Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Waking up in the morning, Silver realises Cole is not in bed. She is a little disappointed. After the fight last night, she expected some cuddling and a day of pampering.

Walking down to the kitchen she finds a shirtless Cole fumbling through the kitchen and trying to make breakfast. Silver laughs at the sight, making Cole raise his head and see her.
“Why do you think you are laughing?” Cole asks.
“Looking at you,” Silver answers with a tone in her voice.

She walks out of the kitchen.
“Butterfly, where are you going?”
“To check on our daughter.”

She admires his effort but is still not ready to fully forgive him.
“Butterfly, I apologise. Talk to me.”
“He was my friend and colleague. You didn’t have to go all crazy,” Silver says, her tone angry.
“You were laughing with him. I told you I get all your laughs.”
“Nash, I hate you.”
“I love you Mrs. Nash.”
What could Silver say to this?
“Mrs. Nash, can I kiss you please?” he asks, doe-eyed.

Before Silver could answer, they hear a voice.
“Mommy, where are you?” Little Ava walks into the living room.
“In here, baby,” Silver replies.

Ava walks into the kitchen and Cole lifts her up.
“Good morning baby. Daddy is making breakfast for us today,” Silver tells her.
“I wanna help Daddy make breakfast ‘cause Daddy and Ava are a team.”

There is pure love and pride in Cole’s face as he nods yes.
“Let me go get my pink apron, Daddy.”
“Look at her, Butterfly. I would never get tired hearing her run around on these wooden floors.”

Every day the bond between her husband and daughter seems to get stronger and deeper.
“Do you wanna break the eggs for me, honey?” Cole asks Ava.
“Yes, please.”

After quite a bit of struggle, the pancakes are on the table.
“These are very good,” Silver appreciates the effort.
“Thank you, Butterfly,” Cole smirks.

“Mommy, what are we doing today?”
“Aunt Kim is taking you and Cecily to the park today,” Silver tells Ava, who squeals in joy.

Cole is home after dropping Ava at the park. He sees Silver in their bedroom reading a boring book. Cole adores his wife but can’t stand to watch some guy make his wife laugh. He was furious yesterday and couldn’t think straight. He almost got physical with him before Silver dragged him out of there and hasn’t touched him or kissed him since.

She looks ethereal — the sunlight falling on her face, her hair shining. He needs to kiss her now. It’s been too long already.
“Stop reading that,” he says, startling Silver.

Silver doesn’t respond and continues flipping through the book.
Butterfly, look at me now" he demands
Silver looks up from her book. Without a warning Cole slams his lips against hers, as though he was starved for days. They break the kiss to catch a breath and " I need inside you silver" Cole feels Silver's body tremble. A moan slips out of her making him harder. "Cole, stop teasing and fuck me" her voice is urgent., when could he ever deny his wife anything.

They are exhausted when Silver’s mobile rings.
“Silver, you should come home. There’s been an incident.”

It is Kim on the phone, her voice unsure.
“Sure, is she alright?” Silver asks, full of concern — which in turn makes Cole tense.
“She is fine. Come home, I’ll explain to you what happened,” Kim says and cuts the call.

“We need to go to Kim’s. She said there was an incident at the park,” Silver tells Cole after the call ends.

On the way:
“What happened? Is she hurt? Did someone hurt her?” Cole asks and looks as if he’s ready to go after whoever hurt his daughter.
“No clue. We have to go now.”

They reach the Knights’ house and find Kim in the kitchen.
“Is she okay?” Silver asks her friend.
“Did someone hurt her? I’ll kill him—” Cole begins, but before he can finish, Xander enters.
“Relax, Nash, she’s okay.”
“Xan, where is she?” Silver asks.
“She’s with Cecily,” Kim tells her.

“She pushed a guy at the park,” Kim pauses, waiting for them to respond. When no one says anything, she continues,
“I was sitting at a distance watching them play, and I saw Ava push a boy. Both Ava and Cecily won’t tell us what happened.”

“Maybe you can talk with them,” Xan suggests.
Calling both the girls downstairs Silver immediately hugs her daughter" baby, Aunt Kim told me what happened. u okay? "
Ava simply nods her head
" Honey, did he hurt you in any way? " Cole asks Ava nods her in head in no
" Then what happened Ava? " silver asks softly
Ava remains silent for sometime and looks at Cecily who nods her head in turn " he is from our school. He always teases Cecily in school. Today at the park, he was doing it again, I got angry so I pushed him" Xan is furious listening to Ava. He looks at his wife " who is he? I am going to call the principal right now"
"Xan, stop for a second" Kim pleads
"Ava why didn't you tell your teacher about this" Silver asked her daughter with a soft voice
" I wanted to, but Cecily always stopped me"
Silver and Cole look at each other and realise their daughter never wanted to hurt the kid. She only protected her friend.
"Cecily" Xan says "why have you never told us honey?"
"I don't know" Cecily replies her voice almost inaudible
Kim and xan hug their daughter.
Xan looks at Cole and says " Tomorrow morning, we are going to the principal" Cole nods in agreement.

Chapter Text

"You know, I remember Ari as a baby" bran recollects a story "she was just adorable" Niko shifts completely facing his boyfriend and pulls him closer, his hand caressing bran's face.
"Why are you telling me this, lotus flower?"
"No reason"
Niko and bran are having this conversation at 1 in the morning. Both of them unable to sleep.
Bran turns the other side not wanting his boyfriend to see him.
Niko pushes bran on his back and straddles him and lifts his chin to meet his eyes
" what's on your mind lotus flower?"
"There's nothing to tell"
"If there's nothing, we fucking wouldn't be having a conversation about Ariella Nash at fucking 1 am"
"was just a random thought" bran mumbles to his boyfriend
"I know this isn't one" niko refutes
"can you please let it go" bran pleads Niko nods, letting it slide this time.
"Let's go to sleep, lotus flower"
Niko slides off his boyfriend and presses a chaste kiss on bran's cheek.
The next morning, bran wakes up before niko and stares lovingly at his boyfriend and soon to be husband.
"How long have you been staring at me lotus flower?"
"Not long enough" bran replies playfully.
"you can stare at me as long as you want"
"Not interested anymore, I am going to get breakfast" bran refutes
He slides off the bed finding his boxer briefs, not bothering to put on pants.
" I am gonna stare at your ass, just so you know" niko tells bran with a huge grin on his face.
"we need to take a shower" bran says
"sure" niko says moving his hand that's resting on bran's knees, further above.
Bran catches Niko's wrist "Shower separately"
"We can do it together"
"we can, but I will be late" bran says with a sincere tone
"I promise, only shower, nothing else" niko tries to convince his boyfriend
"It's never just shower with you"
Niko groans.
Bran kisses the corner of Niko's lips and heads to the shower.

Later, Niko heads to Jer's house after saying bye to his bran.
"you know normal people knock before entering a room" jer tells his friend
"I let myself in. Get over it " niko says
Jer glares at his friend and ces just gives a warm smile to niko.
"Why are u in my room in the middle of the day?"
Jer questions
"When do you want me to be in your room?" niko answers with a question.
"Niko" ces speaks "is everything okay?"
" I came here to talk to you" niko tells her
"Sure" she nods
"In private?" he asks
"what the fuck would you talk with her that you can't say in front of me?" Jer doesn't understand what's going on.
"It's about bran" niko voice is filled with concern
"I need some advice from your girlfriend."
"Is he okay?" Cecily asks now concerned about her friend
"I am not sure" niko says
"Last night, he was talking about Ariella" Cecily frowns in confusion "Telling me, that she was adorable as a baby" niko continues
"She was" Cecily points "But I don't see how this can be concerning"
"it was at 1 in the morning" niko says "and he couldn't meet my eyes afterwards"
" what do I do?" Niko looks at Cecily. and then Jeremy and back to ces
"I really don't know what he's thinking" Cecily answers with utmost honesty
"I hate this" niko snaps
"Do you want me to talk to him?" Cecily asks
"Fuck no"
"What the fuck do you want from my girlfriend then?" jeremy retorts
Nikolai needs an answer but he cuts himself off from saying anything. He sighs and leaves.

He enters the house listening to some cluttering in the kitchen.
"Lotus flower?"
He walks further into the kitchen and looks at bran moving around the kitchen aimlessly and lost elsewhere.
"bran?" niko gets closer to his boyfriend
"hey, when did you get home?" he asks bran
"Just a few minutes ago. I got hungry so I thought I would make something for the two of us" bran answers
Bran presses a soft kiss on niko's cheeks. Niko takes bran's hand in his and leads him out of the kitchen.
"I am getting worried" niko begins "last night you wouldn't tell me and now you were roaming around the kitchen about to yourself"
Bran is silent.
"Fucking talk to me lotus flower" he yells
Bran flinches and has tears in his eyes
"I am sorry baby" niko apologises "but I want to know"
"I was thinking about our future" bran tells"and in that future, there's you and I living in this beautiful home "
Niko listens to his boyfriend patiently waiting for him to continue
"But in that future, I don't see our kids" bran elaborates "I just see this future where all our friends have babies and we" bran begins to cry Niko hugs his boyfriend, trying to take away all his pain, "who says we can't have kids?"
"I know we can. But lately all I can think of are the what ifs" bran sniffles and further hides his face.
"My lotus flower" niko eyes express something stronger than love" you and I are going to have the future that you want. I am fucking sure of it.
Our kids are going to be fucking perfect "
"I love you" bran whispers
"I know lotus flower"