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secret-shanghai-scribblings · 8 months ago

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Pumpkin

Spoilers for the epilogue and In True Delights (the bonus chapter of Foul Heart Huntsman) - Rosalind and Orion meet the newest member of the family. And bring a pumpkin pie.

AO3 link here if you prefer to read on there!

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“Katherina?” he asked, (...) “I met her as a newborn.” - In True Delights - Chloe Gong

When I read that quote, I knew what I had to do (and yes, I definitely did count these words towards my nano word count even though it is NEITHER of the camp nano projects I should be doing, don’t @ me)

——-

As soon as Rosalind and Orion had received the correspondence that the baby had arrived, they were already packing their bags for Zhouzhang.

Mere days later, they stood at the door of the Mai residence, Rosalind doing the agreed upon knock with her free hand, the other holding a dish containing a pumpkin pie that she hoped tasted better than it looked - the crust going from overly thick on one side to thin and slightly burned on the other. (It was her fiancé’s fault for lifting her to the kitchen counter in one effortless swoop and… distracting her).

The door swung open almost instantly. In all the years she had known Roma Montagov, she had never seen him look so utterly exhausted. But in the same vein, she’d never seen his eyes so happy.

“Come in,” he spoke softly, stepping aside to give the guests room to enter.

The door had barely closed behind them before Orion wrapped his arms around Roma, tapping his shoulder goodnaturedly.

“Congratulations, Bàba.” Orion said, his voice full of mirth, “How does it feel?”

Rosalind let the two men have their moment as she made her way into the home, first stopping in the kitchen to leave her gift on the counter before trying to search for her cousin.

She needn’t look far, Juliette was in the main sitting area, looking down at the bundle of blankets she currently held in her arms. The only sign that it wasn’t merely blankets was the black hair poking out at the top, contrasting against the cream coloured crocheted squares.

“You can come closer, she doesn’t bite.” Juliette said to Rosalind without lifting her gaze away from her daughter, her voice soft, “Well, she does try. But it’s only gums and tongue. Similar to being licked by an old dog.”

Rosalind chuckled at the comparison, walking over slowly so as to not perturb the baby. She hadn’t been around many, so she wasn’t sure of the etiquette, but she knew her cousin wouldn’t hesitate to tell her immediately if she was doing something wrong. She sat to Juliette’s left on the sofa, giving her knee a soft squeeze as a greeting. She leaned forward until she could see properly into the burrowing of blankets.

Katherina was beautiful. Rosalind had heard before that babies were ugly little creatures when they first came into the world, writhing and wrinkled and wailing. It had only been a few days, but it seemed that the infant had seemingly already gotten through that stage, now only looking angelic with her eyes closed, the long black eyelashes fluttering ever so slightly as she breathed in and out.

Realistically, Rosalind had known about this baby for upwards of seven months. She’d visited as often as she feasibly could throughout the pregnancy as she tried to assist in multiple roles - whether it was bringing an offering of different foods to see which pleased Juliette at the time, taking her cousin on outings to buy new clothes as her middle grew and grew, or fussing over Juliette every time she stood when she was nearing full-term (much to her chagrin).

But now there was a tiny, little human. Gently held in her Mother’s arms. Sleeping soundly without a care in the world. As if she knew that she was going to grow up in a household that cared for her so dearly. That she would be protected by not only her parents, but a wider family that would be prepared to lay down their lives if it ever came to it. That she would go through life surrounded by joviality and care and so much love.

“Biǎojiě, are you alright?”

Rosalind’s gaze tore from Katherina to look at Juliette. It was only when her cousin’s face was blurry that she noticed she had tears in her eyes. And down her cheeks.

“I don’t know,” she answered truthfully, something between a laugh and a sob escaping her throat as she hurried to wipe her cheeks, feeling oddly foolish.

Without looking behind her, she felt a presence sit next to her, as if crying had simply summoned her partner from thin air. Orion’s arm wrapped around her waist, his thumb moving up and down in a calming motion, soft but just firmly enough to be felt through the fabric of her dress.

He spoke as soon as Roma settled down next to his partner also, giving her a kiss on the cheek then leaning down and doing the same to his daughter, in what seemed to have already become second nature to him.

“We brought you a pumpkin pie,” Orion said, taking the attention away from Rosalind as she composed herself, her eyes still watching the little one as she moved slightly, seemingly fighting the tight swaddle.

Juliette seemed amused at the statement. Not because she didn’t understand the reference. Ever since the announcement ‘art’ and Orion’s interpretation of it, everyone around the baby had taken to saying ‘pumpkin’, mostly because it sounded better than saying ‘it’ when they didn’t know the sex of the child. Phrases like 'how is the pumpkin behaving?’ and ‘the pumpkin seems to have grown’ had become commonplace over the past months.

She replied, “You don’t think that has a slight… cannibalistic air about it?” The phrase made Roma scoff at the absurdity as he leaned towards her, as if there was a magnetic pull between the new family unit that couldn’t be broken.

Orion leaned in to whisper into Rosalind’s ear, but deliberately spoke loud enough to still be heard by everyone, “I told you it was strange.”

She swatted at his thigh with a chuckle, no trace of tears present any longer.

The four of them sat in silence, simply admiring the baby for the little miracle that she was. Rosalind couldn’t help casting her mind back a few years, back to when it would’ve been inconceivable that Juliette and Roma could even be in the same room together without there being an imminent threat of life. And now…

“You… made a life.” Rosalind whispered, watching as Katherina began to stir, a tiny clenched fist escaping from the top of her swaddle, which Rosalind couldn’t help but touch with her own hand, smoothing a fingertip along the knuckles as softly as she could.

“With some assistance, yes.” Juliette chuckled, looking over to her husband and revelling in the way she could still make him blush after all these years, even as he pretended not to be affected at all, playfully pinching his daughter’s feet as they kicked beneath the blanket.

“It’s just…” Rosalind paused, her mind scrambling for a word with a meaning grand enough to encompass it all, “miraculous.”

She hummed in agreement for a moment, “It would’ve been more miraculous if she would’ve simply arrived in my arms, instead of all that fuss.”

The words prompted Roma to brush a lock of his wife’s hair behind her ear, kissing the temple that he uncovered. She leaned in without thinking, her eyes fluttering closed as she did so.

There was something unspoken between the couple in that simple interaction. Something that encompassed many emotions, but most of all, relief. Rosalind almost felt as if she was intruding by watching, so instead she glanced down at the baby once more.

As Katherina opened her eyes, Rosalind’s began to tear up again. -----

Rosalind still had a tumultuous relationship with sleep after being cured. Falling asleep was always easy enough, especially when she had someone to either talk to if they both still felt too alert, or to hold her and gently pepper kisses on her exposed skin if they were too tired for words.

She never thought she could be someone who would comfortably sleep next to someone else, expecting to worry about needing to move and feeling trapped when she was unable to do so. But now, as she woke up most days with either an arm draped across her waist or a heavy head on her chest holding her captive, she didn’t mind at all. Especially because she knew Orion was a heavy enough sleeper these days that she could simply push him off (gently) and the only sign he’d give that he had noticed was a deep sigh or a soft snore.

She usually woke up with the sun regardless of whether the sunlight had permeated through the curtains, loving the quiet she could have to herself before beginning the day proper. And judging from the little mewls she heard from the main bedroom as she stirred her tea in the kitchen, someone else was an early riser too.

Rosalind padded over to the bedroom, pushing the door open as gently as she could. The parents were still sound asleep - Juliette’s head resting on Roma’s chest, her hair obscuring most of her face - but Katherina was wide awake, her dark eyes looking up at the ceiling from her bassinet in the corner of the room, her legs kicking beneath a thick blanket.

She moved towards the baby, pressing her index finger against her own lips as if she would understand the request to stay quiet. Somehow, it seemed that she did, Katherina’s small mouth widening silently at the sight of someone peering over at her.

Rosalind moved her hands down to her small waist, lifting her up slowly as if she was a primed grenade ready to explode. Luckily, she showed no signs of being displeased as Rosalind manoeuvred her awkwardly, definitely not accustomed to holding babies. After a few odd movements, the baby was resting against her nightdress, her cheek against the soft silk. She stepped outside, closing the door behind her softly, letting the two parents get their well deserved rest.

She sat on the sofa in the same spot Juliette had been holding the baby the previous night, letting Katherina settle into her lap.

“Do you usually wake up early too?” Rosalind whispered, even though she knew that not only could Katherina not understand her, but she hadn’t exactly been in this world long enough to have a solidified sleep schedule.

Still, the baby had no idea that the question was mundane, replying by cooing quietly, her eyes locked with Rosalind’s.

“You’re very well behaved for not screaming the house down as soon as you awoke,” she continued, dragging the back of her index finger against the baby’s cheek, revelling in the softness.

Katherina seemed to startle at the touch at first - Rosalind briefly worrying if her hands might’ve been too cold - but then she leaned back towards her with her mouth as open as it seemed to go, lips wrapping against the fingertip.

Rosalind chuckled warmly as she felt the tongue against the pad of her finger, wiggling it playfully. “You truly are like a dog.”

“It’s a good thing I’m here to defend Katherina against such insults.”

Rosalind didn’t need to turn around to see who had made the remark, mostly because he was already coming to sit next to her.

Orion kissed his fiancée on the cheek, then bent down to kiss Katherina’s cheek too. The motion instantly reminded her of Roma doing the same the night before, but she didn’t dare mention it.

He spoke again, “How long has this girl’s club been in session?”

“Only a few minutes,” Rosalind replied, knowing he was asking after her sleep, since he knew she’d often wake up before she was fully rested, whether that be naturally or caused by nightmares, “We haven’t even started talking about boys yet.”

“Oh, boys are awful.” He commiserated instantly, shaking his head in admonishment. “You don’t ever want to be involved with them. And I think your father will agree with me on that front.”

Rosalind hummed, as if pondering the future situation, “I assume your mother will threaten any of your future partners with knives, no matter what their gender may be.”

Orion let out a soft laugh, which prompted Katherina to make a noise too, as if she wanted to be included in the conversation, “You have plenty of time to decide on that though, little one. And you’ll be loved no matter what you pick.”

Rosalind felt her chest swell at the sentiment, even as it was said in such an offhand manner. The two simply watched the baby as she moved, beginning to smack her lips together, looking somewhat like a fish out of water. Rosalind wondered whether this had some sort of meaning. Was she trying to talk? Surely it was much too early for that, but perhaps babies started attempting speech early? She had half a mind to ask her cousin, as if she would be the expert in infant speech development milestones simply because she had birthed one.

However, there was no need to because Katherina soon made it clear what she was asking for, turning her head towards Rosalind’s chest, her mouth still opening and closing.

“Oh darling,” she soothed, “I’m afraid mine are rather useless.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Orion said quietly, a teasing lilt in his words.

If Rosalind wasn’t holding the baby, she would’ve smacked him, her cheeks beginning to blossom with a furious blush, “Hush and go fetch Juliette.”

He grinned, nothing making him happier than succeeding in flustering her, “Your wish is my command, beloved.”

Orion stood up instantly, heading for the bedroom door and knocking gently. Rosalind would’ve thought it was too quiet to stir them, but she heard two voices immediately responding. Whether the light sleep was a result of parenthood or growing up in gang houses, she wasn’t sure.

Rosalind turned her focus to Katherina as she began to fuss, the hunger setting in. “Your Shūshu is rather ridiculous, isn’t he?”

Rationally, she knew he wasn’t her uncle, but it was easier to say than ‘mother’s cousin’s partner’, and she doubted Katherina would mind. The girl halted in her movements, her screwed up face softening as she heard Rosalind’s voice once more. The sound of quiet shuffling footsteps approached them.

“Thank you for watching her,” Juliette spoke, her voice still raspy from sleep as she reached for her daughter, picking her up effortlessly with one hand and beginning to unbutton the mens nightshirt she wore with the other.

Rosalind stood, taking the cue to leave, “It was no bother, she’s a sweetheart.”

Juliette scoffed, “Less so when she is screaming loud enough to be heard by all the neighbours, but yes, I suppose she’s alright.”

She smiled, letting Juliette feed Katherina before she began the aforementioned screaming. Rosalind walked towards the door that led outside, seeing that Orion was already there, sat on a wooden bench with his head tilted up towards the sky. She joined him without words, sitting close enough that their outstretched hands were touching, reminiscent of when they were in a prison cell after being arrested. She rested her pinkie finger beside his, exactly as she had done that night, still feeling the rush of adrenaline and swell in her chest that she had experienced the first time.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Rosalind couldn’t help but snicker at the question, glancing at her partner who still had his eyes closed and head facing upwards. “I was thinking about you in prison.”

He frowned, cracking one eye open to regard her properly, “I haven’t annoyed you that much yet, have I? The day has barely begun.”

She responded by bumping her shoulder with his, but instead of moving away afterwards, she simply let herself rest against his arm. As if there were a gravitational force between them, Orion instantly wrapped his arm around her slender frame, resting his head atop hers. They sat there quietly for a while, listening as the world around them began to awake: birds chirping above, the water lapping in the stream, the occasional faint rumble of a car engine passing.

Orion was the first to break the silence, his voice low and quiet.

“Do you want one?”

She didn’t need to ask for clarification. Her lips pursed as she considered the question, pressing her cheek into his shoulder, “I never thought I did. Even growing up as a child. And I thought seeing Juliette’s symptoms would be enough to discourage me, with all the sickness and the emotions and the… waddling.”

Rosalind felt his chuckle as much as she heard it, “You’d be a very adorable penguin.”

“Ah, just what every woman longs to hear.” She mused, rolling her eyes even if he couldn’t see it.

The conversation dropped there for a moment, the two still simply enjoying being in companionable quiet. This time, it was Rosalind who spoke first.

“Still, not for a while yet.” She continued, as if there was never a pause.

Orion hummed in agreement, “You’d be an amazing mother.”

Instantly, she began to imagine it. Orion being at her beck and call throughout her whole pregnancy (even more than he already was). The two of them decorating a room together, creating the perfect place for their new arrival. Him being at her side during the birth - and Celia too, no doubt - whispering soft encouragements in her ear.

As for the two of them actually being parents, she could imagine that she would be the strict one and Orion would be more lenient, but maybe they would each be a mix of the two. Working as one unit, as they were accustomed to. It was so easy to envision with him.

Days out in the park, with their own snacks in a hamper. Running as they chased each other in the fields, Orion pretending to collapse to the ground when he was caught.

Night time routines with Rosalind telling bedtime stories and Orion adding his own quips between the lines to try and make them laugh.

Trying to chastise Orion and their child when she found them awake much too late into the night, giggling together under blankets, but then joining them without needing any convincing, even if she knew they’d all be tired when morning came.

“This is where you reply saying I would be a good father too, in case you weren’t aware.”

Rosalind laughed, lifting her head up to look at her partner properly, placing a hand on each side of his face, “You would be. If a little…” she scrunched her nose as she thought of the correct word to use, “untraditional.”

He grinned as if it was the greatest compliment he’d ever received, “‘Untraditional’ is what we do. Who else would get married before having their first kiss? Or live together before going on a date? Or-”

“Yes, yes, I understand your point.” She used one hand to tap his face, as if she was trying to find an off switch.

Orion wound his hands around her waist, then - ever so softly - moved one to place on Rosalind’s lower stomach. She wondered if he could feel how her insides flipped at the touch and all its implications.

She was vaguely aware of someone coming to stand in the doorway, but didn’t tear her gaze away.

“Do you have some news to share, cousin dearest?” Juliette smirked, holding Katherina on her shoulder and patting her back.

Rosalind definitely didn’t. But perhaps, one day, she would.

#foul lady fortune #foul heart huntsman #secret shanghai #rosalind lang #orion hong #high tide #juliette cai #roma montagov #these violent delights #our violent ends #chloe gong #romajuliette #no idea what to tag so hope thats all chill

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