“Dad, you literally ask me that daily. In fact, you already asked me that earlier today at lunch. Yes, we’re getting along fine.”
“Excuse me for being concerned about how my only child is faring,” Aristos argued.
“Some advice for you both,” Pyxlevir stated, meeting the blue eyes of Kalthekor and Aristos’s dark brown gaze intentionally before speaking again. “Have more children.”
“Explain to our son how babies are made again,” Kalthekor told Aristos.
Pyxlevir groaned. “Adopt.”
“Go put your stuff away and greet your family,” Kalthekor suggested. “You can hound us about our life choices later.”
With a chuckle, Pyxlevir turned away from his parents to revel in the family and love that made every D’Vaire weekend special.
Chapter 17
Gramlithyn strode into his apartment on Friday night and once again found Pyxlevir on a kitchen barstool indulging in a snack. Unlike the past few occasions when they’d encountered each other late, there was a light on, so Gramlithyn didn’t have to worry about scaring the elf shitless.
“Hey,” Gramlithyn said as he headed for the fridge to grab some juice. “This is almost becoming a habit.”
“Yeah, I don’t know what it is about this apartment and me needing snacks on the weekends.”
“So, you weren’t sneaking into Ty’s kitchen and helping yourself to treats late at night?”
Pyxlevir shook his head and shifted in his seat. “No, I guess I’m still not used to being here or something. I struggle to sleep on nights I know I don’t need to be up early for work.”
After splashing apple juice into a tall glass, Gramlithyn put the half-empty container in the fridge and faced Pyxlevir. “That’s not surprising. You’ve never lived away from your family before.”
“Honesty is important to me, so I can freely admit that I’ve never envisioned myself calling any place home but Uncle Timotheus’s house.”
Gramlithyn nodded. “You love them. That makes sense.”
“You love your parents, but you haven’t lived with them for over six years.”
Taking a moment to sort his thoughts, Gramlithyn gave his full attention to his drink and emptied the glass. “It’s complicated.”
“I noticed.”
Gramlithyn’s brow furrowed. “What does that mean?”
“Last weekend at D’Vaire, I lost count of how often Semira or Laconifel asked me if I’d seen you. On Sunday, it finally dawned on me you were actively avoiding them.”
The previous weekend at D’Vaire had been a weird experience for Gramlithyn. Everyone he loved was there, and while they were happy to see him, he was too awkward to engage with people. Or maybe that was an excuse. Instead of making up for lost time, Gramlithyn had spent every possible minute watching Pyxlevir from afar.
At D’Vaire, the Pyxlevir of old had shined. His face had been lit by his gorgeous smile, and his laughter had filled the air. Memories of their youth had consumed Gramlithyn, and he’d wished for the innocent days before Fate had changed everything.
That was a lie.
What Gramlithyn wanted was for Pyxlevir to somehow get over his aversion to being together.
“Until I discovered our matebond, I’d never lied to them,” Gramlithyn confessed. If they had any hope for a future, he had to start taking advantage of his opportunities with Pyxlevir, so he forced himself to divulge the truth. “And I know that I’m bending or breaking tradition in a thousand ways. I feel guilty. They wouldn’t approve of some of the things I’ve done or the decisions I may have to make in the future. No matter how I look at it, I’ve let them down.”
“They love you unconditionally, Gramlithyn.”
“Probably too much if I’m being honest, but I don’t want to dwell on it tonight. My relationship with my parents is one of those things I’m determined to tackle. However, it’s not my priority right now.”
“What exactly is your priority?” Pyxlevir asked, his blue eyes staring almost through Gramlithyn. “You invited me to move in here to settle our matebond one way or another, and we’ve only had a handful of conversations since. We’ve lived together for over a month now.”
“Trust me, I know. I had a list of things I wanted to accomplish. But I don’t even have a job—something Dasan reminds me of daily now that he took one at the library. Someone offered it to him at D’Vaire.”
