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Cha’ah Toh hears Yaxil’s giggles and sees Attuma’s shadow growing nearer, and his just smile grows as he sees his youngest daughter being carried by her favorite uncle. He mirrors Yaxil’s bright smile as she sweetly calls him, “Papa.”
Attuma gently gives her to her father, her arms already stretched out to him, she cups Cha’ah Toh’s cheeks to give him a kiss. The smile never leaves his face, “How is my Yaxil? Did you play well with Attuma?”
“Tuma.” She corrects and Attuma stifles a laugh, and he nods apologetically at the nickname her daughter bestowed the warrior when he first introduced her to the two.
“Right, I’m sorry I forgot.” He kisses Yaxil’s cheek and she turns her head so he can kiss the other, he laughs and kisses her. She sits on his lap, facing him as she looks at Attuma who diligently walks to her and brings her the small bag she uses to keep pearls and seashells that she and Attuma has found on their daily swim. “Wow, are those new ones?”
“Mhm.”
He caresses his daughter’s cheek by the back of his finger, watching as she carefully brings out each shell, putting it on her father’s lap while the pearls remain inside it. Ostra’s laughs suddenly blessed the underwater cave by his quarters.
He lets go of Namora’s hand, grinning as he runs to his father who copied his grin and has his arm hanging to hug him, “Papa!” His eldest son kisses him, then he turns to his sister, “Hi, Yaxil.” He greets, kissing her cheek who smiles at him.
“You want to sit on papa’s lap?” He asks and Yaxil looks at her brother expectantly. When he slowly backs away to sit in between Namora’s legs, Cha’ah Toh lets out an amused laugh.
Ostra hugs Namora’s hand, “No.”
She chuckles, being the favorite of the first-born prince is just as similar to being the favorite of the god-king. Ostra grins at Namora who smiles at him.
Yaxil looks at her father, he kisses her nose, “Your brother likes Namora more than me.”
“Mora?”
He blinks, then remembers it’s her nickname for his descendant, “Yes, Mora.”
She shows the colorful pearls inside her bag and Cha’ah Toh compliments her well, earning a shy yet happy smile from her. As she plays, she asks him, “Papa, you are 500 years old?” She asks, recalling the conversation she had with Attuma earlier regarding her father, her eyes are still on the pearls she’s holding.
“Yes, I am.”
“Wow, you’re old.”
He stutters while Namora coughs, but what caught his attention is the one who snorted– his wife. His shoulders visibly relaxed at the sight of her, her long hair braided as she’s wearing the jaded dress he first gave her. She giggles at the sight of her daughter, like a fat blob seated on her husband’s lap– chubby cheeks, arms, legs, and tummy, with such an innocent yet deep thought about her own father’s age.
Even Attuma was chuckling, even more so as Namora doubled over because of what Yaxil said, Ostra laughed at her reaction which made Yaxil look up to all of them, curious as to why everyone is in a good mood. Affected by their laughs and smiles, she also smiles, making her chubby cheeks become even chubbier.
Cha’ah Toh cups her cheeks, kissing both of them even if her eyes are on her mother, “You are so cheeky.”
She looks at her father whom she doesn’t know is slowly dying out of embarrassment, “Why is everyone laughing, papa?”
“Because you are so cute.”
Her eyes sparkle, “Really?!”
“Because he is old.” Namora repeats and Attuma and Shuri, even Ostra laugh. Cha’ah Toh playfully groans, throwing his head back. When he retrieves, Shuri is beside him already, he pouts and she smiles,
“Darling, they’re teasing me.” He scrunches his brows upward, trying to get her sympathy but all she does is smile more as she cups his cheeks, leaning down to kiss her husband,
“Come on now, it’s fine.”
Yaxil’s heart swells at the scenario right before her, her eyes practically shooting hearts, “Kiss him again, mama!” She says expectantly and Shuri laughs at how their daughter always loves it when her parents kiss.
Shuri turns to Cha’ah Toh who’s already grinning, making his eyes disappear. She rolls her eyes, peppering his face with kisses and Yaxil giggles. “A 500-year-old shouldn’t look so cute.”
His grin grows, “Then why are you kissing my face?”
She stops, squinting her eyes and her husband thinks she looks hot, “Because I’m your wife?”
(Namora plops Ostra on the chair, walking out and Attuma follows right after her, “I am gonna lose respect for those two.”
“You think they’ll conceive their third child?”
Namora slaps his arm.)
“Yeah, you’re my wife.” He smugly says and she kisses him. “One more.” She gives him another one, “I said one more.”
“I did!”
Cha’ah Toh’s shoulders slumped, looking at their daughter with sad puppy eyes, she giggles, “Mama, look!” She points at her father, “Papa looks just like a baby!”
Shuri’s eyebrows scrunch upwards in fondness of her child, she cups Yaxil’s face and feels like she’s holding her very own heart, she leans down to bump her nose with hers, “But you and Ostra are my babies.”
“Not me?”
Shuri deadpans at her husband, Yaxil chimes in, “Papa, you’re old!”
Before Cha’ah Toh amuses his daughter, Ostra chimes in too, “I’m not a baby!” He says, “I’m a teenager.”
“Ostra, you are four years old.” Cha’ah Toh flatly says and his son pouts, “Did you learn that word from Mora?”
He nods as he walks to them since Shuri extends her arm to him, then she cups his cheeks and pecks his lips, “That means you’re a baby.”
“Ew no!”
Shuri squishes his face and she giggles because of his just as chubby cheeks, “You are.”
“Yuck!” But he pouts so his mother can kiss him again which she did.
Yaxil giggles, “Ostra is a baby!”
“Fine.”