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While Neuvillette had hardly had what humans called a normal childhood- and his mate hadn’t either- he had come to understand that his son’s actions now were perfectly normal for a child. Misha was entering the typical age for when he would form and register his crushes, apparently. From all the parenting books he’d read- and all the advice he had been forcibly given by ‘well meaning’ parent veterans- wanting to be alone with his crush while he confessed was a common desire.
Still. This was his son, the being who was created from half of him and half of his treasure. Neuvillette couldn’t bare to dream of his son being harmed by anything without Neuvillette there to protect and comfort him, even by a little boy’s rejection.
So he was hiding himself behind a bush while he watched the two children sit beside each other on a bench.
They’d been looking over each other’s new cards of the child version of TCG, but their conversation had tapered off sometime a few minutes ago. His son was fidgeting, playing with his fingers awkwardly while he stared at the ground, and the little boy beside him was doing the same thing. The other little boy seemed polite enough, and was rather cute for a child with sheepdog cut of his hair, but Neuvillette would be having words with the child’s parents if he broke his son’s heart. Misha had spent hours pouring careful attention into making that Valentine.
“Neuvillette? What are you doing here?”
Neuvillette nearly jumped out of his skin at the unexpected whisper, so focused was he on the two children that he hadn’t even heard someone approaching him. He sends another shock of surprise through their bond when he looks to the side to see his mate.
His dragon huddles down in preemptive defense. There was very little chance that Furina wasn’t going to realize what was happening here.
Sure enough, Furina’s eyes went from him, to the children they could see through the gaps in the branches, and then back to him knowingly.
“Darling, they’re eight years old. I don’t think anything bad is going to happen to our son.” She whispered, laughter singing along their bond.
Neuvillette pouted, bristling a little even as he tilts his head to gladly accept the peck his mate presses to his cheek.
“I’m aware, but that doesn’t mean-“ Neuvillette stops as his dragon points out their mate’s posture. Like him, she is crouched behind this bush like she doesn’t want to be seen, her voice kept low like she doesn’t want to be heard.
“What are you doing here?” He asks as he narrows his eyes at her.
Furina looks away. She tries to shield her side of the bond for a moment, then deflates and lets him feel her embarrassment after his repeated poking against her shields. “Okay, all right, no need to call me out like this. I was in the bush a few spots down, but I wanted to get a better look. Allan’s parents were one bush away from me.”
When Neuvillette twists his head around, he sees that the little boy’s parents are indeed a few bushes away. He must have been very intent on the two children to notice none of this, but it appeared that he hadn’t been the only one.
“Well.” He said as he met his mate’s gaze as their shared amusement blooms and intertwines within their bond. He reaches out for one of Furina’s hands and links their fingers together much the same way. “Shall we make sure he’s safe?”
Furina squeezed his hand.
“Let's.” She agreed cheerfully, and they turned their attention back to their son just in time to see the blushing little boy beside him carefully accept the Valentines card he had made.