Dragons are precious! (A little snippet spinoff to the "Dragons are cruel" trilogy where Aeron lives bc I said so. Platonic and romantic relationships, possibly OOC Aerion. Ages don't matter in fanfiction, lol. Angst or hurt/comfort hinted at the end.)
"Mm! Papapa!"
"Hush, little one. I'm concentrating." Aerion practices archery, something that he'd never admit that he was poor at. Little Aeron, only a few months, sat with his mother. He babbles and giggles, reaching for his father with his lone eye and tiny hands.
Sighing, Aerion sets the bow down and stomps over. He snatches the boy from his mother, getting wild giggles. His own lips threatened to twitch as he stares "sternly" at his son. "You're a distraction and a bother." Aeron blows a raspberry, legs kicking. Aerion is offended.
"How dare you?" His wife giggles, standing and placing a hand on her son's head. She gently traced where his deformed skull is slowly panning out, kissing her boy's scale covered nose. Many surgeries were offered for the poor boy. While most were rejected, one wasn't:
The boy deserved normalcy. And so, she allowed the maesters to get rid of some of the boy's scales. The majority being removing were the ones blocking his poor little nostrils. They were glad, hearts aching every time he would choke on his own tears. "Leave my boy, be, you brute."
She takes the baby back, the boy's attention immediately darting towards his mother. He grins, having hers, reaching for her cheeks. She playfully pouts in "offense", the small boy copying her expression with ease. "M... mama." She laughs at his little "serious" tone.
She attacks his cheeks, getting more giggles and kicking feet. Aerion watches in silence, taking in the sight before him. He almost didn't have this... for many days and nights, he watched both of his loves struggle and shrivel away. But here they stood, still, with him. Only him.
"Aerion, my love?" Her call of concern makes him snap out of it, humming lazily. As if sensing the tension, Aeron whines and reaches out for his father. Such the empath like his mother. He sighs, as if he was annoyed, taking his son in his arms. He pats his bottom, cheek on his head.
"Yes, yes, save the tears. I am scarely worth it." Aerion mumbles to the boy, leaning into his small warmth. He practically purred when his wife cups his cheek. "What nonsense do you spout now, hm?" She frowns. "You aren't that much of a fool to be talking so pathetic-"
"Mind your tongue." He sighs, tired. Is this how his father felt? If so, he was a bit more sympathetic towards him. He then hisses sharply as his hair was tugged. "You mischievous little dragon-!" Aeron simply giggles- no, he cackles. Hard.
Grumbling, he pulls himself away. "You test me, little pes- ow, woman!" His glare easily shifts to how wife, who was unfazed. She cups the baby's back smiling a bit as the boy coos in content, slumping against his father's chest. Her soft expression drops when turning back to him.
"Do not dare to fix your mouth to speak of my son in an ill way." She glares, making him snarl (in irritation and amusement). "Our son-" "My son. I teared and bled for him. You did not." Aerion huffs. Fair. "Besides, he tests you because you allow him to." He grunts, nuzzling into his boy.
"I do." "That means he's safe to be so comfortable." She waves off his "angered" words, not realizing how hers comforted him. Terribly so. He would never admit it. He scoffs to keep up his facade. She saw right through it. She then buries her nose into her son's hair.
The babe grunts as he tried to turn to see her. Everso the mama's boy... he didn't mind it. That, he would proudly admit. Why not love the woman you gave him a son? A son powerful enough to be a dragon... but soft enough to be anything he wanted to be. He chose to be alive.
How precious that decision was.
... it's something he only ever dreamed of. He hated it, seeing how happy they were. Because it was always a dream. No matter the amount of drugged teas or burning incense, he still saw what he could have had. His little dragon, the only pride that he could have possessed.
How cruel, indeed.
I lied. This is the last one!