The Age of The Masrui

“I called it like I saw it, you - “

“That. Is. Enough. The only reason I’ve not hit you so far is because my baby would see but the more I think about it - she probably won’t remember if I give you a good hiding.” Tobias warned then, stepping up and heading toward Leo.

---

“Just get in all the sleep you can now. It won’t last long.”

"Noted," She smiled, squeezing her hand gratefully.

---

"Tobi, no. It won't help the situation now, will it? Think about this." Tesni whispered, getting to her feet and placing Elle into the pram before stepping between the two of them. Directing at Leo, "You left me... I done nothing wrong. I was a victim, and you.. twisted it to make me a villain. You had no concern for my safety."

“Victim because your bullshit got exposed. Get a grip. Good luck playing wife and mother to this brain dead goon here. Bet he can’t even read half of what you publish, let alone understand it. I thought you were better. Had better standards!” Leo hissed, looking her up and down with disgust before storming off.

“Say the word and I’ll drown him in the lake with no more questions asked,” Tobias murmured, wrapping his arms around her.

---

“I’m gonna leave you to nap, I have an engagement party to get sorted and Logan will be home from school soon. Do you want me to get you anything before I go?”

"He's always been hellbent on bringing down families like mine, he published some bull article about my Aunt River and stuff before he and I even met." Tesni whispered, swallowing thickly as she leant back into him. "It was probably all trap to begin with, a ploy. He's a vulture... he never really cares." She added, mostly to herself: as if it wee a mantra.

---

"Can you make me a hot water bottle? I know, sounds stupid..."

“You didn’t deserve any of that. You were a victim. He’s a dickhead and I’ll happily have his eyes out for the way he just spoke to you.” Tobias frowned deeply, kissing her cheek. “You’re shaken aren’t you? Would you like to go home?”

---

“Not stupid at all, anything for my sister and my niece or nephew…” Karsi shook her head, heading to the kitchen and coming back a few minutes later with the hot water bottle she’d asked for.

"Thank you, Karsi.. I'll text you the times of the scan tomorrow, if you wanna be with Tesni instead though then I get it."

---

"I'm - I'll be fine. Let's just.. feed the ducks. Come on, you and Elle - I need to document this."

“He underestimated me anyway, I can read like seventy five percent of what you publish. And I understand about that much too.” Tobias teased as he took Elle out of her pram and grabbed the bread, beginning to mush it up. “I want to get one of the two of you too, Elle and her auntie Tesni.”

---

“I’ll be there. I’m great at this balancing thing I promise.” Karsi assured, kissing her cheek before heading out. Calling Marlowe once she was in her car.

"I uh, I'm not much in the mood for smiling for the camera - not yet anyway. Maybe later, hm?" Tesni whispered, offering a sad smile on response to his comments. "I'm sorry he was so mean to you, he can be... horrid."

---

"Karsi? Hey. I still get excited seeing you name show up on the phone, takes me back to when we first met and would swap clothes." Marlowe laughed after a few rings.

“That’s surprising considering everything…” Karsi mused quietly. “Anyway I - I’m calling for Tesni. She’s specifically requested you to help plan her engagement party… that she wants to be a surprise from her fiancé.”

---

“Come here.” Tobias opened up his free arm for her. “Don’t worry about me, water off a ducks back.” He winked cheerily. “I’m more worried about you.”

"Fiancè? The bodyguard - no?! How romantic. Okay, yes: I can do this. I'll move a few things around. When does she want it? Any requests; certain people to invite apart from the regular crowd?"

---

Tesni wandered over and tucked herself into the crook of his arm, leaning into him and looking out over the water. "I'll be fine... just hurts a little still which - that isn't good is it? For us, I mean. My exes shouldn't still get to me."

“I personally think it’s a bit soon but… she’s in love and I always vowed to never interfere in my kids love lives like my dad did with mine so, I have to smile and let her get on with it.” Karsi hummed quietly. “She just wants it to be special for Tobias. He grew up in care like her, he’s never had a party for anything. She’ll want a few of his guard friends invited too - and vegetarian food options of course so she can snack, you know what she’s like.”

---

“You’re human and it’s not like it happened a decade ago. You’re allowed to be upset. You trusted someone, opened up to them, allowed them into your heart, your soul - and he spat it back out at you and used it to hurt you. That would cut anyone.” Tobias whispered, kissing the top of her head. “As kids we weren’t taught the proper way to feel things from mommy and daddy. We were left to figure that out on our own, and it means we didn’t develop the proper way to work things out in some situations…. I understand. It means nothing bad about us that you’re hurt over someone you considered a friend before anything, turning out to being the opposite of what you thought he was.”

"All about Tobias, got it. I uh..." Marlowe paused, the sound of movement and papers flicking from the other side of the phone. "I can hold it on Saturday night, I'll guise it as a fundraiser but only invite the family, the guards included - ensure they all have the night off to get drunk and things. Tell her I'll text 8pm on Saturday, and I'll text everyone the venue when I've secured one. I think it's wonderful she's happy, star-crossed lovers is the best."

---

Tesni exhaled slowly, turning her head to hide her face in his neck.

“Humans aren’t machines with time limits then things just stop hurting. You can come to me in ten years and tell me you’re still upset by Leo and Henry and what they’ve done to you and I won’t care how long it’s been, what upsets you, upsets you.” Tobias assured. “You don’t ever have to be ashamed or embarrassed or scared to feel anything with me. Can always tell me what’s on your mind. No secrets between us.” He kissed the top of her head. “You, me and Elle against the world okay?”

---

“Try and make sure there’s a quiet room or somewhere for Tes to run off to if it all gets overwhelming? Try and be sparse about the men on the staff too for Wren, if that’s possible?”

"I know, don't worry; I know." Marlowe hummed warmly. "I'm as invested in keeping everyone happy and safe as you are, we're family; remember? Maddox or no Maddox."

---

"I- I got it... got it. Can we feed the ducks now, please? Pretend nothing ever happened. I want to go back to being happy."

“She’s gone back a bit since the whole thing that happened at Cain’s wedding that’s all. Her face is scarred - not noticeable with makeup or unless she gets a slight tan but it’s enough of a reminder that she’s taken a step back. I don’t want another happy occasion ending in a hospital visit… I think we could all do with a nice night with family just to be happy.”

---

Tobias nodded, kissing the top of her head before moving his arm and crouching down by the water so he could throw the bread in, grinning when the ducks came over and began to splash around as they ate.

"I'll do my best to make sure it happens, I promise. Everything in my power to do." Marlowe whispered. "I love you, Kar. I couldn't hate you so much sometimes if I didn't love you."

---

Tesni smiled warmly, unlocking her phone and crouching down to take a few pictures; some of Tobias on his own, others of he and Elle together before she put her phone in her bag and wandered over to join them properly.

“Does it make me weird that I’m excited about doing stuff with her that I couldn’t do on my own because I’d be judged because I’m an adult… but I never got to do it as a kid? Stuff like this… feeding the ducks, and when she’s older we can go see kids films in the cinema, go play in the park with toys and bikes and stuff… other kids in school would talk about getting up on the weekends and leaving their parents in bed to sneak downstairs to watch cartoons on the tv… sandpits and swimming lessons. Making cakes and stuff on a Sunday morning, candy for breakfast. Rainy days on the couch… all that stuff I was so jealous of the other schools for.” Tobias mused as he moved to sit down properly, shifting Elle into the crook of his arm as she babbled quietly. “I never wanted her… but she’s here now and I just keep thinking of like this massive checklist of things I’m gonna make sure she doesn’t miss out on that I did. I didn’t learn how to swim or ride a bike till I’d enlisted. I literally got thrown in the lake at the deep end. No goggles or hand holding from an encouraging parent to make sure I wasn’t scared. It was swim or sink.” He chuckled.

---

“I know… I’ve never hated you Marlowe… we just didn’t see eye to eye sometimes… but I never hated you… just… frustrated I guess. But you’re right, we’re still family.”

"It's always been you, the reason Dorian and I were saved - got in so deep. Without you my babies wouldn't be here, nor Dorian's little ones. I wouldn't know where we would be right now, if anywhere there than six feet under. You saved us, and I - I'm sorry I've been misogyny the credit for all of that. It's just easy for me to get caught up, in the fairytale... they don't exist though, not the way I initially thought at least."

---

"That must of been... traumatic." Tesni grimaced. "I still cant swim, Cain's tried to teach me and has been trying for years but I get in the water and I panic like... I don't know, a bee in honey."

“It’s hard to learn something when you’re older… like learning to accept love, praise… all the things we should’ve been given as kids mm?” Tobias wrapped an arm around her. “But we can adapt, if you still don’t know how to swim by the time we get to go on vacation we’ll get you some armbands and keep to the kiddie pool. We’ll have Elle as an excuse, so it’ll be perfect.” He teased gently with a laugh.

---

“I got your brother hurt and you dragged into this absolutely psychotic world that I was brought up in… I never saw it as a good thing. But I’m glad you can see the silver lining in it all. And I’m glad you’re still here after all this time.”

"Rough going, a lot right now." Marlowe admitted quietly, "But you've got great news so it isn't something that needs discussing. Give Tesni my love, I'll keep everyone updated."

---

"Mm, perfect excuse." Tesni echoed quietly, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck.

“I’ve got a car ride home I’m barely through if you need to talk… People keep underestimating my ability to multitask, go ahead.”

---

“Where are we going for our honeymoon? I’ll let you pick.”

"Come over if you like, I just don't want to be an attention seeker."

---

"Oh, I don't know. Where have you always wanted to go?"

“I need to be home for when Logan walks in… but you can meet me at the house if you’d like?”

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“Somewhere with clear water… I just wanna be able to see straight through it.”

'"I- uh.. yeah, sure. I could do that, if you're sure."

---

"Yeah?" Tesni hummed with a slight smile. "Why is that?"

“I’m sure, I’ll let security know to let you in if you get there ahead of me.”

---

“There was a pond near the home, dirty water, so bad literally nothing was in there. This pond here is dirty. The coast near here a few hours out… not exactly dirty but… can’t see anything in the sea. When I was touring the water was the same too. I just - I imagine it’d be nice to look down and see all the life. All the fish and stuff.”