The Baby!!!

the baby!!!

pt3 of this.

our doctor won!

anw, another spoiler!

Do these kids count as my ocs?

ノ “ A SHORE BY THE SEA ” ৎ୭ ₊ ˙ ⊹ .

₊ ˙ ⊹ . 𝐬𝐞𝐚 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲.

minors and blank or ageless blogs do not interact! ノ fem reader ノ possible content warnings for the story…

folktales au ノ slightly ooc neuvillette — less human and not bound by the court ノ hybrids . monsterfucking ノ lowkey predator and prey dynamic . natural intoxication . dubcon — at first ノ mating season . breeding kink . oviposition . belly bulge ノ catching feelings . not really slow burn . mutual pining ノ reader is a bit freaky for pursuing a dragon lol ノ each chapter will have bonus info too.

₊ ˙ ⊹ . 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭.

updates — soon… ノ words — we’ll see…

ノ 𝐼. lapis lazuli. — about the storm raging through the night, the abyssal creature of ethereal features, the warmth of the stove.

ノ 𝐼𝐼. larimar. — about the nocturnal instincts, the legends that become true, the sweet scent of honeycomb and lavender.

ノ 𝐼𝐼𝐼. aquamarine. — 𝑎 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑑…

ノ 𝐼𝑉. sapphire. — 𝑎 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑑…

₊ ˙ ⊹ . there’s a chance to add short concepts and little fics within the universe after the main story is done.

the baby!!!

pt3 of this.

our doctor won!

anw, another spoiler!

Do these kids count as my ocs?

Omg I absolutely love Uyenninh so this was def cute 😭‼️‼️

✮ - Thinking about this video, but with Kaiser instead.

It started with just a simple download of the app (well unless you already had it), chatgpt, after seeing somebody online download it and ask it a bunch of questions and it always responded in a flirty way. I mean what could go wrong? It was a way to not only check if it actually worked and possibly learn some stuff in the process. You decided that since it was around the time you and Kaiser would practice some German (so you could actually understand what he was saying) you would ask questions about that. So you opened up the app and went to the button that let you have a voice chat with it. It started off fine with just you asking about how to say things like “good morning” and “hello” just to make sure that it was actually working. It wasn’t until a couple minutes later and a few questions later it started acting sort of flirty with you, calling you names like “sweetheart” and “baby” and that’s when Kaiser’s attention was finally drawn over to what you were doing. He had been sitting in your shared bedroom at his desk, watching over one of the previous matches but once he heard a male voice coming over from where he knew you were at, and calling you names like those he went out to investigate. He stood in the doorway for a second looking over at you, slightly laughing as you asked your phone another question about how to say “I slay” in german. All to which it responded with the german translation and a “sweetheart” at the end. With a roll of Kaiser’s eyes he walked over and grabbed your phone from you, walking away with it. “I don’t know what that was, but no more.” He placed it up on a high counter, as you followed behind him jumping to get it back. “I was just trying to learn German!” “You don’t need whatever that was, you have me. I’ll teach you.” He said, leaning back onto one of the counters, crossing his arms as he watched you jump and try to climb in the counter in an attempt to get your phone back. “But you were busy.” “And now I’m not. So I’ll teach you.” He walked over and grabbed your waist from where you were slightly standing on your knees to reach and grab your phone, with a quick motion he lifted you up and pulled you off the counter, placing you back down on the floor. He took your hand and pulled you over to the couch with him, sitting you down on his lap before placing his head on your shoulder. “First Lesson, Du brauchst dein Telefon nicht. Du brauchst nur mich.” You could only give him a confused look, you assumed he had something about your phone just based on the way he said “Telefon” but the rest you had no idea. “Sure?” You responded, not really knowing what else to say, to which he smiled and kissed your cheek. "Wunderbar, Second Lesson~"

Mind you the second sentence I asked my friend with help for since I had no idea, so just roll with me here. Also Warning: All Google translated German, so if there is any mistakes please let me know!! Sie brauchen Ihr Telefon nicht. Du brauchst nur mich. - You don't need your phone. You just need me. Wunderbar - Wonderful

“ 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐧 “

𝐩𝐫𝗼𝗺𝐩𝐭: 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝! 𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝗼𝐫𝗺𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝’𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝗺𝐞𝐚𝐧𝗼𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞

Content warnings: SFW, hurt/comfort, domestic arguments, arranged marriage, dubcon to said marriage, misunderstood feelings, brief mentions of gore??? (description of grievous bodily injury)

" welcome back caller 🪷! connecting your line as we speak! "

" new contact noted! caller 𝚗𝚎𝚞𝚟𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎 has been added to your phonebook! - love, 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑡-19 “

The night was clear, the moon radiant and seemingly beaming down upon the newly weds with a special smile embedded in it's waxing reflection.

It was a stark contrast to your own inner turmoil.

Perhaps you were resentful it was only your genetics that had landed you here. Maybe it was the dangling expectations that loomed overhead. But in all reality, you knew what bothered you. It was not Neuvillette nor was it the marriage. It was how quickly you were tossed to the wolves when "the greater good" became involved.

You had been previously described as invaluable to your family, a proud line of draconic warriors and protectors. Despite this, they seemed to eager to sell you off to Fontaine's Archon in the pursuit of preserving your species. It was utterly dehumanizing.

It wasn't as though you had any warning from your supposed "family" either, no. You and your siblings had been lined up, looked over and then called into a room for closer inspection. The length of your tail, your horns, the potency of your venom, fuck, it felt like they might as well have counted each and every one of the scales that adorned your body.

Not only was it a complete violation in terms of your own physical autonomy, it was a complete violation of your trust in your parents. You believed them to be your advocates, your protectors, and yet they were so eager to let a group of researchers poke and prod at you incessantly for hours on end.

Then, when it was decided you were the most physically and psychologically compatible with your to-be-husband, they were quick to pack you up and ship you off.

There were no warm, heart-felt, teary goodbyes. You were left to mourn your quiet life in the countryside of Fontaine to be sent crash-landing straight into the heart of a court of ruthless nobles by yourself. Sure, your siblings cried for you, but they weren't allowed to witness your departure. You were given a stern handshake from your father, a pair of kisses on each cheek from your mother, and a 'make us proud'.

You knew they were not affectionate people, but would they not shed a tear for their only son being sent to be picked and prodded at by rich snobs that could care less about your circumstances? Were they really so unfeeling they viewed you as some kind of transactional bargaining chip? Did your mother and father hate you so much they could view you as some kind of breeding mare only meant to take the yoke of carrying on your bloodline?

The elegant luxury that was your new bed stared back at you. The clean, pristine white sheets mocked you. The deep blue pillowcases and bedding only further drove a special hatred into your heart, reminded of your captor and the other unfortunate breeder that'd been tasked to settle down with you.

Everything felt unnaturally cold in the capital. There were so many rules and unspoken expectations in the form of social etiquette and manners it brought a familiar whirlpool of despair to your cranium the longer you thought about it.

It was just under a year ago you'd been plucked from your home; a year ago you would've been in a smaller, warmer bed surrounded by your loved ones. You didn't always have a full stomach, but the emptiness in your stomach was filled with the overflowing zest for life in your heart.

Every morning, you would wake up to your younger siblings climbing all over you and your bed. They'd demand you take them somewhere fun today, like you always did. You would brush your little sisters off with a laugh and tell them you were busy. Still, you'd let them drag you off to the bathrooms, where both of your older sisters would already be getting ready to start their house chores.

You'd braid your younger sisters' hair gingerly, pick them up off the stool in front of the mirror, twirl them around and shoo them off to have breakfast so you could get ready to tend to your family fields.

Swapped out with the tender love shared by family was a strict, punishing hand attached to a stricter etiquette instructor that seemed hellbent on breaking you into a perfect little house husband. Of course, your proud nature certainly didn't buckle to their whims, and they instead settled on making sure you wouldn't be an embarrassment.

Speaking of your future husband, you heard his careful steps towards the bed resound from behind you. He stopped just a few paces short of your figure, clearly sensing your disdain for the room and everyone in it.

"Is something the matter?"

Your lips pressed into a tight line, tail laying glumly on the intricately dyed carpet. The room was too large yet too small all at once. You wanted your space, yes, but you wanted to be embraced with that comfortable warmth again.

You wanted nothing more than to go home with one of your sisters tucked into your side and a storybook pushed into your bone-tired hands. You wanted nothing more than for your stomach to growl in the middle of the night with hunger pangs, knowing you went without so your siblings could grow tall and strong.

You wanted to throw up all the food you ate during the reception, erase the memories entirely, and run back to the countryside. You wanted to be free of the piercing stares, the dismissive shakes of the head when you panicked and forgot which fork to use for your salad.

Instead of trying to reason with your new husband, you gave a tired huff and went to sit down on your side of the bed. The plush material gave way to your body as your eyes scanned over your side of the bedroom. There was a small desk in the corner, but besides that it was largely barren.

In comparison, Neuvillette's side of the room seemed a little bit too cramped. You reasoned he was used to having the room to himself, he most likely had to clear all his belongings to one side in preparation for your arrival.

You hated that the transition to married life was easy for him.

He got to move all his stuff to one side, get used to sharing a bed at night, and wear a ring on his finger.

He knew nothing of your suffering.

Yet, curiously he followed after you, though he moved to his own area. The deafening silence caused your ears to ring, but you could care less. Eventually he, too, sighed when he sunk into the welcoming give of the mattress. He laid down quietly, keeping his distance.

"Goodnight, Husband."

The next morning, you were gone before the sun rose. Despite Neuvillette himself being an early riser, you seemed to have put him to shame with just how eager you were to leave your shared bedroom. He learned later that you busied yourself with the inner workings of the social sector.

It would be helpful to you, at the very least, to get used to socializing in a much more formal setting than you were likely used to. Still, he worried for you and how you would hold against the societal pressure that came with being married to the seemingly untouchable Iudex.

Despite your hatred for the socialites and the nobles of the court, the day you spent out quickly earned you a reputation as a "Cute Countryman", focused on chivalry and being as respectful as possible. It was laughable, really. Had they taken a moment to really think about it, they would've realized you were being respectful because you had no interest in learning about them on any kind of deeper level. Your eldest sister would've said they missed the forest for the trees.

You did find, however, a handful of nobles that were less than concerned with their public appearances. Specifically, her name was Navia, and you were happy to accompany her and the Spina de Rosula in their endeavors. In fact, this was what you busied yourself with most of the time. In the process, your name largely became synonymous with the organization and their influence throughout Poisson.

It wasn't much, you realized. But, the constant younger feminine presence brought a comfort to the gaping wounds in your heart. Spending much of your time with Navia started a few rumors throughout the Court, but they were quickly dismissed when a few prying eyes discovered you had plenty of sisters in your previous life.

About a month after your wedding, the matters of the Spina de Rosula managed to keep you late into the night and into the early hours of the morning.

As you returned home, you lamented the heavy downpour soaking your equally heavy suit and the extra cold that racked through your reptilian body. The moment you'd stepped through the doors of the Palais Mermonia, you were inundated with attendants pawing at your jacket to strip it off of you. You were quickly offered a towel, your belongings were whisked away from you, and in this little whirlwind, you were pushed towards the residential wing.

Despite having lived in the Court of Fontaine for just over a year, you would never become accustomed to the feeling of others in your personal space. It felt just as invasive as when the men in their fancy jackets came and measured you and your older sisters up and down, left, right, sideways and horizontal.

You stalked through the long hallway down to your marital chambers. You made a quick stop in your closet, changing out of your soaked street clothing and into something more palatable. The soft hug of the silk pajamas was comforting, but off putting in a way. It was as though you were a formerly feral cat now being domesticated. You hated the idea of surrendering yourself to the comforts of luxury, surrendering your dignity to become a loving little house husband. You would be provided for, more than comfortable, but that wouldn't stop you from longing for the outdoors.

You dried your hair off with the towel the staff at the door had provided you with, being extra careful to not be too rough with the horns. You tilted your head side to side to get the remaining rainwater out of your ears before stepping through the door that connected your dressing chambers with your sleeping chambers.

The room was quiet, and yet the lamplights had remained switched on. Soft snores were emanating from the man on his side of the bed, but he was still sitting up, propped on the headboard with more documents strewn across his lap.

You realized bitterly that he'd tried to wait up for you, ensure your safe arrival home. You hated the soft fondness that coursed through your bloodstream. You hated it just as much as you hated your inability to harbor any ill will towards Neuvillette.

The man had been nothing short of a gentleman to you the moment you walked down the aisle. The short kiss at the altar had been sweet, to the point, and he let you control it's duration. He let you take his hand and lead him back down the aisle and to the reception venue. He hadn't fussed in the face of your silence when the two of you got home, he hadn't complained that you never made yourself available to his various invitations for lunch.

You should've been appreciative of his attempts to make you comfortable, but you couldn't bring yourself to. If anything, you wanted him to be some selfish, evil, brutish older man that took advantage of you just like all the others. You wanted, desperately, for a reason to hate him like you hated all that declared themselves followers of Focalors.

But you simply couldn't.

Your pride wouldn't allow you to love him as your husband, but it also prevented you from hating him without reason.

In the end, he was a victim of this marriage as much as you were. He had not been the one to make these arrangements, he hadn't been the one to order those men into your home or the one that deemed you the most compatible with himself. He could've been sleeping beside another who returned his affections in full, someone who could love him unabashedly. Perhaps your older sisters would've been more skilled in navigating their inner turmoil. But you were not your kind, intelligent, and endlessly patient older sisters.

You had been a farmer, you had been an older brother, but just as quickly as you learned to love those titles they'd been stripped away from you in the span of mere hours.

You were a husband now, a noble.

You let your hatred for those titles consume you, but only for a moment. You wanted to throw your towel at him harshly to wake him up, to yell and scream at him for hurting you, but you knew you had no right. The very second you took a moment to gaze upon his unconscious serenity, you felt your resolve crack and shatter again.

So, instead you took to carefully plucking each paper off of his lap carefully, commandeering his quill from his dominant hand and gently laying them out for him on his desk. The amount of domesticity that coursed through made you feel indignant and pathetic, but for all the care he showed you, you could put your pride aside to do this one small thing for him.

You did your best to lay out the papers in the order you'd remembered them sprawled out on the bedspread. Afterwards, you very gently positioned him to rest and turned out the lights.

Despite the man laying asleep next to you and the ache of fatigue taking over your mind, you seemed to be unable to quiet the various conflicts taking place in the recesses of your consciousness.

If you continued to stay beside Neuvillette, how long would it be until you folded?

"Is he in the gardens?"

Neuvillette carefully adjusted his cravat, violet eyes gazing off into the expanse of greenery behind the Palais Mermonia. As of late, you had been avoiding him in his entirety.

Even on nights you didn't happen to be busy, you would be out and about. He'd grown tired of trying to wait up for you to return home. However, Fontaine was enjoying an extra long rainy season.

Formerly, you would be the one waiting for him to return home. You would be in bed, book in your lap, head beginning to droop. The two of you would exchange pleasantries while he would ready himself for bed. Every single night, you would wait for him to be tucked into bed before you would allow yourself to lay down. It had been endearing, cute even.

He knew it would difficult for you to settle into life married to him. He wanted to give you ample time and space to get used to it, but each and every day there was an ache in his heart when you continued to ignore him, refuse to acknowledge him.

He would fall asleep before you got home and then you would be gone early in the morning. Despite his hurt, he worried for your sleep schedule. Surely, your energy was suffering and you were most likely fatigued throughout the day. As your husband, one of his many duties was to ensure your health and happiness.

He was tired, in all honesty. He didn't care if you continued to be cold to him, as long as you would actually be there. The two of you might not have had the most conventional romance, but Neuvillette still found himself craving some kind of acknowledgement. You didn't need to love him, to be nice to him even, as long as you would be there for him again.

"His grace is currently enjoying tea at the pavilion, would you like this servant to announce your presence?"

The Iudex raised his hand dismissively, "There's no need for that. Please, allow us some alone time."

With a curt bow and a pivot of the foot, the attendant was heading back inside the residential wing of the Palais. This left you and the hydro dragon sovereign alone in the gardens.

Carefully, quietly, he paced towards the far end of the property towards the pavilion. His hands balled into clammy fists by his side. Normally, he was calm and reserved, and yet you managed to knock him off of his usually steady feet. He did his best to relax, flexing and unflexing his fingers.

Soon enough, he was greeted with the back of your lovely figure. Long elk-line horns reaching towards the sky, draconic tail brushed to the side to squeeze underneath an armrest so it could come to rest on the concrete behind your plush seat. It swept back and forth as you took in the scenery.

Even though his steps were nearly silent, the barely audible 'swish, swish' of your tail came to a halt. Before he could speak, there was a small clink of the highest quality porcelain money could buy meeting porcelain. You threw a negligible glance over your shoulder.

Even in what was your act of defiance against him, he couldn't help but allow his breath to catch in his throat at the sight of your countenance. Your eyes met with the same familiar silver violet hue, a small huff passing your nostrils before you turned your attention back to the array of pastries and the half-empty kettle of tea.

He tried to speak, but found his throat unbearably dry. Quickly, he cleared it, trying to formulate some kind of greeting in his mind. His mouth opened and shut a few times before he managed to stammer out, "Would you care if I joined you?"

He experimentally stepped in closer, hands coming to rest on the back of your chair. He took in the annoying twitch of your tail smacking against his shin, feeling his heart sink when he watched you stand from your chair. "There's no need. If you wish to enjoy time in the gardens, I won't bother you."

"Ah, but I see you haven't yet finished your own time in the pavilion." He pushed tentatively, gloved hands tensing on the wooden frame of where you'd been perched previously. Your tail carefully untangled itself from the arm of the chair. He noted your expression, examining it thoughtfully.

"If you wish to take my spot, I don't see a need, frankly." You crossed your arms across your chest, completely abandoning the pleasant shine of the sun on your skin and the half-eaten sweets on your plate.

His pressed into a line, considering his words carefully. Clouds began to circle overhead, blotting out the sweet radiance of Celestia in all of their haste. "Perhaps I wanted to share some time with you in the sun, would that be too much to ask?"

He'd meant it genuinely, but as soon as your lips turned downward into a frown, he knew he'd chosen his words wrong. "I am not your plaything, Monsieur. If you'll excuse me, I have much more pressing matters to attend to."

You went to turn on your heel, walk back into your shared home, but he interrupted you, "Wait-"

Your eyes shut indignantly, you took a deep breath through your nose before letting it out in the sound of a sigh. You turned back towards him, "What is it?"

You could sense the remorse brewing in his tone. You also took note of the light drizzle beginning to settle in the garden. There went your plan to sunbathe from the comfort of your small study instead. "I hadn't meant to offend you or insinuate that you were some commodity to me, if I did so please allow me to extend my sincerest apologies."

You hated that your own pity circled in the pits of your stomach. You still had no reason to hate him, no reason to deny him your affections, and yet you couldn't bring yourself to let him in either. You hated him, you hated him and all of his sweetness. You hated him and the feeling of trust you'd built for him in your heart.

"No, Monsieur Neuvillette. You simply bore me." The moment the words tumbled from your lips, you automatically regretted it. However, you couldn't stop yourself from pressing him further. "You come home from work and expect me to be happy to see a tired, haggard shell of a proud sovereign. You allow humans to string you along and work for them when they could care less if you and your sorry little "cute countryman" of a husband dropped dead so long as another Iudex would take your place."

You turned again on your foot, each fat drop of water falling from the sky burning into your skin as you went to retreat from him entirely.

"You are pathetic, as such I don't wish to see you or spend time with you. In the future, do not seek me out."

About a year into your avoidance of him and this sad excuse of a marriage, Neuvillette was awoken in the night by a strangled scream.

Before he could process it was you who made the sound, he was overwhelmed with the noise of pitiful crying and the sensation of wetness pushed against the crook of his neck. He could tell you were doing your best not to shatter his eardrums with loud cries, your chest shaking with each heaving breath you took.

In your desperation, he realized, you'd thrown off your covers, shot up like a rocket and you were clinging onto him like he'd vanish if you'd taken your hands off of him for a mere second. One of your arms secured him snuggly into your chest by the waist, the other combing through beautifully silvery locks.

Groggily, he called out your name, stirring from his deep slumber. His arm rested on the one you'd draped around his abdomen, face flushing a pleasant pink from the sudden intimacy of your actions. "What on earth has you so frightened at such an ungodly hour?"

You didn't answer him, instead opting to press your nose further into his neck. Effectively hiding your face, you babbled nonsense noises into his skin, never full words or sentences, cut off syllables and hushed sobs. You hands raked across his scalp like a madman.

Despite the clear fear in each and every one of your incessant affection, Neuvillette couldn't help the soft purr that resounded from the back of his throat. He squirmed in your grasp, moving so his back wasn't pressed up against your chest, but instead the two of you lay face to face.

His own hands reached up to your scalp, sleepily toying with a few loose strands that stuck up around your rather large antler-like horns. In this position, he could properly see the harsh rise and fall of your chest, hyperventilating at some vision he hadn't been privy to. "What makes you so afraid, my dear?"

Usually, you would've scowled at his use of a petname, but instead, when he reached from your hair to your face to stroke some of your tears off your cheek you leaned into his hand. The tears fell faster from your eyes as your hand wrapped around his wrist like a vice. Your actions begged him to keep his hand there, to use his comforting touch to get rid of the horrible things that plagued your mind.

He could feel your sorrow begin to translate into his own tragedy, his heart cracking at the sight of someone usually so reserved and filled with hate turn into nothing more than a tall child. A tall child that clung unto him like a frightened baby would its mother. His sharp features softened as a light drizzle began to knock at the windows of the Palais Mermonia.

It was a few more minutes of quietly holding one another before you could finally clear your breath enough to speak, "N-Neuvillette," you cried, painfully tugging at his heart strings, "Forgive me, please, forgive me-" You cut yourself off as another sob racked your being.

He stayed silent for a moment, his fingers interlacing with your own shaky hands. "What are you talking about?"

You shook your head, knocking your forehead against his rather unceremoniously. "I-I have truly been so awful to you- so utterly horrible to the one person who has done nothing but love me and patiently wait for me." You pressed a devastatingly hungry kiss to his cheek.

"You've done no such thing," he reassured, giving your hand a gentle squeeze. His ears lit up an embarrassingly dark red hue. Still, it seemed his words were no help to the wounds upon your aching heart.

"I don't care, if I must- If I must, I'll use the rest of my pitiful life to make it up to you, I don't ever want you to have a day that goes by where you don't know how much I appreciate you-" You sniffled against the skin of his cheek. "You deserved so much better than my hateful words and avoidance. The only thing I haven't done to you is lay my hands on you. Archons, I could never even begin to think-"

He called your name again, soft against your face, his teasingly airy laugh cut through the frigid air of the bedroom, "What horrors must you have seen to have changed your mind this quickly?"

Your face flustered a pink of your own, "Don't laugh at me! This is serious!" Even through the obvious annoyance in your throat, a certain sadness plucked at Neuvillette's heart in accordance with the quaking tremble in your tone.

He apologized to you with a soft kiss on the cheek, tentatively pushing the boundaries that had previously been established in your relationship. To his own surprise, you let out a content hum and settled against his figure again. "I apologize, but you must understand me."

You nodded, nuzzling a hand further into his palm, removing your grip from his wrist to wrap around his waist again. Despite the appeasement radiating from your body language, your voice was still huffy in it's response, "Of course, I understand you." You tugged him ever closer to yourself, scooting around to rest your head against his chest.

The sound of his heartbeat acting an impromptu lullaby as your eyes glided shut. His thumb caressed your cheek with an unspoken softness as he stared down at the tear tracks staining your beautiful features. Still, even in your sadness, your clear adoration of the man in your grasp shone through.

It was enough to make the the steadfast Iudex begin to crumble, suddenly taken with just how intimate the moment was between a formerly touch repulsed man and his longing husband.

You were curled up, just about wrapped around him like a blanket. You clouded every one of his senses, he could tell that he clouded a majority of your own in turn. What terrible thing did you see that caused your hatred for him to wilt like an aged rose? To bloom again as a newfound love and devotion to him?

He wondered to himself if he would ever find out.

But for now, he could enjoy the quiet and nervous, but also bold and blind reach for his affections.

The rain quieted to a stop outside of the window, the clouds beginning to sail across the soft winds. He twirled a lock of your hair around his finger, relishing the further slump of your body against his own.

You practically melted into him, your tail coming up to ghost around his shin. The small hairs on the end of it tickled just the slightest bit, prompting a loving smile to adorn his features. Against the crown of your head, he pressed his lips again. Then again as you finally wrapped your extra appendage around his leg.

It might not have meant much to Neuvillette, the lowering of your defenses in such a vulnerable display of your inner workings. But, his quiet comfort and understanding meant the world to you.

And so, before you allowed yourself to drift back to sleep, you promised to cherish him properly this time around.

There was a quiet rap on his door before your horns peeked from behind it, followed shortly by your face.

Yes, the night before had been nice, you had been through something rough, but he hadn't exactly expected the changes to be instantaneous. You had harbored a deep seated hatred for him for so long, it seemed as though you were a new person the next morning when he woke up to you still curled up around him.

He'd dismissed that as something unimportant, most likely the result of terrible sleep. Not to mention, your sleep schedule had always been much worse off than his own. Keeping this in mind, he snaked his way out of bed and gave you a kiss on the forehead before he made his way to your shared closet.

He pulled on his expensive suit, and, as usual, he skipped breakfast in the residential suite to get straight to work. He would have breakfast brought in later. Imagine his surprise when you were the one to turn up at his door, still in your pajamas, breakfast in hand.

You had the small cart loaded to the brim with his favorites, things he hadn't known you'd noticed. There was a kettle of tea and two cups perched on top of the precarious tower of breakfast luxuries. He found comfort in the fact you looked well-rested and eager.

"What are you doing here?"

You yawned, arching your back upward to get a good stretch in. It was apparent you'd just barely woken up before suddenly deciding to treat him. "Is it really so strange for me to bring you breakfast?"

He hummed, contemplatively, "I suppose it wouldn't be in any other circumstances, but I didn't know you were aware of my office's location. You certainly haven't visited me before."

You waved off his concern with your hand dismissively, yawning into your palm again. You pushed the cart towards his desk, towering over him from behind as you laid one of the two porcelain cups on the table. You poured him a cup before you retreated to seat yourself in a chair in front of his desk. "Even if I don't visit, it isn't strange that I know the layout of my own home."

He nodded again, letting the scent of tea waft up his nose. He noted your much more casual demeanor when you poured your own glass. You settled on grabbing a pastry from the bottom of the stack, allowing yourself to eat casually around him. Usually, when the two of you were forced to share a meal at some kind of event or other, you were prim and proper to the point of being mechanical.

It was rare to see you so... relaxed.

The sun shining on your face from behind him, hair still tousled, pajamas loosely hanging onto your figure, and crumbs all over your face. It brought a special warmth to the pit of his stomach, even more so when his hand reached out for your face to gently dab away the remains of your snack from your lips.

Instead of insisting on doing it yourself, you pressed yourself into his awaiting hand and simply let him do as he pleased. He couldn't help the fond smile that stretched across his cheeks. Lowering his hand back to the table, he allowed himself to take in the sight of you, half-awake and eager to spend time with him.

Soon enough, the moment was over when you yawned again and stood up from your chair. You gestured towards the cart, "Your breakfast is served, I'll be back soon enough after I get changed."

His eyebrows raised, "You'll be back?"

You nodded, not really all that shocked at his surprise. "I've occupied much of my time with the workings of the Spina de Rosula, but I haven't a clue what happens in this office of yours. Surely, as your husband it's one of my duties to make sure you aren't overworking yourself."

His brows furrowed again, conflicted. He was happy to be in your company after so long alone, but he didn't know if he was the one dreaming now. Would this dream transition to a nightmare when you went back to the way you were before? Even with the sun beaming down on his back, he wondered whether or not the feeling was genuine the longer he stared at you.

Would he have to wake up and be greeted with the cold reality of your absence from the bed once again?

"I..." he closed his mouth, resting his quill against the table. "Are you sure you want to bore yourself with the paperwork? I'm sure there are more interesting things you can do with your day."

You huffed, "What could be more important than your health? Even if I'm not home when you get into bed, our attendants still notice when you come home later. Starting today, it will stop." You put your hands on your hips, scanning his written archives of cases. "Now, as much as I love lounging in my sleepwear, your place of work isn't exactly appropriate for that."

He didn't respond, more so trying to decipher this blooming dread at the pit of his stomach. He had finally gotten just an ounce of attention from you, but he still feared the worst. When you realized your nightmare was just a silly little vision conjured up by your imagination, would you continue to ignore him?

Should he bother trying to enjoy this time? To get attached again? Would he be able to bear it if you were to sever the tie with more hurtful words and venom that dripped from your lips like honey?

Just as you went to walk away from him and towards the door to his office, he called your name. He hadn't really thought through what he wanted to say, but he did, however, know he wanted to say something. As you turned to look at him, alert but confused all the same, he considered dismissing you entirely.

But there was this gnawing feeling in his gut that he desperately need to solve if he wanted to be able to focus on his work.

"You say that there is nothing more important to you than my health, but in the same vein, you worry me with such sudden changes. Please, when you return, can we discuss what happened last night before anything goes further?"

'I'd seen lifetimes ahead of us Neuvillette, lifetimes you could hardly imagine. I saw our beginning and I saw our end.'

"Neuvillette?" you called out blindly into the dark. The door to your bedroom was just slightly ajar, it allowed an eerie sliver of light to trail out into the large corridor of the residential wing. In your many years of marriage to the Iudex, he hadn't waiting up for you since the first year the two of you had been wed.

After all, he knew better.

Was this some kind of special occasion? You could only speculate as the many discrepancies in your routine began to swirl through your mind. There was nobody that had come to greet you at the door, nobody to take your belongings off your or rip your jacket off. There was nobody to usher you towards your shared bedroom.

Despite your lack of real status within Fontainian society, nobody would've dared to insult the Iudex's spouse so.

Had Neuvillette asked for them all to be cleared out for some kind of special dinner where it would be just the two of you in the home? That didn't make any sense either. Neither of you celebrated your birthdays, you didn't celebrate an anniversary, you often left on holidays. So what exactly was happening?

You called out again, your voice trembling, "Neuvillette, this isn't funny. What are you up to?"

Something was terribly wrong, you realized. Terribly, terribly wrong. You summoned your blade quietly at your side as you approached the door that was just barely open.

You regretted that you hadn't come home sooner.

The formerly blue and turquoise carpet had turned to an ugly shade of brown, some parts so saturated in crimson you could no longer see the patterns you often traced with your eyes when you were bored and home alone.

You froze, unable to really process what could be happening.

The first thought in your mind was that Neuvillette had murdered someone and expected you to be out long enough he could clean the mess.

But who would Neuvillette murder? He had no reason to dirty his hands when a man of his status had so many connections.

And so, you realized what had actually happened when your eyes trailed to source of the pooling liquid.

A blood-curdling scream ripped itself from your throat as you rushed forwards at the sight of your spouse all but decapitated on the floor. His beautiful, beautiful neck has been sliced so cleanly it was obvious to tell which side of the blade had been sharpened for combat. You reached desperately for him, despite knowing he was likely gone.

You pulled his limp body into your lap, your jaw agape as you struggled to comprehend what you were seeing. You used one hand to keep his head on his neck, the other holding his blood-stained face in a gentle caress.

Even in his death, he was lovely. The peace in his colorless eyes was telling as he succumbed to eternal rest. You were upset, yet you felt you had no right to be. The man had pined after you for decades and you couldn't so much as muster the ability to spend an anniversary with him, to come home an lay next to him in bed a reasonable hour.

You had never been there for him to wake up to, you had never been the one to take care of him when he was ill or weak. You had never responded to his desperate invitations for lunch nor had you ever spared a glance at his attempts to be romantic. You set the bouquets he sent to your study in a vase and you let them die when you couldn't be bothered to water or care for them.

Why was it you were so devestated?

You swore to yourself you would never love him, and yet you couldn't bring yourself to part from his body. Perhaps, if you held him together for long enough, he would revive and you would be able to nag him like you always did when he didn't take proper care of himself.

Behind the both of you, a tall man loomed. His silhouette was intimidating, but you couldn't be bothered to care when you were faced with the devastation of loss that shattered your heart. You only really cared to pay him any attention when he stepped in closer to the both of you.

"Don't you dare come any closer."

You snarled at him, clutching Neuvillette's corpse closer to your heart. You refused to look at him, but the intensity in your tone cause him to pause for just a moment.

It didn't last long, seeing as mere seconds later he continued to close in like a predator would prey. A mocking laugh slipped past his lips as he looked down upon the sorry scene. "Will you stop me? You already failed to protect your husband once."

You pressed a soft kiss to Neuvillette's forehead before you stood up on shaky legs to face his murderer. You were met with only one of his eyes before you pointed your blade at him. There was a black mask draped over the side of his face, painted in an electric blue that matched the iris you could see.

"I may have been unable to protect him, but that doesn't mean I am unable to protect what he sought to protect." Your blade made contact with his chest, daring you to make the move to kill him.

"What I am here to retrieve is none of your concern, perhaps you would be happier if it were in my care than that of Focalors." He wrapped his fingers around the point of your sword. "After all, she is the one that forced you into this predicament."

You made a quick move to jab the blade into his chest, watching the shock wash over his face, before he promptly raised his own blade. You pulled your weapon out of him, watching the blood pour from the wound before it miraculously closed up once again.

"What was once Neuvillette's duty is now my duty to protect in his absence, you will not leave with his gnosis, harbinger."

"I see."

Neuvillette held your hands in his own across his desk, rubbing the back of your hands with his gloved thumbs. You let the small action comfort you, letting out a soft sigh.

There was a small smile on your face as you continued on with your little story, "I'm proud to say that the two of us ended in a stalemate. I was much worse for wear, but ultimately, someone managed to scare the harbinger off. I later succumbed to injuries, but for a short moment, I felt as though I could die peacefully knowing I fulfilled the duty you could not."

Your husband hummed in response. "Is this why you are so insistent on making sure I know I am loved?"

You nodded quickly in response, "Precisely. In that moment, the moment I realized you were gone without so much as a farewell, it was only then I truly came to terms with how I felt about you." You gave his hands a light squeeze, "It was only when I was too late did I realize I would be able to love you without guilt."

The Iudex cleared his throat, trying to hide the pinkening of his cheeks with his fist. "I understand, but I fear that your visions of the future have answered the questions of our relationship, but raised more about the potential future of Fontaine. Eventually, someone will come to retrieve the gnosis, but now that you've chosen to change the course of history, will that also mean the future will also change?"

You pursed your lips carefully, "I don't know, Neuvillette. I fear I can't answer those questions myself. I only know what I did, what I saw, and what happened in that specific scenario."

He paused again, letting his fingertips fall back into your embrace, "This is... indeed troubling."

You shook your head, "The only thing I can promise you is that I will be by your side throughout it all. I'm afraid for if the time arises when I will once again be unable to protect you." You swallowed some spit down your throat, "To see you in such a state is a sight I will not forget for the rest of my life, nor will I forget it in every single lifetime that follows. I wouldn't be able to live with myself should something like that happen to you again."

He could see the vulnerable tears well up in your eyes once again, likely being confronted with the image of his headless body, cold in your arms. The rain that tickled the glass of his study picked up as he reached towards your face.

His fingertips cradled your jaw sweetly, his blank expression distorting into one of anguish. "Please don't cry, beloved, it only hurts the both of us."

You took his free hand in both of yours, squeezing it insistently. "You must promise me in this life, if nothing else, that you will live. You may not remember the years we spent together, but I do. Each and every memory between the two of us from my past life is one I will cherish forever, but I want to make new ones with you."

The rain on the window slowly began to dissipate as an awkward smile graced his features. "You can't expect me to be used to hearing you say these kinds of things, my dear. I hardly ever hear your voice and suddenly you're pouring your heart out to me. At least give me a moment to recover."

You wiped your own brewing tears away from your eyes, letting out a chuckle at his words. "Never."

He let out his own airy chortle. "And why wouldn't that be?"

You kissed the palm that rested on your cheek softly, tenderly. You let yourself bathe in the sight of a flustered Iudex as you smiled at him, truly and genuinely again. "I've held my tongue for far too long already, I can't stand to let my precious husband go on forever not knowing that he is the one I will treasure forever."

He tugged at his collar playfully, "I didn't take you to be a charmer."

Your smile widened, allowing your teeth to be put on full display, "Like I've told you time and time again, I must make up for lost time."

Neuvillette smiled back, though it was more dim, "What if I am not the same Neuvillette you remember?"

You shook your head, "Nonsense, don't think such strange things. If you aren't the same Neuvillette, I will simply have to fall in love with you all over again."

Quick as a whip, you stood from your seat across from him at his desk, looming over his chair as you leaned down and playfully pepper kisses on the exposed area of his neck just above his shirt collar.

He gave a hearty laugh, holding your face off of his neck after just a few short seconds, "Easy now, you've only just told me that you're willing to offer me your heart, aren't you being a little too forward?"

You smiled against his hands, pressing another kiss to his temple. "Do you not like it?"

He did his best to feign annoyance, but he wasn't fooling anyone, "That isn't what I said."

"Then must you be so suspicious of me? Let me shower my lover with kisses!"

He called your name, reprimanding you gently, "I thought you were supposed to be helping me with my work, Monsieur."

You sighed, "And now, you're the one being formal with me. Is my love not a good way to destress from your endless papers?"

Neuvillette was overwhelmed, but it was a good kind of overwhelmed. The kind that made his insides warm and fuzzy, the kind that made his face burn a bright red.

He squirmed under the pure adoration and determination in your eyes, but he chose to allow himself to succumb to your whims. "I suppose you're right."

With a triumphant smirk, the moment his hands loosened from the sides of your face, your lips were upon his exposed face in moments. Peppering each ridge and valley with the tender caress of your lips. You positively drank in his boisterous laughter.

You hadn't been able to give him the love he deserved before, but you were certain you would not fail in this lifetime.

You told him that no matter how much he changed from your previous incarnation, you would fall in love with him. The only thing left was for you to get him to fall in love with you.

Not only in this life, but every life time that would follow it.

there's a note on the side of the phone booth, read it?

" thank you francis forever by mitski we all say in unison "

THIS IS A REPOSTED WORK FROM MY ORIGINAL ACCOUNT BEFORE IT CRAPPED AND DIED ON ME

I USED TO BE FOUND AT @steadybear

I FEAR YOU WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH SEEING @bigtedbear INSTEAD FROM NOW ON

Say ur prayers @ yappariff (thank god no one has that handle)