Danger's Gift (BoyxBoy)(BoyxGirl)

Chapter Fourteen: August

August saw a man in the cottage. Rage suddenly flared within him and he caught the man's eyes on him. They stared at each other, August's gaze filled with anger and the man's with fear, and then he was gone. August disregarded this for now. He would be asking his dear, dear wife later, when the children and Jane were not in ear shot. The two women were happy, and his children were happy. He would keep the peace, for now.

Nero stared up at him and tried to push out of his father's grasp. August looked down at him and smiled. His second child was just starting to get his powers and was growing in ability fast. Balam his oldest, and whose mother was Jane, was currently getting wrestled into the mud by Tasha - Much to Jane's dismay. Jane herself was holding August's youngest child Fin, who was only a toddler. Jane was desperately trying to get Balam out of the mud, but not let Fin get near it. August looked back down at Nero who was shyly watching the transactions.

"Not going to save Balam eh?" August asked. Nero shook his head.

"He's not in any real danger..." Nero whispered. "I would if he were." Nero said.

Tasha snorted and giggled as Jane screamed in frustration. Balam was looking horrified.

"He might be in real danger now." Nero half giggled. August looked up to see a mud pile slowly sliding off Jane's dress. Everyone was silent. Balam had thrown a pile of mud at Tasha, but Tasha had dodged and narrowly avoided the pile, Jane had not been as lucky.

The fun and games were over.

Balam was sent to go wash up and change clothes and Tasha wasn't allowed to hold Fin until she was clean and changed as well. Nero was handed Fin and Jane teleported to her room.

August took Fin from Nero and he walked his children inside. Nero was poking Balam who looked embarrassed, and guilty.

"Don't be sad son. Your mothers just mad she can't have fun like that with you." August said. Nero looked up at him and was hurrying to keep up with everyone's fast pace.

Balam grimaced and kept walking. August looked at his oldest. He knew Balam had a chip in his shoulder about August and didn't seem to like him all that much. Maybe it was because of Jane, maybe he had slighted the child in some way, and August couldn't remember or figure it out. Maybe he was just being a teenager. Fin reached out and waved at the two boys and giggled. The two boys smiled and waved back.

August was certainly glad for Fin, the kid had brought the brothers together and the three of them were never far from each other. Both Nero and Balam watched and played with Fin. They loved him very much. August was glad, his own brothers had loved him like this. Remembering his brothers made his face fall in sadness. August didn't like to think of the way his brothers died and tried to think of the good times only.

When August gave Fin to Nero and Balam to look after, he rushed to find Tasha. He found her in her study tucking pictures in a photo album. He sighed; this was one of the things she did that reminded August that they were very different. Tasha, unlike Jane and him, loved mementos and photographs. Things to remind her of the past. Were Jane and August were only concerned about the future.

"Darling, we need to talk." August said. Tasha looked up from her project and set the materials down. She got up and walked over to him.

"What about sweetie?" She asked wiping dirt from the side of his face. "Fin must have gotten you." She smiled showing her brilliantly white teeth.

"I saw a man, in your cottage today." August started. Also unlike Jane, Tasha had a terrible poker face, so usually it was best to be upfront with her. "I don't want to start a fight, or assume--" August was cut off.

"It's absolutely nothing dear!" She said. August frowned and tried to control what the women of the house deemed: "Uncontrollable anger."

"But Tasha--." He tried again.

"I simply employed him to go on a journey for me." she said. August was taken aback. This was not what he'd been expecting at all. Some of the anger even left him.

"Employed him to go on a journey..." August mumbled. Tasha nodded and began to tell him of her grand plan, and how it had started.

August rubbed his temples, he was getting a headache. This woman drove him mad. He knew he had some strict rules, but they were safety precautions, and all she did was go around them! August tried to argue but it seemed like his little wife had her mind all made up. August grumbled all the way to his study.