Though he would never admit it, Orion didn't want their embrace to end. In the remains of one shattered trust he'd found the pieces of another. It was a bit dramatic to think about it that was, but what was Orion's life if not dramatic? Here were two people so loathe to admit anything that could be used against them holding each other close in quiet acceptance. Until Emily made her presence known, of course.
The little blonde crossed her arms and pouted as she found herself slung over her father's shoulder upside down. He was so stupid all of the time. It wasn't fair that she had to be stuck with him. It wasn't fair that her brother had to be stuck with him. It wasn't fair that Miss Hadyn had to be stuck with him. Orion had told her that they might all be going on a trip together, so she would just have to make Hadyn and Liam ditch her idiot dad while they were out. It was as simple as that.
"Where'd your fight go, Emily?" Orion challenged, giving the little girl a a squeeze around her midsection.
"Stooop," she whined, thrashing momentarily in his grasp. She needed to be free so she could run and tell the knights on him for being so weird. Her thrashing was put on hold when the ex-squire flipped her back over so she was upright and over his shoulder. She took the opportunity to ball her little hands into fists and pound on his back like she had the door. It was much less effective this time around.
Her resistance stopped when Hadyn brushed her hair aside, and both of them gave her quite the look when the smith suggested they live in the apartment with her.
Those fucking fight or flight instincts were annoying.
"Ah..I...I already paid for the room at the Row. Not big on refunds, it seems. I do appreciate it, though. Really." He gave a sheepish grin. "Besides, I think we'll off one another if we try and coexist in these walls. On the road we'll have endless skies. You'll wake up to sunlight and sleep by starlight. It's pretty fuc-..freaking romantic, huh?" He at least tried not to swear in front of the children.
"No swearing!" Emily chided in, propping her elbows on her father so she could support her head with her hands. Annoyed, of course.
"No swearing, no swearing," he repeated, shaking his head. "It's a promise we made. We both get sweets if we're good." Orion reached down and gave his stomach a pat. "I'm glad we're going to be travelling a bit. I'm bound to get fat at this rate." Without the knights training going on all the time, he was going to need to dial back his intake, that was for sure. Still, the topic was a dangerous one to joke about, and he quickly regretted his choice. He quickly asked a question of his own.
"Has Liam been well?"
He tried to redirect the conversation to something more calm. More comfortable for them both. It had been awhile since he'd been able to see his son. A trip out into the wilds for training preceded the ordeal with Emily and Lyla. Talking about one of the only innocents he still new would be a welcome relief.
The little blonde crossed her arms and pouted as she found herself slung over her father's shoulder upside down. He was so stupid all of the time. It wasn't fair that she had to be stuck with him. It wasn't fair that her brother had to be stuck with him. It wasn't fair that Miss Hadyn had to be stuck with him. Orion had told her that they might all be going on a trip together, so she would just have to make Hadyn and Liam ditch her idiot dad while they were out. It was as simple as that.
"Where'd your fight go, Emily?" Orion challenged, giving the little girl a a squeeze around her midsection.
"Stooop," she whined, thrashing momentarily in his grasp. She needed to be free so she could run and tell the knights on him for being so weird. Her thrashing was put on hold when the ex-squire flipped her back over so she was upright and over his shoulder. She took the opportunity to ball her little hands into fists and pound on his back like she had the door. It was much less effective this time around.
Her resistance stopped when Hadyn brushed her hair aside, and both of them gave her quite the look when the smith suggested they live in the apartment with her.
Those fucking fight or flight instincts were annoying.
"Ah..I...I already paid for the room at the Row. Not big on refunds, it seems. I do appreciate it, though. Really." He gave a sheepish grin. "Besides, I think we'll off one another if we try and coexist in these walls. On the road we'll have endless skies. You'll wake up to sunlight and sleep by starlight. It's pretty fuc-..freaking romantic, huh?" He at least tried not to swear in front of the children.
"No swearing!" Emily chided in, propping her elbows on her father so she could support her head with her hands. Annoyed, of course.
"No swearing, no swearing," he repeated, shaking his head. "It's a promise we made. We both get sweets if we're good." Orion reached down and gave his stomach a pat. "I'm glad we're going to be travelling a bit. I'm bound to get fat at this rate." Without the knights training going on all the time, he was going to need to dial back his intake, that was for sure. Still, the topic was a dangerous one to joke about, and he quickly regretted his choice. He quickly asked a question of his own.
"Has Liam been well?"
He tried to redirect the conversation to something more calm. More comfortable for them both. It had been awhile since he'd been able to see his son. A trip out into the wilds for training preceded the ordeal with Emily and Lyla. Talking about one of the only innocents he still new would be a welcome relief.
