“I have decided to train to become a knight of the Dragonguard,” Jasper said with shaky confidence. He practiced the speech he would give his dads more times than he could count. Ryker was off playing somewhere outside, and the attention of his fathers was completely on Jasper. Neither of them said anything, so Jasper continued.

“I want to protect our family. I want to protect Lumen. The dragon sightings in other cities have made me realize that I am ill-prepared to take care of you guys and Ryker. Joining the Dragonguard will give me the experience to help with that.”

More silence. Keirian pushed the glasses up onto the bridge of his nose and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. 

“There hasn’t been a dragon sighting in Lumen in over a decade. And even then, there was no threat. Plus,” Keirian stood up, “Do you realize you would be actively called upon to slay a living creature? Is that something you can find in yourself to do, Jasper?” 

Jasper took a deep breath and nodded firmly. 

“Yes.”

“Son, you know how your father and I feel about the act of slaying dragons.” 

Jasper nodded again and ran a hand through his hair. 

“But I’ve heard other knights say–” 

Kade slammed his fists down onto the seat next to him and flew to his feet.

“I don’t give a damn about whatever garbage these knights are spreading!” Kade shouted, with a sarcastic emphasis on the word “knight.” Jasper jumped a little, startled at the harsh tone in his father’s voice. Kade was always a gentle man, especially when it came to parenting Jasper. However, his blood boiled at the idea of Jasper swearing an oath to kill anything. 

Before Jasper could do more to explain himself with the rest of his speech sitting in the back of his mind, Kade began to yell again. 

“You better think long and hard about this decision of yours and what kind of toll it will take on you and this family!” And with that, he stormed out of the house. There was a small tremor as the door slammed closed. 

Jasper stood in shock, tears beginning to form in his eyes at the thought of his father being disappointed in a decision he was so sure of making. Keirian had gotten really good at reading Jasper’s expressions as the years had gone on. He placed a gentle hand on Jasper’s shoulder and took a deep breath.

“Your father will come right back. Give him time to cool off. And remember that he still loves you.”

“It’s an honest inquiry, Kade,” Keirian responded to Kade’s quiet outburst. “It’s our responsibility to make sure he leaves tomorrow night as prepared as possible.” 

Keirian gave Kade a silent reprimand, as he glared over his wine glass at his husband. Kade rolled his eyes and brought his fork to his lips. 

“Don’t look at me like that, Keirian.”

Ryker reached across the table and grabbed a handful of corn. He plopped it onto his plate and stuffed whatever was left on his hand into his mouth. 

“Dragons are stupid and boring anyway.” 

Jasper sighed and handed Ryker a napkin. 

“Don’t talk with your mouth so full. And dragons aren’t stupid. They’re dangerous.”

“If I were a dragon, I would bite your hand! I don’t need the napkin!” Ryker smacked Jasper’s hand away. A faint laugh escaped from Keirian’s nose as he sipped on his second well-earned glass of wine. 

“Ryker!” Kade huffed. “Use the napkin to clean your hands, not the cat. Who raised you?” 

Kade took a few bites of his food and rubbed his temple with his index finger.

Jasper enjoyed the excitement that ensued around the table for the next few minutes. It took some of the heat off of Jasper as his dad focused more on keeping food on the table than on the cat. The rest of dinner seemed to pass as regularly as it could in their wild household.

“I’ll help clean up,” Jasper suggested easily. Kade shook his head and pointed to the smaller boy who was messy once again. 

“No, please help your brother get cleaned up.” 

“Again,” Keirian sighed. 

“Yes, again,” Kade chuckled as he gathered empty plates and dirty napkins. “And then put him to bed. He’s going to miss you when you’re gone for the next few nights.”

A small pang of guilt stung Jasper’s chest as he nodded in agreement and shuffled Ryker toward his bedroom. Jasper brushed Ryker’s wild hair and handed him a toothbrush. Once Ryker was mostly clean, Jasper tucked him into bed. Ryker snuggled down into the sheets and whistled for Mango to take her place next to his head on their shared pillow. 

“Maybe you should take Daddy with you,” Ryker suggested after Jasper placed a kiss on the top of his head. “That might make him feel better about you chasing stupid dragons.”

Jasper smiled at the precious naivety of his little brother. 

“If only it were that easy, Ryker. I’ll see you in the morning.” 

Keirian perched on the counter next to the sink, watching his husband scrub the dirty dinner dishes. 

“Are you sure you don’t want any help, dear?” Keirian asked before draining the remainder of his second very full glass of wine. 

“We both know you don’t do dishes, Keirian.” Kade focused more intently than necessary on the pile of suds overflowing in the sink.

Kade was a simple man who cared about one thing above all else: his family. Keirian recognized that on the day they first met as two teenagers twenty-one years ago. Kade had arrived at the doorsteps of Keirian’s family’s manor with an infant Jasper in his arms and nothing else; not even two coins to rub together. But there was a determination behind his eyes that captivated the directionless delinquent that Keirian had once been at seventeen. From that moment, Keirian never once questioned what was going on underneath those dark brown curls he so loved to caress in quiet moments spent with the man he loved. 

This was one such moment.

Keirian set his empty wine glass down and reached over to shut the sink faucet off. Kade’s attention snapped up to his husband, emerald green flecks dancing through his usually hazel eyes. Keirian reached a hand out and placed it on Kade’s cheek, running his slender fingers over the hint of stubble Kade had not yet bothered to shave. 

“Stop clenching your jaw,” Keirian directed, meeting Kade’s fierce gaze with equal obstinacy to that of his husband. Kade almost instantly heeded Keirian’s words and dropped his shoulders with a deep sigh. 

“I need that water though. I’m covered in suds.” 

“I’ll wait,” Keirian said, gently patting Kade’s cheek. Kade chuckled and pulled his soapy hands from the sink to turn the water back on. Once his hands were rinsed and dried, Kade took a few steps to the side and placed his hands on either side of Keirian’s thighs on the counter. 

“Come here, you big stubborn man.” Keirian draped his arms around his husband’s shoulders and drew him closer, placing a kiss on Kade’s nose. “You never change.”

“That’s a good thing, right?” Kade asked, lifting a hand to tuck a long blonde strand back behind Keirian’s ear. “It means I’m the same as the day you fell in love with me.” 

“Mm, true,” Keirian replied. “But after twenty-one years and two children, you’ve somehow become more stubborn. You love us so fiercely, Kade. Sometimes, I think that love and your nature blind you from fully appreciating the man our son has grown into.”

Kade sighed as he wrapped his arms around his husband, drawing him in for a tight hug. Keirian placed another kiss on Kade, this time on his forehead. 

“That’s not a bad thing, love. It’s why I fell for you in the first place. Your devotion is one of your most admirable qualities. But, we raised a strong young man. Have a little faith that he’ll do the right thing.”

Kade knew Keirian was right. If there was one thing Kade was certain he had done right in his life, it was the way he and Kade raised Jasper. 

“That doesn’t make any of this easier.” 

“I know it doesn’t, Kade.”