tsubasa

The Ties that Bind

Rae grinned when she seemed to accept his offer. He laughed and nodded his head when she mentioned having to wash her hands first. He released her to run to the wash room and put his hands behind his head. He had to hand it to his parents, they had found him quite the catch. She was beautiful, intelligent, creative, and she didn't mind if he was running around with other girls. Not to mention she was a little minx. He looked up at her from his lounging position when she pulled her see through dress up to straddle his hips. He smiled as she ran the grape over his lower lip, curious as to what it was she was doing. When she told him to open he quickly did before he rose his head off the pillow slightly to take the grape into his mouth as well as a small amount of her fingers. He slowly slid his mouth off her fingers, his fangs grazing against them slightly, as he tongue stole the grape from between them.

He chewed it a little before swallowing and grinned at her, "So long as we are exercising," He joked, raising his hips of the bed in a quick motion before relaxing them again. He returned his head to rest against his hands and smiled up at her, he was just glad that he was finally getting around to having some sex. Between her and Anna, he hadn't been getting any, which wasn't the whole point of having a fiancée and a girlfriend. He was supposed to be having sex twice as often but instead he basically wound up with blue balls that Anna decided to drive her knee into. He reached one hand out from behind his head and stole one of the grapes that Kat had brought over and bit into it and gave her the same treatment. He ran it over her lips then grinned, showing off his fangs, "Open."

The Ties that Bind

Rae rolled over and wrapped a lazy arm around Kat. It was Saturday, which meant it was a nice sleep in day for him. It also meant that Kat was up well before him. He looked up at her, his hair sticking out on ends, and yawned, "Morning."

He wasn't wearing a shirt or pants, leaving him in his usual sleeping attire of boxers. He looked at her lap, where her sketchbook was placed and plucked it away before placing it on the bedside table. He pulled her closer and kissed her neck, "Saturdays are wonderful things... I haven't got anything to you... You haven't got anything to do... What do you say to finally doing each other," He chuckled, "I'd love to see if you are as good in bed as you are talking about being in bed."

The Ties that Bind

Serena let out a little sigh when Sebastian caught on to the fact that he was smothering her. She was slightly surprised it had taken him this long, she supposed with her hormones all over the place it was hard to tell. She nodded, "A little."

She smiled when he told her to go and enjoy her bath while he would pretend to be invisible. She leaned in and kissed him, "I love you, I do... And I know you are just trying to make me comfortable but... sometimes you do go overboard... I'll tell you when it is too much from now on, promise."

When he asked about baby names, she nodded again, "I've been thinking, I've had plenty of time to after all... I was thinking Clementine for a girl and Nolan for a boy," She rested against him, "What do you think?"
~
Gunner looked over at Anna when he heard her speak and moved out from under all the guardians. He was a little taken back by the old nickname but smiled, she seemed in good spirits... really good spirits. At the guardians comment, he pushed the man a little and laughed before walking over to Anna. Despite her good spirits, she looked like hell. He quickly wrapped his arm around her shoulder and moved her to the benches, sitting her down. He sat next to her and grabbed his water bottle, handing it to her, "Bragging you say... And what on earth is it that you are bragging about this time?"

The Ties that Bind

Serena was sitting on the couch, with her arms crossed. The couch had quickly become the place that she was found most. Mainly due to the fact that she hated the thought of lying in bed all along with the fact that her morning sickness was particularly brutal and was more of a sickness than a morning sickness. She pulled one of her many pillows over face as Sebastian was trying to convince her to let him bathe her. She liked the thought of a bath but she, as much as she loved him, would have preferred to bathe alone. However, Sebastian wasn't hearing it and Serena didn't want to tell him that she wanted some time alone. At first it had been great, always having someone around but it was starting to wear on her and Serena just wanted sometime, even just fifteen minutes alone.

She moved the pillow away from her face when she heard a knock and looked at Sebastian. She needed her bond or Sebastian's strange ability to talk to her telepathically, that he had his mind set on him washing her. Serena rolled her eyes and looked at Anna when she came in asking where Gunner was. It was nice that they weren't completely avoiding each and even seeking each other out at times. It seemed like things were slowly getting back to normal between the four of them... Even if everything was different. She sat up a little when Anna asked her about a girl's night and nodded her head, "That sounds lovely, Anna."

A girls' night was always a nice escape because Sebastian wasn't allowed to come. She might love him to death and back but he was very worried about her and as endearing as that was, it got on her nerves when she got grumpy. She stood and stretched a little, "Maybe we can start looking at dresses for me," She smiled at Sebastian, they had decided to wait until the baby was born to get married. It allowed plenty of time to prepare for the wedding as well as their child and allowed for Serena not to be pregnant in her dress. Not to mention, she had no interest in feeling as she did on their special day.
~
Gunner was in the gym. He had gathered a few of the older guardians, wanting more of a challenge than the newer ones he had been working with. Unlike the younger guys, he got over powered when taking on all four of the guardian but he could take on two of them with ease and three if he loosened up and didn't fall into any kind of pattern. It was nice fighting these guys, they had more experience than he did and the only reason he was taking them was because of the extensive training the Elite put him through over the last four years. After flipping one of them, the remaining three ran over and tackled him to the ground and caused him to laugh slightly. Having Anna back in his life had softened him slightly, made him a little more willing to show his emotions. Well, at least around Dhampirs. Beyond Sebastian, he was a rock to the Moroi.

The gladiator and the princess

Lauralye was in love with her family. She loved Robert and she adored little Isabella, even if the girl had only really been apart of their life for a short few hours. Something about having carried the child for the last nine months made her incredibly attached to her. She couldn't wait to raise her and watch her grow up. She couldn't wait to give her all the things that had been kept from her. Isabella would know her country and her people, she could allowed to find true love just as Lauralye had. She kissed the top of her little head when she removed herself from her mother's nipple. She hummed a little, "You are going to be the most beautiful and intelligent Princess..."

The Ties that Bind

Gunner laughed when Anna confessed to being scared to properly hug Serena, "I'm scared to hug Serena. The girl is tiny but she is just a sturdy as you or I. Probably more you than me... She's tough too, I've been on the receiving end of her wrath. Hug her all you want. You aren't jinxed... The only person you've had an active part in hurting is yourself. You didn't make your father rape your mother, you didn't make Jace bite you. That was Moroi men taking advantage of Dhampirs. Plain and simple and more fault of our society than you."

He looked at Anna as she explained everything that she had been keeping from him over that last few years and it killed. Sure, he had noticed her acting different and he had done his best to help but... He should have just asked rather than letting her keep it all bottled up inside of her. When she mentioned getting out he nodded his head but didn't get up. He caught her chin with his hand and made her look him in the eye, "Don't let what your mother said get to you. I'd say about ninety percent of dhampirs that come out of communes are products of rape, most the women aren't even in their right mind to give consent. A vast majority of us are unwanted but dealt with. My mother may have wanted me but that doesn't mean my father was there for me. He tossed her aside just the same.... And Serena is a pretty good example of why it isn't always great to have your father around," He released her chin and looked at her, "So stop beating yourself up about your father being a dead beat Moroi."

He stood and walked over to the door. He looked at it for a moment before stepping back and kicked the door just under the handle causing the door to splinter. He grabbed the handle and forced the door open. He turned and looked to Anna, holding the door open for her, "After you."

The Ties that Bind

Serena laughed at Sebastian a little when he realized his mistake, "Worst comes to worst, I'll break it down. I might be pregnant but I'm not useless."

She allowed him to walk her over a bench before he pulled her into his lap. She took a deep breath when he explained his ulterior motive to trying to get Anna and Gunner being fine with being in the same room with each other again. She sighed and turned in his lap, looking at him, "I'll be fine. If things get really bad, I'll just jump into your head for a little bit," She ran her thumb across his cheek, "Although, at least with Anna and Gunner I won't get bored while you are off doing your Princely duties," She laughed a little, "Never in my life did I think I would have a guardian," She joked.

In three weeks she'd only be ten weeks into her pregnancy... She shouldn't be showing then. Maybe they wouldn't have to tell his parents just yet. She rested her hand on her own stomach, nausea or not she'd fight to keep their baby safe just as she knew Sebastian would fight to keep them both safe. She kissed his forehead, "Everything is going to be alright."
~
Gunner looked at her as she explained herself. The moment she finished saying she still loved him Gunner didn't know what to do. There was a lot of things running through his head. He went with the loudest and grabbed her wrist, pulling her out of her seat and into his arms where he promptly kissed her as he had been wanting to do for the last two years. When he pulled away, he released her, "I feel... like I keep picking up the broken pieces of you... You should stop trying to destroy yourself, there's less of you to love."

He pulled her over to the couch and sat down, although he left some distance between them, "I do love you, Anna... but I think you have some things of your own to figure out before we can actually be together... You have little regard for yourself and... You are worth so much more than you think and the moment you realize that, I'll gladly take you back... But I think you need to work on yourself right now... maybe... maybe that's where I messed up last time... I rushed into things with you."

He sighed, "I heard what they were saying about us... I'd have to be deaf not to but I didn't stop loving you through it. Duty or not, I love you, Anna and I could care less if that means I'm wasting some kind of talent," He shook his head, "I was tired because I was working hard but you were the thing I was working hard for. I was fighting for you. I wanted to show people that I could be great and love someone. You never made me spend time with you... You were the best part of my day... even if it was just us lying in bed," He took a deep breath, "But I lied to you... I didn't take ward. I went hunting... I told you it was a ward because I knew you would worry or want to come and I didn't want that. I wanted you to spend time with the Elites so that they could see just how great you are. The underestimated you and unappreciated you every step of the way and I wanted you to get your chance to shine but I was putting you in my shadow... So I needed to step out of the way for a bit."

He ran a hand through his hair, "So when one of my friends came to me and told me... that they had..." He sighed, "They found my mom... I planned to go but you never gave me the chance to explain myself. So I went to Russia to face her, with my head back at court thinking about you and thank god she wasn't there because I don't think I could have stopped her from killing me and everyone who joined me... But, I needed you at court when I got back because even being where she was was too much... She killed people leaving court... They sent me here for protection while they try and find her and... It's all just been a lot and I needed you... at least as a friend..." He took her hand into his, "I'm not trying to guilt trip you... I just want you to know that I never stopped loving you for one minute... Sure there were times in the two years we were apart when I hated you but I didn't stop loving you despite... They were confusing times."
~
Rae hummed happily at the thought of her in bed. The beginnings of getting in bed together before they were interrupted were usually pretty great. His mind wandered off for a moment, imagining her in bed in her nude glory. He closed his eyes as she kissed his brows and smiled, "So I've been told," He chuckled a little and looked up at her, "And we aren't living at court. We'll have our own estate. Nice and big with room for a lovely studio for you. The bed will be the most comfortable bed that moment can buy. There will be a garden in the backyard that I'll make sure is blooming even in the winter. You'll have everything you could ever ask for and more."

He pulled her into him and kissed her neck, letting his fangs brush against her now and again, "Do you want kids?" He asked out of the blue.

The Ties that Bind

Serena sat up a little when Anna and Sebastian reentered the room and smiled at her friend as she walked over to. She wrapped her arms around her, hugging her, "I have been... Not much but it seems like it is staying down."

When she mentioned company, Serena sighed, "Well... actually," She was cut off a moment later when Sebastian came over to her and said that they should get her some air. She looked up at him confused as he helped her off the couch and wrapped an arm around her, promising to explain. She looked at Anna and gave the girl an apologetic look before Sebastian whisked her out of the room. She looked at him, her eyebrows knitted together, "What on Earth are you doing, Mr. Lazar? They are going to tear each other apart."

She listened to him as he explained and was a little baffled when he grabbed a fire user to fully melt their door handle. She sighed when he called himself an asshole before nodded, "Yes. You are... In fact, I'd kick your ass right now if I weren't nauseous and not wanting to traumatize our baby," She walked closer to him and kissed him, "But you are also a good friend... Even if you didn't think this through... How are we going to let them out.. Or better yet, get in?"
~
Gunner kept his hands in his pockets, letting Anna get it all out. There was a lot for her to get out too, there was quite a fair bit of useless rambling that Anna often spouted when she got nervous... He watched her as she seemed to fall apart in front of his very eyes before she started to cry, begging him to say something. He couldn't help, he couldn't hold it back and let out a small laugh. He looked at her, "I've been trying to."

He walked over to her and sighed, quelling his laughter. He crouched in front of her seat and looked up at her. As much as Anna hated crying, Gunner hated to see her cry. He reached up and wiped away one of her tears with the pad of his thumb, "I know you didn't ask Sebastian to do this... I did... Well, not the trapping us part but the bringing you here..." He sighed and stood, "I saw Rae kissing some Moroi woman and I knew I couldn't tell you because... Well, I didn't know if you'd believe me or if Rae would let you... And I couldn't not tell you because... no one gets to hurt you like that. Not while I'm around."

He was starting to feel awkward this was the first time that him and Anna had actually spoke in two years and he didn't know what emotion to go with. He supposed Sebastian wanted them to work through them all. He put his hands into his pockets, "You hurt me, Anna... A lot. I know... I haven't been treating you any better since we got here... but... It wasn't just that you left that hurt me... It was that.... you weren't there. A lot has happened over the last two years and I needed you but you ignored everything and that killed me," He groaned a little, not liking how this was all going, "I'm not good with words..." He pointed over to the hole in the wall that he had made earlier, "I made that after seeing Rae with that woman. There is a similar one I made in my room under a painting the day that you first tried to talk to me and my room at court has been re-plastered more than I can count... You drive me crazy, Anna... I lose control when it comes to you and I don't know how to deal with it when you aren't around..."
~
Rae shook his head, "I'm not interested in blood whores... I'm sure the whole drinking during sex thing is great but... I'd prefer my produce a little fresher," He groaned a little when she made comment to the peas hogging all her fun, "Don't say things like that!" He laughed, "I mean do... but not after I've been kneed in the balls.... I can't cope with it," He ran his hand through his hair and shook his head a little, "It's a shame, the guardians are fun... I'm sure they can do some pretty freaky things in bed with all their training too."

He looked back up at her, noticing she had pulled out her sketchbook again, "Are you documenting this moment for future purposes to keep me away from the guardians?" He laughed and stood before flopping back down on the bed. He returned the peas to his groin and wrapped his arms around her waist, "You know... When I do take over my dad's business, I'll be so rich that you won't have to work... You could spend all day filling a gallery with your paintings..."

The Ties that Bind

Gunner nodded to Sebastian when he said that he needed to find Anna, "Go, I'll stay with Serena and get some food in her, promise."

He stood, walking over to the fridge, some of his normality had come back. He raised his walls again but there was a looseness to him that had been absent in the last two years. He grabbed out an orange and quickly peeled it before tossing it to Serena. She caught it and pulled it apart, nibbling on it and sucking the juices a little, "I'll be fine. Just... Bring her back her before you tell her... It might be best for her to know that we are all here for her."

Gunner moved and sat back down, resting a foot on their coffee table, "Chop, chop," He teased.
~
Rae had his hands around Kat's waist when he heard the knock at the door. He laughed a little when Kat explained what she had done, "Should I have expected not to pay for it?" He teased.

He watched her go and then Anna came back. His eyes widened slightly as he cursed over and over again in his head. There really wasn't a way out of this one was there... He was yanked off the bed by his collar, "Now, Guardian Roooooss-" Her name came out as more of a groan she kneed him in the groin causing his legs to buckle. When she released him, he collapsed to the ground holding himself, "Fucking hell, Ross!"

He yelled after her. When Kat tossed him a bag of peas, he caught it and adjusted himself on the ground to lean back against the bed and placed the peas between his legs. He looked up at Kat, she didn't seem to bothered by it all. In fact, the only issue she seemed to have with it was that he wasn't open and honest about cheating on her. He looked her up and down, this girl was perfect in every way he could imagine, "I'll keep that in mind. Although, how is it that that will do me much good?" He joked.

The Ties that Bind

Gunner looked at Sebastian as the man explained what would happen when Anna found out about Rae and the other woman. He sighed a sat down, resting his head in his hands, "We can't not tell her because we... you... we fear what will happen to her. It'll just be worse when she finds out then realizes we knew all along."

He tensed his jaw and looked at Serena and Sebastian, "It was my mother," He said quietly. Gunner never spoke of his mother, not once in all the years that he knew Sebastian had he ever spoken about her. He took a deep breath, "When I told Anna I was leaving..." He shook his head, his walls completely down as he struggled to speak as something got caught in his throat, "I had given her picture to a buddy and... he sent it around to some hunters to keep an eye out for her. They found her in Russia and I was leaving... To kill her," A tear escaped Gunner's eye but he quickly wiped away the moment of weakness, "I didn't ask her to come because... I didn't want to put her in danger. My mother killed my uncle and I didn't want that to happen to Anna, I knew I wouldn't be in my head... I figured with me out of the way, Anna would have a chance to show the Elite that there was a reason she was a part of the group... Anna didn't give me a chance to explain and then she was gone... I had to face my demons without her," He looked at Sebastian, "Since I've gotten here... everyone's been acting like I'm the bad guy. Like I don't want to be there for her... but it is really hard to be there for someone who wasn't there for you..."

Serena's jaw dropped, she hadn't been expecting that. Gunner had kept his head rather off limits to Sebastian, leaving the two of them in the dark about what was happening with him and why he had left, "Did you?"

Gunner shook his head, "By the time I got there... she was gone. But... she's close. She had been looking into me... Found pictures of me from the school and had them pasted all over this shack," He sighed, "She attacked a truck of guardians leaving court and that's why they sent me here.... It's the one place with more guardians than the court and not as many people coming in and out of it during the year..." He rested his head in his hands, "Maybe..... Maybe I'll talk to her," He sighed, "I... could use... one of her hugs," He muttered the end hoping his friends wouldn't catch onto it.
~
Rae walked into his room and ran a hand through his hair, figuring out all what he needed to do. He still had to call Anna, keep her on whatever string he had her attached to. He kicked off his shoes and walked into his room, pulling out his phone. His eyes fell of Kat sitting on his bed, making him smile, all thoughts of Anna slipping from his head. He shook his phone a little, "I was just about to call you," He put his phone into his coat pocket before he took it off and hung it up on the back of his door. He looked at her and smiled, "Mmm, I do like the look of you on my bed."

He chuckled a little before he jumped onto the bed next to her and caught the side of her face, kissing her. When he pulled away, he looked down at the picture she was looking at. His eyebrows knitted together, "Why do you have a drawing of Marks?"