#I’m sorry Your Honor but I must reblog my first husband it’s the law

[isabellitah]

Title : Our Wife

Pairing : Sakusa Kiyoomi x Female!Reader x Miya Atsumu

Warning : blood ig, curse words, attempted rape, torture, and mentions of death

Credits : to the artists regarding the drawings of Sakusa Kiyoomi and Miya Atsumu found on the banner- i saved them from pinterest I think.

Note : do not copy or repost this anywhere else. I do not write Haikyuu!! fics anywhere else.

Y/n Miya-Sakusa was scared. No- scratch that- you were terrified.

You wouldn’t show it to your captors though- your husbands taught you to never show fear- but Jesus Christ- you were terrified not only for yourself but more so for your unborn child- a child you didn’t even know existed until half an hour before you got kidnapped from your own room. For the past hour that you’ve been tied to a chair in the middle of the room, they haven’t touched your body. The same couldn’t be said for your face. Half of your face was covered in slightly dried blood; blood that came a wound you got when they slammed your head against the edge of your beside drawer to knock you unconscious, and a spilt lip that was still bleeding slightly from when they punched you when you spat at the face of the person who demanded your husbands’ locations and the locations of all your warehouses. The thought alone made you scoff- you’re no rat. Unlike whoever the hell gave your home’s location away. Your husbands were going to be so pissed when they find you gone and your shared room thrashed about.

Sitting on the wooden chair was become a pain in the ass. Literally. You couldn’t even escape because of the metal cuffs attached to your wrists, forearms, and ankles and they took your daggers away. You’re stuck and all you can do it wait. Wait for either your husbands to burst through the door or wait for your promised torture session and possible death.

Minutes- hours- who knows how long later, two men in black barged into the room, startling you from your daydream carrying knives with guns in their holsters. Well... looks like your Omi and Tsumu are too late huh...

“Ready, Princess?” thing 1 with an eyepatch said with a smile, showing his yellow teeth, “Boss said we gots to kill ye before yer husbands get here. Ye know, so they barge in ‘ere only to see yer bleeding body. Even better if they get to see yer naked corpse, doncha think?”

“Boss said not to rape her tho-” thing 1 interrupted thing 2, “what boss doesn’t know won’t hurt ‘im. And besides- I wanna leave Miya a surprise for stabbing my eye.”

And just as thing 1 started moving towards you, a scream was heard from outside the door and echoed into the room, sending shivers down things 1 and 2’s spines. You, on the hand, smiled. They’re here... fucking finally.

“What was that?” Thing 2 looked around nervously. Huh- he must be new to the business. Poor guy he won’t make it far at this point. Thing 1 shrugged, “eh who cares? There’s no one we can’t kill.” he boasted. Dumb overconfident pig.

Another scream rang through followed by a shout of terror, “THEY’RE HERE!” that was cut off as a loud gunshot echoed through the walls followed by a series of bangs and clangs. The familiar sound brought you off guard- they brought everyone? You were sure that that clang was from Michinari’s favorite weapon- his metal bat. Where were you and who took you that they felt it necessary to have everyone here? You were brought out of your train of thoughts when you realized that all of a sudden everything and everyone was silent. All you can hear was your own heartbeat.

“Ah fuck it-” thing 1 looked at your form with a crazed look in his eyes that sent shivers down your spine.

“Dude what are you-”

“Well it’s obvious we won’t make it out alive-”

“Wait what?”

“-might as well have fun before we die, ey?”

With that said he closed the gap between you two. You felt your mind blank as tears started forming in your eyes. The moment he ripped Atsumu’s shirt from your person, the tears fell along with the loudest scream you could muster, “OMI! ATS-” you were cut off as thing 1 smacked your cheek with the butt of his gun, “shut up ye lil bitch. Yer not leavin til I get my f-”

Thing 2 was suddenly down- a hole on the side of his head. None of you even heard the door open so that meant Shinsuke was here- well him or Rintarou since they’re the stealthiest in your family.

Thing 1 suddenly stood up straight and placed his hands up with his palms up and blocking your view from whoever was with you two in the room, “hey uhhh I was forced to do this, mates- it- it wasn’t anything personal, yea?” Sat on a wooden chair in just your undergarments and the remnants of one of your husbands’ shirt, you let a small smile appear on your face. They’re here. You and your little bean are safe now.

Rintarou stepped out of the shadows and from his voice you could tell he looked bored, “so... where is she?”

Thing 1 shook his head, having lost his voice the moment his eyes met the bored yet malicious ones of one Suna Rintarou- one of the deadliest assassins of the Inarizaki family, and prayed that the fox wouldn’t notice your bleeding form behind him.

The moment you let out a sob, he pushed thing 1 away and squatted in front of you. And he was not happy with what he saw was done to you-

He saw your bloody and bruised face. He saw your shaking hands and the tears you let flow from your eyes. But what angered him the most was the fact that someone he viewed as his little sister lost the brightness is her eyes.

Any chance the idiot had with reasoning with him was gone.

“Congratulations, idiot. You’ve secured a spot in our personal dungeon.” Rintarou smiled as he heard a sharp thump before the telltale sound of a body hitting the ground, “you didn’t hit him too hard, did you, Shinsuke-san?”

“Not hard enough.”

“Ok- let’s get these off of you before your hubbies come in here,” with that said both men started unlocking the cuffs trapping you onto the chair. After freeing you, you were immediately hit with the feeling of fatigue and let your body fall onto the person closest to you. Shinsuke caught your semi-limp body and immediately became worried but calmed down as he felt your breaths. He arranged your position so that you were laying across his lap, facing the roof of the cell. Rintarou settled himself beside Shinsuke after texting Kiyoomi your location- receiving an immediate reply that they’ll be there as soon as Atsumu is out of his blood haze. Shinsuke brushed his hand through your hair but immediately stopped when you whimpered, “hit- t-table- home.”

The two men exchanged worried glances when you stared up at them with your eyelids slowly closing. Rintarou tapped your cheek, “Y/n-chan, stay awake- how do you feel right now?”

“Aish of all the questions Rin-”

“B-baby...”

“Kiyoomi-san and Tsumu will be he-”

“M-my baby...” their eyes widened as you shakily placed your hand onto your tummy before falling limp in Shinsuke’s arms. He refrained from panicking when he saw your chest still rising and falling in patterns- you probably fainted from exhaustion.

“Holy shi-”

“Y/N!”

The moment the two saw your limp body they assumed the worst- but as Atsumu was about to yell out his rage and sorrow, Osamu appeared from the shadows and hit the back of his head, “she’s breathing, you moron.”

“I knew that, shitface.”

“Who ya callin’ shitface, ya pig?”

“Who ya callin’ a pi-”

“Aran,” Kiyoomi calmly spoke as he turned to face the hitman- ignoring his husband and brother-in-law, “lead the way out- make sure that there will be no delays. We must take Y/n to Motoya immediately- we don’t know the extent of her wounds- however they look... less than favorable as of the moment.”

At the reminder of your current condition, the twins shutted up, “Osamu,”

“Yeah, Omi-san?”

“Bring that thing with us.” was muttered with great disdain while his finger was pointed towards the unconscious thing 1.

And so they left the building covered in blood with neutral faces.

They may not show it but they were livid.

They didn’t miss your tear and blood stained face nor the the fact that your shirt was ripped right down the middle.

They knew what was going to happen to you had they been a second late.

“Hitoshi and Heisuke are already tracking the rats- we’ll have them in the basement by tonight,” informed Kiyoomi’s trustworthy gunsmith, Tsukasa Iizuna.

“They better- only question now is who gets first dibs on the assholes.”

As they settled into the car, Shinsuke told them the news of your latest surprise. He knew that they’d go even more ballistic were they to find out during the check-up from Motoya. But since they were in a closed and moving car with you on their laps, they couldn’t really do much except stiffen and let their rage grow stronger- and he looks forward to seeing what they’ll do to the bastards tonight. Shinsuke, above all things, is a man of honor- and what he hates above all things, are traitors.

“PLEASE! I’M SORRY! PLEA- AHHH” Thing 1 screamed as Kiyoomi dug his dagger deeper into the man’s shoulder- forming a hollow hole of sort.

“Just a little more... I want to see if your bones are clean or if they need to cleansed as well-”

“Omi-omi~ I want my turn !” whined Atsumu as he crossed his arms and pouted at his husband.

Kiyoomi rolled his eyes, “you had your turn five minutes ago when you spilled acid onto his legs- it’s my turn now.” with that said, Kiyoomi ripped his dagger from the man’s flesh without a warning and grabbing a bowl from the prisoner’s ‘meal’, poured the bowl of scalding hot soup into the hollow flesh.

And as the man wailed, the two traitors squirmed in fear as they awaited their turns.

“We don’t usually go to this extent but what can we say...”

“No one messes with our wife.”

please reblog if you liked it hehe 🥺🥰

[blackcatkita]

The Consequence of Secrets- Chapter 16

The Return to Lythikos

Liam x Jennifer, Drake x Olivia and Leo

Jennifer and Leo have arrived in Lythikos! Drake and Olivia are... well, Drake and Olivia, with a little (huge) addition! This is another long one (big surprise) but there is a read more in there I swear. The tag list is at the end so we can get right into it and as always, if you want to be added, removed or moved to my perma tag, just let me know! I hope you like it and if you do, like, comment or reblog! I appreciate every single note. If you have any questions (beware, I may not answer them) or care to discuss this chapter or any other of my writings, my inbox is always open! 

Word Count- 7307 (I know, I know, sorry not sorry)

For all other works, please see my MASTERLIST

Disclaimer- I do not own these characters, that honor belongs to Pixelberry Studios, I’m just playing with them.

_______________

 When Jennifer woke from her nap with a blanket draped over her and a crick in her neck, two things immediately became evident, her brother-in-law was a thoughtful guy, and she should have brought a pillow. She had barely slept an hour and spent the remainder of the drive north working on her latest project while Leo snored softly beside her.

Jennifer and Liam both believed that for their reign to be considered a success, their citizens should not only survive, but thrive as well, and one way to do that was to give attention to the cultural aspects of Cordonia that Constantine ignored for so long. Liam had a deep affection for the arts and had been working with Hakim and Joelle on ensuring that the national museums and theatres were properly run and funded. While Jennifer shared her husband’s love for the arts, her true passion was animals.

The menagerie in Valtoria brought her so much joy, but it’s space was limited and there were so many animals out there in need of rescue. Working closely with zoologists, veterinarians, animal rights groups and the Cordonian Zoological Society, Jennifer was well on her way to building a large animal sanctuary outside the capital.  

The first order of business was obtaining the funds needed and so, she found herself organizing a fundraiser. Letters had gone out far and wide, including a ‘personal’ note from the King and Queen themselves. Even her parents got in on the action, her father’s company pledging the ridiculous amount of three million dollars. She knew right away there was an ulterior motive, and she didn’t mean a tax write off, her parents never did anything without asking for something in return. It had taken all of fifteen minutes to find out what it was. Her mother had the audacity to ask to be in the room when she gave birth and Jennifer told her in no uncertain terms to shove it up her ass… she didn’t think that check was coming.

“We will be at the estate in a few minutes Your Majesty.”

Glancing up from her laptop at the voice from the front of the vehicle, she’s surprised to see the snow covered ground out the window. Time flies when you’re reading through lists of silent auction items and menu options. Shutting her computer and stowing it into her bag, she reaches across the gap to nudge Leo, laughing when he yelps, and startles awake. He yawns, blinking sleepily at her like a newborn puppy.

Duchy Lythikos looks the same as the last time she was here, with slightly less snow. When the vehicle stops in front of the house, the guard from the passenger seat opens her door, giving her his hand to help her out. She takes it and stands, stretching her arms over her head and arching her back with a groan. Since Liam wasn’t here to rub her back, she was definitely going to have to do that stretching routine tonight. “I swear there were less stairs last time.” She pouts, glancing up at the manor.

Leo walks up, his duffel bag slung casually over his shoulder again. “I’d offer you a piggy-back ride, but your stomach might be a hindrance.” Offering his arm instead, she takes it and begins the climb to the front door.

“King Liam requests we do a full sweep of the house before you enter Your Majesty.” Andrew, the guardsman standing slightly behind her to the right says.

“Well, Queen Jennifer requests she doesn’t freeze to death on the porch.” She retorts, reaching for the sword shaped door knocker. She loved how protective Liam was and he had good reason to be, but in this instance, he was being paranoid. Olivia had more than proven her loyalty and Drake was here, he would never let anything happen to her. The pommel of the sword clacks against the metal plate affixed to the door as she knocks three times before stepping back.

Loud guttural barking sounds on the other side of the door, continuing as she hears Olivia’s screaming voice yell over it. “Control that mutt before he knocks over the pregnant Queen!”

Jennifer’s eyes widen, surprised that Drake convinced Olivia to let a dog into her house. “Now there’s a sound I never thought I’d hear coming from Olivia’s house.”

“No kidding.” Leo chuckles as the barking becomes muffled, moving further away. “Maybe living with Drake has softened little Livvy into a normal person.”

“We’ll see…” She had no doubt that Drake and Olivia cared for each other, anyone that paid attention could see that, but they could still be considered… volatile. It was going to be interesting to see their dynamic now that they were cohabitating.

Olivia stands in the middle of the foyer as the door opens, the attendant who opened it presumably hidden behind. “Your Majesty. Prince Leo.” She greets. “Welcome to Lythikos.”

The light scent of orange hits Jennifer’s nose as she enters, taking in the wood surfaces that gleam without a speck of dust. “Olivia!” She exclaims, wrapping her in a hug that Olivia stiffly returns with one arm. “I missed you!”

“Must you do that every time we see each other?” Olivia steps back, her face trained in a scowl while she smooths the front of her crimson sweater. “Your constant need for affection is disgusting.”

“You love me. Admit it.” Jennifer grins.

“I will not.” Olivia replies curtly, her lips pressed together.

Leo’s face is the picture of mischief as he drops his duffel bag on the floor, the sound echoing around the vast entrance hall. “Livvy…” He teases, moving quickly toward her with his arms outstretched as she puts out her hand and steps back, panic in her eyes. She bumps into a large table behind her, the vase of flowers rattling from the impact while he takes her face in his hands and leans in to kiss her cheeks.

Jennifer removes her coat with a smile and hands it to the sheepish man waiting for it as Olivia squeals, turning her face away and pushing against Leo’s shoulders. “Get those things away from me! God only knows where they’ve been!”

“You don’t know how right you are Duchess.” Leo chuckles, winning the war against her and pressing a kiss to her cheek while she grimaces. “It’s good to see you again. Where is the illustrious Sir Drake?”

“Putting that menace of a dog away.” Olivia gestures to a staff member who immediately begins taking their bags up the stairs. “There’s refreshments in the parlor, follow me.”

“But I want to meet the dog!” Jennifer exclaims, following at Olivia’s heels into the lounge. She eyes the tea set on the coffee table beside plates of pastries and finger sandwiches and her mouth starts to water in anticipation. Her caffeine addiction had been a real bitch to get over and she still found herself tempted after five months of not having it.

“You will. But not until he settles down. It’s… quite large and Drake has yet to break him of his tendency to jump onto shoulders.” Olivia settles herself onto the sofa, leaning back comfortably and crossing her legs while Leo plops down beside her and reaches for a sandwich. “The tea is herbal, by the way.”

Jennifer smiles, letting that be her reply. Olivia liked to pretend she didn’t care about anyone, but her actions proved otherwise. She showed how much she cared in many ways, like changing the menu to suit Drake’s tastes at the Winter Festival, turning over every bit of information she had about her family without question or knowing Jennifer shouldn’t have caffeine and planning accordingly. She knew better than to address Olivia’s thoughtfulness out loud, but that didn’t mean she didn’t appreciate it.

“Jennifer…”

Her smile widens at the voice behind her, he’s quiet, tentative. “Drake…” She breathes out, turning to look at him. He stands awkwardly at the entrance to the room, a small smile playing on his face. His hair is longer than when he left, styled back away from his face, the beard he’s grown short and well maintained. He looks handsome in his dark green sweater and jeans, Lythikos has been good to him.  

He steps forward with his arms open slightly, his eyes falling to her stomach then back to her face with a questioning look. “Can I…?”

“Yes… you won’t squish the baby.” Smiling through her watering eyes she closes the distance between them, reaching up as he crouches down slightly to accommodate her much shorter frame. His strong arms wrap around her waist, holding her close, their chins resting on each other’s shoulders. She stays there a few moments, comforted as she breathes in the scent that is his alone. If Liam smelled like the sea, Drake smelled like the forest, like earth and wood and just a hint of burning logs.

“Damn, I missed you.” His chest rises and falls against her own and he steps back, his hands still on her waist as he appraises her with a smile. “Pregnancy is a good look for you Rys.”

“Thank you.” She smiles broadly as his hands drop to his sides. “Lumberjack is a good look for you.”

“Yeah yeah…” He chuckles, running his hand through his facial hair. “This beard comes in handy in this climate I’ll have you know.” Walking past her, he greets Leo with a handshake before turning to Olivia with his eyebrow raised and his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Can I bring the dog out now, Your Grace?”

“Yes! I want to meet the dog!” Jennifer exclaims with a little bounce.

Olivia rolls her eyes, her signature smirk on her lips. “If he can control himself, fine. Jennifer, you should sit down.”

Drake smiles, leaving the room through the same archway he entered as Jennifer sits in the armchair across from Olivia and Leo, remembering Olivia’s comment about the dog jumping on shoulders. The bark sounded like a large breed, but shoulders? What was it, a Saint Bernard?

“Just how big is this dog?” Leo asks.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Olivia sighs deeply.

The biggest damn dog she has ever seen comes amiably trotting into the room, his tongue lolling out of his scruffy face. He has to be nearly three feet tall, his head almost reaching the top of her own as she sits on the edge of the armchair. His hair is wiry, mixed with shades of grey and black, with golden eyes and floppy ears. 

Leo lets out a low whistle, his eyes widened at the sight of the immense dog. “Holy shit… You’re right Livvy, I wouldn’t have believed you.”

The dog looks around at Olivia and the two visitors before making up his mind and walking over to Jennifer. “Hello there.” She says giggling, reaching out her open palm for him to sniff. His kind golden eyes meet her blue ones and he licks her hand, nudging under it with a whine, asking her to pet his head.

“I knew he’d like you.” Drake enters the room, taking the chair next to her. “Jennifer, meet Toast. Toast meet my friend Jennifer.” Toast looks over to his master, taking one step toward him before deciding to stay with the new lady petting him.

“You’re a handsome one, aren’t you?” Jennifer asks the dog, giving him a thorough scratching as his eyes close in bliss. “What kind of puppy are you?”

“Irish Wolfhound.” Drake replies. “I met him at the animal shelter when Olivia and I volunteered there. An elderly couple brought him in because he was too big to handle. They wanted an Irish Setter but got confused by the breed names. He and I hit it off, so I brought him home, he’s less than a year old but fully grown.”

“Thank the gods for that…” Olivia mumbles.

“Why did you name him Toast?” His tags shake with a metallic chime and he lets out a sound, halfway between a whine and a grumble as Jennifer scratches under his collar. “Oh yeah… that’s a good spot isn’t it?”

Drake shrugs. “He likes toast.”

“If he doesn’t stop chewing up my shoes and shitting in my closet he’s going to be toast.” Olivia cuts in forcefully.

“Maybe you should try being nicer to him.” Drake responds with a side-glance at Olivia.

“Designer shoes are yummy, aren’t they? Yes, they are…” Toast rests his head on Jennifer’s knee, his golden eyes turned up to her while she continues to pet him. “Can we go back to Olivia volunteering at the animal shelter? And please tell me there are pictures.”

“No, we may not and no there are not.” Olivia scowls. “If you’re quite finished making kissy face at the dog, perhaps you’d like to freshen up before dinner, it will be served promptly at five thirty.”

“That sounds great actually. I can wash the road off and I want to call Liam. I was supposed to call him when we got here, I’m kind of surprised he hasn’t called me yet.”

“Oh, great…” Leo grumbles, looking at his watch. “It’s four, which means we have what? Approximately three hours before this place is swarming with the royal guard?”

“You’re being generous with the time Leo.” Drake laughs heartily. “He probably sent the jet, which means it could be any minute now.”

Olivia quirks the corner of her mouth in a sly, half smirk half grin and shoots Jennifer a smug look. “I’ll send a car to pick him up.”

Rolling her eyes and fighting the urge to flip them off, Jennifer stands, choosing to ignore them instead. Maybe people didn’t understand the deep love she and Liam shared, but she certainly wasn’t going to apologize for it and one of these times she was going to say something she would regret. “Come on Toast, we can facetime with your Uncle Liam, he’s going to love you.” She walks away, Toast looking up at her as he follows alongside. She stops briefly in the archway, turning to look at the humans in the room. “I’ll see the rest of you assholes at dinner.”

~~~~~

After a fifteen minute facetime with Liam between his meetings, a long hot shower, and a change of clothes, Jennifer makes her way down to the dining room to meet the others, finding them all seated around the table already.

“How are you still always the last to arrive?” Olivia asks in way of a greeting.

Drake leans to the side in his chair to look behind her, “Where’s Toast?”

“Hello to you too.” Sitting across from Leo, she picks up her napkin, shaking it open and gently placing it on her lap. “He’s curled up on my bed, fast asleep.”

“You’re not stealing my dog Rys.”

“Wanna bet?” She asks with a mischievous grin. Drake grumbles in response as servers bring out platters overflowing with racks of ribs, roasted potatoes and half ears of corn. Never in a million years would she have expected to see such a spread in Olivia’s house, Drake has clearly had an influence on her lifestyle.

“Don’t worry Jen, I won’t tell Liam you didn’t have a salad for dinner.” Leo chuckles from across the table while Olivia rolls her eyes, already over his jokes.

“I eat plenty of meat Leo. You’re just never around long enough to notice.” A heavy silence descends on the table at her harsh tone, the only sound coming from Drake chewing his food slowly until he swallows with a soft gulp.

“Touché… But, maybe that will change.” Leo looks at her, one side of his mouth curled up, winking at her for good measure.

The four fall into friendly conversation as they eat, with Leo talking about his racing career at length and what his plans are now that he was getting divorced, she can’t help but notice they don’t sound any different than the plans he had before.

As long as she has known them, Drake and Olivia have bickered about everything, and she is not surprised to find that’s still the case. In the last hour, they’ve argued about everything from the sauce on the ribs being too sweet to Drake’s taste in whiskey, all while shooting each other coy smiles across the table. It’s refreshing to see them so openly flirty with their teasing and it isn’t until Olivia brings up Drake refusing to attend the spring picnic at the palace that the mood becomes uncomfortable.  

“Let it go Olivia.” Drake says through clenched teeth, his narrowed eyes warning her as a server takes his empty plate.

“You won’t explain it to me, maybe you’ll explain it to her.” Olivia inclines her head to Jennifer, her grip so tight on her butter knife that her knuckles are white. “It’s her invitation you’re refusing after all.”

When they received the proposed guest list for approval, Jennifer was surprised to see Drake’s name and attempted to cross him off, Liam was the one who insisted he should remain. She opens her mouth to speak, closing it with a gasp as Drake slams his hand on the table, the remaining dishes rattling under the force of his blow. “I’m going to the stables.” Pushing away from the table, he stands so abruptly the legs of his chair thump against the floor before walking away.

“Oh of course!” Olivia shouts at Drake’s back. “Go run to the stables like you always do!”

“I wouldn’t need to if your stable hands did the job they were hired to do!” Drake yells back over his shoulder.

Leo’s wide eyes meet Jennifer’s, one corner of his mouth stretched to the side in a grimace. He glances over to Olivia, still clutching her knife, “I think I’ll join you!” He jumps up from his chair, giving Jennifer a look that says ‘good luck’ before retreating out of the room.

Jennifer watches the empty doorway and waits until she hears the back door open and close before turning to Olivia, “Does he do that often?”

Olivia sighs, relaxing her grip and placing the knife down softly. “Only when I bring up Liam, the palace or court in general.”

“Maybe you should stop bringing it up.” Jennifer reaches for her water glass to avoid Olivia’s stern gaze. She knew Drake better than most and how to handle him, but he was in a relationship now and she didn’t want to step on Olivia’s toes. She would have to tread carefully to not cause a bigger argument.

“Nevrakises don’t give up.” Jennifer fights the urge to roll her eyes, happy that she did as Olivia’s resolve crumbles and she hangs her head, resting her forehead in her palm. “He’s driving me crazy.” She states simply.

“Okay…” Jennifer responds slowly, unsure what she should do with that bit of information. “What is he doing that drives you crazy?”

Olivia lifts her head, the fire back in her eyes and raises her hand, ticking off her grievances on each finger. “The man won’t eat a salad to save his life, he spends half his time nitpicking the holes in my security and the other half lecturing the stable hands that they aren’t ‘nice’ enough to the horses. Then to top it all off, he has the nerve to let that beast into our bed! Do you have any idea how much space that thing takes up? I live in a constant state of dog hair.” Her nose scrunches in disgust as she picks at her sweater, brandishing a long black dog hair like a fencing sword.

“Then tell him you don’t want Toast sleeping in bed with you.” Jennifer shrugs. “Problem solved.”

“Ugh.” Olivia rolls her eyes, waving her hand in dismissal. “That’s the least of my concerns. He needs something else to occupy his time.” She leans back in her chair and crosses her arms, “You have to do something about this.”

“What am I supposed to do?” Jennifer asks, confused as to what she had to do with it.

“Make Liam talk to him.”

“I can’t make Liam do anything.”

“Oh please.” Olivia snaps, rolling her eyes dramatically. “Everyone knows you have him wrapped around your little finger.”

Attempting to quell her annoyance at Olivia’s comment, she rests her hand on the baby and closes her eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly before her eyes open again. It isn’t the first time someone assumed she had absolute power over her husband, but if that was true, he would have been speaking to Drake months ago. Liam was his own man, and he could be stubborn when he felt strongly about something, this situation being a prime example. They were finally able to put that night behind them and she wasn’t willing to put her marriage at risk again. “This is different Olivia. If I push too hard before he’s ready, it’s only going to make it worse. This has to be Liam’s decision.”

Olivia’s shoulders fall with a resigned sigh, “I knew those two were stubborn, but this is ridiculous. If I keep pushing the issue he’s bound to relent eventually.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought when I tried that method too…” She shakes her head, closing her eyes against the sting of fresh tears that annoyingly came whenever she had any kind of emotion. She would never forget that night, never forget the look on his face when he admitted that the thought of Drake touching her disgusted him. Determined not to cry, she blinks back the tears, stopping her thoughts from going down that road. “Let’s just say… it wasn’t a pleasant conversation.”

Olivia’s eyes soften as she watches her, the corners of her mouth dipping into a frown. “So, what do we do?”

“At this point I don’t know if there’s much else we can do. One of them is going to have to open up the line of communication.” Sighing deeply, she looks through the archway into the hall, staring at nothing while she formulates a plan. “Let me talk to Drake, see if I can convince him to at least call Liam. If he does, I know Liam will talk to him.”

“You do have an annoying ability to get people to do what you want. And Drake will listen to you.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure, but I’ll try.” She stands, yawning into her hand as she stretches, her eyelids heavy from the events of the day. “I’ll talk to him tomorrow, but for now, I’m pooped. I’ll see you in the morning Olivia.”

“See you in the morning Jennifer.”

~~~~~

The sky is still dark with night early the next morning while Jennifer lays in bed, staring at the ceiling after a fitful night of barely any sleep. She considered herself to be a strong person, prided herself on it, and her ability to take events in stride was the envy of many who knew her. The thought that she wasn’t ready to return to Lythikos hadn’t even crossed her mind when she decided to come, but her lack of sleep proved otherwise. She had been fine when she was on the phone with Liam, but after she dozed off on him for the third time he insisted they hang up, so she could get some rest. It had been little snippets of sleep since.

First, she tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable in a strange bed without him, missing his warmth on her back and his strong arms around her, only succumbing due to pure exhaustion. Several times in the twilight of sleep, she imagined she heard a noise, or felt someone enter the room. Paralyzed as she laid there, the nerve endings in her spine tingling until she was able to shake herself awake, her heart racing as she listened intently, the only sound the pounding in her ears.

When she did manage to fall asleep completely, her dreams were filled with Anton’s face, standing next to a bassinet at the side of her bed, staring down at her child or back in the vault below, with his gun pointed at her chest while she cradled her baby in her arms. Each time she woke up in a cold sweat, shivering from both fear and the cold air with tears in her eyes and her stomach in knots. While awake, her rational mind knew that she and the baby were in no danger, Anton was gone, but that didn’t stop her subconscious from haunting her.

Turning the lamp on and playing music on her phone helped a little, relaxing her enough to doze until she woke to a rhythmic thumping sound coming from somewhere down the hall. She was just about to call someone to see if they were being invaded when Olivia’s cries of pleasure reached her ears. Suddenly, Liam’s parting gift made sense and she ran as quickly as she could across the room to get her purse, dumping its contents on the bed in a desperate search to find the earplugs. Since then, she’s been lying there, her mind racing with thoughts of how exactly her husband knew Olivia was a loud lover. Knowing his alarm would go off at six o’clock, and unable to take it any longer, she waits until 5:45 to sit up and dial his phone.

She hears the smile in his voice as he answers, “You’re up early.”

“Couldn’t sleep.” She states pointedly. “Care to tell me how you know Olivia is a loud lover?”

She hears him shift in bed, taking far too many seconds to answer for her taste. “Have you been lying awake all night worrying about this?”

“Answer the question Liam.”

“Very well. I know Olivia can be…” he clears his throat, “vocal, because I’ve stayed at her home many times over the years.”

“Did you ever sleep with her?” She forces the question out despite the tinge of worry in her stomach. If she’s being honest, it didn’t really matter at this point if he had or hadn’t, they were married, happy… He didn’t know the men she had slept with before they got together… but maybe that was the problem. He didn’t know them, didn’t have to see them… she knew Olivia.

“Of course not. Olivia and I have always just been friends, you know that.”

“Sometimes people have sex with their friends.”

“That may very well be, but in this instance that is not the case.” He yawns, and she pictures him in bed, so handsome with his blond hair disheveled from sleep. “Did you honestly think I had?”

“No… not really.” Laying back with a sigh, her head sinks into the plush pillow, “But if you had…”

“Jennifer, I didn’t.” He assures her, chuckling. “I would never lie to you, I swear.”

“I know that. Of course, I know that.” That was something she could always count on, he always told her the truth, even when she didn’t want to hear it. Like the time she attempted to make a roast leg of lamb and he essentially said it was disgusting. “I’m sorry I woke you up.” She adds, feeling very foolish for letting her thoughts get the best of her.

“I wish I could say waking up to your voice was a nice surprise, but I was already up. I didn’t sleep much last night, too busy missing my beautiful wife. How is that baby of ours?”

“Just fine, rolling around like usual.” She smiles down at her stomach as she rubs it up and down, the fabric of the tank top she wore to bed soft under her hand. “I missed you too, I barely slept at all.”

“I wish you had called earlier.” Chance lets out a roo in the background and Liam whispers to him, undoubtedly petting him as he does. “I could have eased your mind.”

“That was only part of it.”

“What was the other part?” She sniffles as tears well in her eyes, again, too embarrassed to admit that she wasn’t as strong as he thought she was. “Jennifer… What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“No…” She answers slowly, knowing he wasn’t going to let this go and that she shouldn’t have brought it up. Now he’s just going to worry until she gets home. “not this time anyway.”

“Ah, I see…” He says quietly.

“It’s stupid. I know he’s gone, that he can’t hurt us anymore but…”

“But that doesn’t stop the painful memories.”

“Or the nightmares.” She hadn’t dreamt of Anton in months, but then, she hadn’t been in Lythikos either... and they never included the baby before. “My dreams have been so vivid since getting pregnant but usually you’re there to calm me down.” She pauses, “Maybe I shouldn’t have come here without you, I just didn’t think it would affect me like this.”

“You went through a traumatic experience there, especially considering the person behind it was someone you trusted. It’s only natural to have some residual effects.”

“I suppose you’re right, it’s just frustrating to know I’m afraid for no reason.”

“It’s not for no reason.”  She hears Chance barking and huffing in the background, part of his morning routine. She closes her eyes, mentally following them across the bedroom and downstairs to fill his bowl while the coffee brews. “Maybe you should come home early.”

“No. I didn’t let that asshole win before and I’m not going to do it now.” With her face set in determination, she takes a deep centering breath, “I can do this.”

“There is no doubt in my mind that you can My Queen. I just hate the fact that you’re having a hard time and I’m not there for you.”

“You are here for me Liam.” She assures him, “You should already be in the shower getting ready for your day but instead you’re delayed because you’re talking to your irrational wife.”

“You’re not irrational Jennifer.” He pauses to take a drink of his coffee, “Do you want me to come there? I could leave in a few hours, I just have to rearrange some things.”

Her heart quickens at his words, he’s willing to come to what was essentially Drake’s house. She hadn’t even thought to ask if he wanted to come with them, convinced that he wouldn’t. “You want to come here?” She asks hopefully.

“Well… No, I don’t want to come… but if you asked me to, I would. Without question.”

Her smile stretches across her cheeks, warmth spreading through her chest at what he was willing to do for her. Rearranging his schedule and driving five hours to a place he didn’t want to be just because she couldn’t sleep. “I love you. You know that?”

“I do.” He chuckles, “And I love you.”

“You don’t need to come here Liam, it’s just one more night. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

“If you’re sure… try to get some sleep okay? I’ll be right here if you need me.”

“I will. I’ll call you later.”

“I look forward to it Love.”

~~~~~

She doesn’t remember falling asleep when she wakes, shutting her eyes tightly against the late afternoon sun blazing through the west facing window. A groan rumbles in her throat as she rolls onto her back, every muscle stiff and afraid that any further movement would cause her bladder to burst. How long was I sleeping? She wonders, not being able to focus on the phone still clutched in her hand until she closes one eye. Three o’clock? Nine hours of blissfully nightmare free sleep… no wonder she was sore. The phone pings, causing her to jump slightly with a text from Leo.

“Ok seriously. Are you alive in there or what?”

“Alive… and awake. Be down in a bit.” She types back before scrolling through the seemingly endless list of missed calls, texts and emails.

“Cool. Cause I did NOT want to explain your demise to Liam.”

Laughing she swings her legs out of bed, her screaming bladder quickly letting her know that movement was a bad idea before heading to the bathroom to make herself presentable.

She spends the rest of the afternoon returning calls and messages while listening to jokes about Sleeping Beauty, the leisurely life of a queen and rip van winkle until dinner, unsure if the salad she’s served is a joke or a coincidence. They were leaving in the morning and as she eats she thinks of ways to get Drake alone, finally getting the opportunity when he retreats to the stables after dinner.

Donning her black pea coat, she carefully makes her way down the snowy path to the stables in the fur lined boots she borrowed from Olivia just moments ago. It’s a beautiful walk with the setting sun making the crystalline surface of the snow sparkle in shades of orange and yellow and the pine trees lining the path covered in fluffy white snow. The only thing missing was multi-colored lights strung around them and she would think she was walking through a Christmas card. She stops for a moment to take in the scene, inhaling the crisp air deeply, thinking that if this conversation went well, maybe her and Liam could come see it decorated for the holidays in person.

The smell of fresh cut hay tickles her nose before she even crosses the threshold of the stables with a blast of heated air from the vent above hitting her face as she steps in. Drake stands inside, wearing only the grey wool sweater and jeans he had on at dinner with a clipboard in his hand and his brow furrowed as he looks down at it, scanning each page until turning to the next one. He had only been in Lythikos for five months, but already he’s accustomed to the cold enough that he doesn’t need a coat.

“Hey Drake.”

Startled, he drops the clipboard as he turns to her in surprise. “Jennifer? What are you doing out here?”

“I came to talk to you.” He bends down to pick up the fumbled item, hanging it on a hook outside the stall he’s in front of as she walks over. “You’ve been avoiding being alone with me all day.”

“No, I haven’t.” He argues, retreating to the next horse. “I had stuff to do, that’s all.”

“Like checking the stables…” She looks up at the chestnut Arabian in front of her, its arched neck and small muzzle giving away it’s breed. “What’s this one’s name?”

“Chestnut. You can pet her, she’s very friendly.” Reaching into a nearby barrel and pulling out an apple, he looks as though he’s going to toss it before he walks over with a grin on his face, handing it to her instead. “How’s Marabelle?”

“Good.” Smiling, she inclines her head toward the horse, “Not the most creative name is it?” Drake chuckles as Chestnut eyes the apple while Jennifer pets her muzzle, the horse nudging her hand until she gives in and holds it out for her to eat. She waits for Chestnut to stop chewing to pet her again, “On the way here, Leo told me a story about you and Liam shoving him in the garbage chute.”

Drake’s deep laugh reverberates around the room, “Yeah we did. Oh man… that was great. My dad had to hose him off outside after, so Constantine didn’t find out. I don’t even remember why we did that…” She glances at him and his eyes squint as he looks past her, deep in thought until they brighten with a chuckle. “Oh yeah, Leo convinced Olivia that even though we complained about it, one of our favorite things to do was play dolls with her.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t throw him off the roof!” She laughs, imagining the three of them playing with dolls.

“The thought may have crossed our minds.” He admits. “I highly doubt you came all the way out here to talk about me and Liam’s childhood though.”

“Well no.” Feeling another blast of hot air, she unbuttons her coat, fanning herself with the lapels before sitting on a nearby bench. “But I did come out here to talk.”

He lets out a slow breath, running his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, I figured.” He leans against the wall across from her, his leg bent with the sole of his foot pressed against the wood as she pauses to gather her thoughts. “Spit it out already Rys.”

“Are you coming back to the palace when your suspension is over?” Drake looks down at the floor, shrugging in response. “You’re going to have to do better than a shrug… use your words Drake.”

“Even if you don’t like the words?” She nods, mentally preparing herself for the blow she assumed was coming. “Alright then…” Looking down at her with his lip tucked between his teeth, he shakes his head almost imperceptibly, “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Liam needs you.” we both do…

A bitter chuckle escapes his lips, one side of his mouth curved up in a half smile. “No, he doesn’t. He has you.”

“It’s not the same and you know it.”

Breaking his eyes from her intense gaze, he swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing against the force. “What I know is… he didn’t want me there and I’m going to continue to honor his wishes.”

“That was before... if you would just call him I know we can…”

“You and Olivia need to accept the fact that things are different and move on.” His voice is firm as he points at her and then himself, “I have.”

“They don’t have to be different!” She exclaims in desperation as tears begin to well in her eyes. “Drake, please…” She begs, standing up and reaching for his arm as he turns and steps away. “If you would come back or even call him he would talk to you he just can’t do it himself. He misses you, I know he does he just can’t admit it yet. He’s still hurt but he…” Her words come fast, trying to fit everything she needed to say to convince him until he cuts her off.

“Dammit Jennifer I can’t!” He whirls back around to face her with an exasperated expression, his hands balled into tight fists. She gasps and steps back, surprised by the sudden movement. “You think I didn’t see what me being there did to you guys? I saw everything. I saw how my presence made him feel… how it made him act, he couldn’t even look at me for Christ’s sake. You expect me to come back and jeopardize your marriage? Again?”

“You didn’t jeopardize our marriage Drake, Liam and I are fine, we’re happy.”

“Yeah… now you are.” He pauses and looks away, his chest rising and falling in a heavy sigh before turning back to her, his softened eyes searching for something in her own. “Look me in the eye and tell me that you weren’t, even for a moment, afraid for your marriage. If you can do that… I’ll come back.”

She draws in a deep shuddering breath as her gaze falls to his chest.

“That’s what I thought.” He nods knowingly, his voice soft. “You can’t ask me to do this Jennifer.”

Tears spill from her eyes when she blinks, cascading down her cheeks as she wraps her arms around her extended stomach. Drake was right, she had been afraid of losing Liam and they didn’t truly begin to heal until after Drake left. Just the thought brought a wave of misery that threatened to crush her heart. She feels her face crumble and can’t suppress the sob that bursts from her mouth before turning away, hiding her tear filled face in her hands.

He places his hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump slightly. “Shh… it’s okay… you’re okay…” He says softly, patting her back in an awkward attempt to calm her down. “Please stop crying…”

“I don’t know… how to… fix this.” She chokes out, the words muffled into her hands and punctuated by her sobbing.

“There’s nothing you can do, what’s done is done. Maybe in time Liam will forgive me and things will be different but…”

But he already has, she knows he has… if only he would admit it. Drake continues his weird patting as she takes a few moments to compose herself, willing herself to stop crying like an overly emotional basket case. “You can stop patting me now weirdo.” He clears his throat and removes his hand, fidgeting behind her while she furiously wipes the moisture from her cheeks. She can’t believe she broke down like that in front of Drake of all people, he must think she’s nuts. Taking a deep breath, she turns back around to face him, “I probably should have warned you about how emotional I’ve been lately.”

“That would have been nice, yeah…” He averts his gaze, rubbing the back of his neck. “Listen Jennifer… about me not coming back… I’m sorry but for now, this is how it has to be. I can’t put Liam through anymore than I already have. I hope you can understand that.”

A warm smile spreads across her face as he looks at her curiously. She understands completely, that everything Drake has done since that council meeting was for Liam’s benefit… and hers. “You’re more noble than any of the men at court Drake Walker.”

“I don’t know about that…” He grins, a light blush creeping up his cheeks. “Now come on, let’s get back to the house before Olivia sends the hounds.”

~~~~~

After an unpleasant conversation with a disheartened Olivia, a long shower and a goodnight phone call with Liam, Jennifer gets ready for bed, packing up the last of her things when she is surprised by a knock on her bedroom door. Opening it, she finds Leo on the other side, wearing grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt under the blanket he has draped around his shoulders with a pillow under his arm.

“Can I help you?” She asks slowly, wondering what the hell Leo was doing outside her bedroom at this hour.

“We’re having a sleepover.” He walks past her into the room with a beaming smile, not bothering to wait for an invitation. Her feet remain planted with her hand holding the edge of the door and her mouth hanging open in confusion as she watches him pull an ottoman closer to the chair in the corner of the room. Satisfied with the distance between the pieces of furniture, he fluffs his pillow and sits, placing the pillow behind his head and leaning back with his legs stretched out.

“Liam called you, didn’t he?” She should have known Liam would try to do something to make her feel safer after their conversation. Since he couldn’t be there himself he sent the next best thing, his brother. That person used to be Drake... the realization brings a fresh wave of regret.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.” He says, adjusting himself into a more comfortable position with a satisfied sigh.

Seeing he clearly wasn’t going anywhere, she shuts the door and moves to the bed, pulling back the covers and turning off the lamp before climbing in. She lays there in the dark, her thoughts on her husband. He was always thinking about her and her wellbeing, making sure she had everything she would ever need. She wasn’t surprised that he called Leo, he was worried about her. What was surprising was that Leo was willing to sleep in a chair, all so she could feel safe. “Hey Leo… thanks.”

“No problem Jen. Get some sleep.”

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