Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It is a common thing with WISE agents, the inability to sleep soundly. What they go through, what they see, can sometimes be too much for them to deal with - even after years of intense training. And Twilight was no different. Sometimes his missions bested him. He saw many disturbing things but some of them stuck with him. On this chilly night, his mind wouldn’t stop reminding him of the events of a previous cover.

He had spent weeks seducing a woman thought to be working for a terrorist organisation. He worked around her schedule, trying to find out anything and everything he could. After three weeks of slow updates, WISE had sent in another undercover agent as they wanted things to happen faster.

The mission turned for the worse. It ended with the woman losing her life, Twilight holding her in his arms as she cried in pain as she bled out. He could remember the feeling of her tears mixing with her blood as he held her head into his shoulder. He could feel the shaking of her body as the realisation of her coming death hit her. He could still taste the smoke that was in the air.

It wasn’t that he had an attachment to the woman, he would never allow such a thing. It was that it felt too familiar. A loss of control. A preventable loss of a life. He had been granted three days of rest after that, an apology from his handler, “I should never have let them encroach on your mission Twilight. Rest up, we need you back soon.”

The scene of her death, her final words, the smell of smoke mixing with the smell of concrete, blood and salty tears. It was too much for the man to handle that night. He had spent at least three hours trying to remove the image from his mind. But it seemed that this night would be one unallowing him to sleep. So he got up. He threw on a warmer night shirt and slid his feet into his beige slippers. He slipped out of his room, ensuring that he made no noise - not even a simple click from the door closing.

The man navigated the halls of his residence in the dark, not wanting to turn on the lights in case he woke up Yor or Anya. They would both worry that something had happened, and Loid really didn’t want to make up an excuse as to why he was still awake. Once he had reached the kitchen, he switched on one of the small wall lights that only emitted a small sense of light. It was enough for him to safely navigate his way around to make a cup of coffee. If he wasn’t going to sleep, he would need some caffeine to help him through the rest of the night and the next day.

“Loid?” he jumped, spinning around, spilling coffee grounds across the kitchen counter. He silently cursed himself out, for both spilling coffee everywhere and for jumping. A spy should never be weak enough to be caught off guard. Especially in their own home. One should be prepared for anything. “Is everything okay?” the worried voice speaks again. He finally tore his eyes from the mess and met Yor’s striking red eyes, creased with slight worry.

“Yor? I am so sorry for waking you up. I thought that I was quiet on my way to the kitchen.” Loid replies apologetically. It seemed he really was in need of a refresher in stealth and agility. He would have to report this to Handler when he was next called in. Whenever she decided that would be, of course. With Operation Strix being so huge, his handler wanted to prevent any suspicion so would rarely ask the man to reach out to update her.

“You didn’t, don’t worry Loid. I couldn’t sleep so I decided to get some water. I see you had a similar thought?” Yor gestured to the coffee. He let out a small sigh.

“Yes. I think tonight will be a restless one. I thought that I could catch up on some work to not waste the extra time that I will be awake.” He said, turning back to clean the spill. He finally boiled some water while he was there. “Here you go, Yor.” Loid passed the woman a tall glass with some fresh tap water.

“Thank you Loid! Would you like some company while you work? I wouldn’t want you to be alone a tonight if you are in need of some company,” Yor offered. A kind smile ever present on her face. Twilight thanked her but shook his head, rambling about patient confidentiality and not wanting to make her tired for her next day at work.

“If you say so Loid. You know where to find me if you change your mind.” And with that, she walked away silently, glass of water in hand. Loid smiled. How had he been so lucky to get the kindest woman alive to agree to be his fake wife?

For the rest of the night, Loid Forger sat at the dining table with patient records spread everywhere writing notes upon notes in each case file. It was necessary for his cover that he stayed on top of the admin for his job as a “feelings doctor” as Anya put it. He got up three more times for coffee that night, being cautious to not make any more mess or noise.

Once Anya had woken up in the morning, all of the case files were placed in a neat pile on the floor next to his seat, laid with the intent to be moved back to his room where they would remain away from potential prying eyes.

After Anya had been fed her breakfast of crepes and fresh fruit, Loid walked back to his room to drop off the patient files. They were placed on his bed, and he walked out of the room backwards. As he took a step back to close the door, he felt his body come into contact with another. A small “Eek” could be heard from Yor, who was too exhausted to have noticed Loid’s presence. A small blush dusted her face, realising how compromising the situation would seem from an outside eye.

“I am so sorry, Yor! Are you alright? I didn’t hurt you did I?” Loid asked, turning around in worry, eyes scanning over his wife to ensure that she had not been hurt from his bumping into her.

“I'm okay, Loid. Sorry. I didn’t mean to bump into you. I guess I haven’t woken up enough yet.” Yor said, exhaustion present in every word. Loid’s expression stayed worried. Had he kept her awake with the light? Was he too loud when he got up for coffee?

“I can make you a coffee if you would like Yor. With two sugars and cream. And I can get you some breakfast too. It’ll be about fifteen minutes if you want some time to freshen up a bit more?” Loid asked, his voice betraying him slightly. There was a sense of both apologeticness and worry. He couldn’t help it. Yor was always so collected around him. Well, most of the time. He had never seen her quite like this though. Yor graciously accepted the offer and went to take a shower whilst Loid prepared her breakfast.

He was placing the last berries onto her plate when Yor walked out of her bedroom in her favourite red dress, looking more awake despite the bags under her eyes. “Thank you, Loid. I am very sorry for walking into you earlier. I didn’t sleep very well last night.” Yor said as she sat at the table, “But not because of you. I didn’t hear anything from my room. I just have a lot on my mind, with work. But I am okay.”

Loid nodded in understanding. Yor always worked so hard at the city hall, sometimes not even making it home in time for dinner. He was glad that he wasn’t the cause of her exhaustion though. But he did save the information in a small part of his brain. He didn’t want her to overwork herself. He made a mental note to take on a few more chores around the house, like the laundry.

From there, the Forger family entered a comfortable silence. Anya made her way to the bus stop with Bond, Loid drank yet another coffee before having to make his way to the hospital, and Yor had called in sick from work, choosing instead to stay to do some housework and rest. If Loid had returned early and found her sleeping on the couch, television showing Berlint in Love on a low volume, he said nothing.

Chapter Text

It was a few weeks before Twilight had another restless night. This time wasn’t the fault of his memories though. No, Anya had come down with an illness. And it set in rapidly. Everything in the Forger household had been calm. He knew that he should have realised that it was the calm before the storm.

It was a calm Tuesday morning when it began. Anya dragged herself to bed and immediately sought her father for comfort. “Papaaa, my head hurts and my tummy hurts and my bones hurt. Everything huuuuuurts. Please papa help make it stop!” she cried, sobbing into Loid’s shoulder as he picked her up. His heart felt as if it was going to break in two. A feeling that he would have to investigate at a later time.

“Anya? Are you okay? Loid! What happened?” A very panicked Yor sped out of her bedroom. Her hair was half up, and her makeup not started. She was worried for Anya. Hearing the young girl cry sent her mind into a frenzy. She would protect that girl as much as she could for as long as she could.

“I’m not too sure Yor. It seems like Anya isn’t feeling too well today. Could you hold her while I call the school and let them know of her absence? I will also call the hospital and let them know that I will be taking the day off to look after her,” he explained.

Yor nodded and pulled the girl into her arms. Anya immediately snuggled into Yor, whispering “mama” so softly that anyone else would have missed it. Yor brushed Anya’s hair out of her face and placed a gentle kiss onto her forehead. She walked over to the couch and sat down, placing Anya onto her lap but not letting go. Anya relaxed a bit more into her arms but the tears did not stop. She seemed in pain and Yor wished that she could make her feel better in an instant.

After a few minutes, Loid walked back into the room. He stepped towards the girls quietly, not wanting to disturb Anya - who had cried herself to sleep in Yor’s arms. “Eden is aware of her absence, and I have been given two days off of work to look after her. You should be getting off to work now, lest you be late” Loid said, reaching his arms to take Anya back. Yor just shook her head at the man.

“Loid if it is okay with you, I would like to stay here and look after her. I don’t think I could focus on anything if I left right now. And I couldn't dare move Anya now that she is so peaceful. Waking her up would be torturous!” She said, softening her voice when she looked at the girl in her arms.

“Of course it is okay. It would be good for her to have her mother with her. I will call your office to let them know that you are staying off today. I will also get a thermometer for Anya to make sure she doesn’t have a fever.” Loid walked away to call City Hall and went to the bathroom to find the medical supplies. He found the thermometer as well as a bottle of children’s medicine for when Anya woke up.

And wake up she did. With a jolt, Anya jumped, startling Yor slightly. Her face wrinkled in pain and she began crying again. Neither of her parents could understand what she was saying, her sobs being too often for any sentence to be formed. She held her head and then gripped her stomach, Yor’s attempt at comforting her by rubbing circles on her back seemingly ineffective.

Loid reached for the girl and brought her onto his lap, sticking a thermometer beneath her tongue and reaching for the medicine and spoon. He gave her the sweet yet bitter liquid and looked at the thermometer. She had a fever, quite a high one at that. Anya stayed tucked into Loid, small hands gripping to his sweater.

Loid brows furrowed in worry. Her temperature wasn’t high enough to warrant a trip to a paediatrician, but it was high enough to signify that something was wrong. “Loid? Is it high? Should I get her a cold towel for her head?” Yor asked, having instantly seen the change in his expression. Loid nodded, knowing that a cold compress would be useful to help keep her temperature down. So Yor got up and rinsed a small towel with cold water. Loid positioned Anya in his arms so that she could lean into him whilst also being able to face Yor so she could hold it in place.

At first, Anya’s face scrunched up at the change in temperature but quickly found it to be soothing. Both of her parents looked more relaxed at this. “Anya, I’m going to put you to bed, okay?” Loid said, wanting her to rest up. Her eyes began watering once again, a theme with whatever illness she had.

“No papa, I want you to stay with me. Please don’t leave. I need my papa” she cried, breaking Loid’s already fragile heart into millions of pieces. If he hadn’t had extensive training on concealing emotions from WISE, he was sure that he would probably be crying with her.

“It’s okay Anya, I won’t leave you. I just want you to be able to rest more comfortably. I’ll stay in your room and watch you while you rest, okay?” he said, getting up from his seat. But Anya just tightened her grip on Loid’s sweater at this. “No papa, you need to stay with me. I need my papa to make me better,” she said.

“Anya, I’m not quite sure I understand. I will be right there, sitting in the armchair. I’m not going to leave you,” Loid said, moving his arms to hug her. But she still shook her head at him.

“No papa, you need to lie down with me. I need your hugs. They make me feel better!” she said, finally answering to Loid’s confusion.

He agreed to stay with her. He first tucked her into her bed, passing her the chimera doll and placing a bottle of water to the side table. He climbed onto her bed, lying over the covers on his side, arm supporting his head. It took almost an hour for the girl to fall asleep once more, but once she had, a crashing sense of relief washed over the spy. He wasn’t sure if he had enough in him to watch his daughter- fake daughter be in pain for much longer.

After another hour of watching the girl sleep, he felt a presence enter the room. Yor. He smiled at her softly, which she returned. She walked closer to the bed, and replaced the cold towel on Anya’s forehead as well as placing a fresh bottle of water on the side table. She sat at the foot of the bed, also watching Anya sleep. She hadn’t wanted to interrupt the father and daughter before, but she knew that it must be time to replace Anya’s towel at least.

In hushed whispers, Loid and Yor began speaking. “Thank you Yor. You have been an amazing help today. I’m glad that you are here to help look after her. I don’t know what I would do without you” he said, sitting up slightly so he didn’t end up with a crick in his neck from the way he had been lying.

“Of course Loid. I’m more than happy to lend a hand with this. All I want is for Anya to be okay. It breaks my heart to see her like this,” she replied, eyes staying controlled on Anya’s breathing.

“I am very sorry to ask this Yor, and you are more than welcome to decline me, but would it be alright if we swapped places? I need to get Anya’s medicine, and I could do with a snack myself. I will get you one while I am up if you would like?” he asked, not wanting to pressure the woman into doing anything. But to his surprise, she agreed. He climbed off the bed and she crawled over to where he had been, eyes staying on the girl.

After a few minutes, Loid returned with two glasses of water for them, a biscuit each and the bottle of Anya’s medicine. He sat by Anya’s feet as he gently shook her awake, letting her know that it was time to take her medicine again. She took the medicine, no change in her expression and crawled straight into Yor’s arms who immediately took her in for a big hug. Loid smiled at the scene, finding pleasure in the domesticity - a nice break from the stress of Anya being ill. He went and sat in the armchair, watching as Anya fell asleep in Yor’s arms, and as Yor fell asleep holding her.

By the evening, things had taken a dramatic change for the worse. Anya had woken up once again crying, but this time she looked very green. Loid knew what that meant. So he rushed the girl to the bathroom. Yor hovered outside, waiting for them to come back out but it was ages before she had heard the end of it. She could hear Loid as he tried to soothe the young girl, her sobs only quietening when they had been muffled by Loid’s jumper when he pulled her in for a hug.

After what felt like an eternity, 2 hours in reality, a very weak Anya walked out of the bathroom. Loid’s jumper had been taken off, and Anya’s pyjamas had been changed for a spare pair that had luckily been left in there in a basket of clean laundry. Yor ushered the small girl back to bed, while Loid placed his and Anya’s dirtied clothes into the washing machine.

The very tired man then stood at the sink, washing his hands with both hand soap and some Dettol that was kept under the sink. He got a fresh cold towel and brought it to Anya’s room, as well as some more water in yet another bottle. Yor had tucked the girl into bed, and Anya was immediately fast asleep still looking quite pale. Yor had stood by the doorway by the time Loid entered the room.

“I’m so sorry, Loid but I need to go to sleep. I know that work will not give me another day off tomorrow and it is already midnight but if you want, I can stay up later as-” Loid cut her off.

“Yor, it’s okay. You have done more than enough today. Get some rest. I will wait here with Anya, and make sure that she is okay through the night.” Yor thanked the man, and made her way to her room. Loid settled into the armchair once more, positioning himself to keep Anya in his direct line of sight.

Not once the entire night, did his eyes wander away from the girl. He didn’t get up for anything. He refused to let himself sleep, in case Anya was sick again or even just needed him to comfort her. He promised that he would stay with her, and he intended to keep that promise.

Chapter Text

“Yuri? What on earth are you doing here?” Loid heard Yor ask from across the room. She had gotten up to answer the door whilst he stayed at the table to help Anya with her last piece of homework for the weekend. A small headache began to form in Twilight’s mind.

“Well my darling sister, my apartment has been damaged-” he began, holding out a bouquet of flowers to Yor.

“Damaged? What on earth happened, Yuri? What did you do?” Yor asked her brother, taking the flowers to place in a vase that was on the small table by the door.

“Well you see, I had gotten home from work and saw that there was a fire truck outside. I went to investigate, and found that my entire building has been burnt.” He said, stepping inside the home, removing his shoes.

“Mama, Unkie burned his house down” Anya giggled, pointing at Yuri. The man threw the girl a look that could kill, warranting a whack across the arm from Yor. Loid walked over to the others, picking up Anya and placing her on his hip. He extended a hand to Yuri, who disgruntledly shook it.

“May I ask what this all has to do with your presence in our home though Yuri?” Loid asked, not unkindly. His headache seemed to be getting worse but he kept on a kind smile despite this. Yuri clapped his hands, and turned to Yor with a large grin plastered on his face.

“Well I am here to stay of course. I only need to be here for three days while I wait for the damage to be assessed. And I thought that my sister would take me in, since she has a spare bedroom!” He said, Yor whipped her head around away from Yuri to face Loid, a worried look on her face. Loid waved her off and invited Yuri into the living space.

“Of course, Yuri. I shall go and prepare the spare room for you. Yor if you could be so kind as to look after Anya for a few moments?” He said, placing the young girl back in the seat in front of her homework. Yor nodded, making her way to oversee the girl. Yuri sat down next to Anya in silence, throwing Loid a somewhat grateful look for his hospitality.

After 15 minutes, everything was done. He had hidden everything in his room, changed the bedsheets and had even emptied one of the drawers in case Yor needed somewhere to put her stuff.

“Yor, if you would like to go and check everything is up to standard for your brother?” he asked, meaning that she should go in and move anything that needed moving, and to also change her bedsheets for him. She did this and the two swapped, with Loid going back to helping Anya. She had one question left but this was finished quickly.

Anya left the room to place her completed work in her bag ready for school in two days. That left Loid and Yuri alone together. “So uh Yuri, how has work been?” Loid asked, attempting to make small conversation with him to pass the time. He needed to keep Yuri distracted from the fact that Yor still wasn’t finished setting her room up for him.

“It has been fine, Loidy. I had another trip to Hugaria recently, but unfortunately did not have time to stop and get some of that wine again.” Yuri replied, tone neutral. Loid waved him off, saying that the flowers were enough. They sat in a tense silence before Loid got up, offering the other man a drink. He declined, so Loid began making coffee for him, chamomile tea for Yor, and hot chocolate for Anya. Once it was ready, he called the girls in.

It seemed to be perfect timing, as Yor had moved her final set of clothing to Loid’s bedroom just as her name was called. She and Anya walked to the sitting area together, thanking the Forger father for their drinks. Yuri got to see the true domesticity of the family that his sister had married into. They sat and idly chatted, smiles on everyone’s faces, Anya mentioning something about Bondman and a princess. It was nice to see Yor in such a welcoming environment, even if Yuri hated the man that she had chosen to settle down with.

Once the drinks had been finished, Loid called out to his daughter, “Anya, it is time for bed. If you are wanting to go visit Becky tomorrow you must go and brush your teeth and wait for me to read you a story.” Anya hurriedly nodded and ran to do as she was told. A bedtime story from her papa? It sounded perfect to her. Loid followed Anya into her room, closing the door softly behind them so he could settle her in for the night. It left the two siblings in the living area alone.

“I have missed you so much Yuri / Yor” the pair said simultaneously. It had been a while since they had last seen each other, both occupied by their jobs. The siblings began to talk about how Yuri would manage living with the Forgers for the few days that he needed somewhere to stay. He had been granted the time off work by his supervisor, not wanting the SSS officer’s cover to be blown.

Yor asked him if he would be going out to visit anyone, but the man shook his head, saying that he wanted to make the most of his time with his dear sister. Yor found the notion to be kind, and promised to spend the time with him. But this came with the warning that she would also likely have to include Anya in the plans if not Loid, much to Yuri’s anguish.

As the two were discussing ideas of how to spend the last day of the weekend, Loid walked back from Anya’s room. He grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen before positioning himself on the couch next to Yor, who smiled softly at him when he sat. He didn’t interrupt the pair but the conversation slowed in his presence. More idle chat took over between the group, Yuri mentioning a trip with work that Loid knew was a cover for a mission with the SSS. As time passed, Loid could see Yor getting more and more tired, eyes drooping with every second that passed.

“Yor? I’m thinking of heading to bed. How would you like to do the same? I’m sure Yuri knows his way around and can make his way when he is ready.” Loid suggested, slowly getting up.

“Yeah sis, you look exhausted. I could do with some sleep too so I am also going to head to bed. We want to be rested for when we take chihuahua girl out tomorrow once she is back from her friend’s home” Yuri said, following Loid’s decision.

Yor nodded and mumbled a feeble “okay” as she made her way to Loid’s bedroom, with him slightly behind. They said goodnight to Yuri as he closed the door to the bedroom and Loid followed in suit.

“How would you like to work with this Yor? I wouldn’t want to overstep so I am more than comfortable on the floor tonight if you would like?” Loid posed to his (fake) wife.

“No, Loid I couldn’t ask that of you. I will be able to share a bed with you without hurting you - I think. I just ask that I get to sleep on the side closest to the door?” She said, shaking her head at the very notion of Loid sleeping on the floor.

“Of course Yor, anything for you. I am going to change in the bathroom and I’ll knock before I come back in. I hope that this will give you time to change comfortably here.” He said, before moving swiftly to the door to move to the bathroom. Yor smiled, grateful for Loid’s attempts at making her feel comfortable.

Once they were both changed into simple nightwear, both in a loose t-shirt and long sleep pants, they got into bed. As they got comfortable, Loid’s hand accidentally brushed against Yor’s arm which made them both hold their breath in shock. Before Loid could apologise, Yor said, “Don’t worry Loid. It’s bound to happen.”

That night, Loid Forger did not sleep. Twilight would say it was for the mission, but in reality the man was too scared to make a single movement that would disturb Yor. He laid as still as a plank, listening to Yor’s breaths get slower and deeper as she fell asleep. He knew that he could sleep, but he didn’t want to accidentally brush up against Yor whilst he was. He wasn’t sure if Yor was ready for that level of contact just yet.

By the final night of Yuri’s stay, Loid had been awake for over 66 hours. He could stay awake longer if he tried but a busy weekend with Anya and a long day at work had taken every last sense of energy from him. As he and Yor slipped into bed, following the same routine as the previous few nights, he could feel himself begin to doze off. Before he succumbed to the dark rest, he swore he could feel as someone’s hand ran through his hair and down his face.

When he woke up after a mere few hours of relatively rejuvenating sleep, he found himself holding Yor in his hands, arms wrapped around her torso, her arm almost holding on to his. While he wanted to get up and do something productive, Loid decided against moving Yor, not wanting her to wake up as well.

Chapter Text

It had been almost a year since the Forger family was formed. They had navigated some issues together, and alone. But they each found comfort in each other. Yor’s missions were ending faster than ever before, meaning she was able to spend more time with her husband and child.

Twilight's extra missions had stayed constant in difficulty and in frequency. While he did find it exhausting to be juggling missions, his cover job and his family, it was rewarding. He knew that world peace was worth putting himself through it. He wanted to allow for a world where no child would have to cry again.

But the stability of the Forger family came crumbling down on a relatively warm evening. Yor and Anya were sat at the dinner table, working on some classical languages work that Anya needed to hand in the next day, under the assumption that Loid had to work a later shift at the hospital due to an emergency patient. What they didn’t know was that Loid was actually stuck in an alleyway twenty miles away with a knife sticking out of his side, alone.

As it drew darker and later, Yor sent an unhappy Anya to bed. She wanted to stay up for her papa but Yor knew that he could arrive at any time, his schedule so unpredictable. She promised the young girl that she would stay awake until he arrived home, just to give him a hug from her. She also wanted to do the same, having missed his comfort that evening.

By the time it reached 2AM, Loid was still not back. Usually when his shifts ran late, he was home by midnight at the latest. Yor was unsettled. They had gotten closer in the past few months since Yuri’s visit. They were even able to kiss without anyone ending up injured now. And those kisses weren’t always for public appearances. Yor couldn’t help but imagine the worst. As an assassin that worked locally, she knew the types of people around.

Maybe someone had seen that Loid was a sensible guy with a seemingly well paying job, and had decided that they would extort him. Maybe he had been hurt by a patient and hadn’t been able to call to let them know that he was injured. Maybe he had gotten into some bother by local ruffians and was left to pick the pieces of himself up alone. She didn’t know. And that was something that she did not enjoy.

Thump! “Fu- ow” was the only thing Yor heard at 2.38 AM. She ran over to the front door from where she had been sitting, waiting, and her heart stopped at the sight. Loid was holding his side, face contorted in pain, his other hand holding him up, stopping him from completely collapsing on the floor. She didn’t know what to do. Her mouth opened and closed, as if a goldfish. But she quickly regained her senses when she heard Loid take a deep breath and grunt in pain through gritted teeth.

“Loid? Do you think you can stand?” She asked, not expecting much from the man. All she got in response was a shake of the head and his arm collapsing, making him land on the floor with a thud. Finally being in a safe presence seemingly drew all of Loid’s energy away.

That was how Loid found himself in his wife’s arms, being carried to his bedroom. She placed him down gently, making sure to not touch where blood was spilling out of the man. She ran to grab the first aid kit from under the sink in the bathroom, the one locked from anyone else’s use.

“I’m going to need to see the injury Loid. I’m going to cut away your shirt okay?” She got no response, the man in too much pain to even acknowledge what she was saying. She peeled back the fabric and gasped at the scene before her. A large gash in his side, quite deep into the tissue was bleeding. She reeled away, almost as if she was the one with the injury.

“Loid,” she asked almost silently, “What on earth happened? I was so scared, and now I know I was right in that feeling.” She wanted to clean the wound, to protect him from infection but she was too scared to injure the man further. She never wanted to see him in pain.

“Yor. Do. What you must. I can. Take it.” Loid said in staggered breaths. Yor nodded. She cleaned the area with some alcohol disinfectant wipes, trying to ignore how the body she was working on tensed in pain. She got the small stitch kit out. The wound was deep and needed stitching. She apologised and tried to make it quick. She wasn’t trained too heavily with this first aid but she knew enough to stop the bleeding.

“I should call a doctor, Loid. What I’ve done won’t last and you’ll need antibiotics and a proper check up.” Yor said, not taking Loid’s shaking of his head for an answer. She was worried for him. An injury like that wouldn’t heal on its own, and opened him to all sorts of risks from other infections.

“If you must call someone, please can you phone Teri Turner? She works at the hospital and is a good friend of mine. Her phone number is in the phone book on the table in the hallway. Tell her you’re calling about me.” Loid said. He wanted the handler. She was the only one he trusted with this. She had extensive medical training and would always arrive for her best agent.

She did. Within ten minutes of Yor dialling the number, Handler was at the Forger residence, hair in perfect condition yet looking exhausted. She was let in by Yor, apologies for the late call tumbling out. The handler waved her off, saying that it was okay. But would it be a bother for some tea? It meant that she could be alone with Twilight for just a moment.

“What happened Twi- Loid? This has never happened before,” she asked him, an air of disappointment surrounding her. It was as if her top agent had gotten weak. But she couldn’t help but hide the worry that was ever present in her mind.

“It was an ambush. I was sent in for something quick and was cornered by eight people. I may be good at my job but even I can’t win when the odds are that low.” He replied with a sarcastic laugh, seemingly upset about it all. The pain was too much for him to pretend with his handler. She would see right through him even if he tried.

“It may be time for some retraining. We will have to discuss this when you are better. But for now, you are stitched up. You need to take these tablets four times a day for at least fourteen days. The stitches will dissolve. Bed rest for at least one week. I shall be going now.” She said, getting up. Yor walked in with her tea but she just apologised and said that she had to go to see another patient. Yor nodded and saw the woman out, deciding to give the tea to Loid instead.

“Thank you Yor. For everything. I’m sorry you had to see me this way. I had thought you’d be in bed waiting for me, and maybe I would be able to sort myself out. I don’t think I realised how bad it was until I got here.” He said, his gratefulness ever present in his voice. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her that it had taken him almost four hours to make his way to their home. He knew that he could patch himself up, but it was as if everything was knocked out of him when he heard Yor on the other side of the door.

“I’m just glad you’re okay. What even happened? Do we need to call the police?” she asked, rubbing her thumb over his hand as a way to comfort him. All she wanted to do was engulf him in a comforting hug, but she was terrified of hurting him, or making his injuries worse. She was just so glad he was safe, at home.

“No, it’s okay. One of my old patients cornered me on my way home from my shift. He stabbed me. He was apprehended on scene by some patrolmen but I managed to slide away and get home. I didn’t see the need in prolonging both of our pain.” he told her. She seemed to accept this as truth. They stayed like that for a few minutes, Loid in bed with Yor holding his hand rubbing gentle circles over it.

“I’ll go and sleep in the spare room tonight Loid. You should get some rest,” she said, getting up to take the mug to the kitchen and head to her old bedroom. She didn’t really want to leave him, not when he looked so fragile. But she reasoned with herself that he should be allowed to spend some time recovering alone.

“No, please stay Yor,” Loid began softly, “I think I could do with your comfort tonight, if that’s okay.” He knew he shouldn’t feel as he did. He was a spy - trained to be emotionless and able to hold out through pain. But there was something about Yor. Her presence was addictively comforting.

She sighed but agreed. She got into the bed next to him, putting his hand into hers. It wasn’t long before she fell asleep, the stress of the evening finally taking everything out of her. Loid however, was in too much pain to think about sleeping. He had been putting on a brave face after being stitched up. But he hurt. Every breath he took sent a jolt down his spine. Every slight move of fabric across the wound felt as if he was being shot repeatedly. He wished he had painkillers, but didn’t want to wake Yor up when she had done enough.

He waited until she woke up to ask for some, not letting her know that he hadn’t slept a wink that evening. She could tell though, drowsiness taking over his body, his speech slurring slightly and his response times weaker than before. She grabbed him the strongest painkillers she could find and a glass of water, which he gratefully accepted. As Yor prepared Anya for school, Loid was finally able to drift off for a few minutes.

It took two weeks of bed rest before Loid Forger was able to go back to work at the hospital. Twilight was given a month of leave to recover, almost as if an apology for sending him into such a dangerous situation. It just meant that he would be able to spend more nights next to Yor rather than working. He had no complaints at that fact. It seemed she didn’t either, not if her subconscious need to wrap one of his arms into hers whilst she slept meant anything.

Chapter Text

“It’s only for three days, Anya!” Yor comforted the pink haired girl in her arms who wouldn't loosen the grip she had on her mothers pink coat.

“No, Mama, please don’t gooo” she wailed, her sniffles getting louder, breaking Yor’s heart slightly. “Anya wants mama and papa at home. Pleaseee!”

Regrettably, Yor had to hand over the child to her husband, who was standing by the door holding her bags. Anya’s sob ripped through the apartment and she buried her head into Loid’s neck. Yor gave a sad smile to him as she took her bags from him. She stepped out of the apartment, giving the two a small wave before walking down the corridor towards the exit.

“I’m going to miss mama, papa. She always reads me stories before bed and she brushes my hair and and and-” the girl cut herself off, crying more. Loid took the girl to the couch and sat her down, letting her cuddle into him. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was going to miss Yor too. Apart from the odd occasion where they had to have a night shift, the family hadn’t been apart like this since the vacation on the cruise ship early into Operation Strix.

“Should we take Bond for a walk? We could stop at a bakery on the way home and get some treats too?” Loid suggested once Anya’s cries had settled. It would be good to get them out of the house for the afternoon, to distract themselves from the aura that Yor’s absence had left. She agreed and went to get her shoes on.

They made their way to the local park, the one that they had been to hundreds of times before. Loid let Bond off of his leash and watched as he ran around with Anya laughing and chasing him. This was something he never knew he would need. If you asked Twilight even a year ago, that his life would revolve around a child and someone he called his wife, he wouldn’t have believed you. The Twilight back then only allowed for his focus to be on whichever mission he was working on. He had learnt to share his focus with all of the things he found important.

“Papaaaa. I’m hungry!” Anya could be heard before seen as she ran up to Loid, Bond in tow. Loid nodded and attached the leash to the dog’s collar once again.The three walked to a nearby bakery, just a few blocks away. For Anya, Loid purchased two apple and peanut tarts. For himself, he purchased a chocolate cupcake. And for Yor, he purchased a lemon and raspberry madeira loaf with the intention to freeze it so it wouldn’t go stale while they waited for her to get home.

They took a casual stroll back from the bakery, Anya and Loid took to discussing school, this weekend’s homework, activity plans and how they were going to miss Yor’s presence at the home. They entered the apartment and Anya ran to sit in front of the television - they had arrived at home right in time for the newest episode of Spywars.

As she watched it, Loid cooked a simple dish of chicken and potatoes with broccoli. He timed it perfectly, the meal being competed at the final credits of the show came up. They sat at the dining table, in a silence that would typically be filled by the Forger mother - speaking about her day at City Hall or asking about the other two’s days.

Once the meals had been eaten, Loid went to wash the dishes and sent Anya to get changed and ready for bed. If she did as she was told, Loid agreed to let her stay up and watch the newest Spywars film with him tonight instead of working on some written languages homework. Of course, the young girl immediately ran to her room to change.

When she walked back out of her room, she found her papa sat on the couch, blankets and pillows in his arms, hot cocoa for them both on the coffee table. “I thought this would be nice to do, huh Anya?” Loid asked, turning on the television and playing the tape with the new film.

As she settled into the blanket, she replied “This is fun papa!” Loid smiled at the girl and got himself comfortable under the second blanket. He had thought that this would be a good way of distracting himself from Yor’s absence. He hadn’t realised how important she was to him.

He would have to show her how incredible she was when she got home. Maybe they could go on another date. Frankly surely would come over and babysit. Handler had mentioned once that she wouldn’t be opposed to meeting his daughter so she could also be an option.

“Papaa. You’re thinking too loud. Please just watch the movie!” Anya said, coming closer to nestle into the man. She was a very cuddle-y child, especially when she was sad, tired, or both. Loid opened his arms and let her crawl onto his lap, promising to “stop thinking so loud”, whatever she meant by that.

Three quarters the way through the film, Anya had fallen asleep. Loid felt as her head lost sense of its own stability, falling into his chest. He grabbed the TV remote and turned off the film, wanting to not lose the place that Anya had reached. He unravelled them both out of the blankets and picked up Anya into his arms. He walked with soft steps to her bedroom, placing her into bed. Bond was already sound asleep at the foot of the bed.

He walked out of the room, going back to tidy up. He didn’t feel tired enough to warrant going to bed just yet. He placed the mugs used for cocoa in the sink, and went to fold the blankets to put them and the pillows into the wicker basket full of comforters. Once he had done this, he wrote up some case notes for a mission he had completed for WISE earlier in the week. He was due a catch up with Handler about Operation Strix, so this would be a good time to hand them over to her.

To his dismay, he finished every job that he could think of completing before it even hit midnight. So he made his way to bed, hoping that he could sleep away his boredom (and his feeling of missing Yor).

That’s not how it panned out. Loid couldn’t stop his mind from running on overtime. He was worried about Yor. He knew the trip was another one for City Hall but he couldn’t help but worry. He hoped she was eating alright, staying hydrated and not overworking herself. He also couldn’t help but miss her in his arms. They had gotten into a routine in the evenings now.

They would send Anya to bed after an episode of SpyWars or after doing some homework. If it was a weekend, Yor would open a bottle of red wine for them to share, or make some tea if it was not. They would catch up on their days (both obviously withholding the information about their other jobs), watch an episode of Berlint in Love (something that Yor introduced Loid to), and head to bed. They had become comfortable enough to change in the same room now so it was much more seamless than before. They would climb into bed and Yor would immediately get closer to Loid, who would wrap his arms around her. They would share a kiss, before slowly but surely falling asleep - Loid more often than not falling asleep to the rhythmic breaths from the woman beside him.

He missed it. It was comfortable. Enjoyable. Something he had never had before. While on previous missions he had spent months with women and men alike, there were never any feelings on his behalf. Back then, he would only sleep 2 hours a night. With Yor, he had been sleeping almost 8.

She made him feel safe. He trusted her. Him from a year ago would say he was compromised. Now, he doesn’t think about it. He would like to make the most of his family while he still had them. But that was a thought he wasn’t ready to explore just yet.

For the two nights that Yor was away, Twilight didn’t sleep a wink. He did his best to stay energetic for Anya, but he wasn’t his typical self. He missed his wife. Anya missed her mama. They both tried to ignore it, but they couldn’t help but wallow. Yor Forger was the sun of their family.

Chapter Text

It was the late afternoon, Anya was sat doing her homework at the dining table in silence and Loid was sat reading the newspaper on the couch, Bond at his feet chewing on a treat that he had bought from a local pet shop.

“Loid! Anya! I’m home!” a feminine voice called out as the door cracked open.

“Mama!” “Yor!” the two exclaimed simultaneously, heads whipping over to where the woman had stepped into the apartment. Anya immediately jumped out of the chair she had been sitting in, barrelling towards her mother. Yor picked the young girl up, dropping her bags onto the floor. She stepped into the residence and closed the door behind her.

“Mama! We missed you! Anya is so glad you’re back!” the young girl said, smiling as she buried herself into Yor’s neck. Yor smiled too, moving Anya onto her hip to free one of her hands to pick up her bags again, realising she should take them to her room.

“I’ll get those for you Yor. Why not sit down? I’m sure your travels have been exhausting.” Loid said, gesturing his wife to the couch and beginning to move the bags to their bedroom. Yor nodded, thanking the man and took herself and Anya and sat down. Once Loid joined them, Yor began telling them about her trip.

“…and that meant that the company pulled out. Director McMahon just said that he had other customers lined up so it wasn’t too harmful for the city.” she finished, both Anya and Loid nodding along, listening to every word.

For Anya, she was just pleased to have her mama back. Her mama was chaotic and fun and kind. Loid was happy to be able to hear Yor’s voice again, see her smile again, and watch as she tucked Anya’s hair behind her ear again.

“Loid! You’re staring!” Yor said with a giggle. The man looked away, a flush of embarrassment. Yor giggled harder at this, getting up and moving closer to him. “I missed you,” she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

“I missed you too.” Loid replied. Anya just watched in awe as her parents openly flirted in front of her. She knew they had been flirting more, she could hear their thoughts of hidden kisses or date plans. They had never been so open with it.

“Papa and Mama are flirting,” Anya said, Yor and Loid just laughing at her instead of pulling away and spluttering like they used to.

“Yes Anya, Papa and Mama are flirting. Maybe Anya should go to the kitchen and warm up Mama’s present,” Loid suggested, the girl running away instantaneously to get Yor’s cake from the freezer and put it into the microwave. It meant that he and Yor could have a few breaths to themselves, away from the inquisitive eyes and ears of their child.

Loid pulled Yor into him, giving her a short kiss then pulling her into a tight hug. She nuzzled into him, whispering “I’ve missed this. Work was hard. I love being able to come home to you and Anya”. Loid nodded, understanding what she meant.

Before they had met, they both lived lonely lives. Empty houses, no one to talk to. It was nice to have someone waiting for them, a home, a safe space where they could exist without worry (to an extent).

“I couldn’t sleep while I was away. I missed your presence I think. You make me feel safe. I never knew that I would need that.” she said, hugging Loid tighter.

“I know what you mean. I haven’t slept either. It wasn’t the same. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to sleep without you next to me now.” he replied, revelling in the contact.

He loved it. He loved her. He loved her? This was a new feeling for Twilight. He had never felt like this on a previous mission. Should he tell her? Would he scare her if he did? Did she feel the same?

Loid’s internal spiral was ended by an energetic Anya bouncing up to them, “Here’s your cake Mama. Anya and Papa chose it when we took Bond for a walk the other day!” She passed the plate to Yor. She took a bite out of the cake and was amazed. She loved it. It was a perfectly balanced sweetness, it was fluffy, and it was delicious.

She thanked the two of them between small bites. As she was eating, Anya went to put on the new episode of SpyWars, begging Loid to get out the blankets and pillows the two had used the other day.

For the remainder of the afternoon, the Forger family sat on the couch snuggled up and watched SpyWars together. Neither parent had enough energy to fight Anya on this, too exhausted to even get back up. By dinner time, Anya had passed out in Yor’s arms, who had been holding her protectively. She couldn’t say it, but her trip with work had left her begging to go home, to know that her baby was safe.

Loid left his two girls lying down as he got up to make a simple dinner. He had some leftover chicken and potatoes from the previous evening so he heated it all in the oven and dished it up onto three plates. He made some hot cocoa for everyone and brought it to the dining table.

With a shake, Anya was woken up by Yor and everyone made their way to sit down. They enjoyed the meal with idle chat, Anya being too asleep to make actual conversation. She barely managed to string sentences longer than five words together. Loid was glad that he had made Anya finish her homework yesterday, because he knew that Anya should go to bed once she was done. She could barely keep her eyes open.

Once the plates were cleared, Loid went to do the washing up and Yor took Anya to bed. She helped the child get changed, and tucked her in and read a short book. Not even halfway through, Anya’s cute snores filled the room. Yor backed out, shutting the door in silence. She made her way back to the couch, where Loid had tidied up the blankets and comforters.

“Hey,” Yor said softly as she hugged the man from behind.

“Hey!” he replied softly, his smile wide. “Do you want to watch Berlint in Love tonight Yor? I bought us a bottle of merlot for when you got home, but we can save it for when you aren’t as tired if you’d prefer?”

“Honestly, I’d just like to go to bed. I am exhausted, and I’d like to cuddle with my husband in my own bed tonight.” she replied, gripping his hand in hers, dragging him to their room. He followed with no complaints, honestly glad to be able to rest. They changed and slipped under the covers.

As normal, Yor gave Loid a kiss, before he pulled her into his arms. “Yor…” he began. “Can I say something?” he asked.

“Of course silly. Are you okay?” she replied, turning back around to face him. She noticed a slight tension in his brow. It was worrying. Rarely was Loid visibly stressed. He always had such a calm demeanour.

“Yor. I missed you. So much. And I know Anya did too. You are so important to this family, to me. I love you, Yor Briar Forger. I don’t think I'll ever not love you.”

“Loid…” Yor was too taken aback to form a full sentence. She had never expected him to be so open with her. They had gotten much closer, and could talk about more with each other, it was just rare to see Loid be so open with her, so raw.

“You don’t have to say anything Yor. I like how we are now. It’s nice. Familiar.” he said with a smile, every word the truth. He wouldn’t want to make her feel as if she was being pressured to say something she didn’t feel.

“I. I love you too Loid.” Yor replied, so quiet that he almost missed it. His eyes immediately met hers in surprise. Without saying anything, he brought her in for a kiss, which she melted into. The relief of requited feelings was overwhelming. They stayed like that for a few minutes until Yor peeled away.

“I’m so glad that we met Loid. You and Anya really have changed my life for the better. Thank you for letting me into your life.”

“Thank you for being part of my life. And Anya’s. Nothing will ever compare to you.”

And so they slept, for the first time in multiple days, finally holding each other in their arms. They were safe, comfortable and loved.