Chapter Text
· · ·
Three kids.
They had had three beautiful, adorable and definitely powerful kids.
Two eggs and an abnormal pregnancy.
None of them looked even remotely similar to Malleus.
Not. A single. One.
Their first born, Kyryll Chudomirovich Flins, was an Idia copy paste. From his bluish hair to his sun-coloured eyes and, unsurprisingly, his quiet personality, everything about him seemed to scream “I’m a Shroud!”. Even though he had been born from an egg, he was also a human. Well, he looked like one, at least. Lilia had told him there was something wrong with the kid multiple times, but of course he hadn't listened. Yeah, he hadn't listened to Idia's pledges to not give him “three long-ass names” either, Lilia didn't matter this time.
Their middle child, Layla, had pointy ears just like Malleus’ and a few other dragon features. Her looks were, however, just like Flins’, an Idia copy paste. Wow. What a surprise. The king's genes didn't even try. Again. Her sleepy mind reminded him of Silver, yet not a single thing apart from her ears, tiny horns and tail made her look like a Draconia. Even so, if he were to be honest, he was still happy someone resembled him just a little tiny bit. Malleus used to shed a proud tear or two at the thought. Take that, Idia.
Last but not least, Rui, their youngest, the only child born through a pregnancy and not through an egg. Weird guy. He looked like a human and had not a single fae-looking feature, yet his parents could tell he was most probably an hybrid between the two. Not that he showed any sings of magic, though. The only Malleus resemblance that could be found when looking at the baby were his sleeping habits, since he turned out to be a nocturnal boy. Still, he was… just like Idia. Yeah, expected. Well, he was more like a mini Flins than a mini Idia, but Flins was a mini Idia so he was also a mini Idia, right?
Malleus’ genes were stupid.
Guess the Draconia genetic ended with him, huh?
He couldn't even laugh about the “9 months in my womb and he looks like his stupid father” meme Lilia had shown him because none of them had been inside his womb. Hell, he didn't even HAVE a womb!
— You're thinking too loud again, Mall… Shut your brain up, would you?
Someone was mumbling next to him.
— I am not thinking out loud. You cannot read minds, darling.
— Says who?
Idia was mumbling next to him. Turning around, he was now watching Malleus from under the blankets, eyelids closing every two seconds.
— Can you?
— …
— I figured as much.
Their bickering was as lovely as usual, a way to show their familiarity with each other, to show their care. Weird way to do so, if one had to say, but they had always been a bit weird.
Making himself comfortable, Malleus welcomed Idia into a hug and guided the blue haired head against his chest, holding him tightly and letting the other intertwine their legs. They stayed silent for some long minutes, maybe an hour, even, until words came out of Malleus’ brain.
— I love you, darling.
— Hm.. I luv you, too. Srsly, tho, you need to lower your thoughts. They woke me-
KA-BOOM.
…
What.
— Mall, what was that?
One abnormal sound and now Idia was as awake as one could be at 2 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Then came crying, a loud, high-pitched, annoying sound they were all too familiar with.
— Malleus.
— The kids.
Both got up from their shared bed and ran towards their kids’ bedrooms. They could hear muffled crying coming from the one Flins and Rui had been sharing since the youngest was born. Once they got through the hallway, they noticed their daughter was staring at the dorm from inside her own.
Idia crouched down next to her and gently held her shoulders while Malleus entered the affected bedroom.
— Layla, what happened?
— Don't know…
— Layla.
— I was sleeping! Fr this time, dad!
— What did you hear? What woke you up?
— An… explosion? I think- Oh, and Rui's crying! Rui’s crying woke me up!
Idia sighed, picking her up and carrying her to the room his husband was already in. Everything was surrounded by smoke and there was someone coughing uncontrollably. Flins, he figured, as Rui was still crying and he could hear Malleus trying to calm their baby down.
Hugging Layla against his chest, he made his way towards the oldest child, petting his head in a reassuring motion. Fortunately, that seemed to work, as the kid stopped his coughing fit and turned to lean on his dad's leg, holding it close.
Once the smoke cleared up a little, Malleus had already managed to cease Rui's crying and send him to Dreamland, instead, which left the room in silence. That, however, didn't last long, especially not after Idia was able to see the consequences of the explosion.
— Oh my- WTH IS THAT?
— I think it is your turn to lower your voice. Otherwise, you will wake Ru- …Oh.
With an unamused face, the king turned around and found himself looking at the previously white wall. The now black, covered-in-ashes wall. The wall behind their youngest’s crate. Talk about danger, huh?
Both stayed in silence for a while.
If Malleus held Rui a little bit tighter, well, no one had to know about that.
— Msry…
A muffled mumble came from the kid hiding behind Idia's legs. Both parents, plus Layla, looked at him confusedly, but it didn't take long to put the pieces together. With a short sigh, the dragon handled their baby to Idia and picked Flins up instead.
— Why are you apologising for, my dear?
— …I burned the wall…
Although confused, Malleus hugged him fondly in a reassuring manner. Looking at him now, even if it wasn't something he had not expected, revealed that there was, indeed, something wrong with this so-called human child. His eyes glowed in a bright yellow and his magical power connected with his all too well.
Something finally clicked.
— Seems like Lilia was right, after all, darling. This kid of ours is, in fact, a fae.
The king smiled. A small, genuine smile that managed to calm Flins down.
— …Great. Just what we all needed…
— Idia.
— Kiddin’. I'm kiddin’. Y’know I'm kiddin’.
Flins was looking at him as if he had said the weirdest thing ever. Still, after being told he was a “perfectly-normal-with-no-traces-of-magic human” all his life, it was reasonable to be awestruck by someone telling him otherwise. Someone other than Lilia, that is.
With a proud smile now plastered on his face, Malleus took his kid out of the burned room, Idia following close behind, and walked straight to the main dorm.
· · ·
According to Flin's words, there was a spirit watching over Rui's crate that only the baby could see. He could, however, hear it loud and clear as it spoke about how delicious young souls could be, which led to him trying to burn the ghost down. Not like ghosts could get burned, but he had tried his best. Even if he had almost destroyed the entire bedroom. That was that weirdo’s fault.
Ew. Seriously, ew.
— We'll have to tell Ortho to do some ghosthuntin’ soon, Mall.
Now back in bed, Idia was making sure Rui stayed asleep for as long as possible, hugging him against his chest and speaking in whispers. An impossible mission, considering Rui had inherited Malleus' nocturnal habits, but Idia could somehow manage to keep him at bay most of the time. Next to him, Layla snored quietly, her pointy ears twitching every now and then and her quiet voice mumbling meaningless stuff. Meanwhile, Flins was looking straight at him from beside his sister, not even bothering to blink. Completely normal behaviour. Yeah, definitely.
— Worry not, we will do. You, however, need to catch some sleep before the sun rises. It is quite late as of now, darling.
Not only that, but Malleus could also see Idia struggling to not fall asleep right there and then. Laughing fondly, he leaned forward and placed a kiss on his husband's forehead.
— I will keep the kids calm until morning, let go now.
Finally letting sleepiness take over, the king watched as his lover fell into slumber, seemingly relaxing, yet not forgetting about keeping his hold on Rui.
As good as a father as always.
Next thing Idia knew, he was waking up under a dragon’s wing, tightly pressed against a rigid chest and being hugged by strong yet kind paws, a baby securely kept in his arms and two kids snoring beside him.
If he had stayed there and overslept for a little longer than usual, well, no one could blame him this time. They should blame Malleus for being a nocturnal fae.
Yep, Malleus' fault.