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Lewis carefully took little Yuki into his arms and smiled down at the sleepy baby. "hello, love." he glanced at Al and stuck out his tongue in reply before slowly rocking back and forth on his feet, happy beyond belief to be holding a baby again. he'd held the baby earlier, but that had been to tease Elliot, now this was just about the baby and the joy of holding a child once more. "he's full, and happy and ready to go to sleep. i get to hold him as long as i want so there."

Leo sniffed softly and wiped his eyes before taking Rin and cradling the baby in his arms, "come on now, sweets, you need to focus." he coaxed the boy into drinking again and kissed the top of his head as Rin finally settled down to drink. "maybe he just needed to be held by me to be able to focus enough..." he said softly, shaking his head a bit. "i'm ok if he's like you, El. I want them to grow up strong like their daddy."

Oliver flinches slightly as Justin emphasized his name. "Yes, si-Justin." he said quickly, looking down. go and listen to him read? would that really be allowed? but he couldn't be sure, maybe this Justin just wanted a companion and didn't know how to command a slave properly with his being a servant. "um, if you wish. i-should ask permission..." he glanced at Leo, but the man seemed to be fixated on the baby. it would be rude to interrupt.

Lewis let himself be sat down and patted little Yuki's bum until the baby fell asleep, with the joy of holding the child came the ever lingering pain that he himself could never provide anything like this for his beloved king. all he could ever be was someone to f*ck, to give pleasure but nothing more. "love you," he whispered softly, looking up at Al and smiling, hiding his pain behind his happiness.

Leo laughed a little, "it was your stubbornness and possessiveness that saved me, remember? i know you can recall how i was before, but it was you who saved me. no one else could have done that and look at the results." he looked around the room and smiled, "we are surrounded by family and love, all because of you."

Oliver knew he was going to be punished for this later, his stomach was tightening into a knot, but it wasn't like he had a choice. he followed after, letting himself be taken to the library along with this strange almost servant, Justin.

Birch stepped out of the tree branch interwoven into the wall of the house and smiled at the king she'd grown to think of as a close friend, "How lucky i was on my way here then." she looked at Lewis and the babe and felt her heart warm, "we are lucky indeed. these children are blessed by the trees themselves."

Leo smiled at Elliot and inclined his head in reply, "thank you my love." those in the room looked up at Birch's entrance and Leo looked down, "the trees are the only reason these two are with us now, i should hope they planned to take responsibility." he was half teasing, of course, but the thought of his children being as vulnerable as he was sent chills down his back and made him want to take them into the farthest reaches of the wild where they would be safe.

Lewis froze, his eyes locked on Al and the tree woman, all thought processes shut down. "A-Al," his whispered, finally rebooting as he blinked, his eyes stinging, "you can't be-Al, i mean-why would you want to-" he shook his head and dropped his eyes, tears falling, "I'm not worthy of someone like you."

Birch looked at Leo who nodded, "yes, there is such thing here as there has been since the beginning of time. Love is love and that love should be allowed to be celebrated and shown through union. that is the Falian way. I shall stand in for the trees, but the one to perform the ceremony would have to be the current leader of our lands...."

"Then we shall hold the ceremony tomorrow at the time of your choosing," Ambrose announced from the stairs, walking the rest of the way down into the living room. "though i understand it needs be a double ceremony. Our sons have not been hand fasted either."

"There were four, my Lord," Birch supplied, "and they were overseen by little Nix, as she was the only living royal within the lands. Tsume and the council helped her as well."

Leo blushed a little and looked at Elliot, "A hand fasting is where you are joined together for life, like a wedding, just a different title. My family cannot be 'married' in the normal sense because we are first and foremost in partnership with the Elders and the land, but we can be hand fasted, our version of a wedding and join with our husbands or wives in that way."

Lewis stood up, "Wait! Wait, you can't be serious. Al-i, you know what i am. what i'm like, why would you want to tie yourself down to someone like me for the rest of your life?" he started to pace, his hands running through his hair, "in five years time i could be drooling in a corner, completely mad! do you really want to have to introduce an embarrassment like me as your-your-" he couldn't say it. he just shook his head and turned away, "this Falian air has gone to your head, my king, you aren't thinking straight anymore."

Leo smiled a little and very carefully stood up. his body was still weak and his hips hurt, making it hard to move. he must have given birth, but he had no memory of it. he half wished there had been a way to just magic the boys out, but now was not the time for that. "lewis?" Leo said softly as he walked to the fellow former bentien, "i know how you feel." he put his hand on Lewis' shoulder and waited until their eyes met. "it's scary. so very scary and heartbreaking. you think you are unlovable. that what-what they did to you makes it so you can never have what you want, what you desire above all else. but it's not true." he smiled and looked back at Elliot who was holding little Yuki and then down to Rin in his own arm. "it's not impossible, Lewis and maybe, here in this forest where the outside world cannot find you, it's ok. it's ok to love him and Lewis? it's ok to be loved. you deserve to be loved"

Lewis stared at Leo, trying to deny what was being said, but he couldn't. Leo and Leo alone knew what he was feeling right now. they shared a past that would haunt them for the rest of there days, but if this young boy could move on with a smile then why couldn't he? "ok-" he whispered, finally looking away from Leo's eyes and meeting Alvaro's. "ok."

Leo smiled and stepped away, "alright, everyone out." he wanted to give the two men some privacy. "El, i'm about to pass out. i guess walking right now wasn't a good idea, help me to bed? Hasta, Pasa, will you two help get everything ready for the ceremony tomorrow and get the announcements out? i've a feeling it's going to attract a lot of people." he closed his eyes for a moment, forcing himself to stay upright. "tsume, go to bed, you haven't slept in a while. mom, dad? you two need some serious cuddle time, go to bed." he winked before nodding, "birch, see you tomorrow?"

Hasta and Pasa were already gone, doing as they had been told and Tsume had, for once, agreed without complaint, going up to his own room.

Ambrose held out her hand to her love, "come on, our son's getting nesty."

Birch nodded, "until then." she inclined her head and left the way she'd come.

Lewis moved into Al's chest and snuggled there until the room had cleared, "what do they think we're going to do? jump each other in the middle of their living room?"

Leo carefully handed the baby over before he collapsed back onto the bed, groaning softly, his eyes closed. "it's not that it hurts, which it does, i'm just--drained. i feel so tired, i could sleep like this with my feet still on the floor without a problem."

Lewis smiled a little, "true-" he blushed at Al's words and closed his eyes. "T-Take me to bed, Al. not-" he blushed deeper, "i don't want sex. not tonight. i just want you to hold me. please?"