The morning sun filtered through the waterfall in shifting patterns where each droplet caught light and threw it back in miniature rainbows. The cave smelled of maple syrup and coffee, domestic scents that still felt foreign even after months, while Luv sat at the kitchen table, legs swinging, fork stabbing at pancakes as he recounted his latest adventure with Bonk.
"So Bonk bonked the tree, right? And all these fruits went BOOM and fell everywhere!" His blue eyes shone bright. "But they were super sour, so we gave them to the Mammoths, and they loved them!"
Jay sipped his 'chai', watching his son with an expression that still caught him off guard when he noticed it in reflections: genuine and unguarded happiness while Domino leaned against the counter, her scarlet-tinted eye soft with affection.
"That was very kind of you both," she said, setting down plates of Luv's favourite pancakes. "Sharing is important."
"Grandma Yao says sharing's easy when you got lots." Luv stuffed a massive bite into his mouth, cheeks bulging. "And it's really hard when you don't got lots, and that's when it's super important!"
Jay and Domino exchanged glances loaded with unspoken pride and wonder mixed with the constant low-grade terror that they were somehow screwing this up despite all evidence to the contrary.
Their son was turning into a genuinely good kid despite being made by someone as vile as Sinister and raised by a paranoid transmigrator and a mercenary.
At least they were doing something right.
Breakfast dissolved into Luv demanding seconds while simultaneously describing Bonk's exploits in excruciating detail, complete with sound effects and dramatic reenactments involving his fork as Bonk and his cup as the tree.
Finally, Jay caught Domino's eye and tilted his head toward the far side of the cave.
She understood immediately and stood before ruffling Luv's hair. "Keep eating, sweetheart. Dad and I need to talk about boring grown-up stuff."
They retreated to the far side of the cave where the waterfall's constant thunder swallowed sound while Jay's hand found Domino's waist automatically, a habit formed over months of stolen moments between parenting chaos.
"So," Jay said quietly, his thumb tracing circles against her spine. "We're really doing this today?"
Domino's expression shifted, the maternal softness hardening into something sharper, more familiar as the mercenary she'd been before Luv, before all of this emerged.
"You've kept Eternity waiting long enough," she confirmed, her voice taking on an edge. "Like you've said, Cosmic entities don't appreciate being put on hold, even for good reasons. And I need to fulfill your promise to Gaea about the Tiamut situation."
Jay's mouth twitched. "You sure you don't want backup? The Eternals aren't exactly pushovers, and Tiamut is a Celestial."
"I fought FURY." Her voice was flat. "Barely survived, and you had to save me at the end, which I appreciate, but I've been itching for a rematch with something that won't die when I sneeze on it." She paused, her fingers curling into fists. "And I've been practising with my powers. A lot."
The unspoken hung between them: she needed this, needed to prove to herself that the power Jay had given her wasn't just a safety net but a weapon she could wield since those months of changing diapers and making pancakes hadn't dulled the edge that had kept her alive through decades of mercenary work.
Jay studied her face, reading the determination, the hunger for action that came from months of domestic peace. He understood it intimately since his own paranoia had been gnawing at him, demanding he move forward with plans, fulfill promises and stay ten steps ahead.
"Alright." He kissed her, slow and deep, the kind of kiss that said things words couldn't. "But if things go sideways..."
"I'll call." Domino's hand came up, cupped his jaw. "Promise. Scout's honor and all that."
"You were never a scout."
"Details."
They took a pause and let the waterfall thunder fill it.
Finally, Jay's hand tightened on her waist. "Be safe," he said quietly, and the words carried weight they'd never had before Luv or before this life they'd built.
Domino's eye searched his face. "Always."
Another kiss, though briefer.
"Mom? Dad?" Luv's voice cut through from across the cave. "Can I go see Grandma Yao? Please? I really wanna show Uncle Wong what I learned!"
They turned to find Luv crouched beside Bonk near the cave entrance where the juvenile Pachycephalosaurus, roughly the size of a large dog with a domed skull that gleamed slate-gray even in the cave's dim light, nuzzled the kid's shoulder with obvious affection. The creature's dusty green scales caught the light from the waterfall, and its yellow eyes tracked the adults with surprising intelligence.
Jay approached, kneeling to eye level. "Actually, buddy, we need a favor. Dad and Mom have some really important work to do today. Boring adult stuff that'll take a while. Think you could hang out with Grandma Yao and Uncle Wong for a bit longer? Maybe show them your new magic and help them with... uh... monastery things?"
Luv's face scrunched up, processing. "You mean babysitting? Bobby told me about babysitting. It's when grown-ups need someone to watch the kids so they can do stuff."
Jay blinked. "Yeah. Basically that."
"Okay! I can do that!" Then his expression shifted, uncertain. "But you're coming back, right? You're not going away forever?"
The question hit Jay harder than it should have since the kid's voice carried an edge of real worry, probably picking up on the tension between his parents even if he didn't understand it.
Jay pulled Luv into a hug. "We're coming back. Promise. Both of us. Mom and I just have to take care of some things, and then we'll be home before you know it."
"Super promise?"
"Super promise."
Luv hugged back hard enough to make breathing difficult. "Okay. But if you're late, I'm telling Grandma Yao and she'll be mad at you."
"That's fair," Domino said, joining the hug and making it a group effort. "We'll be on our best behavior."
Luv's face brightened. "Can Bonk come too? He gets lonely when I'm gone."
Jay opened his mouth to explain why bringing a dinosaur to a mystical monastery might be problematic, then closed it since the Ancient One had seen weirder things. Hell, she'd probably welcome the chaos.
"Yeah, okay. Bonk can come."
"Yes!" Luv pumped his fist. "Uncle Wong's gonna love him!"
Domino snorted. "Wong's going to have an aneurysm."
"Probably," Jay agreed. "But the mental image is worth it."
Blue light began building around them as Jay activated his teleportation while Luv grabbed Bonk's neck and the dinosaur made a questioning chirp, then they all vanished in a flash.
Kamar-Taj
They materialized in Kamar-Taj's courtyard where students were running through morning drills when the appearance of a five-year-old, a Power Broker, and a dinosaur brought training to an immediate halt.
Silence crashed over the courtyard as thirty students froze mid-gesture.
Bonk looked around, sniffed the air with nostrils flaring, decided this was fine, and headbutted the nearest pillar experimentally while the impact resonated through stone with a hollow thunk.
The Ancient One appeared from a portal that closed behind her like a closing eye while her expression remained serene even as she regarded the Pachycephalosaurus with mild interest.
[Image Here]
"Luv has brought a friend, I see."
"Grandma Yao!" Luv sprinted to her, Bonk trotting behind. "This is Bonk! He's my best friend! Can he stay while I practice? He's really good boy, I promise!"
The Ancient One's lips twitched as her gaze shifted to the dinosaur, to Luv and back to the dinosaur while something flickered in her eyes that might have been genuine amusement. "Of course. Although perhaps we should establish some ground rules. Ancient pillars are not for headbutting. They have stood for centuries and prefer to continue doing so."
Bonk chirped, head tilting the other direction.
"I don't think he understands English, Grandma Yao."
"Then you will teach him through example. Discipline applies to all creatures, even giant lizards."
Wong emerged from the library, his arms full of ancient texts, took one look at the scene, and his entire body went rigid as the books tumbled from his grip, landing in a heap at his feet while his eye twitched.
"Of course there's a dinosaur. Why wouldn't there be a dinosaur."
Luv beamed and held out his palm, his small face scrunching in concentration, tongue poking out slightly as golden light flickered, sputtered and then solidified into a multilayer circle, concentric rings rotating in opposite directions, runes blazing along each band. The construct held for three full seconds before collapsing.
Wong's expression softened as he crouched, bringing himself to Luv's level, and his hands moved with precise gentleness to adjust the kid's fingers. "Your form has improved. The third and fourth circles maintained proper rotation. But your stance remains terrible, and your channeling is inefficient." He stood, gestured sharply. "Come. We will correct these flaws."
As Wong led Luv away, Bonk following with the loyalty of a well-trained dog, the Ancient One turned to Jay.
Her eyes, ancient and knowing, pinned him in place.
"You're finally moving forward."
Not a question since it was never a question with her.
"Can't put it off forever," Jay said. "Eternity's been patient, but even cosmic abstracts have limits."
"And Domino?"
"Handling the Tiamut situation." Jay's voice carried confidence he mostly felt since months of watching her handle Luv's tantrums and midnight terrors had shown him a kind of strength he hadn't fully appreciated before. If she could manage a traumatized five-year-old reality warper, she could handle anything. "She's ready."
The Ancient One nodded slowly. "Then go. Your son will be safe here. And entertained. Wong has grown... fond of him, though he would deny it strenuously."
Jay nodded while smiling and vanished in another flash of blue light.
The Ancient One watched him go, then turned to where Luv was attempting to recreate the multilayer circle under Wong's stern supervision while Bonk had fallen asleep by the fountain, occasionally snoring in a way that made several students jump.
"This," she murmured to herself, "is going to be an interesting afternoon."
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