Octavius (WATTYS 2016)

Part two | one | cry me a river

Part 2

The mountains are brighter now, the peaks higher yet even more beautiful. The wind is no longer knives of ice, but are now kisses of air against my skin, through my free and wild hair. I am not alone on the mountain anymore, as he sits beside me, his arms wrapped around my body waist and his lips at my ear, whispering promises I know he will keep. I allow myself to bask in his words, my body a gondola on the river of his speech, floating and dipping under bridges and under lakes and reaching all the covers of the earth solely powered by the three words he repeats over, and over.

I turn to him, and I meet his beautiful iridescent gaze.

"Alessandra..." He whispers, and his voice doesn't break anymore. His eyes don't waver with the memories of the monster. He is steady, grounding me. My rock, my strong hand to grab me tight and make sure I don't float away.

He leans forward to kiss me, his lips reaching closer and closer to mine....

"Alessandra, wake up." I groan as I hear Octavius' whining next to me, accompanied by Xander's wails.

"Ugh, I got him last time." I mumble into the pillow, stuffing it over my head trying to block out the noise and resume my dream.

"No, I did. Sandra, please." He groans, shaking my shoulders.

"Look," I start, sitting up. "You seem pretty awake, Octavius. So go put your son back to sleep."

I glare at him, but my stare wavers as I hear Xander's whimpers. A pang floods my heart and I sigh, getting up from the bed and wrapping a robe around my bare body. Before I leave however, I swat Octavius upside his head, causing him to wince.

"Love you." He groans, throwing his head back onto the pillow.

"Yeah, yeah." I respond incoherently, my bare feet shuffling on the wooden floors as I cross the hall and enter Xander's nursery.

"Hi, baby." I coo, moving towards his crib, where he squirms and screams. I reach down, wrapping my hands around his back, lifting him into my arms. The crying stops almost immediately, his big blue eyes squinting with glee.

"You little trickster." I whisper, and settle down on a rocking chair with him in my arms. He settles into me, lifting his arm up and down against my stomach.

"Now, I hope you realize you interrupted a very nice dream that mommy was having." I scold jokingly, rocking back and forth with soothing rhythm.

"Don't worry, you're always going to be mama's boy." I whisper, placing a kiss against this skin.

He coos in my arms, his little chest moving up and down slower by the moment. He really is a fast sleeper. I gaze down at his sleeping face, the long lashes cloaking the space under his eyes, and think of the eyes underneath his lips, so much like Octavius'. I smile, and begin to hum:

"The moon called down to me

a lonely rogue alone

For the hunter came to see,

To fight for tooth and bone.

But I was much much wiser

Oh you see this is right

For the hunter hit a geyser

And I ran out of sight.

But even this old gunner