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Post by Diana Ward on Nov 16, 2016 1:12:18 GMT -5
Her eyes widened when he mentioned food, and she blushed prettily out of guilt and embarrassment. She was eating like a teenage boy, it was a surprise they had any food left in the house.
She kissed him, "I have a wonderful husband."
It had grown on her to think of him in that way.
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Post by Christian Ward on Nov 16, 2016 1:36:58 GMT -5
Christian too was beginning to feel accustomed to thinking of Diana as his wife, though he generally only called her such in a taunting way. It was a gesture of affection at least, and he saw the way Diana's eyes lit up when he called her 'wife' which encouraged the behavior.
"It will pass," he teased cynically as he pulled on a pair of jeans and headed downstairs to make her something to eat. He was astonished by the amount of food she was able to put away and on a few occasions he wondered if it was healthy, but as ignorant as Christian had been to the clues of her pregnancy earlier, he was not stupid enough to speak to a pregnant woman about her eating habits.
As Christian worked over the stove his mind drifted back to their logistics problems. They had come to an impasse, or so Diana thought, with finding any more information on the two remaining board members. Christian was saving Copperbottom for last and knew if he divulged the man's location Diana would want him taken care of immediately. It was the worst possible outcome Christian could predict. But even at their stagnant position, Christian wondered if they shouldn't be making some sort of plans regarding the Life Bond and the new Baby Ward.
"I think we should tell Burke about the Life Bond. It's going to get us in trouble and having him in the dark while on the team isn't smart."
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Post by Diana Ward on Nov 16, 2016 1:44:03 GMT -5
"He's in the dark about a few things." she said, insinuating that she agreed with being more forthcoming to Derek.
As she did most mornings she began on coffee and tea while he cooked, then got the newspaper and used the gemino charm to give them each their own. For all their resistance, they had melted into a married couple without either of them paying much mind to it.
They moved well with each other, as if they knew where the other would step and could anticipate each move, it was almost like a dance and only they knew the steps. It took years to learn that kind of efficiency, but it came natural to them.
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Post by Christian Ward on Nov 16, 2016 2:09:30 GMT -5
He set a plate in front of Diana and sat across from her. He wasn't hungry this morning. "Are you wanting to spill all the beans?" he asked a little apprehensively.
To Christian's knowledge, Derek didn't know of Diana's pregnancy. He also was unaware of Christian's connection to Alyx. Christian suddenly realized her was married with two children. It was a mildly depressing thought, seeing as how only a few months ago he was a bachelor with a line of loose women at his door.
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Post by Diana Ward on Nov 16, 2016 2:23:26 GMT -5
"I don't know." she replied just as apprehensively. Unlike Christian she tore into the food he had cooked with gusto.
She instinctively liked to keep things secret, as if Christian didn't already know that.
"I don't want to put any more information on him than is necessary, the less people that know right now, the better. But at the same time he's a part of this team and he has a right to know what our motives are going forward. He won't understand if I'm not running point, and that could cause problems."
Then she did something new, something she had only recently been putting an effort into.
She asked Christian what he thought.
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Post by Christian Ward on Nov 16, 2016 2:50:30 GMT -5
Christian laughed incredulously at her question but after a moment he realized she wasn't joking. She was actually seeking his opinion without him forcing it upon her. "F*ck, you're serious? Merlin, those hormones of yours..."
"Life Bond, obviously. It's too dangerous to go in blind. He's already questioned me about my motives in helping you get to Alyx. I nearly told him the other night, but he was being such an unbearable tosser that I thought better of it."
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Post by Diana Ward on Nov 16, 2016 3:15:41 GMT -5
Diana's brow furrowed in confusion mirroring his expression when he was surprised she was serious. It wasn't that Diana didn't like to share, although no she didn't, it was that she was so accustomed to being on her own and running the show that there had never been someone else to consult about the plans she made.
Asking for Christian's opinion was more a matter of becoming used to his presence, rather than breaking down yet another trust barrier.
She nodded, "Then we'll tell him."
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Post by Christian Ward on Nov 16, 2016 3:29:19 GMT -5
"Unless he's being a twit, which in all likelihood..." Christian mostly only feigned his dislike of Derek these days. But it was easy to revert back to a distrusting, loathing sort of relationship anytime Derek got smart or was too nosy; particularly about Christian's interest in Diana. The last thing Christian needed was for Burke to discover that Christian was the hit wizard hired to kill Diana. The idiot wouldn't understand the complex nature of the contract between Christian and Copperbottom or the power Christian held over Diana's safety with it.
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Post by Diana Ward on Nov 16, 2016 3:38:54 GMT -5
Diana rolled her eyes, "In light of how wonderful this food is I'm going to overlook that." she said sighing.
She leaned back content, then she yawned and looked at Christian guiltily. She usually became sleepy again after eating, but tried to push the feeling away.
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Post by Christian Ward on Nov 16, 2016 4:10:55 GMT -5
"One of these days you'll stay awake long enough to clean up after a meal. That is what you pregnant wives are supposed to do, is it not?" Christian gave a cheeky grin and levitated the dishes from the table to the sink, then set them to wash themselves.
"Go on, I've got things to do without you pestering me." It was his round about way of telling her she didn't need to fight the nap that the baby was insisting on. He felt bad that he had yelled at her so often about her irregular sleeping patterns before he knew she was pregnant but then he became irritated that she had kept it from him for so long and his guilt faded.
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Post by Diana Ward on Nov 16, 2016 11:13:18 GMT -5
"No, I'm fine." she insisted with another yawn. It had been a point of contention between them, and though she knew it was because he didn't know she was pregnant, she still felt slightly guilty whenever she wanted to sleep.
She watched him use magic for the dishes, and thought that she could get a start on some laundry for them.
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Post by Christian Ward on Nov 16, 2016 12:37:57 GMT -5
She was being stubborn again and Christian knew if he yelled she would only dig her heels further into the ground and then they'd both be suffering as she refused to sleep and became cranky and emotional. He tried an alternative approach.
"It's fine, Diana. I'll wake you before Hanley arrives."
He found patience was a virtue which he rarely possessed, particularly in his social life. In her current condition, and potentially just in their everyday life as a couple, Diana needed him to learn to be more patient with her. He needed her to learn how to follow directions before making him yell, but they didn't quite see eye to eye on that point.
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Post by Diana Ward on Nov 16, 2016 16:50:00 GMT -5
Mostly because she didn't enjoy the idea of 'following directions'. Christian had an autocratic way about him. He ordered rather than asked. He demanded rather than suggested. And when his orders weren't followed he lost his temper or yelled. Diana did need patience from him, but she also needed him to stop treating her like a child, it only made her want to act like one.
"Dammit Christian, I'm an adult I can go to bed when I want and stay awake when I want." she said digging her heels in.
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Post by Christian Ward on Nov 16, 2016 22:04:43 GMT -5
"Stop being stubborn and go lie down," he said firmly, raising his voice. She was being stubborn when he was trying to be supportive and it irritated him to no end. Of course now that he'd yelled, he was certain she wouldn't listen. He prepared himself for the impending argument, wondering what valuable item she would break in her fury this time.
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Post by Diana Ward on Nov 16, 2016 22:59:59 GMT -5
Her demeanor changed instantly. She sighed, "You're right." she said surprisingly acquiescent with no hint of stubbornness.
"Wake me when Hanley gets here." she said trailing off toward the stairs and disappearing. She even shut the door gently.
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Post by Christian Ward on Nov 17, 2016 0:38:01 GMT -5
Christian stared after her, completely confused at what had occurred. No pregnancy hormones could account for Diana giving in like that. There was no screaming, no crying, no storming off in a huff, and no throwing antique family heirlooms. "What the bloody hell just happened?" he asked himself.
It was several moments before it all started to click. Christian had ordered her to go to bed and she did. And at breakfast the other day she stopped talking after he snapped at her to shut up. Hell, she even made it well worth his while on the cruise ship when he ordered her to make up for what his vow of monogamy had taken away from him.
Was Diana's wedding vow to obey really in effect?
There were just as many examples of her disobeying, the most obvious being when Christian had tried to test her vow and asked her to remove her shirt, to which he was met with a snappy retort. Maybe there was some trick to getting it to work. His eyes narrowed in thought and he strummed his fingers on the breakfast table.
Some while later Christian went upstairs and woke Diana. "Hanley should be here soon."
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Post by Diana Ward on Nov 17, 2016 1:17:29 GMT -5
Diana thought about her gentle behavior earlier and chalked it up to hormones, but she paid attention to it all of five minutes before she was dead to the world.
She was just shuffling herself when Christian woke her. She opened her eyes and gave him a dopey content grin.
"Mmmnokay." she said on a stretch much like a cat. She rolled over then to her back and pulled him down beside her, "Lay with me for a bit."
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Post by Christian Ward on Nov 17, 2016 2:01:46 GMT -5
He laid next to her for a moment before deciding to see if he could figure out how her vow worked. "You should clean up before the doctor arrives," he tried.
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Post by Diana Ward on Nov 17, 2016 2:48:19 GMT -5
She frowned. Was he referring to housework or getting dressed in something other than pajamas. Either way Diana was opposed.
"I'm comfy." she replied snuggling against him.
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Post by Christian Ward on Nov 17, 2016 3:14:35 GMT -5
Christian frowned as he held her. Maybe he needed to be clearer with the phrasing. He thought for a while longer.
"You should get dressed," he tried, eyeing her for a response.
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