#also blinter: forget to fireproof their own goddamn sheets

[safyresky]

Crystal Springs Chapter 22 EXCERPT: Blinter my BELOVED

In HONOUR of uh, Welsh Valentine's Day today, and because I feel like TRASH and THRIVE on NICE THINGS and fucking. LOVE LOVE SO GODDAMN MUCH (the Dite just JUMPED OUT), please enjoy this lil sneaky peaky of Crystal Springs Chapter 22: Deck the Halls, featuring some soft (then saucy) Blinter post-nightmare (it's new to CS 202X Edition!) 🧡💙🧡💙😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰💥💥💥💥💥

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“Blaise?!”

He shot up, breathing heavily. Something was burning.

He looked down.

Oh. That was his hands on the sheets. Whoops.

A cold touch on his face. His heart rate began to slow as the soft pad of Winter’s thumb rubbed gentle circles on his cheek.

“Winter,” he said, gruffly, relieved. His shoulders dropped; he reached out, pulling her onto his lap and holding her very, very close and tight.

“Oh thank the goddess,” she said, gently squeezing him back before pulling out of the embrace, caressing his face. “I was worried. You were near thrashing, dearest. Another nightmare?”

Blaise nodded, dragging her hand to his mouth, pressing a kiss on her knuckles. “Yeah. ‘M okay now that you’re here,” he said, pulling her back in and hugging her, so, so tightly, as though if he let go she would cease to exist, and he’d be falling through the days once again—

He cleared his throat. Squished her tighter.

“Did you just get back from work?”

“Oh yes,” Winter said, excitedly. “And Blaise, what a storm! The northeast isn’t going to know what hit them! Was it the schoolroom again?”

Blaise nodded, his head buried in her neck. “Yeah.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, dear. I’m here for you. It’s okay; it’s alright. That was long ago. You’re safe now. The kids are safe. We’re safe,” she whispered, kissing the top of his head.

“I know,” Blaise said, unburying himself from her neck and gazing at her soft face. He held her head in his hands, rubbing her cheek now. She smiled, warmly, pulling his forehead down to touch hers. “I know,” he repeated, with a soft smile full of love that was reserved just for her. “Do I have to go pick Jacqueline out of a snowbank?”

Winter laughed. “No, she’s awake. She’s been talking Jack’s ear off all night. She’s still going. I think he’s met his match! Listen closely,” Winter said, their foreheads still touching.

Straining his ears, Blaise made himself aware of the sounds surrounding them. The Twins were snoring. Soft footsteps were heading up to the next floor. The quietly animated voice of Jacqueline, talking about something called the Black Parade? It’s a classic by alternative and punk rock standards, completely revolutionary, she was saying, only to be cut off by Jack saying that’s not what I mean when I say CLASSICS, Jacqueline!

Blaise chuckled.

"This is almost a week straight of nightmares,” Winter said, concern lining her features.

Blaise sighed. “I can’t figure it out. It’s like my subconscious is trying to tell me something, but I can’t figure out what. I can’t remember; as soon as I wake up, the details are gone. Not that they’re there in the first place,” he said with a sigh, dropping his hands and closing his eyes. Feeling the cool touch of Winter’s forehead on his.

“Same progression, then?”

Blaise nodded against her forehead. “Yeah. Lessons. Fighting. Then too much power. Then the moment I quit,” he said with a sigh. “Though there were drinks this time," he added, brow furrowed. "I just can’t figure it out!”

“Oh, darling. I do think you need a break. You’re hard at work every day, and when you come home you have even more work to do. Have you had a moment to breath? To sit down and relax, in the last two weeks or so?”

“She needs our help, Winter. I can’t just. I can’t just let someone take advantage of our baby girl like that! I need to figure out who it is and what they’re doing and why they’re—”

“We,” Winter gently reminded him. “It’s not just you, darling. Jack’s been a big help, and I’ve been doing my fair share, too, when I can. Even the Twins have been helping! Fino brought home all those books on ancient liquids the other day. Fiera keeps thinking of other things to look into, and as wacky as some of them are, they’re not bad suggestions. We’ve been narrowing it down, together! You’re not alone in this. I know your shoulders are strong but darling, you need to stop carrying everything on them! I don’t like when they’re carrying the weight of the world. They sag. It makes it hard to spot you in a crowd,” she said, the corners of her lips twitching slightly.

"And it hurts my back something fierce,” Blaise joked, leaning back with a grin, his hair flickering to life.

Winter laughed, a delicate hand in front of her mouth. “You need to give yourself a break, dear. Cash in on your days off.”

“I can’t just take days off.”

“Yes you can. You’re the frostbitten governor of the entire country.”

“City, not country.”

“You keep telling yourself that, dear. Maybe one day someone will believe it.”

Blaise chuckled. “This week’s busy. Town Hall is coming up, and the fairies are at it again with the dryads, and there’s always so many requests and inquiries leading up to the holidays—”

“Just let Dave take care of it. I bet it’ll make his Christmas.”

Blaise laughed, thinking of his angry, no-nonsense, satyr-like secretary who would, indeed, love to tell people to buzz off on Blaise’s behalf.

“Besides, the Assembly can take care of things without you, Blaise. Mother has a handle on things, as do the other governors and their lieutenants. Things won’t fall apart here if you take some time to make sure you don’t fall apart,” she said, booping the tip of his nose.

He smiled. Tired. Soft. “Maybe you’re right.”

“I know I am, dear. The break will do you some good! Give yourself time to process everything. Focus on one job at a time. Spend some time with the kids. Seeing as how all four are home for Christmas. Perhaps it will give your subconscious some time to figure out why that dream. Why that memory, of all the ones to make a nightmare out of. All your hard work is important,” she said, caressing his face once more. “But feeling good is important, too. Giving yourself breaks. You can’t keep burning the candle at both ends, Blaise dear. At least, not this one,” she said, gently pushing back the light simmer that was his hair.

Blaise sighed, reaching over to the drawer in his night table. He pulled out a scrap of paper and a pencil, quickly wrote something down, and snapped, the note disappearing in a smattering of sparks. He smiled, a goofy little tired smile that reminded Winter of when they were both much, much younger. “Are you going to join me, or what? It’s been a rough night. I could use a cuddle or two.”

Winter laughed, sliding off of his lap. “Yes, yes. Let me get my jim-jams on,” she said, heading into the closet.

So many layers, Blaise thought to himself, as he watched her silhouette throw off the heavy fur cloak, an outer layer to her dress, the inner layer, and a third portion to her skirt that she tossed in a corner. He sighed, regretfully taking his eyes off of his wife and slumping back on the headboard, deep in thought.

The nightmares had started after they talked to Jacqueline. What she had told them, about the blackouts, had rung a bell. Blaise hadn’t stopped thinking about it; not even in his sleep. And as the nights passed, the shadowy dreams with wisps of chatter had slowly taken shape. He could make out figures; he could place where and when and who he was with. But the details got weirder and weirder. Drinks. What did drinks have to do with anything?! What couldn’t he remember?

“Perhaps a nice family outing is in order for tomorrow,” Winter said, sliding into the bed in a tiny pair of sleep shorts and one of Blaise’s rarely worn t-shirts. She pulled some ice out of her hair, smooshing it into a ball and throwing it into the washroom. It curved around the doorway, landing with a solid THUNK in the tub.

“Nice curveball,” Blaise said. “Nice curves,” he added with a growl, grabbing her around the waist and dragging them both up against the headboard.

Winter giggled, curling up against him and looking into his warm eyes. “I grew them myself,” she said with a silly little grin that reminded Blaise of when they were both much, much younger.

“Well you did a phenomenal job,” he said, dragging her right up against his chest, kissing the top of her head as he felt the tired creep back.

“As did you with this chest of yours,” she said, her fingertips gently trailing down his sternum.

Blaise laughed, tilting her head up and aiming for her lips.

“Mmm,” she said, mid kiss. He smiled against her lips; he felt her do the same. Regrettably pulling away, he rested the tip of his nose on hers.

“A nice family day, huh?”

“Mhmm,” Winter said, her fingers tracing his shoulder now. “We haven’t decorated yet, and December is flying by.”

“And the boys did bring back even more festive florals. That’s not a bad idea. What do you think? Should we decorate tomorrow?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Winter said, pulling him down for another kiss. She pulled away all too soon. “Those kids of ours have far too much energy; the tree farm is as good a place as any to let them burn some of it off. Or freeze it off.”

“And how about you, Winter? You seem very energetic tonight.”

“I am, and I happen to have a lovely idea to help with that,” she said, bringing him in closer. “Care to join me?” she asked Blaise, coyly.

His hair went from simmering to roaring in an instant. ���Would I ever,” he said, closing the distance and pulling her in for the kiss she had been dangling in front of him for far too long, in his humble opinion.

“I love you so goddess damned much,” Blaise said, breathlessly, pulling away for the quickest of moments before swooping back in.

“Mmm, I know,” she replied between kisses, breathlessly, the two falling into the slightly singed sheets.

That was certainly one way to keep nightmares at bay.