Chapter 23
Klynn
“That old man left us with more questions than answers.” My mate did not like admitting that, but he had waited until the privacy shield was in place around my rooms to complain about it because he was very professional. “He kept changing the subject and always had a story to distract everyone.”
“I hadn’t thought about it that way, but from what I’ve heard he’s always done that.” He was seen as a local legend, but I couldn’t remember when I’d first heard about him. “He was able to explain things well, though.”
Hadn’t he?
My mate huffed before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “Yes. He gave us a lot of new information and meeting Kaden made him very happy.”
I thought I understood why and was slightly disturbed by it.
“I liked seeing him happy.” That was good. He was funny. He even had funny relatives. “I liked the stories too.”
Everything else…I didn’t have to like that.
Daddy would handle that.
“He had good stories about all the original families.” Daddy smiled and kissed my head as I snuggled against him. “My favorite part was figuring out why Kenzie and Lorne seem like they’d fit in with the Florida crowd.”
Daddy thought they were Florida men.
He was so naughty he made me giggle.
“I heard that laugh.” Daddy’s smile got even bigger because he liked me happy. “And I’m not even going to talk about how weird it was to see that old dragon chuckle.”
Nope.
We didn’t have to talk about it…but we could if we wanted…so I whispered to Daddy. “We didn’t do that before we met the Earth people. We can but we didn’t.”
We weren’t laughing broken…just the emotional kind of broken.
Daddy cuddled me against his chest tighter, whispering too. “I understand that your people used to laugh and have similar expressive emotions but being sad for so long affected a lot. That old man, though.”
He was different.
“He should’ve been born after we got boring, Daddy.” Maybe Baldron didn’t know that? We’d been boring for a long time. “He had stories about lots of the people.”
Daddy sighed and looked like his tummy was feeling funny. “He had stories about the kids who’d gone to school with his relatives and a few other cousins and such who went over there. He didn’t have any stories about the other families like he would have if he’d just been gathering information.”
I shrugged because it was a good way to show I was confused. “Everyone here thought it was fine. Everyone there thought it was weird.”
“Yeah.” Daddy hugged me tight and rubbed my back. “That was kind of odd too. Only the people from the other side of the gate could see how strange the situation was.”
“I think…I think it might’ve been strange when I was young.” Maybe? “He was really old then too and…and he smiled a lot. I think I forgot that.”
Maybe young me hadn’t paid enough attention?
“I think he’s done something sneaky but drawing attention to that seems like a bad idea.
” Daddy made thinking sounds and rubbed his face against my head.
I was making Daddy relaxed, so I did wiggly snuggles because he liked those too.
“Alright, I don’t see any logical reason that we need to draw attention to it. No matter what that old man did.”
Daddy didn’t like that.
“He did stuff but the here people would think we were playing imagination games.” Littles liked those. Imagination games were fun. “I don’t want that.”
Imagination games were private.
Daddy and my books said that was fine.
“Yeah, we’d look insane unless the old man confessed what he’d done and backed us up.” Daddy gave me another kiss before leaning back and giving me his you’re important look. “I declare us done worrying. We’re going to have cuddles and play and then get you a bath. Do you want bubbles?”
Oh, bubbles.
“Yes. Bubbles.” Bubbles were best when Daddy made them. “What can we play?”
Daddy had been sneaky and brought some of my special stuff over, but he’d given me his naughty grin when I’d tried to peek. He was still being naughty because he made his silly thinking sounds. “I don’t know. Should we play castle or blocks?”
“I like blocks. I like my castle.” Daddy liked blocks too. “You can practice.”
Daddy winced. “Yes, Daddy needs more practice making the blocks sticky.”
Hmm.
“We could play chase.” I liked chase. “I’m fast.”
“Hmm…why do you look so sweet when you say that?” Daddy was smart. “I think you’re being magey.”
Ha.
Ha.
“Me? Noooo.” I was so cute. I wasn’t magey. “I’m your cute little dragon, Daddy.”
He tilted his head and gave me his thinking face. “Most of the time dragons are big and chase things like deer through major cities so it looks like there’s a random stampede.”
Oops.
Naughty dragons.
“I’m cute, Daddy.” Cheek kiss time. “I like being little because I’m fast.”
Little two-legged me liked little dragon me.
“Oh.” Daddy got his lightbulb face again like he was a cartoon. “Your smaller form. I bet that’s fast.”
He was silly and looked around our room getting confused. “Where could you go fast?”
“Not here, Daddy.” Think. Think. Think. “Oh. I’m smart.”
Ha.
Daddy was smart too because his eyes got big. “How smart?”
“Very smart and very cute.” Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. “You want to adventure, Daddy? It’ll be a good story.”
Oh.
I was very, very smart.
He sighed.
“That’s cheating.” Huff. Puff. Sigh. “A really good story?”
“The best story, Daddy.” Time to have an adventure. “You need…your cute coat…and…and a blanket. Like for a picnic. They have picnics in my books, Daddy.”
“Like a picnic.” Daddy stood straighter and nodded. “I can do that.”
“You can do anything. You’re Daddy.” He could even be silly and forget how special he was, but I was smart and I’d help him remember. “Picnic time.”
Daddy smiled and gave me his you’re silly headshake. “I think we need a treat to take on our picnic.”
“Yay. Oreos.” What else did a special Daddy picnic need? I didn’t know. “What else?”
Daddy got his think-think-think face on before he gave me his sneaky smile. “I know. You get a drink for us and I’ll get everything else.”
A drink for Oreos.
Hmm.
“Do you drink milk, Daddy?” Had I seen him drink milk? “Oreos have milk in books and on TV.”
Going very still, Daddy took a deep breath. “Yes, as long as it tastes like milk and you don’t tell me what it’s from.”
Silly Daddy.
We needed to sneak back his milk next time.
Hmm.
“Deal.” I was smart. Very smart. “Hurry, Daddy.”
I was sneaky too.
“Okay, bathroom trip for Daddy and then I’ll get everything ready. I have a plan.” He was excited about his plan and hurried to go potty, but I was fast and sneaky and cute and I was a good actor.
“I’m Klynn the boring grown-up. Please give me milk.”
Yes.
That would work.
I just had to frown and not look cute.
I could do that and I could do it fast.
Oreos. Check.
Frown. Check.
Sneaky. Check.
Yay, no privacy.
I gave the human knock and activated what was kind of like the human doorbell since I had good manners. I wanted to giggle because I was sneaky but big Klynn didn’t giggle. He frowned and was serious and didn’t even smile when Toman answered the door. “Can I help you?”
Be serious.
Be serious.
No giggles.
No smiles.
“I would like to trade Oreos for cow milk.” When Toman blinked, I pretended to glare. “We both know that Wren packed a variety of food. I won’t tell anyone else but the cookies require milk and we don’t have a product I am certain would be right with the cookies.”
Frown.
Frown.
Glare.
No giggles.
He seemed confused but Wren sighed from behind him. “God. No. You don’t have anything that will go with Oreos. But that weird milk everyone keeps putting in their tea doesn’t taste bad with cereal.”
That was good to know but I didn’t have cereal.
Why was Oreo milk and cereal milk different?
“One second.” As Wren made more dramatic sounds, I heard him move around their rooms. “Real Oreos?”
“Yes.” And I was going to bring back lots and lots next time we went to Earth. “Although I read a book where the main character mentioned another brand of Oreo-style cookie that is much better. I have not tried that one yet.”
I couldn’t find it in Walmart.
“Oh.” Wren came to the door, holding a small box with a straw attached to it. “This isn’t great but it’ll be fine for dunking the cookies. We’ll figure out a better option going forward. I didn’t think about milk not tasting the same.”
Me neither.
I didn’t drink it.
I wasn’t a drink milk kind of little.
“Thank you.” I handed over a share of the cookies and tried to keep my grown-up face. “Have a good evening.”
Hurry.
Hurry.
Sneaky.
Sneaky.
Done.
When I was back in my rooms, I packed water and snuck the juice box milk that wasn’t juice in a bag just as Daddy was coming out of the bathroom. “Why do you look like you just robbed a bank?”
Ha.
“I’m cute. I’m not a robber.” Silly Daddy. “I’m just sneaky.”
He laughed and folded his arms over his chest. “Are you going to tell me what you’re being sneaky about?”
“No.” That was a silly idea. “It’s a surprise.”
Daddy let out a big sigh and pouted. “But I asked nice.”
No.
I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. “Tell me the surprise. I’m being nice.”
He laughed and laughed and laughed.
Ha.
I was funny.
“Alright.” Daddy kissed my cheek as he walked past me. “I’ll be patient.”
No.
Daddy wasn’t patient.
He sighed and pouted and sighed and frowned…but he’d packed his surprise too because he got his sneaky face and stopped being silly. “Ready?”
Hmm.
“What did you get, Daddy?” I’d went potty quick but he’d had his sneaky face on when I came back. “I’m being nice.”
He laughed more.
“You are definitely cuter than me, I’ll give you that.” Daddy was cute and gave me a kiss but he was silly and pretended to forget my question. “Is there anything else we need?”
“Nope. It’s playtime.” And chase time and exploring time and being cute time. “Are you ready, Daddy?”
Think.
Think.
Think.
“Do you remember your colors, Daddy?” He forgot that part sometimes. “I’m green. What color are you?”
Daddy sighed. “I have a very smart boy. I’m nervous but I’m green. I want to see your dragon. It’s just…new.”
“No.” I looked down and shrugged. “I’m always me. This is just two-legged me and not winged me.”
Daddy was back to being thinky.
He had lots of thinking to get ready for playtime…it made me glad I wasn’t a Daddy…it was hard work.
“You’re right.” He looked down at himself and frowned. “I only have one kind of me, though, so it makes me worry. What if I don’t say the right things? What if I get scared? What if I get confused?”
“Then I go back to being this me.” I shrugged again. “I’m cute both ways.”
Daddy finally smiled again. “You’re very cute. I’m going to focus on that part.”
Good.
Because cute boys got good surprises…everyone knew that rule.