Hey worldwide web,
So it's Owain/Brady week yay :DD So this was started on tumblr and it's called Udobure (the ship name for Owain and Brady) Week. For the next seven days I will be writing a new prompt featuring my Awakening OTP. No specific rules other than the basis of the prompts. Expect Modern AUs and more! Let's get this started then, shall we! Also these stories are posted on my AO3 and my tumblr so if you see this elsewhere don't worry, it isn't stolen :P
Date: September 12
Prompt: Reunion
Note: Modern AU
Length: 1573 words
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Bead number four-hundred sixty-eight hit the other four-hundred sixty-seven beads in the jar with a sharp clink. Brady stared somberly at the large jar that was a bit over half full. It had a large yellow sticky note on it that said Days Down and a smiley face. He turned his attention over to the jar next to it, which was of the same shape and size, but less than half full of the same beads. It had a pink sticky note on it that said Days To Go and a heart on it. Brady resisted the urge to reach into the jar and dump a whole handful of beads into the Days Down jar. It would mess up the count, but at the very least he could pretend there were fewer days left. Fewer days until Owain came home.
The jars had been their mothers' idea. Lissa had come across the idea of "deployment countdown jars" on Pinterest and Maribelle had immediately written up a post about them on her blog, asking for advice from her followers. Brady had been furious upon reading the post the next day.
"He's not in the military!" Brady protested. "There's no need to go tellin' people he's off in some dangerous country risking his life for the greater good. And what's all this about 'my son is just stricken with grief and worry over the fate of his darling boyfriend Owain'?! I thought you promised to stop writing these things about me now that I'm an adult!"
Maribelle had simply tutted a few times and wagged her finger at him. "Now darling, I'll forgive your little outburst by assuming it's due to your fears about Owain's safety. Need I remind you that Nohr isn't exactly the most stable country in the world?" No she did not. Brady had extensively researched the country before and after Owain had left. Nohr's government was in shambles as the previous ruler had recently passed away in a mysterious accident. Before then, the country had been war-torn for centuries.
Owain wasn't in the military, but he was serving in Nohr just the same. The pieces of Nohr were being picked up and put back together by Krakenburg Incorporated, the self-started company that was run by the Garon family. A majority of the rebuilding process' funds came from Krakenburg Inc. Owain was serving as an advisor to the former CEO's son Leo. Their friends Severa and Inigo were in similar advisory positions with two of the CEO's other children. Brady couldn't quite remember how Owain had explained how they knew such important people, but it didn't really matter. It was a dangerous country to be in, regardless of your position in society.
"Furthermore," Maribelle continued, "my blog is a lifestyle and parenting blog. Until I stop being a parent, which will be never, I will continue to post about my children. And their children. Aw, I'm thinking about you and Owain having children now. I suppose he has to come back alive for that to happen though." Brady didn't appreciate the joke and made sure his mother knew that.
So the jars were made. Maribelle had found some giant glass jars that she must have bought on a shopping spree and had no recollection of their actual purpose. Lissa supplied the beads. Owain's father, Vaike, was in charge of the sticky notes, but he had gone to the store and had forgotten to buy them so Brady had to do that. Libra, Brady's father, had written the words since he had the prettiest handwriting out of them all. According to Maribelle it was a "family project" that took them all day even with Brady remarking how he probably could have done it by himself in a matter of thirty minutes. Nonetheless, he was grateful for the support.
The first day had felt silly. One single bead in the Days Down jar compared to the 719 (Lissa and Vaike had counted them all out) in the Days Left. Eventually though, it became a morning routine. Wake up, go to the bathroom, do the beads, then eat breakfast. Day by day the Days Left jar got emptier and emptier and the Days Down jar got fuller and fuller. Every time he put a bead in the Days Down jar, Brady would instictivly feel how many beads were in the Days Left jar. Each week it seemed like he could feel less and less. Until one day, he placed a bead in the Days Down jar and reached into the Days Left to feel nothing.
"HOLY SHIT!"
Brady spun around to see Maribelle running to him with a hug and tears falling down her face. The tender moment didn't last long however.
"We have a lot of work to do before Lissa and Vaike bring Owain over for the welcome home party," Maribelle explained. Brady nodded in understanding and the two of them (with Libra's help) got to work. Technically the party was for Severa and Inigo too, evident by Olivia, Chrom, and Lucina coming over to help as well, but Brady was understandably more excited to see Owain over his two friends. Part of Owain's job was that he wasn't allowed outside communication, so he couldn't call, text, or even write to Brady. A quick pang of fear filled the nurse. What if Owain wasn't coming home? What if Lissa and Vaike showed up to the house in tears that their son had been-
"Brady!" Maribelle's sharp tone snapped Brady out of his funk. "While I'm sure the guests will appreciate how nicely folded the napkins are, you've been folding the same one for ten minutes." Brady just mumbled something and went on to doing another job. He passed by the jars on the mantle and had an idea. He quickly tied them up with some nice ribbon, which was never in short supply in Maribelle's house, and set them at Owain's place at the table. Maribelle gave him an approving smile.
When the door opened the first to enter was Inigo, followed by some strange blonde woman that Brady had never seen before. She had fair skin and a devious smirk on her face as Inigo accepted hugs from everyone. Her clothing was rather inappropriate and it was obvious that she was quite...endowed, not that Brady looked for any longer than the polite two seconds. He could practically feel Maribelle pursing her lips. When the woman was introduced to Olivia, however, she softened up and Brady found out that this was Inigo's girlfriend and her name was Charlotte.
Severa was next, and Brady was the first one to hug her as her parents were, unfortunately, not present. She was followed by a taller, and somehow more endowed woman (Brady only noticed because she hugged him as well and he got a face full of unnecessary cleavage). Severa made it very clear that this woman was not a girlfriend, but rather Camilla, the person that Severa had gone to be an advisor for. Camilla had come with Severa because she couldn't bear to part with her just yet. Severa shrugged her off with minor annoyance, but Brady could tell she appreciated having somebody there that cared for her. Lucina seemed to be rather hostile toward Camilla, for reasons Brady couldn't understand.
Finally, Lissa and Vaike walked through the door, and Brady's heart nearly stopped. A few seconds passed and an energetic blond man burst into the room. "The chosen hero has arrived!" He declared, making many people laugh or roll their eyes (or both). Brady rushed toward him, being scooped in a hug. Time seemed to stop and it took him a few seconds to realize he was now sobbing into Owain's shoulder as he checked to make sure Owain hadn't brought anybody with him like his two friends.
"Just me," Owain said playfully, as if reading Brady's thoughts. "I hope you didn't think our days apart would prove me unfaithful, my love." Brady flushed red as Owain kissed him. When Owain pulled away, he reached up to touch Brady's cheek. "Every day, I thought of you and nothing but you."
Much to everyone's surprise, the person to burst into tears at that statement was Maribelle, who seemed so overcome with emotion that Libra had to lead her to the other room to start the party. A couple extra chairs were pulled out to accommodate Camilla and Charlotte as everyone helped themselves to food. Brady's left hand remained interlocked with Owain's right as the two ate and exchanged stories of what happened during their two years of separation. Brady (and therefore Maribelle) cried multiple times that night, but they were happy tears.
When the food was eaten and stored away for tomorrow's leftovers, Brady picked up the two jars and handed them to Owain. "Surprise," Brady said awkwardly.
Owain smiled and took the two jars. "I'd been counting down the days until I could see these two holy objects that symbolize our love." Brady gave him a confused look and Owain laughed. "I might not have been able to call or text, but I was able to read your mom's blog posts everyday. I must say, your mother certainly knows how to paint a picture." He was already kissing Brady before he could start yelling at his mother again. This time, Brady held onto him tighter than before, not intent on ever letting go.