"And have you talked to him about the idea?" Cosimo asked eventually.
"He has agreed to let me date him. At leasttryto date him," Lachlan replied. "I didn't want you to think that I'm not seriousabout him. He is so smart and sweet, and I'm just a hunter, and I know he's out of my league, but..."
"Lachlan, please take a breath," Cosimo said, shutting him up instantly. Lachlan took a breath that didn't do much to settle his nerves. "I'm very touched that you asked my permission about this. No one has ever done that when wanting to date my sons. If Apollo has agreed to it, then you will get no objection from me. You love him, Lachie. I can see that and always have. You're not out of his league either, so please don't talk about yourself that way. You have a good heart, and you genuinely care for him. That's all a father really wants for his children."
"I just want to make him happy," Lachlan admitted, as honest as he could be.
Cosimo chuckled. "And I do not doubt that you will. It makes my heart happy to know that Apollo has finally come to his senses. It only took being kidnapped."
"If I knew that was the answer, I might have been tempted to do it a year ago," Lachlan said before blushing. "Ah, not that I would have... I mean..."
Cosimo's amusement turned into a loud laugh. "You sweet boy. Go and court my son to your heart's content. Make sure he doesn't do anything to get himself hurt in this fight with the alchemists."
"I will. You're not worried about Valentine?" Lachlan asked.
"Not in the slightest. I think the Sanguis Vitae are the ones that need to be worried about Valentine, don't you?"
Lachlan smiled. "I know what you mean. I will see you in the family conference call when I have actionable intel from Layla."
"Thank you, Lachlan. You had best get cooking. Both my sons are beasts before they are fed in the morning," Cosimo said before ringing off.
Apollo was the first to emerge, no doubt drawn by the smell of bacon that he seemed to be able to eat unholy amounts of. Hiseyes were barely open as he walked over to where Lachlan was cooking and buried his face into the space between his shoulder blades.
"Ah, morning?" Lachlan said with a smile.
"So hungry. Sleepy. Dying," Apollo grumbled.
"Sit down before you fall down. I'll get you coffee," Lachlan replied, although he liked the feel of Apollo pressed up against him. He had worried that Apollo would be standoffish because of the previous night and was glad he wasn't. At least not yet.
Apollo sat at the table and rested his head on it without a word. Lachlan quickly made his coffee and set it down in front of him.
"Food is almost ready. Your dad says hello, by the way," he said.
Apollo drank some coffee with his eyes still closed before finally opening them. "What did Dad want?"
"Nothing. I called to update him because Valentine didn't."
"I did too. I said we were alive," the other Greatdrakes said, coming down the stairs. He was out of his pajamas, but his normally tamed black hair was a tumbled mess. He slumped down in a chair. "There better be coffee and breakfast for me too."
Lachlan poured him a cup and set it down in front of him. Valentine had a few mouthfuls before asking, "Did you manage to kill it?"
"Kill what?" Lachlan asked, turning back to the stove to save the eggs he was cooking.
"The pig you two decided to slaughter last night," Valentine replied, looking at Apollo.
Apollo squinted back at him. "What the fuck nonsense are you talking about?"
"I mean, that's what Iassumedyou two were doing from all the grunting and squealing I could hear," Valentine replied.
Apollo went red before picking up his coffee coaster and throwing it at his brother. "Shut up, you ass.
Valentine dodged the coaster with a bright grin that Lachlan had rarely seen. "I had to put a silencing ward on my room just to get some sleep."
Lachlan was redder than Apollo as he put their plates of food in front of them. "Okay, settle down, boys. No throwing any of this food at each other either because I've just spent an hour cooking it. Valentine? Are you done?"
"Areyou? Because I need to reset that ward if you two are going to go at it again," Valentine replied.
Apollo pulled his shirt up over his face. "Val, stop."
