Norminah One- Shots

Star-crossed Love I

How can a fate as beautiful as true love be doomed from the beginning?

How can two people be soulmates, but share a forbidden love?

How can one be happy with life when only hopelessness, tragedy and heartbreak follows them?
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Artemis had just finished telling the four kids another one of her infamous stories. But this time she had a fifth pair of ears listening from the doorway so she may have switched some details and told an altered version. She hates lying to her kids so with some particular stories she always told them the truth unless she absolutely had no choice. It wasn't lying per se, is what she told herself.

"Alright kiddies.. time for bed. Your uncles, aunts and cousins will be here tomorrow and you need to be full of energy so you can get on their nerves."

It was the beginning of summer break and her brothers were arriving tomorrow with their significant others and kids. This was something they did every summer and this year it was her turn to host the family.

"What? Why? It's just ten o'clock mom. Can't we stay up a little longer?"

"No. Go to sleep."

"Shits not fair."

"When I take your game away it won't be fair then too huh?"

She looks over at her middle child and watches as he sulks, his other siblings silently waiting for a reaction.

"Well can you at least tell us the story of the greatest adventure tomorrow when the others get here? They've never heard it before."

The girls give her matching puppy dog eyes and pouts, Artemis can't seem to vocalize the word no so she gives a nervous smile before nodding her head. It was the first story she told Aries as a baby and the other three had overheard her and instantly fell in love with the story.

"Mom.. why do you switch certain parts of your stories sometimes?"

Venus notices how her heart is pounding furiously in her chest as a rush of hot nerves hit her. She knows these emotions aren't her own and watches as Artemis stutters over her words for a second before a warm rush of calmness wash over her and the other woman finally produces a full sentence.

"Um.. I.. uh.. I'm not sure, I guess I just like to switch it up sometimes."

She gives her daughter a sheepish shrug and Gemini accepts the answer, but two pair of eyes don't miss the way their mom glances towards Venus and sighs in relief before turning back to them. Artemis is shortly joined by said woman as they place kisses on four foreheads before trailing out of the room. The two girls chose to sleep in the room with their brothers tonight.

The two women trail down the stairs and find themselves in the kitchen. Artemis sits on the counter drinking a bottle of water while Venus stands across from her with her back leaning against the island.

"I didn't know that story had another version. I've only ever heard the same one."

Artemis knew this conversation was coming, she just didn't expect it to happen right away. She was able to control her nerves and keep a neutral face. Sometimes she could control her emotions around Venus and she knew it irritated the other woman, but Venus blocked her out at times so it was only fair.

"Hm.. well maybe one day you'll hear it."

"Why don't you tell me now."

"The stories are for the kids, not you. The other version is slightly different, there's not much of a change."