"Mouse!"

"Heeey, Mouse!"

"Long time no see, man!"

"Where've you been?"

"M-m-m-mostly looking after 'Bosch and Ignis. Ignis came b-b-back two weeks ago to c-c-c-clutch, and 'Bosch won't leave her be, so I'm in there a l-l-lot, keeping them company."

"Aaaaare you now."

"What?"

"Just keeping 'Bosch and Ignis company?"

".... D-d-d-don't look at me like that, Kang. I know what y-y-you're thinking."

"You do not? I could be thinking about my grocery list, for all you know."

"I know what you're thinking, Kang, and you're not even thinking it about me."

"Hey, waitress! Hey, another drink here? Mouse, what you want?"

"Usual, p-p-please."

"Whiskey, yeah. Terran. Thanks."

"So you could really tell? Just by looking at me?"

"Yes."

"You're an open book, Kang, sorry to burst your bubble."

"B-b-besides, it's n-n-not like that, anyway."

"You're kidding. It's not? I saw that girl when she was here the first time, man, and it's not like that? She's hot!"

"She's also half m-m-my age."

"So?!"

"Soooo! Kang, you jerk. You have no shame, you know that?"

"Of course I know that. But what's that have to do with Mouse and-- ow, Icelyn, leggo my tail! --Thank you. You people have no sense of fun, no sense of adventure."

"Of course we do."

"Just not with girls-- or boys, in Icelyn's case-- who are that young."

"How old is she, anyway?"

"S-s-s-seventeen...."

"Gods, look at him blush--"

"Well, that is pretty young."

"It's not that young!"

"Well, you're only twenty-nine, Kang. You're younger than all of us-- of course it's not as young to you."

"B-b-but it's still too young for you. So d-d-don't get any ideas."

"Why, Mouse! Protective, are we?"

"You sleep with the girl, then go all fatherly?"

"Well! I-i-i-it wasn't as if I h-h-had much of a choice. And b-b-b-besides, I am old enough to b-b-be her father, just about. What's wrong with j-j-just being her friend, since she d-d-doesn't know anyone else here?"

"Okay, okay, calm down. Didn't mean anything by it."

"Y-y-yes you d-d-d-did."

"Relax, guys. It's okay. Here, Mouse, your drink-- stop bickering, it's the first time we've seen you in a couple weeks, and it'd be rotten to spend the whole time fighting amongst ourselves."

"I g-g-guess you're right, Sans."

"Of course he's right. Kang, apologize."

"What! I-- ow, ow, ow, okay, okay, leggo my ear.... Sorry, Mouse."

"It's all r-right."

"Better. So tell us, Mouse, what's it like having a dragon-daddy?"

Conversation lulled into easier topics-- Heironymous was, oddly enough, quite pleased to talk about the eggs his dragon had sired. He wondered if that's how uncles felt. Everyone else had plenty to say about various things, too, like their jobs or random people they met. It was something of a relief to spend time with his friends again, even if he was enjoying playing tour guide and friend to young Fyr and errand-boy for a broody Ignis and excitable Zionibosch. He'd even been taking time off work-- given quite happily by his boss, who seemed of the opinion that he worked too hard-- so it felt like living in a different world that just happened to have familiar people in it. Sharing drinks with friends was like a moment of comfortable reality in the midst of a dream.

There were, thankfully, no more fights that evening. Heironymous was glad; as annoying as Kang was, he was still a good friend, and cheerful to a fault, always good to draw you out of a slump. Just... annoying, sometimes. Actually, he rather reminded him of Ignis, when she wasn't being moody. 'Bosch, too, for that matter.

:Heironymous....:

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. :Yes, 'Bosch?: he sent back though a pleasant buzz that wouldn't leave him too hung over. He leaning against the wall of a lift, flying swiftly down to the hatching bay, where he'd been staying since Fyr and Ignis had arrived. Some kind soul had put her in one of the bays with a double-suite of rider-rooms, so he wasn't even forced into an awkward situation with Fyr in order to stay close to 'Bosch.

:I want him.:

Now, that didn't make sense, and it wasn't because he didn't hear it right, or because he wasn't thinking straight. :You want who, 'Bosch?:

:Well, Ignis wants him, too. Kang. He's just perfect.:

:Kang? Perfect for what?:

The lift doors opened, and Heironymous padded down the hallway to the third bay. He was pleased to note that he didn't even weave.

:For our hatchlings.:

So much for not weaving. He staggered a bit against the wall, blinking owlishly behind his glasses at the door that his his dragon from him. The lenses changed focus unpredictably, reacting to his momentarily blurred vision. :You're kidding,: he managed after a moment. :Kang? For one of your hatchlings?:

:Of course. If you'd think about it, you'd agree.:

And, actually, when he woke up the next shift and remembered the conversation, he had to agree. Not only was it perfect-- but it would be amazingly amusing to see Kang's reaction when he found out Mouse the timid had actually signed him up for the hatching.

:I told you, you'd agree.:

:Right, as usual, 'Bosch.:

:Why, thank you.:

On to Chapter Two

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