Isabella

"Are you sure you can take care of him on your own?" Tomas worries and Isabella tries to not let her throat close up at the new insecurity he has unintentionally poked at. "Because I can stay behind and-"

"Go." She forces a light laugh, pushing all thoughts of leaving her husband aside. "Oliver and I will be fine. We'll have a quiet few days to ourselves. You have fun at the market."

He grins, clearly delighted that she was giving him permission to go with his mother and father to the nearest sea town miles away. It would be a day's ride, they'll stay a day and come back before the third night.

"Go lad, I'll keep an eye on the lass." She stiffens at the grandfather's voice. Fuck. Isabella had forgotten he would be staying and with Cassian coming for dinner with his friends- "We'll get a head start on the Winter Solstice preparations. I'm sure this wee one can help make decorations."

Isabella fights the urge to hide Oliver behind her skirts. Away from the older man's leering gaze. Tomas too seems to have stiffened at the Eldest Mandray's look but then some glazed look passes over his eyes and he smiles at her tightly. It's only once her husband has pressed a cold kiss to her cheeks that she dares swallow down her nerves at the white pallor of his skin.

"Come, Ollie." She lifts the boy up into her arms. "Let's get you back to bed."

The small boy grumbles the whole way. Adorable murmurs of being a big boy and walking on his own only serving to melt Isabella's heart rather than break her motherly resolve. Oliver kicks up a bit of fuss when the thin covers are tugged up to his chin but it's clear he's exhausted. Her heart cliches at the sight. No matter how many times he gets sick. No matter how many times he also gets better her heart will always stop at the glazed look in his eyes.

He'd developed a fever this morning, she hoped it meant that he was burning through the worst of the sickness. Isabella only settled down into the rocking chair once she had managed to wrestle the small boy back into bed and convinced him to manage a few mouthfuls of tea with healing herbs.

With a soft sigh she slowly rocks herself in the chair, watching her son as she remembers the first time he was sick as a baby. Logically she knew he was a sickly babe. The fae are stronger than humans so the pregnancy had drained her completely and it was tough breast feeding him at times when it was obvious she was able to provide the right nutrients for him.

It was an effort to remind herself that Oliver had made it. That he was nearly five years old now and resting in his own cot. Not dozing in her arms, bundled in the soft blanket that she now drapes over her knees.

A soft rap of knuckles against the door frame has her head snapping up. Grandfather Mandray isn't strong enough to walk up the stairs so-

"Can I come in?" He whispers, hesitantly glancing at Oliver and Isabella rises to her feet.

"What are you doing here?" She hisses, glancing from her son to the window where she can see Grandfather Mandray pottering in his son's home. "If he sees you-"

"He didn't see me." Cassian soothes her, stepping forward to gently clasp her upper-arms. "Azriel winnowed me straight into the hallway, there wasn't a chance for him to see me."

"Is he here too?" Isabella's not sure why she feels hopeful at the thought.

Cassian shakes his head, "He didn't want to overcrowd, Tiny." her lips quirk up at the name. It's fitting and hilarious coming from such an imposing figure as Cassian.

Eventually she sighs and settles back in her chair. Cassian boyishly grins, taking her sigh as an offer to pull over one of the crate storage boxes. Isabella does her best to cool down her blush of embarrassment when Cassian brushes off the dirt and dust from the crate. It had been a few weeks since she had given Oliver's room a good clean and Tomas had packed a few extra things in here since then.

Cassian clears his throat and Isabella looks over at the nervous male who seems to be sporting his own blush of embarrassment. He's fiddling with a small bottling in his hands. It's a similar glass to the ones he had given her before. Some kind of medical treatment then.

"It might be over stepping, but Azriel's shadows mentioned that Ollie's sickness was getting worse so I thought I'd stop by with some fever tonic." He smiles hesitantly at her, letting her see the pleading honesty in his eyes. "It does have a bit of healing magic in it-"

"Cassian-"

"-but i've used it personally before and Madja- she's our family healer- assures me that it will work just fine on humans, or half humans."

"Cas-"

"So you don't need to worry about any reactions or side effects. I swear it. But if you're still district full then I can try it here and now for you, prove it's not poison or anything. Not that we would ever hurt you or Tiny. I only want you to be saf-"

"Cassian!" She exclaims, and they both wince looking to Ollie with held breath as they wait for him to stir. When he makes no sign of waking up Isabella allows her tense shoulders to drop, turning back to Cassian with a gentle sigh.

Except her caring bat seems to have sunk within himself. Eyes up set and fists clenching and unclenching as he glares at the floor. For a moment she's scared. The clenching fists bring back so many memories but then she takes in his posture, his relaxed stance despite how hurt he appears to be.

But then his nostrils flare and Isabella thinks she can see his heart break when he starts muttering apologise hastily rising to feet.

"That would be greatly appreciated," She keeps her voice imperious, enough so that she doubts her own confidence when Cassian looks to her in surprise. "Cas." She adds on somewhat lamely in a softer more friendlier tone.

Not that it matters considering it seems to brighten the male's mood. She tries to grin as he quickly sets about shifting the teapot she brought up. He truly does just want to help her. Part of her wants to question why, a little voice in the back of her doubting his motives, questioning his reasons for befriending her. But-

But Cassian is so removed from life here. He is not bound by the Queens, or the social rules. He does not fear what the peers in the farming community will think. Not to mention he was fae, so anything she could give him he could already get elsewhere.

He has no need for her so it must be a want.

Isabella quite likes the thought of having Cassian as a friend.

"Just let me warm this up again and then we could wake-" He stutters suddenly and the gems- Siphons she remembered he said -spluttered. Oh. He was using magic to heat the tea up. "If that's okay with you, I mean, you could wake Oliver up."

Isabella smiles softly and the panic in Cassian's eyes seems to die down. He nods to himself, pulling out a little piece of paper to consult before measuring out with a tea spoon some of the tonic.

It's such a sweet sight and Isabella feels her heart race at the sight. When was the last time Tomas put that much effort into helping Oliver. Instead of the half arsed nonsense he uses to trick her into thinking he's fine with Ollie.

She nods, "We can wake him up but I'm afraid I had planned to take a nap myself while he was resting." Exhaustion was slowly creeping up on her as her lack of sleep caught up.

"Have you not been sleeping?" Cassian worries, turning away from the teacup and stepping closer to her until he's gently cupping her cheeks.

Isabella doesn't dare breath as he tilts her head side to side, not looking at her but instead focusing on the dark bags that had slowly grown over the past couple of nights. When Cassian slowly traces under her eyes the warmth of his palm has her gasping slightly and the male pauses.

He remains frozen for a second, with such stillness that she could never mistake him for something other than human. Cassian's gaze had remained fixated on where his thumb was tracing her cheek but when she saw his gaze drop down. The way his tongue flicks out over his lower lip she freezes.

Because holy fuck.

It;s only then that Cassian meets her gaze, a burning heat in his eyes that is no doubt reflected in her own.

It had been so long since she had been held. Since shad had been loved. Isabella found herself missing that contact, the warmth and security it offered. All from just being in someone you trusts' arms.

"Why have you not been sleeping?" His voice drops an octave and Isabella swallows. He tilts his head, staring at her curiously as a soft smirk tugs at his face. "Izzzzy." he teases and she blushes, pulling away. She doesn't miss the disappointment in his eyes and she keeps her head down, knowing that the same feeling would be reflected on her own face.

"Ollie has been sick a few days, I've- Tomas and I have been staying up with him." The reminder of her husband seems to do the trick and his nods, stepping back and her heart clenches at the increased distance.

Stupid. Stupid, she curses herself. Now is not the time to be flirting. She has a plan that needs to be worked through. An escape and she can't risk that by involving someone who might be a liability. But- but it is Cassian and he had been good to her. And he had certainly been distrustful of Tomas.

Cas clears his throat, "Should we- you wake him up."

"Do you plan on blaming me when he gets grumpy?" She teases, stepping forward and shaking off her previous thoughts. "I rather think we're stuck in this little nursing situation together, equal blame- no?"

He grins but there's something more serious in his eyes. "Yeah, we're in this together."

There her stomach goes fluttering again.

She quickly turns away slowly nudging her son awake and whispering soft words. Isabella fights the urge to coo when Olliw yawns, grumbling into Bat-bat. Cassian seems less successful for he actually purrs her son and she turns to him in surprise.

"What." He grumbles, clearly offended from her raised brows and pursed lips. "It's a fae thing. Like tigers and lions, they chuff and coo-"

"What's a tiger?" She frowns and Cassian frowns too. "Or a lion for that matter."

"They're animals from the south-"

"Mama." Ollie grumbles, shuffling slightly as he frowns at his mother. "Whaa-!

"Hey Ol," She murmurs, brushing back his sweaty hair. "I need you to take some medicine for me baby."

She tries to place the cup against his lips before he can protest, hoping to get him to drink it before he can fully wake up and challenge her. She's unsuccessful. Her son whimpers, shuffling back and sitting up slightly as he mumbles his complaints.

Isabella can feel her frustration build. The lack of sleep and worries on her mind slowly chipping away at her patience as she gives Oliver her best arguments for why he needs to drink the tea, bribery and flat out using her mum's voice despite the fact it never works when he's sick because she never means it and he never believes her.

"Hey. Hey, Tiny." Cas whispers shuffling closer and Isabella blinks in surprise having forgotten he was there for a moment. "You remember me?"

He pauses for a moment and Isabella's clamps a hand over her lips to muffle her whimper at his glazed eyes. That's not good.

"Cas- cian." he whispers, voice laboured.

"Close enough." Cassian's lips had quirked up into a fond smile before adopting a serious expression. "I need you to drink this tea here because it's going to make you feel better."

"It's yucky."

"I know it's yucky but you need to get better so you can stop worrying your mum." She almost glares at him for the guilt trip but she's too busy worrying at her lip as every bit of medical training she has goes out the window. She can never truly concentrate when it's ollie, always thinking of the worse case scenario. "Listen, my friends and I are staying for dinner tonight and I know that Az has got a gift for you. But if you need to be well enough to come down and get it."

Oliver frowns, clearly thinking through the logic. "Drinking the tea." He pauses, pouting slightly, "Means I can join you at dinner."

"Yep." then he adds on in a conspiratorial whisper. "And i'm making that nice chicken dish you like and there Skyr for pudding with syrup and berries."

"Strawberries?" His hopeful voice has the two adults laughing.

"But only if you drink the tea."

"This sounds like brib- ary." Oliver grumbles but shuffles closer to Isabella and the tea. She smooths a hand down the side of his head before correcting him.

"Bri-be-ry."

"Brib-ery."

"Bribery."

"Bribery." He whispers one last time, nodding to himself before scrunching up his face and accepting the drink.

"See that wasn't so bad." Cassian tried to smile at the young boy but the harsh glare he received in return had him wincing. "Yeah, sorry about that bud."

"Tiny."

"Sorry?"

"Not bud, Tiny."

"Okay, yeah." Cassian agreed, with such a proud grin that Isabella couldn't help but smile back at him.

Oliver grumbled so Isabella shifted curling herself up at the head of the small cot before tugging Oliver's head into her lap. 

A/N: So this is much longer than I expected and my history exam is much closer than i expected.

Is this fluffy enough for you???????