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The empty horn that had once possessed a deadly purple liquid sat abandoned beside her, her attention completely devoted to the noiseless babe in her arms.
Crystal eyes glossy and unblinking, rosebud shaped lips still and tinted a deadly violet shade and his unblemished skin tainted with haunting caerulean undertones.
She wasn't quite sure how long herself and Niklaus had been sat like this, staring down at the lifeless child that laid so naturally between her arms.
After her son had been announced dead, a stillborn babe, Esther had stiffly left the room with a distraught Rebekah in tow, yearning Rebekah to give the couple some much needed privacy.
Parenthood had so suddenly slipped between their fingers, quickly coming to an end before it had even officially started.
Blinking away the unshed tears that so dangerously threatened to fall, Astrid's gaze shifted to Niklaus', her lower lip trembling as she urged her words to leave her lips.
However, to no avail, she was silent, her vocal cords knotted helplessly. All she could do was meet her husband's heartbroken gaze.
Tears stained his cheeks, his arm wrapped securely around her shoulders, her back resting against his firm chest.
"He's beautiful." Nik's words were hoarse as he pulled Astrid closer.
She didn't resist, melting into his embrace. All the cruel words that Nik had spat at her were temporarily forgotten, she just needed comfort, and at that moment, she didn't care if that made her a weak woman or not.
Managing to force her vocal cords to comply, Astrid licked her dry lips. "He is. I wanted to call him Ivar."
Sniffling, Astrid's grip tightened on the babe, as if she was afraid he was going to suddenly slip between her arms and evaporate into the thin air.
"I-Ivar sounds perfect." Nik's voice was quiet, tears streaming down his face as he reached out, running his index finger delicately across Ivar's icy cheek.
Not even the furs wrapped around him could keep Ivar warm, he was cold and lifeless beneath Nik's fingertips.
"My Ivar, my son- our son." He commented quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.
The noisy sob that threatened was desperately trying to claw itself out of her throat was released, her head lulling forwards as her body trembled with each cry.
If Niklaus was surprised by her sudden outburst, he didn't show it.
With a calmness she appreciated, Niklaus fingers reluctantly moved from the newborn as he held her tighter, pressing a delicate kiss to the sharp blade of her shoulder.
"I know, my love, I know." His breath tickled her neck.
But no words left her lips, all she could do was communicate through gut wrenching wails as her head suddenly tilted back to rest on his chest.
