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Jora watched Lyra with that quiet, full ache in her chest—the kind that felt too big for her ribs, too warm to be anything but love. She smiled at Sage’s words, nodding slowly. “I know,” she murmured. “She already carries that instinct. Protecting. Loving. Watching.” Her gaze softened as Lyra adjusted her hold again, so careful it almost hurt to see. “She’s got such a gentle heart.” When Sage mentioned the food, Jora let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “Of course she did,” she said, fond amusement lacing her voice. “That’s her—always wanting to take care of everyone.” She glanced down at the plate, then back at Lyra. “I could tell. She was so proud when she brought it in.” She leaned into Sage when his arm wrapped around her, letting herself rest there for a moment. Her shoulders finally loosened, the tension she’d been carrying for months easing just a little. “She already is the best big sister,” Jora said quietly, conviction steady in her tone. “She doesn’t even realize it yet.” Her hand slid over Sage’s knee, a small, grounding touch. “Thank you,” she added after a beat—not just for the food, or for taking the kids later, but for everything. For being here. For holding them together. Jora glanced back at Lyra and the babies, her smile turning soft and fierce all at once. “We’re doing this right,” she said. “All of us. Together.” |
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Sage had nodded as jora praised their daughter, smiling as he recalled how proud she was of making lunch for everyone. "She gets it from you, you know," he hummed when her big heart was brought up. She really had gotten it from Jora.....she was a lot like her mother, in more ways than one. When she mentioned she could tell she'd made it by how proud she was, he laughed softly and nodded, setting his now finished plate to the side. "She was showing it off to me before it was even finished," he noted fondly, a smile growing on his face as he thought back to it all. "She might not, but she will one day," he mused, shifting to reach for the babies, taking them each in an arm and settling back against the wall with a content sigh. "Eat something. Take a nap," he noted gently. "We are," he agreed when she kept talking, leaning over to press a kiss to her head. "For now, that means getting some food in you and getting you to sleep for a bit," he added, slightly teasing her. |
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Jora let out a quiet laugh at that, shaking her head as she glanced toward the door Lyra had disappeared through. “If she got even half of her heart from me,” she murmured, “then the rest came from you.” Her voice was gentle but certain—there was no separating the two of them in Lyra, not really. She smiled when he mentioned Lyra showing off the food early, picturing it perfectly. “Of course she was,” Jora said fondly. “She can’t keep a secret when she’s proud of something.” Her gaze softened again, that familiar warmth settling in her chest. When Sage took the babies, Jora watched him for a long moment, something tender and almost reverent in her expression. Seeing him like that—steady, careful, so natural with them—still felt a little unreal. In the best way. “I am eating,” she protested mildly, lifting her fork in demonstration before taking another bite. “And I will nap,” she added, giving him a pointed look, though the corners of her mouth betrayed her with a smile. She leaned into his kiss, eyes fluttering shut for just a second longer than necessary. “I know,” she said softly. “And… thank you. For reminding me.” Jora exhaled, finally letting herself relax back against the pillows. “We’ve got time now. We don’t have to rush anything anymore.” |
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Sage had hummed softly, shaking his head when she mentioned getting half his heart from him as well. "I just hope its not the self-sacrificial part of it," he sighed, something darker flickering in his gaze before he shook it out of his mind. They didn't need to worry about that. Not now. Besides, she hadn't shown any signs of hurting herself in order to help others. It didn't seem like she would ever learn those bad habits. He wanted to keep it that way. When Jora protested that she was eating, he snorted softly, rolling his eyes in slight amusement. "Well, eat more then," he mused, a smile lingering on his lips as she took another bite. At her look, he just grinned at her, knowing full well she wasn't upset about anything he was saying. If anything, she found it endearing. When she did lay down though, to get some rest, his smile turned more gentle. Just a fond smile that lingered on his lips and ghosted around his eyes without him ever noticing it. "Youre welcome," he noted softly, just shifting slightly so his side was pressed against her gently where she lay. "Now get some rest." |
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Jora noticed it—the way his gaze dimmed for just a heartbeat—and her expression softened immediately. She reached out, fingers brushing his arm in a grounding, familiar way. “Hey,” she murmured, gentle but firm. “She won’t be like that. Not like you’re afraid of.” Her thumb traced a small, absent-minded circle, as if to soothe both of them at once. “She’ll learn kindness without learning to disappear for it. We’ll make sure of that.” She huffed a quiet laugh at his snort, dutifully taking another bite just to humor him. “Bossy,” she teased under her breath, though there was no heat in it—only fondness. The look he gave her made her smile widen, eyes flicking up to meet his for a second longer than necessary. When she finally settled back, exhaustion catching up now that everything was quiet, she let herself relax against the pillows. Feeling him shift closer, his side warm and steady against hers, made her chest loosen in a way she hadn’t realized it was tight. “I will,” she promised softly, her voice already drifting toward sleep. Her hand found his again, fingers lacing with his briefly. “Stay right there, okay?” A faint smile curved her lips as her eyes closed. “Just like this.” |
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Sage had come back to the present when Jora spoke up again, offering her a grateful smile when she mentioned Lyra wouldn't let herself disappear for others and nodding along. "I know," he murmured. "She's a good kid, but she's no push over," he noted fondly. He just chuckled when she called him bossy, knowing full well she was normally the one giving instructions. Not hat he minded, of course. She just...thought things through a bit more in the first few seconds of something happening. When she relaxed, and slipped her hand into his, he laced his fingers around hers, squeezing it gently when she asked him to stay. He just nodded, leaning over to press a soft kiss to her head, careful not to jostle the little ones too much. "I'm not going anywhere," he promised quietly, knowing she was already relaxing since her breathing had slowed down. "I'll be right ehre when you wake," he added, knowing he'd keep that promise no matter what. |
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Jora’s lips curved into a soft, tired smile at his words, relief settling warm and heavy in her chest. Hearing him say it out loud—that Lyra was strong, that he knew it—made something inside her finally unclench. “She gets that from both of us,” she murmured, voice low and gentle. “Strong and kind. That’s the balance.” She gave a quiet, breathy laugh at his chuckle, thumb brushing over his knuckles where their fingers were laced. “Someone has to think ahead,” she teased softly. “You’re good in the moment. I just… make sure the moment doesn’t eat us alive.” There was affection in every word, no edge to it at all. When he kissed her head, she leaned into it instinctively, careful even in her exhaustion not to shift the babies. His promise made her eyes flutter closed fully this time, the last bit of tension leaving her shoulders. “I know,” she whispered, barely audible now. “That’s why I can sleep.” Her grip on his hand tightened just slightly before loosening again, breath evening out as she drifted off—safe, full, and completely certain that when she opened her eyes again, he would still be right there. |
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Sage had nodded in agreement, smoking as Lyra was described. "She's the best of both of us," he agreed. "And I'm sure these two new additions to the family will turn out to be the same way." Already, Kaiya was a perfect blend of them. Joras eyes, his skin. Hair right between their as best he could tell. Caspian seemed to be a copy and paste from sage himself....the same hair, blue eyes that would no doubt darken the same way his had. The same skin tone. They were all so perfect. When Jora finally fell asleep, breathing evening out and body relaxing, he watched her quietly, a smile forming on his face as he watched her. She was perfect too. He was just so glad they'd found each other. He knew what his life would be like by now if they hadn't decided to work together. To help each other along. Well....if he was even going to still be alive. That was always an option. Fighting constantly did increase your risk of dying. But he was t dead. And he wasn't going to be anytime soon. They had a good life on their island. And nothing would change it. He wouldn't let it. |
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Jora’s chest felt full—aching in that quiet, overwhelming way that came with love settling too deep to put into words. She watched him as he spoke, eyes soft, gaze drifting down to the babies as he mentioned them. “They already are,” she murmured, barely above a whisper. “You can see it if you really look.” Her thumb brushed gently over Kaiya’s tiny shoulder, then Caspian’s sleeve, movements careful and reverent. “They’re ours,” she added, voice warm with certainty. “Every piece of them.” Sleep tugged at her again, heavier this time, but not before she shifted just enough to lean into Sage’s side—seeking him even unconsciously. There was no fear there. No old tension winding tight in her chest. Just trust. Just home. If she sensed the weight of his thoughts at all, she didn’t let it reach her. Not tonight. Tonight was for peace. For the soft rise and fall of breathing, for the warmth of shared bodies, for the quiet knowledge that they had survived everything that tried to tear them apart. And as she slept, a faint smile lingered on her lips—because she knew, as surely as she knew her own heartbeat, that whatever came next… they would face it together. |
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Sage had stayed there, next to Jora, while she slept. Eventually the babies did wake and start to whine, but selene was a quick phone call away and brought bottles in minutes, letting Jora rest. She slept through the rest of the night, so sage positioned the kids between them carefully once he grew tired himself, and curled up around them all, drawing the blankets over top of them. It was their first day together. As a new family. It couldn't have been better. He fell asleep quickly, given the fact that he'd been up all night and then had only slept for a few hours after the fact. He didn't mind, of course ...it was all well worth his time and efforts. But he was tired. So he slipped into a deep sleep quickly, after shifting to let Lyra curl in when she padded in as well, soft smile lingering even as he slept. It was all just so wonderful. The day had been great. He looked forward to the rest of their time together. |
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Bright Sunshine with a few High Clouds
