Chapter Text
CRASH! CRACK! BOOM! ((Not me starting this like a comic ✍️😭))
Those were the noises that were played on repeat. The bunny has stirred due to how loud it all was. Magenta eyes had opened only to be greeted to a muscular yet scared up chest. Breathing in, he could smell soap and the natural body order of smoky wood and a hint of something metallic. The metal smell must had became one with Sharp's skin. All he ever wore was that armor after all. It's like he couldn’t wash away the blood and sins of war.
'I should have a meeting with them... Maybe I can start a trade rout..' He thought about his home, not only know for thae traps but known for their herbs and flowers. But his mind rewired itself when it realized it was being held down by a man with great strength. Jude will always be a prey animal at heart no matter how used to he is by the lynx that lays beside him.
Jude layed there confused yet the underlining of being trapped the far greater so then he pushed himself out of the tight grip of the arms. He didn’t appreciate the feeling his own chest to heart was doing. He wanted to soak in this affection, something he has been longing for, his body was obviously craving it. But he couldn't, he had to stay strong and focused. He layed far from the arms that had him latched down, the bed was thankfully big enough for him to do so. His ears twitched towards the door as it cracked open, with much trouble. As if the person was barely strong enough to push it open on their own.
"M-mama.?." it was Spongs! He had woken up most likely due his long nap mixed with the scary noises that were going on outside.
'Right, the storm...' suddenly his heart ached for the child's distress. After all the child too was a bunny. The only one out of the three. Although Jude didn't mean to play a favorite, it was only instinct. Jude wonder if Spongs felt true fear when he met the four small dragon hybrids. He sighed, maybe he needs to find a different playmate for Spongs. Someone that is far more gentle.
"Come, come to mama, amorino.." Jude had shifted up and sat up on the bed, whispering to the frightened child. The blonde child's feet patting the cold floor quickly to his mother side, as it was far from the door. Jude had helped the child up onto the bed. Spongs immediately clung to his mother. The poor thing was shaking like a leaf.
'I should get a carpet in here..' Jude’s thoughts had wondered off again. Before being snapped back due to hushed out crying of Spongs. Spongs was trying to hold in his crying. It made Jude frown, that was one of Sharpness’ teachings. It annoyed the Empress greatly.
"Mama...*hic*" Another crash had came down, making the child grip Jude even harder, more tears slipped from geen eyes. Spongs was digging his face into Jude’s silk nightgown. Jude looked down at his baby rocking him softly back and forth as comfort. Spongs had the same grip as his father that's for sure. Jude was now proud he didn’t bruise easily.
"Solo un po' di tuono ((Just a bit of thunder))," Jude shushing the child gently, "la tempesta passerà ((the storm will pass))." The lighting flashes but luckily it was made dull by the dark curtains of the room.
Jude held Spongs tighter as he shifted out of bed, scared to drop the fragile child. Jude put on his slippers and grabbed a smaller blanket that was folded on the bed's bed bench at the end of it. It was nice and soft as he wrapped it around the shivering body he was holding. The poor child cried into his chest. It was muffled by the fabric, Jude’s eyes looked over to the bed. Seeing that Sharpness was still asleep, 'Thank God.' The bunny thought as he slipped out of the shared bedroom. Making sure to close the room door behind him.
Jude hadn't noticed the man eyes were opened the moment he turned his back. Sharpness truly was a predator that lie and wait. The lynx shifted as he been awake the moment Jude pushed out of his grasp. "..."
A gruff growl came from his chest as he flipped to his back, "Stupid child." Sharp didn’t even know that name of it. All he knew was it was the second one by how big the child was in the bunny's arms. His arm was still stretched to Jude’s side of the bed, the heat of the spot was slowly fading. He scowled at how empty the bed was. That creature had ruined his peace. ((I KNOW HE DID NOT JUST CALL HIS SON AN IT 😭🙌 Sharp bruh))
Down the long hall, "Let's go have a snack, how does that sound?" He said softly to his weeping child that was trying to calm down. "Mmhm.." Spongs seem to agree with the idea as Jude slowly descended the staircase.
Jude smiled and made his way down more of the dimly lit halls. They look dark and haunting, they had no other color besides the Conexion's red and black, carried with some shades of grey. Jude started humming a lullaby he was sang as a child. It seems to help the child as he stopped all his shaking and his cries became less and less. The two made it to the kitchen, the kitchen was grey stone and white quartz. It was so bland but the purple bunny kept that to himself. He couldn’t wait until Godis arrived, perhaps he should have a few other things remodeled.
He placed Spongs on the counter, making sure he was wrapped up properly. Thunder had clapped down to the ground outside. The child let go of Jude begrudgingly, "Stay here okay, I'll be in the aline of sight..." He told his child as the poor thing let go of him fully. Spongs gave a small pout and it was the most cutest thing Jude had ever seen. He could die on the spot but by the cuteness of his own baby this time, a much better way to go in his opinion. Jude lightly squshed Spongs cheeks and it haf made him giggle a little bit. That made him smile, just seeing joy of his child.
Jude eyed the kitchen and what it contained. He grabbed a few things that were put in a huge bowl. "You want to help mommy?" He placed down the bowl on the counter. Jude had a small idea to get Spongs mind off of the thunderstorm that was coming down hard on the Empire.
"I wanna help mama, I'll always help mama!" The child that was now focused on Jude’s hands taking the contents of what was in the bowl out. Spacing the things out in an organized manner so it was easier to see. Maybe Jude was a bit too good at distracting but then again Spongs was in fact a child. A child with a simple mind. Jude was quite covetous over it. Being intelligent does have its faults!
The more brains a person have the less they can truly be ignorant to the the things around them. Although Jude would much rather his situation, being left in the dark was far to embarrassing ((During this time period it is all about having a clean reputation, Sharp really doesn't have a brain...)).
Jude had decided to teach Spongs how to bake a pound cake ((I don't really like cake so I picked the one I don't mind)). The child smiled watching Jude do measurements of things, of the wet and dry ingredients.
"Normally, you'd do this in separate bowls, but luckily we have one big one!" Just started pointing at the dry ingredients that were already out and read to be poured into the the bowl.
"You start with dry and then you can do the cream, eggs and milk, which are considered what?" He looks at Spongs as the child was already putting the dry ingredients into the bowl with lots of excitement of a child getting a new toy. "Wet!" The child exclaimed to his mother who nodded, Jude might as well try to make this an educated learning experience for him.
Jude himself had a memory like this. But it wasn’t with his mother but with a maid. Jude didn't want any of the three to be scared to come to him. Let alone not talk to him, he never had this type of connection. Which is why originally he stayed away from his children in his past life. Yes, he did put Sharpness first but he was scared that he would accidently hurt one of them. Hurting a child wasn't something his conscience could handle. So, like how he was raised, he left it up to maids and butlers, though he made sure to do background check on them.
He stared into the bowl that was now cream and milk were being added... Maybe he did held them in his heart back then. "Mama, how do you do this??" The boy was looking at the four eggs.
Jude took one and tapped it firmly on the side of the bowl and let the insides of the shell fall onto the bowl. Spongs eyes widened with sparkles. Children get amused by the strangest things... The child took and egg and tried to tap it but it didn't work. Jude then did the second egg to show him one more time. The egg in the child's hand remained unbroken and he frowned a bit at how stubborn it was.
"More firm with it, the shell is a protective border.." Jude smiled putting his hands over Spongs and helped him tap the egg and it soon broke into the bowl. No shell fell in, "Now you try on your own." Jude gave the child the last egg.
"Ok... I got this..!" He held the egg and tapped it on the bowl just how Jude had done it and it worked! "MAMA I DID IT!!" The two of them giggled but Jude was trying to hush them down.
"Shh~ great job! Now mix." He handed the child the spoon and Spongs got to work. Jude started buttering the bundt pan. Jude looked over to Spongs, who was still mixing the batter, "No big lumps okay?"
"Okay" the blonde bunny continued his work. Jude didn't think Spongs would enjoy baking. Especially for someone that was decent at pvp. The world was full of surprises Jude had guessed, he wasn't complaining. He found it quite interesting but also super cute.
About 20 minutes later the child had pushed the bowl to his mother. His mother check the batter and it was pretty good, no big lumps or unmixed ingredients ((eggs, I had an experience of mixing cupcake batter and one of the eggs never mixed 🥲 I still don't know how that happened!)). Spongs had done a great job at his task.
"Good, now we pour it in this pan." Jude took the bowl and poured the batter into the pan. "Ooo, this looks so good!" The child wanted to taste it but Jude didn't let him. Jude was tapping the pan on the counter so that any air bubbles in the batter can pop or go to the top.
"It's not safe to eat just yet, we have to bake it now." The purple bunny says gently. The child watched his mother handle the heat and then watched his mother take the dirty things and started to wash them.
~💌~ ((YOU ALREADY KNOW, at this point I am at a water park on vacation lol, so if you see any plot holes and this will be a short writing I apologize!!))
((This is chapter one but from Saparata's pov))
Saparata and Sharpness were standing near a large tree that was near entrance of the inner walls of the empire. Although it was a part that had little to no traffic, besides the help that is outside occasionally. Saparata smiled looking at Sharpness with much admiration ((😒)). Saparata was always mesmerized by the lynx's cold face. Sharpness was always handsome. It was as if he was carved by meticulous hands.
The white haired man was embracing the blonde lynx. Sharpness stiff hand had landed on the waist of Saparata, awkward as ever. "Sharp, I don't know what to do, the temple visits have been decreasing little by little," He let go, once he did pull back he made space between them but it wasn’t much. He was far too close to Sharpness' personal space. Something he should've know was quite disrespectful and could give that wrong idea to anyone that did pass by. Saparata couldn’t help himself, finding comfort in the lynx that is. Perhaps he was so used to physical touch or maybe it was this man himself. His power of hope, healing and comfort were all activated by a touch of his hand. ((Bro is trying to gaslight himself on him cheating...)) Even so that didn't give him a right to do this. To touch something he knows it isn't his. To know that he had someone waiting at home with his children... His children, how could he forget? Suddenly he couldn't help but feel sick to his stomach. Yet his mind drowned them out as he started thinking of Sharpness.
"Sapar—" Saparata took a good look at Sharpness. He never understood him, not once! He hated the way the man before him fought through life. War after war, it was never enough. The blood wasn't enough to satisfy his ego nor is passion for a good fight. Yet he couldn’t stop himself from seducing, it wasn't supposed to go this way... For them to have such a taboo relationship. He was supposed to save Sharpness from the Imperial Empress.
"Sharpness it's not safe here," He wanted to admit that he wasn't pretending his shyness. But it wasn’t safe, who knows when Jude was goings to show up and pick a fight. "We sh—"
"Your not my wife, you don't tell me what to do nor where to be." Sharpness forced Saparata to let go of him. Sharpness had made more space between them. "But.." Saparata was a bit stunned.
'WHAT THE HELL?! HE'S NEVER TURNED DOWN MY ADVENCES..!'thoughts running wild.
"You should be at the temple, correct?" A flat rejection. That's all it was, but why? "Yes, but I thought I could slip in some time with you!" The sweet sugary sound of his voice was not the same. Sharpness knotted his eyes as his face hardened, Sharpness’ lynx ears flicked hearing clicking of shoes and a door closing. Both Saparata and Sharpness turned to look but seen nothing. But when Saparata looked at Sharpness he couldn’t read him properly. He did see the look of recognition. Maybe it was a maid or the adviser. Saparata couldn’t tell for sure all he knows is that Sharpness knew who that person was.
"I have a meeting, best not be late." Sharpness had walked away form the blessed one. Saparata stood in disbelief. Sharpness was right he had to get to the temple. He sighed and went on his way. He had things to do and to plot... Like how he was going to get Sharpness back on his side. But his mind must be focused on the problems of the people of the temple.
"Priest Saparata!" A temple maiden had welcomed Saparata in a hurry. "My apologies for my lateness." Tone sounded apologetic to the shorter lady, who smiled.
"Nonsense! We're aware of how busy you are!" The woman guided him around but Saparata has been here so often that he already knew this place like the back of his hand. Saparata forced a smile at her as she continued to talk. It when into one ear and out the other.
"Less people this time?" He asked, interrupting when they stopped outside of the main shrine. The maiden nodded sadly, "Unfortunately, but news has reached up that more people are going missing.." She put her hand on her face. The look she gave was full of worries.
"Yes, other kingdoms have been having this issue as of late..." Saparata sighed, "It seems it's increasing." The woman agreed with him.
"It's unfortunate, the children too." She turned her body towards him and bowed her head slightly. When she said that his mind went back to his children, happily playing together. Ah! That's right, it's time for him to enter the temple and give a speech. He smiled once more, just as fake as the last. It seems the maiden infront of him hadn't noticed or even realized it. "I must go now, shrines to clean and organize!"
"Have a splendid day ma'am!" Keeping his pleasantries up was a must. 'This is tiring..' His last thought was as she waved him a final goodbye. She disappeared to his left, his dark eyes never left her until she disappeared. Saparata head turned back to the main shrine, he just knew the inside of it was crawling with people. At least with the people that were left. He wondered if Sharpness or even the Empress knew of this growing problem. He walked into the shrine and put on his smile.
[End of scene, end of Chapter 3]