Chapter Text
Cassandra let her head rest on her hands as she watched Varian running around the garden, shouting instructions to the four little girls who laughed and chased him. Cassandra didn’t quite understand the rules of the game, but she’d picked out that it was called element hunt, and that it was a firm favorite with the girls who called him uncle.
“Why do you look at Uncle Varian like that?” Cass jumped and looked down at the small girl who’d come up beside her, she’d only been back in Corona for a week, but it wasn’t the first time Willow had managed to take her by surprise, the child seemed able to move without making a sound.
“I uh…” Cassandra hesitated she glanced across the table to Rapunzel, who hid a smirk and looked away as if suddenly extremely interested in the flowers on the bush beside her.
“I’m not looking at him in any way in particular, I just have the sun in my eyes.” Cassandra said.
“Mummy says it’s not good to lie.” Willow said with her hands on her hips before turning and running back to join her sisters.
Cassandra heard the slight squeak of Rapunzel next to her. She turned and looked at her friend as she lifted her teacup to her mouth hiding her smirk behind it.
“It’s not fair to set your kids on me, I’m outnumbered.”
“I haven’t said anything to the girls, but you know... If it’s obvious to a six-year-old… though you still haven’t told me what happened between you and Varian after the masquerade.”
“Nothing much.” Cassandra said trying to stop her lips quirking up at the corners, she raised her own cup up to her lips, trying to avoid the Cheshire grin that threatened to spread across her face.
“That nothing much left a rather large hickey on your neck.”
“Bug bite.”
“Liar.”
“I prefer discrete.”
“There is nothing discreet about the looks the two of you share.”
Cassandra looked across at where Varian was now making large purple bubbles fly up into the air and land on the ground, the girls poking at them trying to make them burst. This was another side to him; one she hadn’t entirely expected. She hadn’t expected the masked stranger with his intense words and kisses to also have this boyish chuckle, this easiness.
“Okay, I admit it.” Cassandra said.
“Oh!” Rapunzel said leaning across the table. “What exactly are you admitting to?”
Cassandra felt her cheeks grow slightly red at the question.
“I knew it!” Rapunzel said with a laugh throwing herself backwards.
Cassandra didn’t answer. After a moment the smile on Rapunzel’s face faded slightly.
“So uh… what next?”
Cass watched now as Varian picked up the youngest of the girls flinging her onto his shoulders as the toddler squealed and giggled.
“I don’t know.” She said.
“But you like him.”
“I do.” She said looking away. “Do we have to do this? You know I don’t like the emotional stuff.”
“Just one more question.”
“One more.”
“Are you a thing?”
Cassandra gave a slight smile, it had only been a week, but they had seen each other almost every day.
“Yes, we’re a …thing.”
Rapunzel let out a squeal.
“I knew it! I saw it straight away! Ah this is so exciting.”
“Raps, quiet down.”
Varian had looked across at them confused. When he met Cass’s eyes, he gave a wide smile, and she noticed that his front teeth were still slightly too large, for some reason it just made him seem more perfect to her. He started walking over. His cheeks were red, his eyes shining with laughter as he gave a dramatic groan and dropped to the floor by her feet. He laid there smiling up at her, then he reached a hand up to her.
“Save me, oh mighty warrior. Only you can win against the four monsters of Corona. OUFF!”
As he talked Arriana had flung herself across his stomach giggling as he rolled over pushing her off him, Hettie was upon him seconds later.
“Come on girls.” Rapunzel said. “Let Varian breathe.”
“Auntie Cass has to play with us.” Hettie said. “She has to chase the monsters away.”
Cassandra hesitated; she knew she wasn’t good with kids. She just didn’t have the playfulness, it had never been in her nature.
“You know.” Varian said with a little wink at Cass. “Your aunt Cass is the best warrior on the planet, I’m sure she could teach you how to be fierce warriors.”
“Um…”
“I mean, weren’t you telling me the other day the most important thing is warm up exercises?”
Cassandra gave him a soft smile, she may not be good at games, but warm up exercises, she could do that in her sleep.
“That’s right.”
“YES!” Arianna shouted excitedly. “Make me a warrior Aunt Cassie!”
“Okay.” Cass said getting up. “Let’s start with a jog round the gardens.”
She reached down for Varian’s hand, helping him up to his feet.
“Want to race us?”
“Need to catch my breath for a bit.” He said with a smile.
“You just know that we’d win.”
“Is that a challenge?” Varian said with a smirk.
Cassandra winked at him as she turned and started to run.