Chapter Text
The first thing that Ingo noticed was the fact that it was very warm. The evening sun crept through the curtains in thin orange slivers, painting the room in stripes of light and shadow. Ingo stirred beneath a warmth that he instinctively recognized, though he wasn’t entirely awake enough to process it. When he opened his eyes, he realized he was tangled with Emmet, fluffy and very warm, curled around him like a living, restless blanket.
The second thing Ingo noticed was that they were both in their dragon forms. It had taken a minute before Ingo processed the information as the memories of the morning came back to him.
Drayden had found out.
Drayden had learned the truth and accepted it. The ideal outcome.
But Drayden wasn't with them and that made something in Ingo's gut churn in discomfort. The thought that Drayden left. That they were alone again.
Panic began to rise, prickling up his spine, making his wings twitch anxiously. He didn’t like the absence. It felt too much like the old loneliness, the endless, empty centuries where no one could understand him or Emmet.
Ingo couldn't breathe. He was too scared to. He couldn't. He didn't want Drayden to go away too. He needed to have everything here with him and Emmet. He-
His attention caught at the sound of a mug hitting the wooden breakfast table in the kitchen. Ingo turned to face the kitchen, his breathing and the hammering in his chest slowly calming down as his eyes caught the smallest of moments inside. Ingo's claws flexed against the couch cushion, attempting to keep himself grounded- to try and remind himself that it was okay, that all was okay, that Drayden wouldn't up and leave them.
Still, he needed to go and make sure that it was actually Drayden and not any of the other dragons. Slowly- careful to not wake up Emmet- Ingo detangled himself from his brother’s hold before lumbering over towards the kitchen.
Ingo peaked past the open doorframe, his dark scales mostly keeping him within the looming shadows of the evening. He watched for a moment, just content to observe the man who had taken him and his brother in without much of a fuss.
Drayden for his part was sitting at the dining table, a notebook sprawled across it as he occasionally sipped from a mug. Ingo could smell the bitterness of the coffee within it from where he was standing. He watched Drayden scribble onto the notebook with a look of concentration on his face.
Ingo stood there for a while, simply breathing and letting the truth wash over him. Drayden was there. He didn't leave.
After a moment, Ingo shuffled into the kitchen further, grabbing Drayden’s attention. “Dad?” His voice rumbled from deep in his throat though still softer than it usually was as a human. He didn't want to accidentally split Drayden’s eardrums off with a roar. He always did find speaking in dragon form strange, he realised.
Drayden looked up with a hum, as he slowly lowered his mug onto the table. He looked a little tired, Ingo had noticed. It worried him a little bit. But then Ingo noticed Drayden’s eyes crinkle ever so slightly in the way that Ingo recognised they do when Drayden smiled at him and Emmet.
And most of his worries seemed to wash away. Though a small part of it lingered at the back of Ingo’s mind.
Drayden waved a hand for Ingo to approach and the young legendary complied. Ingo hurried over to Drayden. His wings tucking a little closer to himself as he padded across the room, claws clicking softly against the floorboards. Every step was careful. He didn’t want to accidentally break the peace. He didn’t want to hurt anything.
“Good morning, Ingo. Did you sleep well?” Drayden asked as the young legendary reached up to place his large draconic chin against the table. Trying to see what Drayden had been working on. Just seeing Drayden so patient, so normal, sent a soothing wave through Ingo’s chest.
“What are you doing?” Ingo asked out of curiosity, voice low and rumbling, still instinctive and more dragon than human.
“I’m setting up some rules,” Drayden replied, flipping the notebook where he had been writing and tapping it with a pen. “Rules to keep everyone safe.”
“The yellow line?”
“Yes.” His eyes crinkled slightly, hinting at amusement behind the serious tone. “Nothing drastic. Just precautions. As well as a new schedule and accommodations for you boys.”
“Right…” Ingo pressed his chin further against the table wood, his frown ever present.
Then he felt one of Drayden’s arms slink around his midsection before Ingo felt himself getting pulled onto Drayden’s lap, earning a small inquiring noise from the young Legendary. Drayden didn't respond. Instead he leaned forward, one arm wrapped securely around Ingo while his other hand continued to write in the notebook.
Ingo froze for a moment, unsure of what to do in this situation. But the scratching of the pen on paper, Drayden’s steady rise and fall of his chest, and the strong and firm hold his uncle had on him simply made Ingo cuddle up closer against Drayden.
It was comfortable. So much so that Ingo's eyes had begun to droop ever so slightly as a rumbling purr escaped him.
Then Drayden shuffled a bit which woke Ingo up again. This time a whine escaped the sleepy young legend as he was jostled from his half asleep state.
“Sorry,” Drayden mumbled. “You were leaning against my writing arm.”
Ingo let out a small displeased chirping sound. He didn't like that Drayden moved. He was comfortable. Ingo decided then and there that he wanted cuddles more than anything and Drayden would be his pillow.
He buried his muzzle up against Drayden’s chest, his claws coming up to grab hold of his shirt and sleeve in an attempt to get Drayden to stop moving.
Then Ingo heard another chirp. One he'd known since birth and before then. Emmet was awake and looking for Ingo. But right now Ingo didn't really want to use his words, so he chirped back a response.
There was a moment when Ingo felt Drayden shake a little, curling up slightly, before he coughed and cleared his throat. “Kitchen,” was all Drayden had managed to say before Ingo registered the sound of claws scraping against the floorboards.
Ingo peaked out from Drayden’s hold to spy his twin's head poke through the open entryway.
Emmet chirped again and Ingo could feel rather than see Drayden sigh as their guardian reached his other arm to Emmet who happily decided to clamber onto Drayden’s lap as well.
Ingo squirmed for a moment, finding not enough space for himself to properly stretch now that he was joined by Emmet- earning a grunt of discomfort from Drayden.
For a brief moment, they were nothing more than a tangle of limbs, scales, and feathers. Ingo could feel Emmet’s steady heartbeat against his own, a grounding rhythm that just felt right. Then in a blink, their forms shrank and left in the place of the two dragons were their human forms. Small and easily adjustable in their current position.
Though now- even with the leg-space- Ingo didn't really feel like sleeping anymore.
[What's that?] Emmet signed, then pointed to the notebook.
“New house rules, schedules, accommodations.” Drayden answered without hesitation.
[I want to help] Emmet signed again, leaning back to press his head against Drayden’s chest softly, his smile just as bright as ever.
Deciding not to be outdone by his twin, Ingo copied the motion and pressed his head against Drayden’s chest too. “Me too!”
Drayden shifted easily, his strong arms wrapping around the twins to keep them from sliding off. The warmth and safety of the embrace grounded Ingo more effectively than words ever could.
“Of course. Let's go through them together.” One by one, Drayden read off the list to the twins, making sure each line was understood.
“Why is this rule here?” Ingo asked after a moment, tapping the notebook gently with a finger. “About dragon training?”
“That one's there because dragons often get restless. It's good enrichment especially for younger dragons.” Drayden explained. “Last night, you felt cooped up didn't you? That's why you went out in the storm.”
Ingo couldn't argue with that. He remembered.
“And this one?” he asked, pointing to a line about the kitchen appliances.
“That’s for Emmet. He tends to pocket shiny objects when he’s distracted,” Drayden said, voice calm, patient. “I watched him do it several times already.”
At that Emmet blushed lightly from embarrassment. [Can we add some rules too?] he asked, forming careful gestures with his hands to try and change the subject.
Ingo couldn't help the small giggle that escaped him at his brother’s predicament. Then Drayden smiled, amused. “Of course. I’d be curious to hear what you two come up with.”
The twins shared the briefest of looks before they began speaking over each other.
“No roasting Oran Berries with fire unless it's snack time.”
“No trrrying to ‘battle’ the vvvacuum cleanerrr.”
“If a Joltik attaches to me, Emmet is not allowed to ‘help’ by heating it off.”
“No rrrunning arrround yelling ‘I CHOOSE YOU!’ and thrrrowing empty Poké Balls aaat each otherrr.”
For several minutes, the twins continued to exchange odd and some rather silly rules to one another, often as a playful jab. Drayden leaned back, pen poised over the notebook, pretending to consider each ridiculous suggestion carefully. “Hmm,” he said with mock seriousness.
Ingo giggled softly. It felt strange- so human, so comforting- to laugh while sitting on Drayden’s lap with his brother, basking in the warmth of the fading evening light.
Drayden’s soft chuckle, the scratch of his pen, the warmth of his brother beside him- it all combined into something wholly grounding. Something that, to Ingo, felt like home. This is safe. That they are seen, they are cared for.
Ingo closed his eyes briefly, leaning further into Drayden, a small upturn to his usual frown. Letting the remainder of his worries be carried away by his family.
It almost felt like a dream. And Ingo cherished it.