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Arthur Pendragon (a_royal_prat) wrote in colligo_threads,
@ 2011-01-24 01:07:00

Entry tags:

!closed, arthur pendragon, guinevere pendragon

Who: Arthur (Open to Gwen)
What: a daddy/baby moment
When: late evening Sunday
Where: Apt #101C
Rating: Low and fuzzy
Status: (in?)complete

Her cheeks were the softest he'd ever felt. Arthur dragged his knuckle over her sweet lips, grinning when she suckled on it for a few seconds before he moved his hand away. He cradled her head as he lifted her from the cradle and she whined, smacking her lips before peering up at him. Her eyes were still dark, but they were blue, God they were the darkest of blues, but they were blue. Guinevere was asleep, or pretending to be in order to appease him so he wouldn't drag Merlin back into it and Arthur hadn't wasted a moment.

"Awake?" He grinned at her sleepy blink and nuzzled her nose with his own. "I'm very glad to see you tonight."

Arthur snagged the cloth hanging over the edge of the cradle and draped it over his shoulder. "Don't get any ideas," he warned. "Or I'll have to wake Guinevere and neither of us want that."

He brought her over to the window and elbowed back the curtain. The lamp lights bounced off the pond, wavering in the distance. Arthur pressed his forehead to the cool pane, watching the water move in the darkness.

"You're very lucky," he murmured, brushing a kiss over the top of her head. She fussed, squirming against him and he pulled back from the window, running a hand over her romper. "I swear you shall never know how much."

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a_royal_prat
2011-01-24 04:12 pm UTC (link)

"Someone is out of bed who ought not be," Arthur murmured into Abigail's hair, swaying as he turned toward the door. He'd heard the quiet scrape and rustle of covers and footsteps crossing their floor, no matter how Gwen tried to mask them. He couldn't begrudge the interruption.

"You slept," he teased her, extending a hand. "I wasn't certain you knew how to anymore."

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futurequeen
2011-01-24 06:09 pm UTC (link)

Gwen laughed, rolling her eyes and pushing herself away from the door frame to take his hand, reaching out to run her finger down Abigail's nose. She really, desperately loved this. Being a family. Her heart was racing in such a good way, excitement and happiness running right through her body. Pressing her lips to Arthur's cheek, she used the hand not holding his to poke his side.

"It's a very new concept, I know."

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	a_royal_prat 2011-01-24 06:12 pm UTC (link)
	"You sleep less than she does." Arthur curled around her in a protective hunch, kissing her temple. Gwen's hands were still and gentle as they traced over Abigail's nose. Not a hint of the tremor that had been so very prominent before her nap. "And she doesn't fight me on it." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

futurequeen
2011-01-24 06:18 pm UTC (link)

"That's because Abigail's favourite hobbies include sleep," Gwen replied as she nuzzled up against her husband, her eyes firmly on the small form curled up in his arm. She loved the ease he seemed to have with her. He was just so comfortable with her, just like she knew he would be. The best father she could ever imagine. No, better.

"Just you wait. She'll be struggling for sleep in no time."

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	a_royal_prat 2011-01-24 06:37 pm UTC (link)
	"Yours should too." He wound his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. "If you get ill, Abigail will not be the only one in trouble." Arthur grinned. "By then I'd like to think you'll have learned how to take very short, restive naps." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

futurequeen
2011-01-24 06:40 pm UTC (link)

"I wasn't aware that you were watching my development as well as your daughters's."

Her tone stayed teasing as she took her gaze away from Abigail for a moment to look up at him. She missed this at the other times they didn't get along. Usually because her own hormones or how sleep deprived she had been caused her to be a little too mean to him. She always apologised though. In most cases, that is.

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a_royal_prat
2011-01-24 06:43 pm UTC (link)

"It's very important," he intoned, voice gravelly and subdued. Arthur's eyebrows lifted in a parody of innocent reprimand. "I mean it."

She was exhausted, more so than Arthur had ever seen her before, and it wasn't caused by Abigail, far from it. Arthur was more than capable of rolling out of bed and fussing over their daughter, the only time he couldn't do much was when she was hungry and even then Gwen rarely fell back to sleep afterward.

It wasn't something Arthur was laughing at. Even though Gwen wanted him to.

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futurequeen
2011-01-24 06:49 pm UTC (link)

She stopped looking at him at that. She knew he was being serious, that he really wanted her to sleep more. She knew she had to sleep more, but she had other things that kept her occupied or more focused, so much so that her head just wouldn't shut off at night. She even wondered how long it would take Arthur to remember she had bought supplies that would mean he could bottle feed Abigail with the same milk Gwen gave her.

"I know you mean it."

But she just couldn't. It took too much for her to wind down and usually once she managed that, Abigail would be awake again and needing fed.

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	a_royal_prat 2011-01-25 03:11 am UTC (link)
	Arthur held Gwen close, mindful of the infant between them. "Then what shall we do it about it? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

futurequeen
2011-01-25 11:50 am UTC (link)

"I don't know."

She did know. She had to calm down, actually tell him the problems that kept her awake at night. There were few things they kept from each other, and she really couldn't expect him to tell her his own thoughts and worries when she wouldn't tell him. Smiling softly at Abigail, she reached out to let her grasp at a finger with her tiny hand, receiving a smile in the process.

"Yes, you have a pretty smile."

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a_royal_prat
2011-01-26 03:37 pm UTC (link)

He tightened his arm that rested around her shoulder and kissed the side of her head. "I'm certain you do."

But he was coming to realize there wasn't much he could do about it without using some kind of external force and the idea of doing so for the rest of Abigail's infancy sat like a stone in the pit of his stomach. They needed help. She needed help, he wasn't sure how to convince her of getting it.

"A beautiful smile."

His breath still caught whenever he saw it. Arthur rubbed his thumb over her tiny arm, drawing his own focus away from Guinevere, as she clearly wanted.

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futurequeen
2011-01-26 06:47 pm UTC (link)

“Even if I did, that would not mean now is an appropriate time to discuss it.”

She wasn’t going to when Abigail was cooing away in Arthur’s hold. It just felt strange, almost wrong to let such a small, innocent thing hear the thoughts that plagues her mother even if she wouldn’t remember. Of course, Arthur usually made her sleep whenever Abigail had dozed off, that or eat, so the chances of them getting the opportunity to talk were very slim. She just hoped that would stop soon.

“She has your lips. All...full. Ready to pout the moment she’s accused of wrong doing.”

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a_royal_prat
2011-01-26 10:59 pm UTC (link)

"No, perhaps you're right, but when would?"

He shook his head. Guinevere could fight him all she wished. He wouldn't drop the matter only because she found it distasteful. He found the idea of her becoming ill worse than her ire. She could stay angry at him, for all he cared, so long as it led to her sleeping better.

"She's never going to do wrong. Or she'll need more than a pout to save herself."

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futurequeen
2011-01-26 11:12 pm UTC (link)

"I don't know. Once she's asleep."

It would do them good, if she was honest. As much as she didn't want him to know her thoughts and worries, she also didn't want something to make them grow apart. He helped her in the past with such things, various problems, and was quick to dash useless worries. Maybe that was all she needed, to actually speak to him.

"Oh come on, she already has you trapped."

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	a_royal_prat 2011-01-26 11:26 pm UTC (link)
	"Not 'I don't know'." He began to lightly bounce Gail in his arms, taking his eyes off her to see Gwen's expression. "We will talk once she's back to sleep. Promise me." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

futurequeen
2011-01-26 11:32 pm UTC (link)

Guinevere knew that tone, she didn't have to look up. There were moments were Arthur knew he was right, that she was being stupid and putting herself at risk. And he liked to remind her of that. He knew her better than anyone, really, and it was useless keeping it from him. He was her husband after all, if she could not discuss her fears with him then who could she go to? She looked up to him before kissing his cheek. A peace offering of sorts.

"I promise."

She kissed the corner of his mouth this time before turning her gaze back to Abigail. Smiling softly, she reached out to let her chew slightly on her finger. If she did not feed her daily she would find the sensation rather strange.

"You and your father are too alike. No matter how much I try to resist I can't say no to either of you."

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