rei hondo đź“š hermione granger (mione) wrote in dunhavenic, @ 2020-02-04 20:57:00 |
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Entry tags: | !log, * jamie, * kit, c: rei hondo, c: tobias parker |
WHO: Rei Hondo & Tobias Parker
WHEN: Tuesday, February 4, 2020; Evening
WHERE: Rei’s house
SUMMARY: Rei tells Tobias her baby-shaped news!
WARNINGS: Brief mentions of Tobias’ military service and the struggles of him not being around much before.
If there was one thing that was true for both Rei Hondo and Hermione Granger, it was that neither ever failed tests. As Rei sat on the edge of her bathtub staring down at the plastic stick held firmly between her thumb and forefinger and those damning double lines, she wondered what it would be like to be the sort of who did. She let out a small breath and set the test to the side, picking up her phone to send a quick text to Sora to ask her to watch the girls for the evening. And then she texted Tobias. -- The tone of the evening already felt different than most of those she spent alone with her ex-husband. Though they had not officially labeled their rekindling relationship yet, they spent most of their time together drinking her wine of the month and in various states of disrobed. Rei had offered water tonight and, considering what she had to tell him, she’d thought it best to keep her clothes on for the time being. Twisting on the couch to face him, Rei slipped her fingers into Tobias’ hand. She hadn’t worked through how she was feeling just yet--everything about this was such a complicated mess that she knew she ought to have uncomplicated before now--so she leaned on her ability to state facts. That was easy to do, right? She’d done this twice before, but neither had quite prepared her for the third one. She swallowed. “So, I’m pregnant.” Tobias had been able to tell that there was something different going on tonight from the moment he'd walked into Rei's home. The girls were gone, which wasn't too out of the ordinary, but there was just a shift in the air, something he couldn't quite put a finger on. Gone was the usual wine, as was the making out on the couch that more often than not led to the bedroom. Neither of those were bad things, of course; he really didn't care what he drank with her and he was perfectly content to just talk or watch a movie, if that was what she wanted. But still, something was off. Luckily, it didn't take long for the mystery to be solved. He'd heard these words from Rei before, of course. Both times had been when they were married, however. Their relationship, for however complex as it had always been, had never really been a question then, nor was there a question in how they were meant to react to such news. This time, though, their relationship wasn't even defined, despite how much he knew they loved one another. Their daughters had no idea that more was going on between their parents than just co-parenting. There were so many questions and not nearly enough answers to go around in that very moment. And so, Tobias let out a breath, the words settling in his mind. I'm pregnant. He swallowed, then let his expression soften. It wasn't hard to do. "You're pregnant?" Rei could see the same equations that she'd been trying to solve all afternoon flashing through Tobias' mind, too. A familiar panic began creeping up into her throat, that fear that she was going to be alone again, that she didn't have what it took to raise three children by herself. But as quickly as it came on, the knowledge that Tobias was here, was with her and not going anywhere, began seeing in, too, and pressing back the panic she'd once been so accustomed to. What their lives had looked like even a year ago would not be easy to forget, but Tobias' presence was a solid, sure thing she believed she could hold onto. There were so many things they were going to have to figure out. Things between them, things to do with their children. But Rei thrived on figuring things out. She nodded. "I swear, we've got the procreation thing down to an art form." That opened opportunities for all sorts of teasing remarks, but Tobias knew that this probably wasn't the time for them. Instead, he simply let his free hand rest on top of hers where they were already linked, his fingers squeezing gently. "You're not wrong, it seems." Tobias hadn't allowed himself to consider more children. When their marriage had ended, he had assumed that would be the end of that particular path, not that he was disappointed by it. His daughters were everything to him and his relationship with each of them had only grown and flourished since he had retired from the military. But having been so utterly convinced that Rei was his one and only shot at that particular type of happiness, he had assumed that was it. Even after they had started walking this path together once more, he hadn't let him think too hard about the future. They were taking it one day at a time and that was fine. Now, though, it seemed that the time for that was ending. "How do you feel?" he asked, because that was the most important question to ask in that moment. "Can I get you anything?" Rei let out a soft laugh and shook her head. “No, I’m fine, but thank you. Honestly, I probably wouldn’t have even suspected this had I not been late. I’m never late, with two obvious exceptions,” she replied. She hadn’t experienced most of the usual symptoms and, unlike her first two pregnancies, had not suffered much in the way of morning sickness. It was a relief, really, even if the lack of symptoms didn’t change the fact that she and Tobias had a lot to untangle now. She hesitated a moment before she asked, “How do you feel about this? I know...I know this wasn’t necessarily in the plan. Probably because, for the first time, we didn’t really have a plan for what we were doing with our relationship.” Tobias found that he couldn't be too sorry about their not having been following any sort of plan for once, even if this was the unintended consequence of it. Years ago, this might have sent him into a panic. Perhaps the panic was still incoming as he navigated his way through shock, but he didn't think that was entirely the case. "I'm... surprised," Tobias said, because it was as honest an answer as he could have come up with and he didn't do anything but honesty with Rei. "We didn't have a plan, you're right. But that's -- that's all right. This is all right. We'll be all right." It wasn't the most cohesive of answers, but he wasn't really thinking before speaking as he just wanted to get it all out there. He leaned over, taking each of Rei's hands in his own. He smiled. "I guess we're going to have to make a plan, though." "Surprised is definitely one word for it," Rei replied, amused. And then, because she knew she needed to say it before the pair made progress on any of those plans, she took a sobering breath and said, "I can't do this alone, though. And I know, logically, that things are inherently different this time, but my heart needs to hear you say that I won't do this alone. If we do this, I need to at the doctor's appointments. I need you around late at night when I can't bend over and pick up the remote I've dropped. I need you there at the hospital when this baby is born. I need you there for the fussy nights and the teething and the first steps. Just promise me those things and I can handle any other plans we make going forward." With each word, Tobias felt a fist squeeze around his heart. None of what she was saying was unfair. They had both known what his military life looked like and how it would shape their lives when they had first met and eventually gotten married. Knowing didn't make it any easier when he was gone for so much of their marriage, missing much of her first pregnancy, the birth of Hana, and so many milestones that came after. He hadn't relished it, of course; in fact, he hated it then and he hated it now, the feelings turning to guilt in his stomach. And though he had been back in Dunhaven for months and had no plans or expectation to go anywhere else, he couldn't blame Rei for worrying or needing to hear the words out loud. In fact, he thought that he may have needed to voice them. Tobias let go one of Rei's hands, lifting it to brush calloused fingers to her jaw. "I promise you," he started, voice quiet and serious, "if we do this, I will be with you for every moment, if you want me to. I will be there for the appointments, I will be here to pick up the remote or get you something to drink or clean the house. I will be here to hold your hand and do everything I can at the hospital and every moment that follows. I won't leave your side, if that's what you want, Rei." He paused, considering just a second before adding, "And it's not just out of duty. I want to be here. I always wanted to be here, but now I have the chance to actually be here. I'm not going to pass that up, if you'll let me." Rei closed her eyes and let her head tilt toward Tobias’ touch. Was it possible that through everything--through deployments, and fights, and divorce, and dreams--they could find their way back to this place where they were the unbreakable and unshakeable partners they’d once been? She let out a small breath and said, “I think that was even better than your wedding vows.” Turning her head, she pressed a kiss to Tobias’ palm and then looked back at him. “I want you here, Tobias. I always have. To help me with the girls and...everything else. I want you here, and I want you.” A warmth blossomed from the very spot that Rei kissed at Tobias's hand, a small smile teasing at the corners of his mouth. But it was her words that really warmed him, right in the center of his heart. He had agreed to the divorce. He had known that it was necessary, that it would be best for the both of them and their family if they ended that part of their relationship. It would make them better parents. And, at the time, it had. But it hadn't stopped Tobias from loving Rei with every part of him, of hoping that perhaps someday they would find their way back to one another. They had been on that nameless path for a while now and it seemed like maybe they now knew where they were actually headed. "I want you," Tobias repeated, his words as serious as before, but filled with more emotions than he could have counted. "You're all I ever wanted, Rei." Rei moved closer, close enough to drape an arm around Tobias' shoulder and pull herself to him to give him a proper kiss. They'd been doing a lot of that recently among other obvious things that had steered them into this particular situation, but this felt different. It felt like a beginning, a promise, a future. Breaking the soft kiss, a happy smile began to spread across her lips and she said, "It looks like we're having another baby, then. We might need to tell people we're back together or they might have some pretty big questions in a few months." Rei's smile was contagious to Tobias on a normal day, so it came as no surprise to him as a happy smile of his own crossed his lips, mirroring hers. Despite the happiness, he knew that what they were embarking on was big and daunting, but that didn't make it any less wonderful. So much had happened in the last year that allowed them to come full circle to this moment, this very good moment. He had to appreciate that. "I think we might," Tobias replied with a soft laugh. At that declaration, he leaned back in for another soft kiss before adding, "I don't think they'll be as surprised we're back together as they should be." “What, we’ve been very stealthy,” Rei said against his mouth. They had not, in fact, been very stealthy at all. Both Zoya and Sora knew more about the current status of their relationship than they probably ought to, and Ren could essentially guess as much. Still, for as much as she’d been enjoying the freedom and adventure their sneaking around had provided, she couldn’t help the thrill she felt at being his again, and knowing that everyone knew it. It wasn’t what they’d once been and maybe that was still okay. What they’d been before the divorce had been strained and fraying. It had felt irreparably broken. She didn’t want to be who they’d been before, she wanted to know what it was like to traverse the path as they were now. Tobias laughed, simply because they both knew that was absolutely not the case. Given Charlie's involvement in their reunion and Finnley being observant, there was no doubt in his mind that both of his sisters knew that more was going on than he'd tried to let on. It wasn't something he could be bothered by, of course; they simply wanted to see him happy and there was no doubt in anyone's mind just which woman could do that. Lifting his hand, Tobias tucked her hair back behind one ear before leaning in and kissing her once again. Just one year ago and he would have thought that he'd never get the chance to kiss her again, let alone that he would be doing it after she delivered the news that they would be expanding their family by one. He had been sure that the chapter for such a life with her had come to an end and that was that. But, he had been wrong and, despite someone that did enjoy being right most of the time... he couldn't have been happier to have been mistaken this time around. |