Creatures of the Dark

"He is due to wake up soon, today... at some point. They told me today." Seren sat heavily on the chair at Thorin's bedside. Curling her fingers around her husbands and pressing her forehead against the top of his hand as her eyes fluttered closed, "He'll be elated, waking up feeling stronger. He might even have some of his powers back. He'll be happy, dove."

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"Ah. It all sounds... very dramatic."

“But he’ll be worried about you.” He told her softly resting his hands on her shoulder from behind much like his father did. “I’m excited to talk to him again…I’m in need of his guidance.” He whispered 
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“Demon life is dramatic, no day is simple, it’s why we enjoy it.”

"He worries even when I am fine, he is soft though he like the rest of you claim to have no emotions. What is bothering you?"

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"I hate dramatics. Things are exhausting enough."

“Everything….” He sighed “Alessia, Rose and Zioj

Seren straightened her back, pushing to her feet to pull Damian into a hug. "Alessia adores you, that is a worry I can take away from you right now. The two of you are like two natural disasters meeting at times, and there are times I despise the girl but I do agree with what she says. She knows you, you know her. All is well."

“How are you so sure?” He asked. “Everything I do is wrong to her and then there’s the kids.” He sighed.
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She rolled her eyes slightly

"Everything you do is not wrong to her, when things are stressful neither of you think. When neither of you think you end up being meaner to each other than you expected but that is a thing that happens, it unimportant. The important thing is that you come back from it each time. What has happened this time, mm?"

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"Don't do that, no need for it." Azriel grimaced, mumbling a quiet, "I'll be back with charcoal." before disappearing out of the door.

Damian looked to her. “I sent Roses servant to her because she’s all alone up there…she was sent back as only a head, I can’t pull Rose back because of the agreement, she’s worried for our daughter and so am I but there’s nothing I can do.”
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Rose nodded. “Okay.” She whispered, pulling her knees to her chest. She didn’t want to appear dramatic that was just how demons are, but she didn’t want to fight over it either.

"It will be worrying, but you need to trust Rose. Both of you do, the girl is an adult, one who knows how to look after herself and one who is smart. Don't fall out with your soul mate over something like that." Seren whispered, "And as for Zion, he wants to be left alone. You would have, had you known what you were. It is a lot to get over, hard to have feels like a human and expectations of a demon. He is scared to know you, scared to rely on you incase you have to leave again. Go and meet him, but meet him as..." She patted his chest above his heart. "Away from everything demon. None of your people, no talk of it. Get to know him, let him get to know you.. you are not just this, you and Alessia met when you weren't just this. Do the same with Zion."

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Azriel wandered back into the room several minutes later. Dropping a tin bucket in front of the fire, sleeves rolled up to his elbows so he didn't make himself dirty.

At seeing the coal she walked over to start preparing the fire. “Thank you, I can take it from here you should probably clean your robes.” She suggested.
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He nodded. “How do I get back to being Damian?” He asked her quietly, he felt his mother was really the only one he could open up to. “I’ve been the King for so long…I don’t know how or if he is still possible.”

"You always are him, dove." Seren assured softly, brushing fingertips through his hair. "You need to go away from your people, avoid them entirely - even those who are in the human world. You need to take some deep breathes and focus on the right now. It happened to your father too, it... consumed him. It has been so nice, having him back again. The difference is that he is pure blooded, it.. effects him less. If it consumes you, I am worried it'll break you, dove. It is starting to, I can see it."

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"Let me do it," Azriel whispered. "You need to be resting."

She moved to step back to watch him.
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"The job is never ending..." He sighed. "But I can't give it up...I enjoy it most of the time and I regret being away from here so long but I don't think anyone knows that." He moved to sit in one of the chairs next to her so that she didn't have t reach far, he was a lot taller than her. "I'm not much of a half anymore, more like 1/8 human." He admitted, he never told his mother about what he had to give up to survive the war and his humanity was dying at he time anyway.

"No one is asking you to give it up, don't be silly." She whispered. "Mm, I noticed the change in your eyes, son. If you want to form a bond with your son, you need to go up there for a few weeks and not even think of here. Maybe once he knows you, maybe then, he will feel comfortable to come down here. You need to make that initiative though, and without judgement to him or excuses if he tries to tell you how he feels. Just.. validate him. All the boy probably needs is you or Rose or Alessia to say you hear how he feels, and that he is scared. Validation and comfort."

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Azriel worked quietly, within only a few minutes the fire lighting.

Once the fire was lit, she knelt beside him and she slid a hand into the fire, at first the skin burnt but then it healed herself, a trail of magic moving up her arm to heal the rest of her and she was able to take a deep breathe in relaxation.
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Damian nodded. "I'll try...I'm not sure hwo to get him to agree yet, but I'll work something out."

"He has nothing to agree to. Go up there, with a take away drink for him and extend an olive branch. It doesn't have to be complicated, mm?" She hummed, "Though I recommend whatever row you had with Alessia, sort that first."

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---

Azriel watched quietly.

He nodded. “I will, but I’d love for dad to wake up first.”
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She looked to him. “Thank you.”

"Go and speak to Alessia, I will send for you when he is up. I promise."

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"It's fine... just doing what my mum asked me to do."

She nodded. “Would you ever consider us being friends?” She asked him quietly
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Damian nodded. “Alright mother.” He kissed her cheek before he went to find Alessia

Alessia sat in the study, her knees pulled up to her chest as she read a book. Silently content.

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Seren took up her seat at Thorin's bed side once more, letting out a breath as she took one of his hands in both of hers.

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"I thought thats what we were working towards."

A maid came in to replace her drink as she normally did and when she saw Damian she bowed. “My lord.” She curtsied.

Damian nodded to her. “May I join you my queen?”
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Thorin was asleep for a while longer before he started to stir gently squeezing her hand as his eyes opened.
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“It’s not gone very well as of late I wanted to ask.”

"It is part of getting to know each other, learning what we don't like. Learning boundaries. If things were haoot all the time then we wouldn't really be knowing each other."

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"Oh, hello." Seren greeted gently when his eyes opened, brushing her thumb in a small circle against his skin. "Oh I have missed those eyes."

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"Mm," Alessia hummed, marking her place in the book with a piece of cardboard and placing it to the side. "What's wrong?"

“I have missed you.” He told her.
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Thorin smiled weakly. “And I have missed yours my queen.”
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Rose nodded in silent agreement. “So what else do you like?” She asked. “What foods?”

"Missed me?" Alessia frowned, shuffling over to try and make a small amount of room for him to sit. "I have been right here. What's wrong?"

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Seren leant in to press her lips to his forehead, "We will have forever together now. You can stop worrying, as you were."

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"I - none. I mean, none that I am given to eat.. I have to follow a set menu."

She looked to him. “You’ve never tried different foods? No sweets or pastries?”
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He smiled weakly. “You know that kiss will not do.” He commented 
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He moved to sit with her. “The past few days have been rough and I apologise.”

"It's not been your fault," She whispered, slipping arms around him and resting her head against his shoulder. "Just..m one of those things that keeps happening."

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"It is all you are getting for now. How do you feel?"

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"Just the menu, nothing else. Always."