“Family,” Finn says after a while. Testing the word. “That’s what this is, right? Some weird, dysfunctional, complicated—”
“Family,” Kieran agrees. No hesitation.
Finn stops short. Stares at him.
“Did you just… agree with me? Without arguing?”
“You weren’t wrong.” Kieran’s gaze moves across all of us. Something ancient and guarded finally unlocking in his expression. “I’ve spent centuries alone. Watching from the edges. Convincing myself I didn’t need — that I couldn’t have—” He stops. His jaw works. “This is family. The first one I’ve had since my father died. The first one I’ve let myself want.”
The words land heavy.
Finn’s expression does something complicated. For once, he doesn’t joke.
“I didn’t have one either,” he says quietly. “Not really. Not one that wanted me.”
“Same,” Darian says. Almost inaudible.
“Mine was—” Malrik shakes his head. “Complicated. Broken in ways I’m still figuring out.”
I think about our father. The man who beat us. Branded us. Tried to control what we’d become.
“Mine tried to destroy us,” I say. “Made us into weapons instead of sons.”
Aspen is quiet for a moment. Then: “We only had each other. Torric and me. After our sister… That was enough. But this—”
He looks around at all of us. At Kaia sleeping in the furs. At Mouse purring. At Walter pulsing soft violet near the ceiling.
“This is more,” he finishes. “This is what family should have been.”
Finn exhales shakily. “Well. Shit. We really are doing feelings around the campfire.”
“You started it,” Malrik points out.
“I know. I immediately regret it.”
“No you don’t.”
“No. I don’t.” Finn scrubs a hand over his face. “This is — I don’t know how to do this. The sincerity thing. It feels wrong coming out of my mouth.”
“You’re doing fine,” Kieran says. Gentle, which is strange coming from him.
Finn laughs. Wet. Broken. “Great. The ancient dragon thinks I’m doing fine. My life is complete.”
“It’s a high compliment. I don’t think most people are doing fine.”
“What a glowing endorsement.”
“Take what you can get.”
Finn grins. It’s shaky around the edges, but it’s real. “Family, then. All of us. Even when we’re idiots.”
“Especially when we’re idiots,” Aspen says.
“Speak for yourself,” Malrik mutters. “I’m never an idiot.”
“You walked into a wall last week because you were watching Kaia.”
“That wall was poorly placed.”
