☔ Raeda Oneshots 🌟

Aberration

Raine smiled at the scene laid out in front of them; their collection of children, step-children, and, of course, their wife, all at the hill of snapdragons. Playing, eating, celebrating, relaxing—it seemed the perfect scene. They quietly registered that not everything was so perfect, there was an uncertain feeling sinking its talons into the back of their mind, but they tried to put those thoughts away and relish this time with their family.

All too soon, however, their unease became a reality as disgustingly familiar moss-colored sludge began to weave through their fingers and seep into the fibers of their clothes. They didn’t move, mentally subjected to their fate as the many figures around them seemed to ignore their internal panic. They felt themself receding from their surroundings as the green mass enclosed their neck, their mouth, their nose, their lungs. They couldn’t breathe, there has to be something, ANYTHING—HELP.

They woke with a gasp, welcoming the oxygen into their lungs as they quickly rolled to face the ceiling with wide eyes. Breaths came in short gasps, their pupils blown wide as they tried to see in the dark, they could feel the adrenaline burning as they tried to process the aftereffects of the panic.

A rustle of covers and a warm hand slipping into theirs instantly helped ground their racing thoughts, “You okay?” a gravelly and wonderfully familiar voice asked. They turned their head to meet Eda’s mismatched gaze, tapping their forehead against hers as their eyes closed and they let out a relieved sigh.

“I am now,” they murmured, rolling to face their wife as they cupped her face with their free hand, stroking her cheekbone with their thumb, relishing in their autonomy. 

Eda hummed sweetly, “Bad dream, I guess?” She inquired, Raine nodded.

“It started good, all of our family was there and having a pleasant time, but it turned bad after a bit,” they left it there for a moment as Eda kissed their brow, “I’ve never dreamed so vividly about suffocating .” They groused. 

Eda’s own brow furrowed as she listened to her spouse, “We’ve all been doing so well the past few days,” she said, “I wonder why you’re dreaming about that now of all times...”

They both stayed silent for a few minutes, listening to each other's heartbeats, just taking a moment together.

The peace was disturbed as Raine felt something brush against the back of their neck, they would have jumped if their brain wasn’t so slow in fatigue. The momentary fear was dispelled when Eda giggled, “I think I know the culprit of your dream ‘Storm.”

They felt another brush against their ear as they sat up to peer behind them, expression softening as they saw who was there.

“Oh goodness Fiddlesticks,” Raine visibly relaxed as they laid eyes on their palisman, her tail twitching and flicking as she was having dreams of her own, “You are a problem child, you know that?” They asked her, a paw twitched in response as the fox slumbered away, bushy tail almost whacking them in the face once more. 

Raine settled once more, rolling their eyes with a smile as Eda grinned at them, “To be fair, having your face buried in Fiddle’s fur is genuinely suffocating,” She remarked.

Raine snickered, now completely at ease, “I’m so glad she doesn’t have to hide anymore, but I had forgotten her penchant for getting into trouble.”

Eda smiled fondly, “We were pretty chaotic kids when we first carved her, she must’ve inherited it from her parents.”

Raine grinned, tucking themselves under Eda’s chin as they made to drift off once more, “I guess she did,” they mumbled into her collarbone, “Goodnight, Calamity.”

Eda gently ran her hand through their hair, settling her arm on their waist as she closed her eyes, “Sleep tight, Rainestorm.”

See https://archiveofourown.org/works/53830741 for notes on this story...