SEEKING 7 | boys of tommen

p l a n

She was actually back. My princess was back and better. After everything we'd been through, after all the long nights in that hospital, seeing her lying beside me, healthy, felt surreal. We had spent hours in her new bed, just the two of us. Eventually, exhaustion took over, and we fell asleep, undisturbed, since her room was at the far end of the hallway, tucked away with John and Edel's.

When we woke up, it was already 9 p.m. The house was quiet, everyone tucked away in their own rooms, probably winding down from the day. But we didn't move. We stayed in bed, tangled up in each other, like the lazy shits we were, content just being close.

We lay under her blanket, her head resting comfortably on my chest while my arm wrapped around her protectively. The soft glow from the TV lit up the room, The Nightmare Before Christmas playing in the background, a familiar comfort. As her fingers absentmindedly traced patterns on my chest, I gently drew circles on her arm, savoring the quiet moment.

I let the silence linger for a bit longer before speaking, trying to sound casual but knowing it would get a reaction. "Did I tell you that Brian got Cherub pregnant?" I said, as nonchalantly as possible, keeping my eyes on the TV as if I hadn't just dropped a bombshell.

She looked up at me, her face a mixture of disbelief and amusement before she burst out laughing. "No way! Are you serious?"

I nodded, trying to keep a straight face but failing miserably. "Yeah, the little fuckers. Six kittens soon."

"Six?" she gasped, her eyes widening in shock. "Are you kidding?"

"And that's not even the best part," I continued, smirking. "He got the neighbor's cat pregnant too."

Aurora practically doubled over in laughter, clutching her stomach. "Oh my God! Brian's really out there, huh? Such a player!"

I grinned, happy to hear her laugh like that. It was a sound I hadn't realized I'd missed so much until I heard it again. The way her face lit up, the way her body shook as she tried to catch her breath—it was moments like these that reminded me why I never gave up on her, even when things were at their worst.

"Yeah, he's a real charmer," I said with a chuckle, shaking my head. "I should've seen it coming. Every time I turned around, he was slinking off with some new cat."

Aurora giggled, resting her head back on my chest, her laughter slowly subsiding. "I can't believe I missed all the drama with the cats. Six kittens...that's going to be chaos."

"Tell me about it," I sighed. "I'm basically going to be running a kitten daycare soon."

"Jesus, you're pregnant with Johnny's, and Cherub's pregnant with Brian's... who's next?" she chuckled, shaking her head at the absurdity of it all.

I laughed along with her, my chest vibrating beneath her cheek. "At this rate, we're gonna need a whole nursery for both the babies and the kittens."

Before I could say anything else, an idea popped into my head, something that made me grin instantly. I shifted slightly, trying not to give too much away too soon. "Hey, are you busy tomorrow?"

She tilted her head up to look at me, one eyebrow raised in curiosity. "Edel said we were going shopping tomorrow, but that's it. Why?" Her eyes narrowed slightly, suspicious but playful.

"I'm gonna need you back by five." I couldn't help the smile tugging at my lips as I watched her reaction.

"Dare I ask why?" she said, her tone dripping with curiosity as she sat up a little, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed at me, waiting for an explanation.

I shook my head, still grinning like an idiot. "Best if you don't, princess."

She gave me a look, half amused and half annoyed, like she knew I was planning something but wasn't sure if she wanted to dig deeper or let it slide. "You're not going to give me any clues, are you?" she asked, her voice a mix of mock exasperation and excitement.

I shrugged, trying to look innocent but failing miserably. "Where's the fun in that? You'll see when the time comes."

Her lips curled into a smirk as she playfully poked me in the ribs. "You know I hate surprises."

I chuckled, catching her hand before she could poke me again. "I know, but trust me, you're gonna love this one."

She rolled her eyes, but I could see the spark of curiosity burning behind them. "Fine, I'll play along. But if this ends up being something ridiculous, like a surprise cat wedding or a Brian appreciation ceremony, you owe me big time."

I couldn't help but laugh at the image of Brian in a tiny tuxedo, standing next to Cherub with a little veil. "I promise, no cat weddings. Just be ready by seven."

Aurora smiled, shaking her head in disbelief. "Alright, fine. But you better not make me regret this."

"You won't," I assured her, kissing her forehead softly.

She settled back down, her head resting on my chest once more, and I could feel her relax into me, her fingers lightly tracing along my arm as she let the subject drop for now. But I knew the gears in her head were turning, trying to figure out what I had planned.

"I know you're scheming in there," I teased, tapping her gently on the head.

"Can you blame me? I've spent weeks in a hospital with nothing to do but think. My detective skills are at their peak right now," she quipped, her voice muffled against my chest.

I grinned. "Well, Sherlock, you're not solving this case until tomorrow."

She sighed dramatically. "Fine, I'll wait. But I'm not happy about it."

I chuckled again, feeling that warmth in my chest spread as she snuggled closer. "You'll survive. And like I said, you'll love it."

"Yeah, yeah," she mumbled, her hand finding mine under the blanket. "I guess I'll have to trust you...for now."

We fell back into comfortable silence, the movie still playing in the background, but my mind was already on tomorrow. This was going to be perfect.