The sun had barely risen, casting soft, golden light through the large windows of the common room. Greyson sat at the table, sipping his coffee in silence, enjoying the rare moment of peace before the day’s chaos would inevitably begin.
That peace, however, was short-lived.
“Xul!” Riggs’ voice echoed down the hallway, quickly followed by the sound of rapid footsteps. Greyson groaned inwardly, knowing exactly where this was heading.
Riggs burst into the room, eyes practically glowing with excitement as he zeroed in on Xul, who was sitting at the other end of the table, casually flipping through an ancient spellbook. “Xul, Xul, Xul!” Riggs chanted, bouncing on the balls of his feet like an overexcited puppy.
Xul barely looked up, his golden eyes flicking to Riggs for a moment before returning to his book. “What is it this time, Riggs?” he asked, his voice calm and indifferent, though Greyson could tell that Xul was bracing himself.
“I’ve been thinking…” Riggs began, his voice taking on that all-too-familiar tone of mischief that made Greyson’s already-throbbing headache worse. “We should have a baby.”
Greyson nearly spat out his coffee, choking on the sudden shock of Riggs’ declaration. He coughed, trying to regain his composure as Xul finally set his book down, his expression one of careful neutrality.
“No,” Xul replied simply, his voice calm as if he were swatting away a fly.
But Riggs was undeterred. “Oh, come on, Xul! We’d make the most adorable baby! Just imagine—little horns, a tiny tail, those cute little fangs… And they’d be so strong with your magic and my… well, my everything!” He grinned, clearly already picturing it.
Greyson groaned audibly, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Riggs, it’s too early for this. And I don’t think Xul is in the mood to discuss baby-making.”
Riggs pouted, but his eyes never left Xul. “It’s never too early to talk about our future family, Grey! We could start now, and in a few months—”
“No,” Xul interrupted again, his tone more pointed this time. “I’m not interested.”
Riggs didn’t seem to hear—or chose to ignore—Xul’s rejection. He slid into the chair next to Xul, leaning in closer as he whispered, “Please, Xul? I’d be such a good parent. And you’d be amazing. I’ve been reading up on it, and it’s totally possible! We just need to—”
“Riggs,” Xul said, his patience visibly wearing thin. “No.”
Greyson, on the other hand, had reached his limit. He slammed his coffee cup down on the table, the sudden noise making Riggs jump slightly. “Riggs, for the love of everything unholy, can you not?” Greyson snapped, his voice laced with exasperation. “It’s too early in the morning for this kind of talk.”
Riggs turned to Greyson, his pout deepening. “But Grey! I’m serious! We could really do this. Xul and I would be great together—”
“I said no,” Xul repeated, his tone now icy enough to make Riggs pause, though only for a moment.
“But you’re not even considering it!” Riggs protested, his tone turning whiny. “You’re just saying no because you’re too scared to take that next step in our relationship. But think about it, Xul! We could—”
“Jump out the nearest window and end it all,” Greyson muttered under his breath, though loud enough for Riggs to hear.
Riggs shot Greyson a wounded look. “Greyson! How could you even joke about something like that? I thought you’d be supportive!”
“Oh, I am supportive,” Greyson deadpanned. “I support the idea of you giving Xul a break before I seriously consider going into the afterlife a little earlier than planned.”
Xul sighed, rubbing his temples. “Riggs, we are not having a baby. End of discussion.”
“But—” Riggs started, only to be silenced by the look Xul shot him. It was a look that promised a very unpleasant outcome if Riggs continued to push the issue.
Riggs finally deflated, his shoulders slumping as he realized he wasn’t going to win this round. “Fine,” he muttered, though he couldn’t help but add, “But I’m not giving up on this, you know. You’re going to see my point eventually.”
Xul closed his eyes, taking a slow, deep breath. “Riggs, please… Just let it go for now.”
Riggs huffed, but he didn’t argue further. Instead, he leaned his head on Xul’s shoulder, clearly sulking. Xul tolerated it, though Greyson could see the subtle tension in his posture, as if he was bracing himself for the next inevitable round of Riggs’ baby talk.
Greyson, on the other hand, finished his coffee in one large gulp, setting the empty cup down with a resigned sigh. “You know what? I’m going to need something a lot stronger than coffee to get through the day if this is how it’s starting.”
“Alcohol this early?” Riggs asked, lifting his head to look at Greyson with mild concern. “That’s not healthy, Grey.”
“Neither is dealing with you first thing in the morning,” Greyson retorted, standing up from the table. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go pretend I didn’t hear any of this. Maybe I’ll go look for a nice, quiet grave to lie in.”
“Greyson!” Riggs called after him, but Greyson was already halfway out the door, waving a hand dismissively behind him.
Xul finally relaxed once Greyson was gone, but his relief was short-lived. Riggs had turned his attention back to him, his expression softening as he nuzzled closer. “Xul… I really do think we’d make a great family,” he said, his voice filled with a sincerity that made Xul’s heart clench despite himself.
Xul sighed, his resolve faltering slightly. “Riggs… it’s not that simple.”
“It could be,” Riggs whispered, his tail wrapping around Xul’s waist as he looked up at him with wide, hopeful eyes. “We’d be so happy.”
Xul looked down at Riggs, seeing the genuine longing in his gaze. He knew Riggs wasn’t just playing around this time; he really meant it. And that made it all the more difficult to reject him.
But Xul wasn’t ready—not for this. Not yet. And maybe, deep down, he was scared. Scared of what it would mean to let Riggs in that much, to be that vulnerable.
Gently, Xul cupped Riggs’ face in his hands, leaning down to press a soft kiss to his forehead. “Let’s take it one step at a time, okay?” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “We’ll talk about it… later.”
Riggs smiled, leaning into Xul’s touch. “Okay,” he agreed softly. “But don’t think you’re off the hook.”
Xul smirked, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
