(1938-04-15) House of Cards
Details for House of Cards
Summary: Clover expresses some of her fears to Zephyr, in a mostly healthy way.
Date: April 15th, 1938
Location: MacNair Residence
Related:
Characters
CloverZephyr

There is a month and a half left until the baby is born and Clover has become insanely impatient about it. Than again, she isn't a very patient woman outside of her profession. She has no problem waiting weeks for a potion to brew and simmer, but waiting to meet this new baby has been a real trial. One or two of the guest rooms may have been redecorated while she is keeping herself busy, and today it seems she is in the nursery once again, rearranging things, refolding the clothes that have already been purchased, and swapping out one bedding set for another. Soon, she'll be on leave from work, with nothing to distract her. That could be trouble.

Zephyr comes in carrying Donovan who is playing with his uncle's cigarette case as Zephyr has a cigarette in the other hand. "Someone needs a change love." Which of them needing a change is evident in the not under the butt hold in which Zephyr is carrying the boy.

Clover turns and smiles as she sees Zephyr and her nephew enter the room. Walking over she'll lean over and kiss Donovan's cheeks and gives them a little pinch. "Someone has made a mess." She says with a smile as she steps away from them both and returns to her folding. "The changing table is over there and there should be some fresh nappies underneath." She says, giving him a grin, as if to suggest that he needs to get some practice in.

Zephyr moves to put his cigarette in his mouth to pull his wand out and place it against his throat, "Claire, Don needs changing." Is boomed out the door and echoes through the mansion. "Coming sir!" is called back and Zeph gives his wife a big shit eating grin as he puts the wand way and takes a drag of his cigarette as he sets the boy on the changing table.

When Zephyr calls for the maid, Clover closes her eyes and takes a calming breath. "I sincerely hope, Zephyr my love, my darling. That when our own child is here, that you're not going to go running to the first available female to change a diaper." SHe says with a raise of her brow. "Because if that is your thought that we may have a problem."

Zephyr gives her a look, "Then we have a problem. I pay and treat the girls very nicely so that /they/ clean up mess - so that I don't have to. I think if you asked my father the number of times he wiped shit from my ass he would confidently tell you - never. I'll love, cherish and raise our children….and nephew to be good citizens of the world. So much so that they'll be able to afford extra hands so they don't have to wipe shit off their little one's bottoms." He leans against the wall, enjoys his cigarette and plays with Donovan to keep him entertained while he waits a few moments more for Claire to appear and get to diaper changing.

Clover listens to his words, letting him state just how he feels with out interrupting him. "Ah yes, well of course your father would not have cleaned up any of your messes Zephyr, does the same go for your mother as well? So tell me, just how is that relationship between the and your parents? Do we spend time with them because you want to, or is it out of obligation?" It's at this time that Donovan, who is still in his parrot stage, has decided to pick up a few choice words out of Zephyr's speech. So for his own amusement, he is repeated the word shit, over and over, which only causes a glare from Clover to Zephyr. Making a frustrated noise, she moves over to change the diaper herself. "Just because you have the money to pay someone to change your child's diaper, it doesn't mean you should."

Zephyr seems amused some by Don's repeating and perfecting of his control over the word, shit. "Don't do that darling, or this will go from disagreement to something entirely more volatile. Don't compare the relationship I have with my parents, throwing it in my face, with how I'll be as a parent, just because I'm going to refrain from wiping shit off it's ass doesn't make me a bad father, I don't appreciate you insinuating that it does. This is the end of this unpleasant conversation. Are we clear?" His tone never got hostile, not in front of Donovan. He smiled the whole way through, but the dangerous ground she tread upon is sharp in his eyes. He even leans over to give her cheek a kiss before he starts to head for the door. "I'll be in my office."

Clover deftly changes Don's diaper and she reaches down to beep him on the nose when she is done. "Donovan." She says sternly. "We don't use that word." His words make her realize that she has stepped over a line, but she keeps her eyes fixed on Donovan. "Clear as crystal." She responds to him, leaning over to pick up the small boy and rest him on her hip. It's a big awkward to hold him this way, but she does, bouncing him a bit. When he makes his leave for the door she nods her head at him. She doesn't follow him just yet, she intends to, but it is several minutes before she shows up at his office door, with out Donovan, and she of course knocks before attempting to enter.

Sophia answers the door and bobs a curtsy to the lady of the House and moves past to let them have their peace while she has to go touch up her lipstick.

Zephyr is at his desk reading the Daily Prophet with his crystal decanter of scotch opened next to a glass that's got a sip left to drink. Which is remedied as he continues to read while one hand reaches over to refill his glass. Then it's taken up for a good swallow before his lit cigarette is taken up from the ashtray and puffed at. "Darling." He greets a bit more friendly than one would imagine he might after what just happened.

Clover watches as Sophia slips out of the room, nodding to the woman as she leaves. She'll close the door behind her and slowly walk over to his desk, watching as he reaches for his glass, and debating on pouring one for herself. His tone causes her to pause, wondering what had caused it, but seeing that Sophie has just left, she figures she was doing the other thing she's being paid for. "Forgive me." She says quietly, leaning on the side of his desk, though not facing him. "I've just had this overwhelming feeling of dread the last few months that I cannot shake. Like all of this is some delicate house of cards that is just going to fall over if the wind blows in the wrong way." Shaking her head she frowns just a touch. "It is of course no reason for me to have said what I did."

Zephyr reaches over to place his hand over hers on the edge of his desk. "There is no need to apologize. Thank you for doing so though. But my wife never has to apologize to me. You said we were clear, that is good enough for me." The apology and her telling him about how she's feeling are separate matters. He doesn't want apologies, he does want to know what his wife is feeling and thinking. "I can understand the feeling of everything being a house of cards. I've felt that way since I was a small child. But together we are cheating and using cards with tacky edges. Hmm? We have gotten through worse and we will continue to power through life together and squeezing it dry of all the good and delight from it that we can."

"I just compared you to your parents, I cannot think of any insult I could say to you that would be worse. I had to apologize." Cover says as she closes her fingers around his hand and squeezes it gently. "I know, and we're both very good at cheating but it won't just be us anymore. Maybe it's natural to feel this way? I know all of the medical ins and outs of what is going on, but I do not think I was prepared for all of the emotional things that came with it." Clover says, trying to calm herself and keep her wild emotions in check, at least until the conversation is over. "I think I've just realized how precious life is, and I'm afraid of how quickly it can all be taken away."

Zephyr squeezes her hand back and lifts it soon afterwards to draw her over to him in his chair to urge her down into his lap. One arm will go around her back and the other rests on her beautiful big belly. "I will protect you and our child as much as I can within my power. I don't like to brag, but it's quite an expansive cover of things. So don't you worry about things like that. You focus on being well and happy for our child's sake. I'll handle everything else. Just know that I am your husband, which makes me your partner in this. Let's just in the future lash out at everything out there…" He gestures to the wide world outside of his office window. "And not at the person that will kill to make sure that you and our children are well provided for. Yes?"

Clover is careful, but she gets herself settled into Zephyr's lap, letting her head rest against his, and placing her hand on the one that is resting on her stomach. "I will do my best to just relax and take care of the two of us." Though, that would be relinquishing control and that is not something Clover is programmed to do. Leaning forward she'll press her lips against his cheek and give him a quick hug. "I have never doubted you in your ability to provide and protect. I love you, very much Zephyr. But even through that some doubts and insecurities still rear their ugly heads. I'm just glad that you are level headed enough to shut me up when I start jumping to conclusions." She smiles at him, and her eyes may be welling up a bit, but she's trying to pretend they are not.

Zephyr caresses her cheek with his lips. "Of course. I wouldn't be worthy of your love if I didn't. I think you realize now more than ever, thanks to this little fight just how apt I am at chopping off reared ugly heads before they can do much damage. I love you Clover, like a shark loves blood. I love you. I love our child just as much. So it's growing inside of you - making you crazy is completely forgivable." He lifts his hand on her belly to kiss his fingers and place them back down on her belly a moment before he lifts them up to cup the side of her face and bring her lips to his.

"I do." Clover says lightly as she brushes her fingers through his hair. His analogy does cause her to raise her brow just a touch, but she smiles at him none the less. "To think of you as anything else than a predator would do you an injustice. I wonder if that is a trait that you have passed on to our child. Maybe that's why it's driving me crazy." She says while he kisses her hand, and when he pulls her face to his, she is more than happy to return the kiss.

Zephyr gives a shark like grin and playfully chomps at the air before her lips before he gives them another kiss. "Perhaps, or perhaps you are tightly wound because you've not…" He doesn't finish saying what is on his mind, instead he wags his brows up just a bit.

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