A KINGDOM OF DEAD HEARTS [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER 15: ON DATING & PARENTING

The dinner was superb, and Airin made a mental note to herself that Dewi Sri would be in her list of to-go restaurant from now on, now that the grill place was a no-go for her on account of Sean.

She got home late because after dinner she went to a pub with Stella, downed a few glasses of beers and just chatted about nothing super important – mostly gossips about their colleagues at work and strange neighbours and possible staycation plans that they wanted to do for the long weekend in two weeks.

Then she accompanied Stella – who was already tipsy – back to her apartment, before she went and took the last bus back to her own place.

Her mind was on Xander the whole time she was in the bus. Dating. Should she try approaching Xander?

Then she slapped herself back to reality. Xander was not even from her universe. She really did not want to mess it up and make stuff awkward. She was also sure that Xander, and Lyanna, would have to go home to their own universe at some point soon. So. No. No way. Xander is off-limit. Off. Completely. She shook her head hard, a few times. A middle-aged woman who sat across the bus aisle from her threw her a quick curious glance.

No more heartbreak. No more stupidity like what I did with Sean and ... some other men before him. No. Thought ran in her mind, and she promised herself to keep a distance from Xander.

She got home. Xander had not slept yet.

"Hey ..." she greeted him as she locked her door again.

Xander stood up from the futon couch, Airin could see some paper on the coffee table. He had asked for some sheets of paper before she went out today. Paper and pencil.

"Lyanna asleep?" for lack of other topics of conversation, that was what came out from Airin.

Xander nodded. "Finally. She wanted me to sing ... some rain song. I did not know how. In the end I just begged her to sleep without the song. She cried for a long time, looking for you." Xander looked defeated.

"Was it the rain rain go away song?" Airin wanted to smile but cancelled because of the look on Xander's face.

"That one. Yes. That damn song."

"You want me to teach you?" she asked with a tender curiosity as to Xander's interest to the song.

"No." Xander sighed. "Maybe. How difficult is it?"

"Very easy. I promise," Airin smiled.

Xander rubbed his eyes with his palms. "I cannot do this, Airin. Being an ... uncle. Taking care of a child. I have never been trained in this." Sentences that came out like they were blurted out after being repressed for some time. Xander took a heavy breath and shook his head weakly.

"Nobody is trained to be a parent, Xander. There is no special training camp for that. It's a ... learning ... journey. With ups and downs."

"How about if I ruin her, the future queen of Halgard? How about if she hates me?"

Airin thought for a bit, and, "Well, how about if she loves you? How about if this whole experience of the two of you in this foreign universe bring you two closer? I spend my day, day in day out with children, Xander. I have not met any child who hate the one who plays with her, protects her, and tries his best to be there for her. You dropped the life you knew, all that you have known so well in Halgard, all in a moment's notice, to bring her to safety here. That should count for something."

As she said that, she remembered how these days Xander had really tried to be a good uncle for Lyanna. He made breakfast for her, bread with sprinkles and all, handed it to Lyanna with a tentative "Lyanna, I do not think your father would like it if you eat sugar for breakfast everyday" with a furrow in his brows, a sigh, and the formidable warrior surrendered again and again to Lyanna's wide, chocolatey grin.