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All of them.
They’d dropped what they were doing, left their lives behind, obtained clearance to travel through other clans’ territories, and sneaked into the palace to assemble here.
To surprise him.
To welcome Mira into their lives with open arms.
Perry’s tears came on more quickly, streaming down his cheeks without end. “You came for us?” he asked at last. “To celebrate? To meet the baby?”
“And to spend time with you,” Harrison added cheerfully. “We all missed you. You’re the glue that holds us together. Not that we think you’re sticky.”
“I think what Harry is trying to say is that you’ve always been there for us,” Ignatius explained, stepping forward to stand beside his best friend. “So it’s about time we were there for you.”
It was unbecoming, but a warbling sob escaped Perry all the same. He had not expected this.
“Why are you crying?” Harrison asked. He came to stand at Perry’s side and wrapped a comforting arm around him. “We’re here to celebrate with you. We missed you, Perry. But if you need some time alone, we can go somewhere else for a while. I know you must be tired. Traveling so far is exhausting under regular circumstances, but with eight eight-year-olds and a newborn? Whew. I’m surprised you’re still standing.”
Perry laughed and spun so he and Harrison were face to face. Careful not to endanger Mira, he rested his head on Harrison’s shoulder and continued to cry. What he wished to say, but couldn’t, was that they were happy tears. Once upon a time he’d been told that no dragon would want a Disgrace like him, and now here he was, surrounded by family who loved him, and who’d do whatever it took to make him happy.
Ignatius crossed the room and laid a hand on Perry’s back before hugging him from behind, and one by one, the others in the room followed his lead, until Perry was at the center of a group hug.
How he’d missed this.
How he’d missed them all.
Perry wept until he had no more tears left to cry. Bit by bit, the group fragmented, until only Sebastian remained next to Perry. He wrapped Perry and Mira in his powerful arms and kissed the top of Perry’s head, his nose bumping Perry’s curls. “I love you,” he uttered in a low voice only meant for Perry’s ears. “I know the last few months have been hard on you, and that you’ve been through more than anyone should. There is no way a single act can make up for what has happened, but I hope that this helps heal your heart, my love. I care for you, and there is no length to which I wouldn’t go to make you happy.”
It had been five hundred years and Sebastian still loved him, now perhaps more than ever. Perry sniffled and nodded. Had he not been holding Mira, he would have latched on to Sebastian and never let go.
“You are everything to me,” he whispered in reply. “I love you now, and I will love you forever, Sebastian Drake. You have made me so uncommonly happy.”
Sebastian smiled into his hair. “And you have done the same for me.”
“What was that about drinks?” asked Matthieu. “We should go find them and begin the celebrations in full.”
There came a crash from downstairs, this one much louder than before, accompanied by the triumphant shouts of a large group of children. Ignatius’s back went rigid. “Chaucer,” he breathed, then rushed out of the room, Alistair hot on his heels.
Their exit prompted an exodus, and the rest of the family streamed out in search of naughty children, alcohol, or in one case, exotic lizards. Soon enough, only Perry and Sebastian remained.
“Will you come down with us?” Sebastian asked. “It seems there will be a party.”
“I will. I just need to tend to Mira first.” Perry kissed Sebastian’s cheek. “Why don’t you go and supervise, love? The boys have no doubt discovered their cousins are here, and you know that must spell trouble.”
Sebastian nodded gravely, but before he left to wrangle the children, he kissed Perry sweetly and channeled his love through their bond until Perry was so full of it, he was lightheaded.
“You have given me everything, Perry,” he said when the kiss broke. “And I vow, even should it take the rest of my life, to give you everything, too.”
“You already have, darling.” Perry smiled prettily at him. “You’ve given me the world, and I can never thank you enough for it. Now, off with you. I have a princess to put down for a nap and a story to finish telling. Do see to it that the children have not come to harm. Chaucer is quite charismatic, and I fear what that might mean for our brood’s well-being. I do so like when their bones are in one piece.”
Sebastian smirked and off he went.
He was a good man, an excellent dragon, and an even better father.
When Perry was alone, he brought Mira to the bassinet. Pake had come to sun himself beside it, and as Perry approached, he lifted his ancient head and blinked, then laid it down again. Perry smiled at him, then turned his attention onto his daughter.
The story wasn’t done yet.
Not quite.
“Inside the nursery,” Perry said as he laid Mira down, “the young dragon was surprised to find his beloved family. He hadn’t expected to see them, but there they were. They’d come to see him, to show their love, and to welcome the little princess into the world. And even though the young dragon’s heart was broken in so many ways, with them in his life, it was full. Their love helped him remember that while he was sad, he was not alone, and he would not have to face the memories of this place on his own. It was not their job to heal him, and in fact, very few of them knew he was broken to begin with, but they would help him heal all the same.”
Perry kissed Mira’s forehead.
“Family,” he told her, “is everything, little princess. And it is fine to mourn the family you’ve lost, but equally as important to celebrate the family by your side, whether they are bound to you by blood, or made family through the powers of love or friendship.
“And so the young dragon celebrated,” Perry said, his smile wobbling beneath the weight of his emotions. “Because for all he’d lost, he’d found so much, and in time, he had a feeling he’d find more. And the thing about the young dragon, princess?” Perry’s smile strengthened. “He was very often right.”
***
