Snakes Need Love Too

[seth]

“You have to mean it, Masters.”

Seth slowly lifted his head, lips pressed together so tightly that they stood out white against his already pale face. His eyes were dark as he looked at the man standing in front of him; who he was Seth couldn’t be sure, with his mask and robes pulled up, casting his face in complete shadow. I don’t mean it. I won’t ever mean it, Seth thought to himself, wanting to grimace. Instead, he took a deep breath and gave a tiny nod, and murmured, “Yes, sir.”

“Follow me into the room, then. Make sure you get it right quick, I am not a patient man.”

Following mutely, Seth swallowed hard as they moved from the small room into the large, dark sitting room, where three people sat tied down to chairs. Feeling vaguely ill, he stopped as the Death Eater in front of him raised a palm, realizing that he was still in the shadows, not in view of anybody else. His Death Eater mentor moved over to murmur to somebody, and after a pause the two of them both came back to where Seth was waiting. The mask of the seconds’ was slightly different from the others, and when he spoke, Seth felt a chill run straight through him. Regulus Lestrange.

“It seems now would be a good time to give you a mask, Masters. This way you’re not recognized,” Lestrange said, and his voice made Seth want to shudder. There wasn’t anything particularly scary about his voice; in fact, it was rather pleasant and charming. It was the fact that Seth knew this man had committed murders and crimes that were cruel and uncalled for that made his skin crawl. “It is a high honor to receive your mask. Your next step might even be…branding.”

Seth could hear the smirk in the man’s voice, and at that point he had an impulse to run. He would run until he found Blaire, run with her away, run until their problems fell away. He blinked and took a shuddering breath, holding out a surprisingly steady hand to take the mask Regulus had produced from under his robes. “I would be honored,” he lied softly, head bowed as he slipped on the mask. He felt like he was suffocating.

“We’ll watch from the other side of the room,” Lestrange said, turning with his robes sweeping back towards a clump of Death Eaters, who all moved down to the far wall away from the three captured people. Seth’s appointed Death Eater mentor beckoned him forward again, and as Seth moved towards the three people, he slowly slipped his wand out of his pocket, holding it in a barely shaking hand.

He had already been briefed, and he knew what he had to do in front of all these Death Eaters. A pre-initiation is how they had worded it; the initiation before he was branded, a true Death Eater at last. Now, as he stood in front of the victims, Seth felt himself begin to panic. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t hurt somebody like this—he even knew they were muggles and didn’t want to. He didn’t hate muggles anymore, hadn’t for a while, but he was supposed to as a respectable Slytherin; as a prospective Death Eater.

What choice did he have, though, if he wanted his wife back? What choice did he have if he wanted to save Blaire, the love of his life? He had to do as they asked, and he had to pretend to be a loyal Death Eater, and he had to be everything he wasn’t just so he could keep her alive. As his currently dark eyes stared through the slits in the mask at the three barely conscious muggles, he felt his stomach clench, bile rising in his throat. Slowly he raised his wand, pointing it at the first and youngest, and willed himself to want this pain to erupt from his wand.

“Crucio!”

The muggle barely gave a twitch, and Seth began to panic more, jabbing the wand again. “Crucio!” He uttered a soft cry but nothing more, and Seth felt his head spinning. No, no, no, this had to work. He had to want this. He wanted this boy to feel pain and misery. He had to want this to save his wife. Blaire was counting on him! “Crucio!”

A twitch, a louder cry, and then nothing. Seth felt his body droop, and he didn’t even look up as his Death Eater mentor grabbed him roughly by the shoulder and pushed him to the ground. Crumpling, Seth slowly raised his head, swallowing, feeling even more ill as he watched the furious eyes of the man before him. A wand was trained on him, and he had only a moment to try and prepare himself before pain was ripping through his body. Stabbing, searing pain, like a thousand knifes, causing him to cry out in pain, thrashing on the ground, tears falling down his cheeks that were thankfully hidden. Finally the pain went away, and Seth took a moment to compose himself a bit more before shakily sitting up.

“Mean it! Quit wasting our time, Masters!” the older man snapped, and Seth barely nodded, standing up.

Again, he trained his own wand on the youngest muggle, and took a steadying breath. He could hear the chortles of the other Death Eaters, and clenched his teeth, wanting to get this over with now. No more pain for him. No more pain for Blaire. He would have to do this for her. “CRUCIO!”

The young boy jerked so much his chair tipped over, and he writhed and twisted in agony, his screams loud, his face already wet with tears. After a nod from his mentor, Seth lifted the curse, feeling his body barely shaking. He had just tortured a child. For not having magic. He was a….monster. His knees felt like they were going to give out, but Seth forced himself to the next person, wand raised, eyes determined. Even if he felt sick, even if he was repulsed, even if he was ashamed and knew how much Blaire would hate what he was doing, he knew he just had to keep going.

He was going to do anything to get his love back.

[seth]

She fit against him oddly.

He knew that she was disguised under polyjuice potion, and that she was a complete copy of Blaire, but there was something off about her. She had learned her part surprisingly well he would admit, but she wasn't Blaire. Blaire had that way of fussing with his collar when they talked. She knew how to lean into him just right, so that they were really leaning on each other. She knew how to fit her curves against him just the right way, two puzzle pieces that easily came together. This fake Blaire couldn't do any of that; every time she leaned into him, he'd find himself shifting, trying to make it like it would be with his wife.

"Come on, honey," fake Blaire whispered to him, and he felt the urge to shy away from her. Baby! he half wanted to shout. She calls me 'baby'! He didn't, and wouldn't, though; this girl didn't deserve to know that private thing of theirs. Nobody did.

"Right," Seth agreed, placing a hand on the small of her back and crossing his other arm behind him. Pushing her forward, they slowly entered the hall he had rented for this party. Fake Blaire was smiling (too enthusiastically, he thought), but he just tried to keep his face neutral. Seth knew he was already pale and sickly looking; there was no chance of him smiling, so the best he could do was try not to break down.

It was getting harder everyday.

Two weeks, three days, five hours. Accompanying Death Eaters and doing their dirty work for them had given Seth a chance to overhear many conversations, and after concentration and writing down everything he could remember back at home, he figured out when Blaire had been taken. As he thought about it, he felt a pang through his chest, the same one he felt every time he thought about it now. He had gotten home an hour and half after they had stopped by and captured Blaire, and it was all because he had stayed at work late. He'd gotten so wrapped up in his report that he hadn't even stopped to send a message on to Blaire telling her he'd be late. It made him sick to think that she'd have been wondering why he wasn't home when they came to get her...and if he'd just went home on time...

Blinking hard, Seth forced his thoughts away from Blaire, trying to make the clenching in his stomach go away. However, as soon as he stopped thinking about her and let himself take in all of the party guests, most of whom were Order members, his brain switched to the objective of this night. He felt immediately ill, the little bottle of poison in his pocket gaining twenty pounds. Jerking his hand away from fake Blaire, he ignored the look she gave him and rushed off out of the hall, murmuring apologies to the guests, lying saying he forgot something. As quick as he could without running, Seth moved down a side hall to the bathroom, locking the door behind him before falling onto his knees in front of the toilet, getting ill on the spot.

A minute later he was gripping the sink with white knuckled hands, head bowed as he stared at the drain. He couldn't keep this up much longer. He couldn't hold up that mask all the time when Blaire wasn't at home to help him bring it down. He couldn't keep thinking about what she was going through without a part of him falling apart. He couldn't keep doing what they asked with a little voice in the back of his head reminding him how vile and evil it all was, and how much his wife would hate to see him like this. He couldn't. He just...wasn't strong enough anymore.

Splashing his face with cold water, he cleaned himself up and slowly moved back to the party, one hand clutching the vial of poison in his pocket as he moved to fake Blaire again. He would have to do this one last thing. He would have to, because then he would have Blaire. He could handle anything if he just had her again.

"Are you alright?" fake Blaire asked him sweetly, and he nodded at her, swallowing discreetly as his hand went to the small of her back again. He let his eyes wander around the guests, picking out the Order member that would be his victim tonight. A Weasley, judging by the bright red hair. Looking away, Seth forced himself to breathe, greeting his guests as was expected. He would do this; he would have to.

Thirty minutes later, when he was preparing himself for his job, vial in hand, the doors to the hall burst open.

"B-Blaire?"

[seth]

Evidence Journal

They sent a fake. A girl who looks just like her, a copy of my wife, who was grinning like an idiot. I thought it was you until I saw that grin, and then all my hope was gone. Of course it would be too good to be true.

I was right. I am not happy that I was. I wish Blaire was the type to run away. It would be better than this. They took her. They won't give her back until I do their dirty work, so they say. Fake Blaire will keep up in her stead. She is clingy and smiley and weill have to fix that. They made me tell her how to act, and she's working on it.

I overheard one of fake Blaire's guards say I'm not guaranteed to make it out alive or a free man. I guess it won't matter if they bring her back or not.

I hope she's okay. This is all my fault.

Seth

--

Damnit. God damnit. This is more my fault than I first thought. They came to get her while I should have been home. But I was working late. Work became more important than my wife and now she's gone.

If I ever get you back Blaire, I won't blame you if you won't speak to me. I'm so sorry.

Seth
--
They made me...Blaire, you would be disgusted in me. I don't know what else to do, though. I want you to stay safe. I want you...to come back. I need you back. This is my fault, and if you're being harmed...Am I writing this to the journal or Blaire? Am I loosing my mind?

Do muggles scream louder than wizards and witches? I think they do.

I got my mask today too. My grandparents would be so proud. I look like a monster in it, and I think my eyes give way my guilt and shame. No more news on Blaire.

Seth
--
They never talk about location around me, but they don't bother to hide what they're doing to you. Are they lying to break me down? Is it pathetic that it's working? The cruciatus curse? Tying you down and isolating you? Have you went without food and water?

I don't think I could stand to face you anymore. I miss you, and I don't hide it from myself. I will always hide it from them, though. I'm sorry I've caused you so much pain, Blaire. God. I have to go. I can't do this right now.

Seth
--
If I kill this Order member and make it out, they'll brand me. If I don't, then, I will go to Azkaband with no proof that I work for them. They would question me, I suppose, but why should they believe what I say? I can't tell them about Regulus. I meet where they say and do as they tell me and know little more. Maybe, though...just maybe, they can figure things out from what I can give.

What happens to you? They won't give you back. I don't trust them. Will they kill you?

Why did you ever marry me, Blaire? I've caused you nothing but pain. I've done nothing to benefit you. You shouldn't even love me. It would have been better for you if things ended at our father's fight.

Maybe if I make it obvious that I poisoned him, the Order will question me and figure out that I am telling the truth about you, Blaire. That you were taken, that I have no choice. They might not, but they would believe that hostages are being held, right? They would believe all the things I say I've done. They could question fake Blaire. Azkaban is worth all that.

Please, God, please. Please be alright still, Blaire.

Love, Seth.

[seth]

It's long, and probably horrible. It was mostly written past 3 am, as currently it's almost 5. Set when Seth and Blaire are about to have their first kiss--you know when that is, Rosie. ;D Enjoy the most likely horribleness.
--

His shoes didn’t make a sound as he moved across the entrance hall, eyes taking in the view of the empty room. Hogwarts had always been large and would always be large, but it was hard to appreciate that fact when it was full to the brim with boisterous young witches and wizards, and more than a dozen professors. Now, as Seth stood alone by the large wooden double doors, he could fully understand just how huge this castle was. For a minute he let his eyes, piercing blue tonight, absorb everything they could, before pulling out his wand; a tap on the door, and he was slipping out silently onto the stone steps and into the night.

It was a normal, brisk winter night, with snow underfoot and blazing stars overhead. Seth took a deep breath of cool air, feeling refreshed and wide awake as he carved a path along the lawn towards the Quidditch pitch. It only took a few long strides before the hem of his robes and cloak were soaked, and only a few more before the bottom of his pants were too. He didn’t mind the cold, however, and didn’t even pause, still crunching along towards his destination. He wouldn’t allow himself to look up at the sky, and instead kept himself focused on the stadium.

A few minutes later he was entering the pitch and veering off to the side, shoes now pointed towards the Slytherin changing room. The snow here was thinner, especially in the middle of the pitch, where the weak sun could beat down on it and melt it all away. Seth paused, staring at the snow, the way it slowly disappeared towards the center, before bowing his head even more and moving on. He made it to the changing room and tapped the door with his wand, letting himself in and flicking on a set of lights with a tiny swish. It took him only a minute to grab his broom and make it back to the pitch, where a small gust of wind whipped about his loose and shaggy hair. Again he stopped, staring up at a single strand that was whipping in his view, before letting his broom drop to his side where it floated at the perfect height. Reaching into a cloak pocket, he pulled out a small elastic band and smoothed his hair back, gathering it all into a loose ponytail.

Grabbing up his broom again, Seth moved more towards the center of the pitch, glancing around for the perfect spot for take off. When he found the place he was looking for, a spot of hard packed ground, he mounted his Phoenix and kicked off hard and fast, zooming up high before slowing to a stop. Already, that single strand of hair was whipping about in his face again, but instead of getting irritated he let out a soft laugh to himself, ignoring it. Now was not the time to worry about hair—now was the time to look at the sky, take a deep breath, and think.

His piercing eyes drifted up to take in the vast sky, and he took in a breath that shook slightly. Lately, his fascination with the sky had only intensified, because everything on his mind could be resolved with just a glance at the vastness. Thoughts on a certain Slytherin girl who never ceased to amaze him, on the lack of a mother figure in his life, on the lack of even a decent father figure too, seemed insubstantial when his gaze drifted up to take in a billion shining stars. They didn’t have a care in the world; the stars didn’t know he existed, didn’t care what he did, didn’t analyze or expect or even live. They were just there, to burn brightly in the inky black sky, for the enjoyment and analysis of others. Or Seth’s case, to help align the mind. Things were just easier when you knew that no matter how big your problems seemed, compared to the world, they were very small.

Again, he drew in a breath, coaxing the broom into movement as he continued to stare up at the sky. He had a path that he followed whenever he came out to do this, and he didn’t even need to pay attention anymore. He would drift away from the pitch, following a slightly zigzagging line across the lawn and over the lake. He would circle around the castle until he hit the Astronomy tower, before rising in never ending loops around the tower itself until he was at its height, and then higher. Afterwards he would hit a dive, go back to the pitch, and watch the sun rise. The occurrences of these night flights were rare, but each one he cherished, and lately, even depended on.

Blaire. It all came back to her, really, in the end. She was on his mind constantly. They had started out hating each other, with her the vision of an aloof, untouchable girl, and him the vision of a loud, arrogant jock. Something about her had affected him, though, and more than a month later he found himself thinking about her in a whole new light. A dreamer, with a past he didn’t know and might never understand. Thoughtful, poetic, peaceful and not nearly as icy as she came off as. Of course, what was he to her? No longer loud, no longer just a jock, no longer a hindrance to her life. They didn’t hate each other, they didn’t dislike each other; they enjoyed each other’s company, each other’s thoughts and opinions, and somewhere along the way, they had drifted through a friend stage and were fast nearing a romance that he didn’t think he was ready for.

She scared him. Seth let out a laugh again as he glanced once at the ground, noting that he was now hitting the lake. Looking back up, his eyes drifted to the moon, before his mind got on track again. It wasn’t that she was rude and cold towards him anymore; it was that she knew more of him than anyone else, and was so different than what he was use to. Intelligent, calm, independent; he wasn’t used to a girl like that. More than that, though, was the fact that whatever he would establish with Blaire would be…for life. They were engaged, to be married before the age of nineteen, and if he actually began to like her, whatever he ended up feeling wouldn’t be like his flings. He didn’t do relationships; the only one he had was Vivianne Flint, and that hadn’t worked out so well. He couldn’t mess things up with Blaire; they were going to be bound until death.

Of course, he could be assuming that things would actually get to that. Perhaps Blaire would always have a little doubt in him, and never actually end up viewing him as anything more than her arranged fiancé. Seth couldn’t blame her if she didn’t ever feel more than that. He wouldn’t be satisfied, though; Blaire was intriguing to say the least, refreshing in conversation and presence, and while maybe he wasn’t ready for it, he still wanted it. He wanted it more than anything else in a long time. Another singular laugh could be heard across the grounds, as he reflected on his thoughts. He was wondering if a girl would want to establish a relationship with him. He was doubting his ‘charm’, his looks, his personality—everything. Amazing, what Blaire was doing to him.

Seth’s thoughts continued on an endless loop as he did just that around the castle, straight towards the Astronomy tower. Thoughts on different times with Blaire, on the things she had said, the things she had learned about him, and the things he had learned about her in turn. He thought about their engagement, and how this arranged marriage wasn’t turning out quite as he had first dreaded. Only for a few moments did he think about his father, his mother, and all of his new step moms, before things somehow got connected back to Blaire. By the time he was rising to the tower’s height and then turning to his steep dive, he had exhausted most every thought he had wanted to, and now just wanted to focus on the stars.

It was beginning to get light now, but with the mountains giving him coverage, Seth still had a brilliant view of the stars as he turned the handle of his Phoenix downwards. His chin stayed tilted far back as he picked up speed, and yet the stars didn’t blur like he was sure everything else was. They were too large for that, and too significant. What he did would never change them, and as he repeated that to himself a few times, he felt his shoulders relax, and released a small sigh. It was thoughts like that which were always calming to him, and the best part of the sky. He really was nothing compared to it, and he chanted that to himself as he pulled out of the dive and headed back to the pitch.

Thirty minutes later, the sun was rising above the mountains, with a tired Seth floating on his broom and watching it arise. He closed his eyes, recalling the first time he had witnessed the sunrise in a game of Quidditch that had lasted far too long, before opening them again and taking in the view. Indescribable; he could try for years to put this into words, and never would be able to. For another hour he floated along the pitch, watching the sky, before landing and putting away his broom. He felt different, taller maybe, as he made his way back up to the castle. The first few people would be getting up for breakfast, now, and he could join the early risers at the Slytherin table.

When he made it to the Great Hall, it wasn’t a surprise to see Blaire stationed there, eating. Most people would turn away from her, leave her to her own devices, but his feet carried him straight towards her. His feet swung over the bench and got him situated beside her. His feet rested right next to hers as he began to pull his breakfast towards him, with a small smile on his face as he felt her gaze trying to connect with his. After a minute, he let their eyes meet, and her mouth twitched in their customary morning hello. They traveled along his cloaked figure, and then to his hair, which he realized was still pulled into a small ponytail, a rather odd thing for him.

“Your cloak is on,” she observed mildly, and he gave her a nod but nothing else to go off of. After a pause, she gave him a small smirk. “Your hair is in a ponytail." Again, he said nothing, waiting for her to state more than the obvious, as he knew she would. "Did you go for a little stroll, Seth?"

“No, I did not,” he said, bringing a piece of toast to his mouth and taking a bite. He took his time, chewing and swallowing, clearing away crumbs that fell onto his clothes. Finally, he looked back up at her and let a smirk fall into place, reaching back with one hand to remove the ponytail and let his hair fall into place. “We can talk about it later today. There’s something I wouldn’t mind showing you.”

[seth]

“If you drop that in there, it will blow up in your face.”

Giving the smallest of starts in surprise, Seth’s hand convulsed the fluxweed leaves in his hand. Turning his head a bit, he saw Blaire standing in the doorway, light smirk on her face, and a small smile lit his face. He was happy to see her, even if she was poking doubt at his Potions abilities.

“Nice to see you too, baby,” he intoned, a bit dryly, and the smirk on her face widened. Turning his head back to the leaves in his hand, he observed them carefully, speaking as he did so. “And, it will not blow up in my face. I’ve researched the properties of fluxweed, and all of the other ingredients in the pepper-up potion. If I add this in a moderate amount it will--”

“Counteract the steam that rises from the ears when the potion is distributed,” Blaire interjected, still behind him in the doorway. “How ingenious. Except for the fact, dear, that it won’t work.”

“Of course it will!” Seth said confidently, glancing back at Blaire with a slightly raised eyebrow. “You’re staying safely back.”

“I don’t want to get caught in that potion when it explodes,” she said calmly, crossing her arms and taking a slight step back as well. “Seth, when we were studying the properties of fluxweed in class you remember what the professor told us, don’t you?”

“I remember everything the professor told us,” he murmured, now examining the potion inside of the cauldron. He stirred it once with a satisfied smirk, noting that it was the perfect color for this stage. His hand holding the leaves hovered over the cauldron top, and he leaned over himself a little bit, face right above his hand.

“Seth.” Now Blaire’s tone was a bit sharper. “Don’t drop that in there with your face right ab--”

Not waiting for her to finish, Seth relaxed his hand around the leaves and watched them drift into the potion. There was a split second where the potion turned the color he had hoped for, and he let himself grin in triumph—then suddenly, the potion bubbled and heaved, covering his face and splattering the ceiling. There were a few moments of silence, punctuated only by the dripping of potion off the ceiling and table. Seth coughed, spitting out some of the potion back into the cauldron, and then blindly reached for the towel he had sitting on the table by the cauldron. One touch and he could tell that it was soaked in the potion too, of absolute no use to him.

He bit back a curse as he wiped at his eyes, scooping out potion so that he could squint them open. He grabbed his wand as soon as he found it, covering it in the now purple gunk that had taken over his hands. He heard a noise behind him and turned, seeing Blaire standing in the doorway, with her hands over her mouth. With a small jolt, Seth saw that she was laughing—truly, actually laughing, with shoulders shaking and everything. He stood watching her for a moment, with potion gunk dripping off of him, and off of the ceiling on to him. He felt a small flush crawl up to his cheeks, and was almost glad for the purple that clung to his face, because it covered the fact that he was embarrassed.

“If you remembered everything the professor told us,” she said, in between soft bouts of laughter, “then you’d have remembered that we were reminded never to use fluxweed except for polyjuice potion. The aroma upsets other ingredients.”

“It-it didn’t mention that in the book,” he pointed out, gesturing lamely behind him at the potion covered book resting right behind the cauldron. Blaire lowered her hands to say something, but at that moment a large drop of the potion fell right onto Seth’s nose, and she began to laugh again, covering her mouth hurriedly to mask it.

Flushing more, Seth swiped his sleeve of his nose and then turned, hiding the small smile that was working its way onto his face at Blaire’s laughter. He polished off his wand with his shirt and then began to clean up his mess.

“Maybe you’ll listen to me from now on,” Blaire said, smirking at him as she came to stand at his side, ready to help him clean up. She let out a customary one breath laugh as she reached out to wipe a little potion from his jaw.

Instead of responding, Seth smirked and reached out quickly to wipe one hand on Blaire’s face, smearing the gunk all across her cheek and nose. He got out a laugh before she had snatched up the cauldron and dumped it all on his head. Again his eyes were filled with potion, as well as his mouth, and he spluttered in surprise and disgust.

“Have fun cleaning this up, baby, ” Blaire’s voice said sweetly by his ear. She dropped the cauldron lightly onto his head and then left the room, with her laughter ringing in his head.

[seth]

He’s sitting with their son on his lap, reading from a storybook, his wand dancing over the pages, bringing the images to life as his voice stays low and constant. Gabe’s eyes follow the colorful images, mouth slack in amazement at the story, occasionally glancing up at his dad with awe written all over his face. Seth smiles at him, tapping the book again, his wand tip lifting a dragon right off the page to fly around them. It lets out flames, which he changes from yellow, to red, to blue, all to Gabe’s astonishment and excitement.

They’re half way through the story when Blaire appears in the doorway, smiling a little at the two of them, before walking towards the couch. Seth stops reading and looks up at her, smiling back.

“Mum, dad’s reading me a story with dragons in it!” Gabe exclaims when he sees his mother, and Blaire’s smile widens.

“That’s great, Gabe,” she says, reaching down to pick him up and give him a quick kiss on the forehead, before setting him on his feet. “Do you think you could give mum and dad a moment? Why don’t you go play with your toys for a little before dinner?”

“We can finish the story later, before bed,” Seth promises, shooting Blaire an odd look. She says nothing, not even looking at him, and Gabe gives a nod and a smile before moving to the stairs and running up them to his bedroom. When they can hear him beginning to play, Blaire sits down slowly next to Seth, hands in her lap and eyes cast downward.

Neither breaks the silence for a while, before Seth finally reaches out and takes one of Blaire’s hands in his own. She looks up then, and he notices with a shock that her cheeks are tinted pink in a blush that is about as rare as her raising her voice with Gabe. Not only that, but the way she’s looking at him, barely meeting his gaze, makes him realize that she’s nervous. Blaire is nervous.

“Is everything okay, baby?” he asks her, scooting a little closer on the couch. He’s not watching her eyes yet, his own focused on the pink in her cheeks, the way her mouth has thinned just a little. Finally he lifts his gaze, and their eyes lock, and Blaire seems to freeze.

“No. Everything’s fine,” she says, voice a mere breath. Seth barely raises his eyebrows, quizzical now, a little concerned. After another pause, she seems to compose herself a little more, closing her eyes briefly and then connecting their gazes again. “Seth.”

Now he is very concerned. Her face seems more composed, but her cheeks are still pink, and her voice shook the barest amount. Leaning forward just a little, he mentally prepares for the worst. She even sent Gabe away for this. “Yes?”

“…I want us to have another baby.”

He blinks. Twice. His eyes widen a little. For a few long moments he keeps completely still, silent and mind blank. Then he hears Blaire suck in a breath, and the sound seems to jar him into action. His mouth curves into a smile, and his free hand reaches up to cup Blaire’s face. “You do?”

She seems astonished now, her cheek heating up under his touch, before she gives a small nod. “I do…Do you?”

He thinks for another moment. Did he? He can hear the sound of Gabe, talking in a low voice, bringing his toys to life as he plays. He remembers what it felt like to have a baby in his arms, to hear the first word, watch the first step, and look at Blaire’s face light up during it all. Blinking again, he gives a slow nod, smile stretching across his face. “Yes. Yeah, Blaire, I want us to have another baby.”

There’s a pause, and then the smile lights her face, eyes brightening, cheeks still pink, but glowing now as she leans in and presses her lips to his and he half laughs, a one breath laugh, slipping his arms around her as he kisses her back. When they break apart, foreheads leaning against the others, she lifts one hand, pressing the back of it to his cheek gently.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he replied immediately. He paused, and then he lets the smirk take over his features. “So…do you want to get a babysitter and start now?”