs can be the first step in this. Choosing the route to escape and break away might not be the best solution because it will leave your partner in a state of confusion with no resolution.

Pisces/Juno in the 8th House – You are the eternal dreamer. Love as well as romance always manages to bring some joy into your life. This Juno Retrograde impacts you in a way that will relate to overcoming some unfinished business relating to past or current partnerships. These links can be associated with deeper ties, so many of you will experience this with romantic partners and how your relationship currently stands. You may have resorted to utilizing power tactics to take the reigns in a situation. Be sure to understand how the power dynamics are working for you and if there are any negative qualities that need to be changed, such as manipulation or lying (with either you or your partner) this is the perfect time to make changes right before the Venus Retrograde. These are all lessons that will help us become better partners.

#Astrology #Horoscope #Aries #Taurus #Gemini #Cancer #Leo #Virgo #Libra #Scorpio #Sagittarius #Capricorn #Aquarius #Pisces

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letsperaltiago · 4 years

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a calm surrender to the rush of day

Jake’s had a few too many beers when he’s sent back home to Amy and his still relatively new son. It’s all good and cute, promise. Peak domestic Peraltiago. This oneshot is based on a prompt on this list.

#98: "I think we should have another"

Read on AO3 here

Amy was fast asleep in their bedroom when the sudden sound of the front door lock clicking and shifting followed by a half-hearted slam jolted her awake. For a very brief second, with her heart galloping in her chest as a result of the shock, Amy was utterly disoriented and the uneasy feeling was definitely not peculiar when you happened to live in a city that was ranked way too high on the Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities in America – a club she did not particularly enjoy being a part of. Although, as fast as it had encased her body to begin with, the shock quickly wore off the second she heard shifting and rumbling paired with a “shit” coming from what she figured out must’ve been the living room.

Jake, she realized, suddenly remembering why he wasn’t currently beside her in bed but rather out with some friends from the academy – or, at least, was.

In an attempt to put the final puzzle pieces in place she leaned over to grab her phone wondering how long he’d out and about for. The time revealed itself across her lock screen picture of Jake, fast asleep on their couch a few days after their son’s arrival with said son resting beneath his hands and on his chest. 3:11 AM – no wonder why she could barely keep her eyes open. There was a second of wondering if she should just turn over, go back to sleep and let Jake come join her whenever he was ready, but something else on the screen caught her eye before she could ultimately decide on doing so: 3 texts from Rosa with the last being from around 30 minutes prior.

Rosa Diaz – 12:39 PM Dude, Jake is horrible. He won’t shut up about you and the baby and for some reason the other guys from the academy seem to be eating it up. I hate it. What have you done to him?

Rosa Diaz – 1:56 AM Nvm. I take it back. He just paid a second round of beers to celebrate, and I quote, “His miracle baby”. Please get pregnant more. Means more free booze.

Rosa Diaz – 2:47 AM Def spoke too soon. He just threw up at my feet. We’re waiting outside the bar for his cab. I’m sending him home to you. Texts me when he gets there. Also: good luck lol. He’s stupid drunk.

Almost as if Jake had read the text as well, as to emphasize its point, Amy could hear him stumble into the bathroom across the hall to, what she chose to believe, grab his toothbrush but instead knocking over the glass holding it generating a loud commotion which tore throughout the entire apartment.

Amy’s head immediately as per instinct shot in the direction of her 3-month old’s crib, which stood against the wall on her side just a few feet away. Apart from the limited amount of Catholic traditions she’d grown up with living with her parents she wasn’t particularly religious, but right then and there she internally prayed that her son, who she’d spent an hour getting back to sleep just 3 hours ago, wasn’t woken up by her father’s drunken circus. She held her breath as a few, way too long seconds went by: no cry. Amy’s chest dropped in relief.

Moments like these were tiny victories that she as a brand new first-time mom held onto for dear life. In general, though she had nothing to compare to, her little boy wasn’t a particularly difficult baby but the past few days had been a bit rough on the little family: rough to the point where Amy had to push Jake out the door earlier that evening because he didn’t want to leave her behind with a fussy baby. But, more than ever before, Amy was confident, telling him it would be a waste for him to stay home and miss out on some fun; he should go out and she’d be fine. He’d ended up going. Although it was borderline against his will with half-worried eyes that Jake had crossed the threshold to exit their apartment, while repeating over and over again that she could and should call him if things turned out to be too much: he’d grab the first cab he saw back home.

Amy loved this considerate and worried side of Jake but it also turned out to be quiet unnecessary that night. Besides the hour from hell of fussiness at midnight, the evening alone with her son had gone by pretty smoothly – she’d actually made quite an enjoyable experience out of it. First of all, right after he’d had left, Amy ate the dinner Jake had prepared for her in advance on the couch with Flynn lying next to her in his little nest, talking and admiring his small sounds and smiles. God, she loved him so much and there was no TV-show or movie in the world that could beat the incredible sight of her son clumsily waving around his tiny legs and arms in his green pajama-onesie. Then, after bathing and changing him, she’d fed him to make sure he was completely ready for bed and by 8 PM she was silently smiling down at, admiring, her very own tiny sleeping human as he dozed off in his crib. Losing track of time was incredibly easy these days, both from the lack of sleep but also the huge amount of love for said little human, but after making sure (for the 32nd time) that Flynn was well asleep Amy had, trusty baby monitor in hand, retreated to the living room. There, with a tiny glass of white wine in hand, she’d managed to finish today’s The Times’ crossword puzzle - something Flynn had interrupted a couple of times that day – before she’d felt an inevitable wave of tiredness creep up on her. Once ready, having gone through her own routine plus checking up on the, to her pride and joy, still sleeping baby, Amy went to bed where she’d slept peacefully until her son had claimed her attention a few hours later. So even though Jake was her favorite person to hang out with, her evening had been great and, all in all, she wouldn’t mind doing it again

Now here she was once again awake although this time it was not her baby causing the distraction from sleeping but rather her apparently very drunk husband stumbling around the bathroom. The fact that he hadn’t been loud enough to wake up their son had probably (for sure) helped, but also, Amy couldn’t be mad at Jake when she’d been the one to basically force him to go out and have fun. So, after giving up on falling back asleep figuring it’d be hopeless with Jake stumbling around the apartment, she instead took matters into her own hands and made her way to the bathroom. Here, to her amusement, the sight of her rather nicely dressed husband, unruly curls spilling onto his forehead, was barely able to stay awake and standing upright while brushing his teeth.

“Hey there,” she leaned her hip against the door frame before crossing her arms in front of her chest adding to it a teasing smile.

“Oh god!” from the way he almost choked on his tooth brush, Jake was obviously startled by her sudden appearance but quickly avoided choking with a sad attempt at smooth recovery by clumsily spitting the toothpaste into the sink getting it all over his lips in the process. “I’m szo szo szorry,” the words tumbled from his mouth much like she imagined he’d tripped and fallen over various furniture and items on his way into the apartment just a few moments ago. “Dridn’t mean tro wake you.”

“Well…” she shrugged nonchalantly not really minding mostly because drunk Jake was a hilarious mess she’d missed during their pregnancy, but also partly because she knew he’d be paying the painful price in the morning. “You did.”

Immediately, as if he was a puppy whose tail had just accidentally been stepped on, Jake’s previously insouciant demeanor switched into a intoxicated version of his famous worried frown. Though the second she could tell panic was forming in his drunkenly fatigued eyes, she was quick to step in and avoid guilting him.

“But it’s okay,” her tired but nonetheless somehow always warm eyes worked their best to comfort him, hip nudging her off the doorframe and into a short journey to where her husband had shifted into a leaning position with his back against the sink, toothbrush desperately hanging from the left side of his mouth. His eyes, though dazed and barely able to stay open, followed her every move towards him closely but he was still startled when she’d come close enough for him to feel her breath on him and had sassily snagged the dangling toothbrush out of his mouth (careful to not hurt him in the process, of course).

“As long as you don’t wake up your son,” she raised an eyebrow daringly only to be met by a shocked expression that told her he still wasn’t entirely over that bold toothbrush-move of hers, and was just barely managing to listen to what she was saying solely because of the mention of Flynn. He knew that the baby was an angel (duh, he was his and Amy’s creation) yet Jake was also very much in touch with reality which was that said son also hadn’t managed to sleep through the night yet (which according to his go-to parenting book Cry Hard was normal). Therefor even drunk Jake also knew that every second his son was asleep was to be handled as carefully as you would a bomb, and the mention of him possibly waking him up was enough to sober him up – or at the very least have him feel like it for a second.

“Luckily,” Amy proceeded, placing her hands on his chest before sliding them up to rest on his shoulders, “you didn’t.”

Paired with a heavy sigh, as if he’d been holding his breath in suspense, she instantly felt his shoulders drop in relief. Needless to say that Amy loved the way her husband cared greatly about his new father-role. Sometimes to the point where Jake, very unnecessarily, would push himself down an endless rabbit hole of doubt, where he, Amy had come to find out relatively early on, could only be calmed down by her ordering him to go lie down and so she could place tiny Flynn on his (incredible) father’s chest. Only then, with his son looking up at him with curious brown eyes or even just being fast asleep, Jake could feel his heart rate slow down significantly and the anxiety fade. His son was here on his chest, tiny heartbeat against his big one and they were both okay. It was love and that was all that mattered.

So yes, Jake’s father-role was very important to both him and her, but for tonight, Amy quickly decided, Jake was allowed to be just drunk-Jake. She had no problem taking full responsibility for Flynn-duty that night, and, even though neither of them kept scores or cared about the unspoken tally, she also knew Jake would make it up to her another night.

“So Flynni iz ztill azleep?” Jake whispered loudly not actually managing to control his voice as intended. His sluggish, wondering eyes reminded Amy of the look on her milk-drunk 3-month old’s face right after a feeding which made it even more obvious that Flynn Peralta was very much her father’s son and would grow up to be an exact copy.

“Yes, Flynni,” she giggled emphasizing the nickname her husband had come up with, “is still very much asleep. But he won’t be for much longer if you don’t quiet down,” her hands slid up Jake’s neck to cradle his jaw, his tooth brush still in her hand.

“Zorry,” he smiled sheepishly actually managing to whisper this time. “You’re ze bestest mom in ze attire world, Amy Zantriago.”

“Hm,” she squinted her eyes jokingly, “maybe I should just put back that tooth brush because now you’re just talking crazy.”

“Nooo,” the whine that escaped her husband was childish as he simultaneously pulled her in for a clumsy, giggly kiss that’d cover her mouth in his toothpaste remains – unsurprisingly, drunk-Jake was not a very precise tooth brusher and had a toddler’s amount of basic skills. “Ze only crayzay here is me. Crayazay ‘bout my WIFE!” unable to control himself he half-yelled out the last word causing Amy to make a quick decision and shove the toothbrush back into his mouth. This, besides yet another surprised and confused expression greeting her, seemed to work and would hopefully keep him quiet till he made it to bed where he could pass out.

“Hush, Peralta,” and he immediately did. He knew his always very convincing wife only had good intentions (which making sure their son stayed asleep ultimately was) and whilst she picked up where he’d left of to finish brushing his teeth for him he, like the inner toddler the alcohol ignited in him, stayed put against the sink.

A few minutes later, still managing to stay somewhat silent (apart from constantly trying to whisper sweet nothings and stupidities into her ear meanwhile she struggled to brush his teeth and wash his face) Amy lead Jake to their bedroom which, for once, was for unsexy reasonz (with a z, yes). Immediately as soon as it was within what his drunk brain considered a safe distance, Jake’s body caved and dropped to the soft welcoming surface of their bed. Amy quickly figured that it was probably for the best and she should take advantage of Jake finally staying still, meaning she carefully started undressing him, and it had seemed that he was passed out right up until she popped the third button of his flannel and his eyes shot open along with a sneaky smirk.

“Amez, Iz tonight zhe night that we become PILFs?”

Amy frowned as she reached the last button and then pushed the flannel off of his torso. “PILFs?” She wordlessly prompted him to sit up as to allow her to remove the flannel entirely only to be followed by his undershirt being lifted off via his head – something she’d done a million times before but most cases being for other reasons.

“Parentz I’d Like To Frick,” he smiled in appreciation at his own genius invention before stealing a kiss when Amy happened to be close enough to reach by simply leaning in a bit. It did earn him a small giggle like he wished but then also a light shove back.

“Stop that and help me instead, would you?” She was far from mad at him which he could tell from the way she couldn’t keep an entirely straight face but on the other side of things Amy clearly wasn’t having the easiest time undressing her full grown husband either. Suddenly the task that was changing Flynn 7 times a day was put into a quite interesting perspective: a perspective she didn’t necessarily need.

And so, feeling that his wife was doing all the hard work, he helped. It might’ve taken him 5 minutes to pop open and zip down his jeans, but he succeeded and it was with way too much pride that he kicked his jeans off in a madman-ninja manner which resulted in them flying across the room to touchdown by the door. Normally Amy would demand he put them in the laundry bin but for once she couldn’t care less. The pants being off itself was a great victory.

“Nicely done, babe,” she joked trying to ignore the fact that 3 simple tasks had taken them almost 40 minutes by now, prompting her to playfully throw his night shirt in way so it landed on his head. “Now put that on and you’re good to pass out for the night.”

She walked back over to her side of the bed, throwing in a glance at Flynn in his crib to make sure he was still well and asleep, before crawling back under the covers and pushing the part on Jake’s side aside to invite him in.

It was a matter of seconds before he dropped into place but instead of passing out immediately as Amy had expected him to, her husband shuffled across the bed’s invisible center line wordlessly asking for snuggles that Amy, of course, couldn’t decline. She loved that Jake went out and had some fun by himself, although, at the end of the day, nothing would ever beat having him home with her – even if it meant dealing with an all at once incapable and horny man child.

So, by all means, she lifted her arm to welcome him to make himself at home under it, felt his head moving to on top of her chest, before she put it back down in a soft grip around his shoulders. His free arm would then soon enough wrap around her middle earning him a soft peck to the forehead.

“I love you, Amz,” he mumbled tiredly into her shirt.

“I love you too, Jake,” she smiled leaning her cheek against where she’d just planted the kiss.

“And I love our baby. Zo much. I mizzed him all ze night,” he mumbled on the verge of falling asleep.

And while she always did expect it these days, right then and there when she very honestly in the moment least did expect it, a loud cry as if scripted, tore through the darkness of their bedroom. A small sigh escaped her body although she was couldn’t help but smile at the irony of the situation.

“… Sounds like he missed you too, babe.”

“Oh no,” Jake whined basically imitating Flynn to a point where it was scary as Amy scooted out from his snuggle and the newfound warmth of their bed. “I woke him up. I’m zo zo sorry.”

In the meantime Amy had made her way to the crib.

“You didn’t wake him up, honey,” she made sure to reassure Jake of the fact before picking up the tiny crying figure before promptly looking at the time on her night stand, where her suspicion was immediately proved to be right. “It’s 4 AM: he’s just hungry.”

Not many things in this world were sure or certain, but if there was one thing that was then it was definitely Amy’s knowledge when it came to her son’s schedule. Yes, Jake got up with Flynn just as frequently as she did, but contrary to her, Jake didn’t take note of the time and just did what his son demanded without interest in cracking the code to their baby’s life-pattern: as long as he got to care for him and make him happy again, the logistics were somewhat irrelevant to Jake.

“You sure?” he complained nervously questioning his wife as she sat back down in bed with Flynn cradled to her chest.

“Yes, completely.”

With her always being right and all, Jake settled for accepting his wife’s statement quieting down to take in the sight of their son fumbling to find where his mother had lifted up her shirt in order to feed him. Seconds later, like the peace that followed after a huge sky-cracking thunderstorm, silence settled upon the family of three letting the two adult of said family know that Flynn had once again worked out how to still his hunger. Apart from the very faint sounds of suckling, the occasional little pop followed by a wail when he’d lose his mouthful and complain until Amy managed to help him back on track, idyllic silence of the night wrapped up the apartment as if Jake had never interrupted it just an hour prior.

It was in moments like these where Jake became untouchable, completely disregarding any physical or mental state he might be in, and simply gave in to soaking in the faultless felicity parenthood provided him with. He’d never been anything but happy with Amy but this life he’d been living for 3 months now was even better and beyond any imaginable expectations he’d had. Flynn, though being the one who was completely dependent on his father’s care, had given Jake life a renewed meaning he hadn’t known or felt close to before. A meaning he’d originally been so afraid of even considering before he met Amy but had come to realize he wanted with her and only her.

He wanted 4 AM cries. He wanted the sight of Amy, depending on what her energy level was, either dozing off to or actively admiring their son latching onto her swelled chest as he suckled on it. He wanted the rush of pride every time Flynn made a new sound even if it was simply bringing into existence a new pitch when he squealed or whimpered. Jake wanted all and everything, big and small, as long as it was with them.

So of course, as soon as Flynn was placed stomach down on Amy’s chest after being done eating and burped, earning himself a sweet praise when he succeeded, Jake was back to snuggling into his wife’s side. There was no minding sharing her chest with the tiny human as it provided Jake with the perfect combination of cuddling with his wife and the incredible sight of their stupefying son slipping back into a peaceful state of sleepy satisfaction.

“He’s sro prerfect, Amy.”

“I know, babe,” with a hand safely cradling and stroking the back of Flynn’s decently hairy head she mumbled her reply obviously in the early stages of dozing off herself. The other hand, this arm having returned to its spot around Jake, was resting against her husband’s back stroking it in a synchronized motion.

“Like, he’z like getting ze one exact toy you wanted ze mostest in your Happy Meal as a child.”

She would laugh out loud at his comparison, finding it incredibly endearing, but she was by then too exhausted and only managed to form a tired smile – also the laughing would cause her chest and then automatically Flynn to quiver which she was not about to dare.

“He really is,” she mumbled.

“I think we shrould have anozer.”

It was easy to tell that the comment was partly genuine and sweet but also partly… intoxicated. Though Amy didn’t doubt the fact that Jake wouldn’t mind more children, she also didn’t doubt the fact that he definitely wouldn’t remember this conversation when he woke up some hours later with a hammering headache and zombie-like state of mind.

“I think I have enough on my hands with you two.”

Yes, she did see them having at least two kids but one newborn was definitely more than enough at the moment, plus they had plenty of time to consider further additions to the family once Flynn would be older and Jake not completely wasted. Although it was nice to hear some truth about his inner thoughts spill from her drunk husband, there was no doubt in her mind that there was no need to hurry. They would get there eventually and for now they were already so very happy.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the feeling of Jake’s lips planting a soft, half-sloppy kiss to, first, their son’s head, then, then her neck. Then small movements beneath her hand on Flynn was next, quickly peaking her curiosity and winning over her exhaustion then forcing herself to open her eyes. Immediately feeling glad she did so because she was met by the most heartwarming sight of Jake carefully caressing Flynn’s tiny feet.

“We’re gunna make zo many perfect bebiez, Amy Trivago. Zo many. Like zis one.”

“I’m sure of it, babe,” she gave into one last tired chuckle hoping agreeing would give him the peace he needed to fall asleep. And besides the fact his fingers continuously toyed with the tiny feet, Jake seemed fast asleep a few moments later leaving Amy to soak in the moment, fighting to stay awake just a few more minutes to enjoy how incredibly lucky she was.

There was indeed nothing better than feeling her two favorite boys’ heartbeats against her skin as she herself dove into a deep sleep.

#i'm pretty pleased with this one #both cute and fluffy #domestic peraltiago for days #peraltiago #jake x amy #peraltiago fanfic #jake and amy #jake peralta #amy santiago #baby peraltiago #fanfiction #b99 #Brooklyn Nine-Nine

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royalcordelia · 5 years

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She Has Brains Enough for Two (1/1)

Summary: Anne and Gilbert attend their first academic conference together, where Anne blazes trails and Gilbert is thrilled to walk beside her.

Dr. Gilbert Blythe had grown accustomed to nights such as this one. He smiled into his glass of wine as the biologist across the table forced the economist beside him to consider Darwin’s last additions to evolutionary theory. For a moment he thought he might join the conversation and disclose that he actually subscribed to some of Darwin’s thought, but reconsidered. At intellectual conferences such as these, sometimes it was best to choose one’s battles wisely.

Across the room, Gilbert spotted a familiar face arguing with determined animation with another gentlemen at her table. In spite of her golden hair and pleasing features, Winifred always demanded adequate respect. In fact, she’d been the one to extend an invitation to him to begin with. Up and coming scholars from all sorts of fields come to share their theories. It’s perfect for you. So he’d come, eager to hear directly from the minds that would write themselves into history.

There was one mind in particular he was anxious to see.

“Dr.Blythe,” a young woman called across the table. She was peering down at the lecture program, pointing to a name at the very top of the list of speakers. “It says here that you’ll be lecturing tonight. Forgive me, but don’t you think you ought to go backstage?”

Gilbert peered down at this own program, momentarily worried that a mistake had been made. Then, he chuckled to see what the woman had been referring to.

Dr. A. S. C. Blythe - “What is Fair?”

“You gave me quite the start, Mrs. James. The opening speaker isn’t me. It’s actually-”

“Could I have your attention please?” an older gentleman called over the room, taking the stage. The murmur of academic discourse and exchange dulled to a silence, and all eyes were turned to the master of ceremonies. Satisfied with the focused silence, the man continued.

“It is my pleasure to welcome our first speaker to the stage. This scholar has been the recipient of much acclaim in the fields of English and Education. The topic to be presented tonight will be the first of its kind for this conference, but it won’t be the only thing to set precedent.”

Gilbert took this opportunity to lean across the table and with unmistakable pride, he whispered, “My wife.”

“Please welcome to the stage, Mrs. Anne S. C. Blythe, presenting on her piece ‘What is Fair.’”

This was the point at the program during which the audience was typically wont to applaud, but in this instance, they were stunned into silence. Gilbert thought he even heard a few stunned claps. It was then that Gilbert realized that the Toronto Conference of the Social Sciences had never before invited a woman to speak. Anne would be the first female scholar to speak her mind on the this stage.

Then, dauntless and assured, Anne strided onto the stage. Gilbert felt his throat close at the sight of it - his wife etching herself into history with every step. She looked the picture of elegance, dressed in a royal blue gown that resembled the moonlit sea. Under the warm lights of the stage, the sapphire necklace he’d bought her glistened, making Anne appear every bit the queen Gilbert believed her to be. She took the podium with her chin lifted in pride and excitement. If she was nervous, even Gilbert was none the wiser.

“Good evening everyone,” she greeted warmly, a wonderful change from the stoic tone with which speakers usually used. “I’d like to begin by saying it has been a delight this evening to discuss such inspired, superlative theories and ideas from many of you. Even more so, I cannot express what an absolute honor it is to be the first of many women who will take this stage.”

At this, some older men across the room rose to their feet and stomped out of the door. Anne’s eyes flickered to them, but instead of being flustered, she merely chuckled and blazed on.

“The piece I am about to share with you was born as a newspaper article I wrote when I was sixteen years old. Though the message remains the same, it has since been edited to include empirical evidence and support from experts of the social and medical sciences. To them, I offer my gratitude - especially my husband, Dr. Gilbert Blythe, who has read many, many drafts of this paper since its original publication.”

She met his gaze, grinning when his own eyes were brimming with pride and admiration. Then she began to speak, uttering words that would take root in the minds of those who listened. Gilbert was speechless to bear witness to the sound of hearts changing, ideas blossoming, and acceptance spreading - all because of his brilliant wife and her gift of beautiful resilience.

The applause was mixed. Some scholars sat silent in their chairs, unconvinced that the essay bore any merit worth celebrating. Others clapping numbly, jaws dropped in shock as if they had been shaken to their core. Winifred and her husband joined Gilbert in a standing ovation, which many others followed.

“That is some woman you’ve got there, Dr. Blythe,” the economist complimented as everyone took their seats.

“Oh, don’t I know it. Isn’t she brilliant?” Gilbert beamed.

* * *

Gilbert was more than happy to be the doting spouse that held Anne’s arm when she was swarmed by a dozen eager faces. People who just had to speak with you before you left! And others who have always felt that way but could never put it into words!

When they were finally able to sneak away to their hotel, Anne sat at the vanity, pulling the pins from her hair. With each one, she retired her confident scholar self for the night in favor of the simple PEI dryad who was slightly homesick. Changing the world, it seemed, as incredibly exhausting.

“I could not be a mite prouder, Anne-girl,” Gilbert said, unbuttoning his vest. “You should’ve seen the way you controlled every listening ear, even from the opening lines. I’ve read that essay dozens of times over, but to hear you speak it...I wish Marilla and Bash could have heard it.”

“They have, remember?” Anne laughed.

Gilbert turned to her, eyes hungrily taking in the sight of Anne sitting at the vanity with her hair loose over her corset. How was it like this no matter how long they were together? How was it that after five months of being married, Gilbert still felt himself being drawn to her like a sailor to a siren - the same exact way he had when he was a schoolboy. Everything about her was impeccably marvelous to him.

Anne caught him staring in the mirror and cocked an eyebrow. She brushed her coppery hair, turning fiery gold in the warm lamplight. It gave color to her soft skin as her rosy lips curled into a smile.

“What an exceptional woman I’ve married,” Gilbert breathed out.

Anne exhaled slowly, eyes still locked on his in the reflection. She set her hairbrush on the vanity and rose to her feet, facing him with the same confidence with which she’d given her speech, only this time, it was all for him. The vest in Gilbert’s hands slipped to the floor and his lips parted. With soundless steps, Anne slowly approached him. When she was close enough to feel his breath on her lips and see the greens of his eyes, she gently nudged him backwards. Gilbert sat like a stone on the bed, not willing to turn his gaze away from the alluring wonder before him. His hungry hands found their way to her waist, and she climbed onto his lap, draping her arms around his neck.

“I love you,” he murmured as she leaned over, hair curtaining their faces. A blissful smile fell on Anne’s cheeks and she closed her lips over his. Gilbert kissed her back, inhaling sharply through his nose.

“I love you,” she replied. Gilbert kissed the underside of her jaw, holding her to his lap.

Right when Gilbert was about to flip her onto the bed, Anne pressed against his shoulders and forced him further back on the bed. He plopped down with an amazed expression on his face, and slid back until his head was on the pillows. Anne followed him, settling above him where she could see every bit of longing that plagued him. Her hands found his shirt buttons while his undid the laces of her corset. Soon, they were chest-to-chest, sharing the same rapid heartbeat.

Gilbert was clay in her hands as she pressed her lips along his neck and bit tenderly at the sensitive skin. His nails ran over her back at how perfect it felt to be the object of her attentions, willing her closer and closer. Overwhelmed by sensation, he pulled her face back up to his and kissed her as if she were divine refuge from every worldly wrong.

He wanted to articulate to her everything she deserved to know, but his mind was incoherent and his throat was tight. Anne opened her eyes and smiled, because even if he hadn’t said anything, she knew. She always knew. And when she kissed him, Gilbert’s heart turned to fire, because he knew it was the same for her too.

#anne with an e #anne of green gables #shirbert #shirbert fic #awae fic #tessa writes #shirbert ff #awae spoilers #me? writing an indulgent story??? never.

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lynelovespopculture · 4 years

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THE CHILLING ADVENTURES OF ZELDA: CHAPTER 7-HILDA’S WEDDING I personally dedicate this chapter to my good friend @missxzeldaspellman, who beautiful piece of art based on my final scene so made me up my game! If she enjoyed this part only half as much I love that drawing, all the hard work will be well worth it!!! 😘💖😘 PLEASE REMEMBER TO COMMENT AND REBLOG!!!

CHAPTER 7-HILDA’S WEDDING

“Oh, it’s going so well! Don’t you think it’s going well? I think it’s going well.”

Zelda rolled her eyes. If she hadn’t seen the pagans defeated with her own 2 eyes, she would swear they were back and had this time turned Hilda into a hummingbird. Zelda drew in a breath before she said.

“Yes, Hilda, it is going well. Granted, we just had cocktails and still have a whole dinner to get through so you please calm down, sister!”

It was a Friday evening and the reason Hilda was so nervous and on edge was because some of her fiancée’s family, namely his two brothers and their wives had arrived in Greendale yesterday for Christmas and the upcoming wedding and tonight, they all came to dinner at the Spellman house. Although this whole dinner had been her own idea, Hilda had been a nervous wreck all day and apparently still was, as Zelda watched her sister run around the kitchen trying to put finishing touches on all the food while Zelda sat calmly at the island focusing on a single dish.

“Okay, it looks like we’re ready to serve the 1st course.” Hilda smiled.

“Finally,” muttered Zelda “Let’s get this show on the road,” She slipped off the stool, picked up her tray of food and was about to leave the kitchen when

“Zelda!” Hilda called out, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

Zelda turned back an eyebrow raised. “What?”

“You’re still smoking.”

The older sister glanced at her cigarette in its holder on her finger. “Yeah, so?”

“Mortals frown at smoking, especially during pregnancy and you are showing very much these days, sister.”

“But I’m not mortal.”

“I know you’re not-“ Hilda closed her eyes, let out a breath, and tried again. “We’re not mortals, but as I’ll already explain it to you, 3 times today alone, Dr. C’s relatives are so will you please put that out? Hecate, Zelda! Why have you been so snippy today?”

Rather than answer her sister, Zelda stepped past her, laid the food tray on the island once again, and put out her cigarette in a nearby ashtray and placed the holder down before turning back to Hilda. “There. Better?”

Hilda shoved the forgotten food dish in her sister’s arms, “There, perfect.” Hilda grabbed her own dish and the 2 sisters journeyed into the dining room where Dr. C and the others were chatting. There were the 2 brothers, Sam and Mike and their wives, Rose and Sara. So far, the Cerberus family outnumbered the Spellmans which only consisted of the 2 sisters. Ambrose and Sabrina left while the getting was good, a part of Zelda envied the children’s getaway and Faustus, well, he said he would be there for the family dinner, but it didn’t exactly take a genius or a fortune teller to tell that this would be a hard day for Faustus, no matter what he did or where he went. Like the loving and supportive wife Zelda thought she could never be but somehow had become, she made plans, handed over her classes and made sure her other duties were taken care of so she could spend the whole day with Faustus. Yet when Zelda woke up this morning, her husband was already gone; not only from their bed or from their room but from the house. Zelda told herself not to worry. After all, if she was Faustus, she would need some alone time too, today of all days. When there was still no sign of him an hour after breakfast, Zelda decided to go to work after all. Work proved a good distraction so many times before and it did today, up to a point. It was about noon that the worry Zelda told herself not to content with, started to creep up in. Prudence casually saying that she hadn’t seen her father at all today. That didn’t help matters. Zelda placed several calls to the house throughout the afternoon. Either Faustus wasn’t home or didn’t care to pick up the phone. After school, Prudence joined her in the church when they met up to pray for the twins’ safe return. There, in the stillness, Zelda studied her stepdaughter. 2 years ago, Zelda could barely tell who was who in the trio known as the weird sisters. Now it was overwhelming how much love and pride Zelda felt for the strong outgoing young woman that reminded Zelda so much of herself at her age. As soon as she stepped out of the church a student approached with a message from Hilda, who wanted her home right away. Zelda returned home to see her sister whipping herself into a frenzy. Zelda could barely get a word in, let alone explain what day today was and that Faustus was MIA. Someone’s laugh bought Zelda back to reality.

“You 2 plan to be married on New Year’s Day and you’re going to do it outside, in the woods? Why?” asked 1 of the brothers who’s name escaped Zelda at the moment.

“I told you, Sam,” Dr. C answered “Hilda and her family are of a different faith than ours. We want to have the wedding on neutral ground. Plus, the Greendale woods have their own natural beauty.”

“Plus, we plan to decorate, dress it up a bit more.” Added Hilda.

“What about the reception?” Asked Mike, Dr. C’s other brother. “Do you get a hall or something?”

“No,” said Dr. C, “We’re going to have to have the reception right here.”

Rose, Sam’s wife looked horrified. “Here?! But this is a funeral home.”

Zelda immediately felt insulted. “Excuse me, this is our family home!”

“Yes, it is and we had lots of lovely parties here, you’ll see.” Hilda got up to clear the table before laying out the main course, and Dr. C got up to help her. Hilda was able to whisper into her sister’s ear.

“Please Zelda, just calm down and behave!”

Zelda was about to answer her sister when she felt her baby kick within her. Instantly, Zelda forgot her sister, looked down, smiled, and placed a hand on top of her swollen middle.

“So, how far along in your pregnancy?” Sara, Dr. C’s other sister-in-law asked Zelda, edger as Hilda was to change the subject.

“Oh, I’m 10-“ Zelda caught herself before she said months because a mortal pregnancy is 9 months rather than a witches’ 13. “I’m 10 days in my 8th month,” Zelda said.

“Nice save,” Dr. C whispered as he grabbed Zelda’s plate. As Hilda and Dr. C went into the kitchen and Zelda found herself alone with 4 mortals. What came next was the same boring small talk Zelda had come to expect while dining with mortals. Yes, she and Hilda were truly sisters. No, no one was adopted or was a half-sibling. Zelda could’ve sworn she had this exact conversation with Diana’s family. Thank Hecate it wasn’t too long before Hilda emerged from the kitchen, bearing a wonderfully cooked turkey in her arms, Dr. C was right behind her, carrying side dishes.

They were in the middle of the main course when the front door opened and closed. Zelda only had to turn a little in her seat to see that her husband was finally home, Zelda couldn’t help but smile.

“Faustus!”

For some reason, Faustus was filthy, covered head to toe with mud and dirt. “I apologize, the time got away from me but I didn’t forget about dinner, I just need a moment to clean up.” With that, Faustus disappeared upstairs. However, it was 10 minutes before Faustus slid into the chair next to Zelda.

“I’m sorry I took so long. It takes me forever to do anything now that I don’t have magic-um, magic soap. I hate when they discontinue things.” Faustus laughed nervously.

A confused Sam looked over to Dr. C. “I thought you said the brother was dead.”

Rose, his wife, gasped in shock. “Sam! You can’t just say things like that!” Rose scolded

“Sorry,” Sam muttered.

Hilda smiled. “It okay! It’s true that Zelda and I have a brother who died 16 years ago. His name is Edward.”

“That’s right,” Added Dr. C. “But this is Faustus” when his family still had no reaction, Dr. C tried again. “Blackwood? Come on, guys, I told you about him. He saved me when the store was robbed.” Dr. C finally got the reaction he was waiting for.

Mike pointed at Faustus and Zelda with his fork. “So, you 2 together?”

Faustus gave a tender look at his wife before answering. “Yes, very much so,” He said while Zelda nodded.

“Oh? How did you guys meet?” asked Mike’s wife, Sara.

“We were 16. It was our first day at the academy,” replied Zelda.

You’re high school sweethearts?”

Zelda smiled. “You could say that.”

Sam laughed. “Well, who knows? With Robert and Hilda getting hitched, maybe wedding bells can ring a 2nd time.”

“Oh no, you misunderstand. Zelda and I already got married last year.” Faustus explained.

“You can’t be all that serious about marriage, neither of you is wearing a ring,” muttered Sam.

The table fell silent. Apparently, there was no easy way to tell Hilda’s future mortal in-laws that those slivery wedding bands were painful reminders of their first few weeks of marriage. A time when Faustus and Zelda were both suffering under awful bewitchments. So together, not long after destroying the music box, they agreed to get rid of the rings and gave them to Ambrose to smite them. So far, there was no talk of replacing them.

Dr. C was desperate to change the subject. “So, Mike, how are the kids?”

“Pretty good,” Mike responded. “though Sara and I try not to think too hard about them getting down here once school lets out. Can you imagine? Only 1 licensed driver, that small car and 4 kids?”

Inwardly, Zelda flinched. Did the mortal really have to pick right now to mention 4 children? It took a moment for Zelda to gather the courage to look beside her. When she did, it only confirmed what she already knew. That Faustus stiffened in his seat.

“I’m really sorry. I thought I could do this but I just can’t. Sorry again, Dr. C, Hilda, please excuse me.” Faustus got up and left out the front door. With only an ‘I’m sorry’ glance at her sister, Zelda followed her husband out to the porch, pausing only to grab a jacket on the way out.

Hilda laughed nervously at her remaining guests. “Desert, anyone?”

Outside in the cold night air, Faustus could feel hot tears forming in his eyes. “That mortal doesn’t know lucky he is! I would give anything to know where all my children are!” He muttered to himself. Faustus wasn’t aware of Zelda’s presence until he felt her putting his coat around his shoulders.

He turned to her. “I’m sorry I ran off like that.”

“Don’t be, it was a boring dinner party.”

“I’m also sorry that I didn’t leave a note for you this morning. I was across town before I remembered.”

“That’s alright.”

Faustus gave his wife a half-smile. “You’re being pretty understanding with me today. You remember, don’t you? You know what day today is.”

“That it’s the twins’ birthday? Of course, I remembered!”

Faustus felt his wife shiver in the cold so he led Zelda to the bench, sat beside her, and put the coat over both of them. Then he put an arm around Zelda.

“I knew that you would never forget the twins’ birthday! After all, apart from their DNA, they’re as much your children as they are mine.”

Zelda looked at him. “Do you really feel that way, Faustus? Truly?”

“I do, truly.” Faustus smiled at the wife he so adored.

Rather than give in to tears, Zelda sighed and put her head on Faustus’s shoulder. Faustus kissed her brow while she said, “I can’t believe the twins are already 1.”

Faustus looked up sharply. “1? You keep on forgetting they were raised in that damn time loop. Zelda, it’s their 16th birthday and you know how important this day or rather, this night is to our people.”

“It’s their dark baptism,” Zelda whispered.

“Exactly and I can’t stand that the twins, our twins, are with him! Especially tonight, the night of their dark baptism. I’m so afraid that damn curse will go ahead with his stupid plan!”

“What plan?”

“This curse seems to be an extreme version of me and sometimes I do think the old ways are best but he-it-takes it too far. You see, centuries ago, Blackwoods would wed brother to sister to keep bloodlines pure.”

Zelda’s eyes widened as the true horror dawned on her. “Faustus, no!”

“We can only pray to Hecate that something happens. Like the curse changes its mind, or perhaps the twins will object and refuse to go through with it.”

Zelda didn’t know what to say in order to comfort him, so she just snuggled closer to her husband. For a few moments, they sat in comfortable silence. Then Zelda felt Faustus’s hand on her middle.

“Say, what do you think we find a spell that will keep our child right where he or she is, safe and warm forever.”

Despite herself, Zelda laughed out loud. “Darling, when this baby is 16 and out of control, you have my permission to bring up this conversation but until then, my body can’t do any more than the 3 months remaining in this pregnancy.”

Faustus smiled. “Just a thought.”

“So, what did you do all day?” Zelda asked casually.

“Well, in an effort to locate the children I spent the whole morning trying to find my own ‘twin’. Then I spent a lot of the public library, researching.”

“Researching? Researching what? I mean, what could possibly be of any use to you at the public library?”

“Dearest, this is Greendale, the spell books are everywhere if you know where to look. I was researching a couple of things, mostly pagans.”

Zelda was beyond confused. “Why are you reading about pagans?”

Faustus got up and sighed. “I was unsuccessful in finding my middle children today but maybe I can still give my firstborn her sister back.”

Zelda immediately understood what he was saying. “Agatha? Have you found a cure for her madness?”

“No, not a cure exactly, not yet. More like a lead.”

Zelda was entranced. “Go on.”

“I found an old book about local pagans way down in the library archives. In the back of this book was a map for some sort of wooden puzzle box that according to legend can cure any witch of any insanity bought on by a pagan. I immediately knew that it was a map of the Greendale woods!”

“Is that why you were so dirty when you came home?” Asked Zelda.

“Exactly! I think I got carried away and left big holes in the woods. I just kept thinking about Prudence and how happy this would make her and I kept digging and digging until I lost the light. I didn’t find anything but if it’s out there I will find it.”

Zelda said nothing but just smiled as she got up, put her arms around Faustus’s neck, and kissed him. “I love you and I’m so proud that you’ve come so far in so short of time.”

The husband and wife kissed again but the moment was interpreted by Dr. C and his family who came out the door.

“We’re going now,” Dr. C told them as the brothers and their wives went to the car. “Zelda, can I have word with you please?”

“Sure”

They walked a few steps before Dr. C explained. “I need a favor from you. You see, I need your help to plan a surprise for Hilda.”

Meanwhile, Faustus went inside and turned into the kitchen where Hilda was wrapping up food.

“I’m sorry I ran off during dinner like that.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Faustus smiled. “I wanted to talk to you, Hilda. I need a favor from you. You see, I need your help to plan a surprise for Zelda."

“What are you looking at, dearest?”

Zelda was sitting up in bed when she saw Faustus coming to take his place in bed beside her. “Oh, nothing,” Zelda dismissed, “It’s just a picture of me and Letitia, er, I mean Judith that Sabrina took last Yule.”

Faustus shook his head. “I think you were right the 1st time. I think her true name is and always will be Letitia. I mean, you’ve been her mother since the very beginning.”

“That’s just a nice way to say that I stole your daughter.”

Faustus laughed. “I preferred to think of it of saving her from the curse without even realizing it. By the way, where did you get that photo?”

“Oh, I always keep this in my nightstand.”

Faustus’s smile only grew wider. “Really? Then great minds think alike.” Faustus turned and got something out of his own nightstand and then placed another photo in Zelda’s hands. “I believe that this picture of you and Judas was taken after we got engaged.”

Smiling, Zelda nodded. “I remember.” Zelda then took one photo each in 1 hand and moved her knees to lay both pictures down side by side on the bed. “You know, it’s just too tempting” Zelda touched both photos, spelling them into 1. Now, it looked like Zelda held both babes in a single pic. “But that’s too easy,” Zelda frowned as she turned 1 back into 2 again. “We need to be realistic about this.” Zelda offered her hand and Faustus took it in his. Zelda closed her eyes and started to pray. “We pray to our dark mother, Hecate, and to Hera, the mother of all mothers, to watch over these babes, our children until they’re safely back in our arms.” After the photos were laid aside, and she laid in Faustus’s arms in the dark when she said, “They’re going to come home, Faustus, I know it. Soon, this house will be packed with children.”

If Zelda needed a distraction to keep her mind off the twins, there were a lot of distractions for her to choose from. On top of preparing for Hilda’s wedding, the Yule season was fast approaching so Zelda was needed everywhere. At the school, at church, and at home. On top of all her duties, Zelda still managed to work on Hilda’s surprise, even if she had to depend on Sabrina and Ambrose to teach her the technology. The very busy high priestess even found time to steal away for an afternoon to go up to the mountains to visit Gryla. Over a brand new never been opened bottle of gin, Zelda explained the insanity curse and Gryla said she would keep an eye out for the twins.

Before Zelda even knew it, it was December 23, the start of the winter solstice, the shortest day and the longest night. It was also when the Spellmans gathered together to exchange gifts. Sabrina gave Zelda ‘the book of Hecate’. It was so infamously banned by the dark lord that Zelda was shocked that it was in her hands. She tried to keep her reaction reasonable, for Sabrina’s sake. Zelda gave her husband a silver pocket watch. Faustus gave his wife a golden charm bracelet with one 1 tiny charm on it in the shape of a baby carriage.

“Open it,” Faustus suggested excitedly.

Zelda did so and on the left side of the tiny charm/locket was a picture Zelda had never seen before. It was of Prudence and both twins as infants. “Faustus, it’s beautiful. But when was it taken? You don’t have the magic to spell pictures and Prudence had such a short time with Letitia and Judas when they were babies.”

Faustus laughed. “I can’t get anything past you can’t I, Zelda? It’s true no one posed for this picture and no, I didn’t spell it. Instead, Ambrose taught me some new kind of magic on the computer. He called it photoshop. Anyway, I put the children all on the left side and the right side empty so we could put a picture of the baby in it once he or she is born. That way”

“I will have all my children all in 1 charm.” Zelda nodded while finishing her husband’s thought.

“And I promise to give you another charm every year until that bracelet is full.”

Zelda smiled. “I love it and I love you,” she smiled and kissed him.

After a relaxing solstice, Zelda went back to her busy schedule. The Academy was still in the semi-holiday mode so Zelda focused on helping Hilda, whose wedding was less than a week away. On December 30th, Dr. C closed the bookstore so he and Hilda could host a unisex bridal shower. They had party favors, unwrapping of gifts, and something called a cake pulling. A cake pulling is where there are little blue ribbons and all the guests pick a ribbon and pull out a charm that had been baked into the cake. The charm you pulled predicts the future. The next day, New Year’s Eve, was spent in the woods. Setting up for the wedding the next day. A white runner was tapped down to mark the aisle, fold-out chairs were arranged. The 2 trees that Dr. C and Hilda were going to be married under was all decked out with pink streamers were wrapped around the trunks and fairy lights in the branches. Zelda found the streamers a little tacky, but since it was Hilda’s wedding tomorrow, she held her tongue.

“Well, do you ladies need or want anything else before Ambrose and I head out?” Faustus asked as he was dropping off a bottle of champagne in Hilda and Zelda’s old room. It was New Year’s Eve but even more importantly, it was the night before Hilda’s wedding. Dr. C was hosting a little boys’ night at the bookstore. Now that a bride didn’t have to wait for the dark lord on her wedding eve, Hilda took Sabrina up on her suggestion for all girls’ movie night. Sabrina was downstairs right now, making popcorn.

“Actually, Father, um, Faustus, I’ve been meaning to talk to you all week, but I’ve been so busy,” Hilda explained. “Anyway, I wanted to ask you if you will do me the honor of giving me away?

Faustus’s eyes widened. “Me? You want me to walk you down the aisle?”

“Well, my father and Edward are dead. You are the most senior male member of this family now. Of course, if you rather not, I’m sure Ambrose”

“No, no I’d love too,” Faustus smiled. “Do you really consider me part of the family? Now I feel bad about the shower.”

Hilda frowned. “What about the shower?”

Faustus reddened. “Nothing, it’s silly. It’s the cake pulling. I was grumpy because I got the heart charm. According to the meaning list you gave us, the heart means I’ll meet and fall in love with someone new.”

Hilda smiled and shook her head. “But the heart token has a double meaning. If you’re single, it means you’ll meet someone new. If you have a partner and you have the heart, it means that your partner is your true love.

“I don’t care if you made that up or not, I’ll take it!” Faustus kissed Zelda goodbye and left.

“I’m not making anything up!” Hilda called out after him. “Gosh, the cake pulling was a big hit with Dr. C’s family. What did you think of it, Zelda?”

Zelda looked up from where she was giving the dresses a once over with a lint brush. “Oh, I don’t believe that a cake can predict the future.”

“That’s just Zelda-speak for I didn’t like my token either!”

Zelda sighed. “Okay, you got me. I got the engagement ring which means that I’m the next to be married but that’s impossible because I’m already married, the last 2 months, quite happily.”

Hilda frowned. “Well, maybe Sabrina liked her token.” Then Hilda saw her sister smirk. “What? What token did Sabrina get?”

Zelda bit her lip as if to keep from laughing. “The thimble.”

Hilda’s jaw dropped. “No!” Both sisters knew exactly what the thimble meant. “The old maid!” The sisters laughed together.

They were still laughing when Sabrina came in with the popcorn and the all-girls movie night began for Hilda, Zelda, and Sabrina. They had invited Prudence to join them but it was her night to do bed check at the Academy. So, the line-up tonight was films like Beaches, Pretty Woman, and 27 Dresses. These were girlish dramas and romcoms that Hilda and Sabrina loved. Zelda didn’t but once again she held her tongue. It didn’t even matter because Zelda fell asleep half-way through the 1st movie.

“Should we wake her up?” Asked Sabrina.

Hilda shook her head. “No. Let her sleep. I think this is the 1st time your poor aunt Zelda had been asleep before 10 in over a month.” So, they put a quick silence spell around Zelda and returned to the movie.

Hilda didn’t like the idea of getting married in white or black. So, she looked around until she found a material she liked in soft peach. Hilda sewed herself a wonderful looking peach wedding dress of cotton and a little lace. She also had heels, a straw hat, and a short fur coat, all dyed to match and they were all Yule gifts from Zelda. Zelda, the maid of dishonor and the bridesmaid, Sabrina, were both dressed in royal purple. The dresses, which Hilda also made herself, was slim and form-fitting, except Zelda, had a built-in elastic waist to support her baby bump. Hilda and Dr. C chose to have a night ceremony, which served them well, as the fairy lights and dozen of candles used looked wonderful against the glimmering snow. The precession began; Sabrina went first, followed by Zelda, and then Hilda took the arm that a smiling Faustus offered her.

“You look wonderful,” Faustus said to Hilda they began their walk together.

Dr. C winked at his bride as she came closer to him. Faustus and Dr. C nodded to each other as Faustus handed over the bride. Side by side, Dr. C and Hilda smiled adorably at each other. Still, something was missing.

“Where is the justice of the peace?” Hilda whispered to her groom.

Dr. C smiled, “I canceled him so that I could do this,” Dr. C turned to address the crowd. “Hello, friends and family. Hilda and I would like to welcome all of you to our wedding! But before we get started, I have a surprise for my bride. As most of you know, Hilda and I are from different faiths. What most of you don’t know, not even Hilda is that we have 2 ministers of each faith in our own families. Per my request, they’ve been working together via skype on a joint ceremony to marry Hilda and me here tonight. Please welcome my cousin, Brian, and Hilda’s sister, Zelda.”

As the crowd clapped, Zelda drew a nervous breath, handed Hilda’s bouquet of daisies to Sabrina, and then took her place beside Brian.

“Okay, this is my 1st joint wedding, so bear with me.” Explained Brian.

The crowd laughed.

“This is my 1st wedding ever, so bear with me too.” Explained Zelda.

The crowd laughed even harder.

Brian then got serious. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to bear witness and celebrate the marriage of Robert and Hilda. Marriage will always be a symbol of God’s perfect love for his people but in these modern times, with marriages become more and more unsuccessful or sometimes skipped altogether, why do people still marry? People marry because it’s the strongest way to say to your partner and the world that ‘I choose this person before anyone else in the world.’ When 2 people enter into wedlock, it’s a true union of mind to mind, heart, to heart and soul to soul.”

As Brian delivered his address, Faustus and Zelda kept stealing glances at each other. He winked at her and she smiled deeply at him, blushing. Then, it was Zelda’s turn to speak.

“For millions and millions of years, the goddess Hecate has presented herself as the 3 in 1. Those 3 are the maiden, the mother, and the crone. Yet before she could become a mother, she became a wife when she wedded the god Aeete and bore his children. To honor their union, we have been marrying in Hecate’s name ever since.”

“Do you, Hildegard Antionette Spellman, take this man, Robert David Cerberus, to be your legally wedded husband? Do you promise to love him, honor him and comfort him, for better or worse, in sickness or health, for richer or poorer and will you keep yourself only on to him until death do you part?” Asked Brian.

Hilda looked at Dr. C and smiled. “I do.”

“Do you, Robert David Cerberus, take this woman, Hildegard Antionette Spellman, to be your legally wedded wife? Do you promise to love her, honor her and comfort her, for better or worse, in sickness or health, for richer or poorer and will you keep yourself only on to her until death do you part? And do you promise to take her to visit her family at least once a week?” Asked Zelda. There was a silent pause before Zelda confirmed “I know what I said.”

The crowd roared with laughter and when it died down, Dr. C was still smiling. “I do.

Brian walked over to Dr. C’s best man and took a ring from him. “The wedding ring is perfect for marriage because a ring, like love itself, has no beginning and no end. Robert, you may place this ring on Hilda’s finger and say ‘With this ring, I thee wed.’”

Dr. C placed the ring on Hilda’s finger. “With this ring, I thee wed.”

Sabrina passed the ring on to Zelda. “We believe that the ring is a circle to match a full moon, which is a phase of every wit- woman’s life. Hilda, you may place this ring on Robert’s finger and say ‘With this ring, I thee wed.’”

Hilda smiled and did so. “With this ring, I thee wed.”

“By the exchanging of vows and the giving and receiving of rings, we now pronounce you husband and wife.” Declared Brian. “Robert, you may kiss your bride.”

Hilda gave a happy giggle as Dr. C kissed her.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s my honor and pleasure to present to you Mr. & Mrs. Robert & Hilda Cerberus!” Announced Zelda.

Everyone left the woods and returned to the house for a very successful reception. Despite earlier misgivings, Ambrose made a wonderful DJ. Everyone agreed it was so them when the bride and groom chose ‘the Monster Mash’ for their 1st dance. Everyone loved the wedding cake that Hilda make herself and Sabrina caught the bouquet.

After Hilda and Dr. C left for their 2 weeks honeymoon in Hollywood, life got back to normal for the rest of the family. For Faustus, that meant looking after the bookshop, per Dr. C’s request, and digging in the woods. It had been nearly 3 weeks since Faustus had found the map of the wooden puzzle box that may hold the cure to Agatha’s madness. Faustus had been digging nearly day. Even when he was helping set up for the wedding, he was eyeing his next digging site. One afternoon, Faustus was worried he was running out of places to dig when his shovel hit something hard. He knelt, dug with his fingers. Faustus smiled and laughed when he realized he was holding the very puzzle box he was seeking. He ran all the way home and up to his room when he studied a photocopy of the spell.

“Yes! Yes, this should work!”

Faustus looked up when the brick broke the window.

Ambrose and Sabrina ran down the hall as fast as they could and burst into Zelda’s office.

“Aunt Z! Aunt Z! You have to come with us!” cried Sabrina.

“I don’t know what happened! They just stormed into the house and took him!” Ambrose was trembling.

Zelda held up her hands. “Children, calm down. Now, who took who?”

They led Zelda to the tree where they hung the Greendale 13. Only today, there was only 1 noose for 1 witch.

Zelda felt her heart leaped into her throat as she saw who the angry coven was getting ready to hang. “Faustus!” Zelda heard sniffing so she looked up and saw her stepdaughter. Zelda ran to her. “Prudence! Prudence, what is happening?”

Prudence, arms crossed and her cheeks stained with tears, shook her head. “I don’t know, Sister Zelda. Dorcas and I were just talking a walk when we saw the adults of our coven leading my father, who had his hands bound behind his back, here, shouting and yelling that they were going to kill him. I tried to talk to some of them but no one will listen to me.”

“Stay with her,” Zelda told Sabrina and Ambrose before disappearing into the crowd. As Zelda fought to get to the tree, Faustus was led out, forced to stand still on a barrel as they put the noose around his neck. Zelda got to the tree trunk then. “Faustus, darling, what is happening?”

He looked down at her and smiled. “Zelda, my dearest, and only love. I’m so glad I got to see you 1 final time.”

“Don’t speak that way! I’m sure we can sort this out.” Zelda was about to say more but someone grabbed her arm and whirled her around. Now Zelda was looking at 1 of the teachers in her employ. “Brother Lovecraft?”

“Well, if it isn’t the traitor, Zelda Spellman!” He spat at her.

“I’m not a traitor” Zelda snapped.

“You’re a traitor and a lair! You claimed the titles of high priestess and headmistress for yourself and then you gave shelter to the villain who tried to kill us all.”

Zelda shook her head. “He’s not a villain!”

Lovecraft gave a short laughed. “You referred to him as one many times.”

“That was before. I was misinformed. I can explain-“

“Explain what? That you lied to the whole coven when you told them you fully intended to be a single mother or that you faked your relationship with Mambo Marie?”

“I faked nothing!”

“Enough!” Lovecraft turned back to Faustus. “Faustus Blackwood, any last words before you die?”

“Forgive me,” Faustus whispered.

“Like that’s ever going to happen.” Lovecraft sneered before he kicked the barrel out from under Faustus’s feet.

“NOO!” Faustus heard Zelda scream before everything black.

The next thing Faustus knew, he was underwater. How did I get here? He wondered. Did they hang me and then tossed my body in the river? Am I dead? It was then that Faustus heard a low moaning. Faustus looked beside him and saw a woman he knew but had not seen in years, Prudence’s mother.

“Madeline?”

The back of her head looked perfectly normal but when she turned, her rotting skin was peeling off her face and the eyes were missing from their sockets. Before he even knew what was happening, Faustus was swimming for the surface. When he got there, someone was waiting for him.

“Father?!”

“Hello, boy,” Liam sneered. “Not dead yet? Here, let me help” Liam reached out to reach his son’s head pushed him underwater, and held him there.

“No!” Faustus struggled and somehow grabbed on to his father’s wrist. Just then, Faustus sat bolt upright in bed, breathing heavily and realized that he had Zelda’s wrist, who held a damp washcloth, in a death grip. He blinked. “Zelda?”

“Oh, Faustus, you’re finally up! Darling, I was so worried!” She hugged him tightly.

“Was-was it all a dream?”

Zelda frowned and shook her head sadly. “No, my darling. Unfortunately, the hanging was very real.”

“Then how am I alive and back here?”

“It was a team effort,” Zelda explained, “Ambrose made the rope disappear and he transported you back here where he and Sabrina sealed down the house while Prudence helped me seal the coven in the church until cooler heads prevailed and we reached a deal.”

“A deal? What deal?”

“You know, I think this washcloth needs more water. You rest here, you’ve been out of it for 2 days.”

Zelda quickly left the room and Faustus did lay back until the puzzle box and the spell caught his eye. Agatha’s cure! He got up, grabbed the puzzle box and the spell, and ran downstairs. On the 1st floor, he rushed past by Ambrose, Sabrina, and Zelda.

“Faustus, don’t!” called Zelda.

“I got to go do this.” Faustus continued to run, opened the door but could not cross the threshold. He tried over and over again but he couldn’t do it. “What’s going on?”

“You didn’t tell him?” Ambrose asked Zelda.

“Not yet” Zelda muttered. “I’m sorry darling, but the coven voted to put you under extreme house arrest, you’re not even allowed to leave the house.”

Faustus said nothing, he just turned and went into the kitchen. He grabbed a pen and hurryingly wrote down instructions on the back of the page of the spell. Then he rushed back to the trio. “Go to the Academy, find Prudence then go to Agatha’s cell and perform this spell exactly the way I’ve written it. I believe that this will cure Agatha’s insanity.” Faustus watched Ambrose and Sabrina scatter out the door but he was puzzled when Zelda didn’t move. “Aren’t you going with them, dearest?”

“No, I trust them. They will do well.”

“It almost sounds like you’re under house arrest too.” Faustus was joking but 1 look at his wife’s somber face and he knew the truth. “Oh Zelda, you didn’t.”

“I had no other choice, Faustus. The only way I could get the coven to allow you to live, was to agree to step down as the coven’s high priestess and the academy’s headmistress and if I shared your punishment of house arrest.”

“That’s absurd! Why should you be punished even more than I was? You did nothing.”

“Neither did you! I tried to tell them about the curse but no one would listen. I don’t care what I have to give up, as long as I have yo

Faustus stepped forward, took Zelda’s hands in his, and kissed her. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” They kissed again and just as Faustus was gathering Zelda into his arms, a fury of knocking came from the front door. Zelda went to the front hall and she barely turned the knob when a group of boys barged in, ignored her, and went straight to the living room where Faustus was.

“Father Blackwood, we knew you would come back to us, what are our orders? Should we burn down the school? Or kill that heretic that now called himself father, Lovecraft?”

Faustus looked at them in shocked horror. These were his boys, his Judas society. Some were once very fine, decent young men, they now were bitter, angry and murderous and it was all his fault. All his fault! Faustus felt his heart sink like a stone.

“You’ll be happy to know, sir, that we kept your manifesto, the 5 facets of Judas, safe for you.”

“Wait a minute,” Zelda said, coming forward. “When we reopened the school, I ordered every copy of that to be destroyed.”

The head boy laughed. “Right, us listening to you over Father Blackwood is as laughable as you calling yourself a high priestess.”

“Shut up!” Faustus finally spoke as he grabbed the manifesto. “I had hoped to never see this again. I’m ashamed of every word of this. Every letter! This is complete and utter shit!” Faustus threw it into the fireplace and enjoyed watching it burn.

The head boy was puzzled. “What happened to you? You’re not our leader anymore.” Then he turned his eyes to Zelda. “You!” he hissed. “What did you do to him? You did something to him, I know it!”

The head boy tried to advance on Zelda but Faustus quickly stepped in between them. “Hey! You want a leader, fine. Here’s my final order. From this day on, from this moment the Judas Society is disbanded!”

The head boy shrugged. “Fine by us. The way you’re acting now no self-respecting warlock would ever follow you.”

“I would.”

The entire room turned to see Ambrose in the door, smiling. “It’s funny. I was so unsure about following Father Blackwood last year, you know, about the time when you all swore your lives to him and now, you guys are writing him off, I would follow him anywhere. He saved Agatha from her insanity tonight for no other reason than it was the right thing to do.”

For a moment, Faustus forgot all about the Judas boys and focused only on Ambrose. “The spell? Did it work?”

“To borrow a mortal phrase, like a charm.”

“So what?” Said the head boy. “Agatha is only a witch, witches don’t matter. You taught us that.”

“Then I taught you wrong,” Faustus muttered

“No, you didn’t, the curse did.” Ambrose corrected and stood up to the head boy. “This man is the better choice. Not only would I follow him, but I’m also proud to call him my uncle!”

“You’re only saying all this because you’re banging his daughter!”

“That’s it!” Faustus snapped. “You boys are leaving right now! Now, will you be going on your own according or do I have to throw you out?”

“Oh please, allow me.” Faustus watched Ambrose escort the boys out. Zelda saw that he was upset so she took his arm and kissed his cheek.

Soon after, Sabrina came home and brought all 3 of the Weird Sisters with her. It was so good to see Prudence, Dorcas, and Agatha, all together and all safe and whole.

“Sabrina? I thought you were going out with Roz tonight?” It was 2 days later and Ambrose was just walking by Sabrina’s room and saw his cousin lying across her bed.

“Yeah, but I don’t feel like going out tonight.”

Ambrose smiled and sat on the bed beside Sabrina. “Oh, you don’t have to pretend with me, cuz. You feel guilty of going out because Father Blackwood and Aunt Z are under house arrest. Am I right?”

“Well, yeah, of course. Aren’t you?”

“You mean because the very man who helped me get off house arrest got it worse than me and he didn’t even commit a crime? Yes, I feel bad but what can we do about it?”

Sabrina sighed. “I don’t know. Aunt Zelda is so afraid the coven will kill Father Blackwood, she won’t even talk about how unfair this is.”

“Excuse me, guys,” Faustus stood in the doorway, holding a laundry basket. “Sabrina, here are your clothes. Oh, I’m sorry I brunt dinner tonight. I guess your Aunt Hilda will have to give me some more cooking lessons when she gets back.”

Sabrina smiled. “Thanks Mr. Blackwood.”

“It’s really sweet how he barely lets Aunt Z lift a finger the more pregnant she gets. Now with Aunt Hilda out of the house, he’ll pick up even more of the slack. Too bad the coven can’t see him the way he is now.”

“That’s it! Ambrose, you’re a genius!”

“What? What did I say?”

For the rest of the week, Sabrina secretly took pictures of Faustus doing housework, or as the curse would have called it, ‘women work’. It was Sabrina’s hope that if Sabrina showed these pictures to Brother Lovecraft, who had overnight become the head of school, and if she could convince him that Father Blackwood had changed and then explain about the curse. Then Brother Lovecraft hopefully would go to the coven. By Monday, Sabrina had enough evidence and was waiting outside the main office when she heard a voice.

“Hello, muffin.”

“Aunt Hilda? When did you get back?”

“Just this morning. Ambrose was waiting for Dr. C and me at the bookstore when we pulled up. He explained all that happened and I thought I would come down and help you, be a 2nd witness.”

“Good idea! Hmm? Did you hear that?

“What? Sabrina?”

“I thought I heard Father Blackwood’s voice but he’s stuck at home.”

Hilda grabbed Sabrina’s hand and together they snuck up to the office door that was slightly ajar.

Inside, Lovecraft was pouring 2 drinks. “There’s 1 thing I still don’t understand. Why didn’t you let us hang Faustus? He could have been dead right then.”

“I want that pathetic weakling alive. Alive and close when I kill his beloved Zelda Spellman.”

“It’s Blackwood, the curse,” Sabrina mouthed to Hilda.

“Besides, we both got what we wanted. You’re now the head of the coven and with the strong sister housebound and the ditzy one living uptown, I can kill those damn Spellmans 1 by 1 any time I want.”

“Sabrina, do you have your camera with you?” Hilda whispered. When her niece nodded, Hilda continued. “Get ready to take a picture and make sure the flash is on. Ready, on 3.”

Hilda counted to 3 and then threw open the door as Sabrina took a photo. The 2 men were both dazed by the flash and Hilda worked fast, grabbed both men, and transport them all to the Spellman’s kitchen.

Zelda was at the table and when she saw the others, she stood up. “What on earth?”

“Aunt Z, it was all a setup. Blackwood and Lovecraft have been working together the whole time. Lovecraft wanted to be the head of the coven and Blackwood to control where we go so, he can kill us more easily. It was probably Blackwood who told the coven that Faustus was even here.”

Before a shocked Zelda could say anything, Faustus came into the room and saw Blackwood. “You!” Faustus hissed and charged for him. “Where are my children? Where are the twins, you bastard!”

“Don’t hurt him, at least not yet. Just hold him there.” Hilda took Sabrina’s camera and took a picture of the two. “There! This will be useful when I tell the coven about the curse.”

“You’re going to talk to the coven, auntie?”

Hilda nodded. “I’m going to call a coven meeting first thing in the morning.”

That was exactly what Hilda did. She went armed with every piece of information the Spellmans had. This included the page that Zelda ripped from Lucifer’s book, the one detailing Edward’s deal with the dark lord and the details of the curse itself. The recording Ambrose had made of Zelda confronting Edward about the curse, the spell that saved Agatha, and that had Faustus’s handwritten instructions proving his involvement and of course, the pictures. There was a lot of ground to cover so the meeting took most of the day. Meanwhile, Zelda and Faustus could do nothing but wait on pins and needles at home. They were in the living room when Zelda brought up what had been on her mind all day.

“You know what I don’t understand is why would Brother Lovecraft team up with the curse against us?”

Faustus lowered his eyes. “I may know why. Last year, before we were married and we were just being professional, I discovered that Lovecraft had a thing for you. I caught him stalking your classroom once or twice and I told him, not so nicely, to back off.”

“I never knew about any of this.”

“I know, I think that made Lovecraft even angrier.” Faustus looked out the window and froze. “Dearest, the entire coven is outside and headed this way.”

“They must have reached a decision.” Zelda put her cigarette out and stood up. Faustus caught up with her in the hall, grabbed her hands, and kissed her deeply.

Zelda no matter what the coven says or does, just know that I love you and that you are everything to me.”

Zelda smiled. “Same.”

“Zelda Spellman and Faustus Blackwood!” Came a booming voice. “Please come out on to the porch.”

For the 1st time in over a week, nothing stopped Zelda or Faustus from going out the front door. As they faced the coven, Zelda slid her hand into Faustus’s.

“Faustus, Zelda, the coven has reviewed your cave and have come to personally welcome you back into the coven.”

Faustus shook his head. “I can’t. I’m sorry. I am very grateful for your understanding and mentally, I know that the curse’s actions are not my actions but just the thought of entering the school or church makes me anxious.”

Hilda, who was with the crowd, spoke up. “They already agreed to put Zelda back as high priestess so it’s basically her choice.”

“In that case,” Zelda declared, “It shall be an open invitation. Brother Faustus may attend mass. He may even return to teaching if he so wishes but only when he is ready.”

The very next night, Faustus was turning down his bed when a sighing Zelda entered with her medical bag. “So, how was Lilith tonight?”

“Cranky,” Zelda answered shortly. Lucifer too. Don’t ask me why I didn’t care enough to pay attention. I just did my job and came home. What?” Zelda asked when she saw her husband’s frown.

“The school called about an hour ago. At supper, they checked the cell. They found Lovecraft dead and the curse…was nowhere to be found.”

“It got away again? This is the 2nd time!” Zelda sighed. “I was hoping that he would tell us where the twins were and we could live a quiet life for a while.”

In a way, Zelda got her wish. True, they didn’t have the twins, but the rest of January, as well as all of February, was uneventful. After dinner on Feb. 28th, Zelda took a bath, but when she came out of the bathroom, she found herself alone in the house. When Zelda got to her room, she gasped. No one else was there at that moment but someone had put candles upon candles all around the place as well as a few wrapped gifts on the bed. Right in the middle where it was unable to miss lay a sealed envelope with her name on it. Smiling, Zelda picked up the envelope, unsealed it, and began to read.

My Dearest Zelda, the letter began;

It has been downright impossible not to be swept up in ‘wedding fever’ that has surged through this house lately (well, before that terrible week) and it got me thinking. Yes, Hilda’s wedding was lovely and I’m truly happy for your sister and Dr. C but what about you? Every woman should get a day that they will never forget. Granted, our wedding day was memorable but for all the wrong reasons. Ever since Hilda and Dr. C got back from their honeymoon, the whole family had aided me in this little side project. That’s right, this time your family not only approves of me, they helped! How? Open the packages on the bed and it will all become clear.

Then if you want to marry me again (no pressure!) Meet me in the woods by the stone altar.

I love you,

Faustus

After putting the letter down, Zelda eyed a garment bag with the tag SOMETHING BLUE on it. Zelda unzipped the bag and beheld a beautiful airy blue gown with a diamond belt and a note. The note said I really hope you like your new dress! Don’t worry, dear sister, with my alterations it should fit like a glove. -HILDA

SOMETHING OLD was written on the top of a small golden box. Inside, another note. Great-grandmother Spellman’s diamond clips. They’ll look lovely on you. -AMBROSE Under the note, Zelda found the earrings.

SOMETHING NEW was the top of a note sitting next to a velvet ring box. The rest of the note said 2 new white gold eternity wedding bands, Father insisted. Yours is the one with all the diamonds. -PRUDENCE

The SOMETHING BORROWED note rested on a pair of shoes. My very best white dress flats. Auntie, don’t even think of wearing heels in your 12th month! -SABRINA

Wiping away happy tears, Zelda got ready. When she stepped out of the house, Dr. C was there to drive into the wood. When they got there, Zelda could see fairy lights in the trees and a white runner to mark the aisle, like Hilda’s wedding. The family was all gathered around the stone altar. Each dressed in their best, complete with a beaming Faustus in his best suit. Dr. C escorted Zelda down the aisle. After handing her purple primroses to Hilda, Zelda turned and held hands with the man she now knew she belonged with forever.

“The bride and groom will now say their own vows.” Said Hilda.

Zelda laughed. “No, we won’t. Until 5 minutes ago, I didn’t know I was a bride.”

“Please, then, let me,” Faustus smiled. “September 19, 1826, was my 1st day at the Academy of Unseen Arts. It was during the morning assembly while the headmaster was taking attendance, that I looked across the hall and saw her. The redheaded girl, who that day had her hair in curls and wore a green dress. It is 2 centuries later and the fates have tried to keep us apart more times than I can count but there is 1 thing that hasn’t changed, that will never change, how desperately, hopelessly in love I am with the redhead girl and how she grew into an amazingly strong and intelligent woman that I have the honor to call my wife.”

“Oh, Faustus!”

He took the diamond ring and slid it on Zelda’s finger. “I love you, Zelda and just being near you makes me want to be a better man.”

Zelda smiled and placed the matching ring on her husband’s hand. “The insanity curse got the best of you because I lost faith in who you are. I promise never to lose that faith again because I love you Faustus, so much. I also promise to be the best wife and mother I can be.”

“It’s time for the signing.” Dr. C said.

Zelda was confused. Signing a marriage license at a vow renewal? When she saw the papers on the stone altar, she was even more confused. “A legal name change?”

“I know the family calls the curse Blackwood when I’m not around and if the name Blackwood only brings up the curse or my father, then why am I holding on it? I want to take your name Zelda,” Faustus smiled. “I want to be a Spellman.”

“We’ve talked about it a lot, Aunt Z,” Sabrina told her “and we think he’s ready. It was just so sweet how he asked Hilda to set up a secret family meeting so he could ask our permission.”

“What about you, Prudence?” Zelda wanted to know. “Are you comfortable with being the only Blackwood in Greendale?”

“I’m going back to the surname, Night, like my sisters”

“But you’re still my beloved daughter” Faustus added quickly.

“Trust us, Zelds, we thought this through from every single angle. We’ve been working on this since before Solstice. The final papers just came in this morning.” Said Hilda

Faustus nodded. “That’s right. All I need now to be a Spellman, is a witness’s final signature.” He smiled and offered her a pen.

She took it and signed it. Then the family clapped.

“Ladies and gentlemen, for the 1st time, Zelda and Faustus Spellman!” Dr. C announced.

Faustus and Zelda kissed and were half-way down the aisle when Zelda doubled over. “I think the baby is coming!”

#chilling adventures of sabrina #caoz #chapter 7 #part 4 my way #spellwood #zelda spellman #faustus blackwood #hilda spellman #dr. c #sabrina spellman #prudence night #thank you #ambrose spellman #long reads #fanfic #fanfiction friday #fanart

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