~ Yes, Elide did cry for the first solid year of Hope’s existence, and at every single reminder since of her middle namesake.
Abilities
~ She has more Crochan blood than Ironteeth blood. She doesn’t have retractable iron teeth or nails. However, she can perform some Crochan magic like healing and glamours. She’s adept at flying and has her own deep purple wyvern named Lady (one-shot of how that name came to fruition soon).
~ She has shielding capabilities from Dorian and a basic ability to modify elements (air, water, fire, etc.) from that kernel of raw power passed down to all of his children.
Personality & Headcanons
~ Apart from her eye color, she’s her mother’s mini-me and reveres Manon.
~ “Mommy says I can be warm and not fuzzy.” Manon teaches her to be caring and assertive in the ways that feel most natural to her.
~ When Lord Westfall (Chaol’s father) came to Rifthold and convened with her father on some matters, “Mommy says I don’t owe scary men politeness, so they should earn my respect instead. Can you tell me some of your accomplishments?” Dorian’s howl could be heard all the way back to Anielle. Bizarrely, Chaol brought her a stunning set of bracelets next time he visited.
~ Dorian used to read to her as a little girl for hours at a clip, mostly fantasy books, and she was mesmerized. She was hooked on every word and couldn’t seem to fathom the fantastical creatures he described, despite the fact that she lived among so many. Was one herself really. Dorian never deterred her fascination, though. Likely because he was rather attached to the perpetual awe in her expression as she listened to him.
~ At five years old, she scared the shit out of Lorcan (who has barely since recovered) when he visited with Elide and ate the last of their pear tarts from Nesryn’s family bakery. She chased him around with Wind-Cleaver, proclaiming “off with his head” and laughing maniacally. Following this atrocity, both Manon and Aelin granted her official superiority over all other children.
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Summary: When their daughter gets sick, Manon has to take her to work.
«Shit! It’s seven already? I’ll go and wake Rhia before I leave.»
Manon hummed in agreement, taking a slow sip from her steaming cup of coffee, as Dorian hurried out of the kitchen.
He was supposed to give a guest lecture at the local university today, and was already running late, though that was nothing out of the ordinary for the Blackbeak-Havilliard household. Manon, on the other hand, was busy arranging berries around a bunny-shaped pancake, to hopefully please their three-year-old daughter, who was known to be quite grumpy in the mornings.
She’d thought becoming a mother meant never sleeping in again, being woken up by an energetic toddler at the ass-crack of dawn every morning, but so far it had been the opposite; one of them had to carefully coax little Rhiannon out of her dear bed, and then it was at least half an hour of not making too loud noises or making inhumane demands such as «putting on your socks» or «brushing your teeth» as she made the effort to fully wake up.
They really were raising a teenager trapped in a toddler’s body.
Manon had just put the plate down on the table when Dorian reentered the kitchen. He was carrying a still-sleeping Rhia, her head resting on his shoulder. «I think she has a fever,» Dorian winced.
Worry immediately filling every inch of her, Manon stepped over to them, placing her hand on Rhia’s forehead. Dorian was right, she was a little warm.
«Rhia? Honey, are you not feeling well?» Manon cooed, brushing a few strands of pale hair away from her daughter’s face. Rhia’s eyes remained closed, but she made a few incoherent noises, letting them know she was on her way to waking up, at least.
The little girl whined at the loss of warmth as Dorian set her down on her chair, but she slowly blinked, then rubbed her eyes. Dorian carefully pushed the plate of breakfast towards her, and she obediently took a bite out of her pancake, staring out into nothing as she slowly chewed.
«Morning’s aren’t easy, huh?» Dorian chuckled, and Manon had to smile too as the only answer he got was a solemn «Uh-huh.»
Getting the thermometer from the bathroom, Manon measured her temperature to 100. It wasn’t too bad, but Rhia’s daycare had a strict sick-child-policy, and wouldn’t accept anyone with a temperature over 99,8.
Dorian turned towards Manon, then, face serious. «I’d stay home today, but this lecture has been planned for months. I can’t reschedule or cancel.» His concerned gaze told her he’d actually rather stay home with their sick child than hold the most important lecture of his career this far.
Eight years had passed, and Manon was still amazed by how much love and adoration she could feel for this man. Watching him become the greatest father in the world had only intensified those feelings.
«I’m not too busy today, I can work from home,» Manon offered, but she winced as she suddenly remembered her plan for today. «I need to be there for second period, though. My seniors have a big test later this week.» One she’d promised they’d spend today’s lesson preparing for.
Dorian frowned as he tried to come up with a solution. «I could ask Chaol to take her for the day?» Chaol was currently on paternity leave with his and Yrene’s second child, a six-moths-old baby boy named Theodore.
«No,» Manon started, shaking her head. «It’s probably just a light fever, but I don’t want Theo to catch it if it’s a virus. She can come with me for my lesson, and then we’ll go right back home.»
Drawing a breath, Dorian was about to say something more, but Manon stopped him. «Now you need to go, or you’ll be late.» To soothe him further, she placed a light kiss on his lips.
It lasted long enough, though, for a loud «Gwoss mommy!» to come from the kitchen table, and they both turned to find Rhia staring at them with a look of pure disgust on her face.
Laughing, Dorian said, «Alright, now that you seem to be in your usual spirits, I can leave!» He stopped by Rhia on his way out to place a kiss on her head, in which she groaned and lightly swatted at him to make him leave.
Toddler-sized teenager indeed.
«Bye, my adorably grumpy girls!» Dorian waved as he left.
Grinning like a fool, Manon waved back, then shifted all her attention to Rhiannon.
«How do you feel about joining mommy for work today?»
«YES!» Leaving the table, half-eaten pancakes forgotten, Rhia started jumping up and down in excitement. «Can we make slime again?»
Manon chuckled as she remembered last time she’d brought Rhia to work. Trying to combine entertaining a toddler and teaching a bunch of teens chemistry, she’d landed on making slime. Pink, glittery slime.
Man, motherhood had really changed her.
«I’ll see what we can do, but you need to get dressed, then.»
Before she knew it, Rhia was barreling down the hallway towards her room, talking about how she had to wear her new tutu, because aunty Aelin had to see it.
Manon sent a quick text to Aelin, or Principal Galathynius as she’d been as of last August, to let her know she’d be bringing an assistant today, then followed Rhia, ready to bribe a three-year-old into not wearing a halloween costume in public in the month of May.
After barely avoiding a tantrum, Rhiannon and Manon had finally compromised on her tutu, but no fairy wings or tiara or kitten-shaped slippers that meowed for every step you took (Manon had sent Lorcan nasty glares at work for a full month after that «present»).
Speaking of cats, Rhia had also insisted Abraxos told her last night he wanted to come too.
To distract her from that idea, Manon picked up her daughter’s backpack and told her to pack a few toys she could play with throughout the day.
Manon quickly got ready herself, packed her own bag, checked to see that Rhia hadn’t found any disturbingly noisy toys (nothing to worry about, the backpack was filled with a barbie doll, a plastic dinosaur, a Baby Yoda plushie, a puzzle, and a book about autotrophic organisms from Manon’s college days that Rhia had found and completely fallen in love with, even if she definitely couldn’t read advanced science textbooks yet). All in all, Manon had to admit she had the coolest kid in the world.
Then they were out the door, without a minute to spare.
-
By the time they made it to the high school where both Manon and Dorian worked, they were five minutes late. Manon tried urging Rhia to walk faster, but she was too busy jumping from tile to tile to notice. «Can you please hurry a little, Rhia?»
«No, mommy, they’re lava!» Rhia pointed to the lines in between all the tiles, and Manon had to suppress a sigh. Everything was lava these days.
«Can’t you put on lava shoes?»
«That’s not how it works.»
After what seemed like forever, they reached Manon’s classroom, where everyone was now waiting for her. Before she opened the door, she crouched in front of her daughter. «First, I have to teach a little, so you have to try and be quiet, okay?» Rhia nodded, face solemn. She was the spitting image of Manon, but when she made that face, she was all Dorian.
«Maybe you can puzzle, or look in your book?» Rhia nodded once more, glancing at the door as she thought over something. Even with twenty students waiting for her, Manon gave Rhia the little time she needed to ask her question.
«Can I say hi to everyone?» Manon melted a little at the sweet, innocent question.
She’d gone soft. There was no doubting it now. And while not as scary as before, perhaps, her students would get quite the shock, as she was still known to be rather hostile.
How her reputation had survived, was beyond her, though. Her relationship with Dorian had been known to everyone ever since they got busted over a fucking Zoom-call, and the fact that they had a kid together was no secret either. Still, almost every student, new and old, was slightly terrified of her.
Manon couldn’t blame it all on motherhood, though. She’d been a lost case from the moment she met Dorian. That bastard.
Smiling, she said to Rhia, «Of course you can say hi. Ready?»
Rhia nodded eagerly, and then Manon stood up and opened the door.
«Sorry I’m late, I suddenly had to bring a little assistant with me today-» Manon turned to gesture towards Rhia, but the girl wasn’t right behind her.
No, Rhia was still standing in the hallway, halfway hidden behind the door, staring at all the teenagers with wide, frightened eyes. For as much attention as her daughter could crave at home, she could be quite shy around strangers.
Manon sighed, crouching down in front of her again with a soft smile on her face. «You can come inside, Rhia. I promise these people are very nice, even if they look a little scary.»
She couldn’t believe she was saying it out loud. She loved being a teacher, yes, but she never outright admitted it. The things you did for your own child, though…
Behind her, the classroom was eerily quiet, only interrupted by someone dropping their pencil.
Rhia didn’t budge, assurance or not, only stared at the floor.
«Come,» Manon tried again, holding out her arms. Rhia hesitated for a moment, but then hurried into Manon’s safe embrace, hiding her face in her chest.
«Did you not want to say hi to everyone?» The voice Manon spoke in was the softest, mildest she’d ever used in this classroom, but she didn’t have the time to overthink it as she walked over to the blackboard. Rhia had clearly changed her mind from earlier, because she only shook her head, burrowing further into her chest.
Maneuvering both their bags down onto her desk, Manon picked up a piece of chalk and said, «She’s a little shy, but give her a few moments and she’ll warm up, I promise.» She even smiled at her stunned students, a nervous, awkward smile. Then she turned towards the board and begun her lesson, her child still clinging to her like a koala.
-
Manon had been right, Rhiannon had warmed up after a little while. An hour had gone by, and she’d already done her puzzle, «read» her book, drawn lots of little drawings on the lower part of the board, and was now sitting by Manon’s desk, humming to herself as she played with her barbie and her t-rex while Manon walked around helping her students with some tasks to practice for their test.
She was about to help a girl with calculating a concentration when she heard a pair of little feet running towards her, and before she knew it, Rhia was standing right next to her, holding up her barbie so Manon could help her put on a dress.
Accepting the barbie, Manon tried to ignore how the student she’d been about to help stared at her, as if she’d grown horns in the middle of the classroom. When she was done, Manon handed the doll back to Rhia, but the girl didn’t run back.
The look on her face told Manon she was about to ask her for something she couldn’t say no to, and of course Rhia didn’t disappoint.
«Mommyyyyy?»
«Yes, sweetheart?»
«Can we do it now? Pleaaaaaaaaase?»
Those big, blue puppy eyes were another thing Rhia had inherited from her father, and they were even harder to resist on a toddler.
Sighing, Manon nodded, then said something she’d never thought she’d say out loud in her classroom. «If anyone wants a break from studying, they can help us make slime.»
Rhia took off towards Manon’s desk, opening the main drawer and digging out the goggles she’d found earlier, when she searched through everything. She put them on, huge smile on her face, and Manon gave her a huge smile back, pulling up her phone to snap a picture to Dorian.
-
Later, they were in Manon’s office, Manon preparing tomorrow’s test while barbie now fought a war against t-rex. Rhia was talking to herself as she played, and it was the most adorable thing ever.
Manon had planned to go home after her lesson, but Rhia seemed completely fine apart from her slight fever, and she didn’t seem to mind being here, so they’d stayed, Manon trying to get some more work done.
Someone knocked on the door, and Rhia shot up to answer it, eager as ever.
«Aunty Yrene!»
«If it isn’t my favourite lab assistant!»
Rhia beamed as Yrene Towers stepped into the office, leaning down to give her goddaughter a hug.
As the toddler let go and skipped out into the empty teacher’s lounge, Yrene gave Manon a knowing smirk. «I had your seniors after lunch today, and they couldn’t shut up about how Ms. Blackbeak brought the most adorable kid with her and how she wouldn’t stop smiling and she even used the word sweetheart and I even think she gave us a compliment?!»
Manon rolled her eyes as hard as she could, yet her twitching lip gave her away.
«It’s all Dorian’s fault,» Manon said, but she was actually smiling now, looking at the wall behind her computer, filled with photos of Rhiannon, of Dorian, of all of them together, even one of Abraxos.
«Sure it is.» Yrene sat down in one of the chairs. «Why is it still Miss Blackbeak though?»
«Not this again! We live together, we’re engaged, we have a damn kid together! What more could you possibly want?» Yrene had been a strong supporter of their relationship from the very beginning. Before, even.
«At this point, I’m so invested I don’t think it’ll ever be enough.» Manon snorted as Yrene looked dreamily into the air.
«I’ll make you my maid of honor, or you can even officiate the wedding! We’ll name our sixth-born child after you! On our joint tombstone, it can say Courtesy of Yrene Towers on the bottom!»
«Okay, fine, I get it, I have a problem!»
As they kept joking, Manon could hear Dorian enter the teacher’s lounge, back from his lecture, by the way Rhia called, «Daddy! Don’t step there it’s lava!»
Anon said: Can we get a cute Manorian ice cream date? 😃💜🍦
---
[A Very Manorian Ice Cream Date]
Manon Blackbeak stared and stared at Dorian Havilliard. “You’ve never had ice cream? Like, never never?”
He shook his head. She smiled, looping her arm in his and leading him into the ice cream parlor. He didn’t have the heart to tell her he was lactose intolerant.
Ten minutes later, they were walking down the street, back toward the apartment complex they both lived in. He’d gotten the smallest size available and had them pack on cookie chunks and all kinds of shit to bury the ice cream. And give him something to eat before he found an innocent way to drop the vomit inducing concoction on the ground.
“Can I taste yours?” she asked.
God, yes. “Of course.” Dorian made sure he got a spoonful of actual ice cream and held it out for her. She stared at him while she wrapped her lips around it, and he instantly wondered what it might be like if she wrapped those lips around other things. Other very specific things.
They’d only been dating a few weeks, and they hadn’t made it past the handsy phase of the relationship. He didn’t mind though. He was used to jumping into bed with women and never talking to them every again, but Manon was different. He wanted to sleep with her, but he wanted to wait. Wanted to get to know her first.
“Do you want to try mine?” She held her ice cream cone in front of him. He wanted to try her everything—just not her ice cream.
“Sure.” He licked the tip, slowly, sensuously. She watched his every move. And just before he was going to take an actual bite—oops. “Damn, dropped my ice cream.” Thank fuck! “I’ll just throw this in the nearest trash bin.” He did. Then jogged back to where Manon had perched atop a bench.
“We can share mine,” she said. Dorian smiled, just as the first cramp from the slight amount of dairy he’d consumed hit his stomach. Great.
“That’s okay. You eat it.”
She cocked her head and smirked. “Are you sure? You seemed very skilled in how you use your tongue. To lick things.”
Fuck. Me, he thought. “If you’d like a demonstration…” he raised an eyebrow. She held out her ice cream. He wrapped his hand atop hers on the cone and brought the ice cream to his mouth. He made a show of licking the rim and the center, watching her the whole time. Another cramp rippled through his stomach and he almost gagged at the taste of ice cream.
“You okay?” She looked genuinely concerned.
He let her hand go. And spit into the grass. “I have a confession to make… I’m lactose intolerant.”
She burst out laughing. “Wait, so you agreed to this whole date knowing I wanted to get ice cream? And that you couldn’t eat it?”
He pursed his lips. “You caught me.”
“So you bought an ice cream, with the intention of dropping it? And then licked mine because...you wanted to impress me?”
“It would appear.”
She chuckled to herself, low and sensuously. “And all that stuff with your tongue?”
“Just trying to impress you.” He wrinkled his eyes shut and smiled.
She pat his arm. “Wow, Dorian. I don’t think anyone has ever wanted to go down on me that badly.”
“Do I get an A for effort?”
She leaned in a kissed his cheek. “You’ll get more than that.” His stomach gave a loud, angry growl. He groaned. “But that will have to wait because I think you need to go home.”
“Will you come keep me company? It is sort of your fault.”
“It’s definitely not my fault that you ate something you’re allergic to just to impress me. But I suppose I can come over and lay around with you while you recover.”
A collection of stories where Manon and Dorian are teachers at the same High School. Can be read in any order:)
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Online classes are the worst
Based on the prompt: When you realize Person A and Person B have the same background during zoom class and holy shit they are living together!?
And there was only one bed...
Manon has to go to the annual teacher conference with her least favourite colleague, the cocky Dorian Havilliard. Then she discovers, to her horror, that there is only one bed...
Busy mornings and empty supply closets
After spending the night together at Dorian's, Manorian have to risk the wrath of their snooping coworkers as they make their way to work together...
I never thought you’d be the fussing type
Dorian gets sick, Manon takes care of him.
To build a home
They move in together.
Tell me a story
It was on a warm July evening that Manon Blackbeak declared to no one in particular that she was done being pregnant.
Only moments later, her asshole of a boyfriend decided to crush all her hopes and dreams by walking into their bedroom and saying, «You still have three months left, babe.»
We’re not getting a pet, love
Dorian convinces Manon to get a pet.
Slow dancing and surprises
Manon and Dorian gets a life-changing surprise, and must decide what to do.
Happy Halloween
Manon and Dorian celebrate Halloween together for the first time!
November mornings
Manon and Dorian spend their first morning at home as a family
Lab assistant in training
When their daughter gets sick, Manon has to take her to work.
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Summary: Manon and Dorian celebrate Halloween together for the first time
Dorian Havilliard was finally beginning to understand that Manon had been serious when she’d uttered the words I don’t play Halloween. This was the first holiday they would spend together, and Dorian knew he’d be in for a rough month when his girlfriend had woken up on October 1st, a disturbing smile on her face, and declared the day to be the first of Halloween.
Manon was slightly terrifying on any given day, but Manon during the spookiest month of the year…Dorian suppressed a shudder at the thought of how she practically buzzed with giddy excitement.
And how his girlfriend, it seemed, went all out with everything.
Stepping into the kitchen, which had been transformed into the lab of a mad scientist, Dorian filled the giant bowl standing on the counter with candy for any trick-or-treaters that might dare knock on their door.
Normal people usually went with one theme when decorating their home, but theirs looked like a haunted mansion, a new theme in every room. Their garden was now a graveyard, the downstairs bathroom could have passed for an asylum, the living room was a murder scene, the hallway was filled with your average spider webs and skeletons, and in the kitchen, there were jars filled with very realistic eyes, creepy, rusty instruments hanging on the walls and vials with green smoke coming out of them. Manon had assured him whatever she was brewing was perfectly safe, «just don’t, under any circumstance, ingest it.»
Not playing, indeed.
One would think having Aelin Galathynius as a friend for most of his life would make him immune to anything spooky, since Halloween practically was a religion to her, but compared to Manon, it was all child’s play. No surprise those two had gotten along so quickly.
Throughout the month, they’d watched more horror movies together than Dorian had his whole life, and every day, Manon found new, creative ways to scare him shitless.
Dorian often wondered how he hadn’t had an actual heart attack yet, with all the ways she’d managed to make him scream in horror, whether that was by jumping out from behind doors or placing severed limbs in the fridge. Not even work was safe, since they were both teachers at the same high school.
He couldn’t help but look a little forward to tomorrow, when it would all be over, their lives back to normal. Of course, he would never tell Manon that. As much as he hated being scared, the look of complete and utter glee on her face whenever she managed to scare him made up for it.
It wasn’t that Dorian didn’t like Halloween, either, they just had completely different views on how to best spend it. His ideal Halloween meant watching a cozy movie like Halloweentown or A nightmare before Christmas while shamelessly eating a ridiculous amount of candy. Manon’s motto seemed to be the more macabre, the better.
But instead of complaining, Dorian looked forward to Christmas, when he would guilt her into partaking in every cheesy, fluffy tradition there was while feeling the joyous spirit of Christmas. He could already picture how hard Manon would roll her eyes at all the Hallmark movies he planned to show her.
After filling up the huge bowl of candy, Dorian stepped out into the hallway, placing it on the console table next to the door. Hopefully he would get to eat most of it by the end of the night, since he doubted anyone were brave enough to walk up to their dark, old house. He sure as shit wouldn’t have been.
As he passed the large, full-length mirror, Dorian couldn’t help the satisfied look on his face. He’d done an excellent job with his costume this year. A sheer blouse, a pair of high-waisted black pants, golden jewelry, golden dust highlighting his cheekbones, pointy ears, a tail, all pulled together by the goblet of wine he was holding. The one good thing about Halloween was that it allowed him to dress up as his favorite book characters.
He shifted his gaze downward for a moment, adjusting his clothes, and when he looked back up, he let out a yelp at the creature standing behind him in the mirror. Thunder crackled outside as Manon leaned her head back and laughed manically.
She was a truly horrifying sight to behold with her wholly white eyes and bloody grin. Her white hair was smeared with what could only be described as gore and her throat looked to be slit. She looked like a nightmare, and judging by the satisfied smirk on her face, she knew it too.
«You ready for some scary movies?» Manon asked him, giving his costume a nod of approval. Absolutely not, Dorian wanted to say, knowing she’d saved the worst movies for last.
Instead, he took a shuddering breath and said, «Can’t wait.» His voice was tight, shaking slightly. The look Manon gave him made him want to turn the lights on and hide under a blanket.
-
They were only fifteen minutes into A Nightmare on Elm Street, but Dorian was already clinging to Manon, his face buried in the crook of her neck. How could she be so calm right now? She seemed to be enjoying it, even.
Someone knocked on the door, and Dorian jumped, his heart racing. It’s just trick-or-treaters, he told himself. Definitely not a psychopath killer.
«Fucking finally!» Manon exclaimed as she paused the movie and got up, heading towards the door. Dorian was torn between wanting to run out and protect her from the killer that was surely waiting behind the closed door and begging her to not leave him alone.
Calm down you idiot, he told himself. What kind of killer knocks on the door?
Then it hit him, all blood draining from his face. It would be a genius move to just knock on the door if you wanted to kill someone.
As he was about to run into the hallway and hide behind his girlfriend as she dealt with the threat, he heard the door open, followed by the sound of giggling children. Manon’s words from earlier, when he’d asked why she loved Halloween so much, echoed in his mind: «I get to scare little children while looking awesome! What’s not to love?» The more he got to know this woman, the more she amazed him.
After a moment, Manon said something he couldn’t make out, but he could hear the kids scream as they ran away, then the door slamming shut once more. The sound of Manon’s evil laughter filled the eerie house as she stepped back into the living room. «I love Halloween!»
-
Dorian was sure he’d never been more relieved when the movie finally ended and Manon turned the lights back on. That relief was quickly replaced by dread though, when a loud thump sounded upstairs.
«What was that?» Manon asked, casting a worried glance at the ceiling.
Dorian eyed her suspiciously, knowing she was surely the one behind this.
«Why are you looking at me like that?» she hissed when she noticed his accusing stare. «This isn’t me, I swear!» His face paled at the truth he could hear in her voice.
«It’s probably nothing, right?» Dorian tried to hide the fear in his voice with a nonchalant chuckle. Their house was old, so it was normal for it to make a lot of scary noises. Although…
«That came from the attic, right?» Manon whispered from her spot next to him, her breath hitching as they heard another thump.
«I think so,» he said, swallowing audibly.
«Maybe we should check it out…»
Dorian shook his head. «Fuck no! The one thing I’ve learned from all those movies you’ve made me watch is to never check out weird noises.» No way was he stepping foot into the creepy attic. He’d avoided it as much as possible since moving into the house a month ago.
«Fine, then I’ll do it,» Manon declared, giving him a nasty glare. Yet he didn’t miss the way she rose a bit reluctantly, her voice shaking.
When she was halfway across the room, Dorian let out a defeated sigh, quickly trailing after her. He didn’t want to find the source of the noise, but he most definitely didn’t want to be left alone either.
He made sure to keep close behind her as they carefully treaded up the stairs, the howling wind making the entire house shake.
As they reached the top, Dorian put on a sweet face and gestured to the door. «After you, darling.»
Manon scoffed, rolling her eyes, but she didn’t move to open the door leading into the dark attic, either. Almost as if she was…hesitating.
«Don’t tell me you’re scared, Blackbeak?»
«No,» she claimed, but he could hear the fear in her voice. «ButifwedieIloveyou,» she blurted and opened the door.
Dorian knew the thought of something scaring Manon should have made him turn around and run for his dear life, but he was also eager to see what happened next.
Manon lifted a shaking hand to flick on the light, Dorian holding his breath. As her eyes fell upon the source of the noise, she let out a high-pitched shriek and ran into Dorian’s arms.
The shock of hearing Manon Blackbeak shriek erased all trace of fear lingering in him, and as he peered over her shoulder, into the attic, he leaned his head back and howled with laughter.
For there, in the middle of the floor, was Abraxos, trapped under a white sheet, a knocked-over box next to him. «Meow,» he said, as if in greeting.
Dorian pulled up his phone, snapping a picture of the little ghost. Then he turned around and took another, of Manon, who now stood at the middle of the landing, arms hanging limp at her sides, a mix of fear and confusion on her face. He should have felt guilty for laughing at her, but revenge tasted so sweet.
Her frightened look quickly turned into one of rage as she noticed what Dorian was doing, his laughter dying at the murderous glance she threw him. «Meow,» Abraxos said once more, unknowingly stopping Manon from killing Dorian with her eyes.
After freeing the poor kitten, Dorian turned towards a glaring Manon and said, unable to hide the amusement in his voice, «Is a harmless kitten all it takes to scare you?»
Her face broke into a terrifying grin. «I wouldn’t look so smug if I were you. There are still a few hours left…» Then she just turned on her heel and began walking down the stairs, glancing over her shoulder. «Happy Halloween, Dorian.»
A/N: Remember when I said I'd have lots of time to write? Yeah, me neither...
I am very sorry for not updating anything, but I barely have the energy to keep up with school these days, so things will take time:(
Feel free to leave feedback if you want to! It's a huge inspiration to keep writing<3
This was requested by @biaguiar11. Sorry for taking so long, hope you like it:)
Words: 2307
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Masterlist
A/N: I would like to dedicate this fic to my cat, Chewbacca. Had you not been so adorable this morning, this piece of shit never would have existed. *tears up* I love you man<3<3
Also feel free to leave a comment, telling me what you think;)
«Come on!»
«No.»
«Manon, please.» Dorian tried his very best to make sad-puppy eyes at his girlfriend, pouting his lip, all of it to convince her that they simply had to get a cat.
«We’re not getting a cat, and if you send me one more GIF of cute kittens I will block you on all social media.» She was glaring at him from across the counter, and Dorian would be lying if he said it didn’t terrify him slightly.
They’d been having this discussion for weeks, but she wouldn’t budge. Dorian insisted that it was the natural step to take next in their relationship - they’d recently bought a house - and honestly, every home should have a cat.
Too bad Manon didn’t agree.
«But just imagine a teeny, tiny, adorable kitten curling up against you, with it’s tiny paws and tiny, little face.» The image was so adorable it made Dorian tear up a little.
Manon shook her head, giving him an annoyed look. «Kittens aren’t adorable. They’re cunning, vicious little creatures that will kill you in your sleep,» she said, shuddering.
«Don’t tell me the Manon Blackbeak is afraid of kittens?»
«Pfft, I’m not afraid of kittens,» Manon claimed, but Dorian noticed the way she didn’t meet his eyes, the way she bit her lip. His girlfriend was many things, but a good liar was not one of them.
Dorian was baffled. Even if he hated that word, it was the only way to truly describe how shocked he was at this admittance. She was the one who killed the spiders in their relationship, after all. «So getting a pet snake is fine with you, but you’re afraid of a cat?»
Last week, when they’d had the exact same argument, Manon had suggested that if he was so eager to get a pet, they could get a snake. He knew she’d said it just to shut him up, but he wouldn’t be surprised if he one day came home to them having a pet snake. The mere idea had him feeling a little sick. He’d told her as much then, but Manon had only grinned like a mad woman.
No way were they getting a snake.
«I’m done with this discussion,» was all she said before disappearing up the stairs.
Dorian wasn’t done though, and he stood up, trailing after her, all the way into their bedroom, where he found her putting away laundry. She always started cleaning when she was angry.
«Why can’t we get a cat?» he whined.
«I’m allergic,» she said, her words blunt. She didn’t even turn around to look at him, instead walking into the adjoining bathroom with a pile of clothes.
Flopping onto the bed, Dorian said, «We both know you’re not allergic.» He gave her a pointed stare as she reentered the room, stopping in the doorway.
«I just don’t understand why you absolutely have to get a cat.»
«I just don’t understand why you absolutely refuse to get a cat.» Dorian pouted once more, fluttering his eyelashes for extra effect.
Manon let out a long, annoyed sigh, but he knew her anger had faded based on the faint smile playing on her lips.
«Pets are a lot of work, Dorian. We’re busy enough as it is.»
This, at least, was an argument he had prepared for. «It isn’t. All you have to do is feed it twice a day, let it out when it has to pee and give it some love and attention. And you’re very good at the love and attention part!»
«But I have already decided that we’re not getting a cat.»
Turning so he lay on his stomach, he brought back the puppy eyes from earlier, and said, «But think of all the sad, lonely kittens at the animal shelter who doesn’t have anyone to love them…» Dorian pretended to wipe away a tear. Manon answered by giving him a deadly glare accompanied by her middle finger.
«Must you be so dramatic? I’m really dating a child…»
Dorian placed his head in his palms, kicking his legs just to further her point. «You love it when I’m dramatic.»
«I don’t,» Manon said, sitting down next to him.
«You do,» Dorian said, flicking her nose.
«Don’t boop me.»
«If we had a kitten I could boop them instead.»
Manon quickly stood up again, throwing her arms in the air as she let out a frustrated groan. «I’m not losing this argument!»
-
She had lost the argument.It was the only way to explain why she now found herself standing at the local animal shelter.
Manon wanted to be mad, she really did, but Dorian was making it hard for her with his fawning over all the tiny, squeaking kittens.
«Oh, look at that one Manon. Isn’t it adorable?»
No, they weren’t adorable, she wanted to say, eager to get it over with as soon as possible. They had come her straight after work, so she was tired, and hungry, and she didn’t even want to get a cat. This was all on Dorian.
But to be fair…he deserved this. Deserved to be happy. It was what had made her cave in the end, actually.
Dorian had pouted his lips and made those puppy eyes for the billionth time and said, «Don’t you want me to be happy?»
And truth be told…she would gladly endure a little ball of fur terrorizing their home if it meant the love of her life was happy.
Manon rolled her eyes at her own thoughts. Living with Dorian had made her soft…
Sensing her discomfort, Dorian placed a hand on her lower back, drawing her closer. He pressed a light kiss on her head before his attention shifted back to the small demons.
But Manon couldn’t stay in here for much longer. Animals in cages, even if they were well cared for, and only here for a short while, had always made her uncomfortable, and the hall was too dark, too cramped, the walls coming closer, and then there was the gods-damned smell. Was this smell supposed to take permanent residence in her house from now on? She had to get out, had to get air-
«I’m sorry,» she mumbled to Dorian before heading towards the heavy door at the end of the hall. She’d nearly made it when a tiny squeak made her stop.
She crouched down and peered into the dark cage. In one of the corners, she could make out a tiny, pitch-black kitten taking her in with big, sad eyes.
«What’s wrong with this one?» she asked the middle aged woman that had shown them around.
«He’s a fighter, that one,» the woman said, giving Manon a grim smile.
«Born much smaller than the rest of the litter, so his mother abandoned him. When he came to us, he was so weak we didn’t think he would survive, but he fought with teeth and claws, and now he’s as healthy as any other cat.» She looked proud of the little black cat. «He still keeps to himself though, won’t go near the other cats, as afraid as he is. I swear he is even terrified of his own shadow.»
Hearing these words, Manon felt something strange settle deep inside, and she hardly had time to think before she announced to the room; «We want this one.»
Dorian, who’d made his way over to her, looked at the kitten, then back at Manon, and grinned. «If you say so.»
Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
-
This was a horrible idea.
When they’d first gotten home, the cat with them, Manon had gone straight to the shower, leaving Dorian to take care of it all.
Once she emerged from the bathroom, nearly an hour later, Dorian was still sitting on the floor, and the cat was still inside the cardboard box they had carried him in.
Apparently, Dorian had tried everything he could think of to coax the kitten out of his hiding spot, but he remained in the corner, curled up into a quivering ball.
It wasn’t until he had spotted Manon, looking over the edge, that he had let out a high-pitched meow, making his way out of the box on stumbling feet.
«Him,» she tried explaining, pointing to Dorian, as the cat made his way towards her, «Go to him.» But the cat either didn’t understand, or he simply didn’t care, stopping right in front of her.
«I’m not your mother,» she told the creature, voice frantic. It was sitting on the floor, staring at her with big, yellow eyes. It blinked once, and Manon jumped off the floor.
«Okay, that cat is giving me the creeps, so I’ll leave you to it, I have work to do.»
Dorian’s answering chuckle followed her into the kitchen, where she started making a much needed cup of coffee. She opened the cabinet and pulled out her favorite mug. The one shaped like a t-rex.
A yelp escaped her as she turned around to find the tiny, black kitten sitting right in front of her, head tilted slightly. «Holy sh-»
«I think he likes you,» Dorian said, appearing in the doorway. He was wearing his usual smug expression.
«Nope, I can’t do it,» Manon said, taking a step forward. The cat followed, trailing her like a shadow.
Deciding to distract him, Manon walked over to his bowls and stood there, waiting, until he began eating. Once she’d made sure he wouldn’t fall into his water bowl and drown, Manon hauled ass all the way to her study on the second floor, leaving Dorian with the horrid beast he had wanted so badly.
As the door shut behind her, she let out a sigh of relief. If the cat somehow managed to reach her now, she was moving out. He could just have the house.
Manon began to work, needing to plan her classes for tomorrow. She tried to focus on her task, but more often than not, her mind wandered off to what she was missing out on downstairs.
She truly didn’t care for the creature, but what if he was scared? Would he be able to settle in their home? He had been treated so horribly…had been so alone. Would he get the love and care he needed from them?
Cursing her boyfriend for putting her in this situation, Manon grabbed her laptop and dragged herself back down to the living room.
What she didn’t expect to find was the house all quiet, Dorian sitting on the couch with a book, the cat nowhere to be seen. «Where is he?» she whispered carefully.
«Under the couch, sleeping. I think he likes dark corners.»
«Hm,» was all Manon said, sitting next to him. She opened her laptop once more and tried to focus on her work.
«Are you okay?» Dorian asked, and as she turned to look at him, she found concern softening his features.
She sighed. «Yes. I’ll get used to it…eventually.» She didn’t sound entirely convinced, but Dorian released a breath of relief.
«You know I love you, right?» Dorian asked, before standing up and pressing a kiss to her forehead.
«Yeah, and I love you,» she whispered back, pulling him down so his lips could meet hers.
As they broke apart, Dorian headed towards the stairs, announcing, «I’m taking a shower, won’t be long.»
Manon sunk further into the couch, fighting to stay awake. She just had to finish up her work-
A high-pitched meow interrupted her, and she looked down to find their cat trying to climb onto the couch, his claws imbedded deep into the fabric. «Not the couch,» Manon groaned softly, but there was no real reprimand in her voice.
The kitten struggled to pull his tiny body onto the piece of furniture, and when he finally succeeded, Manon reached over to pet his little head. The movement felt awkward, but the cat’s eyes widened, and he quickly climbed onto Manon’s chest, before settling there, right over her heart.
Manon’s whole body stiffened at first, nervous for what the beast would do next, but he only began purring, pressing his small paws against her chest. «Fine,» Manon whispered, giving in at last. She placed her laptop on the table, simply letting herself relax.
She began stroking him, and he answered by purring even louder.
«What a big day you must’ve had,» Manon said to the small cat. «I can’t imagine how scary it must be to move into such a big house with two strangers.»
He probably couldn’t understand her, but she kept going anyway.
«This is your home from now on. We’ll give you love and care, and I promise we won’t abandon you.» The kitten looked at her with those big eyes of his, meowing once. It made Manon’s heart feel all warm and fuzzy.
«We need to give you a name, too. Dorian wanted Batman, you know, since you’re all black, but one, that is the most uncreative, unoriginal name I have ever heard, and two, all the other cats will bully you for it, and we can’t have any of that, can we?» She gave him a serious look. «So I refused, you can thank me later.»
But Batman or not, the cat still needed a name. Manon searched her memory for anything that could fit. It had to be unique, and badass, and-
«Abraxos.»
The cat lifted his head, staring at her.
«Your name is Abraxos,» Manon decided, marveling at how right it felt.
After that, he settled down, curling into a ball once more. Before Manon knew it, Abraxos was asleep, and at the small, warm weight on her chest, at the sound of him snoring softly, Manon smiled, knowing she already loved this cat very, very much.
This particular fic was requested by Anonymous (and several others): "Hey, any chance you could write a scene where Manon realizes she’s pregnant / tells Dorian she’s pregnant?" Hope you like it<3
The song referenced in this fic is Lover, You Should've Come Over by Jeff Buckley
Set a few weeks before «Online classes are the worst»
«Mr. Havilliard? Can I have a word with you?»
As the classroom door opened to reveal twenty pairs of prying eyes, Manon schooled her features into bored impatience, the look conveying that she was merely here to deliver an important, work-related message.
Dorian was standing with his back to her, facing the chalkboard, and when he turned around, Manon had to remind herself that one; she was at work, she couldn’t just run over and kiss him, and two; they had an audience, who didn’t know they were in a relationship.
He was wearing his glasses today, which made him look ten times sexier than usual, and his hair was slightly disheveled, a certain sign that he was currently talking about something intriguing. That, and the way his blue eyes glowed
How had she fallen in love with such a dork?
«Of course, Ms. Blackbeak,» Dorian answered, giving her a smirk. Manon only stared, her thoughts thankfully interrupted.
«Someone’s in trouble?» said a sing-song voice from the back of the classroom. Identifying the offender, she locked eyes with him and gave him a deadly look. He quickly averted his eyes, his face turning bright red, and Manon allowed herself a satisfied smirk.
Dorian headed for the door, but turned around and said to the room, «You can start reading on page 207 meanwhile.»
Stepping aside to let him through, Manon waited for the soft click indicating that they were now alone, and when she heard it, she let her mask fall, giving her boyfriend a warm look.
«I’ll never get used to you calling me Mr. Havilliard,» Dorian said, shaking his head.
«And why would it be unnatural for me to call you Mr. Havilliard? Our relationship is strictly professional, after all,» Manon teased, a smile playing on her lips.
Dorian grinned, and leaned in to press a soft kiss to her lips. «Would a colleague do this?» he whispered against her mouth.
«Most definitely,» Manon deadpanned. «Me and Lorcan really got it on in the storage room the other day.»
At the mention of the grumpy maths teacher, Dorian leaned his head back and howled. Manon and Lorcan’s mutual dislike of each other was no secret to anyone, honestly. Unfortunately for them, their respective subjects crossed paths more often than not.
«Can you be a bit quiet,» Manon hissed to Dorian when he kept laughing. «These walls aren’t exactly sound proof and I can’t have any kids thinking I have a sense of humor.»
«Right,» he whispered, pressing another kiss to her lips, his eyes crinkling in amusement.
Manon had nearly forgotten why she came here in the first place, but remembering they were in fact in public, she pressed her palms against his chest and pushed him away, saying, «I need your keys. I forgot mine this morning, and I’m heading home for the day.»
Dorian’s playful smirk was suddenly replaced by concern, and he took a step back so he could scan her from head to toe. A frown appeared on his face as he now noticed how pale she was, how she had dark circles under her eyes, which were a dull brown-ish colour instead of their usual molten gold.
«Are you okay?» He brought a hand to her forehead to check for a fever, but Manon swatted it away.
«I’ll be fine, you mother hen!» She just had to get home and take a nap before her headache killed her, or before she got so nauseous she puked all over her classroom.
Manon had been sick on and off for the past three weeks now, and she was officially over it. Too bad her body didn’t feel the same way. Today had been her first day back at work in a full week, but apparently she needed a day or two more on the couch, being bored out of her mind…
«Do you need me to drive you home?» Dorian still searched her with that concerning gaze, and Manon rolled her eyes at how warm it made her feel inside. Stupid feelings.
She tried shaking her head, but had to stop immediately as it sent a wave of throbbing pain through her head. «No, you have a class waiting for you. I can drive myself,» she said, adding, «Unless you need the car, of course.» Even her voice sounded weak.
Dorian looked ready to protest, but instead of saying anything, he merely tightened his lips.
«It’s fine, I can take the bus today. My keys are in my office,» he said at last, leading her down the hallway.
-
As they reached the teacher’s lounge, on their way to Dorian’s office, they discovered the room to be nearly empty, with the exception their favorite colleague, Yrene Towers. She was sitting at one of the tables, sipping a cup of coffee, and when she spotted the pair, her gaze quickly moved to their entangled hands, a satisfied smile spreading on her face.
«It’s been four years, Yrene, you surely must be getting used to seeing us together,» Manon said bluntly, but Yrene shook her head, letting out a happy sigh.
«Never,» the woman claimed. «You two are the most adorable couple ever, and it’s all thanks to me.» It was kind of charming, Dorian thought, to see her so invested in them.
And it was true, what she said. Had Yrene never decided to meddle in their private lives and send them on a work trip together, Dorian didn’t know where him and Manon would be today. Merely thinking of them not being together felt so wrong it physically pained him.
«To be honest, it was necessary to achieve a safe work environment,» Yrene said, Dorian raising an eyebrow in question. «Had I intervened even just a week later, the heavy sexual tension between you two would have suffocated us all.»
Manon snorted beside him, Yrene looking as smug as ever. Had it been anyone else, his girlfriend would have killed them on the spot.
«And for that we will be forever grateful,» Dorian said, placing a hand over his heart in mock gratitude.
Yrene brushed it off, saying, «You can thank me by making me the godmother of one of those inhumanly beautiful babies you’ll make.» Manon stiffened beside him, and both Yrene and Dorian shifted their attention to her. She looked even paler now than she had before.
«Are you okay?» Yrene asked. «You look a little…peaky.»
«Yeah,» Manon said, trying, but failing, to give them a reassuring smile. «I’m sure a nap and some food will make it better. Actually, I’m heading home right now.»
«Ah, I won’t halt you any longer then,» Yrene announced, getting up from her table. «Get well soon, Manon!» She gave Manon’s shoulder a squeeze as she passed them on her way out.
«I’ll go get those keys,» Dorian told his girlfriend, hurrying into his office.
When he came back out, keys in hand, Manon was standing the exact same way as he’d left her, staring into nothing. She didn’t register that he was back until he was standing in front of her.
«Here you go,» he said, handing her the set of keys. She gave him a small smile in return, but it didn’t meet her eyes. Instead, they had a distant look in them.
«Thanks,» she muttered so low he nearly didn’t hear it.
Dorian couldn’t shake off his worrying. It was unsettling to see his girlfriend so…weak. And for her to even admit she was sick…it had to be really bad.
Unable to stop himself, he asked once more, «Are you sure you don’t need me to come with you?»
«You stay, I just need to sleep it off,» she tried to convince him, pressing a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth. «See you in a few hours.»
And with that she was gone, Dorian left with a sinking feeling in his gut.
Something was wrong.
-
Manon lay on the couch, wrapped in a heavy blanket, an old episode of «Bill Nye, the Science Guy» playing on the TV. Except Manon wasn’t paying attention to the TV at all. No, all she could focus on was the brown paper bag laying on the kitchen table, it’s presence all-consuming.
She would take it in the morning, she had tried to convince herself. The results would be more accurate then, and she wasn’t sure she could do it without Dorian.
It’s only to rule it out, so you won’t have to worry, Manon thought, not believing it one bit.
And if she never took the test, it technically couldn’t be positive, right?
The thought hadn’t even crossed her mind until Yrene’s words earlier. But as soon as she’d said them, some part of Manon had known. It would certainly explain why she’d been feeling so queasy lately.
While driving home, her mind had been fighting a battle of what if’s and why not’s, the what if winning in the end, as she’d suddenly found herself outside the pharmacy, bag in hand.
If she truly was…
Gods, she couldn’t even think the word.
Her and Dorian had always been so careful…
And if it turned out to be positive…what would they do?
Manon couldn’t take more of the churning thoughts or the uncertainty.
Sighing in defeat, she dragged her fatigued body off the couch an headed for the bathroom, taking the paper bag with her.
-
Dorian opened the front door to find the house eerily quiet. He stepped into the living room, which was empty, but the TV was on, so Manon couldn’t be far away. She was probably just sleeping, Dorian told himself, but something felt off…
«Manon?» he called as he stepped into the kitchen, putting away the groceries he’d gotten on his way home.
No one answered.
Dorian could feel panic spread through his body, but he tried to stay calm, to stay rational. She was probably upstairs, sleeping, as she should be.
Still, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was very wrong.
What if she’d gotten worse? Or passed out somewhere?
His pulse started racing as he practically sprinted up the stairs, towards their bedroom.
«Manon?!» he called once more, but he was yet again met with silence.
Pushing the door open, his heart skipped a beat as he discovered the bed to be empty, as tidy as they had left it that morning. Dorian could feel all the blood drain from his face, picturing a hundred scenarios in his head, all of them equally terrifying.
Then he heard a noise coming from his right. He turned around and saw Abraxos lying in front of the closed bathroom door, guarding it. The cat meowed a second time, rushing over to him, trying to get his attention.
Dorian scanned the door, letting out a sigh of relief when he noticed the sliver of light coming from beneath it.
«Manon? Are you in there?» he asked softly, leaning against the door. When she still didn’t answer, he twisted the doorknob, thankfully finding it unlocked.
He held his breath as he stepped into the bathroom, afraid of what would meet him.
But Manon wasn’t passed out, she was sitting on the floor, in front of the bathtub, staring intensely at something in her lap.
Dorian sat down in front of her, trying to meet her eyes, but it didn’t seem like she even knew he was there.
«What’s wrong?» he asked her, frowning in confusion. Dread pooled in his stomach.
Manon kept focusing her eyes on her lap as she silently handed him the thing she was holding, his heart skipping another beat as he learned it was a plastic stick.
With shaking hands, Dorian turned it around and was met with two, bright pink lines staring up at him. He couldn’t make out a single clear thought, too many running through his head at the same time.
When he finally managed to look up from the positive pregnancy test, Manon was looking at him with that same intense gaze. It hurt to see his girlfriend like this, so lost and afraid and vulnerable.
«Is it- Are you- You’re sure that it’s positive?» was all he could choke out.
Her throat bobbed.
Once.
Twice.
Manon didn’t answer, just sat there, trembling. He was sure she’d gone into shock.
After a while, she said with a quiet voice, her words devoid of any emotion, «It looks positive to me. And the other two I took says the same.» She nodded towards the sink behind him.
Dorian twisted to pick up the other tests, which also clearly said pregnant.
«How far along?» he asked, not knowing what else to say.
She shrugged. «Less than twelve, more than six.»
«Shit.»
«Yeah, shit.»
They sat in silence for what felt like an eternity, all the unspoken words hanging heavy in the air between them.
Manon broke the silence by drawing a shuddering breath, whispering, «What are we gonna do, Dorian?»
It was the quiet despair in her voice that made him scoot over to her side and gather her up in his arms. She clutched his shirt, burying her face in his chest.
«I don’t know, love.»
He pressed a kiss to her hair.
«I don’t know.»
Then she threw herself out of his arms, hurling the contents of her stomach into the nearby toilet.
-1 week later -
Manon glanced at the alarm clock once more, silently groaning at what she saw. It was currently 3am, and she was wide awake, unable to stop the thoughts churning in her mind.
Deciding she couldn’t keep tossing and turning like this, she quietly slipped out of bed, careful not to wake her sleeping boyfriend.
She padded across the floor and down the stairs, stepping over a sleeping Abraxos, and made her way to the kitchen. The soft lights turned on, and Manon stepped over to the sink, beginning on the mountain of dirty dishes. She might as well do something useful if she was going to stay awake all night.
And it helped keeping the thoughts away. That, and the small radio she turned on, keeping the volume low.
A week had passed, and she was still knocked up, still hadn’t made a decision.
Manon had always said she didn’t want kids, but thinking about how there was a tiny, human being growing inside her…
A tiny, human being that she had created with Dorian…It made her reconsider it all. Made her doubt all she’d thought she knew.
Would they look like him? Be like him? Would she be able to love them as much as she loved this man?
Manon had never been good at analyzing her emotions, her mind too rational for it’s own good. They were old enough and in a long-term relationship. They both had a stable income, and more than enough room in their house. But was this something she wanted?
Tomorrow.
She would debate it tomorrow, Manon promised herself, instead getting lost in the task of doing all the dishes.
In fact, she got so caught up that she didn’t notice Dorian approaching until he stepped behind her, banding his arms around her waist.
«Couldn’t sleep?» he murmured, pressing a kiss to her cheek.
Manon shook her head, furiously scrubbing a pan. «I’m sorry I woke you,» she whispered.
«You didn’t,» he whispered back, taking the pan from her hands and placing it back in the sink. «Care to explain why you’re doing the dishes in the middle of the night?»
«It’s the only way I can stop thinking so much,» she said quietly, leaning back against his wide frame.
«Do you want to talk about it?»
At first, she didn’t say anything.
But then a single thought appeared in her mind.
A truth she had realized days ago, without truly knowing it.
«I think I want to keep it,» she voiced, her words barely audible, a single tear trailing down her cheek.
And as she said those words out loud, she knew.
Knew that she wanted this.
Even if it terrified her.
She knew that Dorian wanted it too, although he hadn’t said it directly. But he would make an excellent father, and she wanted to share this with him. This precious thing they had created together.
Dorian stiffened behind her, and Manon twisted in his arms to find him looking at her with awe, something like hope shining in his eyes. «Are- Are you sure?»
He brought a thumb to her cheek, wiping away the tear. It was the first time she cried in front of him, in front of anyone, and it felt good, to be able to be so vulnerable with someone.
«Yes,» she breathed.
«I’m going to be a father?» he asked, voice full of disbelief.
«Yes, you’re going to be a father» Manon laughed as more tears fell. «We’re having a baby!»
Dorian was crying now, too, pulling her into a tight embrace. «I love you so much, Manon Blackbeak,» he whispered in her ear.
They stood like that for a while, simply enjoying the feeling of being close.
«Do you hear that?» Dorian said all of a sudden. He let go of her to turn up the volume on the radio still playing music. Manon smiled softly at the familiar tune.
«This is our song,» Dorian said, grinning.
Manon cringed. «We don’t have a song.»
«Oh yes, we do. Don’t you remember dancing to this on our first date?»
Of course Manon remembered. She would never forget that night.
«That doesn’t make it our song. And it’s just so…cliché.»
«Love is a cliché, Manon.»
She rolled her eyes, but a playful smile graced her lips. «How did I end up with such a hopeless romantic?»
«I’ll show you romantic,» Dorian said, his blue eyes twinkling. «Come here.»
He held out his hand, and said in a hushed voice, «Dance with me.»
«You know I can’t dance,» she whispered.
«We’ll go slow,» Dorian promised her.
Hesitantly, she took his hand, and he pulled her close, tucking her head under his chin. Dorian placed a hand on her back, and slowly began swaying to the music.
Manon closed her eyes, relishing the moment.
And as Dorian began to softly sing along, his voice low and raspy, Manon decided that this, right here, in his arms, was where she wanted to spend the rest of her life.
Broken down and hungry for your love
With no way to feed it
Had someone told her this all those years ago, that she would one day be standing here, with Dorian Havilliard of all people, in their home, expecting his child, she would laugh herself hoarse.
But she wished.
Wished that past Manon had known how much she needed a family.
So I'll wait for you, and I'll burn
Will I ever see your sweet return
Oh, will I ever learn?
A/N: Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm really loving this AU more and more for every chapter I write!
Also, I’d like to give a huge thanks to everyone who comments/reblogs etc. It means the world to me!
Tag list: @fireheartdreamerstarborn
(let me know if you wanna be tagged, and I’ll try to put together a list)
