If You Ever Find Yourself Lost In The Dark & You Can't See, I'll Be The Light To Guide You (Azalea)

"Just Lieutenant now." Jacques gently corrected the witch. "We're Lieutenant Cadet when we're in training, but since I've done my pass out parade, it's no longer cadet." He didn't blame Azalea for not knowing, she didn't have anyone close in the army apart from himself, so it made sense she would make a mistake.

"A small agenda." He confided in her, about to offer to take her across to America again when the water jets flew out of the tap much quicker than Azalea had been expecting. She's jumped in the process, sending the spray up and over his face in the process. To say he was more than a little wet would have been an understatement as he let out a laugh, pulling at his sodden army shirt. The apology that followed simply made the boy wave it away, simply moving to pull the shirt off from his chest. He used the already damp garment to wipe his face clear of the water droplets, still laughing a little.

"Don't stress, it's only a little water. It'll dry." He reminded her, not bothered in the slightest as he rung out the shirt in the sink and then turned to try to find somewhere to hang the garment to dry out.

"But I was going to say, we can go to America any time. We don't need the army for that."

"I'm sure Kiran understands she isn't dating.... Just anyone,"

Jacques hummed gently at that notion, not completely committing himself to answering that directly. It was obvious Azalea felt it from her own personal life, too, and he put a hand gently on her back to comfort her. "I don't think Kiranjeet can understand the family. And... it's really not her fault. I keep my home life and her separate, so it's inevitable that she can't understand it." He let out a small sigh, dropping the subject there in favour of listening to Azalea speak about her children.

"Hufflepuff? Elenore was sorted in to Hufflepuff, too!" Jacques replied, though from what he knew of Ivan, it suited the boy much more than it had ever suited Elenore. The Frenchman couldn't help but smile at the fact Ivan had taken to the library, everyone at the Palace had noted how much time the young boy had spent in their library when they'd been visiting in the summer, so it fit the image in Jacques' head perfectly. The news that Ivan was being bullied -- even though Azalea had been careful not to use that word -- made him grimace. "Don't worry, in time he'll find his feet. He's only just in to his second month at the school. These things can take time."

Of course, Jacques had never had such issues, but he knew people who had.

They moved through to Azalea's room, and a shirt came flying at Jacques after a second which he caught simply from mid-air, holding it up, Jacques looked at it for a second before looking back to Azalea. "I... hate to break it to you, but I don't think this will fit me. Especially the arms..." He explained, folding it back up and passing it to Azalea. "Do you have anything else?"

"I can't wait for Adrienne to get here." Jacques agreed, letting out a small laugh. "Hogwarts is not going to know what's hit them with her around. She's great fun." He commented, moving to sit on the bed as Azalea looked for another shirt. "Do you have an idea for what house she might go in to?" He asked, not knowing the young witch enough to give a rounded guess, but from the little he did know, he would have put her in Gryffindor.

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~ Clement Heir ~ 24 ~ Athletic ~ 5'11" ~ French Accent ~

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The brunette tucked away the information of his rank safely in the recesses of her mind. He was clearly proud of what he had achieved and by virtue of wanting him to be happy, Azalea was proud of the Frenchmen too. She also hoped he knew that without her expressly stating so.

The pride didn't exactly vanish, but it melted away as he spoke of his girlfriend, helping Azalea with the cleanup. Despite him being very generous with Kiranjeet's actions and taking the blame for them himself, the witch was aware of signs of a fraying, of nerves or relationship, she could not say. But it was certainly putting more stress on the Clement Heir than he deserved or let on. Azalea found herself wondering as they walked to her room if anyone actually thought of Jacques' well being. She supposed his parents must. But if they were unaware of his girlfriend then... And as much as Mimosa adored the young man, she was not to be burdened with concerns for others.

"You know... if you ever want to talk about things. Kiranjeet, or the palace, or the army, or anything really, I'm a halfway decent listener," she offered gently as she knelt down to look for a suitable shirt. the young witch turned her head to look at him sitting on her bed, her warm dark brown eyes sincere as she made the offer. "I promise, I keep secrets really well," she added, trying to soften the offer a little. The way she saw it, she was uniquely aware of his family so she might at least be able to provide some comfort without him compromising any information he could not give her otherwise.

Talk turned to the children then, with him explaining that Hufflepuff was also his sister's former house. "Oh yes, I've been following her on Instagram, i think she recently moved right? She posted a picture of herself sitting at a gorgeous piano the other day." Azalea was always inspired by both the Clement children who never seem to just sit and enjoy their privilege. Jacques she had known for longer and had always seen him working one way or the other and his sister seem to want to opt for a profession as well.

"I don't know," the witch replied honestly to the question of where Adrienne might end up. "She is definitely intelligent enough for Ravenclaw and gutsy enough for Gryffindor so i would wager between those too." Of course, Adrienne was loyal and ambitious as well but those two qualities of hers stood out the most. "I certainly cant wait for her to get here either because it would mean no more trips back and forth between here and Surrey. I might actually get some peace then," she laughed.

Reaching the bottom of the drawer, she frowned. "Sorry, i think that moose jaw shirt is the biggest i have. I just keep some of Jake's old stuff around to..." She trailed off, slightly embarrassed at admitting she still needed the comfort of her boyfriend outside his presence. "I can call for one of the elves to dry your shirt if needed," she fussed, getting back up and reaching for the discarded Moose Jaw T shirt. Walking behind a small screen, Azalea stripped off her own currently wet hoodie and t shirt and slipped into the one that had been too small for Jacques. the witch stepped out from behind the screen with the t shirt being tugged down her hips and her burnt sienna hair tousled from the change.

Gesturing to her bed, she spoke again. "This is the only sleeping place I have. But you're welcome to it. I probably wont get any sleep now anyway so i can hang out on the couch," she offered, knowing her hospitality left a lot to be desired.

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If You Ever Find Yourself Lost In The Dark & You Can't See, I'll Be The Light To Guide You (Azalea) - Page 3 Rsz_gr10

If You Ever Find Yourself Lost In The Dark & You Can't See, I'll Be The Light To Guide You (Azalea) - Page 3 Rsz_az10

If You Ever Find Yourself Lost In The Dark & You Can't See, I'll Be The Light To Guide You (Azalea) - Page 3 Rsz_li10

The offer to talk that came from Azalea made Jacques consider it for a moment. Azalea had been to the Palace, a step more than Kiranjeet had. But just attending the Palace didn't mean you understood the life that he and his family led.

But at least Azalea knew a little.

For a second, Jacques considered letting it go. A curiosity for an outsider's opinion had only grown as he deliberated though. Thinking over his plan to discuss, the Frenchman took another couple of moments to think before he started slowly. "Sometimes, I wish I could have a normal relationship with people." Jacques stated simply, still thinking it through. "Not necessarily just romantically, but friends too. Like, you and Jake for example. You're both clearly in love with one another, and you make your world's revolve around one another.

"Like how you've taken on his children as if they were your own, because you see them as an extension of him." Jacques explained, clearly quite envious of the position Azalea found herself in. "You guys are apart during the week, but... As far as I am aware, you're making it work."

Jacques paused as he thought about how to phrase his next sentence.

"With me... There isn't the simplicity of just falling in love with someone." He explained. "For my Maman and Papa to agree to it, the girl in question would have to be from a Pureblood family. The girl would have to be able to hold herself in high society whilst making it look effortless. But she'd also have to embody what we all see as a true Lady Clement. What is that? It's not something people can just learn.

"The criteria is high. But there's never going to be a guarantee that I'd even like this person." Jacques explained. "We put our House before ourselves. It's how I know that Kiranjeet is just... Temporary, in a sense. I love her with all of my heart, but we both know that my family would never accept her.

"I suppose that's why things are getting more difficult as of late. Kiranjeet is finally coming to understand that what we have is not going to be forever." Jacques concluded. "I don't know what to do to make it better, either."

The question of Elenore made Jacques raise an eyebrow. "I... Can't say that I have seen anything recently. With the army, I got a little bit distracted. Can I see the post?" The Frenchman asked, curious to see where Elenore might have gone. It certainly hadn't been where everyone had wanted her to go.

"What houses were you and Jake in?" Jacques asked. "At your school, I mean." He added, wondering if Adrienne was going to be following in any of their footsteps with the options Azalea had mentioned.

As Azalea moved behind the screen to change, Jacques averted his eyes from that area of the room to give her more privacy. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine." Jacques assured her as she fussed over nothing at all. Catching Azalea stepping back in to the room out of the corner of his eye, Jacques' attention returned to the Assistant Headmistress, his eyes following her hands as they tugged at the shirt that barely covered her hips...

He looked away once more, focusing on the bed cover instead.

"Oh, no, I wouldn't want to kick you out of your bed!" Jacques insisted. He certainly didn't want any special treatment. "I can take the sofa? Or... Well, if it's not rude of me to suggest. We can both stay here. Unless, you say no, or think Jake would like, I don't want to upset him, he seems a good guy."

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~ Clement Heir ~ 24 ~ Athletic ~ 5'11" ~ French Accent ~

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When the French heir didn't immediately take her up on the offer to talk, Azalea didn't push, instead disappearing behind the screen to change and offer him some time to think. Experience had taught her that the best kind of persuasion was one where a person persuaded themselves to do or not do something. In Jacques' case, whatever his thought process was, the man began to speak, expressing his wish for normal relationships.

Like, you and Jake for example. You're both clearly in love with one another, and you make your world's revolve around one another.

A familiar shiver tickled her spine at the word that was treated almost as a taboo in their home. As she emerged from the screen however, she doubted there would be any sign of it, until he used the word again. This time, the brunette tried to hide the slight flinch by sitting down on the bed, pulling her legs under her to try and get more coverage from a t shirt clearly not meant for it.

"Normal is such a relative term," she finally spoke when he was done. "You think what Jake and I have is relatively normal... But you'd be surprised how many years it took to get here. And there are still challenges," she admitted hesitantly, wondering if she too should confide in him when he had been brave enough to confide in her. "Jake's mother... she's great. But she certainly thinks he and the children can do better. And she puts up a good case for it, even if non verbally."

His misery over Kiranjeet was palpable. How the Quidditch star couldn't see her boyfriend's agony was beyond Azalea. Though she would never admit it to Jacques for fear of sounding like she supported one side over the other, the witch was in a unique position to understand how difficult it was for Jacques Clement to give his time to anyone. And if Kiranjeet was not ready to understand that she could never have all of him... Then perhaps it was better for the relationship to come to an end, no matter how much it might hurt the Frenchman.

But instead of saying all that, she simply moved to his side of the bed, coming to rest beside him and reaching out to wrap an arm around his shoulders. Or she would have if his bare torso wasn't significantly broader than her reach. Perhaps understanding what she was trying to do, Jacques instead reached out to wrap an arm around her as she cuddled him comfortingly.

"I'm far from an expert when it comes to giving romantic advice," she confessed, her head resting against his chest. "But - and I don't know i this helps - I didn't make myself care for the children, or Jake's family. I've just always thought of Victoria as my little sister, ever since we met when i was a teenager. I always wanted to protect her. Same with the children. I think... maybe when it's meant to be... You don't have to put in so much effort. It comes naturally. I would never say Kiranjeet is unjustified in what she thinks but... I've seen people just naturally fit into their partners lives when they care for them. No matter how difficult it looks to the outside world. It's not a very "modern" thought but in my experience, there is little room for "i" in a genuine bond, whether it be with a friend, a romantic partner or any other relationship."

And Kiranjeet seemed to be demanding a lot of "I"s and "Me"s from the relationship, the Assistant Headmistress left unsaid. Instead, she opted for a more positive take on the issue. "Your mom is a spectacular Lady Clement, and your dad is pretty nuts about her. I haven't even met her more than once and I can tell because I've seen His Lordship. I don't even know what to call it, he just... Seems to exude his feelings for her in all he does. So if he was able to find a Lady Clement he cherishes so much, what's to say you wont?"

At the question of what House she and Jake had been in, Azalea let out a soft laugh, feeling it reverberate slightly through his chest. "Jake was in Belladonna, your very typical jock. Quidditch Captain, Head Boy, a bit of a flirt. I was the awkward Nightshade, spending more time in the Greenhouses than anywhere else. Victoria was the brains of the family, she immediately landed in Wormwood."

"I can take the sofa? Or... Well, if it's not rude of me to suggest. We can both stay here. Unless, you say no, or think Jake would like."

"What on earth could we possibly do on a bed that Jake wouldn't like?" Azalea raised an amused eyebrow before smuggling into him once more. He felt warm and safe, and when this close, he made her nightmares seem like a distant memory. "But like I said earlier, I won't be able to sleep again, especially now that you've taken my potion-" she tapped one of the quadrants of his chest playfully to show she was joking. "But you're free to sleep. I'll watch over you and make sure no monsters get you," she teased slightly.

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The explanation that what Jake and Azalea had wasn't considered to be normal was something Jacques couldn't get his head around. They were together willingly, it was quite clear they adored one another, and their little family dynamic was more than enviable. But as the witch went on to explain that Jake's mother didn't like her very much, the man couldn't help but frown.

"Why would she think that?" He asked, confusion clear in his tone as he looked to the witch for an answer to that. In Jacques' knowledge, there wasn't any reason that Azalea wouldn't be welcomed in to a home.

With Azalea coming over to him, and her arm reaching to comfort, Jacques moved to put his arm around her instead, drawing her close for the comfort that they both needed in that moment. Her explanation that followed about how she had just fit in to Jake's life without making any fuss made sense. But, it was absolutely not how Kiranjeet and he worked. They were finding it hard to fit together, which made the end somewhat inevitable, if he was truthful.

The question of why he wouldn't be able to find a Lady Clement like his father had made Jacques smile wryly.

"I think, quite honestly, trying to emulate what my parents have is futile." Jacques admitted gently, though he didn't really want to concede to that if he was quite honest. "You see, Maman was brought to the Palace when she was only a week old. They were betrothed from that date. They grew up knowing that they were going to be together, and I think that's what's given them such an advantage. For me, that isn't something that is possible. I mean... the only option we have is Mimosa, and I have no intention of marrying her. You know, she's a lovely kid, I love her with all of my heart. But, she's a kid, I looked after her when she was tiny, and she's a sister to me."

The explanation of which houses they'd been in made Jacques smile. "So, he really is the typical jock, huh? Ends up an Auror on top of all that." He commented lightly, letting out a small laugh to show he didn't mean anything bad by those words.

"What on earth could we possibly do on a bed that Jake wouldn't like?"

"Nothing!" Jacques replied all too quickly. "I just don't want to upset the guy, I know some guys get a little particular about what their girlfriends, or wives, or whatever do with other men." The tap to his chest made the man smile, shifting back on the bed and laying down with Azalea beside him.

After getting comfortable, Jacques looked up to the ceiling, not quite tired enough yet.

"Do you think you and Jake will get married?" He asked gently, he'd always been curious of their intentions, but knew that not everyone was interested in marriage.

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~ Clement Heir ~ 24 ~ Athletic ~ 5'11" ~ French Accent ~

Thanks to .V0ldiemort @ TDA for my signature!

"Why would she think that?"

Azalea considered his question for a moment, wondering how to best phrase the answer now that she had opened the forbidden can of worms. Because despite how close she was to Victoria and how intimate her relationship with Jake was, the Newbury matriarch was never up for discussion. Azalea wasn't sure if the siblings had noticed Alexis's cool behavior towards her, but neither had ever brought it up. And perhaps it was best left that way.

"It's a bit of a long story," she confessed, looking down to the bedspread. She felt the Frenchman squeeze her gently in encouragement, denoting he had the time to listen. Taking a deep breath, Azalea began.

"My dad... is a wonderful person. In many ways, he was a better parent than most. He believed in children having freedom, autonomy, he never talked down to me or made rules without explaining them. You know, the kind of stuff most kids would give an arm for. But he also believed in a lot of honesty and transparency... so much so that he would be honest with someone who may not exactly be ready for it." Unknowingly, the witch drew even closer to Jacques, huddling into him as she continued.

"Dad told me how he found me when I was... really young, and really not ready to hear it. He told me he found me abandoned on a park bench in Alabama, at their azalea festival, ironically. He went on to explain how it was the best thing to happen to him but... I was a kid. The only part I could hang on to was that someone had left me, that someone didn't want me enough to keep me around. As an adult, you get a better perspective of decisions other adults make, selfish decisions, difficult decisions. I don't know now what my biological parents were thinking when they left me. But as a child, all i could think of was how I had done something wrong... maybe I wasn't as good as other children who didn't get left. Maybe there was something fundamentally wrong with me... That made people unable to care for me."

The witch shuddered slightly at the ideas that used to dominate her mindset as a teenager. The darkness and loneliness she had been forced to hide to create some semblance of normalcy. The unshakable belief that no one could ever want or need her that still sometimes reared its ugly head simply due to habit alone. "It's one of the reasons, a really big reason actually, why Jake and I never insisted on telling Mimosa the truth. Because as hard as it is for us, her not knowing, we would never, ever want her to even for a second think that she was unwanted. I will lie to my child a thousand and one times if it meant keeping her safe and happy and so would Jake.

"But as you can imagine, my teenage years were colored by the fact that I wasn't wanted by anyone. That was what i told you earlier, about wishing someone needed me as much as Joshua seems to. If this had happened back then, i would have probably seen him as my savior rather than someone trying to force me into things against my will," she shook her head, dryly amused at the Murray heir's timing. "When Jake and I met - and I use that word very loosely - it was very casual. We weren't looking for a relationship. We were just looking to... let off steam. Think typical American teenagers. But something happened. He didn't say the words but suddenly i felt... needed." As her memories had returned, in bits and pieces, it was the feelings that had returned the strongest. Even today, Azalea may not remember the exact incidents, who had said what, but she remembered what it felt like to be held by Jake, what it meant for him to whisper that he needed her, how elated it felt when he showed her beyond doubt how desperately he needed her.

"Things got serious after that. we finished school and moved in together. Jake was playing Quidditch professionally and i was teaching. I was also working on my own experiments. Everyone looked at us as if we were such a sure thing. I thought we were too but then... I guess I got overwhelmed. I'd never actually felt like I was good enough for him. He could do so much better. Then I received a medical report that told me I couldn't ever be a mom. I didn't even know i wanted to be one until I was told I didn't have the option. It just sort of proved to me I was too broken for him. So one day... while he was gone... I wrote a note," As she spoke, her voice quivered, revealing the last days of what she and Jake used to be. "I thought he could do better, i was too overwhelmed. I knew he would never leave me despite how broken I was. So I left. I left and... i didn't see him again until over a decade later."

Perhaps Jacques knew Mimosa was born in captivity, perhaps not. Azalea didn't really want to go into one of the darkest chapters of her life. "Unbeknownst to me, i was expecting Mimosa when I left. I was gone for a long time. Mimosa managed to escape but I ended up with Joshua for almost a decade. I can't imagine the pain I must have put Jake through... And that is why his mother can never fully trust me again. And I don't blame her," she added with more conviction then she felt.

"If anyone hurt my children, i doubt i would ever be able to forgive them, no matter how sorry they were and no matter how much they did to atone. So I guess Alexis is a great mom. I admire her for it and completely understand her reservations about me. She has to think of her own kids before anyone else. If I had a proper mom... I'd like to think she would think of me first too." The American witch reached to wipe a stray tear from the corner of her eye. She didn't know when it had slipped out but it had at some point during the story.

When Jacques spoke next, it was her turn to listen to him recount his parents relationship. It seemed very weird to Azalea, being betrothed since you were born. But Ivan had mentioned it a common practice among the Clement dynasty should a family female be available. Listening to him gave her time to pull herself together as she stayed snuggled into his warm embrace.

"Yeah, lets not talk about Mimosa in the context of marriage with anyone, at all, ever" she made a face at the idea. "And if you think that's an extreme view, you should hear Jake's opinion on it. He very seriously suggested putting Nikolai Kessler in detention for the entire year so the boy would only be allowed out for classes and Quidditch." She smiled softly as the memory returned to her of Jake seriously pitching ideas to keep the new Head Boy out of his new Head Dorms. "Luckily Nikolai is a bit of a nerd, so Mimosa is perfectly safe with him. He's more interested in books than girls." It was the only assurance that had made Jake calm down about the shared dorms situation.

When Jacques laid down, Azalea followed suit. However, while the Clement heir found his resting position on his back, Azalea turned her slender frame around, instead resting on her stomach, her legs raised and crossed behind her as she contemplated his tired but not quite sleepy features. Casually, she reached out to trace a random pattern on the muscles of her arms using her index finger, watching the skin underneath ripple and rest from the slight provocation. She definitely didn't remember him being this ripped. But then again, she hand's seen him this closely since their ill fated trip to the US almost two years ago.

"Do you think you and Jake will get married?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly. If his question had included a "right now" she would have responded with the standard answer of there being no time presently. But he had asked more generally. "I mean, its no secret that he's the only one I would want to spend the rest of my life with. Him, and our kids, and our family, we're pretty good where we are despite all the crazy schedules. A piece of paper wouldn't change any of that." She paused, wondering if Jake ever thought about these things. Azalea had never really considered getting married, but that was because she had long convinced herself she wasn't meant for such a normal life. "I guess I just always assumed no one would want to marry me, as an extension of that whole childhood trauma thing. But... Joshua saw me as a bride... so maybe one day, Jake might think so too? We're in no rush, obviously."

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The story that came from Azalea had Jacques listening intently. At no point did the Frenchman interject with a question, or his thoughts on the story, he would simply nod every now and then to show he was listening to her story quite intently. His view on the witch changed throughout the conversation. He'd known of the story, but he hadn't realised how much it had affected Azalea's childhood and even adult years.

Had Jacques Clement not been so fiercely loyal of his father, he may well have loathed the man for the hurt he'd inflicted upon the witch beside him.

"I can understand your mother in law." Jacques replied carefully once Azalea was finished explaining the whole story. "I'm not saying she is right, because you'd be a great daughter in law to have from everything I know about you. But I can guarantee that my Maman would react in a very similar manner if it was me. Mothers can be very protective of their sons." The small smile on his lips showed he knew this to be true, and that he didn't really mind.

"But, I honestly didn't realise everything you had gone through in your life. I'm really sorry you have had to go through all that. Kit... perhaps didn't say the right thing when you were younger. The truth could have waited until you were older. But the honesty... I guess it's admirable in a way, but you've got to be so careful.

"The way you and Jake had decided not to tell Mimosa the truth. I can't imagine the pain it most cause you both... but if it helps her to avoid any pain... I think that is a good thing, in the end." Jacques tried to console the witch, giving her a friendly squeeze to show how much he appreciated. "We've worked so hard to keep her safe... summer being a major blip... I'd like to keep her safe for as long as I can."

The comment of Jake's view on Mimosa getting married brought a soft laugh from Jacques. "Believe me, I feel quite the same about both Mimosa and Elenore. The longer we can keep them both safe from the world, the happier I'll be. Marriage, for them both, is a very distant thought, and definitely not something we need to worry about now. Though, I'll take note of Mr Kessler, and make sure he's not doing anything untoward when I'm around."

The soft circles that traced his bicep was lulling, but the Frenchman was still listening as Azalea mentioned how she thought she and Jake could get married. In time. Once Jake asked. "Should I give him a subtle hint when I see him next?" Jacques asked, letting out a soft laugh which showed he wouldn't really do that to Azalea. It was not his place to interfere in their relationship. "You guys do make a great couple though."

Jacques hand moved up to stifle the yawn that came to his lips. "I'm sorry. Tiring night." He apologised once it had gone. Azalea's fingers still traced his bicep, not helping to fight the feeling of sleepiness. "If I fall asleep mid sentence, I really am sorry." He admitted, clearly not too used to sharing a room with people and thinking this was something you had to apologise for.

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Though the witch didn't voice it, she truly appreciated being able to tell her side of the story uninterrupted. Jacques did the best thing he could have done in that moment. he listened silently and without judgement. It had been a while, if ever, since she had told an outsider in such great detail hat she had gone through growing up and she was somehow glad it had been with the Frenchman now. His comporting presence, the gentle squeeze here and there to encourage her and give her heart, it was probably the best thing for her in that moment.

As he quietly agreed to understanding Alexis, Azalea nodded. Should a girl or boy ever break any of her childrens' hearts, she would be similarly cautious. "I know i messed up by leaving. And all I can do now is try to atone without any expectation of forgiveness. but I'm alright with that." And it was the truth, the spark of selfishness that was so natural to most people didn't exist in easily. Her first thoughts had always been for others and now all her primary focus was reserved for the children, all four of them.

"The way you and Jake had decided not to tell Mimosa the truth. I can't imagine the pain it most cause you both..."

The brunette nodded softly, moving closer to him until she was safely tucked into his side. Jacques arm moved naturally to secure her in place. "It doesn't matter," she confirmed with resigned determination. "It it saves Mimosa even an iota of pain, we would do it over and over again. We made our choices a long time ago." She paused a beat before adding. "But you'v helped us in so many ways, you've made it far less painful than it has to be by letting us be around our daughter. I know Jake would probably feel some difficulty saying this so I'll say it for the both of us. We owe you a great deal for allowing us to be a part of Mimosa's life, in whatever capacity acceptable to her."

Talk of Mimosa and Elenore carried them through the next fifteen minutes, in which it was becoming clear how drowsy the Clement heir really was. When he preemptively apologized for falling asleep, Azalea merely laughed.

"Well, I am trying the same trick I do with the kids," she confessed sightly, continuing to stroke his skin with light, barely there touches. "I'm surprised you lasted this long." The answer that met her confession was barely coherent, as were the following sentences while the witch continued her soft ministrations until, in what seemed like no time at all, the arm holding her to him relaxed and Jacques Clement's breathing became slow and even.

His eyes closed to the world as Azalea settled next to him, determined to keep watch while he slept, hoping he would get the rest he deserved here. the rest that wasn't present in his tumultuous relationship with his girlfriend.

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» And I find it kinda funny, I find it kinda sad (Jake)
» Tu Hai Meri Azalea (Azalea)
» Light Up the Sky (Bro)
» At the speed of light (Bryant)
» Are You Lost? (OPEN)