My dear little broccolis 💚💚💚

💚 So remember that this pic is RATED M, and it is not only for the sexy times. Some dark moments will be approached in this story, and they can trigger some people. This is a fair warning to remind you that this story sets place in a dark world, which means it is bound to mountains dark themes.

Love, Mina 💚💚💚

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Chapter 30: Happiness (3,3K)

‼️IF YOU'RE A GUEST REVIEWER

CHECK AT THE VERY END‼️

💚So, for those who seem got the vibe that this was a filler chapter, remember that I already know how I want to go, and how I want certain characters to evolve. And for that to happen, I can't suddenly pop them up out of nowhere several chapters in. I need Mia to be more than just a background character, and I want her to be slowly getting into the story, not dropping on us out of nowhere. If you come to think of it, all Mia's chapters seem to be fillers, but they're not, they're here to set up the character that is Mia, just like Jose's chapters. I know this is a Christian/Ana story, but there are other plots in the story, that are already hinted at by those 'filler chapters'. And I know how it looks from your point-of-view, but in my perspective, all those other characters point-of-view are well-timed and serve their purpose exactly as I want them.

💚Also, in case it is not clear in the time frame, we are two days before the wedding, so a month after the gala

💚And there is a small wink for one of you. I hope you will recognise yourself in this.

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Christian's PoV

When Christian got home that night, he was in a terrible mood, his hands and sleeves bloodied. He had to 'explain' to someone that delay was not an actual word when money came into question, and the man in question had been rather hard to crack. Had Christian met him in different circumstances, he might have actually tried to recruit him. Still, after several broken bones and a few times waterboarding, the man finally learnt his lesson.

This wasn't really what put Christian in a foul mood. To be honest, torturing people who owed Idris money did nothing to him or his conscience. What really ticked him off was the fact that the guy had the money to reimburse Raymond all along, and had tried to get away with never giving back the money he owed. To Christian, this was more than disrespect, it was insolence, and a lack of fear toward what Raymond could do to get his money back. It was showing Raymond, that people were starting to think of him as weak, and by extent, thinking of Christian as weak.

With a deep exhale to try to cool himself down, Christian sat on his couch, removing his shirt and throwing it on the floor, before laying back and closing his eyes. Less than a minute after, Bastille jumped on his laps and started to purr as Christian petted the cat. The more he was living with the kitten, the more he believed people saying that animals had a sixth sense to feel human emotions. Every time he had come home in a bad mood, Bastille had come to him and cuddled, taking away from him all bad aura and leaving him with a sense of peace, or at least, quiet emptiness.

While he mindlessly caressed his cat, Christian tried to figure out why people were challenging Raymond more and more. And suddenly, it hit him. It wasn't Raymond per se who was challenged, but more his legacy. He was the one defied, testing his limits and seeing how far they could go with him. And all he could say was that he didn't like it.

If he had to make a statement, he would, without hesitation, but he didn't like people challenging his authority. Whether Raymond would pass on Idris to him or not didn't matter, he would not change for that and would keep his line of conduct as rigid as it had always been.

His thoughts wandered, going to all sorts of nonsense and 'what ifs' when a particular situation came to him. What would happen to him when Raymond would die? Whether it would be the morrow, or in thirty years, Christian realised that he was weak without Raymond. Not much because of the presence the man had himself, but because he would be alone.

Unlike Raymond, he did not have people he wholeheartedly trusted around him. Raymond had him, and though she was not a mobster herself, he had Elena. Christian barely had Jose. He trusted Jose with his life, but he never told the man, nor even gave him proof of that. And that left him pondering on what he could do to change that. He would also need to find at least one other person he could trust, someone who would put the interest of his future family first as Elena did with Raymond.

With a loud sigh, Christian got up, gathering his shirt and letting his cat fall on the ground. Bastille stalked him all the way up the stairs, following him in the bathroom, though he kept away from the water, curling in the sink. For the first time in a long time, Christian took a long shower, not really eager to go to bed. He knew that he was exhausted, but he didn't like going to bed when upset.

When he got out, Bastille had left. He examined his knuckles, seeing that though the blood had been washed away, bruises had appeared, and when he fisted his hands, his slightly hissed out of pain, thinking that maybe he shouldn't have gone so hard on the man. Ryan had tried to manage him like Ryan always did when they had a gig together. But as usual, Christian didn't listen and went with his guts.

Once in his room, he had the good surprise of finding Ana in his bed, and all his previous thoughts and worries suddenly disappeared into thin air. He smiled to himself, welcoming this unexpected visit and recalling that he had not checked his phone of the evening. Maybe she had tried to call him and ultimately failed. With delicateness, so he wouldn't wake her, he slipped into bed next to her, taking her in his arms, and smiling even wider when she snuggled against him, still sleeping.

He caressed her cheek, brushing away the few locks of hair that came covered her face and saw that once again, she had fallen asleep crying. Though she never commented on it, or even ever mentioned her brother again, Christian knew that his death was something that she had some problems to come to term with. And he had no idea how to help her. Even the fact that he was simply there for her did not seem to help her.

"Christian?" Ana mumbled, her voice heavy with sleep, and Christian held her a bit closer to him, kissing her forehead she hummed, hiding her face in his chest as he said, "I love you."

As those particular words left her lips in that particular order, Christian froze on himself, tilting his head down and waiting to see if, once again, Ana had been sleep-talking. He waited for two long minutes, but when it became obvious that Ana was lost in her world of dreams, he let out a breath.

It wasn't the first time that she declared her love to him in the numbness of her sleep. It was actually the second, and Christian recalled very well how the first time had occurred. It had been when he came back from Vegas and went to see her at her place in the middle of the night. He hadn't slept this night, his ear strained, listening to every single noise in fear of Raymond walking in on Christian in his daughter's bed. If Raymond were to know, Christian always thought that it would be better to at least prepare him a little.

The night had been silent, like this one, and she had uttered same the same words, her hand reaching for his. It had kept him awake all night, not sure of what that declaration could mean, or even how he felt about it. All night long, he had tried to figure out if those feelings were reciprocated, without being able to find the right answer.

Sure, he liked Ana. He knew that she was able to get a smile from him, no matter how bad-tempered he was at the moment. He knew that he often thought of her through the day. He knew that, more than once, his first thought when it came to sharing something personal, was to do it with Ana. But he wasn't sure if that meant that he was in love with her.

And there was also the fact that both times, the declaration came from her subconscious. Ana knew that she sleeptalked, and Christian often joked about that with her. Mostly because, though it was coherent, it didn't make sense. She often talked about broccoli, and turtles and Phill Collins' voice.

The last time she said those three specific words, she never bounced back on them. Even though Christian hinted at her that she had talked, she never asked what she could have said. And this was the part that was bothering him. He wasn't sure that Ana consciously loved him. She was so set on simply having and fun and keeping her father away, that Christian started doubting if her subconscious was even on the right path. He was anxious that, if he brought this conversation, Ana would freak out and end their relationship on the stop.

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Christian's PoV

Christian was enjoying his sleep, recovering from his tiring day, when something pleasant tore him away from his dreams. Without opening his eyes, but smiling nonetheless, he rolled and kissed Ana, whose hand tightened a bit harder on his length. He repressed a growl and deepened their kiss, his hand flying to her nightgown, looking for her sweet spot.

She moaned when his finger slipped underneath her panty, biting his lower lip in the process. Slowly, he reached for her own hand still pleasuring him, and stopped her ministrations, before helping her out of her nightwear. Then, he pinned her against the mattress, and kissed his way from her lips to her breast, slightly sibling her left nipple, aware that it was her more sensitive.

She hissed with pleasure, rocking her hips at the rhythm of his hand, and when he was about to go further down, she stopped him and yanked him up, opening her legs to him. Christian smiled at her, reaching for a condom in his nightstand as he pecked her neck again and again. He knew that she was already wet and ready for him. She had been even before he started touching her, he felt how wet she was when he fingered her.

When he aligned himself to her entrance, Ana locked eyes with him, and he gently caressed her cheek, going in and out. They did not share a word, only breaking eye contact when they shared passionate kisses, and before any of them could try to prolong the moment, they reached their climax, one after the other.

For a moment, Christian stayed on top of Ana, kissing her shoulders and neck, before he rolled on the side, earning a pout. Though she never said it, he knew that Ana liked when he stayed inside of her after their coitus. But he was always afraid to crush her, so he never stayed long.

After taking off the condom and disposing of it in the bin, Christian rested his head on his hand, staying on the side so he could watch a satisfied Ana smiling at him. He traced the contour of her nose, making her scrunch it a little before she said,

"I thought you would have your evening off. I wanted to surprise you, but I only surprised Bastille."

"Don't worry, I was still surprised, even though you were not up to see it. And I am clearly not complaining. You know you can come whenever you want. That's why I gave you a key."

"Yeah, but I had this whole thing planned for us …"

"Sorry to have ruined your plans."

"Not really. I ended up dreaming about it, and you ended up giving me what I wanted," She blustered, giggling like a child when he tickled her sides.

"I tell you what. Next time you come, I will rock your world so hard, you will lose your voice."

Ana beamed at this promise, sitting up and involuntarily forcing Christian to do the same. He checked the time, seeing that it was still the middle of the night, and waited for Ana to explain the master plan that probably sprouted in her head.

"So, I wanted to go to Peru for my birthday, and since it's in three weeks, can you hold that promise until then?"

"Or I can reiterate for your birthday."

This made her smile even wider, making Christian unable to resist her and smile back.

"So? What would you want me to get you for your birthday?" Christian asked, taking her hand in his and caressing her soft skin.

"You. I mean, for an entire week, I want you and nothing else. No work calls or emails. No last minute leaving alone in the plane. Just you and I alone for the whole week."

"Have you asked your father yet?"

"No. And I won't if you can't promise me a week of just us," She replied, her eyes planted in his. He thought about it, trying to see if he could go completely MIA for a whole week, and decided that he would ask Jose to take care of the most important matters.

So he nodded, promising the brunette the gift she wanted, though he was going to make sure to give her something else, feeling that it wasn't that hard for him since he wanted to spend time with her, to begin with.

Ana clapped her hands before kissing Christian and laying back in bed, taking Christian's hand with her to rest it on her breast. He had noticed that this was something that she liked, having his hand over her breast when they were sleeping. Even when they hadn't had sex, she always fell asleep with his hand covering her breast.

"I'm so excited about the day after tomorrow. I can't believe they're getting married!" She squealed, making Christian laugh at her.

"If you're that excited, for their wedding, what is it going to be for yours?"

"My wedding is going to be AWESOME! You have no idea. I have this whole thing planned in my head!"

Christian chuckled at her excitement, kissing her temple in a patronising way that did not go unnoticed,

"You never thought about your wedding?"

"Not really?"

"But … you do want to get married? Or you are one of those people who want to live in concubinage with the mother of their children?"

"To be honest, I never really lingered on having a wife, or on the mother of my future children."

Ana turned her head to stare at him, clearly shocked by what she was hearing. "You are not making any sense? You have a room full of children too and books, and you never thought you needed a woman to have them."

"I know I need a woman to have kids. It's just that … she's always been an afterthought… Women come and go, children are the only constant in life. Are you telling me that you thought of your husband?"

"Of course! And he's going to be perfect! Handsome, because I want cute kids. Tall, because I don't want them to be midgets like me. Great guy, so my kids can be proud of him, and look up to him. Is okay with Dad and all his sorts of businesses, because I don't want to choose between my husband and my father. He's capable of making me smile when I'm the saddest. And he knows how to cook so I won't starve to death while pregnant."

"Ana … this is Prince Charming you're describing. That guy exists only in cartoons," Christian cautiously said, surprised that someone as practical as Ana could be so dreamy and realistic when it came something so important in life.

She snorted. "Didn't you hear me when I said that I wanted him to be okay with Dad? What kind of Prince Charming would be okay with Dad?"

Christian did not pip a word to that, knowing that they were close to that line that they had never crossed. That lined where they would both acknowledge out loud to one another that Raymond (and by default Christian) was a mobster.

"And he needs to have all these qualities, so I can be the best version of myself."

"What do you mean?" He asked, furrowing his brows.

"I mean … Well, I will never be a genius, and I will never be an artist or an athlete. I will never be the best at maths, or music, or running. But I will be damned if I won't be the best mother ever! I will be the Mom other girls my age will look up to with envy. This is the only thing I know I will be good at, and I need my husband to help me be perfect at it."

For a moment, Christian remained silent, shocked by what he was hearing. Never he would have thought that Ana was seeing herself in such a dim light. He reached out for the nightstand, adding artificial light to the moonbeam, and gently cupped Ana's face with one hand, looking deep into her eyes.

"You're already the best at many things. You don't need to be defined by your relationship with other people."

She rolled her eyes, clearly not believing him, and Christian insisted,

"You're the best at being compassionate and showing it. I'll never forget how upset you were when you saw those homeless people in Paris. I should have been the one showing empathy, I can relate, I have lived in the streets and slept in the snow. But you're the one who felt for them

You're the best at putting others before you. Like you do with your friend by taking care of all the little problems coming along the way, so she doesn't have to worry about her wedding. Like you building that shelter for homeless and doing your best to rehabilitate them. Like you not asking your father about your mother, no matter how badly you want to know about her because you know it will make him sad."

Christian held her gaze, waiting for her to agree, but when she did, it was with a playful smile in the corner of her lips, "That's only two. You said many."

"I can't decently give them all to you, now. It will get to your head."

"You could have said I'm the best at having sex. I wouldn't have minded. Even though I can't really brag about it," She joked, and Christian felt relieved that she saw things his way.

"You can brag about it. But then, it's called porn."

"Oh! We could be co-porn-stars! I mean, you totally have the cock for it! Though you'd probably ditch me. No guy wants their girlfriend to be a porn star."

"No guy wants that, indeed."

"Hey! You're supposed to say that it wouldn't matter and that you wouldn't mind!" She complained, slapping his hand and unknowingly reminding him of his bruised knuckles.

"Nope. I won't go around and lie to you that I don't mind sharing you. Especially when I have to share you with internet creepers."

Ana smiled at him and kissed him with delicacy. "Jealous?"

"I'm not."

"I like when you get jealous by pretending you're not jealous. It's so cute. It makes me want to jump you, again …"

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‼️PLEASE DON'T BE A SILENT READER AND LEAVE A REVIEW

IT REALLY DOES HELP‼️

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💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚

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💚Awwwww sweet moment ... Enjoy while it lasts, it's all I have to say ... ENJOY WHILE IT LASTS 😈😈😈

~ Anyway, question time:

💚What did you think of Ana's description of her perfect man?

💚What do you think of their relationship?

💚 What did you think of their talk about marriage?

💚What did you think of this chapter overall? And what do you think will happen next?

💚What was your favourite part?

💚Anyway, E L James owns the names of the characters from the Fifty Shades franchise, everything else is mine.

‼️FOR REVIEWERS‼️

I am sorry, but I am dead to the world. So I won't be answering individually. But all in all, Mia and Christian have a similar history, and that's why they get along. They can relate better to each other than others too.

As for those last words, remember that Christian loves being a mobster and he doesn't like not telling Ray the truth. He would rather say it, but in any case, he wants to stay with Ray. So far, he still hasn't admitted his feelings for Clary to her, nor even himself. But keep that in mind so you can understand Ana better as well ...

As for Ana, someone made an interesting theory, but she is just sad over her brother. She loved, and he was her big brother. She only has good memories of him, and she put a lot of hopes in Jace finding him. Now, she can't really mourn properly because her father doesn't talk about him, so she doesn't have people about it.

Love, Mina💚💚💚