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snusbandxknifewife · 3 years

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How We Got Here/Where We’re Going

Hello yes hi! I am proud to introduce my gift for the lovely and amazing Tess, @clockworkgraystairs ! This started out as a wedding fic, but I couldn’t get it to work right until I was giving @wanderingpages her regularly scheduled Mayari update and saw her asynchronous pregnancy au and was like “!!!!!Holy shit that’s it.” So, without much further ado, I present the beginning of “How We Got Here/Where We’re Going”, an all human, modern au where Cardan and Jude have been a thing since college, ended up getting pregnant and having a daughter and marrying in their late 20s. Now it’s their honeymoon and they’re looking backwards at their past and forward towards their future.

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Outside, fluffy grey clouds hung over a soft blanket of snow, masking any sound that might’ve accompanied the rising of the sun. Her bed was soft, her sheets warm, her room quiet. Jude couldn’t quite figure out what woke her up. Then, as she stretched out, her fingers hungrily searching as she fought sleep, she realized what it was: Cardan was missing.

Sitting up, her eyes bleary and drool dried on her cheek, she pouted. When she remembered that she didn’t have a stitch of clothing on—and that, plus a snowy log cabin, makes for freezing nips—she grumbled and burrowed back into the comforter.

Oh to have been a fly on the wall in the little cabin bedroom as Jude Greenbriar tumbled around in her nest of blankets, dragging them with her to grab underwear and pajamas and socks and fighting to avoid any cold air as she dressed. Cussing and tripping as she went, Jude scowled into nothing and cursed her fiancé—

Wait. Husband. It’s husband now.

—she cursed her husband for abandoning her to the elements and taking his space heater of a body with him when he went.

Jude wrapped herself up in her ball of bedding and went out the door, now awake enough to listen for movement in the small cabin. A pot clanged from the downstairs kitchen and her husband yelped and she smirked.

That’s what you get, loser.

As Jude walked down the stairs, she couldn’t miss the chaos of the living room. Most of their suitcases were still packed up and set by the fireplace, their skis and snow jackets barely made it in the door, and their wedding clothes were strewn haphazardly across the sofa. She was honestly impressed that they’d made it inside the house.

Just as she made it to the bottom of the stairs and headed towards the sofa to run her hand over her wedding dress, she heard something that made her stop.

“—And how should I know? Honestly Nic I’m not even sure how to bring it up to her,” Cardan sighed from within the kitchen, bustling around like he was making breakfast. “I think it might be good for us. Still, with how everything went when we had Faye, I don’t want to pressure her.”

She couldn’t help but frown in concern as her mind flitted back through everything she could remember about their first daughter and her pregnancy. From the confusion of her missed period to the worry as they waited on the test to the way Cardan’s eyes had lit up when the Ob/Gyn told them they were having a little girl.

What on earth would Nicasia be talking to him about?

Jude tried to tell herself that it was obvious, Nicasia was only days away from popping, and her pregnancy had been a bit of a nightmare. Maybe she was just nervous? But, then again, why ask Cardan about giving birth? Jude had been the one who carried Faye and, far more importantly, Nicasia’s own wife, Taryn, had already had a child herself.

Completely ignoring the fact that calling a man away from his wife on his honeymoon was probably in poor taste, but she digressed.

She kept herself as still as possible, angling her head so she could hear better.

“Yes, I know that, Nic,” he let out a little frustrated laugh, and Jude could just picture the way he would be pinching the bridge of his nose. “But Faye will be starting school soon and that’ll be a circus in it of itself, never mind adding on the stress that this would.”

He went quiet again and Jude crept back towards the stairs, hoping he wouldn’t walk through the kitchen door and catch her spying.

“I know you and Taryn want the little man to have a friend, but you remember how tough it was for Jude our first go round.”

Oh.

Jude’s hand flew to her belly and she had to jump to catch the falling blankets before they made a sound and alerted her new husband.

So she wasn’t the only one who was getting suggestions about expanding the family.

It made sense, everyone had been talking to Jude about the idea as the wedding had gotten closer. Oriana had been completely starry eyed ever since Taryn’s firstborn, Rosemary, had graced them with her presence. In fact, their stepmother had barely batted an eyelash at Jude’s worries when she’d fallen pregnant during college, she was far too excited at the idea of another grand baby. Madoc had gotten past the shock and the disdain for Cardan enough to be hounding them for a grandson. Taryn thought having cousins the same age made for perfect best friends. It was a mess.

Sure, Nicasia being pregnant had bought them a little respite, but she could go into labor literally any minute, so there went that.

Jude rolled her eyes and began loudly making her way down the stairs again, giving her husband fair warning this time as she walked through the living room and towards the kitchen.

“Hold on, here she comes,” he whispered, low enough that he likely thought she couldn’t hear. Then, she hit the kitchen door with her mobile blanket fort and he spun around with a: “hey Hot Mama!”

“Stop calling me that, you dork,” she made a face, instantly regretting her decision not to sneak up and scare him.

He’s stood there by the stove, wearing nothing but his low-slung flannel pajama pants and grinning at her like an idiot as he leaned back against the counter. She refused to let her sneer fall, only growing more annoyed at how he could walk around half naked in such a freezing house.

“Huh?” He must’ve forgotten he was talking to Nicasia because he seemed surprised when she began speaking on the other end of the phone. “Oh, yeah, Jude’s finally awake. Y’know I kept her up last night, heyo.”

Jude let out a disgusted groan and he just started to laugh, giving her an exaggerated wink and thrusting his hips forward in a way that absolutely did not put butterflies in her stomach, thank you very much.

He tilted his head, listening to Nicasia for a moment before finally giving up. “Here I’ll put her on speaker.”

“Hey Nic!” Jude smiled, finally dropping her pretenses and walking over to give Cardan a big, blankety hug and morning kiss. “How did Faye do last night?”

“She was great! Didn’t get up until about seven this morning. Of course the little man already had me up, fuckin’ kid always sitting on my bladder,” Nicasia griped through the phone and Jude snorted. “I don’t know how you and Taryn both did this it sucks.”

“Yeah, but the payoff is really cute,” she shrugged, leaning her head against Cardan’s collarbone. “Especially when they have your nose or your eyes or they start saying how much they love their Mommy.”

“Is Rosemary ready for baby?” Cardan asked as he wrapped his arm around his blanket bundle of a wife.

“You know how she gets, she’s super attached to her moms. Well have to see once Taryn and I actually bring him home.”

“I’m sure she’ll be a great big sister, she’s always been wonderful to Faye,” Jude offered, smiling as her husband pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “She was very sweet when Faye was a baby.”

“She was three then. Seven-year-olds have much bigger personalities.” Nicasia sounded exhausted, more exhausted than a normal pregnant person would be and Jude worried at her lip.

While they hadn’t always been the closest, she and Nicasia had grown into a really solid friendship ever since the other woman had begun dating Jude’s sister, and she didn’t like to see her struggling. Nic had been a huge help in Jude’s own life and relationship, she’d been an amazing friend to Cardan, she didn’t deserve anything but the best, happiest transition to a family of four.

“Well she takes after her mother.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, Jackass?” Nicasia laughed at Cardan, her voice sounding like the tension broke a little.

Jude opened her mouth to give some word of advice or make some statement about how sure she was that it would be ok, but got cut off by the sound of commotion on the other end of the phone.

“What? Oh, yes Faerie-Faye it’s Mommy and Daddy,” Nic said, sounding far away from the phone. “Of course you can darling, here you go.”

Jude’s heart swelled and tears unexpectedly pricked at the back of her eyes as their daughter fumbled with the phone. She felt guilty, having forgotten for a moment that they were on their honeymoon without Faye. It was their first trip alone since her birth, and they’d both been on pins and needles when they’d said goodbye to her at the reception hall last night.

“Mommy?” Faye’s voice, tiny and soft like the twinkling of a wind chime, came through the phone. “Hello?”

“Hey little elf! How are you? Mommy misses you so much,” she gushed, reaching out and taking the phone from her husband in a mindless attempt to feel physically closer to her daughter. “Have you been good for Aunty Taryn and Aunt Nicky?”

Jude listened attentively as her four-year-old prattled on about everything she’d done since she left the reception hall with her aunts and cousin last night. To hear her tell it, Faye had had a great time. While it made her happy, Jude also found herself a little sad at the idea that her baby girl was doing so well without mom.

“And Daddy, Aunt Nicky let me touch her tummy when baby cousin kicked!”

“Were you gentle, Princess?” Cardan asked. He always called their daughter Princess, had since the first moment he’d held her in his arms. “Remember what we’ve said about soft hands.”

“Yes Daddy I used soft hands and nice words!”

“That’s my girl,” he said, that proud grin he always got whenever Faye listened to them plastering itself across his face.

The phone fell away and they heard some distant talking before their daughter was back on.

“Ok Mommy and Daddy, Rosemary is awake and we’re playing Rome. I love you, bye-bye!”

And she was gone before either of them could say another word, likely dropping her Aunt’s phone on the floor, if history could serve as a teacher. Jude tried not to let it hurt too much, she knew how seriously Faye took Rome—her word for the pretend gladiator-style tournaments her and her cousin put on. On any other day she’d be slightly smug at how well her kid swung a sword, but today she was away from her daughter and it really sucked.

“Sorry about that, I’ll make sure she stays on longer tonight,” Nicasia promised before either of them said anything. “But you know gladiator is a serious time in our house.”

“Oh to be sure. My wife is raising a little killer.”

“Looks like it runs in the family,” she laughed back. “Listen I’ll let you to go do gross honeymoon shit. Love you both, I’ll let you know if baby boy makes an early appearance.”

“Love you too, tell Faye we love her,” Cardan said, taking his phone back when she ended the call.

And, just that quickly, the little cabin in the snow-laden forest was silent again. Jude in her mountain of covers looked up at her new husband, her pout from earlier back as she tried not to cry.

“Awe, don’t do that to me Mama Bear; you know she misses you,” he frowned, pulling her close and kissing her temple.

“She’s my baby Cardan,” Jude whined, her voice muffled against his chest. “When did Rome become more important than Mommy?”

He scoffed, gathering her and her extra padding and setting the whole pile atop the kitchen island. “Rome is not more important than Mommy, you know that.”

“Rome sure sounded more important than Mommy.”

He turned his back with a roll of his eyes, reaching for the coffee that he must’ve been brewing before she woke up. She stopped her pouting long enough to take in the sight: Cardan’s messy black hair, his low-slung pants, the blatantly obvious fingernail marks carved up his back from last night. It was certainly a sight for sore eyes; it’s not every day you can wake up to something like that when you’ve got a toddler in tow.

“When you’re done ogling, would you like a cup?” He looked over his shoulder quickly, catching her in the act. His eyes twinkled so bright and full of mischief she didn’t even feel bad about being caught, she just smirked at him as she nodded.

Jude looked outside and saw that the heavy grey clouds had given up the fight and large, fluffy snowflakes were falling, bathing the world in yet another layer of snow.

“I hope Nic doesn’t go into labor early, we may be stuck here if the snow doesn’t stop,” she observed, suddenly quiet as she took the cup from his outstretched hand and brought it to her face, soaking in the warmth.

Cardan followed her gaze as he leaned back against his own counter, sipping from her Mrs mug that Liliver had gotten her as a joke. He looked pleasantly tired, not wired like he’d been after an all nighter in college or exhausted the way he was when Faye’d had a bad night as an infant. He looked like he was fit to curl up in bed with a book and be lazy all day, content with his place in the world.

It was a good look on him.

“She told me earlier that her doctor said she was only at 1.5 centimeters, she should make it to her due date.”

“I didn’t.”

“Well you were full of surprises with Faye’s pregnancy,” he mock-glared at her and she chuckled into her drink, remembering the look on his face when she’d told him her water had broken in her final.

Then his words hit her and her smile fell as she remembered what she’d overheard him saying to Nicasia. Cardan, well tuned in to her body language after so many years, noticed instantly.

“What?”

What good is spying if you narc on yourself?

She sighed and stared into her mug, trying to figure out the words as he watched her, worried something was wrong. Then, finally, “I overheard you talking with Nic about my pregnancy with Faye.”

“How much did you hear?”

“Just the end, you talking about how tough it was, how you didn’t want to pressure me,” she admitted, continuing before he could respond. “I don’t want you to think you’re pressuring me I know we’ve talked about it and I—“

“Woah, woah, woah, calm it down Hot Mama let me explain,” he cut her off, taking her cup from her hands and setting it down in the counter so he could hold her. “That conversation wasn’t about the pregnancy, just the timing.”

“What?”

He sighed, his jaw working like it always does when he’s a little frustrated. “Nic called right after I got a text from my brother. I should’ve talked to you first but the timing just worked out weird.”

“From Balekin?” She crinkled her nose in a frown that she knew he found adorable. “What could he possibly want? He knows he literally missed our wedding, right? The wedding that was yesterday.”

She cursed herself internally as she saw his little wince. She shouldn’t have said it so harshly, it just pissed her off that the man who raised her husband would refuse to be there when they got married.

“No, from Dain,” Cardan said, stopping her thoughts right in their track. “It’s about the company. Rhyia is apparently sick of being CFO, wants a peace of the trust fund baby action like me.”

She couldn’t help but grind her teeth at that, remembering that glorious fight all those years ago at his family’s mansion when he’d announced their pregnancy.

“So what do you have to do with it?”

“Dain wants to keep it in the family,” he chewed at his bottom lip. “Remembers I was in for business and you were in for finance. Thinks we could make a go of it together.”

“Oh so now you’re family,” she laughed angrily, her blood already boiling again after four years of avoiding the subject. “You weren’t family when you were a defenseless kid and you weren’t family when we were pregnant and fucking panicking but now he needs something—“

She broke off with a huff, flexing her fists and aching for her punching bag back home in their basement. It really wouldn’t do getting this riled up, it hadn’t helped them before and it wouldn’t help them now.

“Cool it, Supervillain, I see that look in your eyes,” he chuckled, forcing his hands under the blankets so he could grab her by the hips.

“I’m not a supervillain,” she grumbled.

“You’re my supervillain,” he cooed back, leaning forward to press soft little butterfly kisses to her jawline. “My sexy little supervillain Hot Mama.”

“I hate you.”

“You love me.”

She decided not to answer as he continued kissing down the line of her throat, his breath hot over her pulse and his lips soft against her chapped skin.

Jude couldn’t help the way she tilted her chin up, the little grin that graced her face as her eyes fluttered closed. She missed moments like these, times when they could be overly affectionate without having to worry about the baby seeing and yelling about how gross it was.

He pulled away and her eyes shot back open, ready to complain until she saw the look on his face. He was troubled, almost apprehensive.

“I was honestly thinking about agreeing,” he admitted before she could ask what was wrong.

Her brain short circuited for a moment, too distracted by his kisses to remember what they had been talking about. When she finally connected the dots, she frowned. “But you bought out of the company years ago, babe. Why go back to the headache?”

“A higher paying job,” he sighed, stepping away to run his hands through his messy hair and lean against the counter again. “I don’t like the idea of charging your sister more for my help, but I still want to make sure we have a secure future.”

“Baby, I know our finances. We are fine.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Even without my paycheck.”

“Still, I’d rather be safe. Plus Faye will be going to school next year and I’ll have all that extra time on my hands,” he looked away from her, chewing at the inside of his lip as he watched the snow fall. “We’d be able to really change how we live if we took this job. A better house, vacations, secure college fund for the kids.”

Jude studied Cardan, her eyes roving over his midnight black curls, down his ears—which used to be stretched—across the tattoo of her and Faye’s birthdates at his wrist, and she smiled. He’d changed so much since they first met, given up a lot of his more daring, self-destructive ways to provide for her and their family. He’d stepped up when she needed him to, he’d stepped up in a way that no man in his family ever did for him. She was proud.

“I thought kids is what you’d been discussing with Nic.”

His eyes shot back to her, but his head didn’t turn. She was quiet, almost nervous as she said it. They’d talked about maybe one day having more kids, mentioned it the same way one might say they wanted to hike the Appalachian trail some day.

But it had been so scary with Faye, so hard figuring out how to become parents, how to maintain their relationship and build a home, all while they were just barely adults. The pregnancy had been tough and full of shock, the family had been kind of a mess on both sides. It was just a disaster from the word go.

Still, Jude remembered how Cardan looked when he first saw that positive pregnancy test all those years ago. She remembered how he used to love waking up at night to feed the baby, called it his special Daddy-Daughter Time. She saw the way he still held one of Faye’s sonograms in his wallet every time she took her birth control.

“Did you now?” Cardan barely sounded like he was breathing.

She nodded. “I heard Nicasia giving you the same guilt trip Taryn gives me about cousins.”

“They do seem to think that baby boy should have a friend.” His face didn’t give anything away. He was, for the first time in years, so carefully blank around her.

“What do you think?”

The air, still frigid enough to keep Jude wrapped up in her nest, seemed charged with electricity as Cardan finally turned his head back to face his wife. If she’d gazed upon him with an untrained eye, she would’ve thought he looked like the picture of cruelty, an evil sneer pulling at his lips as he studied her through lidded eyes.

But Jude’s gaze wasn’t untrained, she knew her husband. And, so, she knew that the man in front of her was absolutely terrified as he said: “I think there might be some merit to the idea.”

He took a long sip of his coffee to hide his smile as Jude worried at her deformed ring finger.

“You?”

Well, here goes nothing

“I was thinking about stopping my birth control,” she quietly said, trying not to let her heart leap at the slight quirk of his brows. “Maybe not actively trying but, y’know, also not actively preventing.”

As soon as the words were out, she felt kind of panicked. Up until that point, everything they’d done—moving in after they got pregnant, getting engaged, marrying—had felt kind of inevitable. But having a second baby wasn’t necessarily a foregone conclusion. Talking about it felt nerve-wracking, like they were actually moving to make their family a reality.

“You want a kid with me?” Cardan sounded kind of awed, his jaw a little slack as he watched her.

“I have a kid with you, babe.”

“No,” he held a hand up. “No it was different with Faye. She wasn’t planned, she just happened and we figured out how to make it work.”

He set his drink down and once again crossed the distance between them, digging in to her cocoon as he pressed his forehead to hers.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love Faye with all my heart, she’s the best thing that’s happened to me,” he continued. “But the idea that you’d be more than ok with, that you’d literally want a child with me—“

“Does it shock you?”

He let out a small laugh, shaking his head as if to clear it before gazing up at her with love in his eyes. “Yes, Jude Greenbriar. Yes it does.”

“Well it shouldn’t,” she snorted. “I carried a little you once before and she turned out pretty damn cute.”

“I think I’m going to need to hear you actually say it.”

She laughed, her head thrown back as the sound filled the kitchen. She wrapped her arms around Cardan and kissed his temple, holding him close and thanking the gods that they’d made it to that point.

“You need to hear me say what?” Jude teased, her grin contagious as Cardan looked up at her.

“Jude, my darling my dear, my sexy little Hot Mama,” he started, dutifully ignoring how she dramatically protested at the nickname, “I need to hear you say that you want to have my child.”

Jude leaned forward, taking in the soft, earthy scent of him with a mischievous smile.

“Cardan, my love my sweet, my amazing sexy husband,” she imitated him, tilting her head to drag her teeth across his jaw.

He leaned back, giving her the room to slide off the kitchen counter and into his arms. The blankets fell off her shoulders, exposing her to the cool air as she pressed herself against him, already feeling just how desperately he wanted her.

She let her hands wander the expanse of his chest, her fingers ghosting over his skin until she could reach around to the nail marks on his back. With a smile, she traced them, remembering how he’d earned those scrapes when he spread her legs open on the floor last night after they’d given up on making it to the couch.

Cardan grabbed her by the hip, sliding one of his knees between her thighs and locking his eyes with hers as he waited with bated breath for her to finish.

Jude, not one to deny herself a good time, let the strap of her pajama shirt fall off her shoulder as she bit her bottom lip, leaned forward, and whispered--

“Put a baby in me.”

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A/N: Ok so a few things, one the tumblr app wouldn’t let me copy and paste all the story on mobile so I had to retype some online so I’m sorry if the format fucked up. Also I have a bunch of ideas for these kids so if you want to see any more of this AU, feel free to send in requests! Happy holidays @clockworkgraystairs , I hope you enjoy cute Parent!Jurdan doing cute adult shit!

Tag list: @cardan-greenbriar-tcp @hizqueen4life @slightlyrebelliouswriter23 @thewickedkings @aelin-queen-of-terrasen @cheekycheekycheeks @queen-of-glass @b00kworm @doingmyrainbow @jurdanhell @thesirenwashere @illyrianwitchling @courtofjurdan @clockworkgraystairs @st00pid231 @booksandlewks @fateandluminary @addies-invisible-life If you want to be added, just let me know!

#jurdan #cardan greenbriar #jude duarte #tfota #tfota fanfic #tyrannosaurus lex writes #au #how we got here where we're going #hwghwwg #modern au #jurdannet secret snusband #secret snusband

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dammitadolfnomorecake · 5 years

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COTW - 29. 30 is probably gonna be the last chapter

Unlike his brothers, Eli Abel Ackerman only spent a week in hospital before they were allowed to bring him home. The tiny boy was so much more quiet than Viren had been, preferring to sleep rather than cry. Viren wasn't convinced about it all, but he was incredibly curious over the baby boy's every move. Eren had a rougher deal with things. Having to have surgery on his tearing again, though this time they knew better than to believe the scans, his poor husband was catheter and bed bound for a week, Each daily hospital visit usually resulted in finding Eren trying to escape down to visit Rei. When Eren was finally allowed to come home, his mate was listless unless he was with Eli or with Viren. As happy as Eren was to have Eli home, Levi knew he missed Rei deeply, and he missed being able to lift and carry Viren around. His omega didn't want to nest, and he'd found the bathroom mirror shattered on Eren's third day home. Eren crying on the floor, struggling with his changed body, and his still swollen belly. His mate now preferring to hide himself away in overly large clothes that left him looking sickly. He didn't understand how Eren could feel so guilty for not carrying to full term. Being a twin, their son was smaller, but he was healthy. Surprisingly so... not that they told Eren that. Upset over missing his phone call, Hanji had over shopped for them. Bringing Anna with her, the pair were laden with gifts as Levi opened the door to their "surprise" visit. Hanji had messaged ahead to ask if it was alright to visit, and Levi figured Eren could probably use the distraction of a curious Anna. Only, they'd picked probably the worst time to actually appear. Eren was sleeping in the corner of the sofa with Eli in his arms, completely dead to the world as Hanji snapped a few photos. Sending Viren and Anna to play, he was ushered into his own kitchen as Hanji took over the bench "How is he?" "Getting there... wait... is that food?" "Don't look at me like that. It's all microwave meals from work. I thought you two wouldn't really feel like cooking" "You didn't cook. You had no hand in cooking these, right?" "No. They're from the cafeteria. And you don't get out of it that easily" "Thank you" Hanji stared at him as if he'd grown a second head "Don't give me that. Actually, things aren't great. He wants to bring Rei home, and you know what he gets like when he isn't allowed to do anything" "I thought having one of them home would help..." "Yeah. He adores Eli, but not being able to get down low enough for bath time, or being able to get up for midnight feeds has him down" "Have you talked?" "A little. He's feeling guilty over being a parent again, and because "he doesn't look sexy"" "He's got three kids and arse to die for. He's the envy of every woman ever" "Yeah. It's just going to take some time to figure out this three pup thing" "Well. I've brought cake. And Anna picked out a few small things, they're in that bag on the table. How's Viren liking his new role?" "He's not completely sure about this baby thing. The first time Eli really cried, he did too" "That's precious" "Yeah. He kept crying for a full hour after Eli did" "That's not so precious..." "No. That's another thing Eren's worked up over. Giving birth and scaring Viren" "He needs to give himself a break" "Hanji. Seriously. When have you seen Eren give himself a break?" "I know. Do you have a date for when Rei can come home?" "The 5th" "See. It's not that much longer" "No. It's just exhausting Eren more than he wants to admit. The daily trips in, especially when his back's so tender" "He's been..." "Yes. He's been monitoring it, and his caesarean site. I'm not allowed to look" "He'll come round" "It's just trying to find the balance in the mean time. What other news do you bring from the outside world?" "The trial's still going, but Erwin's been talking to Floch and the jury is getting pretty impatient about the whole thing. Nick's case has started to fall apart, especially after the things Eren said were leaked by the press. Don't worry, they didn't mention Eren's name, but the public aren't happy at all with our boy Nick" "He might be yours, but he's got nothing to do with me" "Ew. No. That came out wrong" "You think?" "What about you? What are you going to do?" "I have a few ideas. But they all require more money and more capital than we have" "Does that mean you and Eren are finally going to be buying a house?" "No. No. I mean, I want to. But he's not ready yet" "I still don't think I'll ever understand why not..." "He told me. It's his past. The trial stirred up a lot and the foster house really hasn't..." Levi broke his sentence with a shake of his head. That was Eren's secret. He shouldn't be blabbing to Hanji "He's not ready yet" "This place is so small... but I guess it can't be helped. I still can't believe you had another baby without me" "If you'd answered your phone..." "I was in surgery" "Well the stains on the floor if you really want to take a look" "No. I'm fine. I'd love cuddles though" "You have to get past Eren. Eli might love his sleep, but when he's in Eren's arms, he drifts right off" "He knows his mumma. Oh. I got you guys formula too... the tins are down in the car. You know, because Rei might find Eren's nipple hard to take" "Don't remind him of that. And don't mention the trial either. He's already asked about it" "Why not just tell him?" "Because I don't want Nick seeing my newborn son" "He's going to want to be there when the jury delivers its verdict" "And when the time comes, I'll take him. Until then, we're trying to keep this place quiet and stress free" "It'd be a lot more stress free, if you two learned how to whisper" Hanji giggled "Sorry, Eren. You know I have a big mouth. How are you, my Lovely?" "Sleepy... cranky, bleedy... ugh" "The joys of birth. How's little Eli?" "He sleeps better than all of us combined" Ditching her unpacking, Hanji headed into the living area. Levi taking over, though paying more attention to the pair in the living room than what he was doing "Look at him. He looks just like Viren did" "Mmm... He's adorable... he's got my brown hair though" "There's nothing wrong with your hair!" Eren huffed "It needs a wash, but Levi won't let me" "He's just worried for you. Is everything down there...?" "A mess. Yeah. Pretty much. Do you want to hold him? I need to go to the bathroom" Hanji naturally pounced at the chance "Of course I do. Look at you, Eli... Hey baby, I'm your Aunty Hanji" Finishing placing everything away, Levi was of with the fairies, came back down when he realised Hanji was trying to talk to him "What?" "Eren called your name" Jogging through the living area, Levi paused at the recliner "Will you be ok with Eli?" "Perfectly fine" Continuing on, Levi let himself into the bathroom. Eren was sitting on the edge of the bath, wiping his face. His breathing starting to grow erratic as if he was panicking "What's wrong, Bright Eyes?" "I... don't know..." Breaking down, Levi moved to Eren's side, pulling his husband to him. Ignoring Eren not having wanted to be touched. Rubbing his back, he pressed three kisses to the top of Eren's head "What are you feeling?" "Scared... I... I was fine. But then I just got scared" "I'm here. You're ok. I've got you, Eren" "I don't know why I am" "You're emotions are a bit of mess right now, but it's ok. It's just you, me, Hanji and the kids" "I know... but I don't know why I'm scared" "Was it the blood? I can smell it in the air" "It's heavy, but... I don't think so. As soon as I was done washing my hands, I couldn't move towards the door" "It's ok... I've got you, now" "I hate this... I'm back to hating me... I feel like I'm back at step one again, and I don't know why" "Baby, you're ok. Your body is adjusting from giving birth. Your hormones are all over the place and you've been off since you had to come home. I know you. You're punishing yourself for things that aren't your fault" "Why can't I let myself be happy?" "Because you care way too much about everything" "I hate this, Lee. I hate this..." "I know you do... I know" "I feel so sick and tired. But when I fall asleep, I wake up panicking, because I don't have my pups..." "Is that why you panicked? Because Hanji's here? She and Anna brought some food around. I thought you might like to see Anna" "I do. I did. I don't know. She's... she's not him" "And I'm not saying she is. But she does love you. We all love you, baby" Eren sniffled "I'm so sick of this. I felt good when I was pregnant, and now I feel empty... Eli's out of hospital before Rei, and that feels wrong. It feels wrong that they were born nearly 4 weeks apart... it feels wrong that he isn't here" "I know, but we'll bring him home real soon" "What... what if he's an omega? He's already had such a hard start to life. What if he presents as an omega?" "Then we protect him. He love him and we guide him, and we protect him" "Will that be enough? I don't want him to suffer. I don't want any of them to suffer" "Eren, there's time between now and then. Things could change" "People think things change, but do they really? Omegas are still treated horribly, and I can't stop thinking about what Nick said. Where do omegas go now?" "There are legal shelters to help. Nick was so far off the mark with his stupid church, that he wasn't even on the planet anymore. Even if all of our sons present as omegas, I will personally kill anyone who touches them" "All I want is for them to be happy" "I know. But can you try and do me a favour?" "W-what?" "Don't get so caught up in a future that might not even be. Nick's trial has raised so many issues. Even if all you did was open the eyes to everyone in the courtroom, they're going to think twice about their own actions. They might even be the change the world needs" Eren laughed sadly "I'm sorry. I can't stop all these things in my head" "I know. Do you want to head back out to the living room? Cuddle with Eli some more?" "That'd be nice... You did such a good job" "You're the one who birthed him" "Without drugs" "No, Eren. No drugs... I was scared shitless" "So was I. I still feel so bad that I put you through it" "I blame the idiot that caused the accident and blocked up traffic" "Not the idiot omega?" "You are not an idiot. Do you remember how proud I was at the courthouse?" "I remember the bathroom" "And you say I'm the pervert... my point is. Times that by a hundred and you still aren't close to how proud I am of you for birthing our three amazing sons" "That's... a lot" "That must mean I'm really proud of you..." "Maths isn't my strong point" "You passed your high school equivalency. I know you can multiply with the best of them" "Did you just..." He hadn't intentionally "Maybe. Come on, the bath isn't the comfiest seat, and you've got nothing to be scared of" * Whatever was haunting Eren, didn't improve magically, no matter how much he hoped. He found his husband in their wardrobe with no memory of how he got there, and smelling of fear. Viren had said they were playing hide and seek while Eli slept, his son coming to find him when he couldn't find mummy. Eren really didn't seem to know what set him off though. Levi had a sneaking suspicion it was post-partum depression rearing its ugly head again, especially coupled with Eren's deep feelings of guilt over Rei being in hospital. He'd wanted to make an appointment with Krista, but when he'd called through to make an appointment, the woman's answering service informed him she would be on break until the first of June. He could call on her mobile, but it felt rude to disturb her, given how hard her line of work was, and how desperately she deserved a break. He could make an appointment with Eren's doctor, but they'd more than likely suggest medication, and Eren would dig his heels in over not being able to breast feed. Eli had no problem taking Eren's nipple when offered, suckling greedily in a way that rivalled Levi... Eren even making the comparison, while drugged up and in front of Erwin and Mike. With a glare, the pair had been silenced, but Levi knew the day would come and they would both give him shit of taking pleasure in every part of Eren. Waking to find their bed devoid of Eren, Levi grumbled to himself. His husband had fallen asleep on the sofa with Eli. When he'd gone searching, he'd found Titan sleeping along the side of Eren's leg, while Eli was sleeping on Eren's chest, to skin to skin. As cute as it was, Eren would have been spending the next few days paying for it given the angle of neck. Levi could swear he'd only just gotten Eren into bed... Dragging himself up, he skipped putting a shirt on. Walking out their bedroom, he didn't expect to see Eren talking away on the phone, with Eli on his shoulder. Catching sight of him, his husband rushed to end the call. The smile on his face hardly casual or guilt free "Who was that?" "Just... I was calling to see if Rei was ok..." "Eren..." "I know! Ok. I know. I didn't need to call because we're going to see him later" "You don't need to be defensive. I was going to ask how he was, and if you managed to get some more sleep" Eren looks a little sheepish as he ducked his head "Sorry. Yeah. I got some more sleep. You've been running after all us, so I thought you could use the rest" "I'm fine, you don't need to worry. So how is Rei?" "He's alright... I... I had a nightmare that he... so, I..." Walking over to his husband, Levi wrapped his arm around Eren's waist "He's ok, Bright Eyes. And he's going to be just fine. I know it's a long wait, but he'll be coming home soon" "I know. I... just... it's stupid. But being here, while he's there is so fucking hard" "It's not stupid. I'm sure he's looking forward to coming home and seeing his brother again" "Do you think... do you think he knows us?" "Eren, we've seen him every single day since his birth. We were the first people he saw... he might have been through a lot, but he's our pup" "I just want him home. He's... It's like when Viren was born. He's a part of me, and I can't even hold him" "He's a part of me too. Only two more days and he's ours" "I'm sorry, I know I'm a handful" Levi kissed Eren's cheek. A handful... he was two handfuls and a walk over Lego barefoot, but he wouldn't have his omega any other way "That's putting it midly, but I think you're allowed to be. You've got three pups, and a cranky old alpha to deal with" "And the trial" "Yeah. Well. You don't have to go back..." "You said I could go when they decide the verdict" Levi continued, Eren should have learned not to be so impatient by now, but that was just something else to love "... on the stand. And until Floch calls, you're better off forgetting about it for now" "I can't just forget. Every time I think about him, I want to punch him in his stupid face" "I do to. But he's not worth the assault charge" "That's true... if only he'd died when the complex..." Eren shook his head "I don't like wishing death on people. So I guess I hope he spends the rest of his life in prison, being someone's bitch or something" "Personally I wouldn't mind if he was locked in solitary for the rest of his life" Though if he had the chance, Levi couldn't deny it was tempting to put the man out of his misery. The man had left too much of a mark on his husband and that wasn't ok "Lee. Are you ok? You smell mad" "I just really hate people like Nick. I know it's busy, but do you want to have lunch and head in to see Rei?" "Its barely 10" "Then we'll take Viren to the park. I want to do something with you" "Eli's still too small for the park. I supposed we could go for a drive? I don't know, I suppose that's pretty boring for you" "We can go for a drive. Sure. Viren loves drives" "Are you sure? You do all the driving as it is" "I don't mind. We'll do a loop of the city, then head in to see Rei" "I'd... like that" "Then it's a plan" "You need breakfast and Viren needs real clothes... and I need clothes" It was almost laughable how fast Eren fell asleep. His omega had been quiet for the few minutes, then soft snores were coming from his mate. Eren may have said he had some sleep, but Levi was guessing that that was all of five minutes. With Viren still wide awake, he gave his son the job of directing. Viren loving bossing him around about which way to go, and with a full tank, they could drive for hours if they please. Unfortunately, Viren's love for directions only last half an hour, before he wanted to head to the park. Driving back across town to Viren's favourite park, Eren was still sleeping so Levi left him and Eli in the car, the air conditioner blasting as he did... and the car locked to protect his sleeping loves. After being cooped up for so long, Viren wanted to do everything, Levi finding himself being that over aged dad on the monkey bars. Luckily there were no sprains or breaks, though he did suck more than he'd expected, sending his son into a fit of laughter. Scooping him up, he held his son high as the toddler "showed him how it was done". Levi found himself needing this just as much as Viren has. He loved being home, but with everything going on, it'd been so long since he had a workout that wasn't sex... not that sex was bad... especially given his husband was more than satisfying in the bedroom. Not that he'd admit it to anyone but Eren, but Levi was addicted. He really couldn't think of it as anything else, anymore. He loved sex with Eren, in every shape and form... but this felt good in another way. Playing with Viren, Eren was the one brought things to an end. Viren noticing his mum from atop the small jungle gym, and deserting him to run over to his mum. Jogging after the toddler, he smiled as Viren threw his arms around Eren's leg. Catching up to his son, Eren raised an eyebrow at him "The park?" "You and Eli fell asleep, and Eli wanted to play. No one else is around" "Probably because it's so hot. You're other burnt" "I blame Viren" "You can't blame our son... but thank you. I think I needed the nap" "You definitely needed the nap. Is Eli alright?" "He had a feed before I came to check on you two" "He's going to be a chubby bub" Eren pouted, his husband keeping Viren close to him, even though he couldn't lift him as he wanted. Placing his hand on Viren's head, he started guiding him towards the car, Eren forced to fall in step "Don't give him a complex, he's a growing boy" "He's perfect the way he is. The air con wasn't too cold, was it?" "No. It was nice. I miss running around the park" "I was thinking the same thing" "Recovering from birth sucks" "You could let your husband take over more around the house" "Then what would I do?" "Rest?" "I don't want to" "It's not always about what you want. Are you hungry?" "Not really, but is that your way of saying you?" "Maybe..." "This is why you're supposed to bring snacks" "The only snack I see here, is you" Eren let out a louder and longer laugh than he'd expected his husband to "You're terrible. But I needed that... Do you think they'd notice if I stole Rei?" "Possibly... I don't think you can make a run for it right now" "Dammit" Reaching the car, Levi lifted Viren, staring over the hood of the RangeRover to tease his husband "I promise to leave all the feeds and all the dirty nappies to you, when he is" "What? No. How is that fair?" "Twice as many nappies, and twice as many feeds" "You really know how to bring up the worst bits of parenting" "Just wait until they both start teething" Eren shot him a glare "I hope your dick falls off" "No you don't" "No. But I'm mad at you" "Ahhh. But who will drive you home?" "Does that mean you'll be my get away driver?" "I'm your husband. I've legally become your partner in crime. But we can't steal our son, just yet" "I'm going to steal him so hard, when we can finally take him home" "And I'll be your getaway driver" * Carrying Rei, Eren wasn't game to let anyone close to him. His baby boy was in his arms for the first time since he'd given birth. Eren had tears in his eyes as nuzzled into boy's small wisps of hair. He was so tiny... and soft... and perfect. Smaller than his brother, his pup made up for it with his health condition. He was fine to come home, but he needed monitoring and the nurses had recommended the use of a humidifier in the nursery. He hadn't want to leave Eli and Viren home, but Levi wasn't sure he could juggle holding Eli, while keeping Viren in line, so he'd been forced to leave them home with Erwin supervising. Unable to leave his pup's side, Eren rode in the back with Rei. With Eli not being with them, they used his car seat for the drive. Levi and car seats didn't go with each other... his husband had said some very creative words the first time he'd put the car seat in for Viren. The same words repeated for Eli's car seat and most probably Rei's, as Levi insisted on being the one to install them... though Eren had a better idea about them from helping with Mina and Anka, as well as with Anna. Watching his son sleep, he must have taken a hundred photos of him as Levi drove. Despite having been separated from brother over a month and a half ago, they were so much alike. Like Eli, Rei liked to sleep with his left hand up near his face, smacking his lips together as he woke, then scrunching his face up before falling back to sleep. Eren couldn't quite believe Rei was finally all his. Carrying Rei in, Levi placed himself between them and Erwin. Erwin looked bored as he lounged on the sofa, Viren colouring, as the man watched on "Hey, guys. How's Rei?" "Sleeping. You don't get cuddles yet. Where's Eli?" Erwin looked towards the nursery "Sleeping. He cried for a bit, then fell asleep about 5 minutes ago" Eren frowned, starting towards the nursery. Eli didn't usually cry unless it was nappy change time, or he'd over slept at feed time "He doesn't usually cry... I'm going to check on him" Levi seemed to be of the same mind "I'll come with you. I want to see what happens when he meets his brother" "When he meets his brother again. They spent 6 months together... before being separated" Moving to ruffle Viren's hair, Levi smiled down at their son. Eren pausing at the doorway to the nursery, waiting for Levi to ask the question he knew was coming "Viren, do you want to see your brothers?" "No. Babies cry too much" No where near as much as Viren had. A full family photo would have to wait for now... Nervously, Eren entered the nursery. He didn't know what he'd do if his sons hated each other. Three boys was going to be chaos as it was, and even knowing what he did now about Zeke, he still missed having his brother around. Moving to Eli's crib, his son was fast asleep, waiting for Levi to join him, he then lowered Rei down beside his brother "They're perfect" "They look so much alike... I need photos" "Seeing them like this, really brings it home. We have two beautiful sons..." Pulling out his phone, Eren shook his head "Three beautiful human sons, and a beautiful fur baby" "Have I told you I love the way you love Titan" "He's purrfect" "Alright. I get... Eren!" Reaching out his tiny hand, Eli's found Rei's. Eren letting out a small cry, while Levi gasped. After being separated for so long, it was like Eli knew they were supposed to be together. Taking photos of them pair of them, Eren's omega was melting down at the sight. Sniffling, he reached for Levi, pulling his husband close "All our sons are home" "That they are. They're all safe and sound" "Lee... thank you. Thank you for letting me carry our pups..." "You don't need to thank me, you did all the hard work" "I love them so much... I really don't care how many nappies it takes, I love them so much" "Silly, omega. You're not going to be changing them alone" "I know. You're the best dad they could ever hope for..." "And you're the best mum they could have. They look just like you" "No. They've got their father's good looks. All they got was my messy hair" "And your drool" "And your farts" "You're the one with the toxic farts" "I was pregnant. You're the one who tried to gas us with that arse of yours" "My arse is perfectly fine" "That's true... God. I can't get over how perfect they look like that... it makes me want another one" Levi took long enough to reply that Eren regretted voicing his omega's inner thoughts "Do you, really?" "Not right now. But a little female, Levi... if the twins had been girls, I was thinking of naming them after our mother's... and Isabel, maybe even Hanji if she played her cards right" Originally Eli was going to be Abel Ackerman, but Eren didn't want his sons initials being AA. Kids could be arseholes, and Abel felt like such a heavy name. His husband had messed around with biblical names until Eli stuck. He didn't mind. Eli had been on his list of suggestions for names for Viren "Mmm. I thought about it too. I thought maybe Carl, but he didn't seem like a Carl" "No. He doesn't seem the type to care about someone ruining his salad" Levi started at him blankly "Oh. You're in for a treat. You're going to learn all the annoying kid movies off by heart" "I can't wait" "We both know that's not true... Do we leave them sleeping? You didn't have much of a cuddle" "It's fine. I think our pups want to spend some time together..." "I wish Viren wanted to see them, but I guess at 3, babies aren't as exciting" "Babies weren't exciting until he was born. I really never thought I'd be a dad" "It suits you. I still wish you had something to do with your time" "I have you guys to look after. And a few ideas for the future" "Do I get to know?" "Not just yet, but when I decided what comes next, I expect you to be by my side" "Where else am I going to be? And who else is going to kick your arse in to movement" Levi let out a soft and playful growl "Kick my arse, you say?" "Mhmm... my arse is still recovering" "Yet, you say you want another pup" "Not right away... not..." Eren stumbled to a stop, realising they'd never spent a full heat together. He hadn't thought about it... what if he went into heat early? Or what if Levi didn't want to spend his heat with him... "Eren?" "It's fine. I know. I just meant that it would be nice to have a whole brood of pups... but not for a few more years" "Is that all?" "Yeah. Sorry, I guess I'm more clucky than I realised. But a little girl would be adorable, even if we can't afford to" That was right. His savings wouldn't last forever. Levi had savings, and he wasn't saying he didn't believe his husband, but if all Levi's promises over a huge white wedding didn't eventuate... he wouldn't be surprised "Hey. You never know. I'm old, but we've still got time" "Mmm. I want to concentrate on them for now... Do you think Mike and Erwin are ever going to have kids?" "I think Mike wants kids more than Erwin does" "He'd be an amazing dad" "Yeah... but for now, let's let them sleep" A few hours passed before one of the pups started to cry, starting his brother off. When Levi went to check on them, he came back holding Rei, happily reporting that they'd still been holding hands. Even if his head was a mess, and his omega scattered, the fact that all his children were safe and together, made him feel over the moon. He knew he'd need to talk to Krista and his doctor about his moods, and about Levi's hovering, but for now, he was taking comfort in the small things. Like the love between two brothers.

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soutterlytaron · 5 years

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Pizza & a Beer are the new Netflix & Chill || Taron & Phoebe

Summary: Couch dates are what happen, when the kids are away... God, they’re such parents now!

When: End of November, 2018

How was time running away so quickly these days? Taron’s birthday seemed like it already was a million years away and even though they had his family around to celebrate they had not even had a chance for a proper date night yet, something they usually did whenever they had the advantage of parents around and phoebe was not going to wait until Christmas when they’d either have her and his parents here or go visit one of them. So instead, she had booked his family a lovely little trip to New Orleans for a day and a night with the babies and his sisters so they’d have the house to themselves and could actually do nothing but relax and enjoy each other’s company. “Can you hear that?” Phoebe asked, referring to the fact that there was in fact nothing that anyone could hear right now. “It’s quiet. An empty house. I mean...an empty house and a zoo!”

—

Taron had just entered their living room, when he heard his wife’s voice and grinned in reply, as he made his way over to her and plonked down next to her on the couch. The past two weeks had gone by so quickly- his birthday, Elton’s concert, the Robin Hood press tour and premiere in the US… it felt like he had been surrounded by people every moment of every day - and now, the house felt strangely calm. “What did you do.” he asked Phoebe amusedly, “did you magically make our family disappear?” Stretching out his legs in front of him, he slumped further on the couch, and leaned against her. “Our furry roomies are all outside and enjoy playing with the leaves in the garden.” Recently, he had noticed that Cousin It had started building a winter nest on their porch, which their pets had become protective of and had begun dragging all leaves towards it. “What do we do with our newfound freedom?”

---

“Yes, I made them magically disappear, impressed?” Phoebe asked laughing while she moved to lay her head onto Taron’s legs, looking up at him grinning. “The magic trick is called a trip to New Orleans, your sisters were very excited to see where the show was made, so it was easier to be honest!” Autumn was well on its way and the garden was turning all shades of burnt orange and while Phoebe enjoyed that a lot, she enjoyed watching their animals play outside even more. “Its the sweetest thing, isnt it?” She really wasn’t looking forward to the colder months, but this was beautiful and she was keen to enjoy it until it lasted and was swapped for freezing cold and snow. “Give me a few minutes to make sure this peace and quiet is real...I don’t trust it just yet!”

---

“With you? Always.” Grinning at her, he nodded, his hand almost automatically moving to run his fingers through her hair, as she laid down. “And they didn’t beg you to go with them? I’m surprised - they can be pretty convincing.” Both Poppy and Katie loved Phoebe with all their hearts, from the first time he had taken her home to Aberystwyth, and they remained very much attached to their sister-in-law to the point where they stole her away from him, whenever they were around. He couldn’t be mad about that, however, not when he loved witnessing that so much. “Do you think she’ll go into hibernation this year?” he asked - last year, Cousin It hadn’t hibernated apart from sleeping more and eating less than usual, and it had them a little worried. “You’ll get to wrap up in my sweaters again.” He could see on her face that she was mourning the warm months of summer already, while he was looking forward to winter finally arriving full force. “I’m happy with that.” He kept up his slow threading of his fingers through her hair, while he looked down at her lovingly - full of awe at how much their lives had changed in the past year, and how much he loved all of it, including these moments of quietude. “I might do something daring, though,” he laughed, and bent his head to steal a kiss, leaving one on the tip of her nose, too.

---

“I’m not sure, I think it’s be the healthy thing for her to do, but then again I think we’d all miss her a lot so I’ll selfishly hope not? As long as she can happily be without it?” It was the oddest thing, the fact that cousin it in fact had not gone into hibernation, something phoebe herself would most likely do if she had the chance and if humans were made to go into a deep slumber over the winter months. “Your sweaters are the only thing that can get me through the winter, I’m not going to lie. Never miss Australia more than i do when it’s cold! How can you enjoy it that much?” It was fascinating to her to see how much Taron enjoyed winter and while she loved the idea of him passing that onto the kids and them being excited for snow and all, she’d forever be sceptic. “Something daring? Oh, like what? Open a bottle of wine before 5pm and order pizza?” She teased her husband softly before leaning up a little to seek his lips once more, his kiss being over way too quickly.

—

“We’ll leave a bowl of water and some dried fruit out for her, what do you say?” Before meeting Phoebe, he had only had a pet as a child, a dog he had loved dearly, but since being with her, he had realised how much he loved having animals around the house. Yes, they might cause chaos and leave a mess once in a while, but the love and adoration, and the care they received in return for caring for their roomies was something he didn’t want to miss out on ever again. “Your sweaters are my sweaters,” he told her generously, and then laughed at his mishap, adding “the other way round, actually, but you know what I mean, love!” Given that she had grown up in a warm country, he understood, why she didn’t enjoy winter the same way he did, but he still would try to make her wrap up and take her out to make snow angels or have snow fights with him anyway, and then make sure she warmed up properly again. “Do you want to go to Australia for Christmas again? I know my family will love the warmth as much as you do.” Her words let the smile on his face grow to a full-blown Taron-like grin, and he leaned back in to meet her half-way, and kiss her once more. A kiss that lingered for a long while, unhurried, full of love for Phoebe. “I was thinking Netflix, pizza and beer, but your version sounds classier...” His hand cupped her cheek, and he let his thumb trace over her cheekbone, as he gazed down at her lovingly. “But I’m very happy to stay right here, too.”

---

“Oh absolutely, it does sound like we need that out there - I wouldn't want the poor baby to miss anything!” His little mishap on the sweater situation made her grin softly, him correcting himself was what made her laugh though. It was sweet and while she had known what he meant she still couldn't help but laugh. His offer to go to Australia again made her smile brightly, while she knew just time wise and effort wise with the travels it would be easier to stay here or visit his family, she did love the idea to go to Australia again. “I mean especially with Teresa and the newest baby on the way I’d love to be home for a little bit over Christmas, but I don’t want you and your family to have to give up on snow and Christmas at home, are you sure they really wouldn’t mind? Ultimately it was something she wanted the whole family to agree on really, even if that would take some talking. “Oh, but yours sounds more comfortable, your suggestion wins! Actually anything that means not leaving the couch for more than 5 minutes wins!”

---

Her kind, big heart was one of the things Taron loved about Phoebe so much, and her words only confirmed it more - no matter how big or small, she took care of everyone in their little family and beyond, made sure everyone knew they were loved and wanted. Her laughter shook him out of his reverie, and he turned his grin onto her once more, nodding at her suggestion. “It’ll be our babies’ first Christmas in Australia! We should definitely go visit them all and Bumpy, while we’re there. Take the boys off their hands for a few hours, too.” His family was more like her than him, when it came to cold and snow, and so he added, “I’m sure they’ll love to be invited and have everyone get together again. We’ll ask them tonight, all right?” He knew family was important to Phoebe, hers as much as his, and with their little family on the move, neither would have to lose out on seeing them. Taron started laughing at her agreeing, remarking cheekily, “if that’s the only prerequisite, I really should have suggested having sex on the couch… we wouldn’t have to move off the couch for that, either.” The house being as empty as it was, they had all the choices left wide open to them.

—-

“You are the most amazing husband and human being, do you know that?” Phoebe asked, smile big and honest as she looked at him. His compassion was absolutely incredible and the way he had embraced her family and friends would never cease to amaze her. “I would absolutely love that, yes, that sounds absolutely fantastic!” The idea made her happier than she had thought, until now not realising how much she wanted to actually go home to Australia with the kids for Christmas. “I am inclined to agree, but can we order Pizza first? Cause now you also put Pizza on the table and..I do want both!” Phoebe teased him right back grinning before she stretched out to try to reach her phone. “Also, starving so we do need to get food first. Regret marrying me yet?”

---

“How come?” Her comment surprised him, but her warm words left him blushing more than anything else. She liked to remind him of it often, and he never quite got used to it - although it always left him with a particularly warm feeling inside. “We could buy the tickets tonight, when our family is back from their trip?” Apart from having to read a few scripts, his schedule was wide open which meant they could go whenever Phoebe and him wanted. “That’ll mean we’ll get to see your new show there. I’m really excited about it!” Seeing her work made him happy, and knowing one could be around with the kids, while the other was on set, let him rest easy - Julian and Sadie had never had to go long without both parents around. “Aw, bloody… I should’ve known - ” Taron laughed and shook his head at his wife with increasing amusement. “Let’s feed you first!” Watching her try and reach her phone was amusing, and he was tempted to push it out of her reach with his foot, just to see what would happen. In the end, he leaned over her to grab it and hand it to her. “You choose - as long as there is much cheese, I’ll be happy. Tell Ambrosio to make it a big pizza.” He’ll happily wait til they had eaten, but he still stole a kiss from Phoebe, before the phone connection with their favourite pizzeria was made.

—-

“We should, especially if we all want to sit together! We are like a little army of people. Or a football team!” He was right though, it would be exciting and she could see the season premier of her own show with her family and especially with Taron by her side. The fact that they managed to both work and still stay spend as much time with each other and the kids, as a family, it was special. Truly, truly special. “You should have known, yes..but hey, come on Pizza!” She was very thankful for his little help to finally reach her phone before he told her to choose whatever “Are you sure? Cause last time you complained that there was a massive amount of veggies on there, so I just wanna make sure you won't hate me, or my pizza order!” Phoebe told him laughing before she dialled the number, kissing Taron back for a moment before she leant back to order a large Pizza, different toppings on each halves, making sure there was something for both of them on there! “Only going to take a few minutes, they love us, do you realise that? They deliver extra quick for us!”

---

“Or a Rugby team - half Welsh, half Australian!” Taron laughed at the thought, but at the same time it warmed his heart, because he didn’t need much more than this in his life - Phoebe, their kids, their families and friends… anything else came second to them. He beamed with pride, when he mentioned her show, because he was so proud of her finding and doing projects she loved. She was a great actress in his eyes, and deserved to work with the best and brightest in the business. “Almost two years of marriage, and I still can’t compete with pizza,” he grumbled good-naturedly, patting his stomach, when he realised that he was hungry, too. “The only veggie that should be on a pizza is tomato!” His exclamation was punctuated by a loud laugh, which was only silenced by her kiss. “Keep the veggies on it, it’s like having salad and pizza at the same time. At least Dalton won’t have my head for it… it’s salad. In some way. Somehow.” As he listened to her order their food, he thought back to the first time he had realised that Phoebe was a vegetarian during their first dinner together, which turned out to be the best first non-date ever. Back then, he had wondered how one could live without meat, but having been with Phoebe for two and a half years now, and working with his trainer Dalton Wong for different films, he had quickly learned that it was possible, and also good for you. “Express delivery?” he asked, shaking his head to clear his thoughts, then grinned at her. “You’re a genius, love. I love this - and you.” It meant they still had a few minutes left till their food came, and he was torn between fetching them something to drink, and gathering Phoebe in his arms. The latter idea won, and he cupped both of her cheeks in his hands and pressed a kiss to her lips.

---

“50 years of marriage and I’ll still make you wait if it means I get Pizza first, some things simply never change!” Phoebe told her husband grinning brightly before she rolled her eyes at him good heartedly. “Salad, really? Have I taught you nothing about healthy food?” She asked, though she couldn't actually not laugh about it. It was an absolutely hilarious concept and in a way, even though she wouldn't actually admit it, he was kind of right. “I know, please say that more often and share the news - you are married to a genius! But hey, I love you too, loads and you know it!” When he kissed her she responded right away, moving closer to him, leaning into him, only breaking the kiss for a moment to add one tiny joke more. “I mean, I know I am great and I just ordered Pizza, but I hope that's not how you thank everybody who ever orders you Pizza!” She didn't really leave him much time to reply before her lips were back on his, happily savouring the moment and the fact that they were alone to do whatever they want, something that was such a rarity those days and although she loved having a full house, moments like this reminded her of the fact that they really needed to find more time for themselves. “I love you, so much, thank you for existing!”

---

“Okay, fine, it’s a deal. I can live with pizza being your first choice sometimes, Phoebe - as long as I’m it the rest of the time… I’ll happily share with our babies.” They had had that “argument” countless times before, and he loved to tease her about it, play the carnivore simpleton to make her laugh. “You have, my love, and I’m very thankful for it.” It was a fact that eve since he had adapted to her eating habits more, he had had less trouble to get fit for roles that demanded a certain look or built, and he was thankful for it, because he had hated torturing himself with diets so much that he had overeaten once he could. Now, he didn’t have to, and could enjoy a bit of everything. Joining in her laughter, he reached out to pinch her cheek lightly. “If you want me to, I’ll shout it from the rooftops,” he told her, still laughing, “but you’ll have to bail me out, once I get arrested for disturbing the peace in this town!” There were so many reasons to love her, and when he replied “I love you, too”, all of those reasons were mingled in these three words. Her kiss, the feel of her so close kept his mind only focused on her, and he needed a moment to catch up. “Perhaps it is,” he told her, tongue-in-cheek grin in place, “perhaps that’s why Ambrosio delivers so fast.” He lost himself in their kiss, lips moving against each other unhurriedly, full of love, and let himself just feel for a while. These moments had become far and few in between, but their time with Sadie and Julian was so incredible that he couldn’t bring himself to miss them too much - he didn’t mind catching up like this, however, stealing a moment with Phoebe here and there, when their family was around, because she was, and always would be, the first love of his life. Just as he was about to reply to her compliment, the doorbell rang, and he got up with a grumble, but returned a few moments later with a laugh. “You’ve made me blush so hard right now that the delivery boy asked me, if I had caught a sunburn!” Leaning down to kiss her, he placed the pizza box in her lap and went to the kitchen to get napkins and the beer he had promised her. “To our epic “no kids in sight” date!”

---

There were many reasons why Taron was a perfect husband and counting and listing them all would be far too long, so Phoebe was happy to just use the fact that he without even talking about it he was the one to get up and get the Pizza from the door, allowing her to keep put on the couch without moving much only to smile at him brightly as he handed her the Pizza as well as the beer. “Very epic night, yes!” Phoebe exclaimed happily before she grinned even brighter “You look cute when you blush - and when you have a sunburn although that is very unhealthy so I cant even say that, can I?” She asked when he finally sat back down, opening both beers and handing him one. “To us and tonight!!” She told him, raising her bottle before she took a sip although she did put the bottle down almost right away to open the Pizza box, putting it between them so they could both eat and enjoy the Pizza, the first slice hers though. “Aside from going to Australia, anything else you’d like to do with your free time? I mean you have a little bit of time off now, so what are we going to get up to? I think we should try to find something special to enjoy this - who knows what big big project you’ll have coming up afterwards and we will have to adapt to it!” She loved to see Taron work, just as much as he supported her work, but that also meant she wanted to spend quality time with him and their little family whenever they didn’t work.

---

Phoebe’s chirpy nature shone through brightly today, and he couldn’t help but feel as happy as she sounded, especially when he brought the pizza back to the couch. “I burn easily, so… perhaps it’s all right to say it?” That being said, he blushed all the same at her compliment, and grinned defencelessly. “To us. Thank you for making this possible.” The beer was cold, when it hit his tongue, and a little bitter, but he enjoyed the taste. The pizza smelled deliciously, and he had to laugh at the mountain of vegetables on one side, and the cheesy other side, as he took a piece. “I might try some of yours later, that way I can claim I ate my greens today.” But right now, the cheese was too good to pass up on. “I do,” he agreed, “but apart from being home with you, and us having some family time with Sadie and Julian, I’m not quite sure what more I’d want.” Perhaps going home would be nice, but Aber, or even London, weren’t comfortable this time of year - while it was cold and snowy, where they lived here, it was grey and wet there. “We could perhaps go to LA for a bit, and visit some friends, show off our babies and generally just relax a little? Or we could take them and ourselves to the Caribbean and enjoy some time off?” In the end, he shrugged, and kept munching on his pizza slice. “I’m happy with doing small things around here, too. Once it snows - sledding, making snow angels, and the Christmas Markets?” There was a lot they could be doing, but he didn’t want her to think that only his work, and his time off, mattered in their family. It didn’t - he wanted her to have as many opportunities as she wanted, whenever she wanted. “And if you find a new project you want to work on… I’ll be your perfect house husband. I’ll even do the dishes!”

---

“Really, one year of marriage and I still haven’t taught you what eating your greens actually means?” Phoebe asked laughing although she knew exactly what he actually meant and honestly, the cheesy side of the pizza did look ridiculously good and if it wasn’t for her pride, she would have probably stolen a piece already. “You really want to make all my sunshine dreams come true, don’t you?” Phoebe had always loved LA, it was perhaps the closest thing to Australia in terms of weather in the states, but also, it was a place where she had spent quite a few years and many of her friends still lived. “I mean I do think showing off the twins and how perfect they are is almost our duty as loving parents, don’t you agree?” The brunette asked jokingly before her laughter turned into an honest, heartfelt smile. “See, this is how perfect you are. How do you do it? Always think of me first, my projects, my happiness? You know that this, our little family is all I ever wanted and even if that would mean no acting, I’d be happy really. But you make everything possible at once and I really don’t know how you can be so perfect….to even do the dishes, I mean, look at you. Perfect!”

——

Taron broke down with laughter. “One year and three months, and yes, you taught me well - I just choose to ignore it, at times.” His life had changed so much for the better due to her being in it, and she had shown him so many things he would have missed otherwise that already trying to imagine not having her in it was an impossible task. His eyes followed her gaze, and he grinned. “Take one,” he urged her gently, “I’ll steal one of yours, and we’ll be even.” The smile on his lips softened at her words, and he had to admit sheepishly that his first thought had been what she would like to do, and where he could take her that they would both love. “We need to brag about them being perfect little angels for as long as we can,” he chuckled, “which is why Jamie definitely wants to see us - he told me we could stay with him, if we wanted to.” Leaning in, he stole a kiss, smiling, as he could taste pizza on her lips. “It’s because I’m utterly, madly in love with you, and I love seeing you happy. Plus, you do all these things for me, too, without even taking credit - you come visit me, when I work, you take care of our babies, you support me with whatever foolish idea I come up with. If I can give back this way, I will. And please, do not stop working on our account, us three will be where you are, while you work, and vice versa.” Cupping her cheek with his free hand, he stroked her cheek gently. “We make it work, because it’s what makes us happy - having each other, working, having this incredible home we made, and our little family. And stop saying I’m perfect, because I might start crying any minute now.” As he leaned in, he couldn’t help it and bit into her piece of pizza she was still holding, before he pressed a kiss to her cheek. “If I’m perfect, what does that make you?”

---

“Why would you ever ignore you extremely smart wife? Honestly, what's that all about?” Phoebe asked him grinning before she blew him a kiss when he told her to just take a piece of his Pizza, obviously having seen her looking at it for a minute or two too long. “We really do, I mean who knows, soon they’ll be old enough to tell everyone that a) we aren't as cool as we pretend to be and b) they aren't as cute and adorable as we tell everyone. Imagine!” The brunette suggested laughing before she nodded. The idea to stay at Jamies sounded lovely, the fact that he even offered was so sweet and she couldn't actually refuse. “Are you sure he wouldn't mind all of us? I mean we are quite a bunch!” Even if she would love to stay there, she still wanted to make sure it actually was okay and not a burden for someone else. Kissing Taron back softly she leant back into the couch once he did, his words making her not only blush, but grin madly. “I know that you aren't making me stay home, but you need to understand that I love it, I really do. If there will ever be an offer that makes me happy and that I want to take I will - but you and the babies are my priorities and my favorite little job, even though it doesn't feel like work at all, not for my little family!” She had always wanted to be a mum and have a family, it had always been her dream, but she could have never expected it to be as fulfilling as it actually turned out to be. It was her entire happiness. “Not calling you perfect anymore, you just stole my pizza. Well your pizza. That I stole from you, but still!” Phoebe scolded him softly but she couldn't really stop laughing before she rolled her eyes softly. “I think we both aren't perfect, maybe just perfect for each other!”

---

“I’m not ignoring you, I’m ignoring the veggies and everything that has to do with them.” Taron made a show of catching her air kiss and putting it in his pocket, then patting on it, happy that she picked one of his pieces as well. She was a cheese fan as much as he was, and he was curious what she would say about his side of the pizza. “If I start imagining now, I’ll start worrying about it all - and I’d rather be here, in the present, with you. And hope for the best. Also, we’re totally cool, and they won’t ever be able to say otherwise!” Her words made him smile - Jamie, his co-star in Robin Hood, had been pestering him for months to come visit him in LA, and especially come live at their house, and this way, they would all get what they wanted. “He wouldn’t have offered, if he minded - and you just know he has a bloody big mansion in LA.” Seeing her so happy about his idea warmed and melted his heart, and he was looking forward to this trip already, a short, but sweet one for a bit of sun and fun with their friends and their twins. “I love you,” he repeated, once she had told him what she thought of his comment, “and I know and appreciate a lot that we’re your priority, you make me happy in ways I couldn’t even express more often than not - and I know that I’m the luckiest man alive to have you.” Early on, she had told him about her wish for a big family, and wanting the time and the space to enjoy it, too, and the longer he had known her, the more true these wishes rang. She was such a family person, even more so than him, and Sadie and Julian had made their lives even more perfect. “You are the most wonderful woman I know,” he told her gently, “I’ll support you with whichever you want to do - home projects and work projects alike.” It didn’t take him five seconds to burst into laughter, and a long time to calm down once more. “It was just hanging around, I had to,” he defended himself with a little shrug, as he finished his own piece and picked up one of hers, biting into it heartily. “I like that, perfect for each other is exactly what we are.” The rest of the pizza was gone quicker than he could have imagined, and once the box was empty, he leaned back into the cushions of the couch with a happy sigh. “This was a great idea,” Taron laughed and patted his stomach, then reached for her to pull her close, sighing once more, when he felt her warmth against his side.

---

“The Veggies and I aren't too pleased with you ignoring them, you know?” She asked him grinning before she added a joking “You are setting a terrible example for your children, think about that!” Obviously, he was about the best father there was, but she would always tease him about the food situation in the house. Deep down she did know though that she was extreme, not to the extent that Teresa was perhaps, but still rather extreme. “I am afraid, while we think we are super cool, the kids will probably disagree at some point, but for now, lets pretend we are the coolest parent ever!” Taron’s comment about Jamie’s mansion being big enough for them to stay there made her grin, Hollywood standard still had not caught up with the two of them, even after Taron’s massive success as well as Phoebes time on TV, so for her it was always amusing to see how other people were living, especially in Hollywood. “I love you too, a lot, you know that though, if not you’re an idiot!” She added softly before she smiled happily, his words were simply too sweet to not smile like the happiest woman alive, simply because she was. “And I love you even more for being so supportive, whatever we do and decide in the future, it will be the right decision, as long as we make the decisions together!” It was the beauty of their relationship, as long as the two of them were together she simply knew that they could tackle and deal with everything. When he laughed about her Pizza complaint she couldn’t help but laugh along. “Hey - just because its there you can take it? Is that the new rule?” She asked laughing, not really seriously mad, why would she be with more Pizza right in front of her, which was gone surprisingly quickly. “This was perfect, yes. Thank me for this brilliant idea!” Phoebe told him grinning before she moved over to lean against him, happily settling into his side. “Absolutely perfect. And so quiet!”

---

“All right, all right - for the children!” With those words he bit into the vegetable-laden piece of pizza, and made a show of liking it - he did actually like it, because the topping actually tasted amazing, but he wanted to make her laugh, too. “Until they can tell us we’re uncool, we’re the Schrödinger’s kind of cool parents! So we should bask in that for as long as we can. And show off, too!” Taron’s grin only widened, especially when he saw her grin. These moments had become far and few in between, between kids and work and real life, and to have time to joke around and tease each other felt great, more amazing than he could have imagined, actually. “Even if I’m an idiot, I don’t think I could forget that!” Her smile warmed his heart, and he knew that they were both at their happiest right now, with their family, with life and work - and she was right, if something that would impact on their family a lot would arise, they would decide the best course of action for them and for their family together. “I cannot wait to see your new show, and especially with Tez and your family!” If there was something he really loved, it was to sit down with their families and friends and watch a film or a tv series, and especially, if one of them was in it - the teasing and the laughter and the comments kept him from overthinking his performance and made him laugh along with them, and he hoped it was the same for Phoebe, too. “It was dangling right in front of my face, what would you have done in my place?” Taron started laughing at her thanking herself for the idea, and had to admit that it had been a great idea, not only the pizza, but getting their children out of the house for a little while. “Yes, thank you for everything,” he told her gently, and turned to look at her. “Any other brilliant ideas, wife of mine?” Throwing an arm around her, he pulled her closer.

---

“See, its good, isn’t it? Next we try it without the Pizza though and just the veggies, how does that sound?” Phoebe asked, already knowing the answer and honestly, she wouldn’t actually force him to eat whatever she was eating. She’d never force him to eat vegetarian, although she did love how he was trying it more and more. “Good, you forgetting that would be one of the biggest tragedies I could imagine to be honest!” She declared dramatically “I am sure it’s the kind of tragedy Shakespeare would come up with, so we don't need that, okay?” His enthusiasm about her new project was lovely, it truly warmed her heart how supportive he was, especially since none of her projects were especially large into comparison to his. “I really am just happy it’s an Australian project. It feels a little more special than another American Teen Production to be honest!” Without wanting to sound ungrateful, it was nice that she was at a spot in her life and career now that she could choose and they were financially stable enough for there to be able to pick and choose the things that she was passionate about opposed to choosing things that might make big money. “Fair enough, I probably would have taken a bite too, but don’t fight me with logic, I don’t like that!” She teased him once more before she cuddled even closer up to her husband. “Okay, I’ve already come up with the great ideas for today so far, I think now its your turn. I officially make this your responsibility now!”

---

Taron burst out laughing. “You drive a hard bargain, do you know that?” he commented with a shake of his head, but he understood what she was trying to do, and appreciated it deep down. “But okay, vegetables it is - for you.” She indulged him more than enough food-wise, especially when he was eating meat, so he could do this for her, too, and without missing out on anything, either. “Shakespeare didn’t have any kids, I don’t think he knew what it felt like to have your kids tell you you aren’t cool.” Again, he laughed at her comment, but then reached out and cupped her cheek lovingly. “It’s going to be all right, you know? They’ll love us anyway. And if they’re being cheeky, we can remind them that we wiped their butts for ages.” Both of her latest projects had been Australian productions, and Safe Harbour was about to win some awards - or so he hoped - it was that good. “You chose some pretty great projects, and anyone who loves you will want to watch them. And those who don’t know you yet - they’ll fall in love with you watching it.” They were in the lucky financial position to decide which projects to do and which to decline, and Phoebe truly had chosen projects that showed her wide range of acting talent, something Taron admired about her a lot. She had started acting long before it had even crossed his mind, and just by watching her work he learned new things, and not just about her. “Which is exactly why I’ll keep doing it, just to annoy you, love,” he replied cheekily and grinned, which widened, as she told him, he should come up with an idea now on how to spend their time off. “I offered sex before, but you declined, preferring pizza to anything else. I’m not sure my ego took it too well.” He laughed at himself, but then moved away from the cushions of the couch and straddled her legs. “But I like the thought...” Leaning in, he framed her face with his hands gently and pressed a sweet kiss to her lips.

---

“Of course it will be alright, by the time they tell us we aren’t cool we will have enough embarrassing evidence of the fact that they weren’t always cool either!” She confirmed quickly with a large grin on her face. Blackmailing their kids. Phoebe had clearly thought this through many times before. Her latest projects have been passion projects, actually her last three and the fact that they didn’t come with a Network like the CW had given her a great amount of freedom. And meant no annoying American accent that she probably would never actually perfect. “Well, you make it possible for me to choose whatever I want to choose and you have my back, I think thats truly what made the projects what they are!” It sounded cheesy, but it was true. They both were supporting each other a lot, no matter where filming took them which made it a lot easier to deal with the stress of living in a trailer or being away from home, simply because they never really done that, always finding a way to make it all work as a family. “I didn’t decline sex, I made Pizza the top priority!” She protested laughing and wound her arms around him once he had moved positions and her hands were framing her face. “See, now you had Pizza and you still get Sex, how good is this?”

---

Her logic made him laugh, but she was right about it - they took so many pictures and videos to send to their families that by the time their twins were old enough to whine, they would have all the means to seek revenge. “Have I told you that I love the way you think?” It wasn’t just her humour, but her being, all of her, that caught his attention time and time again, and he loved the fact that he could fall in love with her again every day, even with the smallest things she did. “You make the projects special - and you know how excited I get to see you on screen. Or see you work. Or help you with your lines.” There was something special about them being in the same profession and that made him even more appreciative about their life together - being able to enjoy each other’s work, supporting and perhaps even making someone take on projects was amazing and amusing to him. “You wanted pizza more than sex,” he mock complained, “I’m not so sure it’s going to happen now...” Her hands on his body had this incredible effect on him where he felt instantly warm, and like he could do anything he set his mind to, and he relished in the sensation for a while. “I do?” he asked and grinned at her. “Are you trying to seduce me now?” While having an empty house was the perfect opportunity to go a little while, Taron would happily go along with whatever she felt like doing. It didn’t stop him from teasing her, though, dropping his hands ot her waist and dipping them under her pullover, fingers skimming along her curves. It would take him a long while to get from teasing to actually seducing her, because they were having too much fun playing and laughing with each other, and it would only be much later, when they were lying wrapped up in each other, spent and sated, their warm bodies pressed together, that Taron spoke up again. “We definitely need more pizza dates like these, love.”

---

FIN.

#para #pizza and a beer is the new netflix and chill #phoebe

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dammitadolfnomorecake · 5 years

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COTW 29 - start. Abel as in isAbel

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dammitadolfnomorecake · 5 years

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COTW errr... I've forgotten my chapter number, and send help

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