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Furina groggily rubbed her eyes with a yawn, feeling large hands lightly shaking her shoulders. She glanced quickly at the clock on the wall, seeing it was well into the evening. Her head slowly turned up and over her shoulder to see the person shaking her awake, and smiled softly when she saw the crimson crosses of her lover’s eyes. “Mmm… good morning Arle….” She yawned once more, caressing Arlecchino’s cheek with a delicate hand. She saw his red lips curl into a small smile in between blinks and a soft giggle.
Arlecchino chuckled back at Furina, massaging her shoulders while she started to wake up. “Morning, Furina? It’s way past time for dinner, my love.”
“It’s always morning when I wake up, silly!” Furina giggled, leaning her shoulders up into Arlecchino’s hands. “Besides, this couch is somehow even more comfortable than our bed. It tempts me every time I sit in it!”
“Aw, even more comfortable than when you’re sleeping in my arms?” Arlecchino faked a frown, leaning over and planting a soft, warm kiss on Furina’s cheek. “Shame… I suppose my lovely wife doesn’t want the dinner I prepared for us both tonight, then?”
Furina perked up, turning all the way to Arlecchino with a blushy pout on her face. “I never said that! You’re twisting my words!” She pushed at Arlecchino’s chest with little effort, her other hand dramatically against her forehead in feigned offense. “I was just comfy here, that’s all! You’re clearly more comfortable than the couch!”
“Of course, of course, my darling. I wholly believe you… this time. Come eat with me, I tried something new this time.” Arlecchino extended a beckoning hand to Furina, which she accepted gingerly.
Furina leaned upon Arlecchino’s arm as they walked into the dining room. Her nostrils were immediately met with a sweet, warm scent that immediately had her mouth watering. The table was set already with two plates of food next to each other, almost sparkling while the women took their seats. “This smells absolutely wonderful, Arle. What is it?”
“I tried a new recipe from Liyue, it’s called ‘Eight-Treasure Duck.’ I hope you like it.” Arlecchino gave Furina genuine, proud smile while they dug in. The two ate in complete silence, the sounds of forks scraping against glass and chewing the only sounds to fill the dining room.
Furina finished her food with a loud swallow, wiping her lips with her napkin. She looked over at Arlecchino, her lover also just finishing up his food. “That may be the best thing I have eaten in a very long time. My, you just surprise me each time you cook for me, mon chéri.”
Arlecchino set her utensils down, crossing her legs over as she rested her hands on them. Furina watched a smug look grow on Arlecchino’s face. “You say that every time, you know.”
“Archons forbid I want to compliment you! You are absolutely insufferable, you know!” Furina huffed, turning away with crossed arms and eyes closed. Her ahoge was curled into a small heart shape, just barely hanging above the rest of her hair. Arlecchino chuckled in response, shaking his head.
“I know, I know, Furina, I just like to tease you. You are quite adorable when you’re playing angry,” Arlecchino said with a smile, resting her head on her palm, “I believe you said you wanted to talk with me at dinner before you fell asleep on the couch. So, tell me, what did you want to discuss?”
Furina almost choked on her water as a noise bubbled in her throat, swallowing quickly. “Oh, yes, right, that… I did say that, hmm?” She composed herself with a deep breath, looking into Arlecchino’s enchanting eyes. “I—well I’ve been thinking… I know how much the House of the Hearth means to you, and how all the kids look up to you and you help them grow up. I, I really love that for you, but… I also want that… with you.”
“You want to be involved with the House? I’m sure I can arrange that. The children already adore you.” Arlecchino’s candid response frustrated Furina, her cheeks growing red as she frowned.
“No, Arle. I don’t want that, I’m happy with what I do at the theatre. I want to have a kid with you. No involvement with any of that, I just want to be a family with you.” Arlecchino’s face drooped a little as Furina explained herself, and she started to stumble over her words. “I’m sorry, um, is that okay? I just… we’ve been together for years now. I can live without it—”
“Darling, you are fine. I was just caught off guard.” Arlecchino sighed, straightening herself in the chair. “You don’t know how long I’ve waited to hear you ask that, Furina.”
Furina beamed a toothsome smile that Arlecchino mirrored, before he took a sip of his drink. “Y-you mean it!? By Focalors… wait, I always forget!” She giggled, shaking her head, “Ugh, nevermind, yay! Let’s talk about it in the morning, then? I think I’m still too sleepy to actually consider our options right now.”
“Archons, I love you. Let’s get this cleaned up and get you back in bed then. I have something much more comfortable for you to lay on rather than that couch.”
“Mmm… I like the sound of that,” Furina sleepily giggled, getting up from the table and setting her plate in the sink. “Arleeeee!!! You’re going to carry me to the room, right?”
Arlecchino set the rest of the plates and silverware in the sink with a loud clink, turning to see Furina’s wide smile looking up at him. “Of course, what kind of a husband would I be?” Furina turned towards him, wrapping her arms around her neck with a jump. Arlecchino lifted her into his strong arms with a kiss, pulling away and leaving Furina a giggly mess.
Arlecchino softly set the already asleep Furina down on their bed, changing into some more comfortable nightwear before settling into bed next to her. Furina stirred, crawling into Arlecchino’s arms and snuggling her head against his chest. He smiled, kissing Furina’s head softly before closing his eyes and drifting off.
Furina woke up to find all her blankets shoved off the foot of the bed, the sheets half pulled off the mattress, and a still-asleep Arlecchino laying on her side at the very edge of the bed. She yawned, realising that she was drenched in sweat, grimacing. “You’re too warm… and too comfy.” She mumbled, getting out of bed to change. When she turned back around, she saw Arlecchino staring at her.
“Good morning, Arle. Did you enjoy the show?” Furina walked over to Arlecchino, planting a kiss on his soft lips.
“Of course I did. What a wonderful way to wake up. I’ll go make us some coffee.”
“Sounds wonderful, mon amour.” Furina let him walk off, finishing getting ready for the day. She finalised by fixing her hair up, smelling the dark aroma of coffee drifting into the bedroom. She let herself be lured towards the enticing scent, seeing Arlecchino resting on the couch with two cups of coffee already prepared.
“Aren’t you the best?” Furina sat beside him, taking a cup and sipping. The liquid was hot against her lips, but the burn was almost comfortable. It was mostly the warmth that woke her up, as caffeine seemed to have little actual effect on her. “So, did you want to talk more about last night?”
“Certainly.”
“Well… to be honest I’ve already done some research! I found a girl and she sounds really compatible with us. I mean, she is only three years old, but she’s really sweet and apparently ‘easy,’ whatever that means.” Furina had a big grin on her face, talking with her hands.
“Oh, tell me more?” Arlecchino laid back fully against the couch, an arm reaching behind Furina. Furina slid closer, snuggling against her lover and savouring his warmth.
“Well, there isn’t much more than that.” Furina took another sip of coffee, forgetting that it was still quite warm and burning her mouth. She hissed, setting the cup down and waving her hand against her lips. “Ow… I think there was something I forgot. Her name is Lilidh, and she’s also a selkie. I haven’t seen one in decades, so that’s also part of the appeal, really.”
“Mm.” Furina saw the tips of Arlecchino’s red nails fade from a red glow, connecting the dots that he was the one to burn her mouth. Before she could contest, Arlecchino started, “So, are you certain about that? If we go through with this, you know raising a child is a lot of work. I understand you want this, but I just want you to understand the risks.”
⭑❧☾🌧☽☙⭑
Furina and Arlecchino discussed the pros and cons of adopting a child well into the morning. Eventually, the two settled on the fact that they would adopt the selkie child, and a few days after their discussion they set time aside to visit a local adoption center. Upon walking into the adoption center, Furina was immediately greeted by the clerk.
“Glad to see you’ve come back, Miss Furina. All that you have to do is meet Lilidh, and if you two would like to go through with things, you’ve passed the background checks already. All that’s left after that is signing the paperwork!”
“Thank you! Arle, let’s go meet her!” Furina grabbed onto Arlecchino’s arm, looking up at her with glee, a foot raised while her weight shifted onto him. He nodded at her, and the two followed the clerk to meet the child. The clerk opened a door into a small playroom, where a small child was playing with some toys. The child had silky, black hair, tan skin, and bright blue eyes. Small, white spots littered her fair skin, and her small fingers seemed to be subtly webbed.
“This is Lilidh, the child you were looking at.” The clerk motions to the child, who looks up at Furina and Arlecchino with a big, open-mouthed smile. “Like I was telling you, Miss Furina, she’s very sweet, and very quiet. She’s also been a quick learner and likes to play, a lot.”
Lilidh got off the floor and walked over to the couple, looking up at the two. “Hello! I’m… I’m Lili!” She offered her hand to Furina, wanting to shake it. “Nice to… um. Nice to meet you!”
Furina giggled, taking the small child’s hand and shaking her hand. “I’m Furina! It’s nice to meet you too, Lili.” She crouched down to her level, offering her arms in a hug. Lilidh quickly reciprocrated, hugging Furina and snuggling her head into her chest. Arlecchino smiled as they hugged, turning to the clerk. Lilidh grabbed Furina’s clothes in her small fists, having already decided in her head what she wanted.
“I think that’s all we need to know.”
Furina lifted Lilidh into her arms, smiling as she turned back to Arlecchino. Lilidh also gave Arlecchino a smile as well, waving her small hand to greet her. “Hi, hi! I’m Lili! You look cool….”
Arlecchino stifled a laugh, resting an arm on Furina’s shoulder. “I’m Arlecchino. You look cool, too, little one. Nice to meet you.” Arlecchino guided Furina to the door, going to sign the adoption papers. Furina, Lili, and Arlecchino all smiled at each other, and Furina rubbed her head against Arlecchino’s arm as they walked to the front desk. This was the beginning of the family Furina had always imagined with her lover, and she was excited for the future to start.