"Dovev. You made it."
He remained quiet, only giving her a subtle nod. These were not his kids, couldn't possibly be, but he would still have done anything to protect her. He would stay here at her side where she needed him, beneath the dome of her lights as the beam shattered to shower and float around them.
She gave birth to a girl and immediately began cleaning her. He watched from where he was, quiet and still pushing away the emotions that came with knowing she'd slept with someone. She'd had someone's kid. Blue and white like her mom though, the white a bit different. Kind of like his. But she wasn't his, she couldn't be.
The babe took an interest in him, rounding dark eyes on him. Like his. But she wasn't his, couldn't be. It was literally impossible. It had been years, it had been a dream. She was there though, studying him and then pulling the light around her to mimic his armor. His heart pinched. She was so beautiful. It made him wish she really was his. His and Luster's.
"It would seem that she takes after you," Luster said softly then, and he frowned at the girl. Luster couldn't possibly have believed Heartfire. It didn't make any sense. Obviously, her baby was someone else's. Was he meant to be a stand-in? Without even talking to him about it? Take over, be the Daddy to someone else's kid? He'd done it for Briella, but that was different.
"Keep her warm, Dovev, keep our girl safe."
He was tense, his nostrils flaring and expression stern. He swallowed down what he could, though, and obeyed her, taking purposeful steps to her daughter and testing her scent with an outstretched nose. He snorted it out sharply, glancing at Luster who started struggling to birth the twin. Heartfire had said there were two.
The baby frowned and bleated and shivered. His warmth was given to her as he arched over her and tugged her in against him firmly. He would warm her, this stranger's child with Luster's light. He would do it for Luster. And he'd try not to love her.
we're slaves to any semblance of touch
Lord, we should quit but we love it too much
