forum The Witch and the Werewolf | romance o/o, open

Started December 05, 2022 by @Tired-but-passionate

tune

She focused on the cup for a moment, taking a deep breath and concentrating. The cup began to stir and brew on its own, so she was free to watch him. For a moment it was difficult to see what he made, but she soon recognized the little slices of bread and melted cheese. She sighed, blinked a few times from sleepiness, and turned back to the tea. Once it had brewed for long enough, she took the tea bag and squeezed it gingerly, since it was hot from the water, before adding a little sugar. She blew over the steaming top, then gingerly brought it to her lips.
Glancing up, she saw the man clean his plate. It was here that any semblance of fear about him dissipated. The way he went about it wasn’t slow, but still meticulous and controlled. She liked that. She sipped her tea, keeping her ears open for any sounds coming from Joel. With her super hearing, she could hear him shift a little in his crib, but that was all. She spared one last glance at the werewolf, then turned and drank the rest of her cup. Unlike the werewolf, she had only enough energy to set the cup in the sink, deciding to clean it the next day. She turned the lights off, then went back to her room and kissed her baby’s head before slipping into her bed. Sleep came over her quickly.

Unfortunately, her sleep was restless. Victoria woke up with a strange feeling in her head, and her vision seemed to swim slightly as she looked around or turned her head. Where was she? Everything seemed… unfamiliar. Lightheadedness. That’s what she was feeling, she realized. A slow dread rose within her as she looked over at Joel’s crib. Something felt off. That was… her baby, right? She knew it was Joel, she knew it was, and yet that dread wouldn’t go away. That dread that told her it was someone else, some sort of replacement or changeling.
She looked away from the crib and covered her face with her hands. No. She knew what this was. It had happened before. The doctor said it was postpartum depression, right? Combined with dissociation, maybe. Victoria took a deep breath. And another. She just focused on that, still in bed, trying to orient herself. She was home. Joel was in his crib, still asleep. Everything is alright.
She took her hands away and slowly got up. She went into her bathroom and splashed cold water on her face, and then she felt more present. The world felt more real. Or at least, she had become numb. She wasn’t sure. She tied her hair up in a messy bun, then went to get her baby carrier wrap. Joel would probably wake up soon, and he would be hungry. For now though, she needed him with her, on her back. Sometimes he was the only reason she kept going. She went over to the crib and looked over at him. Suddenly, she was shaking, overcome with the urge to cry. Why? Why was this happening? It was only morning, nothing terrible had happened, not yet. He was just so small and peaceful. She focused her breathing again, and thankfully the feeling became more controlled. She picked Joel up, and adjusted him in the carrier on her back. He was warm and limp, a bit of drool dripping from his mouth. Victoria stood still to ground herself, to get used to the pressure and warmth on her back.
She went into the kitchen. She needed to eat something. She found herself staring at the stove, her mind blanked. There was the stove. What was she doing? Right, food. Slowly, as though still unsure of what she was doing, she retrieved a small pan and placed it on the stove before spraying it with butter. She took out two eggs, cracked them and poured their contents into a small cup, then mixed it with a fork. The familiarity of the recipe allowed her to focus on what she was doing, and soon she had a decent plate of scrambled eggs. She took in the soft smell and sat down to eat, moving Joel to her front so she could relax against the chair. She hadn’t noticed the man across the window just yet.

As Finn finished his breakfast, he watched carefully out the window to the woman across. He walked over to the sink and began washing his dishes. He finished, and decided to start getting ready for the day. His twin niece and nephew were coming over today, and he had to be ready. The two were 10, and polar opposites. His nephew Robin was a bratty little troublemaker, but his sister Ruby was the sweetest little angel Finn had ever met. She could commit murder and he would let her get away with it.
He got out some clothes and showered, thinking about his plans for the day and such. When he got out, he brushed his hair and teeth, and put on shoes. He had to go to the store and stock up on food, because his fridge looked like that of a broke college student, which he had just gotten done being.

He came back and waited for his sister Luanne to drop of the twins. When the got there they watched movies, played board games, played out back and had fun. But alas, it was time to take a break and feed them lunch. He put two pots of water to boil. When they reached a rolling boil, He put some hot dogs in one and macoroni noodles in the other. He made the food, plated it, and put it on the table for the kids. While he was washing the cooking dishes, he looked across again, and saw the woman.

Victoria ate slowly, and soon she felt much better than before. Having food in her body often helped with her mood and mental state. Just when she finished eating, Joel woke up and started crying. Victoria smiled and petted his head. “Ohh, good morning, my little prince. Don’t worry, I know you’re hungry.” She adjusted herself in her seat, unbuttoned her shirt, and began to breastfeed the child. It was then that she noticed the man across the window. It wasn’t often that people were able to see her breastfeed, and she found herself a little embarrassed. Oh well. It’s not like it really mattered anyway.
When her son had his fill, she got up and readied herself for the day as well. She only had enough energy for a short bath before she could clothe herself and brush her hair. Besides, she had to have enough energy to gently bathe Joel as well. She dried him off and took a short break, just resting in a chair with Joel napping against her. Then, she carefully laid him down and went to tidy up the house, directing the bed to make itself and the the dishes to wash and be put away on their own. Her dear friend Charlie was coming to visit, so everything must look nice.
Soon the house was clean, and Charlie arrived with food. Though Charlie didn’t have any children herself, she was rather experienced with infants and young children alike, and so helped Victoria take care of Joel whenever she could. It was especially appreciated considering Victoria’s postpartum depression made tending to Joel difficult for her. After chatting a bit and getting Joel to burp, the two friends decided to eat together. They went to the kitchen, and Victoria looked over to see the man across the window again. Noticing her staring, Charlie came beside her. “What is it?” She asked, looking where her friend was looking.