[A/N]: Stones??
[Image Here]
The months blurred together after that.
Mornings with Luv demanding breakfast and cartoons, his small voice filling the cave with constant chatter while afternoons brought exploring the Savage Land, teaching the child about dinosaurs and ecology and why he absolutely could not ride a Tyrannosaurus no matter how much he begged.
"But Dad, I could be really careful!"
"No."
"But I'd wear a helmet!"
"Still no."
"But..."
"Not happening, buddy, and that's final."
Evenings brought magic lessons at Kamar-Taj where Luv's skills grew incrementally while Wong had taken to supervising the child's training with stern approval, correcting his stance and form with endless patience that surprised everyone.
"Your balance is terrible," Wong would say.
"I'm trying!"
"Try harder. Magic demands perfection."
"You sound like Grandma Yao."
"The Ancient One has wisdom. You should listen."
Or video calls with extended family where Luv told Franklin and Nathan about his adventures through the screen while both babies watched with rapt attention.
Or simply watching Tom and Jerry while Luv provided running commentary.
"The mouse is so smart! The cat never wins!"
"That's the point, buddy," Jay explained with Domino tucked against his side on the couch and Luv sprawled across both their laps. "Jerry's the underdog. Everyone roots for the underdog."
Luv processed this with the seriousness of a child contemplating philosophy. "What's an underdog?"
"Someone who's smaller or weaker but wins anyway through being clever."
Luv's face scrunched up in thought. "Like how you beat Lady Death?"
Jay and Domino both froze while Domino's hand stopped mid-stroke through Luv's hair and Jay's fingers tightened on her shoulder.
They'd been careful, so careful, not discussing the fight, not mentioning the cosmic battle that had nearly killed Jay, not even thinking about it too hard where Luv might pick up on the tension.
"Where did you hear about that?" Domino asked carefully, her voice steady despite the sudden spike of concern.
Luv yawned, nestling deeper into the couch cushions with the boneless comfort of a sleepy child. "Grandma Yao told me. She said Dad fought the scary lady who tries to make everyone sleep forever, and he won because he was clever and had people who loved him. She said that's what being an underdog means."
Jay made a mental note to have very pointed words with his teacher about age-appropriate information sharing.
"Did she now," he managed. "Well. That's... that's one way to put it."
"She also said you're going to teach me to be clever like you," Luv continued, his eyes already drooping, words slurring slightly with exhaustion. "So I can protect people too when I'm big. But for now I should just be little and let you and Mom do the protecting."
Jay's chest went tight while his hand came up and rested on Luv's head with infinite gentleness.
"That's the plan," he said softly. "You just focus on being a kid. Let us handle the scary stuff."
"Okay, Dad." Luv's eyes closed fully, his breathing already evening out into sleep's steady rhythm. "Love you. Love you too, Mom."
Domino's voice came out rough. "Love you, sweetheart."
Jay echoed her, his own throat tight. "Love you, buddy."
They sat there long after Luv fell asleep, neither wanting to move, neither willing to break the moment.
Finally, Domino spoke.
"We're doing okay at this, right? The parent thing?"
Jay considered, thought about the burned pancakes and the mistakes and the constant fear that he was screwing everything up, then thought about Luv's laughter and his growing magic skills and the way he'd fearlessly introduced himself to their found family.
"Yeah," he said. "I think we are."
"Good." Domino's hand found his, fingers interlacing. "Because I don't know what I'm doing half the time."
"Neither do I."
"But we're figuring it out together."
"Together," Jay agreed.
He looked down at Luv sleeping across their laps, small and perfect and theirs, then at Domino beside him with her white hair falling across her face and her eye soft with affection.
This was his life now, not temporary, not a phase, but this.
And for the first time since landing in this world, Jay felt something he'd almost forgotten existed.
Home.
Bonk chose that moment to stick his domed head through the cave entrance, snuffling for Luv and looking disappointed to find the kid asleep.
The dinosaur settled outside anyway, curling into a ball just past the waterfall's spray, keeping watch.
Even the dinosaur had become part of this, this strange, impossible, perfect family they'd built.
Jay let himself relax, let the tension drain from his shoulders, and let himself have this peace.
Tomorrow he's need to move forward with his plans and fulfil his promises, since the world didn't stop turning just because he'd become a father.
But tonight, he had this.
The Savage Land dawn painted the sky in shades of amber and rose, light filtering through the prehistoric canopy in shafts that made the mist glow like spun gold. Jay stood at the cave entrance, coffee in hand, watching as Bonk and Luv played near the waterfall pool.
The Pachycephalosaurus had grown in the months since they'd found him, now standing nearly four feet at the shoulder, his dome head gleaming in the morning light. But with Luv, he remained gentle, patient, letting the child climb on his back for brief rides before gently shaking him off with what could only be described as dinosaur amusement.
Luv's laughter rang out, pure and unrestrained, as Bonk headbutted a particularly large fern and sent it toppling. The kid immediately scrambled to gather the fronds, already chattering about how this was "the good kind" that Bonk liked best.
Domino emerged from the cave, her hair still sleep-mussed, and settled against Jay's side with her own cup of coffee. They stood in comfortable silence, watching their son.
"He's getting better at the magic," Domino said eventually. "Wong says his form is improving."
"Still can't hold a stance for more than twenty minutes without fidgeting."
"He's five, Jay. Twenty minutes is pretty impressive."
"Fair point." Jay's arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. "The Ancient One wants to start him on basic shields next month."
"Think he's ready?"
"I think if we wait until I'm ready for any of this, he'll be thirty."
Domino laughed, the sound carrying warmth that settled something in Jay's chest.
"Reed called again," she said after a moment. "Wants to schedule another visit. Sue too. They're talking about making it a monthly thing, all the kids together."
Jay processed that, the image of Luv playing with Franklin and Nathan, the three of them growing up with this impossible connection that defied easy explanation.
"That could work," he said. "As long as they understand the rules."
"No tests, no scans, no treating him like a science experiment."
"Exactly."
Luv chose that moment to sprint toward them, Bonk lumbering behind at what passed for a run in a juvenile Pachycephalosaurus.
"Dad! Mom! Watch this!"
The kid planted his feet in what was almost the correct stance, his small face scrunching with concentration. Golden light flickered in his palm, stronger than before, holding for nearly five seconds before sputtering out.
But the pride on his face could have lit the cave.
"Did you see?! I made it last longer! Wong's gonna be so happy!"
Jay knelt, meeting his son at eye level. "That was amazing, buddy. You're getting really good at this."
"I've been practicing! Every day! Just like Wong said!" Luv bounced on his toes. "Can we go to Kamar-Taj now? I wanna show him!"
"After breakfast," Domino interjected, her hand resting on Luv's shoulder. "And after you help Dad clean up the kitchen from yesterday's pancake disaster."
"But Mom..."
"No buts. You made the mess too, remember? When you tried to help?"
Luv's expression turned sheepish. "I didn't mean to drop the eggs."
"I know, sweetheart. But we still have to clean it up."
"Can Bonk help?"
"Bonk is a dinosaur. He doesn't have thumbs."
"Oh. Right."
The child scampered back into the cave, already chattering about how he'd organize the cleaning, what order they should do things in, whether they could use magic to make it faster.
Jay and Domino followed more slowly, hands linked, hearts full.
"This is really our life now," Domino said, wonder coloring her voice. "Raising a kid who's learning magic while befriending dinosaurs in a hidden valley. This is actually happening."
"Terrifying, isn't it?"
"Completely." She turned, met his eyes. "I wouldn't change a single thing."
Jay pulled her close, pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Neither would I."
From inside the cave came a crash, followed by Luv's voice: "I'm okay! The eggs are not okay, but I'm okay!"
"That's our cue," Jay sighed, but he was smiling.
They headed inside together, ready to face whatever chaos the day would bring.
Because this was their life now: pancake disasters and magic lessons, dinosaur companions and video calls with extended family, the constant challenge of raising a child who carried the potential to reshape reality itself.
It was messy and complicated and nothing like what Jay had imagined when he'd first landed in this world.
It was perfect.
Later that night, after Luv had finally crashed from exhaustion, after the kitchen had been cleaned (mostly) and Bonk had settled outside for the night, Jay and Domino stood on the cave's ledge overlooking the Savage Land.
The stars wheeled overhead in their ancient patterns while somewhere in the distance, a dinosaur called out and was answered.
"You know what the scariest part is?" Jay said quietly.
"What?"
"I'm happy." He turned to face her fully. "Actually, genuinely happy. And I keep waiting for something to ruin it."
Domino's hand cupped his jaw, her thumb tracing his cheekbone. "Stop waiting for disaster. We fought for this. We earned this. Let yourself have it."
"What if I'm not enough? What if I fail him?"
"Then we fail him together." Her eye held his, unwavering. "But we won't. You know why?"
"Why?"
"Because you care enough to worry about it. That's already more than most kids get." She pulled him closer. "We're going to screw up. We'll make mistakes. But we'll also be here, every single day, doing our best. That's all anyone can do."
Jay let her words sink in, let himself believe them.
"Okay," he whispered.
"Okay?"
"Yeah." He kissed her, slow and deep, pouring everything he couldn't say into the contact. "Okay."
They stood like that for a long moment, wrapped in each other, the sounds of the Savage Land surrounding them.
Finally, Domino pulled back slightly, her expression turning mischievous.
"So, about those pancakes tomorrow..."
"Don't start."
"I'm just saying, maybe we let Max teach you before Luv develops permanent trauma from your cooking."
"I hate you."
"No, you don't."
"No," Jay agreed, his smile genuine and unguarded. "I really don't."
They headed back inside where Luv slept peacefully, one small hand curled against his chest, the other hanging off the edge of the bed.
Jay adjusted the blanket, tucked it around his son with gentle hands.
Domino leaned against the doorway, watching them both.
"What?" Jay asked, catching her expression.
"Nothing." But her smile said everything. "Just thinking how far we've come."
"Yeah." Jay crossed to her, pulled her against his side. "We really have."
Together, they settled onto the couch, Domino curled against Jay's chest, his arms wrapped around her.
The waterfall's thunder filled the silence, constant and soothing.
Tomorrow would bring new challenges: magic lessons and video calls, dinosaur wrangling and pancake attempts, the endless questions of a curious five-year-old and the weight of preparing him for a future they couldn't fully predict.
But tonight, they had this.
Peace. Safety. Family. Home.
And really, what more could anyone ask for?
Outside, Bonk lifted his head briefly, scanning the perimeter with the instincts of a creature millions of years in the making, then settled back down.
The guardian of the cave entrance.
The family's dinosaur.
Just another part of their strange, impossible, perfect life.
Jay closed his eyes, let himself sink into the moment, and finally, truly, let himself rest.
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