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It was nighttime.
Cale couldn’t help but be nervous in his seat. Who wouldn’t be? Tons of recording and visual magic devices scattered around the plaza and sat at the very front of what seemed like a concert was nerve-wracking.
Especially if it was your birthday and you just came back from a mental shock of having your face, your ancient powers’ ‘merch’ being sold at the capital’s plaza. Not to mention the statues.
He let the statues slide. At least he didn’t have a statue with just him alone. All the heroes of the war had one at the plaza. Much to Cale’s disappointment, he stood at the center of it with Alberu. Alberu was the emperor, of course he’d be at the center. But Cale, why him?! Shouldn’t it be Choi Han?!
The crowd cheered when he joined Alberu at the V.I.P seats. He grimaced and told his hyung to wipe the smug smirk off his face.
Cale preferred a quiet, peaceful birthday with only his family to accompany him thank you very much.
Naturally, the world was against him and so gave him his three very adorable children who stood behind the stage in costumes as if they were getting ready to perform.
It was his birthday. The children were going to perform something.
Only an idiot wouldn’t be able to connect those two points.
He still hoped he’s wrong.
When did they even have time to prepare this when it seemed like they were sleeping beside him all day while he slacked?
(He failed to realize that his kids were sleeping all day beside him because they were practicing all night. He once called them out on it because it was unhealthy for kids to stay inside all the time, and they reluctantly left.)
(They still slept. But outside. What Cale didn’t know won’t hurt him.)
Alberu beside him had already whipped out a recording device, turning it on and pointing it towards his lovable, headache-inducing, sacrificial bastard of a dongsaeng.
“Stop.”
“My niece and nephews told me to record your reaction. I’m only doing them a favor oh great young master silver shield,” He activated his oily tongue which Cale ignored. If it’s the kids, then…he’ll let it be.
Damn it. Why was he so soft?
Cale sighed and looked back at the stage. Near it was Rosalyn and Eruhaben facilitating the mana devices with several mages. The children spotted him from where they are and waved their hands in the air to greet their dad.
Cale waved back with a small warm smile. Alberu simply chuckled at his dongsaeng’s shenanigans.
Cale ignored his amused hyung and observed the kids in their adorable outfits. Raon is in his human form, awfully resembling Cale, as Kim Rok Soo, when he was a kid albeit chubbier and obviously so much more well-fed.
On and Hong were also in their human form as well with On constantly warning Hong not to mess up his suit by getting too excited. He didn’t know who made the suits but if he did, he’d give them a raise.
Raon wore blue, complementing his starry blue eyes that Cale always saw before he slept. On and Hong matched each other with On wearing a nice red suit dress at the shade of Hong’s hair and Hong matched her with a suit with the color of On’s silver hair.
The lights that were previously shining bright on Cale’s face turned off, leaving them sitting in the darkness as the music starts.
“Oh you shine bright~” Raon started, startling Cale because wow, Raon could sing? Dragons really are great and mighty.
On and Hong followed, “Brighter than all the stars~” and Cale’s jaw dropped. On and Hong fit each other’s voice really well.
“Brighter than fireworks~
So, I give you all my love.”
They all harmonized together, collectively looking at Cale whose ears were about to be as red as his hair.
Alberu chuckled beside him, watching in amusement as his sworn younger brother’s ears redden. He tapped his thighs, going along the crowd that start clapping to the beat.
“And you’re perfection even in your mistakes.” Raon’s mana formed to a picture of Cale smiling genuinely, not his scamming one.
“Give affection even when your heart aches,” On and Hong sang as the mana turns to Cale hugging the three of them.
They all pick up, “When I’m away, you’re all I’m thinking of~”
“Because~”
“You are my home, home, home
Wherever I may roam
You are the place that I can rest my weary bones
You are my home, home, home”
Because he really is.
And he’ll forever be their home.
“You are my home, home, home…”
Cale smiled, his eyes glinting in fondness as he watched his kids sing and have fun up at the stage. The recording device in Alberu’s hands captured all of this perfectly, making the one recording also crack a small soft smile while looking his sworn brother look at the children.
Eruhaben muttered a quick ‘unlucky bastard’ behind the stage before setting the fireworks off. He scoffed when the redhead flinched at the resounding boom.
On stepped up, getting ready for her part.
“You’re a diamond,
brightening my cloudy skies.
Sparkling all through the night,
light me up like fireflies.”
“See you, shining, even in the darkness,” Raon sang as his mana reach towards Cale and causes his chair to glow.
“Stand beside me when I don’t deserve it,” he sang as he made the glow from Cale’s chair travel to the stage and formed a hologram of Cale beside him.
“That’s why I say, I give you all my love,” Raon, On and Hong all sang as they reach their hands towards Cale.
“Because~”
Hologram Cale danced, resulting to Cale’s brain malfunction as he sputtered trying to create words. Alberu laughed loudly, they were in the V.I.P seats, he didn’t have to put up his persona because there were only the two of them anyway.
“You are my home, home, home
Wherever I may roam
You are the place that I can rest my weary bones
You are my home, home, home”
The kids dance with the hologram, big smiles on their faces as their dad in the seats pursed his lips, failing to hide his smile.
He no longer cared about others, all that he could see was his kids’ smiley faces directed at him. He was a hundred percent recording the moment, wanting to look back at this record in the future.
Suddenly, all lights point towards Hong as he caught the cap Choi Han threw at him.
“You're my number one
There's no doubt
And we stick together throughout
Like boy scouts, we about
All for one 'till lights out”
Cale chuckled as Hong tried to look cool.
“So, Cale, where you at?
Wave your hands, front to back
Everybody take a look around
At my dad, out in the crowd (oh)”
“WE LOVE YOU CALE!”
Everyone sang along, harmonizing at the last part as they cheer happily. It was their commander’s birthday. You best bet they’ll give him the best he’ll have.
“You are my home, home, home!”
With a smile on their faces, they close the performance, satisfied and joyful.
The kids ran down the stage in a hurry, grinning at the adults whose calls of ‘don’t run, be careful’ they ignored because; One, they’re strong. Physically stronger than Cale. Two, they could care less about it. What was important was that they see their dad as soon as possible
“Human!” Raon jumped up to Cale who catches him no matter how heavy he is.
Not even caring about his struggle since the kids were much important right now, Cale thought, ‘he’s eating well. That’s great.’
“Cale nya~”
“Were we good?!”
Cale let out an amused laugh and subconsciously, a proud dad smile as he reached and patted them all on their heads, “You did great.”
That was all they needed. Raon jumped down and placed some suspicious things on the ground. Cale frowned, trying to see what it was but was covered by On and Hong.
“Let’s go!” Raon pulled all of them back, trying to run away from the…were those fireworks?!
“Wai-”
Too late, the fireworks were lit up and were launching in 3 seconds.
The kids giggled, “3!”
Cale tried to talk but was stopped by Alberu who simply said, “2.”
He immediately turned towards Eruhaben who gestures with his hand a number, “1.”
And the fireworks flew, creating a beautiful art of Cale with the message ‘HBD CALE <3!!’ beside. Everyone turned to Cale who snickered and smiled, still recording the moment.
It was a great day.