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Hidden beneath a blanket of quilts and sheets, Yuder sighed when the frail little body in his arms jumped at the sound of thunder. Between two clumsily tied pieces of cloth, he watched the pouring rain pound against the window. The sky was dark gray, fading to purple and melting into black. Lightning streaked across the sky, quickly followed by rumblings that echoed throughout the city.
"Mama," a small voice moaned against his chest.
His little hands tightened on his cardigan, and he resumed stroking his blond hair to comfort him.
"Kaisïa," he murmured quietly so as not to startle him.
A second passed before his son lifted his head from his clothes. His small red eyes were filled with tears that had trickled down his baby face. His cheeks and eyes were also red. His nose had started running from crying, and his hair was stuck to his forehead from sweat.
With a quick flick of his hand, Yuder brushed the damp strands away from his face and smiled tenderly at him.
"It's okay, baby," he whispered softly. "I'm here."
One more flash of lightning crossed the sky, and another rumble made his son jump, burying his head in his chest.
Yuder sighed again and pressed his body against his, seeking a more comfortable position. This little hut Kaisïa had made for his sisters was far too small for him. He had to lean his head forward to avoid touching the sheet that served as a ceiling. And at the same time, he had to bend his legs to stay inside that small space.
On one of his thighs, there was his eldest, trembling like a leaf and refusing to let go of him. On the other, there were his twin girls sleeping peacefully after being breastfed. And finally, there was his youngest. Still in his belly, enjoying kicking him repeatedly as if they were participating in cavalry training.
Yuder took a ragged breath when a well-aimed blow knocked the wind out of him. His body tensed, and he stiffened before sighing, relaxing as best he could.
He would have thought that after his third pregnancy he would have gotten used to being hit from the inside. But his youngest had decided to be the most boisterous of his babies. A huge contrast compared to Kaisïa, who had remained almost motionless throughout his pregnancy. Which, incidentally, had given them more than one fright as future parents.
"Mama?"
Yuder snapped out of his thoughts and looked at his son. At only 5 years old, he looked like a carbon copy of Kishiar. After all these years, the imperial family's genes had definitely become more powerful than any other. His own were no match against them.
“What is it?” Yuder asked, tilting his head to the side.
“Are you in pain?” Kaisïa replied, also tilting his head to the side.
If he resembled Kishiar physically, his taciturn personality came from him. And he had inherited it in all its glory.
“Your sibling is in great shape,” he said, stroking his stomach.
Kaisïa sniffed then let go of his vest to place his little hands on his stomach. His tears had finally stopped flowing, and Yuder silently noticed that stains in the shape of his face had appeared against his shirt.
A gasp came from Kaisïa’s mouth as the baby kicked against his hands. His mouth and eyes were both wide open, amazed of what just happened.
“Mama! They slapped my hands!” He exclaimed happily.
Yura shifted in his sleep, frowning, and Yuder put his finger in front of his mouth to encourage his son to speak more quietly. Kaisïa placed his hands over his mouth. His eyes wide open, looking at his little sister. A minute passed, and her face returned to peace. They both sighed in relief before looking at each other and smiling.
"Mama," his son whispered as best he could. "Do you think the baby is scared like me?"
"Of thunder?" He clarified.
Kaisïa nodded briskly.
"Maybe, I don't know."
Thoughtful, his eldest didn't answer immediately and drifted deeper into thought. Yuder noticed with amusement that he tapped his fingers just like his father. A pang of melancholy crossed his heart as he thought of him.
"If the baby is scared, I'll protect them," he said suddenly, pulling him out of his thoughts.
"Are you going to protect your sibling?"
Kaisïa nodded before playing shyly with his hands.
"I'm scared of thunder. Daddy said it's normal to be scared, and that he's scared too. I thought he was lying because Daddy is super big and strong!"
Yuder nodded slowly as he listened to his chatter.
"But Daddy said he was scared of lots of things and that it was because Mama was with him that he was less scared."
Kaisïa raised his head to look at him. The tears on his face had dried, and Yuder retrieved a tissue to clean him. Kaisïa whined but let himself be wiped clean, then blew into the tissue to clear his nose.
"Is that true?"
Yuder nodded.
"It's the same for me," he said, putting the handkerchief back in his pocket. "I'm much less scared than before because Daddy is with me."
His son nodded wisely at his words.
"That's why I'm going to stay with the baby," he insisted. "With Yura and Yure too. When they're scared, I'll be with them, so they won't be scared."
Yuder smiled and ran his hand through his hair to fix it.
"That's very kind of you, Kaisïa, you're a good big brother."
Delighted by what he had just heard, Kasia smiled. Revealing his pretty smile and his missing tooth, which was just beginning to grow back.
"So, Mama," he continued, looking shy.
"Yes?"
"Can you stay with me when I'm scared?"
Yuder chuckled.
"Of course, my angel."
Kaisïa slumped into his arms with a smile, quickly followed by a yawn. Outside, the rain was still falling, but the storm had stopped. Only the sound of drops hitting the window could be heard in the room.
Kaisïa rubbed his eyes, and Yuder kissed his forehead.
"Sleep," he murmured against his hair. "When you wake up, the rain will have gone and Daddy will be back."
"Really?" his son mumbled, his voice filled with fatigue.
"Really."
Lulled by the sound of the rain, the caresses on his back, and his mother's breathing, Kaisïa fell asleep in just a few minutes, curled up against him.
Yuder sighed. He too could feel fatigue coming on, but he knew that if he fell asleep in this position, he would wake up with his body completely aching. He hadn't had time to light the fireplace, and the cold was beginning to set in due to fatigue.
He hesitated to use his powers, but quickly abandoned the idea when he recalled Kishiar's face. In fact, it was more Enon's remonstrances that convinced him not to utilize them. He didn't want to be scolded by the pharmacist again. The latter had strictly forbidden him from exercising his powers during all his pregnancies after the first incident.
Yuder caught Kaisïa's blond locks between his fingers and thought back to Kishiar. It had been three days since he had left for the south in an emergency. Three days since they had been separated, and almost three nights since the four, no, the five of them had been sleeping poorly.
But even though Enon had forbidden him to use his powers, he hadn't banned him to grasp the connection that united him to Kishiar. And on a whim, Yuder narrowed his eyes and concentrated on finding the thread that connected them. He was about to concentrate for several minutes on bridging the distance between them, but was taken aback when the connection immediately connected.
He opened his eyes wide, breathless, and followed the thread disappearing into the floorboards. Right before his eyes, he could feel his legs frantically climbing the stairs as the space between them narrowed visibly.
A smile played on his lips and he leaned further against the wall, pulling on the thread. He felt the person at the end of it stop, before continuing on his way, frantic.
He could, if he wanted, sharpen his senses to perceive his arrival more clearly. But he preferred holding his children close, impatiently awaiting his arrival.
He heard a door open and close. Footsteps reached his ears; a hurried gait and the sound of a coat being shamelessly thrown onto a sofa. The sound of shoes falling to the floor was quickly followed by footsteps getting closer and closer, stopping right in front of their bedroom door.
After a few seconds, it finally opened. Yuder opened his eyes. Hidden in this small hut made of sheets, he couldn't see anything. But he could smell the scent of his alpha as well as that of the rain, both mixed together and forming a nostalgic scent.
"Yuder?" Kishiar whispered quietly as he approached.
"Here," he said simply, just as quietly.
The entrance to the cabin quickly revealed a pair of legs with the hems slightly damp. The man's silhouette knelt to peer into the hole, and their eyes locked as they met.
It was wet hair and a tired face that appeared before him after three days of separation. And yet, without a second of hesitation and with eyes filled with relief, Kishiar smiled at him. A magnificent smile from the happiest man in the world.
"Hello," he said, observing them tenderly.
"Hello," Yuder replied, unable to help but smile at him.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you?" Kishiar asked, getting down on all fours to enter the fort.
Yuder laughed at the sight of him trying not to move anything, despite his size.
"Not at all, on the contrary."
Unable to go any further, Kishiar had to stop so as not to step on his daughters. He smiled as he looked at them and leaned forward to kiss their foreheads. The twins didn't move a centimeter, and he laughed as he contemplated them.
"They still smell of milk," he said, looking back at him. "How long have they been asleep?"
"About an hour. They kept crying because of the storm."
Kishiar nodded. They looked at each other silently as their scents mingled. Finally, it was Yuder who cracked first, moistening his lips.
"Kishiar."
"I know." And without waiting a second, he leaned forward to kiss him. Kishiar's lips were cold from the rain, and he sighed in satisfaction at the warmth of his lover. They didn't go any further, simply placing their lips against each other as they enjoyed the other presence.
Finally, they moved away from each other. In their midst, Kaisïa stirred, muttering something before falling back into sleep. Kishiar giggled and kissed the corner of Yuder's eye before leaning down to kiss his son's forehead and finishing with a kiss on his lover's stomach. He rested his forehead on it for a moment and basked in the atmosphere, relieved to be with his family again.
"I'm back," he said quietly, as if talking to himself.
Yuder's hand slipped into his wet hair, and as he had done with their son, he began to play with his blond locks.
"Welcome home."
Despite his shirt, he felt Kishiar's smile against his skin, and shivered before sighing deeply.
The uneasiness in his chest was finally gone.
They were finally reunited.