Prompt: "I want to believe that we got it right this time.", requested by theragingartist
Because this website forbid emotes, please visit my tumblr for this snippet for the full impact if desired. Thank you.
It started with a text.
Kaldur: Oh, it's our 5th anniversary tomorrow, isn't it?
She didn't realize it had been that long. Settling deep in the leather couch, the 5 rang so brightly in her head that it might as well be the world's biggest neon number. Kagome clenched the phone to her chest and took a cleansing breath, her lips growing into a big smile. Her thumbs flew across the screen, before another bubble popped up.
It was a red bubble opposed to the earlier blue.
Conner: Wait, is it seriously been 5 years?
She barked a wet laugh, erasing her previous initial message and quickly replacing it with another.
Kagome: Don't tell me you forgot! (laughing-crying)
Her green bubble blooped with her response, with the emoji indicting she was only teasing.
Conner never forgot their anniversary. He got the memory of an elephant, as Kaldur oftentimes pointed out. Conner kept true by celebrating it every year with them, without even prompting. The celebration every year became progressively more…'elaborate', the word being one way to describe it.
Kaldur: Really, Conner, how could you forget our day? (tears)
Conner: No!
Conner: Wait, are you all making fun of me?
All replies appeared in quick successions, making Kagome cracking a bigger grin. After their getting together Kaldur started copying Kagome's example to use emojis as a show of teasing, when it became apparent Conner doesn't always get the sarcasms and lack of seriousness via the text messaging. There had been less tensions since, when Conner finally understood his two partners' uses of emojis, to placate him.
Kagome: Yes. (laughing)
Kaldur: You left that one open. :')
Conner: :(
A quiet giggle at their recent texting antics, Kagome sat back against the armrest and sighed. In spite of Kaldur's usual cool-headed personality he often comes off a bit differently via instant messaging, and that amused her more than anything. His sense of humor was quite something. She clenched her phone, pondering at what to say. 5 years…she tugged her blanket tighter, absently wondering how cold it had gotten in the living room.
Conner: Seriously though…wow, 5 years, huh?
Conner: Still seems like yesterday we figured out what the heck polygamous relationship is
Kaldur: I believed it was I who suggested the idea of it, considering you couldn't keep your hands off of both Kagome and me.
Kagome: Horndog. :)
She quipped. Before Conner could have a chance to deflect her claims back to Kagome's face, she typed another response. (Because really, she couldn't keep her hands off of them either, and even Kaldur wasn't innocent.)
Kagome: But, we clicked really good together, after that first mission.
Conner: Hey now!
Kagome: Knew about polygamous relationships, from my time with the yōkai. Just never thought I'd be a part of one. Funny how that works.
Kaldur: Same here. Always thought I'd be married and have children with one spouse, regardless the gender.
Kagome: Gotta love that life script.
Truth be told, Kagome was still a bit bitter about losing some support she thought she would have, for going against that 'life script' as Artemis put it. It took years and cutting off the poisoned, frayed strings for Kagome to move on with her two current boyfriends. Just like she had to move on from her previous partner.
Conner: Well, it all worked out good for us
Conner: I mean, look at us. We don't really fight that much. We actually communicate
Conner: We still screwed around. Going on dates and eat out
Conner: Great sex life
Kaldur: Considering you have more stamina than Kagome and I do.
Conner: Now we're talking marriage and kids!
Conner: Though, hopefully kids ain't happening for good few years, but still
Conner: what more could a couple ask for? I mean yeah it's a trios for us. And shut up Kaldur
Kaldur: Just stating a honest fact.
Smiling at Conner's confidence and Kaldur's causal jest at their Superboy's expense, Kagome checked the time. She sighed when it said it was still too soon for her boys to return home. They always works a day before to clear up the bulk of their duties just to have their anniversary day to be completely free.
Kagome was honestly feeling a bit melancholy more she thought about how far they all had to work to get there, to their happiness. For her it was a painful one, and she was certain it was the same for Conner and Kaldur too. There were little else to do but to be thankful and to remember the happier times.
There was no room for regret.
Kagome: It was a long climb, to get to where we were five years ago and where we are now.
She slid shut her eyes, when dog ears and golden eyes flashed into her mind. It was brief but it triggered a dull thrum in her heart. The very thoughts of her long-timed boyfriends quickly got rid of that particular feeling.
Kaldur: What do you mean, Kagome?
Conner: ?
Sighing Kagome waited to allow words to come to her. Carefully formulating these words she entered letters into the response box. It was a bit childish but she was reluctant to hurt her boys' feelings in any shape or form. Kagome disliked talking about her ex to Conner and Kaldur, in the same way she didn't like hearing about M'gann and Tula–granted one of them she had good reasons to not like and the other girl was simply sad to hear straight from Kaldur's mouth.
It was mere jealousy.
She swallowed the thick glob swelling into her throat, when she submitted the first of her messages.
Kagome: We…were in love with someone else 6+ years ago. A year after that we were falling in love with each other. Exactly 5 years tomorrow we were and are officially together.
Kagome: But, if it weren't for the people we were in love with before, we would have never been where we are now. Happy and still 100% in love.
Kagome: Does that make sense? It's really hard to put in words I wanted to say (sweats)
It was stupidly silly at how nervous she got. Of course her boys would understand what she was trying to say. They knew full well that Kagome wasn't much of a texter, preferring to use her voice to put together her clear intentions.
Kaldur: Perfectly.
Conner: Yeah, I get you, babe
Conner: If I hadn't break things off with Megan
Kaldur: If Grath hadn't threaten me to set me up on blind dates I wouldn't think to accept Conner's advances nor would I think just how aborable you are, Kagome.
Kaldur: *Garth.
Conner: I'd still be stuck in that limbo, wondering if there was more than what I thought I had
Shaking her head to ignore the tiny stab at M'gann's name (Kagome was still working out the kinks with M'gann for their works–and honestly the alien girl wasn't that bad, but first impressions counted for everything) she found herself sighing and giggling at Kaldur's comment.
Kaldur wasn't fond of mentioning Tula's name. Given the circumstances that revolved around her death, neither Conner and Kagome could blame him. But, when Kaldur was becoming more secure in his relationship with his two partners, he gradually did open up and talk a bit more about Tula.
It was much the similar way Kagome was with InuYasha, though she never lost him such in a tragic way.
Kagome: If I hadn't seen InuYasha and me as incompatible I'd never return home and get recruited in the Team.
They were so close of getting married and being mated in a traditional yōkai way, when Kagome had an epiphany. She would never be happy in the feudal era, not as a modern girl. And InuYasha's personality seemed to have doubled back worse than it ever was during in her 3-years absence, when Kikyou's death took its dark roots into his mind.
Kagome effectively noped out of that relationship just a week shy of their final bonding.
In truth the summation of what happened wasn't even enough to describe what occurred in between her and InuYasha's souring relationship. It might've made her sound like a selfish girl instead, but it was the truth. InuYasha's happiness wasn't going to be with her, and both knew it.
They parted amicably but still with a bitter touch.
Kaldur: Without what we experienced in the past, we would have never occurred.
Conner: …I wasn't happy with what I went through, but I never dreamed that I'd ended up being -this- happy
Conner: Funny how things happens
Kaldur: Indeed.
Kagome: We got things right this time around, haven't we?
Sniffing Kagome pulled her knees up and breathed deep.
She really did have good memories with InuYasha. She would never have met Conner and Kaldur if not for him. It was plain as a day that her boys thought the same, without M'gann and Tula they would never happened.
Her boys never replied. But, still Kagome waited. Inferences probably happened, she guessed. Almost pouting she found herself scrolling through her picture gallery, full of happy memories.
Outside, Kaldur entered his key into the door knob of their apartment while eying Conner. His expression reminded him remarkably like a fox. Kaldur was wary.
But it was probably because of their pending anniversary tomorrow.
"You have everything?" Kaldur gestured to the bags Conner held in his hands, while unlocking the door.
Conner hummed, shrugging his shoulder to indict Kaldur to enter first, "Yup. Go distract Kagome. We're early enough."
Early enough to surprise Kagome to not see Conner sneaking around to hide the bags.
"Alright." Kaldur agreed, easily, at Conner's relief. The Atlantean didn't ask questions Conner hoped he wouldn't ask.
Kaldur slipped inside, and Conner waited long enough to hear Kagome's loud squeal of surprise that soon evolved to a happy laughing, with Kaldur's sensual greetings. He snuck inside, carefully toeing off his shoes into his cubby and bolted to the turn of a hallway. With training Conner was able to sneak around without having his heavy weight creaking the floor alerting the undesired attentions.
Finding the closet he stuffed all bags inside. All but one bag. One small bag. Kneeling against the floor Conner fished two small boxes out and tucked them inside his jeans pocket. He grabbed his phone and typed in a message.
Conner: It's all worth it, babes