｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

｡･:*:･ﾟ★ "You're turning a little green with envy there." :*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*

TW:

Mentions of suicide.

Octavia

Through common consensus the three of us are sat on Riven's bed, backs against the wall as we stare out the window. Silence. Complete, awkward, silence. Where do we even begin? After everything that has happened, all the things we need to discuss, all the things I need to say. All the things I want-need them to say.

"I tried to kill myself after my mother died."

My heart stops.

Sky's breath catches in his throat at Riven's barely audible words from my left. I desperately link my pinkie through his, needing the contact, the grounding reminder that he's still here.

"That's what she was referring to, my grandmother, when she said I was a suic-"

"Don't." Sky warns, voice tense.

A suicidal mut. The words echo through my head. Riven was suicidal. Not just suicidal, he was going-

Mut. Like he wasn't worth it. As if he should have-

"I'm better now." He rasps. "It was... it was rough, but I'm better now."

"I'll kill her."

The words escape me before I can even process them, but the dark laughter that escapes Riven has me smirking and the tension in my body eases.

"No." He murmurs, lighter than it was before. "Not yet at least."

It's my turn to chuckle now, hearing Sky echo the noise to my right.

"And the... disowning thing?" Sky questions, still staring out the window as we all refuse to look at each other.

"After my... attempt." Rive stumbles for a second and I wonder if we're the first people he has actually told. "Once everything happened with mum, and the way Olivia was taken from us, plus my actions and dad's grief."

He trails off for a moment. I almost forgot his dad, he barely mentions him. The grief of losing his wife and child, I can't comprehend his grief.

"It was too much for them." Riv states. "They couldn't handle it. So they... got rid of the problem."

"You're not a problem." I snarl

"I know."

"And fuck them." Sky interrupts, voice loud in the silence. "You have us now."

"And what interesting family dinners we shall have." Riv scoffs

I can practically hear their eyes roll at each other.

"Irene really did go god mode on Lýkos." I muse and grin when their noises of agreement echo through the room.

"She had that male by the balls!" Riven exclaims and I can't help but laugh at his glee. "She genuinely could have destroyed him."

"I think she was enjoying it." Sky murmurs.

I scoff. "I should bloody well hope so. It was hot as hell."

Riven hums in agreement and Sky makes a disgusted noise. "Please don't discuss if my mother is hot or not."

"Ah, Ah!" Riv exclaims through a laugh as he points at Sky. "So you admit it, then. That they are your family."

"I don't know why it matters to you so much." Sky dodges

"Because it pains me to see Irene look at you with suck love and desperation."

He's turned to face Sky now, I can't help but lean back to avoid their staring contest.

"Irene loves you, Sky." Riven's voice is low as he pleads with our mate. "I mean, she's been referring to you as her son for years. Years, Sky. She wants you all to be a family."

There's a tense silence as Sky ponders Riven's words.

"Irene might, but Silva-" He trails off awkwardly.

"Silva feels guilty." I begin, thinking my words through. "He was your father's best friend, and now he's-"

"Your weird aggro-father figure, obsessed with honouring Andreas' memory"

"That." I give Riv a warning look but he merely grins and I roll my eyes.

Sky sighs.

"Never mind my weird little family drama, what about yours Octa?"

I shiver at the name, at the reminder of when it was last used.

"Yeah." Riv adds on, "What was all that shit with your mother? She's a fucking bitch, but that... that seemed like genuine motherly concern."

"I think," What do I think? She does care, in her own way. She cares that we live, that we do as she says, that we are the perfect heirs. But relationships? She's never cared before, she knows I don't do flings and she didn't care when Stella was dating Sky, so why would Lýkos suddenly care that Sky is endangering-

"Lineage." I freeze in shock at my own words. That's what the problem is.

"The Queen didn't care when Sky and Stella were dating because she could stop anything serious from happening, and there was no mate bond." My eyes dart across the room as her worries begin to make sense. "I am second in line, I don't have the same pressures as Stella does but I still maintain the royal power."

"So if you and Sky." Riven begins to catch on. He's smarter than most give him credit for. "Were to have a serious relationship... you could challenge Solaria's claim on Eraklyon."

"What?" Sky blurts out, and I can feel his gaze darting between Riv and I as we both ignore him in favour of staring out the window. "I've never even been to Eraklyon, and the Solarian's have been in control of Eraklyon for hundreds of years. Just because it was made permanent and clear with my father's ascension to the throne-"

"But you still have royal blood, Sky." I interrupt impatiently, sick of his denial.

"So..." Sky pauses as he sorts through his thoughts. "When you say lineage."

I wince. Not a fun conversation to be having immediately after you find out your mates.

"You mean that if we were to have children... together." Helios, kill me now. "Then they would be a direct threat-"

"If the two of you fuck you both get a crown." Riven shouts, clearly exacerbated by our high drama.

Thank Helios, the shadows are asleep.

"Riven." Sky scolds.

"What." Riv sounds so genuinely confused that I can't stop myself from giggling. "I'm just stating the facts. Should Stella become Queen and you two are still going strong, you both stand a good chance at reclaiming the King and Queen title of Sky's heritage."

"The three of us." I murmur. "If the three of us are still going strong."

This conversation then. We shall have this one.

"I would like to reiterated that I still need time to get over what a massive-"

"Arsehole?"

"Bastard?"

Riv and I looked at each other in surprise and laughter as we both cut off Sky.

"Thanks." Sky grumbles. "Really appreciating the love."

"We do love you." I soothe, pure honesty in my words. "You've just got to prove that you're deserving of it since you did all-"

"The Bloom bullshit." Riv ends for me and I give him a scathing look at the interruption.

Yeah, it's cute and all. All couple-y and in sync. But shut the fuck up when I'm talking. It's been a long day and I am so done with males and their bullshit. Riv smirks at me and holds his hands up in surrender, causing me to huff and turn back to Sky who has gone quiet as he stares out the window.

"I was awful to you." His voice breaks and when he looks at me his eyes are glazed over with tears. "The one thing I've always wanted in life and I destroyed it before I even-"

"You didn't destroy anything." My voice is hoarse as I reach forward with one hand to cup his face. "We're still here. We're still with you. We just need some time to sort everything out."

Sky nods, trusting me completely and guilt tugs at my stomach. I need to tell him. I need to tell him about Andreas, but I can't do it now but I can't lie to him.

"I need to tell you something Sky."

He straighteners up slightly at my tone, reaching up to pull my hand from his face and cradle it on his lap.

"The gem on my back prevented me from communicating about certain events and people." I take a steading breath. "It's big, Sky, important, and It's going to consume you for a while. So I'm asking that you wait, just till the three of us are on good terms, till we all have stable support systems again, and then I can tell you."

"How bad is it." He mutters, eyes boring into mine as his face goes blank.

"It's bad my love. It's about your father."

"The letter." Riv asks as he stands up from the bed to move over to my right, sitting behind Sky as he wraps the taller specialist in a hug. I smile slightly as Riv steadies the nerves that I hadn't even realised were thrumming through Sky.

"The letter was written before everything happened. This is about after."

Sky, for his part, looks like he's trying to remain calm. One hand clasping mine and the other clasping Riv's arms that are banded around his upper chest in a death grip, keeping him grounded as Sky's world slowly begins to crumble. It's going to get so much worse.

"Okay." His voice is hoarse but he nods at me. "We can wait, but tell me..."

He trails off and I wordlessly nod in encouragement for him to continue.

"This sounds like you're linked to my father."

"I am." The words are quiet.

Sky nods and looks away out the window, letting go of my hand in favour of using both of his to grip onto Riven's arms.

"I love you both." I blurt out, and they both turn to look at me in surprise.

"I don't like waiting to say I love you, because you never know how much time you have left. I don't love you in that all consuming, romantic way, just yet. But I love you nonetheless. You are my friends, my mates and my family."

The soft smiles I receive have me preening under their attention. Sky leans forward to rest his forehead against mine.

"I love you too. Maybe just as a friend right now, but I know I'm already starting to love you more." Sky smiles hesitantly at me, hoping I won't hate him for the words.

"There are many kinds of love, Sky." I murmur reassuringly, my eyes flicking between his lips and eyes. "And I am honoured to have your love in any form."

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The only way to spend time with Sky and Riven is to watch their training while I complete my homework and reports from the benches by the pond. It's been a week since we found out we were mates and adjusting has been interesting to say the least. Especially when I am at different stages with both of them, and they are seemingly starting to be at a different stage with each other.

I snort at the thought. I love Sky, but he has the smallest amount of internalised homophobia. He's supportive of LGBTQ, he would go to any rally and fight against any homophobic comments but when it's him... him being the one having these thoughts? It doesn't exactly match with the dream child idea Silva built on Andreas' behalf. In his defence, it's society's fault. It's not exactly easy coming to terms with how you feel when the world around you says you're not strong, or beautiful or powerful and confident if you don't conform to this unattainable idea of the perfect person.

Still, he's getting there. Slow progress, but the fact that Riven is apparently blind to it doesn't help. Though I know he's thought about it too.

Mornings were somewhat of a warzone for the three days, Sky and I apparently shower at the same time and when Riv jokingly suggested I join him I turned beet red in embarrassment and Sky spent the rest of breakfast cussing Riv out for pushing me too soon. That implies that Sky would have actually been ready. He's not. We're getting there. Now that we have an almost routine going it's been easier to see each other between classes and for meals. Breakfast is always a group affair, lunch is an attempt. There's been maybe two days when I was forced to run out to the training grounds with makeshift pack lunches for us all since Irene had taken over training and had made plans to work them all to the bone.

Fortunately, I had been exempt from that since I'd only just regained most of my strength yesterday, The shadows are quieter now, less commentary and more reporting. Once they regained strength I was forced to send my sentient gossipers out to scour for news of burned ones, with them relaying messages through various shadows. Some reports take hours to send through, other seconds. I still have the majority of them, and I could still bring down a burned one, it's just... quieter, peaceful while still having the comfort of their presence.

Sky and Riven have been adjusting well to the shadows, though a few of them like to give the pair a jump scare when they come back with reports. I grin at the memory of Riven swatting a shadow with a tea towel after it interrupted his waffle making at breakfast. Sky and I spent the rest of that morning laughing and mocking him.

I look up in search of their forms from my place on the bench, training is finished and unlike those two I actually have important work to be doing rather than continuing to train like mindless brutes. However, watching them train is a different kind of torture than I have been previously forced to endure. It's enticing and enthralling and I'm getting absolutely no work done.

The downside of studying next to my mates is that Silva can now pester me with military questions. The two of us have developed an almost routine ourselves. While my boys continue to train for an extra hour and half to two hours after practice ends, Silva and I pour over reports.

Irene joins sometimes but she's been turning in early recently, she looks paler and more tired. I can't help but wonder if it's the Silvas / Dowling drama rather than the cold she has been claiming. I frown at the thought. Silva is so loyal and in love. But that loyalty also extends to Farrah.

Why must the three of them suffer so much?

I don't know why Farrah is so desperate for Silva's loyalty. She's a powerful fairy, she needs no man. So why does she insist on having him personally assist her on trips to the chained burned one, on tour to the school and have him by her side in meetings? That is not necessary, even for a headmaster.

I can't help but give said Headmaster a glance as he walks towards me for our usual chat. Funnily enough, I think he's starting to catch onto Farrah's improper ways. Not to mention the new Miss Whitlock who's trailing behind him like a lost puppy. Though I suppose her feline movements are best described as a cougar.

Stupid bitch keeps eyeing up my mates.

I'm both dreading and sadistically looking forward to when we get classes with her after she's had her 'week to settle in'.

"Princess Octavia." Silva states smoothly and I stand from my perch on the picnic table, waving a hand that has the shadows tiding away the important documents. "Allow me to introduce you to Miss Whitlock."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Princess." Her voice is silky smooth and her hand delicately soft as I shake it in greeting.

"I return the sentiment." I smile cordially, ignoring the annoyance churning in my stomach when she turns to look at my sparring mates as their swords clash loudly.

"They are a force to be reckoned with, I see." She comments mindlessly.

"Sky and Riven are two of my best specialists." Silva comments, hands folding behind his back as he moves to stand by my side as the three of us watch the pair.

"You have trained them well." She nods politely to Silva. "I should return to Dowling, there are class plans we apparently need to go over."

"Of course."

I nod politely but my gaze hardens when her's drifts back to my mates as she walks off. What is she up to? So long as she keeps her paws to herself I'll leave her alone, but I'm starting to think her gaze alone is going to warrant my wrath.

"Careful now." Silva teasing, looking at me with a slight grin. "You're turning a little green with envy there."

I scoff.

"Jealousy is for those who want something they don't have." I snarl, "I am not jealous."

"Then what are you?" He hums as we both turn to watch Irene striding past Miss Whitlock, barely sparing her a glance as her gaze appears to be fixated on Professor Harvey as the two laugh at something. Silva tenses at my side at her carefree expression that has been absent in her mates presence.

"Territorial. I am protecting what is mine. Can't be jealous of something when you have it"

Silva is silent as he watches Harvey guide his mate around the pond with a gentle hand on the small of her back. I grin when a low snarl rips from the specialist's throat. The clashing of my mates training swords immediately stop as they register the noise and I sense them both drifting protectively closer to me.

"Careful Silva," I whisper as Irene stumbles and Harvey quickly rightens here before looping her arm through his. "you're turning a little green there."

Riv chuckles mirthlessly at my words and I hear even Sky let out a chuckle as Silva huffs at my words. The four of us watch in silence as the two teachers walk towards us. This is going to be funny.

"Harvey." Silva nods in greeting and I turn away for a second to hide my grin at his stiff tone.

"Silva." Harvey sounds uncertain and confused, and my gaze catches Sky's whose eyes are bright with laughter.

"How was the meeting?" Silva asks his mate, shoulders untensing but I frown when I see Harvey's tense in confusion. "Did the Burned One residue report come through?"

"They did." Irene hums, stepping away from the professor to greet Sky and Riven with hugs. "The three of us should go over them, work out a plan for the one locked up."

"I want to see if it can be used as bait first." I interrupt, stepping forward when all three teacher's attention turns to me. "If they have evolved to have a pack instinct they might be drawn to one another."

Irene hums in thought, looking to Silva who rubs his lip with his thumb.

"It's possible." He muses, looking at me. "But the risks involved with setting a trap might not be worth it."

Irene steps forward to stand by his side, pressing herself against his body in a way that makes me think she's got cold and is trying to steal his warmth.

"We need to be sure," She mutters to him. "If it's true then we could be drawing Burned Ones to the school with the one we have chained ourselves."

He sighs and the two share a heavy look that has my mates and I shifting. It's not... a good feeling, when you see your parental figures worried. Especially when their glances towards you indicate they are worried for their children.

"I will not have Sky and Riven in any more danger than necessary." She whispers to him. "Nor will I have our specialists risk their lives sooner than needed."

He nods, taking in her council. Despite her title during the war, she is just a teacher now, and he is the headmaster. Silva's word in law here, challenged only by Dowling's.

"Okay." He agrees and the two share a soft smile before Irene reaches up to kiss him softly.

Harvey shuffles awkwardly and his gaze darts away when he looks at my mates and I. I pause, looking at my boys, only to grin when I see their glares. They truly are protective of their parents.

I wonder when they will step in and yell at Silva.

They might not have to if I get there first.

A/N: So they had the beginnings of the conversation. I've decided to set them back a little in the sense that they are building their relationship up again together.

What conversations and scenes would you like to see between them? (Assuming they are merely dating at this point and haven't fully mated)