Felix

When I came to, I was sitting slumped against one of the walls in the nursery. Groaning at the stiffness in my lower back as I slowly became a little more aware, I blinked blearily at my surroundings. I was in nothing but my boxers, having apparently undressed while I was sleep walking.

"Damn it," I grumbled wearily. "I hate this shit."

Slowly, my bones and joints creaking with every movement, I rose to my feet. Shaking out my hair, I fluffed it back in a haphazard mess with my fingers. In the middle of the nursery, which was my old closest, the girls' grey and rose pink crib was placed. Cracking my neck as I moved closer to them, I stared down inside the crib.

A small smile of pure, unadultered joy broke over my face as I gazed down at the twins. "Hey, baby girls," I whispered. "Daddy's found himself into a pickle again...Just how angry do you think Mommy's going to be?" My voice turned bitter, but damn it, I couldn't help it. Fuck.

Despite how quiet the girls were, they weren't asleep. A strange trait the two seemed to have at times. Nala stared up at me, smiling softly. Aria's eyes let me know she was less interested, but even she seemed happy to see me.

Nala stretched up her arms, begging for my hand. Sighing, knowing what she wanted, I lowered my hand down into the crib. Nala's fingers wrapped around my right index finger and Aria quickly groaned, trying to get my right pinky. Laughing very softly, I let her. Once both girls were holding tight, Nala let out a small hiccup, Aria a low cry.

If these girls didn't already halfway know how to speak, I didn't know shit.

Closing my eyes, I focused. Very, very, very gradually I let my magic come forth.

Rage, hate, sorrow, depression.

I let a small amount of it all fill me up.

Nala let out a low giggle and Aria's lips spread into a smile. Their bodies began to glow, just a tiny bit, in a softly pale light.

Through the connection we'd just made, my mind was gradually filled with the images of Bri, my mother, and Sera. Bri moving about the house, cleaning. Bri picking up the girls and playing, or feeding them bottles. Mom watching a exercise show on the TV and spread out on a mat following the instructions of the coach on the show. Mom working in the kitchen, most likely making my dinner at that point. Sera sitting on the couch, pouring over some sort of papers, before rising up and moving to change a diaper. All of it was seen through the viewpoint of the girls themselves. They seemed to enjoy sharing their memories of their day when I came in to feed them my vast excess of negative emotions. But I didn't mind. In fact, I kind of liked it. It was nice to see what they - and everyone else for that matter - got up to while I was gone at work.

After ten minutes, both girls unclasped their hold on my fingers. I leaned back, sucking in a deep breath. Doing this always wore me out a bit, but they needed this...Afterall, they required negativity to survive. I had more than enough for myself, so sharing was no big deal. It just tired me, having a portion of my energy drained away.

"Y-you two want a bottle?" I panted out, brushing back more of my hair. Taking in a breath, I shook my head slowly. "Nope, time for a change first." Moving to the place I use to store my shirts that didn't need to be hung up, I got out the diapers, wipes, and powder. Back at the crib, I smirked down at them. "Inny, meany, miney, mo, which baby's butt is getting cleaned first?" I snapped my teeth playfully at them, pretending I was going to gobble them up.

The look on Aria's face reminded me so much of Bri in that moment it almost sent a shiver down my spine. Did you just seriously say that right now, Daddy?

Me, me, me! Nala let out a giggle, kicking her feet.

"We have a winner, huh?" I teased as I reached down and scooped Nala in my arms. "At least someone appreciates my humor around here." I moaned tragically as I tossed Aria a glance before turning on my heel.

Cradling Nala close, I leaned my head against hers. "Ahhh...Stinky baby butt. Yep, that's the stuff of dreams, alright," I mused sarcastically. I wondered over to the opposite wall from the door, where a changing station had been installed, the wood a sanded down, grey-painted oak. Laying Nala out, I changed her, leaning down to drop kisses on her head, toes, and fingers. She soaked it all up happily, which didn't help my heart from melting at the sight of her.

"I sold my soul for you two for sure," I sighed quietly. "There is no other explanation for how you two can make me melt as easily as exotic butter." Once I was done with Nala, I returned her to the crib and picked up her sister. Sniffing her, I sighed. "Oh and of course your diaper is five times worse. Christ, Aria! Biological stench warfare is a little too much, don't you think?" I muttered as I worked on taking care of her too. Once she was clean, I lifted her into my arms and held her like I was going to burp her.

"Alright, midget. Wether you like it or not, Daddy loves you and you have to stop with this attitude. You are way too young to be giving me attitude...as well as boyfriends. None of those either." I moved over to the crib, reaching down to pick up Nala as well. "You catch that, big sis? It'll be your job to keep your sister out of trouble. Oh, and no boyfriends for you either. I might just eat 'em if you try...So no funny business when you two are old enough for daycare, you got that?"

I glared down at both of them. The twins stared up at me with my own eyes, which I still found unnerving from time to time. I'd never imagined I'd be staring at another person with eyes exactly like mine, let alone two people. But, here we were...

Here we are, that's for certain, I thought tiredly. "I'm way too young to be a dad, girls...Bri's another matter. 'Cause, ya know, your mom's hot and insanely easy on the eyes, even for her age...Uh, Felix what are you doing right now?" I sighed heavily, telling myself off. "Really, how much of an ass can I be to bring up se-Bring up bad topics around infants?"

Aria let out another annoyed-sounding huff.

"Don't give me any cheek, young lady. I get more than enough of that from your mama," I glowered down at my youngest. Turning my attention beside her, my lips twitched upward into a silent laugh. "Wow...Nala really is a champ at falling asleep in record time, huh?"

There she was...asleep with more finality than a candle that had been blown out. Shaking my head, I glanced back at Aria. "Sleepy time for you too, sweetheart?" I yawned, raising a hand up to cover my mouth.

Aria let out a small cry, kicking out her feet and arms in a show of frustration. "Hey, hey, hey now. Shhh, baby," I hushed her, rocking her in my arms. "Mommy's sleeping, sweetie. We gotta stay quiet so she doesn't wake up and stab Daddy, okay?" I begged quietly. "'Cause I'm sure there will be some reason in that crazy head of hers she'll find to go for my throat. So, if you want Daddy to see the morning, you gotta stay quiet, baby."

Wouldn't you know it, she started crying harder and louder!

"I knew you had it out for me!" I grumbled in outrage. Shaking my head, sighing, I shifted Aria in my arms, holding her in a firmer grip. Carefully, I held onto Nala, lowering her softly snoring body back into the crib. Once she was safely in her bed, I returned my full attention to Aria, rubbing her back in soothing motions.

"Baby girl, there's no reason to cry. I'm not perfect, but I'm sure I can help with just about any of your problems..." I murmured softly, turning my head to kiss the side of hers. She let out another short hiccup before I felt her tiny left hand reach out, pressing against my neck.

A flash of emotion and magic, vauge ideas with no real picture flew into my mind. Darkness.

I stood stock-still, afraid to move and also trying to process what was happening.

This wasn't the first time...

Nala had done this once before, when she'd just been born...Images, not words, but ideas in my mind.

Thoughts...

"Y-you want it to be dark then?" I breathed out in a shaky question. Swallowing, I closed my eyes and let the darkness come. Creeping shadows, sulking darkness, ringing silence...The abscene of light, color, heat, and sound. A vacuum capable of bringing the very Earth to it's knees, if it so chose.

I got no response except for a happy exhale of breath, running from Aria's open mouth over the skin of my shoulder and collarbone. I felt a tug in the area of my chest and let out a sigh as a minute or two later, the quiet sounds of Aria breathing in her sleep cut through the silence of my darkness. Stepping forward with no problems, easily able to see through the dark, I moved to the crib and laid Aria down next to her sister. Once the two infants were having a crash party, I turned on my heel.

"If any of you try a single thing, I'll hunt you down and R I P you l i m b from l i m b," I promised the faint presences in the darkness. "Don't think I won't know who did what either," I whispered the threat. "I am Niði and any that harm mine in the cover of my own shadows, I can find at a moment's notice. Remember it well, scum. The Hunter of the Moonless Sky shall drink your blood and feast upon your flesh should even a scratch come from your foul fingers." My expression, I could tell, was slipping into the crazed mania that came over me when the Beast came forward. The Beast who'd appointed his name to be Niði years ago.

My jaw snapped and popped as I flexed it instinctively, the sensation of flesh and bone grinding and crunching under the strength of my teeth and jaws so real that I had to reach up and touch my mouth to know for certain it was only a delusion in my own mind.

Shaking my head, I moved out of the nursery slowly, closing the door behind me. Inside the darkness I'd called forth for Aria, I felt the creatures shifting and moving, but none grew closer than ten feet to the crib. They'd taken my threat to heart. I'd already had to slay five creatures in the past three weeks. The fools had thought I was simply bluffing.

But, of course, these sorts of things were stuff Bri had no need to know of. Just like she didn't know about the vast amount of security I'd hired Max to set up and to keep tabs on. There were too many Others interested in the half-blood that was tied to me, or even just to get their hands on a unregister half-blood. Which reminded me...

"In the morning," I grumbled aloud under my breath. "I'll do it in the morning," I decided tiredly. "Now to follow the girls' example and crash," I yawned. Moving around the foot of the bed, I slid under the blankets and climbed in.

The bed lowered with my weight, but Bri hardly made a sound of ackowledgement, far away in her own dreams. Propping up on my shoulder, pressing it into the pillow, I stared at her for a few silent minutes.

"Seriously, Bri. What the hell did you do to me?" I whispered, reaching out through the darkness to brush back a few stray strands of hair that was plastered to her forehead. "I can't afford to be suffering from your witchcraft...Not now. Please, Bri...You have to stop..."

I swallowed, closing my eyes and jerking my hand back. Turning onto my left side, I faced the many windows across the room, which were black with a few stars peeking through here and there. Squeezing my eyes shut, I told myself to stop being a pansy and just deal.

I was a fucking grown man and I could control myself, for fucks' sake!

O O O

Later, in the early moments of the morning, I learned very quickly that such naive thoughts were very untrue.

Bri - in nothing but a pair of dark green and white polka dot panties, as well as a white cami so light and thin I could have blown it off with a single breath - was straddling me, her body pressed against my chest, head nestled in the crook on my shoulder and throat.

"B-B-B-Bri-!" I struggled to get out. My chest rose, expanding in a large intake of breath as Bri's still sleeping body rose with it. She let out a sleepy moan, much too close to the types of noises I'd been dreaming about hearing from her lately.

She wiggled a little on me, pressing herself even closer.

I tipped my head back, digging deeper into the pillows. "Oh, for fuck's sake!" I hissed. Her hips shifted further down my stomach.

I froze, breath catching in the back of my throat as my mind was torn between two very important choices.

Just a little closer, the "Devil" on my shoulder whispered. Just a tiny bit closer and you can move the lip of her panties out of the way and then you'll be good to go. Scott-free, actually. Inside her and ready to let loose like you need to.

I'm telling you, if you do that shit, she's going to roast your ass so fast you won't even know she lathered you in BBQ sauce. The "Angel" sounded fed-up and annoyed, but who could blame the guy, right? It was really hard to be the voice of reason in a situation like this...especially at this time of the month...

Hmm...Lathered, eh?

Fuck you.

Fuck, huh?

Okay, that's more than enough of the crazy talk, I shook my head firmly. Reaching up, I placed a hand on each of Bri's shoulders. My fingers squeezed her harder for a second as I took in another deep breath to try and steady myself. Even so, I wasn't feeling very kind right now.

Seriously, if she doesn't want me to attack her, she needs to make sure she doesn't attack me first!

"Hey, Bri...Bri!" I growled, voice still irritated with my own thoughts. I shook her, just enough to get her attention.

She gasped, sucking in a choked breath as I evidently scared the shit out her, going off of the panicked terror in her eyes for half a second. After another second, she blinked, blearily becoming aware of my presence. "Felix...? What's going on? Why did you wake me up?"

"Do you want sex?" I asked bluntly, the question bursting out in a harsh growl before I realized I'd been thinking it. "If you want sex, I'm fine with this...But don't be a tease if I'm not allowed to have any." I reached up my left hand to tuck in an errant, flyaway strand of her dark brown hair.

She jerked back and up, her hands automatically pressing against my abdomen to hold herself steady. She blinked and I could admit some small spark of satisfaction as I took in the slow spark of realization that came over her. She was in the de facto perfect position to ride me from there...With her leaning back, the bottom of her panties were brushing against the fly of my boxers and I couldn't help the quickly growing length of my boner in reaction. I shifted underneath her body, trying to keep control of myself. The heat emitting from her pussy, plus the scent of her pheromones...

Damn it.

Whhhhhhhhhy?! I lamented in my mind. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. Damnit damnit. Damnitdamnitdamnitdamnitdamnit!

"The hell? No!" she jerked off of me, shaking her head fiercely, voice pissed.

I let out a low breath of gratitude. That was close, but why does she have to be ovulating. Right. Now? I let a tense smile slid over my lips. "Oh? No? I guess that's okay then. Just...you know, why we're you climbed on top of me?"

She shrugged, moving further away from me, to the other side of the bed. "You're warm today...You're usually cold to the touch. I don't know, I guess I was attracted to you in my sleep."

I kept up the tense smile. "You could just stay over here, by me," I offered. Of course I'm warmer. Everything's so on edge right now and-

She paused, turning to glance at me over her shoulder. A small light filled her eyes as she smiled. It was a soft smile, one that made my heart flip over in my chest...

I swore I could hear the sizzling crackle of the butter my heart was melting into surround me for half a second. Our gazes clashed and I felt like some school girl, faint almost, the damned organ in my chest all a-flutter.

"Now that you mention it, I don't think that would be such a bad idea." She tilted her head to the side, stray wisps hanging around the right side of her head and edges of her ears.

"Y-yeah?" My voice cracked slightly, pissing me off in the back of my mind. I coughed to try and both hide the crack, as well as clear my throat. "Well, come back over here then." I reached out, feeling amazed that Bri was turning towards me.

She moved closer, until she was half on top of me, her chest pressed against mine, her legs splayed out diagonally from my hips. My left hand moved to cup the back of her head, my right thumb rubbing at the edge of her shoulderbone. She leaned in closer, until her lips met mine in a almost shy kiss.

It was innocent enough. More innocent than I wanted it to be...But at the same time, I couldn't fight down a tiny flare of happiness that she was in my arms. The feel of her against my chest, the smell of her, washing over me in quiet waves with every breath...She'd taken a shower with citrus shampoo, by the scent...and pomogrante body wash too. I leaned back a little, taking in a shallow breath.

Gods...She almost overwhelmed me. Everything about her.

I moved my right hand, sliding it around and down her back. My palm traveled over the lace-like material of her camisole. Applying a bit of pressure, I forced her body closer to mine, our lips colliding with a firm assurity. I ran my tongue over her bottom lip slowly, loving the taste of her. She opened her mouth, just enough to let me slip my tongue inside. I groaned, electric charges sparking from my tongue, all throughout my body, even down to my toes.

How the hell? I sighed darkly in my mind as my arms tightened around Bri, pulling her even closer. How the hell can she do this to me? How is this possible?

She moaned, shifting, reaching for my left hand to move it to her breast. I gave no resistance to the idea, cupping her breast through her camisole. She sighed softly through our lip and tongue-locked state, pressing her breast into my hand more to allow me better access. I pushed up with my shoulder blades, twisting so that I could rise up and start to press Bri down to the bed, effectively switching our positions.

Even as I did so, I could feel the changes starting...The slow, steady rise of my darker side. My teeth dragged a little at Bri's bottom lip, pulling it in to suck. The need to lay her out on her back and take every last piece of her for myself began to bear down on my own wants.

She moaned again, letting out a low laugh. "You're pretty aggressive for so early in the morning, don't you think?" She was laid out on her back. Her cami was pulled up on the right side, exposing the bottom of her breast, the other side ruffled and bunched together a little.

I lowered my head down, pushing up the rest of her cami as my lips and tongue closed around her erect nipple. I closed my eyes, groaning in pleasure as she arched her back up, letting out another of those moans which seemed to be almost necessary for me to live.

In that moment, I wanted her.

No, I needed her.

I needed everything that was Brionia Hymm. More than anything else in the world. She was the center, the axis which everything else depended upon to keep existing.

Whoa, whoa! Back the fuck up! No, no, no! I don't need anyone! I snarled internally. If anything, Bri needs me, I rationalized quickly. I make the money, I keep her and the girls safe! If I wasn't around, she'd be unable to do anything. I feed the girls the negativity they need to live off of. Could Bri provide that? Hell no! I growled.

My internal growl became much more external as I flashed Bri a feral smile. I loomed over her, my hands braced against the pillows to either side of her head. "It's a good thing to be assertive," I hissed quickly before lowering my head down to kiss her deeply once more.

She let out a sighing breath when I pulled back a minute later. I struggled not to pant, feeling some of my more primal urges push even stronger against the barrier of my sanity. I shook my head, blinking.

Bri stared up at me, absently rubbing her right hand's fingers over her bottom lip as she did. "A-are you okay, Felix?" she breathed out. I could hear the uncertainty and worry in her voice.

Are you okay?

No, of course I wasn't. Really, I never was, but it was even worse right now.

I fought to keep my expression free of any of my troublesome thoughts. "I'd be better if we were further along right now. You know, at the sex part?" I admitted in a clipped tone.

She blinked, a flash of annoyance crossing over her features. "Oh?" she murmured.

Fuck.

Fucking fuckery.

Damnit!

Opening your big fat mouth again, huh?

...Why are you such a moron?

Shut it! I don't need any advice or commentary from the peanut gallery, okay? Besides, demon and angel, you're both just expressions of my own conscious thoughts.

Hell, I knew what that tone meant. Who didn't? I screwed up. Hardcore.

Out the window went Felix's dreams of getting a rich, thick slice of Bri pie. Instead he was stricken with the realization that all he had to look forward to was the dry, bland taste of cardboard she left in her absence.

"I-" I started awkwardly.

Bri shoved up and out from under me, her lips pulled into a thin smile. "If that's the case, just anyone will do, right?"

I clenched my right hand into a fist. If I reached out for her right now, I couldn't trust myself that I wouldn't hurt her. "...Exactly," I tossed out in a cocky, don't-give-a-shit voice. "You're just nearby, so it's a lot more convenient. But I wasn't really feeling it anyway. I figured I'd just humor you, what with you seeming more than eager. You did, after all, climb all over me in your sleep."

Idiot.

Really, I'm ashamed to be you right now.

You fucking moron!

Bri's legs swung around so that she could rise to her feet from the side of the bed. "Well, at least now I know what not to do in my sleep then. Besides, wasn't it you who were the desperate one? Seriously, as soon as I wake up the first words out of your mouth are 'Do you want sex?'. How sad is that, honestly? Is your brain so small that you can think of nothing else besides sleeping, eating, and fucking?"

I winced. It wasn't like she was wrong...but, still I didn't appreciate having my shortcomings tossed back in my face. Things were already tense enough as it was without Bri pouring gasoline over the lit fire. "Yeah, okay, so you got me. It's not like it wasn't obvious anyway. I haven't ever been trying to hide it. You knew going in how I am."

She raised a brow, glaring at me. "You're right, I did. But I'd thought you'd changed over the past couple of weeks." She started padding toward the small three-drawer cabinet that she'd been using to store her clothing. "I guess that was just wishful thinking on my part. Once an ass, always an ass, right?" she tossed over her shoulder with a mocking smile.

I bit down on my bottom lip, trying not to let her words hit their mark. Don't give in, don't give in, don't give in. It's all just petty shit. You know it's just petty shit, I reminded myself in a tight voice.

It doesn't help anything though, I admitted quietly in my own mind. Besides, this is exactly what I want, isn't it?

I stared at Bri's back as she continued toward the kitchen, stepping down from the raised platform the bed was on.

...Isn't it?

Bri

After I made me some homemade French toast (Felix got none with his rude comments he'd been making since I woke up), ate my breakfast, and checked on the girls to find them still sleeping at 6 a.m. in the morning, I finally felt awake. I was sitting on the couch, stretched out to purposefully bar Felix room from sitting next to me. Since about fifty-five minutes ago, he'd been strangely quiet. I peeked glances at him every now and again from over the book I was reading.

Well, trying to read at least.

I still had a little bit of goosebumps from the memory of Felix's touch. I wasn't a borderline nymphomaniac like he apparently was...But it had been like seven or eight months since I'd last had sex. I couldn't deny I'd been into kissing him and the sensation of his hands on me.

Still...The minute he opened his mouth...

Sighing heavily, I dropped the book into my lap, throwing my head back against the plump, lush pillow of the couch arm. "Stop thinking about it," I muttered to myself under my breath, closing my eyes tightly.

"Bri?"

The soft, almost hesitant voice made my heart jump up to my throat. I jerked up, feeling the sensation of wind as something else quickly moved away. My eyes popped open and I found Felix staring down at me from the back of the couch. "Gods, stop doing that!" I panted, reaching out to lightly punch him in the stomach.

His left hand clamped onto my extended arm, a stiff expression coming over his face. "Right. So, honestly I don't know what the best way to do this is, so..."

In his right hand was a small black box. My eyes widened as I stared at it in panic. "No...no! No, that is not what I think it is!" I growled. My eyes shot back up to his face, shaking my head firmly.

His expression didn't change a bit, but I saw that his eyes were beginning to swirl with black. "...Afraid it is, Bri." He slowly released his hold of my right wrist, reaching into the pocket of the jeans he'd thrown on five minutes ago. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "According to new mandates that were put into place this year by the pricks in power, I had to fill out some paperwork." He held out the black box toward me.

I stared at it, continuing to shake my head. "No..."

"Bri, take it. Damn it, woman," he snarled, the first real sign of any emotion he felt toward my adamant refusal of his "proposal". "I get this is something neither of us want, but it's only on paper," he stressed in a slow, deliberate manner. "Why do you think you've been cooped up inside the apartment all this time? I had to wait on the paperwork to get approved and finalized."

I blinked, staring at him uncertainly. "P-paperwork?" I repeated quietly. He shook the box, glancing meaningfully between the box and my hand. On autopilot, I reached out and took the box. It was so light...

"Yeah, the paperwork to get you registered and have the proper identification. Up until basically yesterday you've been, uh, an illegal immigrant, I guess you could say? Such people have no rights, which means if someone wanted to take you home and turn you into fifty cans of dried human, that's completely legal."

"...WHAT?" I gasped, staring at him in horror. "I thought things were supposed to be better!" I insisted in outrage. "Didn't your mom and dad make sure of it or...something?" I finished weakly.

Felix flashed a dark smile. "Something like that. But nothing is perfect and the big wigs wanted a way to make it even harder for humans and half-bloods to be legal. The more legal they are, the harder it is to gather them up and keep the good old HRD up and running." He cleared his throat, looking awkward for a second. "So, anyway, basically such people have to have a 'benefactor': a legal citizen of the Other Realm that will lay claim to the person in question. I have laid claim to you by stating that you are my fiancee. Which means that legally, you are a citizen of the Other Realm...so long as I continue to lay claim to you." He coughed, clearing his throat again. His eyes were darting around, landing on anything but me. "S-so, anyway...You have to wear the ring and carry this card around with you at all times...Oh, yeah. And you're legal name has been changed to reflect your status as my fiancee." He held out a bundle of papers in his left hand.

I snatched them up, shaking my head. "I swear, if my name is Frost now..." I trailed off, tilting my head to the side in confusion. "What the hell is this? 'Brionia Hymm-en'? The hell?"

He shrugged. "Don't look at me. It's short for engaged. The pricks aren't very original. If you were like my cousin or something it would be 'fa' and if the impossible ever happened and we got married, you'd have to have 'ma' at the end of your name."

"Nope. Not happening," I shook my head fiercely as I started to open up the box.

"...Yeah, like I said. Impossible," he repeated in an
overly-stressed bark. I shot him a quick glance, raising a brow in question, but he merely rolled his eyes. "Just put the damn ring on your finger already."

"You really know how to sweet talk a girl," I smiled acidly as I did just that. The ring slid onto my right ring finger effortlessly. It fact, it was such a good fit I barely felt like it was there. Blinking, I tilted my hand to get a better look at the ring.

A slim gold band with a dime-sized diamond in a oblong shape. Surrounding the center diamond were twelve other tiny diamonds, almost like the spokes of the sun. It was simple but elegant. I stared at it a little longer, feeling funny. "Well, at least it isn't gaudy," I decided to say aloud.

"Of course I wouldn't buy you anything gaudy, Bri. I don't want some idiot to see a meteor and try to mug you. If nothing else, I'm thinking of the potential mugger's safety here."

"...Thanks," I muttered sarcastically. "I'm glad to see you have such faith in my ass-kicking skills, Felix." I stared up at him, my expression overflowing with pretend cheer.

"Hell yeah I do. Least you forget, your fist has been in my face before." He reached up with his left hand to brush his bangs from out of his eyes. "And, well, anyway, there ya go. You're no longer an illegal immigrant. Yay for citizenship!" he clapped sarcastically. "Now, if you'll excuse me, sweetheart," he stressed with heavy sarcasm. "The girls require my attention now. Later," he waved his hand in an absentminded manner before turning on his heel and heading to the nursery.

I stared after him for a few more seconds before slowly returning my attention down to the papers and empty box. The lamented card in the middle was very much like a photo I.D. There was even a picture of me from the wedding, which had been cropped to take out everything but my head, face, and hair.

Brionia Hymm-en. Fiancee of Felix Frost, claimer. All legal directives must be brought to the claimer. Mother of claimer's two children: Nala and Aria Frost. Allowed the same rights as the claimer: level 10 access to all areas of the Other Realm, considered Royal.

I stared at the card, feeling like I was some piece of property the longer I read the text on the card. "The fucking hell," I sighed. Gathering up all the items, I tossed them onto the glass coffee table in front of the couch. "I don't need this shit right now."

Throwing my left arm behind my head, leaning back on the edge of the couch, I picked my book back up.

Around dinner time, hours later, something started to change.

All day this sense of unease and edge had been bubbling up more and more. Hell, there'd even been a few times I was sure I'd seen a shadowy aura surrounding Felix from out of the corner of my eyes.

Now though, it was nearly ten at night and I was more than a little surprised Felix was still up. Well, if you could call it that. He looked pale, almost paranoid. He'd been avoiding me almost all day. I figured he wanted to be alone though, so I left him be. But it still worried me...

Honestly, he looked barely better than death warmed over.

Shaking my head, I pulled myself out of my thoughts. I was supposed to be watching a show. Or, at least I thought I was. I let out a soft sigh. Something...God, I was tired now.

"Seriously?" Felix's annoyed growl came from the kitchen.

I turned from where I was sitting on the couch, right arm against the edge of the cushioned back. "What? What's wrong?" I called out. I grabbed the TV remote from the coffee table, switching the sound of the show I'd only been half paying attention to on Mute. I leaned back over the edge of the couch so that I could get a better view of Felix. He was standing in front of the counter, next to the sink. His back was stiff, his hands curled into fists at his sides. In the dim light of the kitchen, his hair and the profile of his body was cast into shadow.

Once more, I was pretty sure I saw a creeping, writhing darkness surrounding him...But the vision was gone in the blink of an eye. I shook my head. It had only been a trick of the light.

"You've done nothing today. Do you realize that? It's fucking ten at night and these dishes are still in the damn sink!" His voice came out as a harsh snarl, but I could hear it even with the thirty or so feet between us.

I rolled my eyes. "Well, excuse me for enjoying time to myself. I'm taking a day off." Hell, I'd been doing a favor for both of us today! Felix barely spent any time with the girls and he'd gotten very nearly the entire day with them today. I'd of course played with and helped take care of them some. I'd also made dinner. But as far as everything else, I decided I wanted a day off to try and rest a little. I loved the girls, but they tended to stress me out...heavily. It was a daily, draining struggle not to let my own temper get the best of me with them.

It wasn't that I hated the girls. If anything...it was the exact opposite scenerio.

"For once the girls weren't really fussy today. Usually they have a few screaming fits throughout the day when I try to tend to them...Besides, I thought you'd enj-" I cleared my throat before starting to explain myself.

"-That's because the girls don't like you...But I guess any excuse is better than no excuse, huh?" He taunted in a smug voice. He'd turned to face me, still leaning his back against the kitchen counter top. His blue eyes were swirling with black again, though every now and again, I could have sworen I saw flashes of red and gold in them...

Unease poured down my spine, just as I started to break out into a nervous sweat. But no matter the situation, I refused to let him attack me without a fight!

My eyes narrowed to slits, fingers still holding the TV remote tightening around the black, plastic tool. I searched for half a second, but it didn't take long to find something mean to pay him back for probing at my own sore spots. "Says the guy who begged me to put them into a jar. Hell, you wanted me to trade them in for some fucking lingerie! Not to mention you were doing your damnedest to wish the both of them to death."

His arms had been rising up to cross over his chest, but now he growled and pointed an angry left hand and arm at me. "Why the fuck would you bring that up, Bri?" he demanded hotly. "I'm fucking here now, right? Just like you kept begging of me, right?! And, unlike you, I actually spend time with them. At least I don't push the girls off on everyone else around me. You cried and groaned about wanting kids and then when you get your wish, you want nothing to do with them? Ha!" he sneered hatefully. "Fuck off with that logic...Another thing, don't ever bring that shit up again!" he shook his finger at me, expression hard.

I gasped, shooting up to my feet from off the couch. I tossed the remote down onto the cushions behind me. "Excuse me?!" I demanded in outrage. "I do not push them off on everybody! I try to love on them and it's always a problem when I do. Besides, I'll talk about what the hell I feel like, you ass. Don't start acting all high and mighty just because you changed a few diapers without my help." I crossed my arms over my chest tightly, jerking my head away in a show of my disgust with him.

Why did he have to bring up the issue the girls had with me like this? Damn it, had I been that obvious that he'd caught on to this particular open wound? He barely saw me anymore most days...so how could he have?

He let out a low, chuckling huff of breath. "I can take care of the girls all by myself. Hell, they fucking prefer it that way. Really," he brushed his bangs up, out of his face, before shooting me a haughty glare. "What good are you anyway?" He raised his right hand and began ticking off his points on his left hand. "You don't take care of the girls. You sit on your ass all day long. You complain, bitch, and moan...To think, you call me worthless? You make Mom clean up everything, don't you?"

My nails dug into the skin of my upper arms as I felt whitehot rage shoot down my spine.

How. Dare. He!

My voice began to rise, as well as my temper.

Fuck him. Fuck him. Fuck him.

"Alright, dickhead...So you want to go there, huh? You going to drag your dear old mommy in this?" I taunted behind a jeering laugh. I popped my neck, rolling my shoulders back. My toes curled into the cool, wood floor under my feet. "You going to throw up your coward flag? Alright then," I whispered under my breath as I started walking around the couch. Once I got to the back, I stopped, mocking Felix's position almost across from me. Arms crossed over my chest, expression hard with rage, voice shaking with the force of my wrath. I shot him a slow, death-promise of a smile. "Let's play."

"Can't find a good enough lie to toss back, hmm?" he was smirking widely in triumph.

I smiled back just as cockily. "Please, bastard," I shrugged off his weak comment with out any effort. "I clean whenever your mother is here. I clean up every day, Felix. One day won't hurt anything. Still, maybe you'd realize this if you were actually home more. But no, you're out chasing skirts instead of being where you should be."

I didn't even notice what I was saying now. I had snapped. I was going to hurt him...Hurt him as much as he was hurting me. Every word, every angry breath or smirk was just another nail to drive into the shriveled thing he called a heart. I was going to make him regret hurting me.

Even if I had no idea how he'd hurt me.

Even if I didn't know why he was hurting me.

Even if I would NEVER admit he had and was hurting me.

"You literally spend all your time going to work, coming to smile at the girls a little, and then back out you go to chase some hot new piece of ass!" I felt a vein in my temple starting to throb. My face, ears, and neck were flushed with heat at the level of emotions I was experiencing in that moment. My breath was catching in my chest as I felt myself getting dragged down into the rising tide of this fight.

In the back of my mind...way in the back, I questioned what the fuck was wrong with me. Obviously, Felix was baiting me in this argument. It was almost like he was getting some sick pleasure off of this...But at the same time, when I stared deep into his eyes...I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but he looked anything but happy...Except for the half-angry, half-smug smile almost permanently stuck on his face.

"I told you I was still going to do the things I like to do. 'Getting ass'," he made quotation marks with his fingers in quick, jerky motions, "as you so eloquently put it is what makes me me. You know, you're really starting to sound like a jealous bitch at this point. Anyway, you aren't giving me any, as this morning is just another prime example. Besides," he tossed me a judging, dismissive glance. "With the way you look right now, I wouldn't touch you with a five-foot pole."

I glanced down at myself, taking in my panties and camisole, the only thing I'd bothered to be wearing, the same as this morning. I hadn't planned on and hadn't actually gone anywhere today, so I hadn't seen a reason to bother getting dressed or anything.

"Go eat a dick, Feline," I spat.

"That's not my fucking name," he glared hotly at me.

I could see I'd hit a nerve. His fingers were digging into his upper arms, mirroring my own position almost perfectly. I felt a victorious smile pull my lips up as I eyed him from across the room. "Feline. Feline. Fucking. Feline." I emphasized each work for maximum effectiveness. Evidently I hit home.

For the first time during this entire fight, he raised his voice above a rumbling cry. "STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

I winced. Wait, the girls! I thought in the back of my mind. Sure enough, I heard the sound of one of the girls beginning to wail from where Felix had put them to bed about half a hour ago.

Internally, I wanted to turn and rush off to go sooth them...But I couldn't.

I was stuck, unable to do more than see past the red haze swiftly overtaking the corners of my vision to fight with Felix. Every spiteful comment of his was edging me on, capturing me so that I could react in no other way then give in to all the rage and grudges I'd been hiding or holding back for awhile now.

I felt horrible. My heart was pounding three miles a minute and I could barely seem to catch my breath. Still...

I hated him. I want to punch his lights out. I was going to go over there and beat the shit out of him. How dare he! How dare he!

"You wanted bitch me," I smirked as internally I tried to bring some of my anger down. The girls needed me. Fuck Felix!

"Well, here comes Bitch Bri, full form, in all her glory!" I threw my arms out to land my point. "Sorry to disappoint your little pitter-patter heart, Felix. I don't care who you stick your baby dick into." I barely stopped myself from sticking my tongue out at him. With how mad I was right now, it would be just my luck to bite my own tongue off.

He hadn't moved an inch away from the counter yet, still leaning against it. But with my last comment, his weight had shifted. "You know for a fact that my dick is nowhere near a baby anything. I didn't hear you complain when it was inside of you." He crossed his arms over his chest again, but he was starting to look pale. His eyes were becoming less blue-black and more black, red, gold. His eyebrows and lips were pulled down into a tight, thin line of rage.

I flipped my hair over my shoulder in dismissal. "I'm a great fucking actress. I was just giving you an Oscar performance. Out of the many men I've been with, you weren't anything special. Less than average, really," I raised my hand, blowing at my nails in a show of dismissal.

"Oh, that is some vile bullshit and you know it! You. Loved. Every. Second." He wore a livid smile. The flickering aura I'd thought I was seeing earlier was back, though it was much more solid. Even so, I couldn't stop myself.

...I couldn't stop myself.

"It wasn't like you were anything special yourself. Seriously, it was actually pathetic with how bad you were in bed, Bri. Hence why I'm still fucking other women. At least that way I can leave satisfied."

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" I demanded in disbelief, shaking my head.

"What's the matter?" Felix taunted around a hissing sneer. "You can dish it out, but you can't take the same kind of treatment?" He pushed his lower lip out in a mocking pout, sniffling fake tears. "Awwww...Are the bitchy woman's feelings hurt?"

"...Never again, Felix," I swore in a tight voice. I pointed a shaking finger at him before throwing my right arm out and shoving it back to my side. "Never again am I going to make the mistake of ever letting you touch me or get close to me like that again..." I sucked in a deep breath before pulling out the last card I could see in that flash of a moment behind the haze of red and rage. "At least I don't run away from my problems just because I'm scared of facing them. At the very least, I'm not a fucking coward like you are."

His expression hardened even more, his eyes fully red with gold pupils now. "You know what...? I see exactly why Alejandro...You know who I'm talking about, right? The first guy whose life you fucked up. I understand why he left you. I'm just mad he didn't warn me how much you were going to ruin my own life as well."

I let out a sharp, gasping cry of pain, echoing the cries of the girls. I finally started to move, but it wasn't where I wanted to go. I stormed over to where Felix was standing, getting completely in his face, leaning in close. "Can you repeat that, please?" I asked in a softly sweet voice.

"The. First. Guy. Whose. Life. You. Completely. FUCKED. UP. I. Understand. Why. He. Left. You."

Each word was short, guttural, and filled with a panting, overwhelming rage. I'd never seen him so angry before...I was so close to him now, I could feel the stale, bone-chilling air coming off of him. It was suffocating, making it harder for me to catch my breath.

"Hell, any guy shouldn't have to deal with your kind of bitch-self. You're nothing more than a fucking trap. He gave you a ring, a real one, not the facade I tossed at you this morning. But guess what?"

Felix suddenly leaned in very close, until his lips were at my ear. I wanted to move, but I was frozen with fear, much as I hated to admit it.

Fear. The first emotion I'd completely been able to feel since this fight had started.

His voice was soft, like he was telling me a special, intimate secret. His breathed caressed against the skin of my earlobe and side of my neck, blowing the stray strands of my hair to tickle against the gooseflesh that had abruptly broken out.

"You. Fucked. It. Up..." He paused for effect before continuing in a slow, deliberate manner. His voice was filled with a sadistic joy as I felt my arms and legs began to shake with the force of emotions that crashed into me at his words.

Anger. Fear. Sorrow. Hate. Rage. Depression. Loathing. Terror. Envy at how he seemed to be so unaffected by so many of the words I'd tried so hard to hurt him with.

"He gave you kids. You fucked it up. He loved you unconditionally, but guess what? You fucked it up," Felix sneered widely, pulling back slowly so I could see his face. I felt tears starting to sting at my eyes. I bit down on my lip, hard, fighting not to give in.

Damn it. Damn it. Damn it! I won't show him how much it hurts!

His smile grew, burning red eyes filled with a twisted mixture of hate, rage, and pain. "He loved you unconditionally, or so you say. You fucked him over, ran away with your tail between your legs. Remind me again. Who's the coward? All I hear is the yapping bark of a scared bitch of a dog. You fail at everything you do Brionia. In essence, you are truely and completely an utter fuck up."

He paused for a few seconds, waiting. My body was shaking with the force of the storm inside me, but I couldn't find my voice.

His lips pulled up into a triumphant, smug grin. "You're just worthless trash."

I blinked. Just like that, everything came crashing down and I felt the words rise up out of me without any hesitation. "At least I've experienced love. You, on the otherhand, have no one to love but yourself. Sure, the girls love you...now. But when they grow up and realize what a piece of shit you are, that'll change, fast. When it's actually time to step up and be a fucking parent, you're going to runaway like the cowardly bastard you are. But that's okay. Mom, me, I'll be there for them. Thank gods we aren't actually a thing, because otherwise I'd be stuck with a piece of shit man-whore. Is that why you don't love anyone? Is it why you don't let anyone close? Don't want them to catch scent of the stench and realize the truth? You're a pile of dog shit I stepped in and now I'm left with the chore of cleaning you off of my shoe. Though, at this point, it's probably better if I just tossed the ruined things and buy a new pair."

He went completely still and silent. His head lowered down to tuck his chin in close to his throat, making it so I couldn't see his face. I cleared my throat and took a few quick steps backwards, trying to get away. Something about the air and silence around him put me on edge and I felt the very real and horrible sense of danger.

I kept backing up, while he still remained silent. As I watched him uncertainly, suddenly worried I'd gone too far-

His shoulders began to shake. They were quickly followed by his head snapping back on his neck as he began to laugh.

I froze, eyes wide. Laughter? Not the reaction I'd been anticipating.

Felix started laughing even harder. Harder and harder and harder.

Behind me, the girls were still crying. While Felix kept up with his meltdown, I started edging further and further backwards to get to the nursery.

Abruptly, his laughter stopped. I jerked my head back around to keep him in my sights. Freaked out wasn't even close to how on edge I was in that moment.

His laughter had stopped and his eyes were fully red-gold. His face moved from a frozen expression of pain to a wide, maniacally-serene smile. "You really are the perfect woman for me, Brionia," he whispered. Even with his soft voice, it carried in the eerie silence that fell over the apartment. The girls had stopped crying as well. I hadn't realized how much I was reassured by signs of their presence until the moment it stopped, even if it was something as bad as them screaming and crying.

"W-what?" I breathed out through numb lips. I desperately wanted my voice to be stronger, but it came out tiny and shaky at best.

"You are a worthless bitch and I'm a cowardly piece of shit. See?" the wattage on his smile rose a few more degrees. "Perfect pair. One made in the lowest depths of Hell, don't you agree?"

I shook my head silently, quickly.

His smile dropped, but he laughed a little more. "Of course you wouldn't agree. You don't know, so why would you, huh?" he sighed. Without another word, he pushed up off the counter. His shoulders began to shake as he started to laugh again, though it wasn't as unhinged at before. It was less boisterous, but it still sounded unnatural. There was a guttural, feral edge to his voice, face, and mannerisms.

He was dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and nothing else. He'd evidently had the same idea as me today. Still laughing, not even looking in my direction, he moved to the apartment door. He opened it and stepped past. I didn't call out after him and he didn't hesitate or look behind him. But as the door was closing, he let out another mocking laugh. "I'm off to go chase the ass of about a dozen women. Later, bitch."

I gasped in outrage, but by then the door had closed behind him. Sucking in a sharp breath, I turned on my heel. "Stay the fuck out," I growled as I started running to the nursery. "I'm so sorry, babies," I panted out, feeling drained with all the drama over with.

In the back of my mind, I started panicking. What the fuck was I going to do? Felix had just left and I didn't have his family to lean on. Nisha had let me know yesterday that they'd be gone for two days, off to some big, uppity Royal event. Felix wasn't invited though, apparently. He was still on his family's bad side, though he didn't seemed too upset by it. Last I checked, he'd only spoken about ten sentences to his parents and siblings since the girls and I had been brought to his apartment.

I didn't have any way right now to try to get through a Gate to go see Willow and I couldn't easily get ahold of her.

In all honesty, I was alone with two newborns who couldn't stand me...

I let out a stressed sob, finally safe to allow my emotions to show. Now that Felix wasn't around, I didn't have to keep up the brave facade. Sure, I knew I was completely in the right...

But everything he'd said still cut deep and the wounds were bleeding again. Sobbing, I pushed open the nursery door to the increased volume of the twins' screams. They started back up almost as soon as the door had closed behind Felix.

"I'm sorry," I apologized around a hiccup. "I'm sorry Mommy was yelling. Sweethearts, I'm sorry I'm such a horrible mom...Oh, God, what just happened?"