{{TRIGGER WARNING :: Suicide talk, S/H scars big emotions}}
xx✯ Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Home xxx✯ Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?My little boy xxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Big talks, sharing secrets xxxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?He gives the best hugs
Aonghus had known this day was coming, knew his son needed to talk out a lot of feelings... yet he'd not brought up the subject either. Because of that, Aonghus felt an immense weight of guilt. Had he just spoken to his son, none of this may have happened. But now, he just had to hope it wasn't too late. Mags had taken Eiluned out to visit her family for the weekend, giving the boys a chance to talk. After Tàmhas explained everything, he was gently hugged once more. His last words proved what Aonghus had most hoped. His son still cared so deeply about life. The tall man gently ruffled the teen's mess of curls, so glad to have him there.
"Weel, a'm happy ye fin' th' guid o' lee. Fur fur a lang time, ye wur mah guid in lee. Ah... A've ne'er tellt ye this, 'n' honestly, ah likelie shuid hae awready, bit thir's something ah haven't tellt ye aboot th' day ah fun ye." He wasn't certain what to say here, how to explain his feelings either. It never had been something Aonghus had been good at. To buy him a second, he reached forward, handing over Tàmhas' mug to him and sipping from his own. When he pulled away, he heard a soft laugh that he had started to worry he may never hear again. Blue eyes looked down in surprise, a soft smile on his lips when he noticed his son grinning. "Ye hae squirty cream 'n' sprinkles in yer moustache, Pa." He said through giggles as the man wiped his face on the sleeve of his favorite flannel.
"Noo, ye wur saying?" Tàmhas sipped his cocoa, a little layer of cream on his own lip. Aonghus pointed it out, then drew in a deep breath to continue his story. "Weel, that mornin'... Hud bin mah final straw. Ah hud tried tae end mah lee afore. Mair than wance, actually. 'n' that day ah juist... Ah didnae waant mah ma tae be th' yin that fun me." He sighed heavily, before noticing sad green eyes looking up at him. At least his son would never feel alone in his emotions. He set down his mug, rotating his hand to show the tattoos up his arm. The teen went to investigate, frowning when he felt the slight raises where the scars interlaced the man's wrists. "Awh, Pa..."
"Ye dinnae hae tae be sorry fur me, Tàmhas. It's fur o' ye that a'm aye aroond. Ah fun ye that mornin'. Gaed tae th' hospital wi' ye 'n' waited a' th' hours ye wur in surgery juist tae mak' sure ye wur okay. 'n' then... Ah cam tae visit ye ilka single day while ye wur in th' nicu. Ah didnae hae a jab at th' time, sae ah wis thare while th' open visit hours." He remembered a bit, adding a soft chuckle. "Thare wis yin day ah wis fifteen or sae minutes late fur mah motor wouldn't stairt... Ah git thare 'n' ye wur throwing a fit. Parntly ye gave me a twa minute grace period, then git positively crabbit that ah dared tae be late tae see ye. Bit 'twas that day that ah knew a'd dae whitevur it teuk tae git ye. 'n' twa weeks efter, a'd gotten a' approved tae adopt. Even th' nurses thare gave me guid reviews. Bit ah wis juist happy tae adopt mah wee buddy." He sent over a smile toward his son, noticing that both had a few tears on their lashes. The shorter boy set his mug back down before pushing into a big hug. A long hug later, and Aonghus heard a soft voice speak up from somewhere near his heart.
"Ah juist dinnae ken whit tae dae tae mak' it a' goh awa..." Aonghus pet the messy hair, then sighed. "Thare ur a few steps we kin tak'. Foremaist, we'll reach oot tae yer schuil nurse. Ah wis tellt she's git braw recommendations fur ways tae curb depression 'n' anxiety. Even if tis a medicine, it'll be a huge hulp nae carrying that weight. Seicont, a'm waantin' ye tae lean oan a' they mukkers that cam tae visit ye. Tàmhas, ye blether tae a' body else in th' damn schuil 'n' ah hae a feeling ony batch o' they wid be willing tae sit 'n' blether wi' ye." He paused when he heard a mumble, pulling back a bit to send a look down toward the boy who seemed to be avoiding his gaze. "Ah dinnae wantae burden a'body whin thay a' hae problems o' thair ain." He sighed softly, before giving the curls a ruffle.
"Ah bet ye ilk 'n' ilka yin o` yer mukkers wid happily listen tae ye. Especially if it means taking some o' th' hurt aff ye. Bit, if ye'r pure that worried... Whit if ye ask thaim if thay hae th' emotional ability fur a blether that day? if nae, ask anither mukker. If aye, then blether it oot. Fur ah kin promise ye that ilka damn body that kens ye wid ower let ye vent yer feelin`s than tae hae tae visit ye in th' hospital again... Or worse. 'n' if ye juist absolutely cannae, then blether tae a professor. A nurse. Ca' me. Maggey git us thae gallus mirror hings. A'm aff tae send yin wi' ye 'n' ye kin reach me ony time. Fur a loue ye. Mair than anythin', tamhas. Ah aye wull."
Another big hug, this one filled with tears from them both. And it was all so true. Aonghus couldn't even bear the thought of losing his other son. Not like this. Never like this.
xx✯ Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Home - Living Room xxx✯ Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Tàmhas, Neddie... and Mags?! xxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Getting Reassurance? xxxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?How did I forget she's in her parrot phase?!
It had been a long several years. Aonghus had been through everything from death to a new life to the painful realization that his son was teetering on the edge. But by his side for all of it... way beyond just these last few years... was Maggey. Even as kids, she was always there. A bit annoying with a weird, squeaky voice, but there nonetheless. When he fell and broke his leg in year four, Maggey asked their teacher to get to ride the ambulance. When he signed up for the Navy, Maggey had been there to wave him off. Hell, even when he'd rescued Tàmhas, she was the first person he told.
After that realization hit, Aonghus realized there was one more big thing to do. So he worked extra hours, saved up every spare pence, and went to the jewelry shop. He only needed one more thing... his son's approval. Aonghus had been wanting to talk to Tàmhas since he came home from school, but the time never seemed right. But today, Mags had gone off to Glasgow for a few errands and Tàmhas was inside entertaining Neddie. Aonghus sighed and set down his hammer, knowing he needed to have this conversation now. He stepped out of the forge and took off his gear. Into the living room, he paused when he noticed a pile of books - both baby and adult - and a bunch of flash cards.
"Weel, ah wis aff tae come oot tae blether, bit whit urr ye weans up tae oot 'ere?" Aonghus carefully plopped onto the floor beside his kids, and Neddie helpfully offered up some knowledge while her brother turned a page in the book he was buried in. "Bubby is tetchin' me spells!" Neddie laughed, scrambling to climb into Pa's lap. He wrapped his arms around her as she handed up a flash card bearing the letter "B". "Ah aye, gey crakin'. Tàmhas, howfur dae ye even ken she's magic? Teaching her spells. She's nae even twa yit!"
That got the brunette's attention. He looked surprised, but laughed. "Teaching her tae spell, Pa. A'm trying tae learn sign leid fur yin o' mah mukkers. He's deaf 'n' he pure struggles wi' th' accent." Ah yes. That seemed like something he would do. Aonghus reached out to ruffle the messy brown curls, a proud smile on his face. There was just no end to the generosity of his kid. Almost like he was raised well or something. "Taking a break? That's nae lik' ye. Whit's up, Pa?" Ah, and smart as a whip too.
"Ye git me. Ah actually wanted tae blether tae ye. See, a've bin daein' some thinking, 'n' mibbie... Mibbie it wid be time tae hae Mags in oor fowk. Officially. Bit ah didnae wantae mak' ony moves wi'oot talking tae ye. Ah figure yer opinion is th' yin ah wanted th' maist." Tàmhas looked up with eyes wide, a bit of surprise on his face. Aonghus worried for a second before his son donned a huge grin. "Mairriage? Urr ye serious, Pa? Ah dinnae think thir's anythin' better! A've seen howfur ye 'n' Maggey keek at ilk ither. Thir's hee haw bit loue thare. Honestly, ah admire ye guys, 'n' ah hawp someday ah kin hae someone tae loue lik' that." Oh man, that made Aonghus' heart sing.
"That day wull come, son. Yer aff tae hae a' th' loue ye deserve. Bit... Ta. Ah pure loue her. Ah even git th' ring. Dae yi'll waant tae see?" Aonghus laughed, while Tàmhas nodded. "Absolutely! 'N' we'll dae a crakin' bridle up. Ony ideas oan that?" Aonghus looked over at his son, stopping when Neddie spoke up. "Pa! Yi'll waant tae mairie mama?" Both the others looked at each other, remembering that the youngest was in a big "repeat everything" phase. Oh boy. "Weel, ah think she'll hae her ain opinions oan a bridle." He handed over the small box with the ring inside, but before the teen could open it, the door opened. Tàmhas quickly shoved the box in his pocket, just before Maggey could notice.
"Hi guys! I'm back early because my other keys were replaced by someone's jingle keys." Maggey laughed as she stepped in, holding the little wooden toy keys that went to Neddie's playset. Maggey paused, seeing all three people looking at her with various amounts of nervousness. "Did... I interrupt something?"
"Reading!" "Spelling!"
"Pa wants tae hae a bridle wiff yoo!"
Well, at least Aonghus and Tàmhas responded the same, with slaps against their foreheads... in unison. "Pa wants to... what?"
xx♚ Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Home Sweet Home xxx♚ Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Aeo, Tàmhas, and Neddie xxxx♚ Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?A Proposal??? xxxxx♚ Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?We make a lovely family
Maggey had been out in Glasgow to run errands. She'd gone to the fancy grocery, the nice mall for some new stuff for Neddie (how was she growing so fast?!), and a few other shops. Arden was lovely, but their options for shopping were rather slim. She had been planning on bringing Neddie, but before leaving, the little redhead was fast asleep. Thankfully Tàmhas offered to hang out outside the forge with some books he'd picked up. He was way more invested in school than she had been, but she'd always been more of a rebel.
When she headed for her last stop, the stables, she realized a little pest of a lass had taken her keys for play. Laughing to herself, Maggey hopped back in her car and drove home instead. Apparently, her arrival had caused confusion. Though... more than that were the words spoken by Eiluned. "Pa wants tae hae a bridle wiff yoo!"
Everyone seemed baffled, but Maggey couldn't believe it was real. Had... had she actually said that Aonghus wanted to marry her? "Pa wants to... what?" Maggey stepped closer, noting the awkward glances between the boys. "Ah weel. Ah... Ah wis planning tae dae this in a mair romantic wey, bit th' lassie is richt. Ah..." It wasn't the first time that Maggey had seen Aonghus nervous, but it was the first time Tàmhas looked a little too giddy about it. "C'moan, Pa. Th' cat's oot o' th' poke noo. Gie her this 'n' gang winch yer lassie."
Tàmhas pulled Neddie into his lap, setting a small box in Aonghus' hand. The teen sent over a smile, though Maggey noticed the little sparkle in his gaze. Aonghus ruffled the brunette's curls as he stood himself over and walked to the blonde. Maggey couldn't help the creeping smile she wore. "Ah suppose ah dinnae hae muckle option tae`, noo dae ah?" He laughed, but smiled when Maggey shook her head. "Not a chance, you're locked in, Aeo." She watched him sink down onto one knee, then took her hand.
"Mags... A've loved ye fur sae mony years noo. Sin we wur weans playing in th' back green, sin we wur teens piercing oor lugs in mah bedroom... Sin we wur juist barely adults competing oan wha wid git master smith foremaist. Hell, sin th' day ah brought ye tae th' hospital tae catch up wi` th' barry wee bairn ah wis aff tae adopt. Thro' a' they years... Tis ainlie bin ye. 'n' Mags, a'd waant hee haw mair than tae spend a' th' rest o' oor years th'gither."
He opened the ring box, showcasing the ring within. "Sae whit dae ye say, Maggey? Wull ye mairie me?" With tears in her eyes, Maggey nodded. "Yes, Aeo. I'd love nothing more." She laughed softly through her tears, watching as Aonghus pushed the ring gently on her hand. He stood and pulled her close, the two sharing a loving kiss.
It was interrupted by the kids clapping and cheering, causing both the adults to laugh as well. "Yay! Mama 'n' Pa ur gannae git merrit 'n' hae a muckle pairtie! It's... oh, whit's it called noo?" Neddie wiggled to her feet, hurrying over to the parents. She was scooped up by Pa as Tàmhas stepped over. "Th' word is wedding, Neddie. They're aff tae hae a bonnie bridle." Aonghus pulled the teen into the hug too, and Maggey wrapped an arm around him as well.