crimsonesque

His hand almost took to swinging when they were walking down the sidewalk. For a cool day it was good to get out and walk. They hadn’t been able to do this alone for quite some time. 

“We needed it. Not sure what the movie was about but the sleep was nice.” 

He teased is wife, bumping her with his hip before leading her towards one of the smaller restaurants in town. It might be easier to pick up a pizza and call it good for the night as far as dinner was. 

“One larger pizza Cheese or do you want me ta do half cheese and the rest meat lovers?” 

☾ –

It was definitely enjoyable walking down the street hand in hand with her husband,   a rare event Red never quite got to partake in any longer. Maybe it was the nap that had helped raise her spirits a little more.  She was tired, of course, having three kids would do that to you, but it was temporarily lessened.

When he asked about the pizza there was only one real answer,       knowing if the kids got sight of it, it would have to be plain for Gabe if no one else.        So she gave him a smile as they headed to the restaurant.

❝ It’s better half and half. So Gabe can have a bit if he wants some. ❞

He was cute, but she still remained unsure about this. She was a kid once - but she was a broken kid. Dead parents, dead friends, spent more time alone than she did in anyone’s company. She could take care of herself, she proved that much. But someone else ? A baby? This was new, scary, and yet she wasn’t hating it as she watched him play with his toys. He seemed so happy just there with his things and Caidence watched with a smile. She wasn’t sure what was more amusing : The kid himself, or the fact that something so sweet and tiny could come from a big man like Cerberus. She found herself giggling at this thought, pulled back when  she noticed Gabe get up and climb over , offering her a toy. 

         ❝ Why thank you, Bubby. ❞ Caidence giggled as she took it, taking the toy and using it to kiss his nose.   ❝ ‘Are you sure it says ‘rawr’ ? Could it go Mwuah! ❞  and she’d make the toy kiss his cheek with her own soft chuckle.

☆ -

Dinosaur kisses?     Gabe gave her a brief look of confusion, his little finger stuck in his mouth while he held his own dinosaur in his other hand. Well, that was definitely a new one, but he broke into a grin eventually.    If that was how she wanted to play, he was fine with it.

Gabe wasn’t the best at being sociable with other children,  especially ones his own age.       Those kids always took his toys or hurt him, so the pup stuck to playing his games with adults. The boy bounced his t-rex around, a pattern of ‘rawr, rawr, rawr!’ as it went,   accompanied by a cacophony of giggles, and then it stopped,  and was pressed to his  Aunts cheek with  a slobbery kiss  noise only  a toddler could muster.

His papa wasn’t a liar.     The pup was the most easy going of the three little wolves. Despite being the youngest, just one and a half,  Gabriel rarely cried about anything Except food, or lack there of, or being made to leave the bath.         The pup always woke with a smile on his face,                and spent his day very much the same way.

Why he was at his aunts, Gabe didn’t know,   but his toys had come with him, which was more important here.He was sat in a tiny, dry paddling pool, surrounded by toys. A few balls of various colours here and there, chunky figurines, a few large dinosaurs, and of course his Elmo toy, too.          The pup was more than happy to keep himself  entertained, which was what he was currently doing.            Sitting there, laughing at seemingly nothing as he talked complete gibberish to the Elmo doll.      After a good,  hard chuckle, he looked toward his aunt, and realised she was just sat there.  Maybe she wanted a toy.   And as he had been taught, sharing was good.   One fist found a t-rex, the other a stegosaurus.        On stumbling legs, Gabe used the coffee table to climb out and over to his aunt,   a hand popping out to offer her one of the dinosaurs.

His brows rose at her statement an almost accusing look crossed this face, before Cerberus stepped forward, following behind Red. 

“Isn’t that what I said?”

He grabbed his leather jacket off the rack slipping it on and grabbing the door. After Red had moved outside he shut the house up, taking her hand in his own as they moved down the sidewalk. 

“We’ll get somethin’ for the kids too. Hate ta show up at Granny’s with food for us and the accusing eyes we get in return.”

☾ –

She waited for him to lock the house up at the gate before their hands interlocked and  they took to strolling along the sidewalk toward the restaurant.

❝ At least we got a bit of sleep.          I guess that’s all we can ask for as the parents of three. ❞

       Her head tucks into the hard curve of Ruby’s shoulder, gentle fingers slipping between slender ones. “I understand,” Belle murmurs, free hand slowly tracing over each and every ivory knuckle. She doesn’t, not truly; but she does know that what Ruby needs right now is unconditional SUPPORT, not any further judgement “But – what do you think could happen, if they do know?”

☾ –

❝  Have you seen Granny’s crossbow? ❞

Red asks with a soft sigh. It wasn’t a question per se, she wanted to prove a point. Not once had Red been on the other end of that crossbow,       but if Granny knew... she was certain old Widow Lucas would not hesitate to use it against her.      For a moment she stews in the silence.   Belle is probably confused above anything else. Red  assumes the  librarian thought  she had  been talking  about everyone  else in  this town,   not her own grandmother,  but if there was any wrath Ruby was scared of it would definitely be Granny’s.      Where her next words come from she doesn’t know.   They’re quiet; so quiet someone else might have said it, but the explanation was there. Red just had to wait for Belle to pull away and hate her too.

     A happy squeal fills the diner as her mother pecks her nose, hand flying back up to cover it as soon as the werewolf leaves her room. “Nose!” Ava exclaims once more, an e c h o of her mother’s praise muffled behind a tiny fist. “Mama, good nose!”

☾ –

Her smile beams down at Ava, who she holds closely.       The little chatterbox was definitely a smart one.   Red gave her a nod, letting her know she was entirely right before she thought on another challenge for the pup.

I swear I am not completely AWOL. I keep trying to get my drafts done, but things are going from bad to worse. We’re now waiting on my Granddad to have major heart surgery. My hamster had to be put to sleep a few days ago. And it seems I’m spending time babysitting more often than not. The only good thing is my uncle is doing better. I promise I am not ignoring things or running away, I’m just trying to keep myself together before things fall apart again.

If anyone wants anything specific replied to as soon as possible, let me know and I will definitely add it to the top of my list to get to. 

Cerberus looked towards the clock and shrugged his shoulder as if he wasn’t even phased by this setback. Three pups would be coming home hype up on sugar and Granny’s cooking and they’d be running circles around the parents. He let out a yawn and sigh before stepping closer towards Red.

“In an hour, we can still have dinner and relax and I will go them you can stay home and go get a nice hot bath while I take them for a walk to settle them down a bit ‘fore seein’mama.”

Even if he had that mama and papa need to get a bath and soak in the tub together thing as part of their relaxing time he’d just as well go down to the dock buy a fancy meal and bring it home for the two to eat. He laughed again, thoughts circling back to the burned chicken outside. 

“Three pups and all this energy with no where to spend it. And far too many school and job hours. I think we need a vacation. I’m not even playin’ anymore ‘bout we should I think if we don’t we’re gonna be so sick that it’s gonna run us to the ground.” 

☾ –

Eyebrows quirked  and you  knew instantly  she was  about to  tease him  and try her hardest to get a little bit of a rise out of him. 

❝ You mean you will get run to the ground. ❞

She smirked a little, and rose from the table, at least the smoke had cleared. And now Red was most definitely more awake than she was before.   It was probably the quick shock of waking to the sound of the fire alarm.      The waitress was already out of the  room and at the coat rack, grabbing her jacket and zipping it up.

                her hesitation hung heavy between them and he berated himself for revealing his thoughts. he should not have asked her such a personal question. and yet, desperation clung to his very shoulders. he was stuck between the past and the future. the good and the bad. truth and lies. her answer did not surprise him. control was not within his grasp right now. but she was right. if the bonds he had made with the people of storybrooke, of emma and her family, were strong enough, then his actions would not be received with hate, but with understanding. but his past was littered with deceit, and violence, many of which were enacted upon the very people in this town. would they be able to look past his deeds to forgive him?

                the word monster caught his attention and his first thought isn’t toward red. all he could hear was his heart beating in his chest, as it thundered out the rest of her words. he was a monster. literal or figurative, it didn’t matter. his deeds, from his past and now his present, were the work of a monster. whatever she thought of herself, she was better than he. regardless of her transformation.

                ” you’re not quite the monster you think you are. you have a good heart, red. that’s the difference between being a monster and not being in control of your actions. and i’m sure there are many others who would agree. “

☾ –

She only wished it were as easy as he made it sound, but it often was not.     Red could never quite forgive all of the things she had done,  in or out of control of her wolf side.         It haunted her almost every night, not that she would admit that to anyone at all, not even Snow. So many people torn apart, left in the snow for their loved ones to find them, so many people hurt, left without those they loved.       It made a lump in her throat. Red swallowed hard and pushed those thoughts away; she was better now.        She had control and she wasn’t going to do it ever again. 

Unless she was given no choice... Which was what worried her more.   She sighed and forced her usual waitress, well-practiced, smile onto her face.      It was alright; if she believed it it might just be that.

❝ And many, many others who wouldn’t.      It’s the same thing, when you look at it, really look at it.    Everyone is a victim of circumstance.   Of how they were created and dumped onto this godforsaken place.      It doesn’t matter what you did, Killian. This place.. it’s a fresh start.    And, I, for one, think you’re making a pretty good go of being in control here, doing the right thing.            You don’t need to worry about screwing it up. ❞

Maybe that was it, but he hadn’t really been around kids until Cerberus and Ruby had themselves a family. What he was capable of as a wolf child and what they can do today? This is new. Brand new. Scary new. She got into his cabinets.  Maybe he could teach her how to pick a lock. That’s something uncles do, right? Maybe? He shouldn’t consider that. Ruby would have his head on a platter.   “ Tea would be lovely, thank you.” He’d tip his hat if he had one, but sadly all he had was his shaggy hair in his face with a smile.  “ Mister Fuzzypants? Well, I thank you.” He said to the stuffed toy, lowing himself so he was eye to eye with it, and her after taking his water.  “So  did they help you get everything you needed for this tea party? I think it’s missing something.” 

♡ –

For a split second, a mildly offended look crosses Maddy’s face.     The child is so overdramatic at times,  and she lets her mouth hang open,  eyes softening,  and a small hand reaches up to clutch her heart.   One thing is for certain, the girl had to stop watching whatever TV she had been watching at home.

❝ What d’you mean there’s something missing? ❞

Maddy asks, as if he’s just offended her, her parents, her siblings, her entire family line,  not just the small tea party she had managed to make up on his kitchen table. Small blue eyes glance around the tea party... Well, he had a point.           She was  missing actual tea,    which she wasn’t overly fond of,    and didn’t feel like burning herself to make. And food, which mama would always make for her if she had one at home, but if she was letting that look on her face drop,            she didn’t show it.  Stubborn might as well be her middle name.