Sword Swallower Boyfriend: Dimitri Part 2 (complete)

Mr. Faire has extended a glamour to Farrow and Barbol. This allows them to come to the carnival to watch the cabaret act Mom, Mama, and Dad perform, as well as my act with Valentine. It’s been nice for them, as they have always had to remain in the house or in the Beneathe with their family. 

Barbol is still uncertain about his feelings on having his family return. Our parents have worked hard to get him to come to the carnival with the kids at all. Farrow has been more receptive, although I have noticed he is a bit standoffish at times. I see him jerk away when Mom tries to hold his hand, or Dad rushes up to him. Both Farrow and Barbol are giving me a slightly cold reception. While Farrow at least is kind to me, Barbol has outright ignored me on occasion, keeping to his promise that I am nothing more than a stranger to him.

The only saving grace and possible way to connect with them are Farrah and Bannon. Farrah is bright and bubbly, while Bannon is more quiet and observant. In many ways Bannon reminds me of myself, and I have bonded with him quite well.

Valentine and I have gotten close to Harper as well. Valentine and Harper have already become close friends, and recently we have been going over to the house to help them unpack. Today, my parents have brought the kids playset which they are setting up in the backyard. Valentine has taken Harper and the kids shopping so they can come home to the surprise. While the rest of us put the set together, the atmosphere between us is murky at best. Barbol is behaving because we have done something good for the kids, and Farrow is trying his hardest to mediate.

In their glamours, both Farrow and Barbol are about as tall as I am. Farrow has to wear glasses; the glamour doesn’t hide the fact that his eyes have three sets of irises and pupils in them. He looks more like me; tall, skinny, sort of like a goth scarecrow, with long black hair and gangly arms. I suppose we take more after our dad, Muna, that way. Barbol is tall, but unlike Farrow and I, his body is filled out. He looks like a mountain of dark hair and muscle, and more like our mama, Fye. The three of us take on more characteristics of our mom, Bron, though, in our usual forms.

“Bannon will like the little playhouse, but Farrah will own the slide,” Farrow chuckles. “We’ve been wanting one of these but never had the space until we moved.”

“We weren’t sure how big to go, so we figured it’d be best to stick to something a little simpler. The one with the monkey bars seemed to scream ‘trouble’,” Mom says with a smile. The way she gazes at Farrow and Barbol speaks volumes. She wants so much to lavish love on them, but is holding back every motherly instinct she has in her to keep them comfortable.

Barbol grunts, moving away from the slide as soon as Mama has the bolts tightened. “The kids will probably play more with the cardboard box this came in,” he grumbles. “It really didn’t matter which set you got.”

Dad gives Barbol a sharp look. “You don’t have to be grateful, but you don’t have to talk down to us.” He turns towards Barbol, taking a broad stance I have only seen him use when he gets really mad. “You can have any feeling in the book towards us, Barbol, but we are trying to get to know this family. These kids should be the most important thing to you, because they have become the most important thing to us. If you can’t play nice or even get along with us alone, then-” Dad scoffs and shakes his head. “Why are you even here?”

Barbol’s body becomes tense and his jaw sets tight. “Because this is my home!”

“Our home,” Farrow corrects him. He pushes the bridge of his sunglasses back up his nose. “We’re both hurt, Barbol. You don’t get to play the victim alone. I have my reservations still, but you can’t ignore the fact that our kids love them, and I am not going to hurt our kids by being an asshole to their grandparents.”

“Our kids deserve to know both sides,” Barbol snarls. “In case they ever decide to abandon them too.” His dark eyes cut through me. “And replace them.”

“They didn’t replace you!” I snap at him. “All my life I’ve been told my big brothers are out there, and how wonderful and amazing you were. I’ve been in your shadow all my life!”

“Oh, how sad for you,” Barbol barks. “That must have been such a burden while mommy rocked you to sleep.”

“It was!” I roar at him. “Because I had to see how much it hurt them to talk about you. They’ve been in so much pain! All this time, they’ve lived with their guilt.”

“Good!” Barbol’s sharp teeth show through the glamour as he bears down on me.

I’m not sure what possesses me, and I’m halfway certain something does. I’ve never been known to raise a hand, swat a fly, or even raise my voice. But when my fist connects with Barbol’s face, the whole world goes silent. Everyone turns into statues of shock, including me. Barbol’s eyes are frozen wide in a state of disbelief that some scrawny kid hit him. Then he raises his arm - the only thing moving - grabs my fist and rams his forehead into mine.

“Oh, my god!” Mom screams.

Barbol wipes his face, looking at the dark blue blood on the back of his hand. He smirks and a chuckle escapes his mouth. He uses his shirt to wipe his face, and when he sees more blood on it he throws his head back laughing.

“Dimi,” Mama rushes up to me as I hold my head in my hands. “Are you okay?”

Farrow places himself between us and Barbol, ready to deescalate anything. 

Barbol’s laugh subsides and he shakes his head. “You got a good hit on me, brat.”

“Good!” I snap at him. A trickle of blue blood flows from the cut on my forehead and down either side of my nose. “And don’t call me a brat when all you’ve done is sulk, pout, and pitch fits. Your own kids behave better than you do! It’s lucky they’ve turned out as good as they have!”

A smirk crosses Barbol’s face. “Who taught you to throw a punch like that?” he huffs. “And not the fist one, that word one you got going on there.”

I scowl at him. “To be fair, all of them.”

Barbol smears more blue blood along his upper lip. “Dammit,” he huffs. “The fist one was pretty good too.”

Mom steps around Farrow and approaches Barbol with caution. “Let me look at it.” She extends her hands and Barbol leans down, placing his face between her palms. I can see the surprise on Mom’s face as she looks over Barbol’s bleeding nose. She makes sure it isn’t broken, then gently applies pressure to see where it hurts.

“Okay, just hold here.” she murmurs to him. “And lean forward while breathing through your mouth.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Barbol scoffs, doing as he’s told.

“I’ll go get some rags,” Farrow says after a moment of disbelief. He goes back into the house while I walk up to Barbol and Mom.

“I’m not going to apologize,” I grumble at him.

“Why would you?” Barbol scoffs. He then offers out a hand to me. “No hard feelings.”

I glance at Mom for confirmation, but she seems just as surprised as I am. I grab Barbol’s hand to receive his hearty handshake. 

“I would have done the same, honestly, if someone was insulting my family.” He gives me a half -hearted smile. “I’m, uh… I’m not good with all this. Just ask Harper, she went through this with me too.”

My hands are shaking now. “Look, we get it. I know what you went through must have been hard. But just for the sake of Farrah and Bannon-”

“I know, I know,” Barbol scoffs. “I’m not doing them any favors being hostile around the lot of you. The truth is, I want this to work. I want to let you in but I can’t-”

Mom runs her hand up his arm. “It hurts. You don’t need to explain it.”

Farrow returns to the yard with some damp rags. I take one, mopping up my face. “Everyone okay out here? I don’t need to get the hose?”

“No, no,” Barbol scoffs. He checks his nose and sees it isn’t bleeding. “I think I can behave now.”

“Good, because the kids are home.” Farrow points to the door, where Farrah is smashed against the glass, bobbing with excitement to be let out. She darts out like a bullet when Harper lets her, and starts clamoring to be let onto the slide.

Bannon comes out and tugs on Barbol’s shirt. “You okay, Papa?” He asks timidly.

“Oh, you know me.” He picks up Bannon and carries him over to the landing on the playhouse. “Always hitting my head on things.”

Bannon smiles and goes into the playhouse.

“My god, what happened?” Valentine grabs my hand.

“Oh this?” I touch my forehead and chuckle. “I, uhm, I hit Barbol.”

Valentine shoves me. “Get out!” she scoffs. “You hit him? What the hell for?”

“It’s a brother thing, I think.” I smile down at her. “I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.”

After that, Barbol is more willing to let our parents in. He starts talking to them more and opening up. The more we see one another, I can feel us knitting together, until one night, before we leave the house, Barbol actually hugs our parents.

“See you soon?” he asks timidly.

“Of course!” Mom is near tears. She kisses Barbol’s cheek and beams at him. “We love you.”

“Oh and uh, Dad?” he says gently. “I think... The idea about the house? I think you should. I mean, it would be nice if all of you-” He stops and clears his throat. “It doesn’t matter really, I guess. Whatever you want to do.”

“We’ve already been talking with Mr. Faire,” Mom says. “He thinks it’s a good idea. He’s already planned for something like this.”

Barbol looks at me and offers his hand. “You too, little brother?”

I shake his hand and shrug. “I’m not sure yet,” I murmur. “I’m still weighing my options.”

As we head home, Dad pulls me aside. “You don’t have to stay with us if you don’t want to,” he says. “You can stay with the carnival. It is your home after all. Don’t feel forced into any certain corner.”

“I know,” I murmur. “I’m still uncertain about either. I would love to stay with my family, but then I want to stay with Valentine, and I can’t ask her to make a decision for me.”

“That’s good,” Dad says with a nod. “I’m proud of you, Dimitri, for everything.”

I smile shyly. “I know, I know.”

When I return to my quarters that evening, I find Valentine waiting on me. She’s already curled up in bed, half asleep with a book under her head. I take the book away from her, setting it aside before kissing her temple.

“I’m tired,” she burbles.

“I know.” I remove my glamour and slip into bed beside her. “Keep on sleeping.”

“Wanna talk.” She sits up with a pouty, grouchy look on her face. “I know your parents are leaving, Mr. Faire has been planning a party.”

I sigh. “Of course he is.”

“But what about you?” She rubs her eyes, trying to wake up. “Have you given the decision any thought at all?”

“It is all I can think about,” I huff. “But my heart is torn. I want to be with my family, I want to know the parts of it that have been found, but I also can’t leave you.”

“Where are you leaving me?” Valentine snuggles up on my arm.

“This is serious,” I grunt.

“I am serious,” Valentine sighs. “Where would you leave me?” She looks up at me. “Why don’t you ask me?”

“Because it shouldn’t be on you at all,” I huff. “I shouldn’t ask you at all.”

“I’ll support you no matter what,” Valentine murmurs as she crawls on top of me. She sits on my stomach and frowns harshly at me. “But you should still ask me. I love you and all that junk, and we’ve been together all this time. You need to ask me.”

I sigh as I gaze up at her. “What should I ask? Stay with me? Move away from our home with me? Leave your family so I can find mine?” I scoff and shake my head. “None of those are fair to you, Valentine.”

“So is begging you to stay.” She shrugs and rubs her palm down my chest. “Thems the hooks. But you didn’t ask me the other question.”

“What other question?” I balk.

“The one you don’t even want to think of,” Valentine murmurs. 

I grimace, feeling a cold spike shoot through my stomach. “No. I can’t.”

“You gotta,” Valentine’s voice grows softer as she lowers her head, hiding her face in her hair.

“Do you-” my voice tremors and I place my shaking hands on her thighs. “Do you think we should… we should… break-”

“No!” Valentine snaps. “But see?” She grins. “You asked and you got your answer. I don’t want to break up with you, even if we are worlds and times apart, Dimitri. I would much rather marry you and follow you to the ends of the earth than ever break up.”

“Did you just-” I’m cut off as Valentine kisses me. 

Her long red tongue slips down my throat. As she pulls back, she licks it across my lips. “Make your decision, Dimitri, just do what is best for you.”

I pull her down again, kissing her hungrily as I roll her onto her back. “Right now, I want to make love to you,” I moan into her ear.

Valentine whimpers. “You’ve never done this before.”

I tug off her panties, tossing them aside before I rub my long fingers to her slit. “I feel like you want me to.” I kiss her and suck on her long tongue. I toss her leg over my shoulder as my fingers sink inside her. “Tell me.”

Valentine moans loudly. “Yes,” she pants. “Don’t get me wrong.” She rolls her hips to add to the efforts of my fingers. “I love bossing you around and taking charge, but-” She loses her breath for a moment. 

“You’re getting so wet,” I moan into her ear. “You’re quivering like crazy too.” I pull my fingers out, spreading them apart to let her see her cum string between them. 

“I’m excited, is all.” She tries to brush it off, but as the tendrils on my body start to squeeze around her like ropes, her slit becomes an even wetter mess.

I bend her over on the bed, placing her hips in my lap. My tendrils guide her, placing her dripping quim over my cock. I watch as her labia open, accepting me inside. They stretch as she takes me inside. I lift up, closing the distance and feeling her wetness dribble down my thigh. 

“You’re on fire tonight,” I moan, bouncing myself to push up inside her.

Valentine moans and whines into a pillow. I grind deep inside her, pulling all the way out before shoving back inside. I double over top of her, driving deep and hard inside her. I can feel her pulse and mine mingle, becoming one. I can tell when she’s close as her inner walls start to contract. 

“I’m going to cum,” I moan into her ear. “I’m going to cum.”

Valentine lifts her head. “Do it! Do it please!”

She squeezes tight around me and I release in the deepest parts of her. Valentine cries out loud before falling back into my pillow. She trembles as I pull away from her. She pulls me down to lay on top of her, kissing me and raking her fingers down my back.

“You okay?” she mewls.

I kiss her softly. “I should be asking that.”

Valentine giggles. “No need. I’m perfect.” She relaxes and I melt into her, kissing her bare skin as we both drift off to sleep.

I wake up earlier than planned and everything is still dark. I sigh, taking in a deep breath before rolling over and gazing at Valentine. I feel a pit in my stomach, one of guilt and dread. This could be one of the last nights we share together and I am not sure how to tell her that. I know, in my heart, what I want to do and where I should go, but what if that means saying goodbye after all?

I run my fingers through Valentine’s hair and she slowly begins to stir. She captures my hand as her eyes flutter open. “Why are you awake?” she grumbles.

“I’m going to stay in Hearthway Hollow with my family,” I tell her. “Not forever. Just for now. I’ll come back someday.”

“I know,” Valentine yawns. “I’ll want to see my parents.”

I furrow my brow. “What?”

“I’m staying with you, dummy,” she grumbles. “But we’re getting our own place. I am not going to share a bathroom with your dad.” She smiles sleepily at me. “I told you, you aren’t going to leave me anywhere.”

“I love you,” I whisper.

“Sure, sure.” Valentine leans in and kisses me. “It might be nice to slow down for a bit.” She says with a shrug. “Hearthway Hollow can’t be all that bad. Who knows? Maybe these werewolves are onto something.”

I wrap her up in my arms, kissing her and hugging her. “I promise, I’ll do everything I can to make you happy.”

“Done already,” she smirks. “I’m not worried about anything, Dimi. Not about you, not about leaving the carnival. After all, life is always moving. These things are temporary, like a haircut.” She smirks at me. “We’ll keep growing until the next one.”

I know it will be a strange transition, going from life in the carnival to something much more domestic. She is right though, all of these things are temporary and we can change whenever we want.

We look for a place that afternoon, finding a small house for rent that used to be a church. Mr. Faire’s friend, Mrs. Locklear, gave us a good deal on it since my parents were buying another house from her near Farrow and Barbol.

Leaving home is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, and I know it is just as hard for Valentine. Our last day is filled with celebration and tears. When we watch the carnival disappear to its new destination, all of us cry. 

Valentine and I spend our first night in our new home, but we don’t sleep much. We spend most of the night sharing our favorite stories about the carnival. We know as time goes on, it will become easier and easier, but for now, we indulge in feeling homesick.

“We had looked at this place when we were considering moving here, I could have sworn it was haunted,” Barbol says. He and Farrow are bringing over furniture that Valentine and I have bought to fill up the place. We had come with little more than a bed and trunks filled with our things.

Mom, Mama, and Dad had to turn a whole bedroom into a closet just to accommodate Dad’s wardrobe alone. I am a bit relieved that Valentine and I don’t have to jump through all those hurdles.

“If it is haunted, then what?” Valentine asks. “We’re both monsters.”

“Both?” Barbol scoffs. “Just what the heck do you think you are, little lady?”

“My mother is Unseelie and my father makes the boogeyman look like a kitten,” she smirks at him. “Don’t mess with me, big guy, or this little lady can make cupcakes out of you.”

Barbol grins at her. “Cute.”

“Stop picking on people and pick something up,” Farrow scoffs at him. “She juggles chainsaws, or have you forgotten that?”

Farrah and Bannon run up soaking wet, having discovered there was a stream running behind the house. “Your neighbors have a farm!” Farrah gasps.

“There was a goat and it charged at us!” Bannon is grinning.

“I told you two not to go far!” Farrow scolds them. “And look at you, you’re both an absolute mess. Your mother is going to wring our necks.”

Barbol nods at the kids. “You two planning on doing any of that?”

I bristle, feeling the hairs on my body standing on end. “Well, uhm… Not exactly, but it’s something… I don’t…”

“Not on the table yet, but it’s in the cards for later.” Valentine smirks at me. “Just got to get over this first big move. After that, who knows what havoc there is for us?” She winks. “I’m the boss, so he just has to follow my commands.”

My face goes red hot, and my eyes begin to glow despite my glamour.

“Oh god, you’re weird like our parents, aren’t you?” Barbol stands up. “I’m out.” He grabs Farrah up. “Ready to head out? I think we helped enough.”

I glance over to Valentine as they leave. “You would want kids?” I ask.

Valentine shrugs. “Not now. But who knows?” She takes hold of my hand. “You still haven’t accepted my proposal yet, so how am I supposed to know?”

“So you did propose!” I blurt. I then settle down and sigh. “Of course it’s yes. I would have married you when we were sixteen, seventeen, eighteen.” I kiss her hand and hold it to my face. “But I have one condition.”

Valentine smiles knowingly. “It has to be in the carnival?”

“It has to,” I say firmly. I kiss her and wrap her up in my long arms. 

My parents buy a massive farm house from Mrs. Locklear. It’s big enough to fit all of us, which is part of why they got it. They host a dinner every weekend, going all out for us. We sometimes spend the night there, and I fall asleep curled up with Bannon on the sofa, reading. Other nights, my parents set up a movie projector in the backyard and we all end up falling asleep out there.

Hearthway Hollow slowly becomes home to us, not as much as the carnival, but close to it. I take a job at the local dance studio with my dad, teaching a kids class while my dad teaches an adult class. Valentine gets a job at the hardware store repairing appliances, and grows somewhat famous for being able to bring long-dead equipment back to life. She is the talk of the town for resurrecting Big Billy’s chainsaw, which was well over sixty years old and had been hanging as a prop inside the store. 

Life is quiet in Hearthway Hollow, but it is still full of surprises. There are nights when we can sit outside and hear the wolves howling through the trees. Some nights, we catch the werewolves hunting in the woods beside our house. If any of them disturb us, we usually get a package of meat from Adam’s butcher shop the next day as an apology. 

“I don’t mind how weird it is,” Valentine says. “I think Mr. Faire prepared us for that.”

“I think it’s weird how normal it actually is,” I sigh. “I sort of miss the excitement and confusion of the carnival, even if it made me hide under my bed sometimes.”

“You haven’t done that in a while,” Valentine remarks. “Not since we left.” She tilts her head towards me. “You know, as good as a performer as you were, I don’t think that was ever the life meant for you.” She smiles warmly at me. “It’s kind of nice not having to pull you out from there anymore.”

I loop my arm around her. “I should have been a teacher all this time then,” I laugh.

The dance school is owned by Delaynie, Big Billy’s brother. He’s been extremely accepting of my dad and I in his school, especially since my dad knows so much about burlesque, striptease, and things like that. I, on the other hand, have been brought in to help start a class for needy kids in Hearthway Hollow. Delaynie has started a program, which allows students to be sponsored and thus can join the dance class for free. There are a few kids in foster care, a couple who have special needs. To me, the class reminds me of home at the carnival, and I understand why Mr. Faire worked as hard as he did for his family.

I’ve grown attached to all my kids, and I have been working with one of the teachers at the elementary school to be able to implement my special-needs kids more into routines. One of the young girls in my class is being fostered by Mrs. Locklear, and she has a prosthetic leg that’s uncomfortable for her, but she loves dancing so much that she puts up with it. Like most people in Hearthway Hollow, she’s a werewolf. She lost her leg was because she was a runt, and rather than deal with her, her mother... well, it was heartbreaking enough for me to hear.

Echo is usually quiet, but once dance class starts, I see her light up. It’s obvious to me, having grown up on stage, that she is the kind of girl a good carnival act deserves. One day, I sit down and talk with Echo before Mrs. Locklear comes to pick her up.

“So tell me, Echo, what is your dream home like?” I ask her as I help her tie her shoes.

“Well,” Echo murmurs shyly. “I like traveling and seeing places. Mrs. Locklear took me to Atlanta once and it was so fun!” She hugs onto her stuffed rabbit tight. “We went to a show at this really pretty theatre, and everyone was dancing and singing.” Her smile is small but her eyes are wide and hopeful. “That’s what I want to do. I want to travel and sing and dance for people.” She then glances up at me. “Oh, but that’s not a home.”

I smile at her. “You know, I grew up in a place like that.”

“Then why are you here?” Echo gasps in awe.

I chuckle and pet the top of her head. “Remember that carnival that came here a while ago?” I ask her.

Echo nods her head. “It was so much fun!”

“It really was,” I murmur softly. 

I help her up after her shoes are tied and walk her down to Mrs. Locklear’s car. I catch Mrs. Locklear after she gets Echo buckled in. “I have an idea,” I whisper to her. 

Mrs. Locklear smirks. “Oh? Do share, young man.”

I trade info with her, and when I get home that evening I make a phone call to a few people. Within the next couple of days, through whatever means Robin has, Mrs. Locklear is given a set of paperwork for Echo’s adoption.

On the evening of Echo’s birthday party, I bring Ruby and Mr. Faire to the party. Tonight, they’re meeting their daughter for the first time.

“I’m so nervous,” Ruby whispers to me. “I mean, everyone in the carnival is family, but this is somehow different. I can’t quite explain it.” She looks up to Mr. Faire, who looks just as anxious as she does.

“As many souls as I have brought into my heart, this one makes me nervous?” he chuckles. “It’s just a little girl! I shouldn’t be so scared.”

“This will be your little girl though,” Valentine insists. “That’s how it’s different. This isn’t someone you’ve brought to all the carnival, but your own.”

Ruby smiles reassuringly at Mr. Faire, and they stand in attention as Mrs. Locklear brings Echo out onto the porch.

Mr. Faire kneels down as Echo hides behind Mrs. Locklear’s leg. “Hi, little Echo,” he says softly to her. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

Echo holds on tight to her stuffed rabbit and hides her face behind its head.

“These are the people I was telling you about, Echo,” Mrs. Locklear says gently. “They’re going to be the ones who love you for the rest of your life. And if they don’t, I’ll kill them.”

Ruby kneels down beside Mr. Faire. “I like your bunny,” she says softly. “Mrs. Locklear said you liked them, so we decorated your room will all sorts of cute rabbit things.” 

Echo peeks out from behind her bunny. “Where are we going?” she asks softly.

“Dimitri told me how much you loved to sing and dance,” Mr. Faire’s voice is soft and sweet. “We want to bring you to the carnival with us and live there.”

Echo’s eyes widen and she steps closer towards them. “Even with my leg?”

“Especially with your leg.” Mr. Faire takes hold of her hand as she comes closer. “Our friend Oriharu has a false leg too, and he does the most beautiful dances.”

“His mother, Emberlie, can craft you a wonderful new one just for dancing too,” Ruby says with a bright smile. “We have a whole troupe of kids just waiting to make you their friend, Echo.”

“You really do want to be my mommy and daddy?” Echo asks with a timid voice. “You’re not going to get fed up with me?”

Mr. Faire shakes his head. “I’m sure you’ll get sick of us long before we ever think such a thing, Echo.”

Echo reaches up, putting her arms around Mr. Faire’s neck.

I start to tear up and wipe my eyes as they fall. Valentine rests her head on my arm and holds my hand. “What made you decide to do this for them?” she asks me.

“He did it for me,” I murmur. “My family-” My voice cracks. “I wouldn't even be here had he not done this for my family all those years ago. I think it’s only fair, he gets what he gives to us daily.”

Valentine pulls me down and kisses my cheek. “Come on, let’s let them be alone for a moment.” She leads me back towards the car. “We’ll take them home in the morning.”

When we’re in the car, I lean over and kiss her. “I’ll thank you the same way one day.”

Valentine giggles and pinches my cheek. “Stop being cute.” She kisses me back. “I’d hate to explain to the cops we wrecked because my fiance was being cute.”

I hold her hand as we head home, excited for the day we decide to have our own Echo.