[Raleigh gets a text in the middle of church to call her asap and he is generally not a paranoid man but those words from Mako have to mean that something serious is up. That something's wrong with Tyler or that she has a new tidbit of information and it's just not a phrase that she throws around lightly.
So he excuses himself, tells the boys to keep talking, he'll be back in a few minutes and immediately calls her back.]
[ Mako is terse, and with good reason: their little tot is completely insufferable without his pacifier -- he's become incredibly addicted to it, despite best attempts to wean him off it. It's his security blanket, and Mako can only distract him for so long before he realises it's missing and cries his eyes out. ]
Raleigh pins his phone to his shoulder, so he can dig around in his pockets, trying not to roll his eyes because guaranteed, Mako could sense that kind of thing over the phone.]
Shit. Yeah, sorry. We're almost done here, I can bring it back then.
[Almost done is code for: more than an hour really and they all know it.]
[ is she serious? hey, stud, here's an idea: how about Raleigh himself stays at home with their precocious, fussy, temperamental 15-month old baby boy with a pathological dependence on his binky?
Mako even knows he's trying damn hard not to roll his eyes, too, but her patience is fraying and can you hear the sounds of crying in the background, old man? ]
You mean in two hours?
i like that there was too much mako rage to even do tiny brackets
[ well, sorry for disturbing you with baby stuff, mr president guy. it should be known that Mako is in a very, very foul mood right now and all prospects and men who are not Mr. Raleigh Frankie Wilson Becket should give her a very, very wide berth. And also give her her son's special pacifier. ]
[The only reason she wouldn't kill him is because he's the father of her child, which does not actually endear Raleigh to want to be around her either.]
[ because mako's patience is so non-existent right now, she's hanging on to the barest dregs of it. FUCK YOUR GENES, RALEIGH BECKET. WHY'D YOU HAVE TO GO AND MAKE HER PREGNANT.
Mako grumps, without thinking: because taking a screaming baby for a walk, really? ]
...I imagine he'll make all the neighbours want to kill him.
[Well shit, Raleigh hasn't even told the prospect anything yet because he's been talking to her. So this is Raleigh snapping at a guy and gesturing him over all while waving the binky at him. That pretty much says exactly what needs to be done.]
They can probably already hear him. Nothing to lose there.
[ It's hot when Raleigh gets all authoritative; he gets all sexy-frowny even when waving a binky around and the Prospect runs over, because this is Serious Business.
Fast forward, though. It's two hours later and Mako is holding a very satisfied, sleeping baby with his binky in his mouth when Raleigh comes home. ]
...Your son gives me the worst grief, and your boy seems to be terrified of me.
[Raleigh loves coming home to that site, of Mako with their son. It's better that Tyler isn't screaming but even when he is: it's Mako. And their son.]
Oh is he just my son today? [He holds out his arms, offering to take him if she wants.]
He is, today. [ And Mako pretty much just gives him over because she loves their baby with all her heart, but she'd just endured more than an hour of his temper tantrums and screaming and right now she just needs a break from the kid.
She's tired, on the edge, and she's going to make some coffee. ]
[Come to Daddy, Tyler. The baby stirs like he's going to wake up and start all of that adorable screaming again but he doesn't. Just settles against him with a gurgling noise. For now at least. Knowing him, he'll decide he's hungry in fifteen minutes and start it all over.]
No of course not. But they all know you're capable of killing them in five seconds flat.
[ And if he starts it over, Raleigh's going to take care of it, not Mako. Mako's had enough of being mommy for the day. She's putting the coffeepot on, rubbing at her temple because there's a headache that's been building up and today is not the best of days.
[It works for him, to have his boys fear his old lady as much if not more than they fear him. Because they might want to test him but not the both of them and definitely not her.
Raleigh is running a hand up and down Tyler's back to keep him calm. Not crying at least.]
Maybe I should just threaten them with babysitting from now on.
[ Good point -- this way, the boys know not to fuck with either of them. Raleigh's rising rapidly up in the inter-city community as someone not to be messed with, and he's only grown more dangerous as the months pass.
A part of her is worried that he'd be completely submerged in this life -- which is not hard, admittedly, especially when it's largely all that they know, and it's convenient. The way he soothes their son reminds her of the quiet, nagging fear of raising their children in a life like this, full of bloodshed and violence and double-crossing and murder.
She comes back after a moment, watching him with their son. Smiling faintly, she asks. ] Asking me to do your dirty work for you?
[She should share some of those fears with him sometime. She might find that he shares some of the same worries. The club is really all he's ever known but he finds that he cares more about Tyler than running it sometimes.]
[ Yeah, maybe she'd bring it up real soon -- because as much as she likes the guys, and as much as they like her and accept her as the King's old lady, the problem persists.
She finally takes Tyler from him, adjusting him in her arms so that Raleigh can settle down -- he's had a long day at the club, after all. ]
[It's obviously serious, since she takes the baby from him, knowing that Tyler distracts Raleigh whenever he's close to him, like he's entranced by his infant son.]
[ Excellent call. Raleigh's focused when he wants to be, but it's impossible when Tyler's in his arms, and Mako doesn't want to take that chance. Adjusting to his weight, she pauses, choosing her words. ]
...We can't stay in this club forever, Raleigh. I know things seemed different to us before, but Tyler -- I don't want to raise him in a place like this.
[ And what a thing to say; it's going to be an impossible thing to quit, an immense thing to consider that Mako doesn't know which way Raleigh's going to swing on this. After all, which old lady would ask her man to leave the club? ]
[Raleigh's quiet at first, not because he's mad but because that's really one of the last things he expected her to say. If Tyler wasn't here, it wouldn't be an issue, and he knows that. It'd be the two of them, running the club, facing the world together, having each other's backs through everything and knowing that the other could defend themselves as needed.
Tyler can't do that. He can't even walk yet. Losing a bike or getting a few bruises is collateral damage that Raleigh can live with but he can't live with anything happening to Tyler.]
[ And to say it out loud is even more foolish still. It's treason, of a sort, the queen making such a request from her king. Mako doesn't blame him if Raleigh's reluctant to leave -- this club is his lifeblood, this club is hers, and up until now she doesn't even know if she's invested in leaving, when this is all she knows, when this is family.
She understands the reluctance, and the security that this club gives them. It gives them income, too, and assures that their son is the new prince of the club, a rich inheritance if they played their cards right.
She doesn't look at him, even as she steps away to put Tyler into his cot in the living room, the baby soothed and ready for sleep. ] I know this club means everything to you.
[The money is a concern but it's not the only thing he's thinking of. The fact is that the club is making is possible for them to survive, financially, and rather comfortably as well, and if they saved it right-- that could be a lot for Tyler to inherit.
He could be king someday. Take over everything that his parents built. Make it his own. But he could also die young and horrible and it would be no one's fault except theirs for exposing him to this life.]
The two of you mean everything to me. [Raleigh corrects her softly, leaning in the doorway as she puts the baby down for his nap.]
I'm saying we wouldn't be able to leave right now.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[Raleigh gets a text in the middle of church to call her asap and he is generally not a paranoid man but those words from Mako have to mean that something serious is up. That something's wrong with Tyler or that she has a new tidbit of information and it's just not a phrase that she throws around lightly.
So he excuses himself, tells the boys to keep talking, he'll be back in a few minutes and immediately calls her back.]
What is it?
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[ Mako is terse, and with good reason: their little tot is completely insufferable without his pacifier -- he's become incredibly addicted to it, despite best attempts to wean him off it. It's his security blanket, and Mako can only distract him for so long before he realises it's missing and cries his eyes out. ]
Is it with you?
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Raleigh pins his phone to his shoulder, so he can dig around in his pockets, trying not to roll his eyes because guaranteed, Mako could sense that kind of thing over the phone.]
Shit. Yeah, sorry. We're almost done here, I can bring it back then.
[Almost done is code for: more than an hour really and they all know it.]
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Mako even knows he's trying damn hard not to roll his eyes, too, but her patience is fraying and can you hear the sounds of crying in the background, old man? ]
You mean in two hours?
i like that there was too much mako rage to even do tiny brackets
... maybe an hour and a half. [Pause, pause, okay:] I'll send the prospect with it.
LMAOASJDHAGF FAR TOO MUCH MAKO RAGE ILU MELLY
Frankie WilsonBecket should give her a very, very wide berth. And also give her her son's special pacifier. ]He got lost the last time.
CALM THE FUCK DOWN MAKO
I'll draw him a map this time.
NO YOU CALM THE FUCK DOWN
But Raleigh 8(
Ugh, their baby's throwing a tantrum right now and this is just upsetting for everyone, because Mako's very quietly cursing in Japanese: ]
I'm going to need another way to wean him off the damn pacifier.
YOU CALM DOWN RIGHT NOW YOUNG LADY
Have you tried taking him for a walk? He likes that sometimes.
NO YOU
[ because mako's patience is so non-existent right now, she's hanging on to the barest dregs of it. FUCK YOUR GENES, RALEIGH BECKET. WHY'D YOU HAVE TO GO AND MAKE HER PREGNANT.
Mako grumps, without thinking: because taking a screaming baby for a walk, really? ]
...I imagine he'll make all the neighbours want to kill him.
YOUR MOM
They can probably already hear him. Nothing to lose there.
YOUR BUTT
Fast forward, though. It's two hours later and Mako is holding a very satisfied, sleeping baby with his binky in his mouth when Raleigh comes home. ]
...Your son gives me the worst grief, and your boy seems to be terrified of me.
wow no my butt is amazing
Oh is he just my son today? [He holds out his arms, offering to take him if she wants.]
They're all scared of you. That's not new.
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She's tired, on the edge, and she's going to make some coffee. ]
Did you tell them I breathe fire?
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No of course not. But they all know you're capable of killing them in five seconds flat.
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Still, she manages a brief smile. ]
A rumour encouraged by you?
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[It works for him, to have his boys fear his old lady as much if not more than they fear him. Because they might want to test him but not the both of them and definitely not her.
Raleigh is running a hand up and down Tyler's back to keep him calm. Not crying at least.]
Maybe I should just threaten them with babysitting from now on.
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A part of her is worried that he'd be completely submerged in this life -- which is not hard, admittedly, especially when it's largely all that they know, and it's convenient. The way he soothes their son reminds her of the quiet, nagging fear of raising their children in a life like this, full of bloodshed and violence and double-crossing and murder.
She comes back after a moment, watching him with their son. Smiling faintly, she asks. ] Asking me to do your dirty work for you?
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I didn't think I had to ask.
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She finally takes Tyler from him, adjusting him in her arms so that Raleigh can settle down -- he's had a long day at the club, after all. ]
We need to talk.
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What's up?
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...We can't stay in this club forever, Raleigh. I know things seemed different to us before, but Tyler -- I don't want to raise him in a place like this.
[ And what a thing to say; it's going to be an impossible thing to quit, an immense thing to consider that Mako doesn't know which way Raleigh's going to swing on this. After all, which old lady would ask her man to leave the club? ]
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Tyler can't do that. He can't even walk yet. Losing a bike or getting a few bruises is collateral damage that Raleigh can live with but he can't live with anything happening to Tyler.]
We can't just walk.
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[ And to say it out loud is even more foolish still. It's treason, of a sort, the queen making such a request from her king. Mako doesn't blame him if Raleigh's reluctant to leave -- this club is his lifeblood, this club is hers, and up until now she doesn't even know if she's invested in leaving, when this is all she knows, when this is family.
She understands the reluctance, and the security that this club gives them. It gives them income, too, and assures that their son is the new prince of the club, a rich inheritance if they played their cards right.
She doesn't look at him, even as she steps away to put Tyler into his cot in the living room, the baby soothed and ready for sleep. ] I know this club means everything to you.
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He could be king someday. Take over everything that his parents built. Make it his own. But he could also die young and horrible and it would be no one's fault except theirs for exposing him to this life.]
The two of you mean everything to me. [Raleigh corrects her softly, leaning in the doorway as she puts the baby down for his nap.]
I'm saying we wouldn't be able to leave right now.
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