[SE] keeping it lit

and my heart ran away with me

"Mmm," 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. "I am quite certain pregnancy strength is not a myth," he says, amused and rueful all at once. "And I would very much prefer not to test my strength against Isla’s instincts right now."

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. "Maybe," he says slowly, the word chosen with care, "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." 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.

remi

Styling stolen from Sky (obviously)