A/N: Quick update! Shorter than most chapters bc I'm kinda in a hurry soooo ye.

And you throw your head back laughing like a little kid
I think it's strange that you find it funny
'cause he never did.

And I've been spending the last 8 months, thinking all love ever does
Is break, and burn, and end
But on a Wednesday in a cafe

I watched it begin again.

-taylor swift

8 months after he left.

"Aww, they're so cute!"

Stella cooed so loudly that everyone in the cafe turned to look at them briefly, and Musa wanted nothing more than melt in the ground in embarrassment right then and there. She gave sheepish smiles to everyone before turning to her blonde friend, who was still cooing on what, or rather, who were on the little pink stroller (a sheepish gift from her well-intentioned friend Bloom, who had been anticipating the baby to be a girl).

Musa sighed, the edge of her lips quirking into a small smile. Well, she couldn't blame the woman, her twins were so damn cute and whoever says otherwise, she'd have to punch.

"What are their names again?" Stella asked, turning to her. Stella seemed to be the only one Winx to be available at the moment, and honestly she couldn't blame the absentees. Flora seemed a bit under the weather lately, Bloom and Aisha had some things going on in their kingdoms, and Tecna was stressed with her job beyond belief the last time she saw her. Everyone was busy with their lives, and that's fine. She tried convincing herself that.

"Coda and Sonia," she said, looking at the two. Coda was looking around curiously, bright blue eyes scanning the room. Sonia was sleeping next to her brother, sucking on a purple pacifier. "I just...really liked how it sounded, I guess."

Stella merely hummed, continuing to play around with a squealing Coda. "I know they're still babies and all but...aren't you glad they don't look like him? Well, not yet, anyway," she cleared her throat to ease any tension that might arise. "They look like you had them with yourself!" She added eventually, wanting to be more lighthearted.

She didn't respond at first, and Stella was actually scared for a moment. "Huh, really...?" Well, she wasn't wrong. They both had dark blue, nearly black hair, pale skin (though Coda appeared to be tanner than his sister), and both blue eyes, though the last one she wasn't sure as Tecna once informed her that babies usually had blue eyes in the first few months they were born, before it changes to their intended color. One or both of them might have eyes of another color, though she had a hunch it was Sonia, was hers were a light crystal blue, completely unlike hers or Coda's.

And though they're still babies, she could already tell some features that belonged to him that are slowly but surely surfacing, whether it was Coda's sharp nose or the specks of violet in Sonia's eyes. Also, who knows, some of his personality will seep out when they're older.

Fondly with a hint of bittersweet, she shook her head. Hopefully not.

Coda was an energetic kid, she knew as soon as he was born shrieking and squirming for twenty minutes straight. And so, when he accidentally knocked out out Sonia's pacifier from her mouth and onto the floor, she merely sighed, not surprised.

So, while Stella was cooing and trying to distract an almost fussing Sonia, Musa bent over and tried picking up the purple pacifier, but she soon found out that she wasn't the only one.

"Oh!" They both said at the same time, about to touch the pacifier, fingers barely brushing. She looked up and was greeted by bright violet eyes.

"Um, hello! I believe this is yours?" Asked the man, picking up the pacifier after she stared at him for more than two seconds. She didn't know why, but she was disappointed.

"Oh, right, thanks!" Stella was giggling behind her, she knew it. Her friends always did that when she meets or even comes across a new guy. The man merely smiled at her, it was small but sweet. He was of average weight and tall height, fair skinned, with shaggy and parted black hair that appeared a dark purple in certain light, and his eyes, god his eyes, they were a familiar violet, but they were softer compared to his sharp ones.

"It's nothing," the man chuckled. He had a rather gentle demeanor, and for some reason, it was a breath of fresh air for her. "I'm Carl, nice to meet you...?"

"Musa," she smiled. She didn't know why...but she felt something about this man, she didn't know what that something was, but she hoped it was good. "My name is Musa."

Perhaps this is the start of something new.

...

It was a lazy morning, and Cody, Sony, and Ren had already gone to school by the time Riven had woken up. So no annoying brats pestering him in the morning, yay, he guessed?

"Eggs?" Flora offered as soon as he went in the kitchen. Helia was sitting and sipping on his coffee as he wrote something on some notepad that he didn't want Riven to see for some reason (and Riven tried looking at it, but eventually he gave up), Maylis was sitting in her high chair (are two year olds supposed to be in high chairs?) playing with her eggs, and Flora had been flipping some organic eggs in a pan with so much confidence and expertise that he had to wonder if there was an egg frying extreme sport that he didn't know about.

"Uh, sure," it seemed more peaceful without the kids, without Ren trying to ask him several questions under the sun, without Cody flinging food around, or Sony...well Sony doesn't really do anything that annoying kids do, but still it's peaceful, even if Maylis is making a mess with her eggs, he's going to give her a pass because she's a toddler.

Flora placed some eggs and bacon (where did that come from?) on Riven's plate and cleaned Maylis up. "So, any plans for today?"

"Not really...probably help in the shop or something," he said. Flora merely nodded and that made the room quite silent, leaving Riven in his thoughts. It was yesterday when Sonia showed him a photo of her...'mother', and that that 'mother' was Musa, his first love, girlfriend of several years, and...as much as he didn't want to admit it, still has a firm grip on his heart to this day, whether she knew this or not.

And instead of answers, more questions brewed in his mind, it started with a small root in the back of his mind and now it grew, branches upon branches of questions filling the recesses of his mind, begging to be answered.

Why?

Why didn't they tell him they were Musa's? Or, if they did plan to tell him, why wait long enough for the kids themselves to tell him? Did they think he would angry? Lash out? He wasn't that kind of guy anymore, he swore.

Why did Musa even have them in the first place? Sure, Musa didn't exactly have distaste for children, but she wasn't enthusiastic either. If she did have kids, it wouldn't be this soon. Unless...

What?

What did Sonia mean by not knowing much about Musa? Was she that absent from the twins' lives?

Where?

Where was Musa? Why were her kids here with Flora and Helia and not with her and...whoever the father (the damned bastard) was?

So many questions yet to be answered. Riven internally heaved a frustrated sigh and looked up at his friends. He noticed this recently but they both seemed a bit stiff around him, like watching their movements carefully, trying not to mess up. He looked around, the questions were beginning to be a bit overwhelming for him, like an irritating itch begging to be scratched.

Riven gulped, well, if he were to confront them, this would be a good as time as any, seeing as the kids (minus Maylis, but what does she know?) were not around.

He was going to do it.

Wait no-

"Hey...are you okay, Riven?" Helia asked hesitantly, finally looking up from his notepad after noticing Riven gripping his fork a bit too tightly, to the point where it bent.

"Where's Musa?" He just...blurted it out, his voice more accusing and nearly urgent as he intended it to be. His voice came out so suddenly that even he was surprised, and immediately shut his mouth.

Awkward silence ensues. Riven was about to say something like never mind when-

"We...don't know," Flora said quietly, loud enough for everyone to hear, but quiet enough to show that she didn't want to talk about.

What an unsatisfying answer. Riven thought as his word filter turned off for some reason and out came, "Bullshit-"

"No, really," said Helia, shaking his head. "We knew you'd ask this eventually...and we were afraid you would, because we don't have the answer."

Riven furrowed his brows, "but-"

"Please," Flora said, nearly desperate. "We don't want to talk about it."

He pursed his lips, and sighed. Maybe the answers shouldn't come too quickly...

"Okay."

...

"You are making this harder for yourself." He mused, "just tell me, darling. So we'll be complete, just you, me, and them."

He was pacing in front of her with his stupid fucking cloak and condescending smile. That bastard. The room was dark, yet the moon's light managed to seep through the cracks of the curtains, signalling that it was night.

"Fuck off."

He ignored her and instead turned to look at her. She merely glared at him, fists in bound wrists were clenched so hard they might as well bleed. She stopped struggling a long time ago, it was futile after all, but that didn't mean she will give in. Never a chance.

"That's not an appropriate language for a lady such as yourself." He stopped his pacing, before sharply turning to her. "Where are they?" He asked, his voice now dripping with poison. They were now face to face, his hand firmly and harshly holding her chin to prevent her from turning away.

"Like hell I'd fucking tell you," she spat, and literally spat on his face. He wiped his face and let go of her.

"Pfft, a stubborn woman as always," he said, walking towards the window and looking into it. "But...no matter. I'll find them, eventually, whether you like it or not."

A/N: I know I asked this before but is the pacing alright? I really don't know at this point.

Umm so things happened, I guess.

Uhhh this is it for today, feedback of any kind of welcome and fUCK I HAVE TO UPLOAD THIS QUICK-