Title: New Year, New Dreams Status: Complete Characters: Fang, Anon Rating: SFW Classification: One-Shot Author: Soradobi Summary: It's been close to half a year since Anon returned home and started his new life. He and Fang have been building their life together and on this New Year's Eve, Fang has one last thing to show him before the year is out. I grunt as I roll over in bed. New Year’s Eve would’ve started out great if I hadn’t been called into work for some last-minute sound editing on a critical project. It would have been even better if someone hadn’t T-boned my ass on the way home as well, but what can you do? Thankfully, Fang let me take a quick nap before our at-home celebration. We had planned to head to her parents’ for the day but that’s out the window with me a bit bruised up and our car out of commission for now. I reach over to her side of the bed, gently sliding my hand across the fabric. It had been a long five years apart when I was at college, and I don’t think there was a single day I didn’t wish I was here instead. I know she’d said we were taking a break but that really wasn’t the case. Any vacation I had at school, she’d fly up and we’d get a hotel room, hanging out and enjoying each other’s company. I don’t think I would have survived all that college shit mentally if I didn’t always have those visits to look forward to. We never actually said we were back together during that time but to be honest, it was all but that in name. I smile as I think back to the day I returned to Volcaldera Bluffs, meeting back up with Fang at the school reunion and seeing all our friends again. Sure, we texted all the time but it’s not the same as being right there with all of them. That friend group is something I wouldn’t change for the world. We all have our quirks and we struggled during our last year together as seniors, but we came out so much stronger because of it. As I touch her pillow, I think of the rooftop again. The two of us just hanging out, sharing some beers and catching up. I was almost certain that she was going to say yes when I asked her out, but I’d be lying if I said my heart wasn’t beating a thousand times a second during that. That soft dusting of pink across her face when she gave that beautiful smile of hers as she looked at me…that’s going to remain with me for the rest of my life. It didn’t take long after we started dating again that I popped the question. Never felt more terrified in my life than when I got down on one knee. Luckily for my sanity—or what’s left of it—she cried with joy as she said yes. A couple months later we were married…and here we are. Only half a year after I got back and I’m living in this small house with her, spending our lives together. I thought I’d always be alone in the end. I spent most of my life that way…sitting alone in my room, shitposting all over forums trying to piss people off and playing vidya all day. I never suspected that last year in school would have changed my life so much. All because of one little pterodactyl woman who made me give a damn for the first time in my life. Even though a lot of that year sucked for me, I wouldn’t change a single thing that happened. Well, except maybe taking that fucking bollard to the chest…goddamn that hurt. I sniffle back a tear as I roll out of bed and slam into the floor with my typical triumphant groan. Me: 54; New Floor: 0. I win again! I hop back up off the floor and grab some clothes—don’t need to be reeking after working my ass off at work—before heading down the hall. I slip into the shower and wash up; bonus of being bald, it doesn’t take long. I dry off and toss on my jeans, white shirt, and green jacket. I dunno why, I just felt like bringing back a classic today. I peer into the mirror to check the cut on my cheek from the crash. Hmm, maybe if I’m lucky it’ll scar. I can make up some bullshit story to impress everyone instead of some ass-wipe smashing into my car. Still pissed—I just got that thing a month ago. Thank goodness for high-quality insurance. I finish up in the bathroom and head down the stairs to the sounds of soft guitar music permeating the room. As I round the corner, I see her sitting on the couch, her eyes closed as she gently plucks the strings with her fingers. My pale blue angel, her majestic wings gently pressed against her back as she plays. She has a beautiful black dress with a high slit on, and she’s a vision as she softly sings, unaware that I’m standing there. She even wore her old choker on her crest today, from back in high school, and her makeup is all done. I really hate that we can’t go out tonight. It breaks my heart to see her all dressed up and stuck at home ’cause some fucker hit me. I smile as I watch her, not wanting to disturb her as she flicks her long silver hair out of her face with a quick twist of her neck. There is nothing in this world I love hearing more than her songs, especially the ones we write together when we have time. I lean against the wall with my eyes closed, letting her music take me wherever it wants to right now. It brings me back to the day in my old apartment in Skin Row. The day I got hurt and the day my mumbling yet again betrayed me. Not that I’m complaining…after all, I probably never would have had the courage to tell her myself that I liked her, so my fucking subconscious did the work for me. Never had a better night’s sleep than that one that I can remember. I had discovered something I didn’t know I was missing, a piece of my heart I wouldn’t have found on my own in a million years. It took her to show me that there was more to life than simply hiding on my own, pretending the world was full of idiots not worth my time. I’ll never stop being grateful for the lessons she taught me and the life we now share. The music stops and I smile, opening my eyes to meet her shining amber irises looking back at me with a mirthful grin. “You liked it, huh?” she says as she sets the guitar against the arm of the couch and lets her hands rest on her lap. I give her a slow happy nod as I gently clap my hands. “It was beautiful as always, Fang.” She blushes as she rolls her eyes at me with a smirk. “Dweeb, I told you to stop calling me that.” I shake my head as I sit beside her on the couch, putting my arm around her shoulder as she leans against me. “I know, but I’m not going to stop. You’ll always be Fang to me.” She chuckles with a sigh. “Fine, but don’t say it in front of the teachers at school. I don’t need anyone starting that shit there.” “I promise. Not like I’d be dumb enough to mess up that badly.” She looks up at me and cocks an eyebrow. “Shut up. You’re right but shut up.” She laughs again as her arm slides behind my back and she cuddles up against me. The warm glow of the fireplace illuminates us as we silently relax in each other’s embrace. I look around the living room at all the pictures of our family and friends hanging on the wall. Naser, Samantha, Ripley, Reed, and Trish. I stare at the one of us all together when we celebrated Labor Day together. I’d never had a good family life before this. My parents never gave a single shit about me, at least not for as long as I can remember. My dad always seemed like he just wanted me gone, like I was a mistake he regretted. My mom, for her part, at least seemed to love me, but it felt like it was done out of duty rather than care. Fang’s family gave me something I’d wanted for so long—a real family, one that gives a damn about me. My eyes continue to drift across the room as Fang snuggles a little closer. Our house isn’t much, just a little three-bedroom on the edge of the good part of Volcaldera, but it’s ours. Nothing makes me happier than coming home after a long day’s work to find her hanging out in the living room sorting through her papers from school with a smile on her face. She loves her work so much, and her students couldn’t ask for a better music teacher. When we were in school, our music teacher was always checked out the whole fucking time, so I’m happy he retired earlier this year. Fang is the teacher the students deserve; if it wasn’t for Fang, I never would have passed. She has such passion for what she does, and I love hearing her talk about the kids she’s working with. She even smiles when she talks about the problem ones. There isn’t a single day that she doesn’t go in to work with smile on her beak. I check out our Christmas tree, still glimmering brightly in the corner. I’m of the belief that I only have to take it down after the new year starts. Until then, I’m going to enjoy those sparkling lights a little longer. One of the ornaments catches my eye as I look, a custom one Naser paid to have made for us: Fang and I holding hands in our winter clothes, a soft pile of snow at our feet and a dusting on us both. Naser has been the best brother-in-law I could have asked for. I never had siblings growing up, and I know I would have loved it if he had been my brother during those days. He's been completing his residency at the general hospital here in town. He passed his classes with top marks and he could have gone anywhere, but he wanted to be close to home, near his family. I look forward to the days when he visits. Fang gets a bit frustrated with the stupid shit we get into when he’s here, but that smile hidden under her groans betrays how happy she is when we are trying out our crazy-ass inventions. The last one only slightly blew a tree in half; cost me a thousand bucks in fines, but it was worth it. I continue to let my gaze drift down the tree until I see the small bag of salon products nestled just underneath. A gift from Trish to Fang, obviously; not like I need shampoo when I’ve got absolutely zero hair on my head. It’s all top-quality stuff, too, from her own salon. Trish has a serious head for business and has been killing it here in town. Not to mention the scents she’s invented are to die for. Whenever Fang puts on some of that perfume, it’s a perfect combination of floral scents that aren’t too powerful but just enough to warm my heart as the aroma fills my senses. Trish and I have been getting along so well these days. A far cry from how it was when we first met. She hated the hell out of me, and I returned it to her just as bad. Really wish I hadn’t…wish I had just talked to her instead of instantly shutting her out just ’cause she was scared. I can only wonder what that last year could have been if none of the drama shit had gone down. Though thinking about it, if she hadn’t done what she did, there may have been a chance that Fang and I would have never gotten together. Shitty as it is, I suppose it’s just what had to happen for things to end as they have. I snicker a little to myself as I catch sight of Reed’s gift to Fang. God, the look on her face when he brought out that brand new guitar. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her jaw drop that hard as she gushed; she could barely speak as she ran around the house with it. I don’t know shit about instruments, but whatever type he got her sent her to the moon. She wouldn’t stop playing it the whole day, not that I am complaining. I think Reed broke a rib when she hugged the crap out of him but he didn’t seem to mind. Probably didn’t even feel it, to be honest. I think he’s still high 24/7 even as he makes money hand over fist with that carfe business of his. Still not sure how the fuck he got that shit legalized, but he always seemed to be way smarter than he ever let on. The last thing I see near the tree brings tears to my eyes—a gift from Ripley and Samantha. A set of perfectly handcrafted crystal wine glasses with our names etched onto them. I’ve never been much of a drinker, what with me being an absolute fucking lightweight, but Fang’s face told a million stories that words never could. As we both held our glasses in hand, I think it really settled in for us. We were a family. We were together for the long haul and that no matter what comes, we’ll never be parted again. Samantha’s soft motherly smile as she looked at us both nearly broke me. I’ve never felt such parental love in my life. Even Ripley couldn’t keep his face from cracking a smile as he watched us. They are the parents I’d always wished I had, the ones I’m so grateful for now and forever. God, how did I get this fucking lucky? “How did you get so lucky what?” Fang snaps me out of my thoughts as she peers up from my shoulder at me. Goddamn fucking mumbling, why the hell won’t you ever go away! I clear my throat as I swallow down the knot that formed during my emotional trip down memory lane. “Just…this, Fang. All of this.” I wave my arm across the whole room before looking back at her, placing my hand on her cheek. “Finding you, getting my life together. Finally having the family I’ve always wished for. I have to be the luckiest fuck alive in all of Volcaldera.” The blush on her face and that smile of hers almost breaks me as she chuckles. “Dweeb, you weren’t the only lucky one. I don’t want to think of the path my life was going down before I met you.” She sighs wistfully as she turns to look at the fireplace. “It wasn’t anywhere good. I never knew what I wanted out of life. Always inventing entirely new lives for myself to try to push past my mistakes.” She sniffles a little, wiping away a tear from her eye. “I regret so much of my past but…” She looks back to me with a tender smile. “I’ll never regret the day I met you.” That fucking destroys me and a few joyful tears slide down my face as I lift her beak to my lips, kissing her. Our eyes close as we kiss, and I gently hold her cheek in my hand as she reaches her arms around my shoulders. We went through so much shit together, with me learning so much about others because of her. I never deserved this—something so pure—yet without it, I don’t think I’d ever be happy again. Her hands curl around my neck as they reach up to my face and she tilts her head to the side and kisses me a little deeper. I can feel the soft warmth of her happy tears touching my hand, gently gliding off the top of it and to the floor. There’s nothing more valuable to me in this world but her and this life we share. I don’t need anything else, it’s just so perfect. Our lips part as we catch our breath, resting against one another as the crackling fire flickers, the dim light glowing around us as we share a loving gaze. I don’t want to say anything. I don’t want to risk my stupid brain messing this up. It’s been pretty damn good at ruining some of our more tender moments, and I’m not letting it fuck this up too. A few quiet seconds pass before she rests her hand against my cheek again. “I love you.” “I love you, too.” I pull her into a hug, wrapping my arms just under her wings as she nuzzles her snout against my cheek. It’s these small moments that make life worth living. I could be poor, living out of a box at the end of the street, but with her by my side, anywhere would be a palace. She gently pulls back from the embrace as she adjusts herself on the couch to rest across my chest. I can feel her soft heartbeat as she presses against me getting comfortable. I move my arm to make room for her and I rest it across her shoulder. I gently run my hand across one of her feathers as she nuzzles close to me. Such a beautiful texture, pristine and perfect; she takes such good care of them. I sigh as I lean back into the couch. “Sorry that our night out got ruined, Fang. I know how much you were looking forward to time with the parents and the dinner I had planned.” She simply shakes her head. “It’s okay. Nothing is ruined. Just because we can’t go anywhere doesn’t mean this day is any less special to me. Our first New Year’s Eve together; no matter how it goes, it’s perfect to me.” She smirks. “Don’t go getting into more accidents though, okay? Be nice to not have to patch you up one of these days.” I chuckle as I pull at the neck of my shirt. “Yeah, sorry about that. Seems bad luck will always find me somehow, no matter what. But you are right…this day is all we need. You okay by yourself for a little bit? I want to whip up something special for you all the same.” She leans up off me with a nod. “Sure, I got some more songs I want to practice a bit.” She gives me a kiss on the cheek. “Just call me over when it’s ready.” “You got it.” I kiss her back and hop off the couch and walk into the kitchen. Hmm, what to make? I peer through the groceries she picked up a couple of days ago and spot the steaks I asked her to get. Always good to have a backup plan for when life decides to kick you in the balls. I grab them out along with the button mushrooms beside them and snag a couple potatoes off the counter. Swiftly dicing up the potatoes into bits, I toss them into a pot of water and bring it to a boil. As they begin to soften, I toss the mushrooms into a buttered pan and sauté them. They brown up and I toss the steak in with them, quickly searing the sides to lock in the flavor as I bring them to a near-perfect medium rare. Fang doesn’t like her meat overly cooked, and I don’t need to get my ass kicked after such a great start to what could have been a terrible evening. I set the steaks aside to rest and swiftly set the table. Bringing out our best plates, I also set a vase in the middle of the table holding a rose I picked up for her a day ago. Setting out the utensils and napkins, I sneak back into the living room. She’s too absorbed in her music to notice me as gently grab the wine glasses from the side table near the tree. I pop open a fresh bottle of expensive sparkling cider her parents gave us and fill the glasses. I mash up the potatoes before divvying up the food onto the two plates, the steam still rising from them as I admire my handywork. You either learn how to cook really well at college or you eat garbage until you die of a heart attack—I chose the former. With everything set, I return to the living room and tap her gently on the shoulder. “Hey Fang, food’s ready. But close your eyes, I want it to be a surprise.” A playful smirk curls on her lip as she gets up. “Okay, I’ll trust you not to slam me into anything on the way.” “Don’t worry, I’m not that uncoordinated.” She purses her lips to keep from laughing. “I only fell down the stairs once!” I am never going to live that down. She giggles as she closes her eyes and I take her hand in mine, leading her to the kitchen. I deftly avoid all the random obstacles in our path. As I reach the table, I gently squeeze her hand and lower her to her chair before pushing it in. I take my seat across from her as she patiently waits. “Okay, you can open your eyes.” Her eyes flutter open and she gasps as she looks across the table at our meal. The smile on her face is too cute for words as she turns to look at me. “Holy crap, Anon! Look at all this! I didn’t know I married a professional chef.” I grin with pride as I survey my hard work. “I had a whole lot of time to get good at it. Everyone else burned their cash on expensive fast food while I saved up money for our dates by cooking for myself. Never wanted you to visit me and be stuck in a dorm room with two other smelly fucking dudes.” She chuckles as she picks up her fork and knife. “Fucking grateful for that. Those visits are some of my fondest memories from our time apart. Wouldn’t trade them for anything.” “Me either, not a single one.” She smiles at me as we dig in. The look of joy on her face with every bite fills me with pride. I may be an absolute sperg, but I can cook. She slices through the steak and the perfect reddish pink color lets me know I nailed the temp. We quietly enjoy our meal together, a few bits of small talk about work and her plans for the new year at school. I can’t help but smile the entire time. The joy in her eyes could keep me going for my entire life. We clink our glasses together before we take a sip. Holy crap! Her parents know how to pick some fucking good cider. As we finish the meal, I get up to clean the dishes but she stops me with a shake of her head. “You cooked it, so that means I clean it. It’s a rule I’ve suddenly decided is a thing from now on.” “Wait…” I think for a moment. “You usually end up cooking a lot more than me.” “Yep!” She smirks mischievously. “Means you will have plenty of dishes to do every day.” I groan but still smile a bit. “Goddammit. Well, I better start cooking more then.” “You’ve figured out my secret plan! Seriously though, you should. You’re really fucking good at it.” She sets the plates in the sink and swiftly washes them, keeping the water from getting all over her dress as she places them in the dishwasher. She dries off her hands, tossing the towel on the counter before walking up to me with her hand out. “Now come on, I have a surprise for you as well.” I raise an eyebrow, wondering what she could possibly still have left to surprise me with. She already gave me all my Christmas gifts and honestly, I don’t think I need anything else with how much she spent on me as is. Shrugging, I gently grasp her outstretched hand as she leads me away from the table and out of the kitchen. She settles me on the couch before picking a small box up off the table and putting it in my hands. I turn it over a couple of times before looking back at her. “Another Christmas gift? Where did you hide this one? I thought I checked all your hiding spots.” She snickers as she flicks me on the nose. “Not all of my hiding spots. You only know of the ones I let you find.” “Yet again I think I’m clever, and once more I’m completely fucking wrong.” She chuckles as I continue to examine the box. “Well? Open it already, dweeb.” I turn it over one last time before pulling on the tiny red ribbon on top. It falls away as I gently pick off the wrapping paper and pop open the lid. Softly held between two cotton squares is a small card with a note written in her immaculate handwriting. Man, I wish I could write something that didn’t look like chicken scratch—holy crap, this is fancy! I take the card out of the box and read it out loud. “Sorry, Anon. You are going to have to wait seven months for this gift to arrive.” She smiles at me as the gears in my brain pitifully spin as I try to figure out exactly what she means by this. What could it be? I mean the Xrox 720 comes out in June, but that’s only six months from now. I also think I already preordered a fuckton of games for it as is, and she checks my cart all the time to make sure she doesn’t get something I’ve already got coming down the line. We aren’t going anywhere that I know of, and we’ve got all the computer equipment we need. Oh fucking hell…come on brain, stop sperging out and figure out what she means! Her smile starts to fall a little the longer I take, her eyebrow raising at me as I continue to struggle through the muddled mess that is my brain. Oh god, that look in her eyes is making my heart hurt. Raptor Jesus, throw me a fucking bone…what does she mean by this! Her smile fades completely and she frowns slightly, looking down at her hands. I feel the disaster I’m about to cause looming over me if I don’t get these fucking gears turning. Her hands twist in her lap and she sighs softly. “It’s okay if you don’t—” “Wait!” I shout, causing her to jump as the gears finally click into place and the thing she’s trying to tell me smashes into my goop of a brain like a freight train without breaks going 300 miles per hour. A blissful smile grows on my face and her smile comes right back as she sees I finally understand exactly what she means and that I’m happy. A tear slides down my cheek as I take her hands in mine. “Fang…you’re pregnant?” She says nothing, only nodding gently in response to my question as she places a hand over her stomach. My heart explodes into a thousand different emotions as the realization fully dawns on me. She chuckles to herself as she watches my face twist through so many happy emotions that I can’t possibly put into words. It takes every ounce of my willpower not to squish her in the biggest hug as I start to laugh like an idiot. I lift her up off the couch, spinning her in my arms as she giggles. “Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!” I blurt out between my laughter as she holds onto me. I finally settle down long enough to gaze into her eyes. I never really saw myself as a father; it’s not something that I really ever thought about. But with her, I don’t think I could ask for anything better to happen in our lives. I set her back down on her own two feet as she wraps her arms around my neck, her wings enveloping me in a downy blanket of the softest feathers. “Yes Anon…” she says as she peers into my eyes. “You are going to be a father.” Happy tears I can no longer hold back burst from me as the dam shatters into pieces. I embrace her as she quietly sobs on my shoulder. Whatever I did to deserve this, I don’t know what to say. I’m going to have a family all of my own, and our baby will grow up with two parents that will do nothing but show them the greatest love any parent could. They will never have to wonder if they are truly loved or fear telling us anything. We’ve gone through so much—seeing the worst of what can happen when parents fail to care—and we won’t do the same to our own. I can’t fucking wait…! I want this so bad. I lean away from her to gaze into her face as her tears sparkle in her beautiful amber eyes, still holding her in my arms as her wings slowly slide back behind her. “God, Fang…I love you so much. This is the best gift you could have ever given me. I’ll never be able to top this.” She gets a little closer before nuzzling her snout against my cheek. “I love you, too. Just be a good father to them, whomever they are, Anon. That will be your gift to me.” “I promise you from the bottom of my heart, I will never give anything less than my absolute best.” I put my hand over her stomach as a tear slides down my cheek. “They won’t know anything but love from us for as long as we both live.” Her tears still gently flow down her cheeks as she places her hand over mine. “We’ll give them everything we wish we had growing up and more…” Her words trail off as a smile grows on her beak. I don’t want anything else in my life but to be everything they will need from me. I will be with Fang every step of the way, never once getting mad at her no matter what happens. There’s going to be some big changes that she’ll be dealing with and she’ll need me. Someday soon, someone else coming into our lives will need me too. We silently stand in each other’s arms for a bit longer. The glow of the news that just hit me fills my heart with a warmth I haven’t felt since the first day we admitted we liked each other. I stare into her eyes as she looks back at me. Thank you…thank you, whatever force in this universe made this possible. I’ll never stop being grateful. After a little while longer, we finally sit back down. The countdown to the new year is growing closer as we cuddle up on the couch and click on the TV. As the ball begins to drop, I think about the year I’m about to have. The growing pains of pregnancy and childbirth do fill me with a small bit of dread, but everything that will follow after brings me nothing but joy. I can see from the look in her eyes she’s thinking the same thing. I’ll won’t let her feel alone during this. I can’t share her pain, but I can help carry the burden. As the ball begins to drop lower and the final countdown begins, I turn to look at her for the last time this year. The brilliant color of her eyes is brighter than ever as the reflection of the fire sparkles in them. I have so much to look forward to now: a new future, my own family. As the countdown nears the last few seconds, her eyes close as she leans toward me. I follow her movements as our lips meet in the middle. First kiss of the new year and of my new life to come so very soon. The warmth I feel from this kiss is so much more than ever before, the promise of a future with a tiny tot wandering our home bringing me joy I’ve not felt in my entire life. As our lips part and we rest our heads together, all I can think about is what is to come in this new year. I grab the remote off the table and click the TV off, setting it back down as I reach out and gently grab her hand. It’s late and while I don’t want this night to ever end, rest must come eventually. I lead her up the stairs to our bedroom as we quickly change into our pajamas. She’s as beautiful as ever in her flowing nightgown, and she settles in under the covers. The amber pendant still hangs from her neck; she never takes it off if she can get away with it. I hunt through the covers until I find her hand and grasp it softly, intertwining our fingers. As I peer into her eyes, she gives me the warmest smile I’ve ever seen from her and my thoughts are set ablaze. They all flow through until just one last thought remains, one of the first of this beautiful new year. I can’t believe it; I’m going to be a father.