There are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get un-birthday presents...
Astoria was drifting in and out of sleep now. After returning to her room with Marcus full of glares and questions and Angelina still napping before she had to go to work, Theo had brought her some potions to take. They'd made her sleepy.
She was in that state of no longer sleeping but not quite awake. There was something special about today. She sensed Marcus was near still, and reached to find him without opening her eyes. She found a hand and patted it. It was so much larger than her own. Rough too. She traced a finger absently over the knuckles.
She muttered something even she could not understand and drifted back to sleep. Angelina was near too. Likely still asleep. Not Marcus. The instant she moved, he'd have woke. If he had slept at all. That was how it had been all night. She'd stir. He'd ask a question or two. She'd assure him she was fine, that she did not need anything but him and their Angel near. There would be more sleep.
Marcus hadn't slept, not really. Any time one of the healers poked a head in to check on Astoria, he woke up. Any time Angel shifted, he was aware. He dozed a bit, yes, but never really slept.
While the girls slept, he thought about what he was going to do to Dolohov now that he had the bastard. The thoughts were quite pleasant, in his opinion.
Astoria was waking up again, though, so he pushed the thoughts aside. She would know what he did to her father-in-law. There was no way he could keep it from her.
Images swirled in her head. The potions made it difficult for Astoria to keep to herself. Marcus planned violence. Her lips curled into a smile. She was still mostly in sleep, her mind fuzzy and distorted. Her eyes refused to open. They were too heavy.
"Doesn't... change anything," she near-whispered. "Always. You're mine. Birthday. Not happy. Apologies, love. Don't have to wear the suit you already found."
Astoria sighed and shifted. She was drowning back into the nothing of dreamless sleep. She didn't want to. She wanted to speak to Marcus, to tell him she'd protect him from what he was planning. It needed doing. Astoria would make sure Hera never said anything.
She wanted to wish him a happy birthday, to let him know that though the day would likely be noted by no one else, she knew. She had planned something special for him involving her naked body, but that, it seemed, was out for now. She wanted him to know his worth to her. When Antonin had been strangling her, her mind was filled with Marcus and Angelina. It was her sheer will not to leave them behind that had saved her. It was when she was coming back around and heard Marcus speaking to her, felt him touching her, that she knew. She knew with certainty what had been in her heart since she saw all of who he was.
Astoria squeezed his hand as hard as she could. "I love you. Nothing changes that. Not ever. No matter what."
Her breathing evened again as sleep claimed her.
Marcus blinked down at her. His thoughts whirled, confused. Then he realized what it was. She was drugged, loopy. That was surely the only reason why she would say that.
He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He felt strangely warm as he felt himself start to drift off.
[Summary: It's Marcus's birthday.]
She was in that state of no longer sleeping but not quite awake. There was something special about today. She sensed Marcus was near still, and reached to find him without opening her eyes. She found a hand and patted it. It was so much larger than her own. Rough too. She traced a finger absently over the knuckles.
She muttered something even she could not understand and drifted back to sleep. Angelina was near too. Likely still asleep. Not Marcus. The instant she moved, he'd have woke. If he had slept at all. That was how it had been all night. She'd stir. He'd ask a question or two. She'd assure him she was fine, that she did not need anything but him and their Angel near. There would be more sleep.
Marcus hadn't slept, not really. Any time one of the healers poked a head in to check on Astoria, he woke up. Any time Angel shifted, he was aware. He dozed a bit, yes, but never really slept.
While the girls slept, he thought about what he was going to do to Dolohov now that he had the bastard. The thoughts were quite pleasant, in his opinion.
Astoria was waking up again, though, so he pushed the thoughts aside. She would know what he did to her father-in-law. There was no way he could keep it from her.
Images swirled in her head. The potions made it difficult for Astoria to keep to herself. Marcus planned violence. Her lips curled into a smile. She was still mostly in sleep, her mind fuzzy and distorted. Her eyes refused to open. They were too heavy.
"Doesn't... change anything," she near-whispered. "Always. You're mine. Birthday. Not happy. Apologies, love. Don't have to wear the suit you already found."
Astoria sighed and shifted. She was drowning back into the nothing of dreamless sleep. She didn't want to. She wanted to speak to Marcus, to tell him she'd protect him from what he was planning. It needed doing. Astoria would make sure Hera never said anything.
She wanted to wish him a happy birthday, to let him know that though the day would likely be noted by no one else, she knew. She had planned something special for him involving her naked body, but that, it seemed, was out for now. She wanted him to know his worth to her. When Antonin had been strangling her, her mind was filled with Marcus and Angelina. It was her sheer will not to leave them behind that had saved her. It was when she was coming back around and heard Marcus speaking to her, felt him touching her, that she knew. She knew with certainty what had been in her heart since she saw all of who he was.
Astoria squeezed his hand as hard as she could. "I love you. Nothing changes that. Not ever. No matter what."
Her breathing evened again as sleep claimed her.
Marcus blinked down at her. His thoughts whirled, confused. Then he realized what it was. She was drugged, loopy. That was surely the only reason why she would say that.
He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He felt strangely warm as he felt himself start to drift off.
[Summary: It's Marcus's birthday.]