baby mine

and if all we've got is what no one can break

They'd talked about it, they'd prepared, and now the moment had finally come. With the houseboat looking shockingly clean if only because every single surface had been toddler-proofed, there was nothing really to do other than get started.

And yet...

In the softest sweater he could find, and wearing sweatpants which would allow him to move anyway in that their daughter wanted, Remi stood looking down at the space on the floor they'd cleared and then filled with pillows and blankets. Swallowing, he looked over at Ronin, before reaching out his hand for his husband to take. "Gods, it seems so silly, but I'm nervous to see her." Surely their daughter, young as she was, would have no real concept of time or just how much life had passed outside of Mort's realm since she was taken. Nor would she likely have been able to look down, even with Vai's assistance, and know what it was she was seeing.

Yet already there were tears in the Bastion's eyes.

i know i love you if that's all we can take

Coding base by Sky!

RONIN

the darkstar

"It isn't silly," Ronin says in a voice that tries to be steady, and he reaches out to grasp his husband's hand and draw him close next to him. "Not at all. I'm nervous too." Too nervous even to manage a smile, and its with a deep and shuddering inhale that he tries to shake away the strange apprehension he has about doing this.

What if they'd built it up too much? What if it all went wrong? What if it hurt too much when she left, and they're pushed back to square one?

Chewing at the inside of his cheek and ruffling a hand through his dark hair, the Knight eventually forces himself to find some courage, and he leans in to kiss Remi's cheek. "I've got you," he whispers, despite the tears scraping at the backs of his eyes as well.

Similarly dressed, though in a pair of tartan pajama pants instead of sweats, Ronin doesn't think he'll ever be ready for this. But he's ready enough.

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

and if all we've got is what no one can break

Feeling the Knight's silent questions as starbursts of metallics where they touched, Remi smiles softly and shakes his head. He didn't know the answers, but they were doing it together and if that wasn't enough...well, it was all that they had.

"And I have you." Remi agrees, and gods if the words what if we do it tomorrow? don't rise in the back of his throat, clawing at his tongue. "And I love you." He says instead, and as he does so, he feels the nausea in his stomach begin to dissipate somewhat.

Pulling in a deep breath, Remi closes his eyes and reaches for the oh-so-thin strand of gold he could feel wound around his heart. It had split into three, and already one had been used. Tugging at the second, he felt the magic begin to grow and coalesce into something like a doorway. Gods, what will Vai think? Where will she think Aoife is going...?

But before the thought can form into proper panic, Remi hears a sound that he hadn't heard in what felt like decades. It was the small coo of a child—a girl—followed by a delighted burble and clap of pudgy hands.

i know i love you if that's all we can take

Coding base by Sky!

RONIN

the white knight

"And I love you," Ronin whispers, pressing another kiss to Remi's temple as his husband closes his eyes, leaving the Knight to try and keep his thoughts and feelings as calm as possible, as if their turbulence might interrupt the magic at work. Alas, neither demigod will know how things look from the point of view of Mort's halls this time around, because the girl who steps through that doorway only has a limited vocabulary - but gods, as her peal of laughter hits Ronin's ears, he forgets to breathe altogether for a second.

Quickly swiping away the tears that have fallen upon his cheeks - because not for one second does their daughter deserve to see them sad - Ronin slips his hand out of Remi's and swoops down to scoop the toddler into his arms. "And what do you have here?" he wants to know, the joy in his voice forced only with an effort to keep from sobbing.

Aoife, of course, has picked up a plush octopus toy - one of many toys scattered around the houseboat. And, proud as punch, she announces as much to her fathers: she has in her possession, an oppus.

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

and if all we've got is what no one can break

It's probably for the best that Ronin is the one to reach for Aoife, because the Bastion's knees are very close to buckling. The tears that prick the backs of his eyes and then fall down his cheeks have him hiccuping in a soft gasp that he quickly tries to bite back lest he take away from the reunion between father and first-born.

"Is that so?" He wonders, moving to stand behind Ronin to peer down at Aoife. Oppus, she declares again, more emphatically as if perhaps Remi hadn't understood the first time. "Like this?" He wonders, letting a tentacle slither up from his side and waggle a hello to the toddler. Rubbing Ronin's shoulders as if to impart silent strength—not that he has any, shaky as he feels—Remi gazes into Aoife's bright blue eyes and is suddenly, forcefully reminded of how the child came into his care.

Of Ronin dying.

Of being alone.

And then, of Aoife dying.

"Fuck," He whispered softly, pulling his hand back and tensing what felt like every muscle in his body to keep himself from sobbing. Pressing his tongue between his teeth, he brushed passed the two, headed for the kitchen. "Juice, for anyone?"

i know i love you if that's all we can take

Coding base by Sky!

RONIN

the white knight

Aoife, for her part, at least seems a great deal stronger than either of her parents. But then is that so surprising, not just for a toddler who knows nothing of the hole her parting has carved out in their hearts, but for a child as vibrant and strong-willed as she had been. Indeed, positively cackling her delight at the appearance of the tentacle, she reaches out with a plush appendage from the toy to smooch it against Remi's. Clearly, he and Oppus are now friends. (Or lovers, who knows).

For his part, having been reacquainting himself with the familiar weight of his daughter in his arms, of the smell of her dark hair and the way she moulds herself just so against him, Ronin can only offer Remi a wobbly smile and reach out to snag his hand as he breezes past, offering it a squeeze that would have anyone else's knuckles grinding together. "I think that sounds great," he says, albeit a bit roughly, though juice is one of the words Aoife does know, and so she offers an echo of it in reply.

Wiggling to get down so she might introduce Oppus to the rest of the houseboat, Ronin plops the girl onto her feet and lets himself sag to the ground among the pillows, trying to piece himself back together as he watches her explore. Naturally her toddling footsteps take her to Remi's leg soon enough, where she holds her arms up expectantly and burbles something to the equivalent of wanting to be the one to pour the juice.

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

and if all we've got is what no one can break

Placing his hands on their counter and closing his eyes, Remi tries to give himself a mental shake which has almost no effect. All he can think of are dark days in the guild hall, where the only light that came through the curtains was let in when Vai or Isla came to visit. Reminding himself that Ronin had come back, and that Aoife, while still dead was here with them now had him stifling back another half-sob in the back of his throat and had their houseboat not been so small, he might have used the last of his magic to bring Vai through if only so she could slap some sense into him.

Oos! Aoife calls as she stumbles towards him, her hands expectantly reaching for him. With an almost nervous glance toward Ronin as if fearing he'd somehow break her (if any child could die twice, it would be theirs), Remi swallowed down the painful lump of his grief and reached for her.

No sooner was she in his arms, than his tears turned into laughter pressed against one of her little shoulders. 'addy. oos Aoife scolded, patting at his head before squirming toward the fridge. "Quite correct." He chuckled, finding that the lump in his throat had been replaced by a shining scream of joy.

"Go on then." He murmured to her, after having brought out three glasses (all plastic), and a small pitcher of juice. "Now would certainly be a good time for telekinesis, mmm?" Remi whispered, to which Aoife merely burbled happily.

i know i love you if that's all we can take

Coding base by Sky!

RONIN

the white knight

Having already crossed the realm from grief into joy, Ronin smiles encouragingly over to Remi and nods for him to pick up his daughter already. Scrambling to his feet as he does so, he's not surprised to find a sudden cool weight about his shoulders, Sugar trilling her abject joy at the sight of the long lost toddler, and Ronin obligingly brings her over to the counter as well.

While Aoife gets at least some of the juice into each cup, Sugar busies herself trying to push her cold snout into the girl's ear, much to her delight. Gur, no! she beams, clearly not meaning it at all, only to reach out with two hands for her half? quarter? cup of juice. Of course Remi is expected to keep her in his arms to stop her from splatting into the counter, but such is how Aoife has always been.

Sidling up behind his husband, Ronin can't stop him from worming an arm around Remi's waist to tug him back against his chest, holding him as tightly as he dares given that he's holding their daughter.

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

and if all we've got is what no one can break

Holding her steady, a tentacle slithers out from somewhere (don't look too closely), to help steady the toddler's cup. No doubt had Remi used his hand Aoife would have slapped it away, but given this was the friend? lover? of Opus, she allowed it.

'addy! oos! Shoving her fist into her cup, Aoife holds it over Remi's shoulder as Ronin appears, clearly wanting to finger-paint his tonsils by way of offering him some of her juice. "This might be one of the happiest moments of my life." The Bastion whispers, leaning his head softly against Ronin's; for those who didn't know Remi, flushed cheeks and tears were probably not what they'd imagine for happiest moment ever, but such was Remi Taliesin.

"Aoife? Do you think you would like to come back and visit more often?" Despite the rest of their departed family and friends, quite how Remi was supposed to want to use his precious strands for anyone but their daughter, he presently didn't know. Rationality would come back to him when she had gone back to Vai, he was sure, but for so long as she was squirming and beaming in his arms, Remi was quite willing to sacrifice anything and everything to keep her there.

i know i love you if that's all we can take

Coding base by Sky!

RONIN

the white knight

Ronin can't comment, at first, on the Bastion's sugar-sweet comment, on account of trying not to be throat punched from the inside by their daughter. Coughing and wheezing (Aoife cackles, of course), eventually the Knight can hide his face against the side of Remi's neck, the golden flood of love and adoration all but spilling out wherever they touch. Everything feels right, he agrees, closing his eyes for a moment - at least until the other man's voice reaches his ears once more.

With only a very limited concept of time - and an empty juice cup that she offers to Sugar, naturally - Aoife gazes up at her fathers with a joy that knows nothing but this moment, bobbing her head in an easy nod. 'Es, she decides, making Oppus nod along with her. At the squawk of hels outside, however, the girl is soon turning to look, and it's with an audible gasp that she sees the ocean for the first time.

Big water, she announces; a true sage of her time.

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

and if all we've got is what no one can break

It feels perfect, Remi corrects, and though Aoife wasn't his blood and though he had other children, gods but the toddler had unequivocally stolen more than her fair share of the Bastion's heart.

"Okay. Okay then we—" Following Aoife's gaze outside, Remi unsuccessfully tries to stop his heart from running away with him as their daughter spies the ocean outside. Feeling as though if he opened his mouth he might vomit rainbows and sunshine, the Bastion pressed his lips together against a tiny sob of laughter as he nodded. "Mmmm." He agreed, sipping in a breath and letting it shakily out. "Big water is right. Want to go and see?"

Nodding emphatically (this time Oppus didn't just nod, but was shaken to express his agreement as well), Aoife squirmed to indicate that she didn't just want to go see, she wanted to go see right now.

"I suppose we should have asked Mort to pack her a swimsuit." Remi chuckled, glancing around a touch uncertainly.

i know i love you if that's all we can take

Coding base by Sky!

RONIN

the white knight

Having nothing to add - perfect is a word that needs no expansion, and Ronin feels entirely the same - the Knight presses a warm kiss against the side of his husband's neck and reluctantly straightens up as their daughter spots the sea. Sugar, having claimed the empty juice cup, swoops away to the beams overhead to watch proceedings, as dilligently as she had when Aoife had been an infant.

"Next time we will be ready," he whispers to the Bastion. Ready with clothes and snacks to suit whatever outing their daughter chose for the day, and gods if it doesn't feel as though he could spend forever like this, in this singular and sun-dappled afternoon. "For now, maybe seeing it would be enough."

And to avoid any shrieks of dismay (they are on their way, he knows, as a result of their delay), Ronin crosses the houseboat and opens the door so Remi might carry her out onto the little stretch of dock.

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

and if all we've got is what no one can break

Next time. Gods, it isn't having her back, but if it's what they can have, Remi will take it. If nothing else, it wasn't as though Aoife had the capacity for the sort of disappointment that the Bastion was currently trying to protect her from, not that it would stop him from over-preparing for her next visit.

Bobbing his eyebrows theatrically at their daughter, Remi trailed behind his husband before pausing in the doorway. "Ready?" He stupidly asked the toddler squirming impatiently in his arms. Chuckling, he made his way onto the deck before almost immediately sitting down over a small section of thick netting that spanned between the boards. Instantly Aoife began to try and shove her fingers through the webbing, which she managed with ease, as if she might grasp the turquoise waters below.

Grinning stupidly up at Ronin, the Bastion released Aoife if only because he knew that the rope was difficult enough to walk on let alone crawl. "Aoife, do you want to see daddy turn into a really big fish?"

i know i love you if that's all we can take

Coding base by Sky!

RONIN

the white knight

Scoffing as Remi asks the obvious - Aoife has never looked more ready for anything in her life, which is par for the course for the toddler - Ronin heads out onto the deck as well to allow the Bastion to place her onto the netting. With a peal of laughter as he lets her go, Aoife rolls towards the centre of the net before resuming her grabby handed reach towards the clear blue waters.

Trying to bite the inside of his cheek to contain his smile, Ronin is of course thoroughly unsuccessful, and it's only with a small pang of upset that he gazes out at Torchline's ocean. Because it's impossible not to remember the small pyre they'd made for her on the beach the day she'd died, and the way these same waves had carried the ashes off when the tide came in.

Remi's voice has him gruffly clearing his throat and turning back to the moment at hand, of course, and Aoife peers up at them with round, star bright eyes as if to ask which daddy, precisely, was capable of becoming a big fish. Like oppus? She asks, waggling the plushie at them.

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!