Work Text:
Caleb wakes to an empty bed. Something that would have struck a cord of panic straight to his heart years ago, but now only has him stretching and eagerly rolling out of bed. He hears them as he descends the stairs. Squealing laughter and several pairs of little feet running around as his exasperated husband shushes them or ‘Vati will wake and our surprise will be ruined’. It is tempting in that moment just before he turns the corner to the kitchen to simply go back upstairs and wait to be retrieved for his surprise. But the sound of his husband cooing sweetly at their youngest while he cooks breakfast is a larger temptation still.
“Vati!” A whirl of white hair and freckled skin comes crashing against his knees as his sweet girl gives him an enthusiastic hug. Adorable and almost heartwarming enough from him not to wince as she stomps on his feet.
“Please, little Star, have mercy on your Vati’s toes,” he chuckles, bending low to sweep his daughter up to press prickly kisses to her cheek. He peeks at his beloved, who is supervising their eldest trying his best to coax the infant in the highchair to eat another spoonful of sweet porridge. “Thank you for helping Ilharn with breakfast.”
His son, truly his spitting image except for his lavender eyes and elvish ears, doesn’t look up as he catches the baby’s dribble with a bib. The lack of an answer does not bother Caleb, not like it used to. His husband told him that he was the same when he was a child.
A plate is set down in front of him as he sits at the head of the table. A delicate hand squeezes his shoulder and a kiss is pressed to his cheek. The little girl in his lap giggles and he spies a small smile on the boy’s face…
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Caleb wakes to an empty bed. It is cold this time of year. That is little comfort with the chill he feels seeing the empty spot next to him. He does not hear laughter and little feet or smell a lovingly cooked breakfast. He rolls onto his back and lays there. He throws an arm over his eyes to block out the light peaking through his curtains and tries to burn his dream into memory before he must get up and prepare for today’s lectures. The only warmth left in the empty house streaming down his face.