"He did it, he did it, he did it, he did it!"

Though he was excited, elated, proud, relieved, all sorts of things, Catame managed to keep his happy squeal and breathless repetition of those words under his breath. He knew all along, of course, that Daynoren would bond this time. Day deserved to bond, after all this time of being alone-- Catame wasn't oblivious, after all, he knew how much Daynoren envied him. And now he wasn't alone, he was joined up with someone every bit as perfect for him as Tantra was, for Catame.

At the thought, he reached over to stroke Tantra's furry neck absently, eyes bright and still on his brother, as she leaned back to nuzzle his chest. "He did it!" he repeated softly, actually to Tantra this time. When he finally looked over at her, still beaming, she wasn't looking at Day and Novitas, but at him. He hugged her muzzle close, the best he could manage from separate chairs, and said just for her, "Just like we did!" Her flush of pleasure and love at the reminder made him smile even more.

There were still things that happened after Daynoren and Novitas' magical flash of light, daemon-dragons hatching and bonding, the flurry of activity as one of the three bonded someone she wasn't supposed to, the Light dragon Naio's sullen congratulations to the new pairs, the bustle of dragons and bonds returning their scrolls. Daynoren and Novitas hardly seemed to notice, even as they wandered over to turn in their own scroll, and Catame only noted it as something to wait through impatiently before he could run to his brother and the new addition to their little family.

"I don't think she'll take well to being tackled and hugged, Catame," came Frux's amused comment from across the table. "Save that for your brother." 

Blushing, Catame grinned at the human-formed Light. "How could you tell that's what I was thinking?"

"You tend to have your emotions written plainly on your face for all to see," Kaur admitted, smiling slightly, herself. She seemed much more relaxed, now, as if she, too, were relieved and glad-- as if she, too, had been afraid of how Daynoren might take being rejected a second time.

But, of course, he hadn't, how could he have been? Novitas was a perfect fit, a perfect friend, the only thing standing between her and happiness with Day being her own pride and, Catame guessed, fear. Just like Tantra had, six months ago, now Novitas had done, conquering that fear and making that choice. It was perfect, and how could he have doubted that it would happen?

At least Novitas didn't have anyone pushing her towards anything, Tantra's thoughts said with a hint of gloominess. She made her choice herself....

But she made it, and so did you, in the end. There's nothing wrong with needing a little push, anyway, Catame thought back at her to stave off a darker mood in his bond. By now he was getting a little more used to her tendency to put herself down, how easily she slipped into depression, how little she thought of herself, how she idolized others while putting herself far below them in her own mind.... Though he didn't understand it, he was getting into the habit of stopping those thoughts with a distraction before they could take her too far down into that black emptiness he'd felt on that very first morning together. Now, he kissed her forehead fondly, with a burst of affection, before releasing her and hopping eagerly off his chair.

"Come on, Day's done now, let's go talk to him!" he exclaimed, holding out a hand to beckon her after him. For now, they could both ignore the presence of so many people and just be happy for Daynoren and Novitas. Besides, they needed someone to be happy, rather than awkward and shy like their father, or proud and distant like Dana. As much as Frux and Kaur liked Daynoren, they weren't very good at just being happy-- but Catame was good at it! And if he were good at it, well, maybe that would rub off on Tantra.

The rest of the family and friends were getting to their feet, too, just as other groups were doing around the table. Tantra clambered down from her chair and followed her bond willingly as Catame darted across the grass to meet his brother, who, expecting something of the sort, caught the much smaller boy as he threw himself at him. "Careful, Cat, you'll hurt somebody!" Daynoren laughed, ruffling Catame's already-messy curls. "Like yourself!" Novitas had retreated behind her usual sullen expression, hunching along beside her new bond, but Catame thought he saw the hint of a smile around her down-turned lips and glinting in her eyes.

"I knew you'd do it-- or she'd do it-- or you'd both do it!" Catame babbled breathlessly with happiness, clinging to Daynoren's waist and beaming alternately up at his brother and down at the dragon. "I knew it!"

"Congratulations," Tantra murmured shyly, sitting back from the three but smiling, particularly at Novitas, who actually looked a little uncomfortable at the attention and compensated by scowling further. Before Tantra could quail before the expression, though, Frux had trotted up behind them to interrupt.

"And here we were all betting on how quickly you'd make a run for it," he drawled, looking down at Novitas through half-shut lids, smirking. "You've just set the gossip-chain on its ear, Novitas, dear."

"My intentions exactly," Novitas snapped lightly, without malice. "What, you didn't think I actually liked this little posturing popinjay, did you?" Her expression as she glanced derisively at Daynoren was wicked.

"Gods forbid," Daynoren answered, rolling his eyes lightly.

Catame just beamed at them all as Darkil, Dana, and Kaur caught up to make their own congratulations. Darkil just kept saying how proud he was, and how pleased, in a slightly dazed voice; Catame wished briefly that he'd been there to see his own bonding, so he could hear him say that about him, but he was too busy being glad for Daynoren to worry about it. Dana was full of pride of her own sort, saying how pleased she was to be proven wrong. Kaur just made her own opinions felt without words, giving Daynoren a small, fond lick-- which, though Day obviously appreciated the thought behind it, made him blush and wipe his cheek when the daemoness wasn't looking-- and Novitas a solemnly approving nod, which the dragon returned in the same manner.

When finally the gaggle of people had started to abate, and after Darkil's repeated suggestion that they all meet for dessert had been finally laid to rest for the last time-- or at least postponed until the next day when everyone wasn't tired, stuffed, or both-- Catame could finally ask the question he'd been dying to ask for six months now, even more over the past two weeks, as everything came together.

"So are you coming home tonight, or will you wait for tomorrow?"

"Home?" Daynoren asked blankly, not following the sudden change of topic.

"To the weyr," Catame clarified with a smile. "Home, with us, to your own suite. Everything's all ready for you, you know."

There had been idle talk about this, of course, off and on over the past months since midwinter, but not seriously, and carefully not as if it would be a reality. Daynoren seemed to think that if he spoke about such things as certainty, that he would bond and come live with them at the weyr, it would somehow jinx him and ruin his chances at actually doing so. So, everything until now had been mostly vague speculation and daydreaming, consideration but no planning, so as not to upset the possible balance of things. Novitas probably had never even heard about where they lived and where she might someday live, as well.

That was up until now, though. Catame had, with help from Frux, Kaur, and Dana, secured Daynoren suite at the weyr just down the outer stairway and inner tunnelway from him. He hadn't, of course, told Daynoren of this until now; it would have seemed like over-confidence to him, Catame knew it, and it probably would have made him feel even more tense and stressed about the whole thing. It had been kind of fun, anyway, keeping it a secret until now, like he had a little bubble of happy inside him whenever he thought about it and how it would surprise his brother. It had, after all, been Catame's own idea, even though he couldn't pull it off on his own.

"My own suite?" Daynoren repeated, still blankly, as if he didn't understand.

"I got you rooms, Day!" Catame explained. "At the weyr!"

"You didn't!" Day answered, sounding incredulous.

"At the what?" Novitas asked, the first words she'd spoken since the adults had come to join them.

"Weyr," Frux said with his usual superiority, as if she really should know this, but since she didn't, he would humor her. "You know, down south, where bonded pairs from on and off-world can live...." She just shook her muzzle at him with a sneer.

"You really did?" Day broke in again. "Got me rooms, already? Why, you little-- little sneak!" But then he laughed. "All on your own, you did?"

"Well, it was my idea, but I had help," Catame admitted, nodding to Dana and Kaur, and for the first time in months, Daynoren included his aunt in a smile that wasn't somehow sour. That was all the thanks she was going to get, but it seemed all the thanks she needed, for she drew herself up with a little smile of her own, and Daynoren looked back at his brother, still smiling.

"We can go tonight-- we can go now, whenever you like. You may be a rotten little sneak, but thank you." Day's arm snug around his shoulders was all the thanks he needed, and he beamed.

"Then let's go," he said firmly, "let's go home."