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Tabhartas Winterbourne stepped back into the house in the early afternoon after a particularly fruitful spot of fishing down by the coast, ducking his head a little to fit through the doorway constructed for someone slightly shorter than he. He shucked off the more unwieldy parts of his fishing attire at the coat stand by the door but hesitated once he had completed his task, all at once aware of the relative silence of the home distinct from its usual clamour and clatter.
Such silence was only broken by a little skitter-skitter-plap-plap-like sound of nails on tile, wood, then carpet, then wood again, like the sound of an excitable puppy who had just heard the front door open from the other side of the house. Only, he and his wife didn’t own a puppy (as much as his older kids often begged for one each starlight celebration).
As one of the stricter rules in the family were that flying was disallowed inside the house and other smaller buildings on the farm for the little flyee’s own safety, the small red-scaled dragonet bounded up to the threshold on his four little claws, his loping made necessary by the slightly damp matanga plushie he was carrying by the trunk in his mouth. Said plushie was too precious to drop on the floor and rendered him unable to speak clearly but he emitted a muffled squeak through the cloth and stuffed fleece anyway, his bright black eyes shining up at Tab like a pair of gems.
He smiled, leaning his fishing rod up carefully beside the door. “Why hello there, little ser. I see someone has evaded his naptime.”
Said dragonet was soon joined by his mother, Adea, likely the architect of the household’s unusual quiet. She had seen more than a fair few summers by this point in her life and escapades both fantastical and mundane had afforded her the wear and tear of a much-loved matron and fellow adventurer, but such things had merely galvanized her vivacious beauty rather than allowed it to fade.
For instance, and most dramatically, the love that overflowed from the chalice of his heart whenever he laid eyes upon her came unceasing – something he would have proclaimed most devotedly upon reuniting with her were their child not drooling on a hand-sewn elephant between them, or would she not roll her eyes and scoff at the statement of fact.
Instead she folded her arms and smiled back up at him. “How was Akyaali? Did you have a good time?” She asked.
He nodded slightly and indicated the basket of fish he had brought back with him by his rod with the tilt of his head. “Indeed. ‘Twas fate I chanced upon Matsya and Hasveydah and we whiled away the morning in pleasant conversation. Lest you worry I have brought fish enough to fill the bellies of sixteen hungry souls tonight, though I am chagrined to admit the choicest catch came from the market rather than the mastery of my rod.” Tabhartas admitted, glancing down at his shin-high reception. “Where is everyone?”
“Surprised by the relative quiet?” Adea replied, amused. “A combination of at work, at school, doing their chores around the farm and the youngest three are down for their day nap, save for this sweetling who is too full of jumping beans to sleep.”
“Is that so?” Tab asked, placing a hand idly on his hip as he looked down again at his welcoming committee. “This curiously cute career criminal?”
She stifled a chuckle. “Just so, after many years I have met my match. At long last; a wyrm I could not put down.”
“No!”
“I’m sure you must needs come to terms with the ill news, but it is certain.” Adea wiped a mock tear away from her eye. “I’m perilously unequipped to deal with dreaded nap-evaders like I am now. I understand you’ve only just arrived but I might have to defer to you, honey.”
“Know you the gravitas of what you suggest?” He asked, solemnly.
She nodded. “I do.”
“Hm. Very well.”
The little dragonet had spent his time during the exchange whipping his head back and forth between the two adults talking over him from far above, idly chewing on his matanga cuddletoy. He fixated on Tabhartas though when he dropped down to rest on the balls of his feet, drastically shortening the distance between them and bringing the dragonet in closer with a conspiratorial gentle sweep of his large blue-scaled tail.
“Sorrel. You are our precious miracle and dada and mama love you very much, but you must learn that rest is very important for a dragonet to grow big and strong. To wit, you must do as your mother says, or…” He trailed off.
Folding her arms, Adea tilted her head to one side as she looked down on them. “Or?”
Sorrel dropped his toy and chirped questioningly at him in lieu of words, as he knew how to say very few of them as of yet. This elicited another giggle from his mother, but did not crack the serious façade of his more draconic father.
“Or… or! You will find the… restraint on my hunger quite lacking, and I hunger forrrr…” He grinned all of a sudden, holding his hands up into claws, “NAUGHTY WYRMLINGS!”
Two things happened at once. Tab kicked off and lunged for the red dragonet with a thoroughly convincing growl, but Sorrel was small and infinitely faster than the lumbering giant that was his father and he turned tail with a gleeful squeal, his little claws scrabbling at the wooden floor for purchase before darting off in the direction of his only safe haven – the bedroom that he shared with two of his elder siblings. Rather than a wriggling little child Tab ended up with a decoy matanga instead; a misdirection that he promptly discarded before giving quick but well-measured chase.
Adea predictably hopped out of the way just before Sorrel could scurry between her legs and under her sari to escape, her echo still having some minor benefit even after hanging up her lance. It was a close call when her husband strode past her though on the hunt, ungainly creature that he now was. “Tab! Please!” She scolded as loudly as she could without actually being loud. “The twins and Azer are sleeping!”
As if on cue a familiar high caterwaul rang out from elsewhere. Adea’s shoulders slumped as she sighed. “Seven hells…” She mumbled, heading back to nursery.
There was no need to run in the house, which was another rule to bar accidents just like under-roof flying. Even though he was the patriarch of the quite extensive family Tabhartas found himself also bound by those rules, fearing as he did; as all those who carried his blood did, for the retribution of the Winter Rose. As sweet and luscious as she had been in both frozen climes and now the balmy waters of the Bounty she did have thorns – thorns that he was loathe to have catch his skin. And so he walked.
The length of his stride seemed more than enough to keep up with the excitable scamper of the infant dragonet and he predictably went exactly where Tab knew he would hide, darting into the bedroom he shared with his brothers Sauveur and Dacian. Even so, he scarcely caught the flash of red scale burrowing down and disappearing into the pile of plushies left in the corner specifically for him (his hoard, Adea would call it), made from both hand-me-downs from older siblings and the relatively new.
He dropped to his knee and then almost completely onto his belly, resting on an elbow as he reached into the forbidden collection of toys and easily scooped out the wriggling, squirming and chirping baby dragon. Tabhartas smiled wickedly and licked his lips in a manner most theatrical. “It is too late. You cannot hide from me, and sorrel is made for eating! Ahahahaha! Num num num num num!”
Sorrel squealed in surprise and erupted into high-pealed giggles and exclamations of; “No! Dada! No eat!” as Tab smothered him in kisses and soft play bites. He tried to push the assault away with his little scaly feet which, at his age were still mostly like paws but did little to keep him from being num’d. He only found success by biting back at his father as well, snapping at his hands with tiny teeth that could never hope to break the skin, let alone the smattering of tougher blue scales that accompanied his father’s claws.
Eventually Sorrel found success by latching onto the scaly webbing of Tab’s hand between thumb and forefinger and hanging on for dear life, emitting the cutest growl most unbefitting of a future great dragon and beating his wings to struggle for dominance. This balked Tabhartas for only a few moments before he guessed his son’s game and changed tack, assaulting him with tickles and more kisses for good measure until Sorrel was cackling again and had no choice but to let go.
It didn’t take long for Tabhartas to tire Sorrel out the rest of the way once the little dragonet had laughed and squirmed his way to near-breathlessness. He curled up in Sorrel’s corner for a bit and played with stuffed animals with him for the greater part of a half-bell, but Tab soon had the baby wyrm sinking into his collection of toys as his eyes drooped into a soft doze. There, t’was a simple task. He merely needed an opportunity to let the young one burn off his excess energy.
Tab laid a gentle hand against Sorrel’s flank to silently gauge how deep he’d already fallen into his nap when he felt a sudden weight pressed against his own back – familiar, soft by its own means with the scent of rosewater perfume.
Adea had draped over him like this so many times she knew exactly how to fit her chin against the crook of his neck without her body weight accidentally bending the delicate bone structure of one of his wings. “Hey there.” She murmured close to his ear. “Looks like I missed out on all the fun.”
“Apologies, love. Your dragon is already slain.” Tabhartas responded with all the careful softness of a parent speaking over a recently-downed child. “Did Azer fare well?”
She scoffed a little, but her smile was genuine. “He’s such a delicate sweetheart but yes, he’s fine. Finally, peace and quiet until the kids come back from their chores.”
He tilted his head a bit to get a better look at her and smiled. “Shall I complete the triumvirate and put you to bed too? You will find that I always reserve my finest kisses for your lips only.”
“As nice as that sounds I still have a lot of seafood to clean later.” Adea responded with only a quiet giggle and shook her head, her silky red locks painfully soft against his chin. For a moment she seemed thoughtful, looking over their youngest son’s sleeping form. Tab felt her relax a little more against his back, her slender arms wrapping around what she could reach of his front to hug him. “I gotta say though, you’re almost unbearably attractive like this.”
“Er… sprawled on the floor, you mean?”
She shook her head again and buried her face in his shoulder to hide her grin. “No, just. Doing this. Being a good father to our children. It’s so endearing that I really want to just eat you up too. Maybe I will!”
Tabhartas had to slip a hand over his mouth at first to keep himself from yelping in surprise and accidentally waking Sorrel when Adea turned and lathered his slender elezen neck with dozens of kisses of her own, delighting in the way he buckled to the side and bristled at the unexpected affection, the muffled protestations only spurring her on even more.
“A-aa-Adeaaa, please – you’ll wake the baby and I must surely stink of fish right now!” He hissed, flushing red to the tips of his ears.
What a delight to still find herself able to do that to him after so many years of matrimony, she thought.
“Mmm, eau-de-trout, how exotic. No wonder I fell for you.” She teased, giving him one last playful squeeze before letting up and climbing off of him, stepping around his more draconic appendages in order to bend down and carefully gather up their son in her arms, transferring him from her embrace to the soft quilted bed made especially for him nearby.
Tab rose alongside her and smiled shyly at his wife. “I am aware you must jest, but to know that our hearts align in such puissant matters is…” He paused for a moment, taking her by the hand. “… most heartening. We have come such a long way, haven’t we?”
She gave his hand a little squeeze. Considering everything, it really beggared belief. “We have.”
The two kissed. Then, once they were absolutely certain Sorrel was 100% down for the count, they went off and started on the fish curry for dinner, together.