Sunshine

Kai

I wake up to Paedyn's little snores, her silver waves splayed all over the pillow. She's curled up under my chin, clutching onto me as if I were leaving. The sunlight hasn't fully risen yet, but there's enough light so that I could see her tan cheek pressed up against my bare chest. She shifts slightly, but I pull her closer to me, my fingers tangling in her hair. 

"You're awake," she mumbles without even opening her eyes. 

"Barely, but I'd take this over boring meetings and paperwork any day," I say as I press a kiss to her forehead. She buries her face further into my chest, and tightens her grip on me.

"Five more minutes," she sighs. 

I smile and close my eyes again. "Take all the time you want, my Pretty Pae."

Paedyn

Kai's eyes fly open the moment I try to slip out of his arms. Mistake. He pulls me closer, tighter, and it earns him a laugh. 

"Malakai Azer." 

At his name, he releases me from his hold, and I stumble out of bed. I pull one of his shirts. And damn. His familiar piney scent filled my nose, causing a flush to rise. What the hell is wrong with me?

The shirt falls mid-thigh, the sleeves way too long.  I glance over my shoulder. He's still in bed, watching me with half-lidded eyes and a lazy smirk.

"You're staring," I mutter, turning toward the bathroom. When I turn the light on and start brushing my hair out, I hear him get out of bed. 

"Pae, you can't just walk around looking like that and expect me to act normal."

I raise an eyebrow at him in the mirror. "Like what?"

His response to that is kissing and sucking at the sensitive spot right underneath my right ear. I playfully push him away. 

"We have like, a hundred things to do today, Kai," I say.

"And I better be on the top of your list." He smirks. I shake my head, but a blush still paints my cheekbones. Kai grins at my reaction. 

"Later, Kai, later," I mutter. I turn the tap on, and start brushing my teeth. 

Kai

I lean against the doorframe, crossing my arms. Plagues, she's hot. She stares at me through the mirror, her ocean blue eyes crinkling slightly in a smile while she brushes her teeth, and my too-big shirt is falling off her small frame. 

I clear my throat. "You're lucky I have self-control." She smirks at me. 

A loud crash echoes from somewhere in the palace—followed by Adrian's voice yelling, "KIT DID IT!"

We both groan in unison. Paedyn throws her hair up into a messy bun, pulls a pair of loose trousers on, then dashes out. I'm quick to follow. 

I catch up to Paedyn as she rounds the corner, her shirt slipping off her shoulder, and it's damn hard to focus on the kids when she looks like that. 

She glances over at me, her expression amused. "Don't even think about it."

I raise my hands, but it's hard to keep the grin off my face. "I wasn't thinking anything."

She shoots me a look. 

Adrian is standing on the island in Gail's kitchen, Kit is stirring a bubbling pot on the stove, and Ava is strapped into her highchair. 

Paedyn

"Kit," I say, "what exactly are you doing?"

She perks up. "Making breakfast! I found a recipe in one of Gail's old books. It's called Boomberry Surprise!"

I blink. "Boom—what?"

"I thought it sounded cool," she says innocently, just as a spark flares out of the pot and singes the edge of a towel. Adrian leaps down and snatches it away like a pro, tossing it into the sink and turning on the water without a word.

Kai pinches the bridge of his nose. "Paedyn. Your daughter is trying to burn the castle down."

"She gets it from you," I retort. 

Kai

I give her a look. Paedyn shrugs. Ava giggles from her high chair like this is the most entertaining morning of her life. Probably because it is.

"Kit," I say, trying to sound stern. "Why exactly is it called Boomberry Surprise?"

She grins. "Because the berries pop if you cook them too long. But I was gonna blow out the flames before they exploded!"

"That's not comforting," Paedyn mutters.

Adrian climbs back onto the counter like it's his designated post in case more fires start. Paedyn hands Ava a piece of fruit and sighs. "Okay. No more cooking. Kit, you're on table duty. Adrian, you're in charge of watching the pot until it cools. And Kai?"

"Yes, Commander?"

"You're getting Gail to cook breakfast."

She shoots me a grin, arms crossed, shirt still hanging off one shoulde.

Plagues help me—I'd fight a thousand wars, sign every treaty, and sit through every meeting if it meant that she could smile like that. 

word count: 800 words

hello my loves! i wanted to post a little something before i disappear for the week again 😭

thank you so much for 3.4K reads and the story suggestions! 

shout out to @Powerless77 for this story suggestion! it was so much fun to write!

have a wonderful week

xoxo

A