Chapter Text
The early morning sun wafted in through the sheer curtains that hung above the two windows on either side of the bed.
Languidly, Lou stretched, careful not to wake Reid and admired the glass planes and the buttery sunlight from outside. She smiled softly at the memory of making Reid finally install some proper lighting in their room.
Their room.
Again, Lou let a small grin grace her lips as she slowly straddled her slumbering husband. She ran her nimble fingers down his muscled chest and placed an open mouthed kiss on his neck. He quietly groaned, eyes fluttering open and then adjusting to the light. Lou kissed his nose and then his lips, unable to keep the grin off of her face.
"Good morning husband." Reid smiled broadly now, hands hitching her short, silk nightgown above her hips.
"Well this is certainly a nice way to wake up." He moved to sit up but Lou gently pushed him down, hovering above him with a hungry glint in her eyes. Humming softly, she pulled her nightgown over her head revealing her perky breasts and peaked nipples and leaned down to kiss Reid. Almost immediately he had opened his mouth, allowing her better access. Their tongues swirled in a dance of lust as Reid shucked his sleep shorts.
"Mmm I love you." He whispered into her ear as Lou gently pumped his shaft in her hand. Nipping at his earlobe, she whispered, "And I love you, oh husband of mine."
Gently, Reid took a breast in his mouth and Lou stifled a moan. Just because the walls were of thick stone and wood didn't mean Lou needed every guard in the damn hallway hearing how weak Reid made her. Agonizingly slow, she lined him up with her center and sunk down in one swift movement. Lou bit her lip as a sharp whimper slipped through. Reid's hands gripped her hips hard, bruises would presumably litter her skin tomorrow.
With a sinful roll of her hips, Lou had Reid groaning like a mad man. He sat up and wrapped his arms around her, taking a nipple into his mouth and sucking gently. Lou moaned this time, threading her fingers through Reid's coppery locks.
"Reid" His name on her tongue was breathless. Hastily, Reid flipped them over on the bed and pounded into Lou at a relentless pace. Whimpers and whines poured from her mouth as she wrapped her legs around his waist and let him catapult them into release. He sucked and nipped at her neck, finding the weak spot that had Lou a moaning mess.
"God, Reid please." She was practically begging now, he was dangling the string of release right in front of her. Her belly was tight and her legs were starting to tremble. Lou felt his hand snake between them to the apex of her thighs. Like a freight train, she was hit by a wave of bliss as her core spasmed around Reid, her stomach clenching. Reid's head fell to the crook of her neck as he let out a low grown. She felt her back arch up off of the satin sheets as her husband spilled into her, a warm rush of his seed. One last moan spilled from her lips as he finished and fell to her chest. For every frenchman Lou had ever bedded, nothing even compared to the feeling of Reid Diggory. Gingerly, she carded her fingers through his fiery curls, now damp with sweat.
"I have a feeling this will be a good day." Reid mumbled from his position between her breasts. Lou chuckled, kissed the top of his head before giving his shoulders a shove. "I have things to do today Chass, let's get a move on here." She chided.
His smile could be felt on her skin, and Lou rolled her eyes as Reid exaggerated his movements of receding from her core, and rolling to the side of the bed. She was about to make for the washroom when she felt him take a lock of her hair in between his thumb and forefinger. Although she would never tell him, Lou adored when he played with her hair. He said nothing, but his eyes held a tender expression all on their own. Stretching once again, welcoming the coming soreness blooming between her thighs, Lou stood and walked to the washroom. She threw on a soft robe and washed her face, hearing the sounds of Reid getting dressed from outside. Hastily, she wiped the mess from between her thighs and dressed in her lacy underthings, something she knew Reid loved.
He was nearly out the door by the time she was by their wardrobe, pulling out a red wine colored tunic and tight black pants. His bright blue eyes met her own before he threw her a lopsided grin and left. Buckling her boots, Lou bit her cheek from grinning too wide. Domesticity was a strange thing, she had spent a good chunk of her life avoided normalcy; routine, simply to survive. Now, she relished in it. Coco had received a letter from her aunt a few weeks ago regarding Morgane, the Dames Blanches had broken some rule of an ancient treaty and the Blood Coven had finally brought the iron fist down upon Morgane and her quite malicious tendencies. Relief had enveloped Lou and her friend as they realized they would finally be able to live a life free of death and magic.
Speaking of Cosette, the infirmary was Lou's first destination. She scowled at some of her least favorite guards as she passed by, making sure to throw a smile at the ones she actually tolerated. Although Ansel was no longer her watchdog, he still spent most mornings with her if he wasn't training, Lou was surprised to find that he hadn't shown this fine Spring morning. Arthur and Victor were posted at the door to the infirmary squabbling about something Lou couldn't quite make up. She straightened her tunic and formed her lips into a saccharin smile.
"Boys, a fine morning isn't it?" The two men looked from each other to Lou, and she huffed out a breath. Victor raised a brow.
"Madame Diggory, are you permitted to be up here?" His question was genuine, yet Lou still was affronted at the lack of competence some of the Chasseurs possessed.
"Well obviously or I would be up here. You two must be new to the post, I come to the infirmary nearly every day to assist Madame Perrot and atone for my sins." She hoped her argument was convincing enough. The priest had essentially told her weeks ago that her time at the infirmary could come to an end and she should look to help elsewhere, but Lou would keep returning until they physically wouldn't let her in. Even then, that might not stop her.
Besides, how else was she supposed to gossip with her closest confidante?
Arthur looked apprehensive, but moved aside nonetheless. "Very well, madame." Victor followed his lead and the heavy door to the infirmary swung open revealing one Cosette dressed clad in those white robes.
"Madame Diggory! You're finally here, please please come in." Coco grabbed Lou by the arm and pulled her inside, swinging the door shut behind her. Lou chuckled, "In a rush?"
Coco shook her head, smiling. "I have something important to tell you." Lou followed her friend through the hallway and into an empty medical room that had been cleared from its most recent patient.
She hoped onto the empty medical cot and watched as Coco rested against a countertop, fidgeting with a pristine white glove. Coco never fidgeted. "Well? What's so important that you have to tell me before we check to see if Madame Jepel's finger's are still turning to silver?" Lou said, attempting to add light to the situation.
She watched as Coco let out a breath. "Last night I was at the palace with Beau," Ah yes, Coco's secret royal lover who somehow knows Coco's a witch and hasn't killed her. How could I forget. "And he asked me if we were exclusive." Interest piqued, Lou prodded her friend for the rest of the story. "And? What did you say?"
A large smile turned up at the corners of Coco's subtle red lips, "I said yes, at least to me we were. Oh Lou, he's just so crazy. I love it." Lou jumped down from her perch and pulled her friend into a tight embrace. "Cosette, I am very happy you finally have a boyfriend." Coco rolled her eyes.
"Enough about me, tell me about why you were late this morning." Coco gave her a pointed look, and Lou felt a small blush creep up her neck.
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The subtle flame of the jasmine scented candle provided enough light for Lou to devour the inky words on the pages of the book she was reading. "L'amour dans le jardin", yet another raunchy romance story Reid had acquired for her. The two main characters, Charlotte and Joc, were just about to realize their feelings for each other when a swift knock sounded at the door. Huffing, Lou dog eared her place in the novel and stood, opening the door. She hadn't expected Ansel to be standing there, slightly out of breath.
"Ansel? Are you alright?"
He inhaled and exhaled one last time before straightening, "Yes, I'm fine, thank you. Reid wanted me to tell you that he's been called away for an assignment with a squad of men. He won't be returning until the end of the week." By the time he had finished, the flush from his cheeks had mostly disappeared. Lou frowned, it was unlike Reid to just run off on a mission and send Ansel in his place to tell her. And, now she would have to wait four days until she could see him again. But she knew Reid, and she knew that a fundamental part of him was dedicated to his work as a Chasseur, just as a part of him was dedicated to her.
"Oh, well thanks for letting me know Ansel, I hope you didn't have to run too far." She chided, smiling at her friend, trying to hide her disappointment. The boy shook his head. "I only had to make it through the main square, through the building and into the barrack towers." He replied grinning back. After a moment he said, "Well I'm starving, I'll be in the mess. Goodnight Lou!"
Lou waved to Ansel as he bounded down the hallway and then the staircase. Shutting and locking the door behind her, she noticed as the flickering candlelight caught on the pearl of her wedding ring. She carefully slid it off of her finger and rolled it around in her palm, admiring the banding and the delicacy of it. Lou brought the ring to her lips and kissed the stone in the middle, please come home safe to me, Reid.
The ring hugged her finger perfectly, and Lou changed into a short nightgown before crawling under the heavy duvet and the cold sheets. She hated when Reid was away and she was left alone. Even after only being married for a short amount time, Lou had grown comfortably used to having Reid around every day, and especially every night. A funny thing, she had sworn off married life for as long as she could remember, and now she was laying in bed sulking over the fact that her husband was away on duty.
Lazily, she turned over on her side and let the soft winds from outside lull her to sleep.
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A wave of nausea rolled over Lou, and before she could form a coherent thought she was jumping out of the warm blankets and landing hard on the cold washroom floor tile to empty the contents of her stomach. Taking heaving breaths, she leaned against the wall, ready to vomit again if need be. Her head was pounding and her face felt flushed. She shivered against the chilly floor and leaned over the toilet once more to relieve the rolling of her stomach. Shakily, Lou stood and pulled her hair into a bun so it was out of her face.
She looked like hell.
Sighing, Lou rinsed out her mouth and washed her face to rid her skin of the sweat that had begun to form. Getting sick wasn't something Lou did. She vaguely remembered times during her childhood when she would conjure colds or viruses, but it was nothing Morgane hadn't magiked away quickly. Early morning sunlight was streaming through the curtains and through the room, creating a soft glow. Since she was already up, and the headache blooming at her temples banished any thoughts of returning to sleep, Lou decided to just get dressed for the day. Instead of her usual tunic and pants, she opted for a more soft and light dress in a deep burgundy color. The corset of the dress clung to her hips and chest, while the rest of the fabric flowed out beneath her.
Careful not to wake anyone, Lou snuck through the hallways of the building and crept up the large spiral staircase that led to the infirmary. If anyone could prescribe her some medicine or magic away the headache, it was Coco. And she knew that her friend was in the infirmary at all hours of the day.
There was only one guard stationed at the large oak door, and thankfully he was dozing against the wall. Silently, Lou heaved open the door and shut it behind her. Coco wasn't in the infirmary's common room or walking about the hallways, so Lou poured herself a glass of water and waited for her friend to show herself. She tapped her fingers against the cold glass and pondered what could be wrong.
Food poisoning? No, she nearly ate the same thing every single day. Still, something could've been off about last night's roasted quail and potatoes.
Maybe the common cold, or flu? If she had it she was sure there would be worse symptoms than this, and she would've had to have caught it from something. As far as she knew, no one had recently been sick in the commons.
Perhaps it was just a random spout of nausea. Or was it something pertaining to her cycle? It wasn't that time of month yet, she was sure of that at least.
Pulling her from her thoughts, Coco rounded the corner carrying a stack of books.
"Lou? What are you doing up here so early?" She asked, setting the books down on the small table in the center of the room. Lou groaned and rubbed her temples gently.
"I've got a raging headache and I just lost yesterdays dinner and lunch to the toilet. I think I might have the flu." Coco frowned and walked over, resting the back of her hand against Lou's forehead.
"Well I don't think you have a fever, but I can give you something for the nausea and headache. Any other symptoms?" Lou shook her head and gratefully took the tiny pills Coco produced, swallowing them down with a gulp of water.
"No, but it's just strange because I never get sick." The other woman nodded, brows knitting together in thought, before she hesitantly asked Lou, "Do you-do you think you might be...pregnant?"
Lou stood there and then laughed, outright laughed, at her friend in white robes. Pregnant? That was the most absurd thing she'd ever heard. "Are you joking Coco? How could I be pregnant? I take the tonic everyday and Reid and I...." Well, Reid actually didn't usually pull out because she was on the Tonic. And they were married so obviously they didn't go around screwing other people. This wasn't making sense, she would've remembered not taking it....unless? Lou mentally retraced her steps. The last time she and Reid had had sex was the morning of his departure, which was three days ago because he would be returning late tonight. She had taken the drink the night before- no she hadn't taken the tonic because she was out and that's why she needed to go to the infirmary the following day. To retrieve more of it from Coco's secret stash. Suddenly, the floor gave out from under her and she fell to her knees.
"Oh god, oh god, oh god" She whispered to herself, clutching the empty glass to her chest. Coco was there in an instant rubbing large circles on her back. "I-I can't be pregnant Coco I-" Lou took a steadying breath to quell the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. "Reid he's, I haven't even told him that I'm a witch, he'll-he'll, oh god I have no idea what he'll do." Coco continued making shushing sounds as Lou worked through the utter panic spreading through her body.
"He's a loyal husband Lou, I may not like him because he's a Chasseur but he loves you. I can see it. If you just tell him he won't harm you, or the baby. I promise." Her last few words were hard as stone, and Lou was grateful to have such a good friend watching her back. Refusing to let any tears fall, she squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath.
Cosette was right, Reid may be a Chasseur, but he loved her, and he would love their child with his whole heart if he knew. Still, that didn't quell the budding anxiousness blooming in her belly. How on Earth would she tell him she was with child? Would he even want it? No, she was being ridiculous, of course Reid would want the baby. But still, that didn't explain how she would tell Reid she was pregnant and a witch. Yeah, no problem there.
Pulling Lou from her thoughts, Coco handed her a small vile filled with a whitish liquid. Lou raised a brow. "Spit into it, if you're pregnant it will turn purple." Nodding, Lou did as instructed and the two women sat on the cold floor waiting for the vile to turn a color, or not.
It was easily the most nerve-racking three minutes of Lou's life. Everything depended on this small glass vile and the potion inside.
The creamy concoction slowly transitioned into a milky lavender, and Lou's heart dropped to the floor. She truly was pregnant.
Dammit to hell.