It has been a long time since I've posted anything, so here's a little something to let you know that I'm not dead. I've just been heaps busy with work, school and trying to squeeze in a social life but I am still writing which this should be proof enough of. This is a little side project I started whenever I was stuck with another fic I'm working on – which is proving to be a massive undertaking – but now I managed to finish this one which I hope you enjoy.

LESS THAN PERFECT

By tears-in-rain

Chapter One

Throughout the thirty-three years of his life, Riven had gotten to know exactly how it felt to be afraid. As a child he had grown up in perpetual fear living on the streets, but he had developed a tough skin so that he wouldn't let it affect him. His schooling had landed him in some pretty nerve-wracking situations – especially after the Winx Club had entered his life – but again he never let that get to him. Once he had graduated, Riven had followed a career in the military, which had resulted in him being sent to actual war zones, but he knew how to compartmentalize his emotions and cope with whatever had been thrown at him. Riven was a man who always prided himself on being one who never let fear override his common sense or stand in the way of what he wanted.

Or at least, most of the time it didn't.

"W-What?" Riven stammered, his mind reeling. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears and the palms of his hands had broken out in a terrified sweat. His mouth had gone dry and his entire body was trembling as panic began to get a firm grip on his mind.

"I'm pregnant," Musa repeated, though more nervously than she had said it the first time. She had been thrilled when she had realised she was with child, but then she had seen the blood drain out of her husbands face as soon as she had uttered those two words. As she sat beside him on the couch in their elegant townhouse located in the capital city of the Harmonic Nebular, she could see the panic start to seep into his violet eyes. And when she saw that, she felt the joy about her new condition start to dampen.

Riven let out a deep, shuttering breath and ran a nervous hand through his burgundy hair, trying his hardest to hide from his wife just how badly it was shaking. Swallowing, Riven found his voice and struggled to keep it even. "You sure?"

"Yes," Musa nodded, feeling rather tentative. She could remember Stella telling her and the other members of the Winx Club how Brandon had reacted when she had first told him when she was pregnant. Brandon had apparently cried out in pure delight, scooping her up in his arms and spinning her around, laughing and kissing her blissfully. However, there was no such joy on Riven's face. "I did a home pregnancy test and when that came back positive, I went to the doctors to confirm it."

"And that was today."

"Yes," Musa nodded again. An awkward silence fell over the couple and neither of them seemed willing to break it. Musa was too shy and uncertain to try and voice the concerned thoughts that were flashing about her head, and Riven was too close to the verge of freaking out to dare open his mouth. His skill with words really hadn't improved that much since high school and experience had taught him that it was usually best to keep his mouth shut in tense emotional situation since he had a strong tendency to say the wrong things. But as each second dragged by, Musa's need to know what her husband was thinking grew until it got to the point where she couldn't take it any longer. "Riven? Are . . . Are you okay with this?"

Overcome with uneasiness, Riven got to his feet and started to pace in front of the couch like a caged animal. "I don't know," he confessed. "This is a pretty big step."

"I know it is, but I think it's one we're ready for," Musa told him with an encouraging smile that only wavered a little at the edges. "I mean, we're adults, we're married, we've both got successful careers which means that were finically sound and most importantly, we're in love. I think that we're ready for this."

"Maybe, but I . . . I . . ." Riven trailed off, not sure how he had intended to finish that sentence when he started it.

"Riven," Musa cooed gently, getting to her feet and moving over to wrap her arms around his toned body in order to stop his pacing and maybe get him to open up to her. "Please, tell me what you're thinking. Are you . . . Are you even the least bit excited about this baby?"

Riven physically flinched at the 'B' word and he knew that Musa would have felt it. Unfortunately, his body and mind was still reeling from the news and this lack of composer was bound to lead to him messing this up.

"I-I don't know," Riven stammered for a second time. "It's just . . . I-I . . . Are you sure it's mine?"

As soon as the words left his lips, Riven knew he had made a mistake. Musa went ridged and before her husband had a chance to say one word, she mustered up all her hurt, anger and strength to punch him hard across the face. It was a powerful and well aimed punch – Riven wouldn't have expected anything less since he had been the one to teach her in the finer points of hand-to-hand combat – and Riven had to take a step backwards due to the sheer force of it. However, when he saw the tears of hurt and anger gathering in his beloved's eyes, he would have welcomed a thousand more hits just like it.

"How dare you!" Musa hissed, her entire body shaking in rage. "How dare you even suggest such a thing? Ever since my first year at Alfea, you were the only one I ever had eyes for and now, after being together for over ten years, you dare to accuse me of being unfaithful?"

"Musa, I – "

"You asshole!" Musa seethed, unwilling to let him talk his way out of this one. "You total asshole! Don't forget, Riven, it wasn't me who was so easily seduced by a witch all those years go!"

Riven flinched at her words, but he didn't try to defend himself against them. Even after all these years, Riven still felt guilty and ashamed about his relationship with Darcy, which is why Musa never brought it up. Unless, of course, she really wanted to hurt him.

"I can't believe you! You're still the jerk you were in high school!" Musa spat, turning on heel and storming towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Riven asked as he moved to stop her leaving, but when she looked back at him and he saw her free flowing tears and her furious navy eyes, he wisely stopped his pursuit.

"I'm going to Layla's," Musa informed him, her hand on the doorknob to the front door and her voice dripping with acid. "And don't you dare try and follow me."

Slam!

Riven flinched again as the slamming door echoed around their now empty home and for the first time in a long time, Riven had doubts whether his relationship with Musa was going to survive.

This story kind of came out of the fact that I kind got annoyed that every Winx Club story which involves them getting married and having kids always seem to happen when they're still at school or just graduated which I found to be a bit unbelievable. I mean, they can save the universe from impeding doom and the Trix but they can't maintain proper birth control? I have nothing against teenaged pregnancies since I know that a lot of girls in my grade are now mothers but at this stage in my life that's not the path I want to go down, and I graduated three years ago. Just my personal opinion but.

Anyways, to be continued . . .