Hawk and Nox were standing on the other side of the bonfire while Mercy and Charlotte chatted with Elaine and Persephone, all of them keeping a respectful distance from their kids. They had all promised not to crash the lake party, but Hero had been pacing around for days, eager to see the kids. 

“No,” Hawk had said more than once, this time with his legs up on the couch, one arm over the back and pages of a report in the other.

Hero grumbled to himself as he walked back and forth from the large floor to ceiling windows of one of the castle’s many sitting rooms. 

“No,” Hawk said again, lifting his eyes from the documents to watch his husband, his patience thinning. “Hero, you said yourself that the kids—”

“Need their space, I know,” he said, leaning against a dividing wall between the windows. “And, you’re absolutely right. After the hell I put Toji through I have no business getting in his way and being where he doesn’t want me to be.”

Hawk stared a moment longer, before dropping his eyes back to the report. “But?”

Hero frowned, his head against the wall. “I miss my kid, Hawk.”

“Which one?”

Hero knew he wasn’t referring to which of the three. He meant Toji. “The kid I lost when I made him grow up too fast too soon,” he admitted, remorse painting his words. “It’s no wonder he hates me, after all that.”

“He doesn’t hate you, stop it.”

Hero’s eyes shifted to his husband who licked his thumb to flip the sheets of paper. 

“He’s pissed as hell and would like to see how many licks it takes to get to the center of the tootsie pop,” he said, reclining back against the cushions. “But he doesn’t hate you.”

“He’ll get his chance on his birthday,” Hero said, walking over and lifting Hawk’s feet so he could sit. He replaced the feet on his lap, letting his head fall back.

“Is it wrong I’m putting my money on him?”

“Extremely.”

“Sweet. Nox is, too, by the way.”

“You two are dicks.”

Hawk grinned. “Face it, the kid had gotten a lot stronger over the past year. I really do think he can finally take you down.”

Hero’s eyes went to the ceiling. “Maybe,” he said quietly. “To be honest, I really wasn’t paying much attention to that part of his education.”

“I’m aware,” Hawk said with a tiny hint of annoyance. Unnervingly, Hero could hear Nox’s voice resonate with Hawk’s. It wasn’t unusual given the bond those two still had, but it still made him uneasy.

Hero sighed, closing his eyes, his arm going over his forehead. “How did I go so horribly sideways with him?” he asked. “Ynda and Havik were easy, I didn’t have to worry about them growing up, they just sort of…did. Sure I’ve had my arguments with Yin, but nothing close to what me and Toji get into.”

“You bought into the game and forced Toji to play by the rules you didn’t even know existed. Ynda and Havik aren’t meant to rule the same way you believe Toji is. You let those asshats in Gods Hall talk you into turning a kid into a King and he’s resented you for it ever since. The cherry on the cake of complete and total fuck ups was what you did to him and Ava. Drizzle on some indifference and shutting him out completely, ignoring his pain, and keeping him a prisoner, and voila…one very angry teenager.”

“That was very gentle of you, thank you.”

“I’m not in the business of being gentle, Hero, I never have been. You screwed up big time and trying to right all those wrongs is going to be hard as hell.” He sat up, pulling Hero to him and laying them both down on the couch, Hero at his side with his head on Hawk’s chest. “You didn’t just ignore him, either, babe, you ignored all of us.”

Hero’s shoulders slumped and he dipped his head. “I know,” he said softly. “I thought…I was doing the right thing. Even when I knew I wasn’t. I saw what I was doing and I didn’t stop.”

“You hurt him deeply and you let your pride get in the way. And worse, you separated him from his soulmate.”

“I didn’t know that, though!”

“Didn’t you?” Hawk played with Hero’s soft blonde hair as he spoke. “What did you tell me you saw in both their eyes when you got into the fight with Toji and confronted Natsu later on?”

Hero swallowed. “The Veil.”

“And you did it anyway.”

Hero’s arm went around Hawk’s stomach, and he turned his face against him. “Can’t I just say I didn’t know what I was seeing at the time? I mean, a lot of people have purple and blue energy drifting around behind their eyes.”

“If you ever want me to make it so you can’t walk straight for three days again, you’d better rethink what you just said.”

Hero’s body went heavy as he sighed in resignation. “What can I do? I accepted Natsu and that’s a start but…what now?”

“Not crashing the lake party would also be a good idea.”

Hero said nothing.

“Hero Leon.”

“I mean, it’s the lake, though. During the Fourth of July.”

Hawk covered his eyes with his hand. “No…”

Hero lifted his head, drawing Hawk’s gaze back. His ruby red eyes shone as his bottom lip slowly pouted forward.

“Hero, I said no!”

-*-

Natsu brushed a little more sauce on the burger patties while Toji added some to the hot dogs. Conversation had not died down in the last hour since all the adults had arrived, and Toji was glad they were leaving them alone for the most part, staying around the edges of the group, not intruding or inserting themselves into any conversation where they felt they weren’t wanted.

“Doing okay?” Lukas asked, coming up behind Toji. 

Toji grinned. “Yeah, I guess. Didn’t expect to see them until my birthday, but I can’t say I’m annoyed they’re here now.”

Lukas grinned. “I meant with your dad, dumbass.” He nodded in Hero’s direction where he stood chatting with Elaine and Chloe. Peter was over with Havik and Noah near the water, the younger boy attempting a new trick Noah was teaching him.

Toji glanced at Natsu who gave him a small smile. “We haven’t really had any time to talk so I can’t tell you.” He shrugged. “We’re not fighting, if that means anything.”

Lukas laughed. “Yeah it does, actually. Plus I noticed he didn’t bring any handcuffs and prison guards with him, so that’s a good sign.”

Natsu snorted, trying to cover it with a cough but still earning a glare from Toji. “What?” he said, smiling. “He has a point, Neko.”

“Totally not funny,” Toji muttered under his breath. His body language gave away that he wasn’t completely irritated by the comment, though. He turned one of the hot dogs, giving it just a little more sauce just as Ynda walked up with a plate to take the cooked items to the table to be served.

She leaned over Natsu’s shoulder whispering something that made his face go beet red. She laughed and walked away with the targeted items. Natsu kept his eyes on the food in front of him, Toji glaring after his sister.

“Really, Ynda?!” he called after her. She threw her head back and laughed.

“Do I even want to know?” Ava asked, coming up with Finn.

“No,” Natsu and Toji said.

Finn grinned. “So it was something dirty. Nice.” Ava glared at him, swatting his arm. He laughed, kissing the back of her hand. “So where are the grown ups supposed to sleep anyway?”

“Far away from here if I have any say in it,” Toji muttered under his breath. 

“Yes, because setting up a barrier is so damn hard for you,” Finn teased.

Toji glared at him. “Okay then, wise guy. Set up a barrier for you and Ava in the tent right next to your parents. Tell me if you can get it up then.”

Lukas nearly spat out his soda and Natsu sighed loudly.

“We haven’t gotten that far so that’s a moot point,” Finn countered. All heads turned in his direction, a drop of sauce sizzling on the coals.

“Seriously?” Lukas asked.

Toji couldn’t help but smile at his cousin who was blushing, folding Finn’s hand in both of hers. Lukas could tease all he wanted, but the fact remained, he was a virgin too, and Toji and Natsu had waited for over a year before they had sex. Finn, on the other hand, was not a virgin and had a reputation in the Fifth Realm for a series of fuck-n-dumps. 

“Nice,” Toji said, extending his fist for Finn to bump. He gave Ava a little hug. “Proud of you, cuz,” he said.

The conversational buzz seemed to die down around them and Toji gazed out to see a sea of eyes staring at him in complete astonishment.

“What?”

Chloe and Ynda shared a look, and no one was able to ignore the vibes Alerik and Persephone were sending out. 

“Looks like you two are doing better,” Hero said in his soft voice, a smile on his lips.

Ava straightened, realizing that although her parents were made aware of the situation, she still hadn’t apologized to Hero. She glanced at Finn and released his hand, walking slowly toward Hero, her hands folded in front of her as she tried not to let her fear show in her eyes. When she was within a few feet, her head bowed, she stopped.

She glanced around at the assembled crowd, her entire family, the family she had hurt and humiliated with her own lies and angry words. She had known what to say to her parents, to Toji, to Natsu…but when it came to the man who she literally turned against his own son, she was lost. 

Gently, she bowed at the waist, her hair falling over one shoulder. “Majesty,” she began. “Uncle…I owe you an ap—”

“No.”

Everyone stared at Hero, Ava’s eyes opening wide but she didn’t come up from her bow.

Hero was quiet a moment as he took one step toward her. “Ava,” he said, “you said some truly terrible things in a moment of hurt and anger, and the terms you used against my son, you used against me and my husband as well. Against everyone like us, in fact.”

Ava winced, her nails digging into her hands.

“Your actions were impulsive, reckless, thoughtless, and cruel.”

Ava began to shake, tears welling up in her eyes. I deserve this…I deserve this.