Date written: August 3rd-4th, 2016. A random Modern AU drabble for these two new NextGens! (Actually, I think this is more of a Madimo fic, but I digress xD) Oh, and I've been trying to develop my way of writing in present tense, so I hope it's still okay. PokemonRio

"You said that you're going to wake up early for a change, Cal," she says, crossing her arms across her torso. The boy grins sheepishly, running a hand through his hair - an idiosyncrasy he inherited from their father.

"...Sorry, I guess.." He starts, averting his gaze from his sister's bright blue-gray ones, "..Mavi."

'Mavi' sighs, rocking back onto her heels. She tucks her dark brown hair behind her ear, twisting the lock around her finger before letting it go. "It's Mum's birthday, y'know? Didn't Dad say that he wants us to help with his surprise for her?"

Callum Isaac Faithlin lifts his shoulders up in a brief shrug, blinking his hazel eyes. Not a moment later, he presses a hand to his forehead, biting his lip. "Bloody hell." He says abruptly, looking away from his sister.

"....You forgot." Mavis Skylar Faithlin says, before heaving a sigh. "I should've known."

"Oi! T'wasn't my fault I liked to talk to Uncle Rivel more than I do with Dad!"

She waves a hand flippantly, turning on her heel. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Cal." She continues forward, humming a brief tune under her breath.

"Wait up!"

- -

"Maaadddy, what's this surprise you're saying??" Valvara Shikimo Faithlin (nee Alexandro) asks as she reaches up to her husband's hands, which are tying a blindfold firmly around her eyes. She pouts rather childishly, huffing a little under her breath. "Why won't you tell me?"

Maddox simply smiles, entwining his fingers with hers as soon as he finishes with her blindfold. "Just trust me, Shikimo. I'm not going to lead you into a bloody wall."

He walks forward, carefully assisting his wife as he does. She almost immediately stumbles, clutching onto his shirt for dear life. He laughs, unable to hold back an amused chuckle as he steadies her with a hand on her waist.

"You haven't changed, Shikimo," he says, smiling, "You're still as clumsy as ever."

She pouts yet again, indignant. He shakes his head, his now close-cropped hair barely falling past his blue-gray eyes. Quickly he motions to his daughter, saying rather swiftly to the still blindfolded woman by his side--"Stay here, okay? Mavi'll lead you from here on in."

With that, he wraps his arm around her waist, his other hand tipping up her chin. She fidgets, as though unsure as he kisses her softly, before pulling away as soon as he had leaned in. He glances over his shoulder at his eldest, who rolls her eyes yet moves towards her mother, taking hold of her hand.

"C'mon, Mum. It's this way." She says, leading the woman towards the seat they'd prepared beforehand. He sighs, crossing over to the slightly raised podium set a ways from where his wife was seated.

He picks up his acoustic guitar, smiling down at its faded color. He motions towards his son, who walks over to his sister and his mother, quickly untying the blindfold. Shikimo blinks, searching the courtyard for her grinning husband, who in turn taps at the microphone set before him.

"I'm right here, Shikimo," he says gently, adjusting the instrument so it rests firmly against his torso. "And I guess you'd have to thank our children for helping out with this. Happy birthday, my love." He whispers the last sentence, a tinge of crimson touching his cheeks.

She looks at him with surprise clear in her hazel-green eyes, and he smiles.

"This song is for you.

"Been thinking 'bout you baby,
And I don't know what to do." He sings gently, strumming the guitar with ease.

"All I think about is you,
Seems everything around me,
Things I've never understood--
They all make sense when I'm with you.

"Oh, I've heard it all before,
Finding so called love then you leave it behind.
But now I feel so sure,
I listen to my heart this time.
So I lay it on the line,"

He pauses, the note hanging in the air as he looks warmly towards his wife.

"I love you." He says, before lifting his hand and continuing to strum.

"I know that what I've found is once in a lifetime,
And I know there's no way out,
Cause it's once in a lifetime.

"I've always been so lonely,
No one there for me to hold.
And every night was just so cold.
Oh don't get me wrong I've been around,
But I've resigned myself to thinking,
Mine is just another story often told.

"Oh, I've heard it all before,
Finding so called love then you leave it behind.
But now I feel so sure,
I listen to my heart this time,
Put my heart before my mind.

"I know that what I've found is once in a lifetime,
And I know there's no way out,
Cause it's once in a lifetime.

"It's not like I'm running out of time,
I'm taking everything in stride.
It's just I never thought I'd find,
What would make me change my mind.

"I know that what I've found is once in a lifetime (Yeah, yeah)
And I know there's no way out,
Cause it's once in a lifetime.."

Maddox stopped strumming, carefully setting his guitar down. With another smile, he picks up a bouquet of white tulips and forget-me-nots from behind his seat, before he descends from the makeshift stage with casual grace.

Somewhere off in the distance, he can hear their children whispering--

"Mavi, don't you think Dad's more of a sentimental person than Mum?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he can see his dark-haired daughter shrug. "Might be so. But if he wasn't like that, do you think we would've been born?"

He turns to look at his wife, who grins at him through the evident blush adorning her cheeks. And he smiles, bending to press his lips against hers, murmuring softly,

"I love you, Shikimo. Always have, and I always will."

And I know that what I've found is once in a lifetime, because there's no one else in the world who I love more than I love you.

end