Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

 “How terribly busy are you at the moment?” Sascha asked.

 Sethos looked up at the man from where he himself had been eating lunch. The Akademiya’s cafeteria was more like a second study hall that happened to serve food more often than not, but when Sethos was in town he enjoyed eating there and watching in amusement as students poured over their papers while shoveling food into their mouths.

 It was rare that Hat Guy came up to Sethos to talk on his own volition. In the tentative friendship they had been curating the past few months, Sethos himself always had to seek Sascha out first to initiate any sort of interaction. This sudden change in dynamics made Sethos curious.

 “Not busy at all!” Sethos said after swallowing a mouthful of rice. He sat up in his seat, giving Sascha an open smile. “Need something from me?”

 Sascha sighed, averting his gaze. He was good at keeping his expression closed off, but Sethos could see enough resignation in his eyes to tell him that Sascha truly didn’t want to ask him to do anything. Sethos didn’t take offense to it; The wanderer was like that to everyone.

 “Yes.” Sascha admitted. “But I won’t spare any details here. Follow.” He ordered, turning on his heel swiftly and walking towards the cafeteria's doors without even checking if Sethos was following. 

 Hurriedly, Sethos shoveled the rest of his rice into his mouth and pushed his chair in, speed walking after the other man. Usually he’d bring his plate to the kitchen himself to spare the staff the energy- Even if they knew he was a guest of Cyno’s, Sethos still felt a little odd having them serve him when he didn’t even attend the akademiya- however Sascha asking anything of Sethos was too rare of an occurrence to fumble.

 Sethos very carefully kept his mouth shut as they walked. He noted that Sascha seemed to be in a hurry- Not the type of hurry that implied anything urgent, but still a hurry. Just as Sethos was about to get lost in the swaying of Sascha’s hat-tassles, they came upon Hat Guy’s dorm room door. 

 Sascha whipped around to level Sethos with a very serious look before he opened it, hand clenched around the door handle. “No swearing, no rude gestures, and no raising your voice. He’s impressionable.” He whisper-hissed.

 “When do I do any of that anyway?” Sethos whispered back, but was ultimately ignored as Hat Guy opened the door and led Sethos inside.

 Sethos hadn’t ever been in Sascha’s dorm room; He didn’t even think Sascha had registered to have one. It’s about as bland as one would expect though, with little to no personal belongings or decor in it. The emptiness of his friend’s room was not what drew his attention however.

 Instead, it was the little boy sitting on the edge of Sascha’s bed, kicking his feet with a nervous frown on his face. The curling black horns on his head and scaled tail curled around his waist didn’t express anything particularly humane about him, but he was clearly young. 

 The boy’s face lit up when Sascha entered the room, growing a little more shy when Sethos followed. “Hat Guy! Uhm, is this the friend you told me about?” He asked, standing up from the bed. He had a pair of draconic looking wings wrapped tightly to his sides, as if he wanted to hide them. Sethos made a note not to stare.

 “He’s not my-”

 “Sure am! Hi there, my name is Sethos.” He interrupted with a kind smile, crouching in front of the boy despite the fact that he wasn’t all too much shorter than Sethos himself.

 The boy blinked, before giving Sethos a small smile. “I’m Durin.” He greeted in kind.

 Sascha cleared his throat pointedly from behind Sethos, arms crossed. “Durin has been… Under my care for the past couple of months. As you can see, he isn’t like most others.” Sascha gestured to the dragon-like features, causing Durin to stare at the floor.

 “So he’s a bit of a secret for the time being. Nilou and Buer know about him. I would have asked one of them to stay with Durin while I was gone, but Nilou has a line of shows throughout the week and I don’t trust that Buer won’t put silly thoughts in Durin’s skull.” Sascha explained.

 Sethos nodded slowly, before giving Sascha a small smile. “Sooo… You came to me?” He asked cheekily.

 The wanderer sighed deeply. “Despite how much of a thorn in my side you can be, I know you aren’t the judgemental type. You won’t be unnecessarily wary around Durin or anything like that.” Sascha said with a vague gesture of his hand. “And I think being around someone so socially energetic like you could do him some good.”

 Durin blinked, cutting in softly. “I get to be friends with Mr. Sethos too?” He asked with a smile. 

 Sethos could understand why some would be scared of a dragon person, with the reputations dragons had anywhere outside of Natlan, however he doesn’t see how anyone could find Durin specifically scary!

 “We have been friends since the moment I stepped into this room!” Sethos said merrily, revelling in the excited smile and tiny gasp Durin let loose.

 Sethos stood up, patting Durin’s head. “I can definitely stick around with this little guy for a while! Where are you heading off to now though? Didn’t you just come back from Nod Krai last month?” Sethos asked Sascha curiously.

 The Wanderer huffed, crossing his arms and averting his gaze like he always did. “I’m a wanderer. I’m going to wander.” He said vaguely. “I’ll be back in a week though. No more, no less. Just keep him safe and happy.”

 Though his words and tone were stern and careless, Sethos could tell that Sascha deeply valued the boy next to him. To be trusted with this task was something Sethos never thought he’d have the honor of doing.

“You can count on me, Hat Guy!” Sethos said with a smile. “Little Durin and I will be best buds by the time you come back!”

 Sascha huffed, before he and Durin made eye contact for a good few seconds. Eventually, Sascha broke the silence with a raised brow. “So?”

 In a blink, Durin was tightly wrapping his arms (and little wings) around Sascha’s middle. The wanderer rolled his eyes, yet returned the embrace all the same. “One week.” Sascha reminded with a sigh. “That’s only seven days.”

 Durin hummed sadly, before stepping back and letting Sascha ruffle his hair. “Be safe Hat Guy.” The boy said, only getting a grunt of confirmation in response. Before Sascha left, he pulled Sethos closer by the shoulder and whispered so Durin couldn’t hear.

 “If he has a single scratch on his skin or a tear in his eye when I return, I’m killing you and hiding the body where the matra will never find you.” Sascha said darkly.

 “Sir yes sir!” Sethos replied, quickly stepping backwards and putting his hands on his hips. “Safe travels!”

 With a final scoff, Sascha pulled open the window to his dorm and stepped out of it, flying off to wherever it was he planned to be at. Heart still pounding, Sethos smiled down at Durin. “Ever been to the desert?”

 By day two of baby-dragon-sitting Durin, things had been going pretty great! He had toured Durin around the Temple of Silence during the busier hours when less people would see him (although there were only so many members left these days), had brought Durin on a couple of lunches with Nilou during her breaks, and played a lot more TCG than Sethos would ever admit- Specifically to Cyno.

 Well, at least next time he’s dragged in to play with his half-brother, Sethos will be able to surprise him with the skill he had gained.

 However, on the third day, Sethos woke up from the sleeping mat on Sascha’s dorm room floor to Durin sitting next to him rather than on the bed. Sethos blinked sleepily, sitting up and wincing internally when he realized he forgot to pull his hair down the night before. That will be fun to deal with.

 “Hey bud.” He hummed, giving Durin a small smile. “It’s pretty early huh? What are you doing awake?” Sethos asked calmly. During these past few days, Sethos can proudly say Durin has really warmed up to him. He smiled and laughed more, and showed a more playful energy than the timidness Sethos had been met with at first.

 Durin sighed from beside Sethose, shifting to sit criss-cross. “I’m sorry for waking you up, Sethos. But… I miss Hat Guy a lot.” He said with a frown. “Like- A lot a lot! It’s making my chest feel funny.” 

 Sethos hummed thoughtfully. He didn’t know the full story about Durin yet, but he could make some educated guesses. One thing was for sure, the boy seemed like he was always experiencing emotions for the first time. Like he wasn’t quite used to feelings and their intricacies yet.

 With a soothing smile, Sethos raised his blanket invitingly. “I miss him too. But you know that he never breaks a promise. And I have a feeling he’s especially strict about those promises when it comes to you.” He poked Durin’s nose, who giggled as he laid next to Sethos.

 “You’re right, I know.” Durin sighed, eyes drifting shut once more. “But I only just… Got him back.” The boy mumbled, before falling asleep with his forehead against Sethos’ chest.

 Sethos didn’t know what that implied, and he’s sure it would be a long time before Durin or Sascha told him the full story of their meeting. However, for now, he was content with humming beneath his breath and rubbing the boy’s back as he slept, smiling at the small snores he heard.

 There was only so much you could do with a boy who was a walking secret, but Sethos managed to keep Durin entertained for the remaining four days. On the seventh day, Durin was a ball of energy. They blew through six rounds of TCG, Sethos having to admit defeat to a child for every single one of them, and Durin was now reading one of Sascha’s work-in-progress essays as if he could understand them.

 “Just a few more hours right?” Durin asked for what had to be the hundredth time. And Sethos responded the same exact way, with a patient smile and a small laugh. 

 “A few more hours, Little Durin.” He hummed, watching Durin nod with a smile and continue reading. Truthfully, Sethos didn’t know the exact time Wanderer was coming back. But he felt like the man wasn’t so evil to come home by any later than nightfall.

 A knock on the door caused Durin to perk up, but before the boy could rush over to the door, Sethos swooped him up from beneath the arms and sat him beside a bookshelf that was just out of view from anyone outside. He winked and placed a finger over his lips, before opening the door with a smile.

 “Bro! What are you doing here?” Sethos asked casually. Cyno crossed his arms in front of him, raising a brow.

 “I could ask you the same thing.” He said, sounding a little bit unimpressed. “All week I’ve gotten reports of you sneaking around campus with a hooded figure and returning to a dorm room that certainly doesn’t belong to you.”

 Sethos laughed, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t call it sneaking around! Just subtly making my rounds.” He shrugged. 

 Cyno looked no less enthused. “Making the rounds is my job. And either way, that doesn’t explain the ‘hooded figure’-” He said with air quotes. “Or the fact that you’re holing up in Hat Guy’s dorm. Don’t you have your own residence in the city?”

 Cyno tried to make a step inside, but Sethos laughed a little too loudly, holding up his hands and ushering Cyno back out. “I’m uh- I’m cat sitting, you know? Sascha has been out these last few days and-”

 “Cat’s aren’t human shaped and cats don’t wear cloaks. Who are you hiding? If they deserve judgement, I have a right to serve it.” Cyno said with increasing suspicion.

 Sethos tried to stutter out a reply, before the sound of the window slamming open behind him had him jumping and decidedly NOT squealing like a little girl.

 “General.” Sascha grumbled. “Why are you trying to enter my room.” He asked, a little too closely behind Sethos- Though Sethos knew it was just to further cover the sight of a very curious and somewhat frightful Durin.

 Cyno blinked. “...I was under the assumption it was Sethos breaking into your room, Hat Guy.” He said with a raised brow, scrutinizing the two for a few moments. His eyes then widened, and he smacked his fist onto his palm. One could imagine a light bulb appearing over the general’s head.

 “I see now.” He said seriously. He placed a hand on Sascha’s shoulder, who made a face. “Congratulations.”

 Sethos and Sascha both shared a look, the latter furrowing his brow. “...What?”

 Cyno ignored his confusion, instead nodding at Sethos with an almost proud glint in his eyes. “I’m sorry for doubting you bro. Good on you for taking responsibility. I’ll leave the… three, of you be now.” He said with a small nod. He shot Sethos one more thumbs up, before walking off.

 “Wh- Hey! Cyno- That isn’t-!” Sethos stuttered, before the door was slammed shut by Sascha, who glared at Sethos with pink cheeks and a murderous gaze.

 “...You are clearing that up with him later.” Sascha ordered. Sethos gave him a meek nod, before taking an artful step back to dodge an incoming Durin.

 “Hat Guy!!” Durin cried, all four… Seven? Of his limbs wrapped around Sascha’s torso. The extra three being his wings and tail; Sethos is pretty sure those count as limbs. Sascha huffed, supporting Durin’s weight with a roll of his eyes. It seems he was thankfully distracted from Cyno’s assumptions.

 “I know, I know. Must you be so clingy?” The wanderer sighed, however Durin only cuddled closer in response. A soft purring could be heard, and Sascha and Sethos both shared a bewildered yet endeared look.

 “Well, your duty ends here.” Sascha hummed, rubbing Durin’s back in a similar fashion to how Sethos did just a few days ago. “Thanks. Regrettably, I do owe you for this.” He sighed, once again avoiding eye contact with Sethos.

 Sethos hummed, before smiling cheekily. “I already know what I want to ask for!”

 Days later, the traveler received a shakily-penned letter from Durin. It told them about the new friend Durin made, the cool Inazuman gift Wanderer had brought him, and tons of other small experiences he had gained over the last week.

 Attached to the bottom of the letter was a single picture of Sethos wearing Wanderer’s hat, the man himself standing in the background with an unimpressed look as Durin laughed in his arms. Durin could positively say that he liked Sethos just as much as he liked Hat Guy, Auntie Nilou, and Ms. Buer.

Chapter Text

 Durin took a deep breath, adjusting the cloak over his shoulders for what seemed like the fiftieth time. He was walking down the walkway from the Akademiya, Hat Guy and Sethos on either side of him. His wings and tail were tucked beneath his cloak, but his horns were completely visible.

 Nilou had assured him that people would assume his horns were part of a costume, like her own. It made sense, with how many performances went on at the Theater. Hat Guy seemed to think it was sound logic as well, and Durin trusted him with his life.

 Still, it was nerve wracking whenever someone so much as glanced in his direction. Sethos had said it was normal for ‘newcomers’ to get a couple of looks, horns or not. That alone was anxiety inducing, but the scariest part was where exactly the three were going.

 Ever since Cyno had come to the realization that Sethos and Sascha had… A young third party going on between them, he of course ended up telling Tighnari. Who told Kaveh. Who told Alhaitham. Sascha wasn’t leaping at the opportunity to introduce Durin to the four, but Sethos convinced him to, as it would be good for Durin to meet more people.

 Hat Guy hadn’t told Durin very much about these four. He knew Cyno was a very strong general for the Matra, and that Alhaitham was the grand scribe of the Akademiya. He had heard Kaveh and Tighnari’s names in passing before, but he knew nothing about the two. Durin was excited to make new friends, but he knew that these four were also Hat Guy’s friends, even if the man denied it!

 If Durin made a bad impression, would that mess things up between them? Would he do or say something that made Hat Guy embarrassed of him?

 Durin didn’t realize his fangs had been worrying at his lip before a hand rested on his shoulder, and he looked up to see a faint tick in Sascha’s brow.

 “What are you thinking so hard about?” He asked as they passed the doors to the Grand Bazaar. In a few minutes they’d be at the cafe to meet the four others.

 Durin sighed, scratching his cheek. “I’m just worried. What if I say something dumb and you do that thing you do where you pinch your nose and sigh really hard?” He asked, gazing up at the wanderer.

 Sethos snickered at Sascha’s mildly affronted expression, ruffling Durin’s hair (mindful of his horns). “Don’t worry Tulip, Cyno and Kaveh say dumb things all of the time! Trust me, nothing you can say will be more embarrassing than whatever joke Cyno follows up with.” He said fondly.

 Durin didn’t seem too convinced though, anxious thoughts still swirling in his mind. He still wasn’t used to all of the anxiety and negativity he felt, however ever since he merged with the Big Durin, he’s been more… Emotional. Buer and Sascha were trying to help, but it was a slow process, and it was more often than not he had days like this.

 “Well… well what if one of them asks something about what I am- Or where I came from!” He asked instead, tugging his cloak tighter around his form.

 Sascha huffed, scooping Durin up and holding him on an arm like a toddler. It wasn’t often he carried Durin around, his pride often interfering with simple affections like that, but he wasn’t so in his own head that he didn’t understand when it would help.

 “As much as I dislike saying it, these four are trustworthy men.” Sascha said quietly, the three coming to a stop beside the cafe. “Whether or not you answer their questions honestly is your own decision. You don’t have to tell them a single thing about yourself if you don’t want to. You’re under no obligation to do anything, understand?”

 Despite his strict tone, Hat Guy’s words soothed Durin just enough that he nodded slowly. After another minute or two of contemplating, Durin sighed. “Okay. I think I’m ready.”

 Tighnari, Kaveh, and Alhaitham stared in silent bewilderment as Cyno chugged a glass of cider bottoms up- Like a grieving man twelve bottles in at the bar. The four were under strict instructions by Sascha not to order a single drop of alcohol however- If that weren’t the case, Cyno would likely be a bit further gone than he currently is.

 “Careful, Kaveh might sue you for copyright infringement.” Alhaitham said blandly, ignoring the scoff that came from beside him as Tighnari sighed and cupped his head in his hand.

 “Cyno, what are you doing.” He demanded in a resigned, yet scolding voice.

 The so-called general groaned, leaning back in his seat with his hands over his eyes. “I’m an uncle. By the Gods I’m an uncle!” He bemoaned in the silence of the empty Cafe. Sascha had gone the extra mile and rented the whole building out so Durin wouldn’t be too anxious- Though Durin himself didn’t know that.

 “Usually it’s the fathers who are acting like that.” Kaveh said with an amused smile. “Besides, Sethos already said it isn’t like that. If anything, he’s probably more like a godfather than a co-parent.”

 Tighnari and Alhaitham both gave Kaveh an unconvinced look, before the bell over the front door jingled. Cyno immediately straightened, looking like the pinnacle of a sane and put-together man.

 “Hello hello!” Sethos greeted, jovial as always as he slid in the seat next to Cyno, across from Alhaitham. Sascha remained standing, waiting patiently for Durin to stop hiding behind him.

 “Hey you two.” Tighnari hummed with a flick of his ear. He gently smacked Cyno’s shoulder when the man tried to peer around the Wanderer. “We waited for you before ordering.”

 “How polite.” Sascha huffed. “Unlike a certain someone. You can’t hide forever, come say hi.” He mumbled, shifting his arm back to rest on Durin’s head.

 The dragon boy swallowed, before quietly stepping beside Sascha, waving at the four men. His mouth tried to shape out several different words quietly, before he finally managed to squeak out a small “Hi.”

 Alhaitham huffed silently from his nose, while Kaveh leaned over his roommate’s shoulder to smile warmly at the boy. “Hi there! It’s nice to meet you, Sethos told us so many good things about you.”

 Durin flustered a bit, but smiled back anyhow. Sascha hummed, moving around the table and sitting beside Tighnari. Awkwardly, Durin sat across from him beside Kaveh.

 “I know adults can be a bit boring to talk to.” Kaveh laughed. “So, I brought you something for when you don’t feel like talking.” 

 Durin blinked, watching as Kaveh set a couple sheets of paper and pens in front of him. “Oh… Thank you!” He said, smiling more sincerely. “Are you Mr. Kaveh?” He guessed, to which the blond smiled with a nod.

 As the two started to talk, Sethos elbowed Cyno- Who was very blatantly staring. “Hey- Dude- Aren’t you supposed to be like… A master of subtlty?” He asked in a hushed tone. Cyno blinked, clearing his throat as he looked away from Sascha and Tighnari’s burning gazes.

 “Sorry. I was thinking.” He hummed.

 “About what.” Sascha hissed, still holding a grudge from the assumption Cyno had made those few weeks ago about him and Sethos.

 Cyno cleared his throat again, louder this time, and pulled Durin’s attention to him. “I, too, have brought a gift for my nephew.” He announced.

 “He is not your nephew.” Sascha said coldly, but was interrupted by a box being placed heavily on the middle of the table. Durin had to sit up a little to read it, tilting his head curiously.

 “TCG? I love TCG!” He said excitedly.

 A collective groan ran around the table, though Cyno ignored them, nodding to Durin gravely. “Yes. TCG is easily one of my favorite games. I’m giving you a deck I put together myself. Maybe one day we can play together.”

 Durin blinked, before smiling as he pulled the box closer to him. “Alright! That sounds like so much fun!” He said happily, coming out of his shell as he realized these people truly were as nice as the other friends he’d made in Sumeru. “Thank you Uncle Cyno!”

 Cyno blinked, before nodding. “You’re welcome…” He said, a little choked up.

 As Tighnari and Sethos both rubbed Cyno’s back, Alhaitham leaned back against his seat and watched the black, spiked tail wagging behind Durin. He raised a brow, looking over to Sascha, who glared and drew a line across his throat in warning.

 Nodding, Alhaitham leaned forward again. “How about we order now?” He offered, waving his hand for a server.

 Later into the evening, a sleeping Durin was carried home with his head on Wanderer’s shoulder, a card deck and a drawing held close to his chest. 

 And even later into the night, Cyno sat on the floor of Tighnari’s hut, a schooling plan laid out before him. He was going to create the strongest TCG warrior to ever live.