 The kitchen was always the busiest room in the apartment on a morning. Flynn lifted the kettle above his little brother's head as Dylan ducked under his arm and grabbed his lunchbox off the counter. He turned as he retreated a couple of steps backwards until his rear pressed against the knobs of the cooker. Renn leaned across him to snatch a slice of toast off the plate on his left and it was only with a certain degree of gymnastics that he succeeded in setting the kettle down on the hob.
"Danny!" he shouted as his smallest sibling made a dash for the door, "you're not going until you've eaten something." Flynn gestured pointedly at an empty chair at the dining table. Dylan sat in the next seat devouring a bowl of porridge. To his left Renn had just finished her toast and was in the process of peeling a banana. Sighing Flynn picked up the only remaining slice of toast (the only piece that had been unfortunate enough to burn) and scanned the room. It was a mess.
Everyone leapt up from the table just as the kettle began to whistle and the second phase of the morning scramble began.
"Dylan!" Flynn called, "I put your book on the coffee table in the lounge - don't forget it this time!"
"Flynn," Renn said, "have you seen my pa--"
"Paintbrushes? In the vase by the door."
"The vase?"
"Hey, when was the last time you brought me flowers?" She giggled as she ducked out of the room. He heard the sound of the door opening and closing. One down.
"Don't ask me why, Danny...but Denahi has got your stethoscope." Flynn turned away and poured some water from the kettle into his flask. The scent of the herbal tea calmed him a little and seconds later his two brothers and their two tigers disappeared out of the flat. The peace was instantaneous. Thank Aura for little miracles, he thought as he set-to screwing the lid onto his flask.
---
Flynn sat in the sunshine with a book open on one knee, and a closed note-pad on the other. Denahi lay on his side, his white legs stretched out as far as they would go in an overt display of well-deserved laziness. The husky slept peacefully, but his fairy's brow was furrowed in concentration. Flynn sucked idly on the end of his pencil and every now and again scribbled a quick note in the margin. He retained a vague awareness of the sound of birdsong, and of the wind blowing through the trees but to all else Flynn remained oblivious. He missed the pounding of hooves as Buddy charged up the castle steps and it took him a moment to register the sound of his own name.
He was surprised when his gaze settled on Cal, and he was even more taken aback by the redness of her eyes. She gave him little chance to collect himself enough to respond before turning to hurry away from him up the steps.
"Cal, wait!" he called after her, slipping his bookmark in-between the well-thumbed pages and placed both his book and notepad down on the floor by the foot of the bench. Climbing to his feet Flynn made to follow her and caught hold of her wrist just as se threatened to move out of reach. The heat of her beneath his fingers gave him a start he was not expecting.
"You're not bothering me," he reassured her firmly, "come and sit."
They moved back towards the bench and Flynn sunk down onto it giving her arm a light tug to urge her to copy him. When she had settled he fixed her with his blue gaze and gave her hand a squeeze.
"What's happened?"
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