Sorry this took longer than usual to get out but yay! Update!
Happy ready! :)
*Nathan*
I catch her just before her head hits the floor, cradling her precious body close to my own before looking to Doc.
"What happened? Why the fuck did she pass out?" I thunder, immediately regretting it when I see everyone wince and Sean sends a meaningful glance Owen's way before he turns back to me. Shit, the guy looks like someone just ran over his mother's violin, just staring regretfully at our beautiful center who now lies unconscious in my arms.
"Looks to me like a touch of information overload, Nate. I'm actually impressed she held on this long." This long? He expected this to happen? North, as per usual takes issue with her being in any sort of danger.
"What the fuck do you mean this long? You expected her to faint and still allowed for us to dump all of this on her at once? What if she'd gotten fucking hurt?" The veins in his neck are pulsing wildly, and his face is an alarming shade of red, the metal coffee table twisting in response to his anger.
Sean just sighs and motions for him to simmer down, which he does when he sees the warped table. "North, it was possible she would react strongly to learning she isn't human and has nine soulmates, not to mention the whole humans hate us and want to kill us bit. Nothing was going to happen to her when all nine of us were near and able to catch her when she fell." The raging bull runs out of steam then, and I turn to our fearless leader, who has yet to take his eyes from Sang. I call his name and he nods, letting me know I have his attention but that his eyes will not be moving.
I sigh. "Owen, this isn't your fault, like Sean said this would have happened eventually, you were just unlucky enough to be the one talking when it did. Don't beat yourself up."
It's obvious by the stubborn set of his jaw that he's not ready to believe me, not until she opens her eyes again. Shaking my head I smirk at him, unflappable Blackbourne is officially putty in the hands of this peanut of a person.
All of a sudden Gabe starts cackling like a hyena and I see North glare at him. "What, exactly, is so funny about this, fuckhead?" The words are forced out from between clenched teeth and Gabe only laughs harder.
"She... she fucking got through damn near all that information cool as a cucumber. Human hunters, no big deal. Secret society of people with magic powers, please. But the second you tell her we're her soulmates, she faints...fucking priceless." There are tears tracking down his face now, he's laughing so hard and as soon as we comprehend his words, we are too.
In our laughter, no one had noticed Sang's whimper when North had gotten loud, nor had they seen her eyes flutter open, her musical voice catching us all by surprise. "What's so funny? How did I get on the floor?" She asks, brows furrowed as she tries to remember how she got there.
"Well Pookie, darling, our dashing good looks we're just too much to handle and you fell for us quite literally. Not to worry though, valiant sir Nathan there caught you." Sean, the idiot, jokes and her whole face flushes before she seems to remember what really caused her to faint.
"So you guys are really real, wow." After saying that she stills, seemingly realizing I still have her in my arms and she jumps up to stand, receiving chuckles from everyone including myself.
"Miss Sang, I must apologize if that was too much information, it was...not my intention to overwhelm you." Owen says, very uncharacteristic of him to stumble over his words as he just did, and I watch as Sang visibly softens towards him.
Stepping over to him she raises a hand to cradle the side of his face, directing his attention to her. "Oh Owen, in no way was that your fault, sometimes stuff happens that you have no control over. I'm glad really, now I finally have the answers I've spent my whole life searching for, you gave me that so please don't apologize."
Her short speech has us all staring at her in awe, Owen looks like a man seeing the sun after a lifetime in the dark, which is exactly what she is to us, our sun, our shining star, our beautiful center. Clearing his throat he nods, and she steps back, a bright blush on her face when she sees all of us staring at her like starving men look at steak.
"Um...right, well...now that I know you guys aren't stalkers or murderers or anything like that, I think I'll go get the boys." With that, she slips out the front door, and I hear a knock on the next door over, she must've had Mr. Jenkins watch the boys. Smart girl. We all share a laugh at her shy escape, and I wonder not for the first time just how we'd gotten so lucky.
***
*Sang*
I cannot believe I fainted in front of nine guys who could pass for male models.
Not only that, but I'd fainted right after they told me we were soulmates, with an S, as in plural, as in all nine of them plus me. Heaven help me, and I'm not even dreaming, I would know, I checked, and my arm still hurts from how hard I'd pinched myself.
Not able to take the heat, I'd gotten out of the figurative kitchen and ran with my proverbial tail between my legs with an excuse of getting the boys. Wow, way to mix metaphors there, self, I snark at my own thoughts. I'm not mentally equipped to deal with days like this; give me a cranky toddler obsessed with nudity and I've got it, no problem, but the second you ask me to act normal around beautiful men and I run for the hills.
Raising a hand to knock on Mr. Jenkins's door, I smile when I hear the boys shouting. Seconds later the door swings open and I'm met with a sight that never fails to make my heart feel full, my boys smiling at me so wide you'd think I were Santa Claus or something.
"Mommy!" Ollie shouts, right before he face plants in my stomach, knocking the air from my lungs. "I'm so glad you're back, can I go play with my drums now?" I laugh, of course he's only worried about the drums.
"Not yet bud, remember you guys wanted them in other colors than what they had at the store so the instruments will be delivered tomorrow." He pouts a little at that, before his smile comes back full force.
"Then can we have ice cream for dinner instead?" His voice is innocent, but his face is not.
"Not for dinner, but maybe for dessert, we might have company tonight though if that's okay with you guys?" I'm nervous for his answer, because much as I want them to stay, the boys come first, always.
Jamie's quiet voice answers me as we head back to our place, stopping me just outside the door. "Who are those guys? Why did two of them have names from our bedtime stories?" I sigh, knowing it's best to just be honest with them, full disclosure. After all, I'm not going anywhere without my boys, so that means if the nine want me to go with them, so do they, we're kind of a packaged deal.
Looking at Jamie, with his quiet, curious, green gaze I answer. "Lets just say for now that those stories were not as made up as I'd previously believed." His eyes get really big as my meaning seems to sink in and a choking sound from my left draws my attention.
Cameron's eyes are as wide as his brothers, disbelief showing in their brown depths. "You're saying that they're real? That the nine brothers with superpowers are in our apartment right now? Seriously?" When I nod his eyes grow impossibly larger. "Holy crap."
The little man finally catches onto what I've been saying and he gasps in shock, amazement and wonder filling his sea blue eyes. His head whips back and forth from me to the door, black curls flying every which way with the motion before he settles on the latter.
"Superman." He whispers, and not even a second later he's flying into our place and I hear a muffled grunt come from inside. I wonder which one he chose to tackle.
Jamie and Cameron laugh quietly on either side of me, knowing as well as I do that their brother is already well on his way to starting an inquisition.
I ruffle both of their hair, sending their similar brown hair flying, receiving playful groans that only serve to make me smile. They can deny it all they want, and as they get closer to their teen years that happens more and more often, but they love me and my affection. "Come on, let's go save them from our little filterless detective before he embarrasses someone." I say and they laugh as we walk inside.
I know I spoke too soon when I hear the first question. "So you guys are the ones my mommy dreams about, huh?" I hang my head and groan while everyone busts out laughing.
Ooh that little traitor.
***
*Silas*
Aggele mou ran out of here like the furies were after her, leaving us all stunned and amused.
"Looks like we're going to have our hands full with that one, eh Owen?" Sean asks, a sly smile on his face and I laugh when an actual blush seems to fill our stoic leaders face.
Owen coughs to clear his throat and adjusts his tie in an attempt to come back to himself, shooting an icy glare at the doc. "It appears so, Sean. Now, based on her reaction and subsequent escape, I feel it necessary to re-emphasize the need for caution and slow goings with Sang. It is obvious to me that she is unused to and uncomfortable with so much attention, she also flinches at loud noises in the mall and our raised voices when she passed out."
"Are you thinking abuse?" Kota questions, counting quietly on his fingers as if the thought alone stresses him out. I would like to know the answer as well.
Sighing, Owen nods, and I feel my heart clench for my beautiful Aggele, how could anyone harm one as small and perfect as her? From the corner of my eye, I see North's breathing pick up and his fists clench at his sides so I stand to place a hand on his shoulder.
"ηρεμία, αδελφός, είναι ασφαλής τώρα. δεν θα αφήσουμε τίποτε άλλο να συμβεί σε αυτήν (Calm, brother, she is safe now. We won't let anything else happen to her)." I murmur in Greek, waiting for him to nod before I let go.
"What about the boys?" Victor voices another thought I'd had, and I see everyone else is equally curious, can we take them with us? How did she end up with them? Are they Solex as well? How much do they know?
Owen nods, the lack of change in his expression tells me he's already thought of this, of course he did, always one step ahead of us.
"There is no doubt in my mind Sang will refuse to go anywhere without those three, we've already seen how protective she is of them. I will speak with Dr. Roberts and arrange for rooms and tutors for them to acclimate to our world. Seeing as all four of them are basically ghosts to the human government, as well as our own, I'm leaning towards the belief at they are indeed a few of the stolen Solex children." My shoulders relax at this, knowing that if Aggele Mou sees we care for them as well as for her she will be more receptive to and trusting of our presence.
It also makes sense that they would be all together, many "special foster homes" in the human world are fronts for kidnapping such children and using them for nefarious reasons. Often times, the few we were able to recover had been used like servants for most of their lives, usually long turned bitter or depressed by the time they entered our world. They didn't always last very long, finding our society too much, it makes me thankful to see our center smile and laugh as she does, her strength will take her far.
Those three boys have already found a place in my heart beside my Aggele: the little one with his protective ways; the quiet intelligence of the middle one, and, of course the last one likes greek food, so that makes him good in my book. To be honest they remind me of my brothers in many ways.
We're all standing around the room, pondering the new additions to our family when a blur of black hair and blue eyes slams into my leg, and I smile down at the four year old who barely reaches my thigh. Oliver looks up at me with a beaming smile that hits me right in the heart, but it's what he says next that seals the fact that this kid is my new best friend.
"So you guys are the ones my mommy dreams about, huh?" His innocent questions sets us all off and I lift him to rest on my hip between the roaring laughter. "What'd I say?" He giggles, and I hear a groan come from the doorway.
Looking over, I see Aggele Mou hanging her head, but she laughs as well before glancing up and my heart stops when our eyes meet. Her green eyes are sparkling in a way I've never seen before, her happiness lighting her up from the inside out, taking her from beautiful to so breathtaking she rivals Aphrodite herself. But what really gets to me is the way her eyes soften with unconditional love when she sees Ollie giggling in my arms, it makes me think dangerous thought, like how it would be when we have children of our own.
Turning to the little giggler with me I see him smiling, obviously proud to have been the reason we all are laughing. "ανθρωπάκι(little man), your sister might not want you to tell us such things, but now that you have, what did she tell you about the handsome Greek man?" My smile is smug, especially when my brothers groans and Aggele Mou returns to a lovely shade of pink, I wonder how far that travels.
She shakes her head at Ollie, but my new buddy pays her no attention. "In the bedtime story she says you're big and strong, like Superman-" my smile grows, I like where this is heading, and I see the others grow curious of their own descriptions from the eyes of their center. "-and your nice, and you help protect your family, and you have super awesome water power!" He shouts this last part and I decide to have a little fun with him.
"Would you like to see my super awesome water power?" Ollie's eyes grow impossibly large in his face and he nods rapidly, a quick glance shows me the other two looking just as excited. I look to Sang for permission, if she even so much as looks uncertain I won't show them, she knows what is best.
To my relief, she smiles and nods, looking a little excited herself and I puff my chest out in "full male show off mode" as Gabe like to call it, in fact I hear him mutter the words to Sang, making her giggle. Focusing on what I want to do, I close my eyes, more for effect than actual need, and tap into my power. My marking buzzes with the nearness of my center and extra energy fills me as I create a giant whizzing whirlpool of water over everyone's heads, frothing and churning with the spirit of Charybdis, the Greek whirlpool.
The boys watch in awe, Ollie clapping and giggling as I bring down the whirlpool's center to ruffle his hair. "Cool!" He shouts, reaching out to touch the water, laughing when I shape it into a fist to bump his own. I let him toy with it for another minute or two before I send the water back and return everything to how it was.
The other boys run towards me with exclamations of "awesome" and "do it again" while Sang just smiles on adoringly, surprising me when she sends a wink my way as I'm inundated with question after question.Soon enough, they've prodded all of my brothers into showing off their powers.
North bends the table into a mini motorcycle.
Kota calls a hawk to fly in the window to settle on his shoulder, allowing the boys to pet its feathers briefly.
Owen sends the room into icy darkness, covering everything in cold shadows before disappearing within them only reappear a moment later by the window.
Nathan's precognition is a little harder to demonstrate, so he and Luke move the furniture out of the way to spar, him calling out every move Luke makes before it happens. Cameron found that gift particularly intriguing.
Sean makes the whole building shake briefly before growing the flowers on their counter high enough to reach the ceiling, limited Earth ability in an apartment leaves his options limited.
Luke then scares the crud out of the boys when he stomps, showing up directly behind them and grabbing their shoulders playfully, Ollie liked that one and made him do it many times, sort of like advanced peek-a-boo.
Gabriel has a little fun and creates an honest to Zeus tornado in the middle of the living room, receiving a scolding from Sang and loud approval from the boys.
Last, but never least, Victor gets uncharacteristically showy with his gift and forms a massive dragon out of fire over our heads, Jamie was fascinated with it. Once that was put out I see the gears turning in Cameron's head before he looks to Aggele Mou.
"Do you have powers too?" He questions, and I see her pale a little before she seems to realize he isn't upset with her, simply curious.
Taking a deep breath she nods and they all rush back to her, our gifts no longer as cool as their sister having superpowers.
"Which one?" Ollie shouts.
"Do you have more than one?" Jamie asks smartly, obviously sensing she might be different, whether because she's a girl or what I don't know. I'm surprised at how intelligent they are, how quickly they arrived at this conclusion, and I see my brothers are in similar states. Sang shows none of that.
She nods. "Yeah I do, and Jamie Man, I have all of them."
I wonder what that would be like, to have all nine powers, how difficult it would be to control that much energy, no wonder our group is so large. Normally, a center will have one gift, possibly two or three if they have a larger group of connections but even then it's unlikely they show all abilities of their connections. This is just another way in which my Aggele Mou is so special, so right for us, we will help her.
The boys finally lose interest in talk of powers as their bellies start to grumble and my own stomach starts to wake up, but I ignore it, not wanting to leave Aggele for even a moment to get food.
My brothers all feel similarly and she silences our worries before we even really feel them. "Would you all like to stay for dinner, I think it's just going to be pizza because I don't really have the energy to cook." Gabe and Luke light up at the mention of pizza.
"Fu-udge yeah we would! Pizza is the shi-iznit." Gabe's stumbled attempt to clean his language makes us all laugh, until Sang kisses him on the cheek.
"Thank you for censoring yourself, I really appreciate, now come help me order please." Her smile lights him up and he practically struts after her to the kitchen.
"Lucky bastard." North mutters and several of us nod in agreement.
All of a sudden Ollie shouts after his sister. "Don't forget the ice cream, you promised!" Luke grins widely at hearing he's soon to have sugar and North glares at him.
"Don't even think about it Lucian." He growls only to be ignored.
A half hour later we're all sitting around eating pizza and laughing at a movie about superheroes on the screen that the boys picked out, something about the theme of today.
I'm just finishing my fifth slice when Ollie says something that makes me nearly choke on it.
"Mommy, can now be naked time?"
Aggele Mou facepalms and it takes all of two seconds for us all to burst into laughter.
We're lucky guys.