Year 765 The Storm Crawler Charge

Mirella comes out from the building and beams, “There ya’ll are. Ma was fretting and thought ya’ll forgot.”

“Why do you have a kreslupus?”  Rhea frets finding her husband laugh a few too offensive. Even though he already stops laughing when Mirella showed up and didn’t bring it up.

“A kre-what? Oh! You mean Blair. He’s a puppy still so useless right now but adorable.” Mirella answers Rhea and gestures them to come with a hurried wave. “Get inside already.”

Connor and Rhea did exactly that. Rhea enters first with Connor right behind her like a protective shadow. He had dropped the smile at some point; she wonders why but the way he bent his neck and shoulders told her everything. The ceiling here is lower. Mirella is only a few inches taller than Rhea so the only one that will strain is anyone as tall as Connor. Rhea is the one to hold her laughter.

Even when Mirella led them to a dining room its ceiling isn’t comfortably tall for Connor. Now she can understand why he waits to be last to enter this place. Regardless of the low ceiling, it is impressively a large floor plan, so nobody is at risk of knocking down anything. There is one long table with eight chairs. Rhea thought that’s a lot for just this family but then finds the answer just by seeing Connor standing next to an empty chair. Alex and Connor basically were here often enough to get their own chairs.

“Get comfortable. Pa should be down. He’s been sorer lately, so he is taking his time.” Mirella ushers them to sit then she rushes right out.

“Where is she going?” Rhea mutters.

“To her father. Now sit, taivhok.”  Connor pulls the chair he stands beside as a gesture for her to sit.

“Should you sit first? You barely can stand straight here.” That question did nothing to budge his resolve. Rhea sighs and did what she is told again, her guess is he didn’t want her standing so long. Another one of his many rules for his pregnant wife.  

Lucky me. He pushes her seat in when he didn’t move from behind her, she chose to study the many paintings hanging on the walls. Some of these had paintings of when Mirella was younger but there’s one, she’s most curious about. The one that had many people painted in-front of he farms, she nearly deciphers who each person is, but a stocky older woman comes out with two giant pots. Rhea can smell the meat, vegetables and rice wafting out of the room this woman appears from barely taking in the woman’s resemblance to Mirella.

It didn’t matter. Her husband is already helping this woman with one of the pots. “I can take the pots Gaia.”

“Oh no no no. Ya just come back home, get back to ya seat-“ This woman’s gray brows rose past to her evenly cut peppered bangs at the sight of Rhea. The green orbs shimmers in excitement, “That’s Rhea? Ya wife?”

“Yes.”  Connor must have had his mind set to help, taking the other pot anyways despite Gaia’s open reluctance. He didn’t strain the whole time, placing each pot in the center of the table

“How the Gods did this grumpy boy catch ya attention?” Gaia giggles snatching the plates on some shelves which had Connor groan loud enough for anyone to hear.

I REALLY like her. “We met at Renuo.” Rhea answers plain like, she didn’t delve too deep. No one needs to know about the Death Twister gang. Though her plump lips broaden into a smile thinking how long ago that feels.

The older woman brings the plates over and stacks them at one end. She is shorter than Mirella but still taller than Rhea, this woman is hefty in frame but that didn’t change the fact that she looks so motherly and sweet. That sweetness is thrown out the window to give Connor a loud ‘harrumph’, “Renuo is the least romantic place in all port-sides. Tell me that is not where ya got married.”

Rhea snickers, she finds Gaia blatant disregard of Connor’s visible irritation like a mother would towards their own children because they are not afraid of it. Gaia is treating Connor like an out-of-control teenager even if he’s already a few too many moons old to be. Connor shakes his head, answering Gaia’s question. “No wedding. We committed to each other at Gillards Way”

“No weddin’! You officiated all these weddins’, yet ya deny ya family and friends from ya own weddin’!” Gaia huffs and puffs, now the one about to chastise Connor. Connor raises both his hands up, trying to not trigger Gaia further but he didn’t try speaking. She is to engross in the fussing, Rhea got up and set plates where the chairs are. The mage fondly remembers how she helps set the table for Grace Risa. Another memory that feels so long ago now.

“I am the one not wanting a ceremony.” Rhea pipes in this time. Although Gaia lowers the fussing she had directed on Connor, now frowning at Rhea. Rhea for a moment thought the older woman’s fussing had completely focused on Rhea instead.

“Well, sometimes it’s not what we want…but what t’ do t’ have family and friends feel included. But there is a chance ya’ll change ya minds later.” Gaia beams while turning, advancing towards the kitchen and vanishing into it.

“She is nice.” Rhea laughs when Connor shot her a speculative gaze. It is probably because he just had to survive a tongue lashing. Even so, Connor lets go of that by swapping it with a smile of his own.

“It’s true.”

This is a different reaction, he usually isn’t quick to appease anyone, but this family is different. He is softer right now like he is where he belongs, it begs the question if her husband ever considered this place a home. She hopes he feels that way with a manor resided by their child.

Rhea sat back down on her chair, resting her hand over her belly while deep in thought. Connor is by her side, watching her. He then grabs her plate to serve the mix of vegetables and steamy piece of meat. “Gaia. I’m serving Rhea now.”

“I can w-“ Rhea is about to protest, blushing at the coddling.

The stoutly woman comes out with a bowl of fresh fruit, her brows hike up till they vanish in the bangs. The concern is riddled in every crease of her face, “Sure. Is she that famished?”

“I am fine…” Rhea mutters but her attempt is ignored by her husband who places the full plate on the table for Rhea.

“Something like that.” He muses taking the fruit bowl from the older female, “She’s with child.”

“WHY in the Gods did it took ya this long to say?” Gaia gapes, it had not been long before she hurries back into the kitchen and brought a mug of water out. The older woman places that next to the full plate of food. “The poor thing must be thirsty.”

Rhea made a face that is also gracefully ignored by these two. She gives up and starts eating this plate since they won’t leave her alone unless she shown an interest on either resource. The food is delicious; she finds the appetite and chows down on the rest of the food. Gaia is a great cook.

“I wasn’t trying to with hold the information.” Connor replies to Gaia’s newest fuming. It won’t do more than have Gaia more huffs and puffs. It only stops when Mirella guides this older man to the room. It will seem this whole family is small stature; he is the shorter in height than Mirella but in no way looks feeble. Although, he’s heavier around the stomach he had the dense arms of a day laborer. The only thing that can suggests he might have a hard time is the fact one of his hands is not a real hand. It is a strange wooden and metal contraption of false fingers and thumb, and there is even bending of the digits except for the thumb. Rhea stares at it for a little long, jumping when she hears Mirella.

“Pa said hello.”

But I did not hear anything. “Chathalic-rues…” Rhea won’t realize it tills after some time. This man named Dion didn’t talk.

“Luv sit down and I’ll serve ya food.” Gaia had the chair pull out for him which is the one furthest end of this table. Dion didn’t make a single peep, taking the seat. When he did, he gives a simple nod of his balding head towards the couple. There isn’t a sign that he is going to say anything. His beard barely twitches even when Connor took a chair and sat next to him.

“I heard your hand is acting up.” That had Dion peer at Mirella with a twist of his nose.

“Enough pa. Connor is going to fix it.” Mirella sticks her tongue out helping her mother get food for Dion.

“She’s right. Now.” He had his calloused hand out and Dion grunts, but the old man twist the false hand right out and gave it to Connor. All that is left is a black cloth that covers the nub.

Connor looks it over on the table, already pulling out a tool. Rhea can’t tell what type of tool it is, all she knew is he is poking at the rubbery false tendons in this false hand.

“Ya both can never wait after a meal to tinker and tinker…” Gaia complains but it didn’t slow her from serving her husband the meal. Dion didn’t move yet to eat it.

“Ma. I’m sure it won't take long.” Mirella sees Rhea staring in silence and smiles. “Did you want another plate, Rhea?”

Rhea blinks having been focus really hard on the false hand Connor is working on. When Mirella mentions food her mouth waters. “Yes please.”

The time spent here is oddly loud for the head of the household to be so quiet the whole time. The ladies had a lot of questions for Rhea than she wants to answer but she answers anyway. Connor being so deep in his task to comment about any of the more embarrassing of the questions. Mirella lost her head when she finds out Rhea is with child. That is when Mirella kept trying to get Connor’s attention to demand why he didn’t say something sooner. When he gracefully ignores her, she complains to Rhea which is extremely endearing. Mirella is right, Connor completes in doing Gods knows what to that contraption. He says something about wanting to see it later this week for a better repair job. Dion puts it back on and tests each digit, the thumb now extends

Connor sat beside Rhea and finally start to eat his food; the rest of this family did as well. Rhea is glad that he’s eats than just picks at his food this time. Though he still finds the time to add more food to her plate even if she isn’t hungry. Now, he will have her eat everything due to this pregnancy, and it is getting hard to catch up with the extra servings. Though she didn’t struggle much…

Eventually, night came, and Connor is already taking her hand to leave. They bade this sweet family goodnight. Rhea felt beyond welcomed that she hopes it will not be the last time. Connor had been inspecting her array of emotions with that smile on his face.

“You have been staring for some time.” She braves to ask just at the front deck of the manor. His answer is to use him arm to rope her in close by her waist, the tips of her feet can’t even touch the ground. To keep herself steady, she clings onto the excess of his jacket even then she didn’t have control in what happens next. Yet she didn’t have complaints. He first plants on the curve of her cheek then trail this kiss till it finds her lips, her heart races with the buzzing of her own shameless desire that warms beneath her skin. This petty dry spell hurts her more than him and she’s fairly sure she started it. Even though it’s more likely that her sickness is to blame.

He must know she’s spiraling because this kiss didn’t end not even when their tongues dance together, sharing each others taste. Rhea wants more of him, outside the kisses they are sharing or the cuddles in bed. When they part it is like she didn’t have to say a thing, with the way he fixates on her breathlessness. He picks her up to have her straddle him, and she had to bite back the fact she is too weak to the charms to barely hold her excitement. “You are very lewd, taivhok.”

“Maybe you can fix that.” She says without a break in eye contact, he’s the one that had to show restraint next. His attempts are very low effort; he is nuzzling right on the dip between her collarbone then he grunts with some reddening of his face.

“Can we at least get to the bedroom before saying those things?”

Rhea runs her fingers through his hair, proud at the fact that she can make him frazzle this way. “I could, captain~! But I do not want the fun to end.”

Connor is silent since calling him with this title like this usually makes him more ravenous. He groans, kissing her neck a few while then saying. “Then we must go through the back. I don’t want anyone to see us.”

He is right, there are minors in this residence, so she gladly follows his plan. It didn’t really take them long to find it, nor did they waste a lot of time finding their new bedroom.

It is not until they are back in bed that she fully appreciates her captain’s voracious appetite for her.