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+---- Thread: [SE] keeping it lit (/showthread.php?tid=12319)
RE: keeping it lit - Ronin - 01-02-2026
With just enough time to scoff out a laugh, before Ronin can comment either on how much more he loves the Bastion, or his perpetual state of hotness, Remi's mouth seals against his own again. Whatever response he might have been considering is moaned into the kiss, one hand dropping to his husband's hips while the other skates up the length of his spine, cupping the back of his neck as if to keep him from parting too soon.
Only Sugar's cry of impatience has his eyes flickering open, the warning enough to realise what's about to happen but not to do anything about it, and as the dragon swoops into a dive, she's able to unleash a breath of frost that catches Ronin right against the ribs. His breath hitches against Remi's lips, the Knight flinching closer to his husband and drawing away just enough to blurt a string of expletives at his companion, most of them laughingly.
[say]"Fuck, fine,"[/say] he grumbles, though his wings do flex and flare out to mantle around them, like he might be able to protect them from further mischief.
RE: keeping it lit - Remi - 01-02-2026
The bite of cold catches Remi along the ribs as well, sharp enough to pull a startled gasp from him as he flinches instinctively against Ronin’s chest, fingers tightening at his waist while the frost blooms and fades. He blinks against the sudden chill, breath misting briefly before warmth rushes back in, and when his eyes track Sugar wheeling away beyond the mantle of Ronin’s wings, his expression softens into fond exasperation.
A boyish roll of his eyes follows, lips quirking as he tips his head back just enough to call after her, [say]"I thought you had it handled!"[/say] the words bright with laughter rather than reproach, thinking she was just upset at having to deal with the remaining fire on her own. Then his attention settles back where it belongs, shoulders easing as he exhales and lets himself relax fully into the shelter Ronin makes without even thinking about it.
[say]"Honestly,"[/say] Remi sighs, affectionate and amused, before pausing as though something has just surfaced in his mind. His brows lift slightly, tone shifting into casual warmth as he adds, [say]"Oh, actually, I’ve been meaning to tell you. I had tea with Isla the other day, and...she has some rather big news."[/say]
RE: keeping it lit - Ronin - 01-02-2026
It could be annoyance at being left to deal with the remaining wildfire or it could be jealousy at not being informed or involved in the sudden affection being handed out - mercurial and unwilling to be perceived or understood, Sugar nevertheless arcs away to finish her work. Ronin glares after her over the pale, sunwarmed membrane of a draconic wing, grumbling something inaudible that soon fades under the renewed closeness between he and Remi.
Feeling the tension unlock from his spine when no further assault is offered, he relaxes back into Remi's embrace; as a result, despite the carefully casual tone offered by the Bastion, Ronin is touching him more than enough to feel the undercurrent of something else, something he can't quite name. [say]"Oh?"[/say] He raises his eyebrows, nevertheless giving Remi to parse through it in his own time.
[say]"Wedding bells?"[/say] he guesses, unknowingly coming to exactly the same conclusion as the other man, his fingers absently teasing through damp curls to encourage them to dry.
RE: keeping it lit - Remi - 01-02-2026
A chuckle slips out low and soft, the sound carrying more weight than the humour alone should justify, and where they touch Ronin will feel something more; a strange, unplaceable undercurrent, not jealousy and not quite sorrow either, something quieter and more complicated that doesn’t yet have a name. Remi huffs out a breath and gives a small shake of his head, wet curls brushing Ronin’s fingers as he does. [say]"You’d think so,"[/say] he says lightly, dismissing the idea of wedding bells, [say]"but no."[/say]
His brows lift a moment later, the playfulness ebbing just enough to let honesty through. [say]"She’s pregnant,"[/say] Remi adds, and there it is, the source of that melancholy note, tucked beneath affection and warmth like a shadow at the edge of the sun. Before Ronin can respond, before surprise or concern or any number of questions can surface, Remi continues, getting ahead of them all. [say]"Yes, it’s Ever’s. I asked,"[/say] he says, meeting the moment with steady calm. [say]"And yes, she’s keeping it."[/say]
RE: keeping it lit - Ronin - 01-02-2026
[say]"Huh,"[/say] Ronin says, a little put out at being incorrect and for almost selfish reasons, too. [say]"That's a shame - I know you love a wedding."[/say] It's a lie only because the truth is that they both do, but the Knight always looks forward to spotting the telltale prickle of emotion in Remi's eyes, one he knows would be especially potent if the wedding were for Isla.
But then he clarifies, and the discordant feelings that have been struggling to harmonise within the Bastion all come together at once. Not engaged, but pregnant. Ronin's lips part but Remi is already answering all the initial questions, leaving him just as puzzled (and a little bit something else, too) but with nothing to immediately vocalise to give his mind time to catch up.
[say]"Oh,"[/say] is all he can say at first, warm fingers sweeping around from teasing through curls to brush across Remi's cheek, as if trying to gauge his reaction but feeling like a few pieces are missing. [say]"And happy about it, presumably?"[/say] he says, figuring that the emotions would be much easier to parse if that wasn't the case. [say]"Which means we are also happy about it."[/say]
RE: keeping it lit - Remi - 01-02-2026
Remi rolls his eyes with unmistakable affection, because Ronin is absolutely right and he does love a wedding. He leans subtly into the warmth of Ronin’s fingers against his cheek, grounding himself there, and lets out a quiet sigh. [say]"I think she is,"[/say] he says after a moment, thoughtful rather than certain. [say]"Happy, I mean, at least underneath all the worry."[/say] His shoulders lift in a small shrug. [say]"The very first thing she said to me was that she needed someone to tell her it was all going to be okay, so...that felt telling."[/say] Because, you know, that probably should have come from the father.
At Ronin’s gentle conclusion, Remi nods, a little reluctantly, his lips twitching as though he’s trying to smile his way through something knotted and complicated. [say]"Yes,"[/say] he agrees softly, [say]"we’re happy about it."[/say] And he is—truly—but the feeling doesn’t settle cleanly, not the way he wants it to. Not the way it should. [say]"It’s just..."[/say] He trails off, searching for words, then exhales and tries again. [say]"It’s strange to think about. That it’s Finn’s son who's having a child with her."[/say] His brow furrows faintly, the thought looping back on itself. [say]"The same one who grew up alongside Mateo, who once asked if he could watch us have sex."[/say] He gestures vaguely between them, frustration flickering across his features.
He has always known they were together-together, but a baby makes it impossible to keep that distance in his head. It drags the knowledge into focus, sharpens it until it feels unavoidably real, and the discomfort that follows sits heavy and unwelcome in his chest. It isn’t jealousy or anger—nothing so clean or easily dismissed—just a quiet unease he has no interest in unpacking, let alone giving a name to.
RE: keeping it lit - Ronin - 01-02-2026
[say]"Mm, well... you know Isla better than anyone,"[/say] Ronin points out, his thumb grazing across Remi's cheek again. [say]"She's always the unflappable one, but you're a safe space where she can let go of that control."[/say] So whether completely ecstatic about the news or not, it's not all that surprising that she'd sought out Remi as her best friend to have a minor panic about it as well. [say]"Guessing it wasn't exactly a planned thing from that, though?"[/say] He raises his eyebrows.
Yes, Remi confirms, and he nods as well as if to remind him that it really is the case, but when the Bastion follows it up with the precursor to doubt, Ronin is there for it all the same. His hand drops to slip back around Remi, drawing him closer against his chest, and as he speaks he can't hide the scoff of laughter or the very reasonable agreement that floods through him.
[say]"Isla never knew that part of him though,"[/say] he points out. [say]"So whilst it might be strange for us, it isn't for her. And truly, it's not like either of us have spoken to Ever in a long time now, other than in passing."[/say] Mateo isn't the boy he'd once been and so the same could be imagined for his best friend. Still uncomfortable, perhaps, but not as world shattering as it might have been once upon a time.
Nevertheless, Ronin doesn't try to fix the emotion or the reason behind it, merely holding Remi close against him and leaning in to kiss his forehead. [say]"Anything I can do?"[/say]
RE: keeping it lit - Remi - 01-02-2026
Remi lifts a brow at that, the expression dry rather than defensive, and there’s a soft snort of amusement that never quite makes it to laughter. [say]"As flattering as that is it doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence that whatever Ever is to her, he isn’t that port."[/say] He gives a small shake of his head, curls brushing Ronin’s collarbone. [say]"And no, apparently it has something to do with her being an Ancient that protection doesn't alway work the way it should."[/say]
He has to actively stop himself from recreating the blah blah blah SpongeBob gif as Ronin's explanation replays in his head, settling instead for a quiet huff of breath. His forehead comes to rest against Ronin’s shoulder, the contact an unconscious seeking of steadiness, and he exhales again, this time unhappy, resigned, fingers flexing once at Ronin’s side.
[say]"I suppose,"[/say] Remi murmurs after a moment, voice softer now, [say]"it will be nice having a baby around again."[/say] The thought carries something unexpectedly tender with it, and Ronin will feel the warmth bloom where they touch, a rosy flush spreading from Remi as fondness and memory and possibility all bleed together beneath his skin.
RE: keeping it lit - Ronin - 01-02-2026
Scoffing, Ronin merely shrugs his shoulders and presses another soft kiss to Remi's forehead. [say]"She wasn't Ever's companion and didn't die twice in his presence,"[/say] he points out, as if to remind the Bastion that neither he or Isla have ever been normal when it comes to the scope and depth of their friendship, and those scars run even more deeply with foundation-shaking news like a baby. [say]"But if you're concerned you could always mention that to her?"[/say] He's sure she'd love that.
It's both startling and not to hear that contraceptives can apparently just fail when it comes to Ancients, but his concerns about it wash away as Remi's head tilts to rest against his shoulder. His stakes in this aren't nearly as high as his husband's (for all those reasons mentioned above), so Ronin simply holds him through it, fingers smoothing down the length of his spine, offering something steady and solid to throw himself against.
He does find himself smiling, though, at the (be?)grudging admission about having another baby around to fuss, the Knight nodding and trying to stifle the returning flush of something quiet and golden, a future kept safeguarded and unspoken because it's too delicate to exist. [say]"It will,"[say] he agrees. [say]"It's no fun to be a bad influence to Mateo and Flora, now. They're old enough that it's got consequences."[/say]
RE: keeping it lit - Remi - 01-02-2026
[say]"Mmm,"[/say] Remi murmurs under his breath, the sound vibrating low and thoughtful where his forehead rests against Ronin’s shoulder. He very deliberately does not point out that perhaps all of those reasons should be a fairly compelling argument for Isla not being with Everest at all. Instead, a surprised laugh escapes him and he pulls back just enough to shake his head. [say]"I am quite certain pregnancy strength is not a myth,"[/say] he says, amused and rueful all at once. [say]"And I would very much prefer not to test my strength against Isla’s instincts right now."[/say]
He wraps his arms around Ronin’s lower back, fitting there with easy familiarity, the gesture grounding as much as it is affectionate. As Ronin speaks, Remi nods along, chuckling faintly even as his thoughts turn inward, growing a shade more contemplative without losing their warmth. [say]"Maybe,"[/say] he says slowly, the word chosen with care, [say]"this will give us a glimpse of the sort of parents we might have been if all of our children hadn’t been conceived or raised so close to trauma."[/say] Aoife with both Vanya and Ronin's deaths shadowing her. Seren, who'd been conceived as a feverdream. Mateo, dreamed up of as a way to fix everything broken inside. Enzo and Flora, adored but never planned.
There’s no regret in it, just a gentle wondering about what might have been.
RE: keeping it lit - Ronin - 01-03-2026
[say]"I knew there was some wisdom in there somewhere."[/say] Ronin scoffs, nosing into Remi's damp curls. [say]"Whatever our opinions about it, Isla has chosen Everest. And I'd probably not question that choice even if she weren't pregnant - she's really skilled with a scalpel."[/say] His wings tighten around them ever so slightly as he feels the Bastion's arms slip around him in turn; a silent reassurance that they can be and do and feel however they please in this small, warm space hidden from the world at large.
It's more necessary than he ever might have considered as Remi speaks again, and the soft tide of Ronin's grief and regret is something he's already mumbling an apology for as it leaks through all the places they touch. [say]"They're all so, so brilliant,"[/say] he whispers of their children, the ones both dead and alive. [say]"Talented, resilient, smart. I just wish it felt like it was with our help, not in spite of us."[/say]
That had never been the sort of parent Ronin had hoped to be, but it's familiar enough ground that he wrinkles his nose and shoves it away. [say]"Maybe we'll be better uncles, mm?"[/say]
RE: keeping it lit - Remi - 01-03-2026
Remi wrinkles his nose in quiet agreement, not because Ronin is wrong, but because of how unfairly, devastatingly right he is, and for the moment at least the Bastion chooses to let go of the tangled thread that led him to Isla's sex life.
His fingers tighten at Ronin’s lower back as a subtle shift ripples through the Knight, drawing them closer still as though there could possibly be less space between them. [say]"They are,"[/say] Remi agrees softly, the words warm and certain even as something aches beneath them. Brilliant, all of them, in ways that still manage to surprise him, and yet it was undeniable that so much of their resiliency seemed to be because of the kind of parents he and Ronin had ended up being.
A light chuckle follows, carefully placed, meant to keep the melancholy from showing its teeth. [say]"Maybe one day,"[/say] he says, voice gentler now, [say]"one of us will be thrown back in time somehow, and we'll get the chance to do it properly."[/say] His thumb traces a small, absent arc where it rests against Ronin.
RE: keeping it lit - Ronin - 01-03-2026
If there's any space left between them he might eliminate, Ronin sinks into it eagerly, as if Remi's arms around him are permission to feel his feelings without apology or regret, if only because those emotions are a shared burden they both carry. His lips flinch into a smile at the sound of his husband's laughter, the Knight drawing the warmth from it however much it's a flimsy mask for the chill beneath, though he can't help but scoff in response to his remarks.
[say]"I would never want to go back in time unless it was with you,"[/say] he says confidently. [say]"This version of you, the one who has seen it all the way I have. Otherwise what's to stop one of us making the same stupid mistakes all over again?"[/say] Without the other to temper them, it almost feels inevitable.
[say]"It's you for me, sorry - this you. No other."[/say] Teasing his hand from Remi's curls to his cheek, Ronin tilts his head up gently and against his waiting lips, as if the kiss alone might stitch up the parts of them that are still frayed by the way things had gone.
RE: keeping it lit - Remi - 01-03-2026
Remi chuckles softly at that, boyish and fond, his shoulders lifting in a small, helpless shrug. [say]"You make a fair point,"[/say] he concedes, amusement warming his voice. [say]"Even if I went back now, I’m not sure I could convince the version of you we were back then of much of anything."[/say] The thought lingers, though, fragile and persistent, a what-if that doesn’t vanish so much as settle, rooting itself deeper where it can be carried without cutting.
Ronin’s kiss doesn’t erase it, but it does press it gently into the soil of his mind, tamping it down until it feels manageable. Remi meets his lips with a slow, unhurried enthusiasm, content to let the moment stretch now that Ronin’s wings have closed around them, a shelter against the world and against Sugar’s impeccable timing.