Chapter One
~
"Okay! The sandwiches are packed! Is there anything else?" Alice Leywin asked, clapping her hands together.
"No, that should be all. I'm just grabbing some my stuff and we should be set!" Reynold chuckled to himself as he heard the rustling of cookie cartons as his wife looked through the pantry. She always had a sweet tooth. He figured that's part of what made her so sweet.
"Okay!," She exclaimed excitedly, "Do you think five packets of cookies will be enough?"
He shook his head grinning lightly, "Honey, that could give each of us a packet with one leftover. I'm sure it will be fine." He looked at the stack of cookies again and picked one up.
She looked up at him, with a tiny pout on her face. "You know they are mine and Arthur's favorites." she said.
A couple of months ago Alice had been eating the most sweets chocolate Reynold has ever bought, and their eldest being curious about the sweet asked to have a taste. She each gave them a piece, Alistair said it was nice, but Arthur had this childlike he rarely shows, she couldn't help but feed him more and after that the mother and son duo found their click.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and laid a small peck on her nose. "I love you. Do you know that?"
She crossed her arms while rolling her eyes exaggeratedly. "That's why you married me," and went on her tippy toes, wrapping her arms around his broad neck while kissing his nose in return.
"Eww"
Their quiet moment soon ended, with their one year olds announced their presence. They had fully dressed themselves, with all their might, it wasn't perfect. Their mother knelt in front of the eldest and retied his hair, he had refused to cut it short like his brother. She then move to the youngest and properly fixed his shirt.
Together they stood identical, same height, same hair color, same rounded face, but they had completely different personalities she noticed.
Arthur, the youngest of the two, the quiet one, the little helper, always in their small library or sometimes helping around the house. You can always find him in one place, he was neither like herself or Reynold. He was...different.
Reynold watched as their eldest son, Alistair, slowly started to creep behind him. Unlike his brother, he was up and around, never inside the house. He'd disappear in front of you if you weren't careful and you'd find him sleeping in odd places. He was more vocal then his brother. His first words were neither Mama or Dada, instead he chose 'Artie' as his first word. Arthur he said Mama first, then Dada, much to Reynolds defeat.
Reynold picked up his son and slung him over his shoulder, causing him to giggle. "If we don't leave now it will be too late to go on a picnic," he said as he walked out the door, Alistair still on his right shoulder and the picnic basket in his left hand.
Alice lifted Arthur up and set her on her hip grabbing the second basket, trailing after her husband. "Gotta make sure we don't forget this basket. It has cookies in it," she winked, placing a kiss on her son's head. Arthur giving a serious look, nodding his head looking at the basket.
-----
One thing the twins do have in common is that they follow their father around like ducklings, Alice envies her husband during these moments.
He was currently fixing up, or building the carriage from one of their neighbors, Alistair would bring him his tools and would sometimes use them, while Arthur unlike his usual bookself, he would point at something asking for what is does.
"Boys don't you want to help your mother out" he asked, sensing his wife's jealousy turning to anger.
The twins who were immersed into their father's work, snapped out of it. They looked at their father, then their mother, then at each other. They had developed sort of a nonverbal communication between the two of them.
'Go' Alistair twitch his noses.
Arthur raised his eyebrow, 'No'
'Why not? You always gardening, you love gardening! I like fixing!' Alistair looked at his brother,
'Yes, true. Now you're gardening and I'm fixing' Arthur returned the look.
'No'
'Yes'
'No'
'Yes'
'No'
'Yes'
'No'
'Yes'
'no'
'Yes'
'no'
'Please'
'yes'
Alistair got up and dusted himself, before running towards his mother. He always felt childish in his body, so he jumped, and she caught him.
"Alai help Mama!" he smiled, today was one of those days he's child impulse was his instinct.
'So cute!'
"Mama?" Her cute son pulled her for some attention,
"Shall we start with the trimming" she said, moving toward her garden.
Her baby boys are the most adorable babies ever! She was not saying this she was a doting mother.
No.
Alai and Art had this patch of glowing auburn hair, with the
intelligent, glowing eyes they both seemed to share. It pulled her in, enticed her attention.
'No no, I'm not a doting mother. I plan on being a strict mother, for I know that I cannot rely on my husband.' she thought, remembering when her husband tried to teach the boys to fight when they just learned to crawl.
She decided that day to be a strict mother, but whenever Arthur sits next to her silently reading a book or when Alistair is helping her in the kitchen, her heart just melts. Even now watching Alistair carefully treat her garden with such delicate care, melted her strict persona away.
She wasn't the only one who was taken away by their children's manner and cuteness. Across the yard was her husband and their youngest.
"Hold it here"
Arthur bit his lower lip, his hands were shaking, arms tired. For perks sake, he was two and a half, carrying a hammer, his father's hammer.
"Do you need help?" his father asked, clearly seeing his struggles.
His arms were saying yes, practically screaming yes, but Arthur shook his head determined to hit the nail this time. "No" it was a sharp inhale, "I can do it" he exhaled.
Reynold looked at him, he chuckled inward. Usually Arthur preferred calm chorus, nothing that was heavy for his body, Alistair was the one who usually did this.
Arthur had missed the nail five times now, Rey could never say no to his adorable face, it had an unwavering determination. Despite the fact his arms were trembling and Rey's hand was full of bruises from Arthur's failed attempts, his father had a feeling this would be it.
Arthur was annoyed. Annoyed by the fact fact he turned down his opportunity to gardening and chose this horrible experience. He has had worse, felt worse, but that was he past life, that body had been scared long before he could remember, this body was was clean and still pure, it showed no hardships, yet. He felt childish, something he tries to control it unlike his brother, but today the impulse was beyond him and so he asked his father if he could help with the nailing.
"Ready?" he father asked, to which he gave a sharp nod.
He swayed the hammer with his might and; 'Bingo!' he hit the nail perfectly. After too many failed attempts - he refuses to count, but does - he finally hit the nail. He has a satisfied grin on his face, he could not stop himself from giggling. He should stop spending time with his brother, he's acting awfully childish for his liking.
-----
They sleep in the same room since the room is wide enough for two beds. At night, mother and father left the room. The twins were trucked in and sleep but...
Alai sat up straight and turned to his bother "Artie~" Alai called out, in a childish tone.
Arthur gaze at His brotherwith his stoic face. "Yeah?"
Alai amused by his brother's indifference : "You are reincarnated person, aren't you?"
Alistair has been meaning to talk to Arthur earlier on about this topic, and now is a great time.
Arthur on the other hand widened his eyes, and jumped up to look at his brother. He was nervous, but quickly collected himself, it didn't work.
"Then are you reincarnated?" Arthur asked, to which Alistair nodded furiously.
"How long did you know that I am reincarnated?"
Alistair then paused for a few seconds before answering. "I'm pretty sure normal babies at four months don't start crawling or escaping their crib and they definitely do not go to books looking for information, on their world."
Arthur seemed conflicted that his twin brother already knew that he was reincarnated but was unaware that Alistair was reincarnated too.
"Then what about you going to do?" Arthur asked slightly nervous,
Alistair giggled, "Nothing. Let's just keep it this way. You are my little brother and I'm your big brother, I'm Alistair Leywin and you are Arthur Leywin. Our reincarnation secret will be revealed to our parents someday, but for now, let's just live our lives. After all we've been given a second chance"
Arthur was stunned but quickly composed himself. Arthur then smiles too. Alistair is right, there's no need to overthink the past; they just need to live their new life.
"You're right."
"Since it's already past bedtime, let's quickly go to sleep."
Arthur nodded. "Goodnight, brother."
"Goodnight, Artie"
They quickly fall asleep as they don't realize how sleepy they are when talking.