A/N: I got hella emotional over this and I hope it wasn't just sleep deprivation or just my emotions being all over the place in general. It is my first time writing Stella and Brandon, though, so let me know how I did there.
Stella plopped herself down on the couch without any of her usual princess grace. She was too exhausted and was past the point of caring about the way she looked ever since she'd gotten her top ripped on a tree branch. At least her shorts hadn't been subjected to the same cruelty as she'd climbed the trunk of the tree–at least her footwear hadn't been a hindrance as she'd listened to Brandon and put on the only pair of sneakers she had–but she'd ended up with scratches all over her legs that at least Brandon had tended to immediately, the feeling of his care for her as he'd worked on her helping calm her down. Not that she'd been unable to withstand the stinging of having her wounds cleaned up–she'd been through much worse just having her eyebrows plucked–but the whole experience had been rather trying for both her nerves and her looks. She just wanted to cuddle into Brandon's side and never have to move again. She could use some beauty sleep anyway.
She couldn't quite find it in herself to smile when Brandon came after her and entered her line of sight again. "Your cousin is a handful," she huffed.
Duncan was just ten years old but he was bursting with energy and had dragged them all over town. She'd been stunned when the first thing he'd told her was that he didn't like her clothes and the colors were all off. She hadn't known what to say or how to proceed, how to win the child over when it'd just become clear she couldn't use the one thing she was actually good at. Not to mention that she'd had to bite her tongue to keep from spilling her own opinion on the clothes he'd been wearing, though she'd later learned that his outfit had been more efficient than her own if nothing else.
He'd spoken again before she'd managed to gather herself, though, and had said Brandon had told him what a powerful fairy she was, and then he'd called her cool. And she'd felt tears coming to her eyes as the panic had released her heart at the information that he already liked her, that she didn't need to look a certain way or pretend to be what she wasn't for him to approve of her because he already did thanks to the skills she'd struggled to improve. She'd had to put a lot of effort into not crying, too, as it wasn't the time or place, and she'd spent too much time on her makeup to ruin it now. Especially since something had told her she wouldn't have an opportunity to fix it any time soon.
They'd gone to a video game store where she'd proceeded to have her head filled with information about things that had never interested her but she'd listened–it was a skill she'd been developing consciously since she would have to pay attention to a lot of problems when she became queen–and Duncan's eyes had glowed when she'd asked him questions and wanted clarifications. And Brandon had laced their fingers together, his warmth reassuring her that she was doing well. Though, it'd made Duncan make a face of disgust and come up with the brilliant idea to have them fight each other so that Stella could demonstrate her powers.
She'd ended up victorious too, Duncan's cheers only making the smile on her lips widen as she'd offered her hand to Brandon to help him get off the ground and he'd laughed, the sound spreading inside her to push away any nervousness that may have been left in her, before he'd ruffled his cousin's hair and taken them both for ice cream. Duncan and her seemed to have the same taste in that and they'd teamed up to tease Brandon for his own choice of a flavor that they disapproved of. It had all been great until the episode with the tree climbing–all Duncan's idea–that she didn't want to think about even after Brandon had showed mercy and helped her despite her earlier crimes against him. She was just glad that part was over and the day was done since she'd had no energy left. But at least Duncan had sported a wide grin when they'd left him home before heading for Brandon's apartment for some much needed rest.
Brandon leaned on the door frame, his eyes focused on her and his gaze so intense it started scaring her. Especially since she had no idea what had prompted it and couldn't tell whether the deep emotion in it was positive or negative.
"What?" she asked as she gathered whatever energy she had left to push herself up and sit up straighter. "Did I say something wrong?" she asked, feeling the anxiety creep in again at the thought of ruining what had been a perfectly good day by not thinking through her words. She'd loved spending time with Duncan and even if it had been draining, it had definitely been an interesting experience that had left her with a lot of positive emotions. Especially when Duncan had hugged her before they'd parted, his arms wrapping around her waist and making her freeze for a moment from the unexpected affection before she'd hugged him back, feeling her heart expanding at her chest as if it would burst from the emotion that was hard to contain.
"You're amazing, my love," Brandon said as he pushed himself off the door frame and walked over to her, sitting down next to her on the couch and drawing her into a hug, her face getting buried in his chest and she was tempted to just stay that way forever but she needed to know what was going on, what had prompted his words. Not that he didn't compliment her constantly, making her shine with joy, her heart melting under the rays of his love, but she didn't understand what was happening.
"Brandon?" she asked as she looked up, the feeling of tears returning in her eyes when she was met with his soft gaze and that smile on his face that made her feel like she was the only girl in the world, like she was his sun and moon.
He cupped her cheek and she leaned into his palm, the warmth of his affection touching her deeply like it always did, filling any cold emptiness inside her that could be left by the fears creating her nightmares. "I've never really stopped to think about..." Brandon paused, his eyes leaving hers and that was unusual enough to prompt her to cover his hand with hers and move her fingers over his skin, hoping the caress would encourage him to continue. "I've never thought about becoming a father," Brandon admitted, his eyes back on hers now. "But I think I'd love to if you were the mother of my children," he said and the emotion in his eyes was like a sun directly burning into hers as their gazes were locked together.
Her fingers froze on top of his skin. He was talking about... about family, and the two of them... with kids. Parenting... perhaps even marriage. All concepts she hadn't dared to think about after her parents' divorce had left her so torn apart. And years later it was still hard to accept. She was just a child, their child, and watching them like that had hurt so much she'd been ready to renounce marriage. What was the point anyway? All those promises of forever could turn out to be fake and then how were you going to trust anything ever again? It hurt to admit it but a part of the romantic in her had died as she'd watched her parents fight again and again while she'd cried.
Brandon had brought it back, though. He'd been there for her, always, holding her hand and telling her cheesy lines that only made her laugh while his heartfelt confessions kept her warm at night even after she'd woken up from the cold bite of another nightmare. He was the light and warmth she'd always craved, and to hear him admit that he wanted a future with her was overwhelming as it brought up how much she wanted the same. And she in no way doubted him and his honesty but it was just so hard to believe... believe that she could have that forever she'd always fantasized about. And being a mom – that was just another set of responsibilities that she thought she may never be able to take on. She didn't feel like she could no matter how much she wanted to. She didn't feel like she could return the unconditional love a child would give her when it called her mama and smiled at her, and held on to her finger.
Stella clutched at Brandon's wrist, trying to pull herself out of the fantasy before it was too late and she'd sank in too deep. "Brandon, I don't- I don't know..." she tried but the tears were flowing from her eyes and the fear was flowing down her throat and keeping her from speaking.
"If and when we're ready, Stella," Brandon said, reading her mind, and that just made the tears flow harder at how deeply his understanding of her ran. It was so reassuring that the fear let go its grip on her and the sobs spilled from her mouth as she shook in his arms and he held her tight, placing a kiss on the crown of her head. "I just know you'll be a great mother," Brandon said, his voice never wavering just like his confidence in her didn't. "You're so attentive and caring, just like a sun spreading light and life all around. And our kids will be just as lucky to have you as a mom as I am to call you mine." She loved to hear that, loved to know he wanted her so much, that he wanted to stay with her and have a family too... be her family and give her the chance to finally be happy. It was all she'd ever wanted, someone to call her own and trust that they loved her too.
"Schnookums," Stella sobbed out, trying to get a grip on her emotions and focus on the light joy hovering inside her enough to summon a handkerchief. Her tears were soaking into Brandon's shirt but there were more coming as the heaviness was leaving her and her nose was running too, and she couldn't be so unpresentable at a moment so important and beautiful.
"I love you, schnookums," Brandon said, making her smile like she always did when she heard the words. It was genuine just like she knew they were and she had no trouble believing them even when she couldn't believe her own thoughts sometimes and doubted her own hopes. It was all the promise of forever she could want. It was the power of love and she was the happiest girl in the world to have that with Brandon. If she was caring, then he was a perfect mirror of that, always so tender and loving, and helping her feel alive with happiness. She knew any kids they'd have with be so taken with their father. She could already see the family photos with children climbing all over him.
"I love you, too, schnookums," Stella said, barely holding back the laughter trying to bubble out of her at the mental image. Maybe some day, they'd both laugh at it, and it wouldn't be just the two of them. Though, that was enough too, his love better than she could've hoped for.