"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
07-20-2016, 04:29 AM (This post was last modified: 07-20-2016, 04:42 AM by Daeryssa.)
Just stay away from the white light. I'd say your worst side's your best side.
Fuck, those three little girls are perfect. Tiny fluffy angels with a little bit of the devil in their eyes. I was lost the moment Halo looked up at me and that impish grin of hers spread across her face. Drow says she looks just like he did when he was little, and I find that hard to believe. Pale as moonlight, just a little bit darker around her eyes and her lips, how the hell does that shed out to slick obsidian, black just tinted with a hint of brown? But I remember he did used to be lighter.
When I was a baby, he was something closer to the mocha shade of our late mother’s body, a blend of the intermingled brown and ash of her mane. His coat was a few shades darker by the time I was a yearling, and so often sporting fresh wounds, scars already tracing their intricate patterns across his skin. God, and when Mom died. We came so close to losing him that night, after so many years of him tearing himself apart trying in his messed up way to bring her home.
To be good enough for her.
These girls are never going to wonder if they’re good enough for their daddy. He’s a good man, my brother. A good father. And he’s so fucking happy it makes my heart ache. God, he should always be this happy. And my Pazuzu made it possible. My gorgeous, sexy as fuck, amazing Zuzu brought these three beautiful girls into the world for Drow and Zur. God, I could kiss him. Do. Regularly. But I could right now too, just looking at the beautiful gift he gave our family. His family too, and that feels like truth now. They’re his too, not just mine. And he’s theirs. It’s all so perfect.
Ugh, did I mention nursing makes me sappy as fuck?
Halo bumps her tiny little nose against my flank in thanks, licking her lips of the last drops of milk as she hums and walks forward to rub against my front legs. “Thanks, Auntie.” Her voice is a sleepy murmur, and I tuck her into a hug, holding her close to my chest while she yawns and rubs her face against me. “Love you,” she adds, kissing my cheek before she sneaks away to go curl up in a heap with her sleeping sisters.
I can feel the dopey grin on my face as I watch Halo wrap herself around Fury and drape her neck over Luna’s back. I can feel it, but I can’t make it go away. They’re adorable, they’re perfect, I love them so much I can barely breathe sometimes, and I want one.
Wait. Fuck. What?
Just when you think that you're alright, I'm crawling out from the inside.
It's not often that Ryss's emotional state shocks me. When we aren't together, like when she is feeding the girls, I will often ramble around the territory, checking to make sure all is well. I'll tap into her emotions, making sure all is well occasionally...but this...this was a new one. I have smile when I catch her on of her soft moments, when she looks at those baby girls with a sappy smile. I have received some extra cuddles and other things whenever she gets that look, but this...this was that and more. A little bit of hormones mixed into the breeding season and I start laughing out loud in my little neck of the woods. I send random critters scurrying for cover as I poof.
And reappear next to Ryss. "Hello beautiful." I say, trailing my lips up her body and pressing my body against hers as I move. I touch my lips to her ear. "Need me for something?" I say with a wicked smile before I nip her lightly on the sensitive part of her throat near her neck.
"However, we might want to go somewhere else to do it." I say, turning to glance at the happy sleeping bundle. Fury shifts slightly in her sleep, making them all reposition just a little bit. My eyes linger on Halo. Damn if I would ever say this out loud, but that little kitten has her own super special place in my hear.
Don't get me wrong. I would do anything for any of them, even their Daddies and their Grandma Quark. This family had become Mine. And I had become Theirs. It was right. It was meant to be I suppose but that little brat had dug her own place out, all special like.
I huff softly, itching to go nibble on her hair but Ryss's hormones are much more important. So I turn back to her and brush my lips across her chest. "I'm sure Tycho would like a baby...sister this season. Or brother. And I can certainly help you out with that." I smile, smirk really. I did love teasing her sometimes about kids. I knew she didn't want anymore but a little girl with her sass? Oh yeah. I could definitely like that. "Your choice love."
I never knew this side of me, I never felt this way before.
The happy yearning when I looked at my nieces caught me completely off-guard, and I’m still reeling from it when Pazuzu appears beside me, his lips on my skin, the low murmur of his voice making me melt against him. His lips on my throat draw a groan from somewhere deep in my chest, and I angle my head to give him better access.
“Mmm playing dirty, love,” I murmur, glancing back at him through a veil of steel blue lashes. “I can think of a number of things I need you for, yes,” I croon, brushing my lips along his cheek and chasing the caress with a nip just sharp enough to hurt a little. Make those endless black eyes spark, watch the lightning build and crackle and flare to the surface.
Ugh, he has an excellent point though. Can’t jump him in front of the babies. I look around for any other responsible adult, because there’s no way in hell I’m going to explain to Drow that I left his babies alone so I could go get laid. Or, you know, no way I would do it, but details.
The only one around is Tycho, whose eyes widen with just a hint of panic at the idea of being left alone with the three little imps, and I can’t help but grin as he takes a deep breath, sighs, and gives the tiniest, most reluctant nod I have ever seen. God, he’s cute. And they’re curled up asleep. I’m sure he’ll be fine.
Zuzu’s lips are on my chest and lightning builds beneath my skin, and I blame the damn hormones for the way I nod, meeting his eyes and accepting everything he’s offering me. I’ll be scared later. And I guarantee I’ll be grumpy as fuck about this decision in a few months when the are hooves pummeling me from the inside. But a tiny little baby face, and sweet baby eyes hiding, let’s be real, probably a universe full of sass and mischief and feisty charm?
“I’m in.”
~*~*~ skipping ahead because it’s pretty clear where that’s going ~*~*~
Tycho is, in fact, fine. The girls are awake by the time Pazuzu and I get back, and no matter how relieved our son looks looks to see us return (well, relieved for Tycho, just a subtle relaxing around his eyes, a hint of tension fading from his neck, his back, such quiet cues telegraphing a change in mood), the girls all look safe and sound and happy.
Halo is, admittedly, lipping at his mane and utterly ignoring the way he raises his head away from her and draws his body back, trying to put space between them without actively retreating. Fury and Luna, on the other hand, are attending much more carefully to whatever lesson he is quietly teaching them. And on spotting her favorite uncle, Halo promptly leaves her cousin behind and dashes over to throw herself at Pazuzu with a delighted cry of “Uncle!”
I glance over at him, my expression soft as I imagine another little girl (or boy) doing just that, but yelling “Daddy!” instead. I’ve seen the way he looks at Halo, the way she reached in and made a special place in his heart just for her. He’s such a damn good dad, so devoted to his family. I press a gentle kiss to his shoulder, smiling and breathing out a happy little sigh against his skin.
You make my heart go bang, and I know that we've only begun.
I already had a whole brood of kids out there. Some older than Quark. Not quite older than Zur but maybe. I would have to double check that timeline...Anyways, so I have a lot of kids...some born around the same time as Tycho before I became officially off the marker. One of these days I would possibly wander out there and find a few of them, but how welcoming would they be really after being on their own with only their moms? I dunno, some idea that I was kicking around lately. Probably tuning into Ryss's hormones too much with these helping the girl's out so they don't starve thing.
Ryss's lips on my skin and then her teeth snap me back into the present. I can feel the fire smoldering in my veins, feel the way the heat starts to rise up here between us. I could do that nice little dome thing...that worked well when Tycho was little. She's distracting. My beautiful love was calling Tycho over. Ahaahaha poor boy. I can see the panic in his eyes even as he get designated babysitting duty.
It wouldn't hurt him. His cousins love him and they behave themselves a little bit better with him I think sometimes knowing how he is.
"I'm in." I wink at Tycho as we turn to leave, slipping back into the trees and finding a suitable distance away for...activities.
~~~~~~~~
It is a couple hours later that we find our way back to the girls. And Tycho. Who is teaching them something. I can't help the smile as Halo tugs on his mane and he tries to get away from her. Touching wasn't something he much cared for. "Stop antagonizing your Cousin." And Halo grins and barrels towards me. "Brat." I say as I cuddle her against my chest anyways. "Good job son." I say to him, nodding slightly as we did and telling him without words he could disappear if he needed too, or wanted to.
Ryss's lips touch my shoulder again and I turn to smile at her, tilting my head slightly at the way that soft smile curls itself on her lips. I touch her cheek leaning into her warmth and then tugging Halo's mane. "Alright kitten, what trouble are you hatching today?" I can see Fury smiling in the background, even if she is still listening to Tycho if he was still teaching them.
