My piece for Day 3 of @acotarauweek ! Day 3 is for Christmas/Holiday AU, so why not have Cassian trying to show off to Nesta while hanging up Christmas lights?
Based off of the prompt: “You’re gonna fall off the roof if you try hanging lights with that ladder.”
The snow is still gently falling outside as I pull my hat on and follow Cassian to the garage. The weather has calmed down now, but there must be at least half a foot of snow on the ground from overnight. I make sure I’m wrapped up warm this winter; I don’t intend on getting ill.
“Cassian, I’m warning you now, you are going to fall off the roof if you use that ladder.” I grumble, annoyance tingeing my voice. I wouldn’t admit it, but I’d rather stay inside and decorate the tree, but a mixture of worry and amusement made me follow Cassian outside to keep an eye on him.
“And when have I ever been known to lose my balance, Sweetheart? I am the image of poise and grace.” He replies, a sly grin on his face. Ignorant brute.
He opens the garage door and steps in. I move to follow him, but the ice underneath my feet makes me lose my balance. I slip, and one hand instinctively flies to protect my stomach, the other grabbing the back of Cassian’s coat. He turns to steady me immediately, and pulls me close with a gloved hand into a tight hug, looking down at me with half lidded eyes. My cheeks turn red, and it’s not because of the cold. We may be married, but Cauldron damn him for making me flustered.
“Nesta, I’ll be fine.” He insists, leaning down to peck my nose with his lips. I bat him away, a laugh escaping me.
I help him to carry out the strings of light, while he hauls out the rickety ladder. I dump the lights on the icy ground and watch Cassian set the ladder up. I cross my arms around myself, trying to retain any heat that I can.
“You can go back inside, Sweetheart. I don’t mind.”
“Like I’m going to miss seeing your face as you fall off!” I reply.
Cassian flashes me a devilish grin as he adjusts his hat, before grabbing the end of the lights and starting his ascent.
Each step he takes up that cursed ladder, my heart jumps. The ladder is already starting to wobble. Cassian reaches the roof and turns his head to me.
“See, I’m fine!” He smiles as he takes a hand off the ladder to wave at me. My heart does another leap, as I involuntarily step forward. He laughs at my reaction, and I frown.
“Stop messing about!” I shout.
“I’m going to take that as a challenge!”
He doesn’t listen to me, instead taking the end of the string lights and proceeding to swing them around in one hand. Holding the ladder with his other hand, he kicks a leg out. Only the Mother knows what Cassian’s doing, because I certainly don’t.
If he’s trying to put on some sort of show for me, I’m not enjoying it. Meanwhile, he seems to be having the time of his life, swinging the lights about and leaning back and forth on the ladder. I think he’s warbling his own version of ‘Santa Baby’? He tosses his hat to me playfully, but I’ve had enough. It’s not good for me to be stressing out this much about anything, not now…
“If you’re going to kill yourself on that ladder, I’m not going to watch!” I call up to him. I pull my scarf tighter around me and turn to head inside.
“Nesta! Wait, I’m sorry. I’ll stop mess-” Cassian’s voice cuts off as I hear a loud creak from behind me.
I snap back around, to see the ladder teetering away from the wall, with Cassian still at the top. I choke out his name as the ladder falls. He clings to the rungs as tightly as he can. If I wasn’t already so worried about him, it would have almost looked comical. Cassian yells as he lands in a pile of snow.
My feet remember to move as I run as fast as I can towards his unmoving body. I drop down on my knees next to him and shake his shoulders frantically, muttering curses under my breath.
“Wake up, you stupid prick.” I say, my voice rising.
His snowflake speckled eyelashes flutter open and focus on me.
“Am I in heaven?” He groans; but still a smirk plays on his lips.
I whack him on the arm. “You idiot! That could have ended so much worse!” I force him to sit up by pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. Cassian moans as his body moves, but I don’t care.
“Don’t do that to me ever again.”
“I’ll just have to see if I can do a flip next time.”
“There won’t be a next time, I won’t let you!” I hiss. I hear Cassian’s muffled laugh and I stand, hauling him up with me. His face twists with pain slightly, but he seems to be generally okay. Thank the Cauldron.
With a bit of help, we make it inside the house, leaving the sad string of lights and collapsed ladder in the snow. They’ll probably disappear under the next snowfall, but my main priority is not to die of hypothermia first. I plonk Cassian down on the sofa, then head to the kitchen to heat up a pan of milk.
A few minutes later, I come back to the living room with two hot chocolates to see Cassian has migrated to sit right in front of the fire.
“I’m so cold.” He whines as I sit next to him.
“Maybe you wouldn’t be so cold if you didn’t insist on going out and falling in the snow…” I reply, leaning over to rest my head on his shoulder. “Here, drink this.” I hand him his mug.
“Marshmallows on top? My my, Nesta, I think you’ve gone soft. I’ll have to fall off ladders more often.”
“Shut up, you brute.” I can’t help the soft smile that forms on my face.
“You’re not having some mulled wine? The bottle has been sitting there for weeks.”
“No.” I say after a short pause.
Cassian frowns slightly, but doesn’t push further.
We sit staring at the fire, sipping our drinks and enjoying each other’s company. After a few minutes, he pulls me into his lap gently, kissing the back of my neck. Honestly, I should be checking if Cassian’s injured anything, but he should have listened to me in the first place. Also, I’m just enjoying the warm pressure of his lips on the back of my neck.
“I really am sorry you know, Nes. I was being stupid.” Cassian murmurs.
“And when are you not being stupid?” I reply.
He laughs. “I do enjoy seeing you go all angry mother hen on me, though.”
“Well, I would like you to see the next few Christmases.”
“I won’t be an idiot next year, I promise.”
“I hope so. I suppose there will have to be at least one sensible person in the house to look after us all.” I reply, laughing.
Then I pause, and hope to the Cauldron that Cassian doesn’t pick up on what I just said.
“‘Us all’?” He asks hesitantly.
I try desperately to brush it off. “Us, Elain, Feyre, Rhys, Azriel, Mor, Amren... “ I trail off.
Cassian turns me around in his lap. I can’t look him in the eye yet. “That wasn’t what you meant…”
There’s a moment of silence, and I take a deep breath. “I was going to tell you on Christmas day, but I suppose now is as good a time as any.” I finally look up into his eyes. “There is going to be one more person to look after next Christmas.”
“What…?” Cassian looks confused, before his eyes dart down to my stomach and back to my face. I nod.
“I’m going to be a father?” He asks, tears already making tracks down his face. I nod again and can’t help the smile that forms on my face as Cassian leans in and kisses me again, and again, and again.
“How have I been so blessed in this world to have met you, Nesta?” A grin splits his face as he moves me off his lap to press a kiss to my stomach.
Then without warning, he stands up, weaves an arm under my legs and picks me up, twirling us both. I start giggling, giddiness finally overcoming me. We look into each other’s eyes as we share another kiss, and I rest my head on his shoulder.
“I’m getting dizzy!” I say, still laughing.
“Oh Cauldron, I’m sorry! Are you okay?” Cassian instantly sounds worried.
He gently puts me down, and his hands find my stomach.
“You were out in the cold for so long with me today! You should have stayed warm, Sweetheart!”
“Cassian, I’m fine! Just because I’m pregnant, it doesn’t mean I have to be carried everywhere like the Queen all of a sudden!” I say grumpily, but I’m still smiling.
“I’ll try not to be too overbearing, but I love you so much, Nesta, you know that?”
He pulls me close again, wrapping his arms around me and burying his face in my neck.
“We’re having a baby, Nesta.” Cassian murmurs, like he still can’t quite believe it.
Eventually, we move away from the fire and lay down on the couch, switching on a Christmas movie. I rest my head on Cassian’s chest, and his hand rests on my stomach, and the new life that will be taking form there. The rest of the night passes by peacefully, and the snow continues to fall silently outside the window.
Always and Forever:@ifangirlninja @tangledraysofsunshine @sleeping-and-books @abimomeopectore @run-as-fast-as-you-caan @ignite14 @illyrianbeauty @islamonna @the-dreamer-of-velaris @redwyvern1 @wonderlandatemypancakes @highladyofthesith @acer6437 @hellas-himself @rhysieorbuzzard @meltalgel-ig
