Fourth Wing AU's, Headcannons, Oneshots, Etc.

The Trio Part 5 (AU Involving Ridoc/Aotrom)

"Ridoc are you alright? You look terrible, no offense." Rhinannon took a hefty bite of her omelet.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "It was a rather eventful night. Is it always like this, Violet?"
"Erm, well..." Her voice trailed off. "Not always."
He groaned, dramatically slamming his head on the table.
The table buzzed with a mixture of awkward laughter and understanding nods as Ridoc kept his head down, clearly not coping well with the overwhelming sensations from Tairn and Sgaeyl's... bonding. I glanced over at Xaden, who raised an eyebrow at me, his amusement evident. I could practically hear the snarky comment forming in his head, but thankfully, he kept it to himself.
Rhiannon took another bite of her omelet, eyeing Ridoc sympathetically. "You'll get used to it," she said, half-chewing her food. "At least I hope you do. You're a bit of a mess."
Ridoc raised his head slightly, just enough to glare at her. "Thanks for the pep talk, really needed that."
I snorted, trying to stifle my laughter as I pushed my half-eaten breakfast away. "Don't worry, Ridoc. It gets... easier?" I shrugged, not entirely sure if I was lying or just trying to comfort him. After all, I had only barely adjusted to the chaos of bonding with Xaden's dragon and my own two, let alone Ridoc and Aotrom now added to the mix.
Just as Ridoc was about to retort, the familiar hum of thought-speak entered my mind.
'Hey, Violet, Xaden, any updates on how Ridoc is handling things?' Andarna's curiosity trickled in, her voice bright and eager.
'He's... managing,' I replied mentally, trying not to laugh as Ridoc groaned again. 'Barely.'
'He's not used to it yet, huh?' Aotrom chimed in with a deep, rumbling tone, and I could sense the hint of amusement in his voice. 'Give him some time. It's not easy getting accustomed to sharing so much.'
"Are you talking to them right now?" Ridoc asked, lifting his head and narrowing his eyes at me.
"Yeah," I replied, not even trying to hide it. "They're checking in on you."
"Great. Just great." Ridoc slumped back in his chair, rubbing his temples. "As if the constant chatter wasn't enough, now I have to deal with concerned dragons checking on me too."
"Hey, at least they care," I said with a smirk.
Xaden chuckled softly beside me, his arm brushing mine under the table. 'He'll be fine. It's just new for him.'
I glanced at Xaden. 'And us?'
He grinned at me, his dark eyes flashing with amusement. 'Well, we're handling it better than he is.'
Ridoc's groaning continued as Rhinannon patted him on the back. "You'll be alright, Ridoc. Just try not to think about—"
A loud crashing sound cut her off, followed by a burst of startled thought-speak from Aotrom and Andarna.
"INCOMING!" a voice yelled, and suddenly, the entire dining hall turned to see a dragon—small but fierce—bursting through the doors. It was one of the first-year dragons, wings flapping wildly as it skidded to a stop near the food line. Plates clattered to the floor, students leaping out of the way. It was hardly younger than a hatchling, even younger than Andarna.
"What now?" I muttered, half-standing from my seat, trying to assess the situation.
The dragon's rider—a flustered first-year—ran in after it, panting and apologizing profusely. "S-Sorry! She got away from me! She was just really hungry!"
The sight was almost comical, and for a moment, the tension from earlier seemed to evaporate. Ridoc snickered, clearly enjoying someone else's misfortune for a change.
"Well, looks like it's not just us having a chaotic morning," Xaden muttered under his breath, shaking his head in disbelief.
I laughed, settling back into my seat as the staff tried to corral the small, mischievous dragon. "Maybe chaos is just the new normal."
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659 Words! Thanks for reading this chapter