Draven stared down at the tiny blur of motion in his arms.
Elenya's wings twitched, her red eyes wide and bright, her cheek still marked with the faintest impression of his bite.
And then—he laughed.
It started small, a soft chuckle.
But it grew, spilling out of him before he could stop it. A full, warm laugh—rough-edged and surprised, but real.
"Pff—hahaha!"
He shook his head, eyes scrunching as he looked at her again.
Elenya squealed, clearly delighted, smacking one of her tiny hands against his face with zero coordination. Her wings buzzed like they were trying to take off again, but he gently held her steady.
"You tryna take off again, Ele?" he said, still laughing. "And scare the hell outta me? I'll let you."
From the bed, Elliana spoke, amused:
"It's been a while since I've seen you laugh like that, sweetheart. Feels good to hear."
Draven glanced up at her, still smiling—but something behind his eyes flickered. Soft. Almost hidden.
"Yeah... I've been feeling like shit," he muttered, then looked back down at Elenya.
"But damn. You really got me, Ele."
He tucked her in against his shoulder, and she immediately snuggled in, purring.
Draven let out one last small laugh.
"A'ight, Elenya, that's enough now," he said, shifting her slightly, one hand on her back as her wings kept twitching.
Next thing he knew, her tiny arm moved—fingers grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked.
"Yo—ow! Ele, what the hell?!"
He flinched, eyes wide, turning just enough to catch her smug little face peeking over his shoulder.
"You tryna rip my scalp off? I ain't even that old yet—and I really don't wanna go bald again."
Elenya squealed with delight, proudly holding up the hair she'd yanked.
Draven sucked his teeth, still grinning.
"Damn it, Ele, you really pulled my damn hair off."
He glanced at Elliana.
"Hey, Mom. How you holding up?"
She smiled.
"I'm holding up alright, honey. Feeling stronger every day. Though Elenya's a bit of a handful—she keeps me on my toes. I didn't even know she could already fly."
"Yeah," Draven said. "I was surprised to see her suddenly appear in front of me. I didn't even know she'd be able to fly as a baby. Thought she'd grow a little older first. Now I'm starting to wonder if Lucifer can fly too..."
He turned, looking toward Lucifer—just lying there, wide-eyed.
"...But he's just so quiet. I've never seen him laugh. Or even smile once. Ma—is that normal? You think something's wrong with him?"
Elliana looked over at Lucifer, her expression softening.
"Every baby's different, honey," she said gently.
"Elenya came out blazing like a firecracker—just like her mama."
A small smile touched her lips.
"But Lucifer... he's quiet, sure. Always watching, always listening. Doesn't mean anything's wrong with him. Might just mean he's taking his time."
She paused, then added:
"You were quiet too, you know. Didn't say a word 'til you were nearly five. Back then, I was so worried. Even scared. Thought maybe you couldn't speak at all. But then one day, you just suddenly spoke."
She chuckled softly.
"Your first word was 'Mama.' I was so happy—my baby finally called me. I couldn't help it. I cried. Tears just started falling."
She glanced at Draven, noticing the blush on his face as he shifted Elenya in his arms.
"Don't go worrying too much just yet," she said warmly. "He'll show you who he is—when he's ready."
Draven just stared at Lucifer.
Suddenly, a loud bor-buh-RIG-muhs echoed through the room.
Draven raised an eyebrow, glanced down at Elenya—then turned toward the sound.
It was Elliana's stomach.
She laughed, placing a hand on her belly.
"Guilty," she said. "Guess I've been so busy playing with them, I forgot to feed myself. And my appetite's gotten bigger lately."
Draven smirked.
"And here I thought it was Ele. Guess she got that from you—eats more than five times a day and somehow still hungry an hour later. Don't even know how that works."
"Well, what can I say?" she said with a grin. "She's my baby girl, alright."
"You want me to make you something, Mom? I can whip something up."
She blinked.
"Huh? You? Cook? You cook now, honey? Since when?"
Draven blushed, muttering,
"Damn it—you don't have to react like that. I've always known how to cook. And I think I'm pretty damn good at it too."
She laughed.
"Woo, you don't say? Now I have to see this."
Draven frowned slightly, thinking, Why is she laughing like that? Is there something funny about me cooking?
Just 'cause I haven't done it in a while doesn't mean I can't.
Looking at her chuckling, he said:
"If you don't want me to cook, you could've just said so. I could ask one of the maids."
She smiled gently.
"No, no, honey—I'd actually love to try your cooking. Seriously. I'm just surprised, that's all. You've never offered before. I think it's... cute."