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Chapter Text

Lucerys looked out the window of the classroom he had been assigned since he became a teacher about two years ago.

He had been working in the same place in King’s Landing ever since he graduated, and he liked to think that he had made a life for himself.

His days were filled with fulfillment and joy as he worked on the development of little children, as he took responsibility for their well being and found himself content with the smiles and giggles the toddlers always blessed him with.

The pitter patter of the rain was certainly gloomy, further worsened by how dark the clouds were, even though it was the middle of the day.

His classroom, however, was as contrary to the outside as it could it be, filled with every shade of colour from the carpet on the ground, to the colourful chairs they had, to the many drawing and art pieces the room was filled in, courtesy of the children who worked so hard on those pieces.

By this time, all the children had gone home, and he had been looking after the only girl who was left in the room, because his job wasn’t over until the classroom was empty, until he had ensured that each and every child was safely handed off their respective parents and guardians.

The girl used to be loud and cheery, who used to never quiet down or shy away from telling her stories now sat on the ground, her expression solemn as she focused absentmindedly on rubbing the crayon on a piece of paper she had set on the short table.

The girl also happened to be the daughter of his uncle, and his cousin by blood, but he never mentioned such a thing to anyone, and he doubted the child even knew they were related.

He walked over to her and crouched down beside her so that he could see what she was up to.

‘’Hi.’’, he said in as joyful voice he could muster, and even though the girl wouldn’t look up, he tried his best to smile.

The child only gave him a single glance with a dry expression before moving back to her previous action, and he couldn’t help but notice how staggering the change in the girl’s demeanour was previously.

He understood it, the loss of a parent was hard to face for full grown adult, and yet the girl was at a tender age where she could understand what was happening, but couldn’t understand how to cope with it.

‘’What are you working on?’’, he inquired once again, hoping to cheer her up somehow before his uncle came over to pick her up.

‘’I’m drawing a butterfly.’’, she said in a monotone voice, though he could notice how the movements of the crayon became rougher on the paper.

‘’You like butterflies then?’’, he pressed on.

The girl shook her head and placed the crayon back on the table like she was annoyed with it, and picked up another before continuing the same motions.

‘’No?’’, he tried once again, and he could see the way the girl but her lip like she was holding something back.

‘’Mommy liked butterflies,’’, she said in a small voice, ‘’they were her favourite.’’

He couldn’t help the way his heart clenched when the little girl confessed such a thing, holding onto the memory of her lost mother in the only way she knew how.

‘’I see.’’

‘’She used to help me with my drawings,’’ her lower lip wobbled slightly, ‘’she said they were magic.’’

He gently placed his hand on her shoulder and felt his chest ache when he realised the poor thing was shaking.

‘’That sounds lovely, I’m sure she loved seeing your drawings.’’

‘’I miss her,’’, she said as her eyes watered with emotion she had been trying to hold back, ‘’I want her to see this one too.’’

‘’Its okay to feel sad, little one.’’, he rubbed her back to comfort her as best as he could.

She looked at him as the salty essence collected on the water line of her violets, threatening to fall over.

‘’Daddy says she’ gone,’’ she sniffed, ‘’but I don’t want her to be gone, I want her here, I want her to help me with my drawing.’’

Gods, what did Aemond tell her?

Was he at least kind to her?

It was always Alys who picked up her child from school, Aemond rarely came, but from the interaction he and seen between his uncle and his daughter, he could tell that he was a doting father.

‘’I’m sorry,’’ he apologised sincerely, ‘’but I promise you, it’ll get better.’’

‘’I don’t want it to get better!’’, she threw the crayon and exclaimed, ‘’I want my mommy.’’

The girl’s tears now fell and she sobbed and wailed like the dam holding her had finally broken.

‘’Come here,’’ he reached his arms out to hug her, he was always told his scent was calming, ‘’it’ll be all right.’’

‘’No!’’, she pulled away before he could get close enough, ‘’I want my mommy!’’

Before he could make another attempt at consoling the girl, a cold yet familiar voice made him jerk his head towards the door of the classroom.

His uncle stood there looking like nothing less than the grim reaper, his clothes were all black like he was still at his wife’s funeral, and so were the glasses he wore.

When Aemond remoced his glasses, he could see the cold hard plastic on the eye he had gouged otu once upon a time, and the living eye regarded him with absolute anger, his jaw tight.

‘’What’s going on here?’’, his uncle asked.

He looked at the little girl who was still sobbing, her face flushed and red and realised how this situation must appear to Aemond.

Fuck.

He stood up from the ground immediately to try and explain himself.

‘’Qybor, its not wh-‘’

Before he could say anything, his words became choked in his throat as Aemond marched straight towards him with long and determined strides, grabbing the front of the red hoodie he wore in a harsh grip and dragging him outside the classroom.

Only to push him against the nearest wall, ducking his head down a bit so their eyes and eye were at level with each other.

He focused on not being intimidated by this, but it was extremely hard to do so when that intoxicating scent had surrounded him everywhere.

‘’What are y-‘’

‘’Why the fuck is my daughter crying?’’, Aemond interrogated with barely kept fury, ‘’What did you do?’’

He resisted the urge to scoff and push his uncle away, but something told him strength would be moot against that of an alpha who was currently enraged at the distress of his pup.

‘’She lost her mom,’’, he said in as calm a voice as he could, ‘’of course she’s crying.’’

‘’She was all right when I left her.’’

‘’So?’’ he asked incredulously, ‘’It’s only been a week, you can’t just expect her to forget.’’

Did his uncle think everyone was an emotionless robot like him?

Did he think losing a parent was that simple of a thing, even though he had lost his father as well?

‘’Did you do it?’’ Aemond accused, pushing him firmer against the wall ‘’did you mention her mother? made her upset?’’

‘’No!’’ he denied immediately, ‘’Do you think I’m an idiot?’’

Aemond shook his head in disapproval and finally let him go, taking a step back and rubbing his face with exasperation.

‘’Fucks sake.’’, he cursed.

And looking at him now, he could tell there were dark circles under his uncle’s eye, not to mention the fact that he looked skinner just by his face-even though his body was hidden by the long coat he wore.

Was he getting enough sleep?

Was he eating properly?

Those questions were something he neither asked, and not would he have received an answer to.

Instead, he simply watched as Aemond gathered himself and walked back inside the classroom, crouching before his toddler, and wiping her face.

It was hard to tell-save for their similar features- that the two of them were parent and child.

The little girl’s clothes were colourful, whereas Aemond’s were akin to a black hole, monotone and a single dark shade of black.

‘’Are you all right, love?’’, Aemond asked his daughter who recovered from her meltdown and answered as best as he could in a watery voice.

‘’Yeah....’’

‘’Okay,’’ Aemond tucked her hair behind her ear, ‘’just go wait by the door, I’ll be right behind you.’’

He felt a sigh of dejection cross his body as the small girl walked past him and went outside to the entrance of the school.

He saw his uncle take the crumpled-up paper off the ground and realised that the child had destroyed the very drawing she had worked on all afternoon.

Pity coursed through him at the expression which crossed Aemond’s face as he straightened up the paper and looked at the drawing with an emotion he couldn’t put a name to, but it certainly looked painful.

‘’I’m sorry, Aemond.’’, he found himself apologising.

His uncle didn’t spare him any glances as he gathered up his daughter’s belongings, putting them inside her bag.

‘’For what?’’

‘’For everything,’’ he thought it over, ‘’I know it can’t be easy.’’

Aemond’s face broke out into a mean grin that had none of the mirth he previously had when he regarded him.

‘’Presumptuous as always, taoba,’’ he looked at him with indignance, ‘’did you inherit that know-it-all attitude from your mother?’’

He looked at the ceiling tried his best to take a deep breath an expel the anger that statement brought, reminding himself again and again that his uncle wasn’t his usual self.

He was a single father and a grieving widower who had been thrust into that situation without any prior warning.

He looked back down again.

‘’Look, all I’m saying is, if you need to talk, or if you need any help, I’m here.’’

Aemond stood up with the bag he had collected the supplies in and put his black glasses back on.

‘’And why the fuck would I need your help?’’

He had to admit that response was justified.

‘’I’m only trying to-‘’

‘’You’re trying to butt into business that isn’t your own.’’, Aemond interrupted and stepped closer until he could use his height to his advantage and looked down upon him like he was a bug beneath his feet.

He couldn’t say anything.

‘’You’re a teacher, my lord strong, so teach.’’ His uncle continued, ‘’if I see you trying to play therapist to my daughter again, I promise you won’t get off it without any consequences.’’

He scoffed and felt his eyes widen.

This was going too far now.

‘’Is that a threat?’’

‘’No, its only a threat if I don’t mean it,’’ Aemond’s expression steeled, ‘’and make no mistake, i mean it.’’

He discreetly took as even a breath as he could.

‘’Stay out of mine and my kid’s life, we’ll be just fine on our own.’’

He closed his eyes and simply felt the sensations of Aemond’s scent disappearing along with the consecutive echo of his footsteps which got quieter and ceased all together.

Chapter Text

Lucerys sat at the bench which was situation on one side of the playground, watching each and everyone of the children under his care like a hawk as they played in the sand and other equipment installed there for their entertainment-whether it be swings, slides, tubes, see saws etc.

It was one of those rare days in Kings Landing when the sun had shown itself, presenting the perfect opportunity to allow the toddlers to spend sometime in the sunshine, get some fresh air and exercise.

‘’Ariana,’’ he spoke in a firm and loud voice from where he sat, ‘’don’t push your friend, I’m watching you.’’

‘’Sorry, Mr. Luke.’’, the little girl apologised, and he smiled at her.

‘’Its okay.’’, he assured.

His eyes then fell upon one of the boys who clearly lacked self-preservation, as was expected of a toddler.

‘’Claude, don’t take off your jacket, its too cold!’’, he chided.

The boy immediately giggled at having being caught and put his jacket back on.

He could feel a smile on his face as he looked at the children, and realised he had never been more content in his life as he was currently.

However, his smile immediately faltered as soon as his eyes laid on Aerea- Aemond’s daughter- who simply sat on one of the swings and made no attempt to move back and forth, her eyes apparently set on nothing as she simply stared into the void.

He sighed before he could help himself, he had been trying his best to help her, but the progress was slow.

The change in the little girl’s attitude was staggering to say the least. She was one of those children who always took the lead, was always the canter of attention in a group of kids, and yet there she sat all alone, making no move to hang out with her peers.

Several of the kids had approached her before and she had simply shaken her head at them, likely having no will to play after the changes in her life that had come without warning.

The poor child.

He saw someone entering the gate from outside the playground in his periphery and immediately turned his head to look at who it was.

The woman who approached wasn’t one he had been expecting.

He stood up immediately with slight surprise in his voice.

‘’Granny.’’

Alicent Hightower stood there, dressed in clothes that were meant to show off her status as the wife of the rich CEO she was married to, covered in cozy yet fitted garments, her wedding diamond on her finger shining in the sunshine.

But the most noticeable part about her was the six month old baby bump that her clothes were curated to fit around.

It had been many years since his grandfather Viserys passed, and even though it had taken sometime, his mother and Alicent had rekindled their bond and married each other out of love, something that came as a surprise to the younger members of their family.

Alicent’s pregnancy was unplanned, but welcomed all the same, and it warmed his heart to realise she was carrying his next sibling, but it made him worried too. His mother had told him Alicent was a high risk pregnancy, that it would likely be the last time she gave birth.

‘’Lucerys,’’ Alicent approached with a smile, taking off her glasses, ‘’there you are.’’

He hugged her and felt the swell of her belly as it pushed against his boy, taking note of the milky scent she emanated, thanks to the child she carried.

‘’Is everything all right?’’, he inquired as soon as they separated.

Alicent took one look at the kids on the playground before looking back into his eyes.

‘’I need to talk to you.’’

He nodded.

‘’Of course, but you could’ve called me, you didn’t need to come all this way.’’

He knew how detrimental it was for the woman to not be in Dragonstone, but she had flown Kings Landing despite the risk after news of Alys’ passing made its way through the family.

His own mother had accompanied Alicent, but her duties towards the company called her back the next day, and much to Rhaenyra’s dismay, Alicent had decided to stay for her son and grandchild.

‘’No,’’ she shook her head, ‘’I had to see you, face to face, this isn’t something I can just talk about on the phone.’’

‘’Okay,’’ he gestured towards the bench and guided her there, ‘’please, sit, you shouldn’t be standing.’’

The woman sat down, and he sat beside her, watching her take a deep breath and run a hand over her belly.

Alicent looked at the playground once more, and he followed her gaze to the swings where Aerea still sat in the same position.

‘’How has Aerea been at school?’’

The sight of the little girl broke his heart all over again.

‘’She’s quiet, and.....’’

He didn’t have the heart to tell the woman that her granddaughter had a meltdown just the other day.

‘’She’s doing well in her studies.’’, he said.

Granted, there wasn’t much studying going on in the kindergarten except for the basics, but looking at the woman’s expression, Lucerys couldn’t help but feel the need to provide any sort of consolation he could.

He could see Alicent’s face wallowing up with slight emotion that she desperately tried to keep at bay.

‘’Thats good,’’ she closed her eyes and swallowed, ‘’that’s good to hear.’’

He couldn’t help but feel for the woman, she shouldn’t have been facing what she was in her condition, she didn’t deserve it.

And nor did Aerea, or even Aemond, for that matter.

‘’I’m sorry,’’ he apologised, ‘’for everything.’’

She met his eyes and he could tell they were a bit glazed.

‘’I am too.’’ She looked at the swings once again, ‘’I worry for her, and for Aemond.’’

‘’I worry about her too.’’

He worried about Aemond too but it felt wrong to mention such a thing to anyone, let alone Alicent.

The relationship he shared with his uncle-or lack thereof- made it that way.

‘’Its why I’m here, Luke.’’ Alicent said, ‘’I’ve stayed here as long as I can, I’ve been putting off returning to Dragonstone for many days now, and your mother’s been hounding me nonstop.’’

‘’For good reason.’’, he added with a small smile, gesturing to the bump on her belly.

The doctor had already stated that Alicent had to take great care of herself during this time, and a funeral combined with everything it brought wasn’t the best place for a pregnant woman.

‘’Yeah,’’ she agreed, ‘’Rhaenyra’s already booked my flight, and I leave tonight, I have no choice.’’

He hummed, he knew his mother was overprotective of Alicent, and it seemed just like something she might do.

‘’I see.’’

‘’Which brings be to why I’m here.’’ Alicent turned on the bench and gave him her full attention, ‘’You’re the only person in Kings Landing I can trust to look after her.’’

He couldn’t help the slight surprise that made its way to his face.

He hadn’t been expecting Alicent of all people to admit such a thing, was she suggesting such a thing even though Aemond was also in Kings Landing?

‘’Granny....’’

‘’I have done all I can here,’’ She informed, ‘’I’ve looked after Aerea, I set up her therapist appointments, appointed a housekeeper, but I know it isn’t enough.’’ She sighed, ‘’She needs someone to look out for her.’’

He nodded.

‘’Honestly, I was hoping I could just take her back to Dragonstone with me,’’ she gave him a wry smile, ‘’and I’m sure you can imagine how well Aemond took it when I brought it up.’’

He definitely could, especially what had happened just the other day.

His uncle was volatile and most likely clinging to the girl like she was a lifeline, the only form of stability he must have had in the circumstances he had been thrown into so suddenly.

‘’Yeah.....’’

‘’We all know how good you are with children,’’ she said while caressing her bump, ‘’you have such a gentle way with them.’’ she sighed, ‘’Aemond is trying his best but you and I both know he isn’t the most expressive person on earth.’’

That didn’t even begin to describe it.

‘’I know.’’, he agreed.

‘’I’m sorry to have to put this on you, Luke,’’ she started, ‘’I know you don’t owe us anything and you’re likely busy in your own life bu-‘’

‘’No, no,’’ he interrupted her by taking one of her hands in his own, ‘’its completely fine, I want to look after her,’’ he said, ‘’she’s my student,’’ he smiled, ‘’and we’re a family.’’

Alicent gave him a relieved smile and squeezed his hand back.

‘’Thank you, my boy.’’

A slight unease made its way to his stomach as he recalled his uncle’s warning the other day.

‘’But I’m not sure Aemond will appreciate it.’’

‘’Ill talk to him,’’ she assured, ‘’make him understand.’’

He could only hope that his uncle listened to his mother, gave him some ground to work on the little girl.

‘’Okay.’’

‘’I’m counting on you.’’, she gave his hand a final squeeze before letting go.

He nodded firmly.

‘’Ill do my best.’’

Even if his uncle resisted, that wouldn’t stop him.

This wasn’t about Aemond, and as much as he understood his uncle’s loss, he was well aware that Aerea’s needs came first.

Alicent gave him one final hug and a polite goodbye before making her way to the playground and standing by the swing Aerea was seated on, talking to her with a kind smile, likely trying to reassure her despite her departure.

He could feel his heart clench as he saw Aerea hug Alicent and place a small kiss on the bump on her belly.

He saw one of the boys approach him from the playground.

‘’Mama,’’ the boy’s eyes widened and he immediately blushed, putting a hand to his mouth like he was trying to take back his words, ‘’oh sorry, Mr Lukeee’’, he said with an embarrassed smile.

He couldn’t help but let out a delighted laugh at that.

It didn’t happen very often, but there were precious moments like these when one of the kids would accidently refer to him as their mother.

He had been confused about it at first, but he realised quickly that it was a sign that the kids felt safe enough with him to let their guards down.

It gave him a sense of pride, let him know he was doing his job right.

‘’Its all right love,’’ he said with a beaming smile and a chuckle as he crouched down by the little boy and peered into his face, ‘’What do you need?’’

Chapter Text

‘’Oh my gods, that asshole.’’

He couldn’t help but smile at the way Rhaena immediately chose to curse Aemond as soon as he told her what happened the other day, leaning back against the wall he sat against on the carpeted ground, his legs crossed and his phone pressed up against his ear as he observed the children who were currently quiet and unconscious.

The classroom’s short and circular tables had been put to the sides to make space in the middle where all the children currently slept, taking their afternoon nap after tiring themselves of a morning full of lessons and educational activities.

He couldn’t help but feel the affection in his heart grow as he saw the children sprawled about in different positions.

Some slept on their sides, other on their bellies, most were on their backs. There were some noticeable characters too, toddlers who slept in such strange positions that it was hard to comprehended how they managed to bend their limbs that way in their sleep, some best friends who went to sleep holding hands like they were two halves of a whole.

But the one thing that every kid had in common was how peaceful they looked as they slumbered.

Children were always innocent creatures, but that innocence was only amplified when he saw them rest with such unguarded expression.

It only furthered his need to protect them from all harm, to keep them safe and sheltered until they grew up. Something he was lucky enough to do, something he considered a privilege.

His family always told him that all these feelings were attributed to his secondary gender, his omegan nature that always peeked through in how much of an apparent ‘natural mother’ he was, despite the fact that he didn’t have any children of his own.

Yet.

‘’Come one now that’s a bit harsh.’’, he replied in a whisper, careful not to speak too loudly.

He had enough experience to know that if one of the children woke up in the middle right now, it was near impossible to put them back down.

‘’No, its not!’’, Rhaena exclaimed, and he had to pull the phone away from his head to save his eardrums.

‘’Luke if I was in your place, I would have called the cops on him the moment he laid his hands on me.’’

‘’He’s grieving, and dealing with being a single parent’’ he tried to reason gently, ‘’and you know we share some not so good history, he has no reason to like me.’’

It was a well-known fact that after the eye incident, the two of them had made a conscious effort not to stay in each other’s orbit.

Heck, he wouldn’t even have attended Aemond’s wedding all those years ago if Alicent hadn’t insisted on it.

‘’Yeah, but you’re still his daughter’s teacher, how the fuck are you supposed to stay away from her?’’

He let out an inaudible breath of chuckle, it was what he wanted to ask that day as well, but he knew better than to rile up a man who hated him, an alpha no less.

‘’What? did he bury his brains along with his wife’s remains?’’

‘’Okay now that is going too far.’’, he admonished immediately.

He appreciated having her in his corner but such a comment was distasteful in his book, even if it was directed towards his not so nice uncle.

He heard a sigh on the other side from the phone.

‘’I’m sorry.’’

He hummed in as low as voice as he could.

‘’You should be.’’

‘’I’m sorry you have to deal with that emotionally repressed piece of shit.’’, Rhaena clarified.

He closed his eyes and let out a weary sigh.

‘’Rhaena.....’’

‘’Just promise me you’ll be careful,’’ Rhaena demanded, ‘’that man is not safe to be around.’’

He found that to be a bit excessive. Aemond wasn’t the gentlest person, especially when it came to him, but he wouldn’t harm him, he was sure of it.

‘’He’s not that bad.’’

‘’He might be that bad,’’ Rhaena immediately disagreed, ‘’Luke, i didn’t tell you this but I heard some strange things at the funeral.’’’

His brows furrowed in confusion, but he didn’t have to ask whose funeral his sister-cousin was referring to.

‘’The funeral?’’

‘’Yeah, i accidentally overheard some people talking about how Alys’ death wasn’t an accident.’’

His confusion only grew at that statement.

If Alys didn’t die due to an accident, then the possibilities of what happened to her weren’t pretty, to say the least, and far worse.

‘’Rhaena....’’ his eyes widened as realisation dawned on him, ‘’what are you saying?’’

‘’I’m saying that people thought she killed herself.’’

He felt his blood run as cold as the temperature outside the heated classroom, felt his nerves freeze and frost over just like the winter which raged outside, just shy of dropping below degree and becoming snow.

‘’That has to be nonsense,’’ he dismissed, trying to keep steady, ‘’why would she do that?’’

He remembered how happy Alys was each day she came to school to pick her daughter up, her smile never faded from the moment she hugged her daughter towards the end when they drove off.

She was always polite to him as well; always thanked him for his efforts and made sure to enter and leave with polite greetings.

‘’Well, for starters, she had a husband named Aemond Targaryen.’’

He didn’t like it one bit, that sort of an accusation wasn’t something that should be hurled around about anyone.

He liked conspiracy theories as much as the next person, but it was an entirely different matter if it concerned a member of his own family, no matter how estranged said family member was.

‘’Okay, that’s enough,’’ he stopped it immediately, ‘’we’re not going to sit and gossip about some bullshit rumours you heard floating about.’’

His sister relented, thankfully.

‘’Fine,’’ Rhaena said, putting the topic to bed, ‘’how is Aerea?’’

His eyes immediately fell upon the little girl where she slept, and even in her rest, her face seemed sad and uncomfortable.

Like she was battling demons and had no reprieve even in her dreams.

Such a fragile soul having to carry such an enormous burden.

It wasn’t fair.

Unlike with Alicent, he didn’t feel the need to sugarcoat everything with Rhaena. With his sister, he could afford to be honest, confide in her without fear of judgement.

‘’She’s doing as well as you can imagine.’’

‘’That poor baby,’’ Rhaena said with pity in her tone, ‘’at least she has you beside her.’’

He sighed.

‘’I don’t think that makes much of a difference.’’

‘’It does Luke,’’ Rhaena disagreed, ‘’believe me, if I had someone like you by my side when I lost my mom, it would have been so much easier. Trust me, that shit hurts.’’

He knew how young Rhaena was when Daemon’s first wife, Laena passed away.

And his heart ached even more when he realised that Aerea was younger than Rhaena’s age when she lost her parent.

‘’That means a lot, thank you.’’, he said sincerely.

Rhaena sighed.

‘’Honestly, if I was Aemond, I would be on my knees asking you for help with my daughter, that man’s ego and pride will get him nowhere.’’

He felt his lips curl up at that impossible image.

‘’Yeah, well,’’ he took a deep breath, ‘’I don’t think there’s going to be much kneeling happening where my uncle is concerned.’’

Not that it mattered, he didn’t need his uncle to ask him for help, and even if Alicent hadn’t come by, he was still going to do whatever he could to contribute and help in this situation.

‘’But you’ll still help that little girl, wont you?’’, Rhaena inquired with hope lacing her voice.

He snorted.

‘’Do you even have to ask?’’

Rhaena chuckled.

‘‘’You’re right, I don’t, and I don’t have to say this but i will anyways, if that one eyed freak gives you anymore trouble, feel free to let me know.’’

It was moments like these that he knew Baela wasn’t the only one of the twins who took after Daemon.

‘’Thanks,’’ he looked at the time on the colourful clock on the wall, ‘’Sis, The kiddos are gonna wake up soon, so ill talk to you later?’’

‘’Sure, bye, love you.’’’

‘’Love you too.’’

He hung up the phone and simply relaxed for the last ten minutes before he eventually had to wake up the children and deal with their different attitudes. Some were easy, others not so much.

It was tiring work, but he loved it all the same, the difficult aspects of it were something he also cherished, it helped him appreciate his own mother and all the mothers of these children, gave him an idea of what it actually took to be a parent.

He was broken out of his thoughts when he heard a small distressed mumble from one of the children.

The noise grated his heart, and further worried him when he realised it was coming from the little girl he was most worried about these days.

Wasting no time, he stood up from the ground and walked over to where Aerea was sleeping, sitting back down and placing a hand over her small chest, noticing the small grimace on her face which suggested she was in pain.

‘’Aerea?’’, he said gently, shaking her a bit to wake her in case she was having a bad dream.

The girl opened her violet eyes and broke out of her sleep, her large looked glazed and out of it as she blinked rapidly. She was looking at him and yet he could tell her gaze was unfocused.

The lighting in the room was next to nothing-as was the custom during nap time- but he finally noticed the slight flush on her cheeks when he looked closely,

‘’Honey?’’ he tried again, and pushed some of her silver hair away from her face, ‘’Are you all right?’’

His heart immediately sank as soon as he realised that the girl was running a fever, and he didn’t have a thermometer, but he had dealt with enough siblings and children alike to know it was bad.

Really bad.

His body moved into action without any thought process, he picked up the girl, making sure to keep the bright yellow blanket she wore around her as he hauled her up into his arms.

Time was of the essence, and he didn’t have any spare in getting her dressed up in her thick jacket and shoes.

The blanket would have to do to shield her from the cold air, at least until he got to his car.

He took one last look at the sleeping children and walked out of the classroom, bee lining for the small teacher’s room that was in the same hallway and thankfully close by.

He opened up the door unceremoniously with one hand while keeping Aerea steady as she clung to him, thanking all the gods that the room wasn’t empty.

‘’Elinda,’’ he called out the name of one of the assistant teachers, ‘’I need you to look after the kids for a bit.’’

The woman stood up immediately, looking at the child he carried.

‘’Is everything all right?’’, she gestured to Aerea.

‘’She has a fever,’’ he informed in an even a tone as he could muster, ‘’I’m going to the hospital. Do me a favour and call her father while you’re at it. his name is Aemond Targaryen, ask him to come to KL central.’’

Knowing that the woman could be relied upon, he walked away without listening to her response.

He barely heard the words she shouted over the creaking of his sneakers against the tiles with each step he took, his heart racing with worry.

‘’Okay, drive safe!’’

Chapter Text

Lucerys waited in the hallway of the emergency wing of the hospital he had rushed to, holding his breath for when Aemond would eventually enter the glass door and wreck havoc for what Aerea was going through.

If the reaction his uncle had given him the last time something was wrong with Aerea, he knew that the moment Aemond arrived, he would need to keep his patience and his wits about him if he was going to navigate this situation without any unsavoury occurrences.

Aerea was thankfully asleep in the room inside and he had walked out once the doctor was done treating her. He had thought it best to clear out while he waited for the little girl to wake up, and to give the good woman some space to do the remainder of the work the doctor had entrusted her with.

Plus he knew his uncle wouldn’t be quiet-rightfully so- and it was better to talk in the hallway than disturb her rest.

Eventually, the moment he dreaded with his very being came, and to no one’s surprise, his uncle was the picture of worry when he walked into the hospital, once again clad in a long coat, black leather gloves and black glasses that he immediately took off as soon as his eye landed on him.

The clothes certainly suggested he came straight from a funeral. He wasn’t aware of the fashion his uncle followed during his marriage, but right now, he could definitely say that Aemond was on a mission to wear black during these days which could be considered a mourning period if they lived in 130 AC.

‘’Where is she?’’, Aemond inquired, continuing his march as he put his glasses away.

His could see the lone violet flitting about the place in search as the blue prosthetic remained still.

‘’Inside,’’ he informed in a calm manner, and immediately blocked his uncle’s way as he tried to get into the room, speaking with a firm voice with their faces inches from each other, ‘’she’s sleeping, she needs rest,’’ he swallowed, ‘’so if you want to cause a ruckus, I suggest you do it here while we wait for her to wake up.’’

He could practically see his uncle’s jaw clenching from the close proximity, the scent of leather and wood surrounding him like a vice.

‘’What happened?’’, Aemond grit out.

He did his best to provide reassurance, hoping they wouldn’t have a repeat of the other day.

‘’Aemond just calm down she’s fine, it noth-‘’

‘’She’s in the hospital, Lucerys, so clearly, she’s not fine.’’, Aemond parried.

‘’She has a fever.’’

‘’Out of nowhere?’’

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them back up again.

‘’Children get fevers all the time,’’ he informed as gently as possible ‘’especially since we’re in the middle of a winter that’s been going for past three ye-‘’

Aemond interrupted him by letting out a huff and throwing his hand and turning his back towards him like he couldn’t bear to look at him.

It took everything in him not to be offended, or to kick the man while his back was turned towards him.

‘’Do not lecture me about the weather, the last thing I need right now your know-it-all attitude.’’

Patience, patience, patience, he chanted his in head again and again like a prayer, keeping himself grounded.

Gods knew someone had to.

‘’I’m not being a know it all,’’, he disagreed, ‘’but if you could just listen to me for one second-‘’

‘’Listen to what, taoba?’’, Aemond turned around and sneered, ‘’Hmm?’’

He sighed.

‘’All I’m saying is, that little girl is clearly struggling,’’ he said softly, ‘’she’s drowning, and she needs an anchor, a lifeline,’’ he thought his words over and let them out despite knowing the trouble they would bring, ‘’and you’re drowning too.’’

He could tell by the agitation, by the body language, that his Aemond was panicking and trying his best not to show it.

‘’And like I said, you’re butting into business that isn’t your own.’’

Ah, so they were going to have a repeat of last time.

How unfortunate.

And yet he expected it all the same.

‘’Whether you like it or not, this became my business the moment she became my student, so you can threaten me and try to intimidate me all you like, but the fact of the matter is, she needs help.’’

‘’I am helping her.’’, Aemond said in an exhausted manner, like he was answering the same question he had been asked a million times.

‘’And whatever you’re doing isn’t enough.’’

He knew it was unkind, he knew he was poking the bear, as it was becoming increasingly evident by the expression his uncle gave him.

And if looks could kill, he would be dead in the ground by now.

‘’How dare you insinuate that I’m a bad father,’’ Aemond started with ire in his tone. ‘’how-‘’

‘’I’m not insinuating anything, qybor.’’ He disagreed immediately; he wouldn’t let his words gets twisted, ‘’I’m only trying to get you to see this situation with clarity.’’

‘’What are you suggesting then?’’ Aemond asked, though it was clear he was looking for a fight than an answer if the way he stepped closer was anything to go by, ‘’Hmm?’’ he hummed, ‘’Since you’re clearly an expert when it comes to grieving children.’’

‘’I’m not an expert, but I do know children,’’ he said, holding onto his temper as best as he could, ‘’and I know she’s strong enough to get through this, she just needs help.’’

’’Contrary to what you might think, I’m doing everything I can.’’

Of that he had no doubt.

‘’And I’m telling you it isn’t enough.’’

Gods this conversation was just going in circles.

Aemond let out a huff, still giving him that murderous look that he wanted to slap off of his face.

‘’I’m not going to sit here and listen to your bullshit,’’ Aemond said with barely contained fury, ‘’you’ve done your job, so be a good boy and walk out that door.’’, he pointed towards the exit.

He could feel his eyes widening before he could help it.

Is that what Aemond thought this was to him?

Just a job?

He couldn’t stop the ire that made its way to his nerves at that, and that offense was enough to make up stand up with his back straight, looking straight into the gaze of that violet that looked at him without a single blink.

‘’I’m staying right here.’’, he declared in a firm voice, ready for whatever reaction that statement might pull from his uncle.

Aemond stepped closer once again so their faces were inches from each other, so that his uncle could tower over him and remind him of his place in the pecking order, so that he would be forced to crane his neck and give in to the indimidation.

Too bad he didn’t give a shit about the pecking order.

‘’And what gives you the right to do that?’’, Aemond challenged.

‘’I’m her teacher,’’ he reminded, ‘’and we’re a family.’’

As expected, those large hands were on him the next moment, grabbing the front of his hoodie in a vice like grip that he knew he couldn’t fight.

But he kept his ground and remained planted like a tree in place, if he showed fear now, he would lose.

‘’We are not a family,’’ Aemond snarled, ‘’We stopped being a family the day you maimed me.’’

And there it was.

He could feel his expression morph into something incredulous as the facts sunk in, could feel the way he let out a ragged exhale of surprise combined with a mirthless chuckle that had no hint of amusement in it.

‘’So that’s what this is about?’’ he shook he head in disbelief, ‘’You hate me, so you’re going to deprive your daughter?’’, he steeled his expression. ‘’This isn’t about you uncle, this is about Aerea.’’

The hands on his hoodie tightened and he controlled his expression not to let his face turn into a grimace like it wanted to.

He wouldn’t give his uncle any sort of quarter.

‘’Do not say her name.’’, Aemond warned.

That was it, he didn’t know why, but it was at the point that he decided and concluded that talking kindly to his uncle and trying to persuade him with tenderness wasn’t going to work.

All the tactics and gentleness he used on a daily basis worked on children to get them to listen to him worked with great efficiency.

But his uncle wasn’t a child, was he?

He was an adult and despite the sympathy he felt for the man, he knew Aemond wouldn’t grab onto the rope of kindness he threw at him, even if it saved him and Aerea from falling into the depths.

‘’And what will you do?’’ he challenged right back, ‘’Is this this little play meant to make me cower? meant to show that you’ll hit me if I don’t comply?’’ he leaned closer and made sure he didn’t blink, lowering his tone ‘’Go ahead, punch me if you want, see where that gets us, but I’m not leaving Aerea alone.’’

For a moment, he could see surprise crossing Aemond’s face, like he wasn’t expecting him to speak the way he just, like he was just some helpless omega who had no backbone because he hadn’t shown it thus far.

He knew his uncle didn’t consider him a challenge, but now he would, especially when the well being of a child who shared both their blood was on the line.

That surprise on Aemond’s face quickly turned to fury, and he braced himself for anything and everything, whether it be emotional or physical.

‘’You-‘’

‘’Excuse me, sir.’’ The door to the room opened and the kind nurse peeked her head out, ‘’Your daughter’s awake.’’

He sighed in relief before he could help it, all too glad to not feel those hands grabbing his clothes anymore while simultaneously ignoring the look the nurse gave them, probably wondering what in the seven hells they were up to in their compromising position.

And neither did it go unnoticed by him that the nurse looked at him when she informed him of Aerea’s well being, certainly mistaking him for being the girl’s parent because he was the one who brought her in.

‘’She’s my daughter.’’, Aemond said menacingly as he passed the nurse, correcting what he most likely thought was insolence.

The nurse took in in stride.

‘’Apologies.’’

Aemond walked in without sparing her another glance and of course he followed, if his uncle had a problem with it, he could take it up with whoever he liked, he didn’t care at this point.

He only watched as his uncle sat by the chair on the bedside and softly coaxed his daughter to speak, running his hands through her silver tresses, the same hands which were just violent with him.

‘’Aerea?’’ Aemond called out as the little girl opened up her eyes, ‘’Darling?’’

He walked to the other side of the bed and the word the little girl said only served to drive home the fact that this entire situation was completely undeserved by both Aerea and his uncle.

‘’Mama.....’’

He could see the change in Aemond’s expression, looking like he had been punched in the gut with that single word, a plea that was a mere whisper, but echoed off in both their heads.

‘’I’m here,’’ Aemond spoke, a sort of desperation in his voice present ‘’daddy’s here.’’

He could see the little girl looking around the room, her large violets still gazed and unfocused, and when they landed on Aemond again, she looked at him like one might look at the saviour they put their entire hopes in.

‘’Where’s mama?’’ she spoke weakly, ‘’I want mommy....’’

In that moment-despite his personal feelings-he only saw a troubled father who was at a loss as to what he was supposed to do.

With his heart aching and not being able to hold back anymore, he took the girls hand in his and softly ran his thumb over her wrist, scenting her in an effort to calm her.

Dealing with distressed children was nothing new to him at this point, and he had learned long ago that his scent was something which naturally affected them, something that he could manipulate for his benefit when the situation called for it.

‘’Its all right,’’ he said gently, ‘’just take deep breaths, love.’’

He was acutely aware of the initial glare Aemond had scent him, and if Aerea wasn’t there to witness her father’s behaviour, he was sure his uncle would have scowled at him and told him to keep away.

The glare turned into slight surprise and he didn’t spare Aemond any glance, keeping his orbs firmly on the little child and continuing his actions until she fell back asleep, likely exhausted in a physical and emotional manner.

Once he did look to meet his uncle’s gaze, he caught Aerea’s hand in a comforting grip.

‘’Are you going to keep being an asshole?’’ he asked in a firm whisper, ‘’Or are you going to let me help you?’’

He knew the many contemplations that ran through Aemond’s head at that time, he could practically feel his uncle’s gears turning his head as an internal conflict took place, the rational part of him most likely battling with the emotional one.

He only hoped the correct side would win, otherwise this would be so much harder.

He didn’t need his uncle’s acquiescence, but it would make everything damn convenient if he didn’t have to fight him every step of the way.

Not that he was ever going to back down, if his uncle wanted to wage a war over the little girl, he would give him just that.

He might be an omega; he might be a weakling to many.

But his mother, especially Daemon, didn’t raise a coward.

Though he thanked the gods when his uncle finally spoke up after laying a soft kiss on the child’s forehead.

‘’Fine,’’ Aemond said back in a begrudged whisper, though his tone he used was softer than he had ever heard when he regarded him, ‘’Help her.’’

Chapter Text

Lucerys looked at the chat he had with Aemond below the address his uncle had sent him that morning with a frown and resisted the urge to throw his phone on the nearest wall of the classroom he stood in.

Okay, and how am I supposed to get inside? Do I scale the walls or break the windows?

There’s a housekeeper inside the house, taoba, just ring the bell like a sane person.

And btw, if you break anything, I will know.

Did Aemond think he was going to wreck havoc in his house in the span of a few hours?

The only thing that stopped him from indulging in his violent urges was the lone presence of the little girl who shared his blood and was currently packing up her bag to go home, being the last child in the kindergarten who had yet to exit the place.

He and his uncle had come to the agreement that he would take Aerea home from now on and spend some one-on-one time with her until Aemond got home from work, and though the conversation hadn’t gone as smoothly as he would have liked, the two of them managed to work something out and that was progress in itself.

He sighed and put his phone back in the pocket of his jeans and grabbed his coat from the hanger.

When Aerea hauled up her pink bag, he walked over to her and placed the back of his fingers on her forehead, then on her soft cheek, glad that their temperatures matched.

‘’Are you all right?’’ he inquired, looking at her expression carefully, ‘’Do you feel sick?

The child had been through a lot and though she had recovered from her fever quickly, she was still fragile.

Aerea nodded, looking up at him with her doe violets.

‘’Are you coming home with me?’’

He smiled at the expectant look she gave him, aware that his uncle must have likely informed her of their new arrangement.

‘’Yeah,’’ he confirmed, ‘’we can spend some time together, would you like that?’’

Aerea didn’t smile, but he could sense the relief that washed over her face as she nodded.

**

He drove himself and his ward to the address his uncle had sent him, not bothering to be surprised at the fact that Aemond lived in one of the most expensive residential areas of King’s Landing.

The houses were all carbon copies of each other save for the numbers which were posted beside each gate to differentiate them.

The house itself had one floor but it couldn’t be called small by any means, there was even a garden and everything, the type one would need a gardener to maintain.

He parked his car in one of the open spaces and walked hand in hand with Aerea towards the door, following Aemond’s instructions to a t and pressing the bell.

The woman who opened the door had soft features and greeted them with a kind smile.

‘’Good afternoon.’’

He smiled right back, and immediately concluded that the woman was a beta due to lack of any scent from her.

‘’Hi,’’ he greeted back, ‘’my name is Lu-‘’

‘’Lucerys Velaryon, yes,’’ the woman said with a continuous smile and opened the door wider, ‘’Mr Targaryen informed me you would be coming.’’ She held a hand out for him to shake, ‘’My name’s Amelia.’’

He shook her hand back.

Great, at least his uncle had the decency to save him from explaining his presence, at least he was competent, even though his attitude could use some work.

Scratch that, his attitude could use a lot of work.

He walked inside after Aerea into the living room and looked around like a tourist, taking in the interior of the place with a curious gaze.

If he had to describe it, he would say the whole space was Aemond if he were a house.

The tiles were all black and white, and so were was the marble of the kitchen island and the cabinets which were attached to the large place.

The sofas, of course, were pitch black like his uncle’s heart and the table was glass, just like his uncle’s ego.

But he couldn’t deny the fact that the place had a timeless look, simple but elegant.

‘’Nice place.’’, he concluded noticing Aerea walking into one of the rooms from his periphery.

The woman nodded and helped him out of his coat with gentle hands, and he obliged, murmuring a soft thanks for her politeness.

‘’Yes,’’ she agreed, putting his coat on one of the hangers by the door, ‘’but so empty.’’

He couldn’t bring himself to disagree with that, he had no doubt that Aemond and Aerea both thought of this place as too big now.

A single person’s absence was enough to do that, especially after said person was the only constant in someone’s life for years.

‘’How long have you been working here?’’, he inquired conversationally.

The kind woman clasped her hands together.

‘’I started a few days after the funeral.’’

‘’My grandmother hired you?’’, Alicent had mentioned something about appointing a housekeeper when she visited him before her flight.

‘’She did,’’ Amelia confirmed and took a step closer, giving his form a once over, ‘’if you don’t mind, may I ask you something?’’

‘’Yes?’’

‘’You are Mr Targaryen’s nephew.’’, she said and looked at him with questioning eyes.

He nodded.

‘’That’s right.’’

‘’And his mother is married to your mother.’’

He couldn’t help but smile in amusement, finally putting together what the woman was getting at.

‘’Correct.’’

‘’So that means Miss Aerea is your cousin’’ she gestured towards the room the little girl disappeared to, ‘’and the child Miss Alicent will have will be your.....’’

‘’My sibling and my uncle or aunt, depending on the gender.’’, he said casually with an undertone of excitement at the prospect.

The woman sighed and gave him a look of slight surprise as she absorbed the circle that was their family tree.

‘’Wow, that sounds......’’

He chuckled.

‘’Its complicated I know, but we’re a close-knit family.’’

He knew that was an understatement, but only because of a lack of better word.

‘’But Mr Targaryen doesn’t like you.....’’ the woman said cautiously, ‘’does he?’’

He didn’t know how the woman put that together, but it was no secret, and not a lie.

And nor was it something he took offense to.

‘’Right once again, but it doesn’t matter,’’ he dismissed immediately, ‘’I’m here for his daughter.’’

The woman nodded and gave him a smile.

‘’Okay, and I do apologise if I overstepped.’’

He waved his hand.

‘’You didn’t.’’

The woman got back to her work and he promptly followed the same path Aerea had, walking over and standing by the door of the little girl’s room.

He saw his student seated in the middle of her bed which was covered with bright yellow sheets, her gaze downcast on one of the stuffed toys she had in her lap, seemingly lost in her thoughts.

He knocked the open door softly to get her attention and spoke.

‘’May I come in?’’

The girl looked up and him and nodded.

Having permission, he walked inside and looked at the room properly, quickly putting together the fact that this space looked like a separate world from the rest of the house.

Unlike the living room, this room was filled with colourful furniture from the bed, the small study table covered in stationary accompanied by a chair, to the closet which was situated in one corner of the room.

The floor was carpeted in a pattern of colourful checkers, making it so that one could sit down anywhere, and he could barely look at any one direction without spotting yet another stuffed toy.

The window to the room was locked shut to keep the cold winter air out, and he could only make out the cloudy sky outside from here, but it was clear that whenever the sun came out, this space would be the first one completely covered in sunshine.

It reminded him of Visenya’s room back home at Dragonstone, his sister being the only daughter his mother had was spoiled rotten, and by the looks of it, Aemond had followed in his mother’s footsteps.

‘’This is a nice room you have here.’’, he said in a light hearted manner, then spotted a patch of wall which was covered with papers.

He walked over to it and looked at the many drawings which were clearly made by Aerea, having a variety of family portraits, butterflies, and flowers.

‘’These drawings are beautiful.’’, he complimented and looked at the girl seated on the bed.

‘’I like to draw.....’’ Aerea said, fiddling with the plushie she had in her lap, ‘’mommy always used to like my drawings.’’

He knew she like to draw and he remembered how Alys used to gush and compliment her whenever he showed her the drawings he had put up in the wall of the classroom.

The woman used to take pictures of them immediately, saying something about how she was going to keep them until her little girl grew up so she could recall those fond memories with her one day.

He ignored the pit in his stomach that fact brought.

‘’She still does.’’, he assured immediately.

He walked over to the bed and sat down beside her, grabbing one of the plushies which the little girl was surrounded in, it was a green dragon and he held it up for her.

‘’And who’s this?’’

‘’Mr Froggy,’’ she answered, ‘’Daddy won him for me at my last nameday.’’

He let out a small chuckle at the thought of his stoic uncle playing some sort of game and winning a prize at the whims of his offspring.

‘’Well, nice to meet you Mr Froggy.’’

Aerea held up the plushie she had been holding in her lap and showed if off to him.

‘’This is Mr Snuggles.’’

The plushie in question was a simple grey elephant, and he grabbed its trunk in two fingers and moved it up and down in a form of a handshake.

‘’Nice to meet you too,’’ he looked back at Aerea, ‘’did daddy win this for you too?’’

Aerea shook her head, and for a flicker of a moment, he could see her eyes waver, could see how she held the plushie a bit tighter towards her chest.

‘’Mommy did.’’

He felt his heart break for the umpteenth time and tried his best to keep his pity out the tone of his voice.

‘’I see.’’

They simply sat for a few moments in silence while he fiddled with the green plushie and turned his head when he saw Aerea look up at him.

‘’Can I ask you something, Mr Luke?’’

He gave the girl a comforting smile and turned himself towards her, giving her his full attention.

‘’Anything.’’

‘’Daddy says that mommy’s gone, but I don’t understand why, why can she come back?’’

He understood the predicament of the child, she didn’t know how death worked, or the finality of it.

“That’s a very good question, Aerea.’’ He took a deep breath and thought it over, ‘’Sometimes,’’ he started with as much care as he could, ‘’when someone we love goes away, it’s because their body is too tired and sick to keep working. It’s like when a toy runs out of batteries and can’t play anymore.”

He was glad to see that Aerea didn’t become entirely dejected at the prospect.

“So, does that mean Mommy will never come back? Not even if we find new batteries?”

He knew he had to be truthful, acceptance was the first step to moving forward.

 “Yes, that’s right.’’ He confirmed, ‘’Mommy won’t be coming back. But even though she’s not here in the way she used to be, she’s still with you in other ways.”

Aerea looked at him curiously.

 “How is she still with me?”

He smiled.

“Well, Mommy is right here,’’ he pressed the tip of his finger on her chest, ‘’in your heart. Every time you think of her, or remember something you did together, she’s there. She’s in your memories and in the love you feel for her.”

He could see the way Aerea thought about it, her little mind trying to comprehend the entire situation and putting the pieces together.

 “So, she can’t hug me, but she’s still... ‘’ she put her small hand over her chest, ‘’here?”

He nodded.

‘’She’s not here in person, but her love and the special moments you had together are always with you. And you can still talk to her in your heart whenever you want.”

The little girl looked down at her prized plushie.

 “I miss her hugs. I feel sad sometimes.”

 “It’s okay to feel sad.’’ He said gently ‘’It’s a way of showing how much you loved her. And it’s perfectly normal to miss her hugs. You can always remember her hugs when you hold Mr. Snuggles or look at your drawings.”

Aerea hugged the plushie once again and looked up at him, his heart warming at the sight of her small smile, something which he hadn’t seen in so many days.

‘’Thank you, Mr Luke.’’

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

‘’You’re welcome, darling.’’

The two of them spent the remainder of the time in reading a book and playing a game on Aerea’s tablet.

**

He made move to exit the house in the evening as soon as he realised it was about time Aemond would get back home from work.

He didn’t want to run into him, but luck was unfortunately not on his side, because as soon as he made his way to the living room, his uncle was already seated there on the sofa, indolent and exhausted, clad in only his white shirt and black suit pants, a glass of whiskey in his hands.

By the looks of it, Aemond had been sitting there a while, and he couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’t walked into Aerea’s room.

He didn’t spend anymore time thinking about that and wordlessly took his coat from the hanger.

‘’You’re leaving sir?’’, Amelia said from the kitchen, dressed in an apron and likely working on dinner.

‘’Yeah,’’ he said with a smile and put his coat on, ‘’and call me Luke, please.’’

He was about to reach for the knob of the door which load to his freedom before he was interrupted by a smooth yet firm voice.

‘’Wait, My Lord Strong.’’

He rolled his eyes at the nickname, assured that no one would notice him doing so as long as his back was turned.

He turned around expecting to meet a smug expression and yet the vulnerability in Aemond’s expression spoke volumes, as did the glaze of his eye which stood in stark contrast to his prosthetic. His uncle looked uncharacteristically off balance, unsure as he spoke.

‘’How is she?’’, his uncle inquired.

Whatever ire he felt up until now melted as soon as it came, like it was never there in the first place, instead, pity took its place, so did a need to comfort.

Though he didn’t know why in the Seven Hells he felt such a thing.

It made no sense, and despite the fact that Daemon always called him too empathic for his own good, he had never considered it a weakness, just chalked it up to being the only male omega in a family full of hot-blooded alphas for parents and siblings alike.

At least not until now when such a thing was directed towards a man who rightfully hated him.

‘’She’ll be fine.’’

Aemond nodded and placed his glass of whiskey on the glass table.

‘’What do you plan on doing now?’’

‘’Well, tomorrow, I’m going shopping.’’, he said truthfully.

His uncle’s single eye turned to judgement, like he was an idiot beneath his feet.

‘’I’m talking about Aerea.’’

‘’So am I,’’ he parried ‘’I’m going shopping for her.’’

Aemond’s brows furrowed.

‘’What?’’

‘’I’m going to do some activities with her, and I’m going to need supplies for that.’’, he clarified.

He could see Aemond’s face as he processed the information, then gave him a firm nod, ‘’Fine, I’ll join you.’’

He frowned.

‘’Qybor, you don’t have-‘’

‘’I want to.’’ His uncle interrupted, leaving no room for discussion ‘’And whatever these activities are, I’m going to do them with her as well.’’

He could understand, Aemond most likely wanted to be an active participant in helping Aerea.

And maybe what he had in mind could help his uncle through his grief as well. Granted, the process was designed to help children, but it didn’t mean it wouldn’t have an effect on adults.

‘’Okay,’’ he conceded, ‘’I’ll text you the details.’’

He walked outside and felt a slight tightness and warmth in his chest that came from seemingly nowhere.

The feeling wasn’t painful, but he had to admit he was uncomfortable.

He ignored it.

Chapter Text

Lucerys walked through an aisle of the mall, keeping his pace languid as he kept his head buried in his phone, texting Rhaena just a simple word.

Help.

His sister’s answer came quickly, he presumed she was quite worried about him, especially after the lecture she had bestowed upon him after he had informed her of his arrangement with Aemond.

The first part of the lecture called him something along the lines of a ‘too naive omega who had no sense of self preservation’, while the second part consisted of her listing out all the reasons why visiting Aemond’s house was a bad idea, and how his uncle was a bad idea in general.

What happened? Did he say something?

He looked over his shoulder, giving a discreet glance to Aemond as he pushed the cart they were placing their stuff in while his gaze flitted over the many toys which were on display.

It was quite the contrast, his uncle was wearing all black as usual, sticking out like a sore thumb of black and white between the bright colours of the toys, not to mention the fact that he hadn’t taken off his sunglasses even when they were inside the mall, opting to keep them on.

He texted Rhaena back right away.

That’s the thing, he’s said nothing for the past hour.

His statement was true, his uncle had said nothing the entire time since they had entered the building, had complacently followed him around as he made his way through the book section, picking up several books on loss which kids could read on their on, or could be read to kids by their parents.

He picked up a similar type of book for adults as well, one that was entirely focused on the loss of a spouse. He was surprised to say the least, but then he supposed there were books for all sorts of situations, no matter how specific.

Whether or not Aemond would read the book was an entirely different question, he knew he would be crossing a boundary, and his uncle would likely chide him for trying to help him when he was only there for Aerea.

But he could still try, though he hoped he would come out of it unscathed.

Rhaena’s reply came back quickly once again.

And you need help because?

He replied with a smirk.

I think my life is in danger.

His message was sarcastic, he only did it to mess with her because she had made shopping with Aemond sound like a life-or-death situation, which it wasn’t.

At least he hoped not, he was too young to die, he hadn’t even fallen in love properly, his only experience were the shitty boyfriends he had in high school.

Har har very funny.

He sent back a wink emoji as a reply this time and she replied with a long text.

Just call me afterwards if you survive, if you don’t, I’m committing kinslaying and preparing for your funeral.

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes right then and there.

Tell my mom I love her, tell her I died a hero.

<3

He sighed and put his phone away into the pocket of his jeans, simultaneously wiping the smile off his face, he didn’t want his uncle to think him mad.

He refocused on his task and once he realised that Aerea had more than enough plushies at home, he walked over to another aisle while still remaining in the kid’s section.

His uncle followed him obediently, though he didn’t know what to think of that.

‘’How has Aerea been at school?’’, Aemond asked.

He kept his eyes on items on display while trying not to be surprised. He hadn’t bothered to make conversation with his uncle up until now, not knowing what sort of a reaction it would elicit from the alpha.

It was entirely unexpected for Aemond to break the silence first though, not that he complained.

‘’She’s fine.’’, he tried to console, trying to make his voice believable.

His uncle didn’t buy it of course, not like he had the other day.

‘’The truth, My Lord Strong.’’

He did roll his eyes at the nickname once again, not bothering to spare his uncle any glance and walking slowly, taking his time.

‘’She’s quiet, most of the times.’’, he answered truthfully this time, then winced as he thought it over, ‘’Too quiet.’’

‘’Hmm,’’ Aemond hummed, ‘’and does she play with the other kids?’’

He knew the answer, once again, wouldn’t be good news for his uncle, who already had a lot on his plate.

‘’I......’’ he trailed off, then tried his best to smile and picked up a brown blanket from the aisle, ‘’this blanket is nice, isn’t it? I don’t think Aerea has one like this in her room.’’

It was quite snuggly too, blankets worked as wonderful objects to soothe, to hold and to provide comfort, especially when it came to little children.

Aemond stopped the cart and walked around it until he was right in front of him, giving the object in his hands a single glance before looking at him, and even through the black shades his uncle wore, he could see the pointed gaze which was directed at him from the healthy violet, the prosthetic remaining cold and unmoving.

‘’You’re deflecting.’’ Aemond accused, though his tone wasn’t harsh, ‘’I don’t need your consideration nephew, just answer my question.’’

He sighed, supposing there was no hiding the truth from his uncle after all.

Even if he was a good liar, Aemond knew his daughter.

‘’She doesn’t talk to the other kids that often, but I’m hoping to have a paired activity soon,’’ he tried to assure, ‘’get her to participate.’’

‘’Hmm,’’ Aemond hummed, walking back to push the cart and looking over his shoulder, ‘’also my daughter hates that colour.’’

He looked at the blanket once again, and he supposed not every child had an affinity for dark colours.

Good to know that Aerea wasn’t much like Aemond when it came to her personal palette of colours, though he didn’t need confirmation, especially not after the last visit to his uncle’s home.

‘’Oh, sorry.’’ He murmured an apology and picked up a yellow blanket with sunflower print, ‘’This one then?‘’

Aemond gave him a nod of approval which really shouldn’t have felt as satisfactory as it did, ‘’Hmm.’’

The shopping trip continued on in peace, and he had been looking through several colouring books before his eyes fell on his uncle, who fiddled with a fidget coin, messing around with it like he was he was having fun, though the expression on his face remained as stoic as ever.

He took the colouring book and added it to the cart, coming up to his Aemond’s side.

‘’Do you like that?’’

‘’No.’’, his uncle replied curtly.

The alpha immediately put the toy back to its place, placing both his hands on the handle of the shopping cart and walking again.

He felt a smirk coming up on his face, deducing the fact that his uncle was one of those people who likely thought such toys were too childish for their tastes, no matter how entertaining they found them.

‘’Fidget toys aren't just for kids you know.’’, he supplied, falling into step with him, ‘’They can be just as effective for adults too, they increase focus, help with stress, improve fine motor skills, an-‘’

‘’I don’t need you to be a know it all with me, taoba.’’

He stifled a chuckle and followed with a smile he knew Aemond wouldn’t see, ‘’Whatever you say, qybor.’’

The silence stretched on for a bit and he kept his eyes peeled for anything useful he might come across before Aemond broke it again.

‘’How do you know all this?’’

His brows furrowed in confusion.

‘’Know what?’’

His uncle jutted his chin towards the items he had picked today.

‘’This.’’

‘’Well, I didn’t become a teacher for shits and giggles you know.’’ He smiled, ‘’I take my job seriously, and mind you, I studied for it.’’

Aemond hummed, a hint of a smirk of his face, ‘’And here i thought mommy dearest bought you your teaching license.’’

He huffed and shook his head in disapproval, if he had been talked to like that before he became a teacher, he would’ve thrown hands. Luckily for his uncle, working with children for the better part of two years ensured that his patience was not so easily broken or diminished.

‘’Of course not, that’s simply immoral, not to mention illegal.’’ He informed with disdain, ‘’And do not talk about my mother like that.’’

Aemond hummed again, ‘’Hmm.’’

He came across a beautiful pair of butterfly pins and picked them up.

‘’Aerea likes butterflies, doesn’t she?’’, he inquired conversationally.

‘’No,’’, Aemond denied, ‘’Alys used to like butterflies, Aerea prefers dragons.’’

He nodded, he supposed some part of Aemond’s DNA must have passed onto his daughter, better it be her taste in items then his uncle’s temper.

It was for the best; he couldn’t imagine having to deal with a mini-Aemond at the school everyday.

‘’Why did you put Aerea in my kindergarten If you thought i was a fraud or incapable?’’, he asked as they traversed the smooth tiles of the mall.

‘’I didn’t put her there,’’ Aemond informed dryly, ‘’Alys did, she kept going on and on about good you were, how you had glowing reviews and recommendations.’’

He smirked.

‘’Your wife was clearly smarter than you.’’

He had meant it as a tease of sorts and judging by how Aemond mentioned Alys, it didn’t seem like the woman was a sore spot for him. He supposed it was a good sign that his uncle didn’t refuse to talk about her or mention her.

It would have been worse and yet completely understandable if he did, people dealt with grief in different ways.

‘’Maybe,’’ Aemond said without sparing him a glance, ‘’Aerea does like you, so you must be doing something right.’’

He felt a hint of pride at that, as far as compliments went, that was the best he was going to get from his uncle.

‘’Yes well,’’ he said with a smile, feeling his cheeks heat up slightly, ’’we all have our niche, don’t we? and don’t worry uncle, you’ll find yours soon enough.’’

This didn’t get an answer from his uncle, who simply turned his head slightly to give him a judging side eye through the lens of his black sunglasses.

**

The shopping expedition came to an end when crossed off everything on his mental list.

‘’I’ve got everything I need.’’, he declared, and Aemond nodded, making his way towards the counters where they would have to pay for everything.

He kept an appropriate distance from his uncle, just enough so that he wouldn’t inhale any of his scent, something he had discovered he favoured right after their one-sided altercation in his classroom.

Aemond turned the corner of the aisle and so did he, but he was unfortunate enough to bump into someone in his momentum, not being able to spot the stranger before it was too late.

‘’Oh!’’ he let out a sound of surprise, followed by placing his hand on his chest as he staggered and barely managed to keep his balance, ‘’Ow, ow, ow.’’

It was then that he discovered there was a strange sort of ache in his chest, which hurt much more that it should for the amount of impact he just suffered.

He could tell there was something wrong, it wasn’t normal.

‘’Oh, I’m so sorry,’’ the old woman he bumped into apologised, ‘’are you all right dear?’’

‘’Yeah,’’ he gave the best smile he could muster, still wincing as the pain subsided, ‘’I’m fine, sorry ma’am.’’

‘’Oh, don’t be,’’ she said immediately in a kind voice, ‘’I bumped into you.’’

‘’No worries.’’

He walked forward and could see Aemond’s eye already set on him.

‘’Lucerys?’’, his uncle simply said, and he couldn’t detect a tiniest bit of worry in his tone.

‘’I’m fine.’’

He continued walking behind his uncle, and experimentally crossed his arms.

Sure enough, it hurt, there was a strange soreness present there which shouldn’t be, something he didn’t know the reason for.

He wondered if it was heart problems, though he doubted it at his age.

Maybe he should see a doctor if it persists

Chapter Text

Lucerys watched the scene unfolding before him with a barely concealed smile.

Aerea sat in the middle of her colourful bed, surrounded by plushies and a sunflower print blanked draped over her as Aemond sat beside her on the bed and read to her from one of the books he had bought from their shopping expedition.

It was a story book, and he decided to take a backseat today by situating himself on Aerea’s colourful chair by her bedside. His uncle had already expressed a desire to be a part of his daughter’s recovery and he saw no reason to not comply, after all, who was he to get in the way?

A death always had a way of breaking people apart or in turn bringing them closer than ever, and he was relieved to see that the latter was the case when it came to Aemond and Aerea.

A part of him hoped the whole process would help his uncle heal as well.

It was heartwarming, seeing how the little girl cuddled closer to Aemond, how his uncle in turn read to her in a soft voice which barely sounded like his own.

‘’So, the bunny is sad because his friend left?’’, Aerea asked curiously.

Aemond leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Aerea’s forehead, ‘’He is, but he can always talk to him whenever he wants.’’

He took a sigh of relief and gave approving nods to Aemond whenever he glanced at him as he continued explaining the story and how the people who love us are never truly lost, they always remain with us in one form or another.

Though he did have some confusion regarding the fact that Aemond wasn’t wearing his wedding ring anymore. He hadn’t been wearing it since the day they had their little argument at the nursery during Aerea’s meltdown.

He didn’t know what to make of it, nor did he know what was the appropriate time for someone to take their wedding ring off after the death of their spouse.

Was there even a rule for such a thing?

The only situation that came remotely close to this was when Alicent had worn his grandfather’s ring right up until the day she married his mom, taking it off to replace it with another on her wedding day.

A ring for duty replaced by one for love.

He grimaced as the pain in his chest made itself known once again, though he was glad that it went unnoticed by the father and daughter who were engrossed in the colourful book.

**

After spending more time with Aerea, Lucerys donned his coat and scarf and stepped out of the house. Amelia, who had been busy cooking in the kitchen, kindly invited him to stay for dinner, which he politely declined.

As he took a few steps away from the main door, he caught sight of a figure out of the corner of his eye, standing on the grass by the flowerbed that bordered the garden.

Turning to look, he saw Aemond, his gaze fixed on the vibrant petals that had somehow bloomed despite the winter chill. He stood motionless, a striking silhouette of black and white against the dim light cast by a nearby bulb.

Upon closer inspection, Lucerys noticed that his uncle was dressed only in a white shirt and black slacks.

Concern washed over him; he was cold despite the layers he wore, and Aemond's thin clothing would surely lead him to catch a cold, much like Aerea had just days earlier.

He stepped off the stone path and cautiously approached Aemond, keeping his voice soft and gentle to avoid breaking his uncle's intense concentration.

‘’Hey.’’

Aemond turned his head and gave his form only a once over before he went back to looking at the flowers again, giving him only a hum in acknowledgement, ‘’Hmm.’’

Testing his luck, he buried his hands in the pockets of his coat and walked closer.

Squinting, he finally noticed the lit cigarette nestled between Aemond’s fingers, releasing a thin wisp of smoke into the air.

His worry only grew when he noticed how red his uncle’s hands were, surely, he was cold, no matter how calm he looked.

It took everything in him to resist taking the hand in his own and warming it up, fully aware that such a gesture was far too intimate for the relationship they shared, for the boundaries that existed between them.

Instead, he settled for standing by Aemond’s side and joining him in his sightseeing, noticing the colourful flowers and trying to put a name to them.

‘’I thought you quit smoking.’’, he remarked conversationally, careful not make his tone accusatory.

Aemond took another puff of the cigarette, taking his merry time before he graced him with and answer.

‘’I did,’’ he confirmed as he exhaled the smoke, ‘’doesn’t mean I can’t indulge sometimes.’’

A part of him knew that grief had a way of making people fall back into their bad habits, was well aware he couldn’t put a stop to his uncle ruining his health.

A part of him even argued that Aemond was doing what he could to cope with his new reality as a widower and single father, that it wasn’t his place to intervene.

He gave a firm nod and bit the bullet on his motherly instincts that wanted out.

‘’Indulge away then,’’ he said in a light-hearted manner, ‘’mind if I join?’’

Aemond took his eye off the flowers one again and gave him a side eye like wasn’t expecting that from him.

He expected firm refusal, or a jibe, perhaps a humiliating remark. If he was lucky, he expected his uncle to take out another cigarette for him.

So, imagine his surprise when the alpha wordlessly held out the half smoked stick for him.

He schooled his expression into stoicism and took the lit cigarette, taking one simple drag before returning it.

He noticed how overwhelming and strong the taste was, just like Aemond, not surprised that his uncle favoured it.

Very unlike the sweet undertone that he used to prefer in his own cigarettes- something which seemed like a lifetime ago.

‘’I thought you quit smoking.’’, Aemond remarked, repeating his own words to him.

His brows furrowed in confusion.

‘’Who told you that?’’

‘’Who told you?’’, his uncle parried back.

‘’I asked you first.’’

Aemond shrugged as he exhaled another puff, ‘’And I’ll answer you after you do.’’

He pursed his lips and begrudgingly gave an answer, ‘’My mother did.’’

Aemond nodded, ‘’Same here.’’

It made sense, he thought. He had quit smoking nearly two years ago when he received the call confirming his job at the kindergarten.

He celebrated with one last cigarette on the balcony of his apartment, vowing not to indulge again, believing it was important not to be a teacher addicted to nicotine; if he was going to be around children, he wanted to set a positive example and do his best for them.

It wasn’t hard, he could easily live without such a vice, and his mother was proud of him, telling him how happy Alicent was too because Alys had finally gotten Aemond to stop smoking as well.

He supposed his step grandmother and his uncle had a similar conversation as well.

Aemond gave him the cigarette which he took once again, feeling a tentative truce form between them in the silence as he took another puff.

‘’Our mothers gossip about us,’’ his uncle remarked dryly, ‘’why am I not surprised?’’

He felt his lips curl up in a smile as he returned the cigarette once again, ‘’Can you believe they’re still married?’’

Aemond turned his head to look at him with a confused expression, ‘’Why wouldn’t I?’’

‘’I guess I’m just a little surprised that’s all.’’, he confided truthfully.

He felt Aemond give him another side glance as he took another puff.

‘’I thought you’d be happy for them.’’

‘’I am’’, he immediately confirmed, ‘’I didn’t expect them to be so in love, did you?’’, he inquired curiously.

‘’They were best friends before either of us were born.’’, Aemond reasoned, and it didn’t go unnoticed by him that his uncle had chosen not to give his own personal opinion on the matter.

‘’That they were.....’’ he chuckled, ‘’its like they’re in their own little soap opera.’’

‘’That would make us the annoying extras.’’, Aemond remarked and it felt like an approval of sorts to see the alpha make idle conversation with him.

He accepted the cigarette and took a quick inhale before returning it once more.

‘’If this were a soap opera,’’ he said as he exhaled, ‘’I’d be the overly optimistic hero, and you’d be the brooding anti-hero with a mysterious past.’’

Aemond’s lips curled up in a surprising smirk that really shouldn’t have looked as good as it did.

‘’Sounds about right.’’ He agreed, ‘’I suppose that makes our mothers the dramatic plot twist.’’

He laughed before he could help it and considering how everyone reacted to the news of the two of them getting married, he supposed it was an apt description.

A few moments passed in silence with only the exchanging of the cigarette before his uncle broke it with surprising words.

‘’I’m sorry.’’

He felt his eyes widen for a fraction of a second before he gathered his bearings.

He pretended to look around before closing his gaze on his uncle once again, ‘’Did you just apologise or was that the wind?’’

Aemond gave him another judging side eye as he exhaled, ‘’Funny.’’

He chuckled and gave a genuine smile, ‘’You have nothing to be sorry for.’’

‘’I do,’’ the alpha disagreed, ‘’I behaved badly and.....’’ he sighed, ‘’I shouldn’t have.’’

‘’Its all right.’’, he said truthfully.

He had never blamed his uncle for his actions, he was going through a lot and though Aemond didn’t consider him family, he did, and he was more than ready to put up with a few no so good arguments if could help both him and Aerea.

Though the last thing he expected was such a heartfelt show of remorse, especially from a man who rightfully hated him.

He cleared his throat and looked at the flowers once again, trying his best to change the topic, ‘’your gardener’s talented.’’

‘’We don’t have a gardener.’’, Aemond immediately corrected.

His brows furrowed in confusion, ‘’Did you plant these then?’’

Aemond finished the cigarette and gave one last exhale, dropping the stick and crushing it beneath his foot on the grass, a grimace passing through his expression for a split of a second before he spoke almost too quietly.

‘’Alys did.’’

His eyes widened once again as he scrambled for a response, ‘’Qybor, I’m so-

‘’Apologise and I’ll feed you to my daughter’s dragon.’’

He let out a sigh of relief at the fact that he hadn’t unwittingly stepped on a sore spot.

‘’Froggy?’’, he asked in a light-hearted manner, raising his brows.

Aemond nodded, ‘’Hmm.’’

He took a deep breath and decided it was best to end things right then and there before the conversation became spoiled for one reason or another.

‘’Well, I should get going,’’ he started to walk way, ‘’bye.’’

He stepped onto the pavement from the grass before Aemond’s voice stopped him in his tracks once again.

‘’Luke......’’

His heart skipped a beat at the fact that Aemond had used his nickname for the first time in years, something he hadn’t done since they were children, not since he had spoiled everything after that horrible fight which maimed his uncle for life.

He turned around to see the alpha give his form a once over before he spoke.

‘’Drive safe.’’

He couldn’t ignore the pang in his heart those words brought, wondering if his uncle said that because Alys had died in a car crash and was afraid of something similar happening to him.

Nor could he ignore the tightness in his chest, an ache that only worsened as he walked away.

Chapter Text

Lucerys looked out the window of the empty classroom, watching as the children of his class ran around and played in the playground of the kindergarten under the watchful eye of Elinda.

It was one of those days when the sun peeked through the clouds of winter, therefore he thought it best to let the children have their time in the sunshine while they could, opting not to participate because he felt unwell.

The pain in his chest had only amplified these last few days and he was considering visiting a doctor about it, hoping it wasn’t anything serious.

He sat at his desk and graded the many drawings the children had put their heart and soul into.

Though his heart broke all over again when he saw that Aerea’s drawing was yet another set of colourful butterflies, while being acutely aware of the fact that the little girl hadn’t drawn anything else since Alys passed away.

‘’Aerea likes butterflies, doesn’t she?’

‘’No,’’, Aemond denied, ‘’Alys used to like butterflies, Aerea prefers dragons.’’

He sighed and clicked his pen open, giving it an A+ combined with a small line of praise accompanied by a small heart: Fantastic job!

The next few minutes were spent in the same rhythm of grading when a soft knock on the open door of his classroom was knocked thrice softly, making him look up from the task he was engrossed in, acknowledging the presence of the visitor he had been expecting all morning.

He smiled and stood up from his seat, greeting him, ‘’Addam.’’

Addam walked in and greeted him back with a hug that he barely returned because his face turned into a grimace as soon as his chest came into contact with something, the ache only growing worse when touched.

‘’Afternoon, Mr Luke,’’ he said teasingly, using the name the kids regarded him by, ‘’is this about Alyn? Because if he broke something then I’ll pay for it, as for his behaviour,’’ he placed a hand on his chest, ‘’on my honour I’m working on it, he’s just a little excitable these days.’’

Addam was the father of one of his students, just like Aemond was, and as of recently, the man shared a few other similarities with his uncle.

Which was the reason he had seen fit to call him a little bit early on his routine to pick up Alyn when the kids got off.

He chucked at Addam’s words, ‘’No, this isn’t about Alyn, he’s been a good boy.’’

‘’Thats good,’’ Addam nodded, ‘’so what’s this about?’’

He took a deep breath and looked around the empty classroom, his gaze pausing at the rays of the sun which shined through the window once again.

Having made his decision, he gave a nod of his own, ‘’Why don’t we take a walk in the backyard?’’

**

The two of them walked at a languid pace over the dirt, the laughter and giggles of the children who played on the other side of the building creeping in sometimes into their silence, making his heart flutter and letting him know he would never tire of this melody.

‘’So.....’’ Addam started, breaking the silence, ‘’what did you want to talk about?’’

‘’I need some advice,’’ he confessed truthfully, ‘’if that’s okay?’’

Addam shrugged, his hands buried in the pockets of his hoodie, ‘’If I can help then sure.’’

‘’So, um.....’’ he started cautiously, ‘’you’re a single father, right?’’

‘’Thats right.’’ Addam concurred.

‘’And your partner.......’’, he trailed off, not wanting to put it into words, considering each and every word he spoke.

‘’Her name was Lysa,’’ Addam supplied, ‘’she passed away giving birth to Alyn.’’

‘’Right,’’ he nodded, ‘’I’m sorry for your loss.’’

Addam shook his head, his smile as kind as ever, ‘’Don’t be.’’

He looked around once again, having trouble finding the words, and settling for the best option because as difficult as this conversation would be for Addam, he needed this to happen.

For Aerea, for Aemond.

‘’What’s it like, if you don’t mind me asking?’’

He kept his gaze on Addam and saw him granting him a side eye, an amused smile on his face as he took his merry time in answering him.

‘’Being a single father or losing the only woman I ever loved?’’, he inquired in a casual tone.

He took a sigh of relief at the fact that Addam wasn’t bothered by his line of questions, albeit slightly confused.

‘’Both, I guess.’’, he said, feeling a bit lost, wondering how he could steer this conversation to get some useful answers.

‘’You don’t have any children and as far as I know, you were never married.’’, Addam remarked.

His brows furrowed in confusion, ‘’So?’’

‘’So,’’ Addam repeated ‘’where’s this coming from?’’

He continued walking, supposing that Addam’s confusion was a given and his questions weren’t making much sense without context.

‘’You know the student in my class, Aerea?’’, he asked.

‘’Ah, your uncle’s daughter.’’ Addam confirmed, ‘’I heard what happened, the poor child.’’

It wasn’t surprising that Addam already knew, if anything, he doubted there was any parent of the children in his classroom which wasn’t aware of what happened. The news had spread far and wide, and all of them did love their gossip.

‘’Yeah,’’ he confirmed, ‘’I’ve been making steady progress with Aerea but when it comes to my uncle.......’’ he sighed, his shoulders slumping, ‘’I’m lost.’’

‘’Has he been hostile?’’

‘’No,’’ he denied, ‘’he’s been surprisingly calm, and he’s doing everything he can to help his daughter, but I can’t help but think he isn’t focusing on himself.’’

He already had suspicions of the fact when he saw Aemond looking wrecked the first day he had visited his house, nursing a glass of whiskey and giving the image of a broken man who had lost everything.

All his worry was only further amplified when he saw him smoking.

Granted, a relapse was nothing uncommon when it came to cigarettes, but it wasn’t a coincidence that it had happened after Alys’ death, not to mention the fact that his uncle’s actions, the way he stood there in thin clothes in the cold night of winter.....it was borderline reckless, and he hoped nothing worse would happen, more than it already had.

‘’I see.’’ Addam said with empathy.

Another few moments passed in the same silence, the same step after step before Addam broke it again.

‘’You know......’’ he started, thinking it over, ‘’I never thought id be doing this alone, what was supposed to be the happiest day of my life turned into a complete nightmare before I knew it.’’ he raised his hands immediately, ‘’don’t get me wrong, I love Alyn to pieces, but it’s still one of the most painful memories of my life.’’

Painful was an understatement, and he was coming to realise just how devastating such a loss was after witnessing his uncle go through it, noting the details outsiders likely weren’t privy to.

‘’What was it like?’’, he asked gently, making use of this chance as much as he could to understand this situation further.

‘’Losing Lysa was like.....’’ Addam hummed, a faraway look in his eyes as if he was recalling something, ‘’losing a part of myself.’’

He nodded, silently urging the man to continue.

‘’The most difficult part was the silence, I think,’’ Addam added, ‘’still is sometimes. Lysa was my anchor, and without her, the house feels empty. I find myself talking to her sometimes, just hoping to hear her voice back.”

As if on cue, Amelia’s words echoed in his head.

‘’Yes,’’ she agreed, ‘’but so empty.’’

Was Aemond haunted by the silence too? Did he find it jarring?

Was Alys the talkative type?

He remembered the times Alys came to the school, her always gushing over Aerea, cheering on her the loudest whenever they had sports events, remembered her talking and listening in equal measure to the little girl.

And all of that was gone now, Alys would never speak again, no matter how much anyone wanted, or willed it to be.Her voice was lost forever.

‘’Its unfair......’’ he murmured, ‘’Aerea shouldn’t have lost her mother, Aemond shouldn’t have lost his wife.....I can see it affecting him but....’’ he sighed once more, ‘’I wish I could do more.’’

“It is unfair,” Addam agreed, his voice steady. “But what you’re doing for Aerea matters. Just being there for her, listening—those small moments mean more than you realize.”

Was it?

He really doubted it, but he wanted to do his best by both of them.

They were his family, there was no denying it.

Lucerys felt a surge of determination. “I want to help them both. Aemond has been distant with me, but I think he’s trying to cope in his own way.”

“Grief can make people act in ways they don’t mean,” Addam said thoughtfully. “Sometimes it’s easier to push others away than to let them in. Just be patient with him. It took me a long time to let anyone close again.”

‘’I don’t know how to reach him.’’, he confessed, hoping Addam would have an answer.

He had some idea as to how to deal with children, it was all familiar to him ever since he had been thrust into the role of a big brother at a tender age when Joffrey was born.

With Aegon and Viserys being born in quick succession, his maternal instincts had only grown, the need to protect and care for them embedded into his very being over the years, ultimately deciding the career he chose.

Sometimes he was even better with forming a bond with them than Jace was.

Therefore, it came as a surprise to no one when he presented as an omega.

His mother had been proud, Jace had given him advice on how to look out for himself, to not let alphas take advantage of him.

Daemon was concerned in his own way, telling him repeatedly not to get pregnant too early, no matter how much he liked children.

Joffrey had teased him of course; the little menace called him Muña on more than once occasion just to see him blush before he chided him, trying his best to be angry ignoring the way his heart skipped a beat at the thought of a child of his own.

But he was completely unaware how to trod the same path of grief when it came to adults, and adult like his uncle no less.

“Just keep showing up,” Addam advised, a genuine smile on his face “That’s what matters most. You’re already doing more than you think.”

He really hoped so, and even if Addam hadn’t said that, he was planning to do just that anyways.

‘’Thank you, Addam,’’ he smiled, ‘’and I’m sorry if this caused you any troub-‘’

‘’Its no trouble at all,’’ Addam interrupted, his voice assuring ‘’I’m happy to help. You’re not just my son’s teacher, you’re my friend too.’’

He took a deep breath, feeling a burden come off of him that he didn’t even know he had been carrying this entire time.

**

The next morning, Lucerys woke up to his usual alarm, buried in his nest of pillows and blanket as he reached out to the bedside table and fumbled with his hand without opening his eyes, hoping it would land on the rectangular object which was getting on his nerves with every moment that that passed as it beeped incessantly, letting him know it was time to start a new day.

When he found his phone, he mustered up every ounce of his patience and turned it off like a normal human being, as opposed to just throwing it at the wall and calling it a day because he wasn’t a morning person.

He relaxed in bed a few more minutes before he noticed the dampness on his chest which had wet his T-shirt.

Opening his eyes with a jolt, he immediately sat up and rapidly blinked his hazy eyes as the two very telling spots of damp made themselves clear on his bedsheet.

The shock of it worked better than his morning coffee as he made his way to the bathroom in record time, a gasp escaping him as soon as he saw himself in the mirror.

Or more precisely, what had leaked out of his body during the night, the consistency and thickness of it making it hard to mistake what it was.

He rubbed his face, feeling it heat up as suddenly all of it made sense, why his chest had kept aching, why it hurt so much.

He took a mortified breath because he wanted to die at that very moment, placing both his hands on the marble of the sink to steady himself over the weight of his shame.

‘’Fuck.......’’

Chapter Text

Lucerys sat at the chair of the doctor’s office, watching Dr. Gerardys silently observing him as he contemplated the new revelation he had awoken to that morning, still flitting somewhere between denial and shock, his eyes wide and unbelieving.

‘’You’re jesting....’’ he said quietly, ‘’you’re not jesting......please tell me you’re jesting.’’

Gerardys chuckled at his behaviour, though he could hardly find anything funny about this whole situation.

‘’Its really not that big of a deal, Lucerys.’’

He wanted to believe that, he really did, but a part of him knew that something inside him had changed substantially, and the fact that he was lactating spoke volumes.

‘’Fuck.......’’ he cursed lowly as he rubbed his face, ‘’I don’t understand....why is this happening?’’

‘’As I understand it, you spend a lot of time around children.’’, Gerardys said gently.

‘’Yeah, but I’ve been a teacher for two years, and nothing like this has ever happened, so why now?’’, he pressed on.

‘’You tell me,’’ the good doctor parried, ‘’have you faced any unusual circumstances of late?’’

He thought it over and knew in his hearts of hearts what the real reason was, no matter how much he wanted to deny it, no matter how much the realisation made him want to dig a hole and hide from everyone.

His realisation was only amplified as he put the pieces together, finding the timing of it far too convenient to be a coincidence.

‘’Aemond lost his wife recently......’’, he started then trailed off.

A foolish part of him hoped that if he didn’t articulate it, it wouldn’t be true—he wouldn’t have to accept it.

‘’Yes, I heard, my deepest sympathies.’’ He gestured for him to continue, ‘’Go on.’’

‘’His daughter, Aerea. She’s in my class.’’

‘’Youve been helping her?’’, the doctor inquired, smart enough to put the pieces together.

He swallowed down the humiliation coursing through his veins and nodded.

‘’Yeah......’’

‘’That must be it then.’’, the doctor concluded decisively.

‘’What do you mean?’’, he asked dumbly, knowing he was just drawling and dragging at this point.

Desperately hoping that maybe, just maybe, there was another explanation for this.

‘’It means you care for her.’’

‘’I care for all my children.’’, he parried back.

‘’Yes, but Aerea is a special case, isn’t she?’’ he asked, though it was clear he didn’t need an answer, ‘’She’s become much more important to you, and I think it has something to do with your uncle as well.’’

Now that was something he hadn’t been expecting.

His brows furrowed in confusion, ‘’Aemond?’’

Where did his uncle come from? What was his place in this conversation?

"My theory is—and I genuinely don’t think I’m mistaken—that you witnessed the two of them during their time of difficulty and want to do anything you could to help them, or at least your body does."

He still wasn’t satisfied with that.

‘’Yeah but Aemond? he—‘’

‘’I know your history is complicated,’’ the doctor interrupted gently, ‘’but your feelings matter. You’ve formed a bond with Aerea, and it’s likely that your concern for her extends to wanting to support Aemond as well, especially in his grief.’’

It was yet another bitter pill to swallow. He knew he cared for the two of them probably more than he should.

He was Aerea’s teacher yes but that bond only went so far.

He was their family but the two of them were no better than strangers, it had already been years since he moved back to Kings Landing and his relationship with Aemond was non existent, the two of them content with staying as far apart as they could even though they remained in each other’s orbit because of Aerea.

As if on cue, words full of silent fury echoed in his head.

‘’We are not a family, we stopped being a family the day you maimed me.’’

He had been far too worried for the little girl to care about it at the time, but recalling it now, his heart only ached, making it increasingly clear that he stupidly wanted his uncle’s approval.

He ran his fingers through his curls, likely messing them up, ‘’Seven hells......’’

The doctor’s theory was so on the mark that he didn’t even know how to argue with it.

‘’Lucerys, you shouldn’t be ashamed. This is your body responding to emotional and physical connections. ‘’

He sighed, knowing full well that that this mortification wasn’t going anywhere, ‘’Right.’’

‘’And this might be a primitive way to put it, but historically, omegas were always believed to be a blessing from the gods who were born to feed their packs, people they cared for.’’

He knew what those words implied, that he saw Aemond and Aerea as a part of his own pack, and the worst part was that he knew the good doctor was right, he had been worried sick for the both of them, was bordering on desperate to do whatever he could for them.

‘’Okay, fine.’’ He said, finally accepting the situation, eager to move onto the solution, ‘’How do I make it stop?’’

‘’Well, the best way would be to put the milk to use.’’

His eyes widened in surprise, and it took a moment before he understood what ‘put the milk’ to use meant, stuttering incomprehensively before he managed to put two and two together.

‘’You mean.......’’ his felt his cheeks heat up and shook his head vehemently, ‘’absolutely not.’’

‘’The other way would be to stop caring about them, or create distance, which I’m assuming isn’t an option.’’

It definitely wasn’t, he couldn’t give up on Aerea, not because of this, he wouldn’t even entertain such a thought.

He almost cursed their family doctor for being so smart, but most importantly he cursed himself for being an omega at the moment.

His mother always reiterated that it was a good thing, that there was a different sort of strength in his kind nature that was rare and precious.

But now, he was having a hard time believing that, because this seemed nothing like that, if anything, it was a weakness which could be easily exploited.

‘’Can’t you just give me a pill or something?’’, he asked, desperate at this point.

‘’I could but it would do more harm that good,’’ Gerardys explained, patient as ever, ‘’interrupting a body’s natural functions always leads to disastrous results.’’

What could be more harmful that feeling the mortification he currently felt?

"The pill comes with a range of undesirable side effects," the doctor said, almost as if he had read Lucerys's thoughts. "It can lead to mood swings, depression, and hormonal imbalances—this is just the short-term impact. The long-term effects can be far more serious and..." He paused, emphasizing the weight of his next words, "permanent."

He could see his option dwindling by each second that passed, and it felt like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place, having no escape even though he was desperately searching for one.

But the doctor was right, he was never a fan of pills, and the side effects would only be detrimental to him and his job, and the last thing he wanted to do was be irresponsible and put the well being of his children in jeopardy.

The parents trusted him with their children who were likely the most important part of their life, sometimes their reason for living. Even the thought of squandering that trust was enough to make his insides churn, especially not when he had little siblings of his own that he wanted to care for and protect at any cost.

But it didn’t mean his situation had changed.

‘’Fuck......’’, he cursed yet again and he slumped into his chair.

‘’Look, lactating isn’t the end of the world,’’ the doctor said casually, ‘’you can ignore it and still be a functioning adult.’’

That gave him some semblance of hope, and if it was possible than he needed nothing else.

‘’I don’t want anyone to know.’’, he said with conviction.

Especially not Aemond.

Or even the rest of his family for that matter, it would bring unwanted questions that he would have no answer for because he would rather just bury himself right now than give away the fact that he was lactating because he cared too much.

‘’That’s understandable and easy to remedy with specific clothing choices and regular pumping.’’

He slumped further into the chair, trying to make himself smaller, telling himself that no matter how embarrassing this currently was, it would save him further humiliation in the future.

"I’ll send you a list and a pamphlet of instructions," the doctor added. "As for your scent, I can prescribe patches to apply to the gland on your neck."

His brows furrowed in confusion, ‘’My scent?’’

‘’Its different, which isn’t uncommon in such cases.’’, he clarified.

He didn’t think his scent had changed, but then again, it was hard to detect such a thing by oneself.

He looked down at his lap and fiddled with his fingers, wondering how long he would have to deal with this entire situation, if it would ever stop.

A sick part of him—likely his omegan nature—whispered that it would be bad if it ceased, as it would mean he no longer cared, a thought that brought him nothing but crushing dread.

"Thanks," he murmured quietly, conflicted and anxious.

‘’No problem, and it might not be my place to say, but this is a good thing,’’ the doctor said with a kind smile, ‘’its a great reflection of the sort of person you are.’’

Maybe he was right, but he knew for a fact that a certain alpha wouldn’t see it that way, especially when he had made it clear that he held nothing but abhorrence for him, saw him as nothing more than a nuisance he likely tolerated because of his daughter.

Lucerys made a promised to himself right then and there, a promise he intended to keep under any circumstances.

That no matter what happened.

Aemond would never find out.

Chapter Text

Lucerys stood by the head of the classroom, watching the expectant doe eyes of his children as they looked at him from the ground, a slight confusion on their expression as they took in the puzzle boxes he had placed on their tables in the morning before class began.

“Good morning, everyone,” he called cheerfully. “Today, we have a super fun activity planned! We’re going to work together to solve puzzles!”

The children burst into excitement immediately, most likely glad they wouldn’t have to do any maths for the time being.

“Yay!”

“Now,” now continued, raising his hands for quiet, “I need each of you to find a partner. You’ll be solving puzzles in pairs!’’

The other children darted around the classroom, eagerly seeking their friends to pair up with. But above all, he focused intently on Aerea, his heart heavy as he noticed her confusion. She seemed so withdrawn, tucked away in her own world, that she didn’t even attempt to reach out to anyone.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Alyn still searching for a partner, and an idea sparked in his mind.

‘’Alyn darling, have you found a partner yet?’’, he inquired with hope.

The last thing he wanted was for this to fail. He had designed the activity specifically for Aerea, hoping it would draw her out of her shell and help her reconnect with her classmates.

Alyn shook his head, ‘’No, Mr Luke.’’

‘’All right,’’ he gestured towards the little girl, ‘’Aerea hasn’t found one either so why don’t you two sit together?’’

Alyn shrugged like it was no big deal, ‘’Okay.’’

Aerea seemed a bit taken aback when Alyn settled beside her with a warm smile, but thankfully, she didn’t show any signs of discomfort.

He crouched down by their table, gazing at her with a gentle smile. “Aerea, is this okay with you, honey?”

 Once again, Aerea revealed no signs of unease, simply nodding in response.

He returned to his own table and turned to face the children, waiting until they had settled and ensured that no one was left out of the paired activity before speaking.

‘’Great,’’ he clapped his hands once, ‘’now, each puzzle has a picture, and your job is to fit the pieces together like a team, and whoever finishes first will get an award.”

“What’s the award?” one child called out.

He grinned. “The winning team will get to choose a fun sticker from my special sticker box! You can pick anything you like—sparkly stars, cute animals, or even dragons!”

He couldn't help but notice how Aerea perked up at the mention of dragons. His uncle's words echoed in his mind, reinforcing his confidence that everything was going according to plan.

‘’Aerea prefers dragons.’’

“Alright, everyone! On your marks, get set, go!” he announced, and the classroom erupted into a flurry of activity as the children dove into their puzzles, eager to win that sticker prize.

He watched over the children with a smile, crossing his arms over his chest, only to unclasp them immediately as soon as he felt the slight discomfort in his chest.

A sigh escaped him as he watched Aerea keep her eyes downcast, simply running her fingers over the pieces of the puzzle.

Across from Aerea, Alyn shuffled on the ground, his eyes sparkling with mischief. He leaned over, trying to catch her attention.

“Hey, Aerea! Do you know what a puzzle’s favorite game is?”

Aerea glanced up, her brow furrowed slightly. “What?”

“Hide and Seek!” Alyn giggled; his laughter infectious. He wiggled a piece of the puzzle in his hand. “Because it’s always hiding until we find it!”

Aerea couldn’t help but bite her lip, fighting a smile. Alyn grinned wider, sensing the crack in her armor.

“Okay, let’s find the hiding pieces!” he declared, plopping a bright blue piece onto the table. “This one’s the ocean! I think the fish are going to have a party!” He made a fishy face, puffing his cheeks and wiggling his fingers like fins.

Aerea giggled softly, her eyes brightening. “Fish don’t have parties,” she whispered, but her voice was a bit stronger.

“Sure, they do! They have fin-tastic parties! And guess what? We can be the fish party planners!” Alyn said, his eyes twinkling with enthusiasm. He leaned in closer, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. “We need the best puzzle piece decorations!”

Aerea tilted her head, intrigued. “Decorations?”

Their conversation continued and his smile widened, secretly loving the way Addam had raised such an emotionally mature child despite the fact that he could be a total menace sometimes.

His gaze only shifted when he hard a small ruckus from the other side of the classroom.

‘’Leo, don’t throw the puzzles, those stay on the table!’’, he chided one of the children.

He looked around and nodded when he ensured nothing else was out of place.

‘’Nice work, Emma and Jake,’’ he complimented one of the pairs, ‘’you’re doing well.’’

The same activity continued for a bit and he looked down as one of the little girls in his class, came up to him and grabbed the hem of his hoodie with her tiny hand, looking up at him with her large eyes, making him wanted to gush.

‘’Mr Luke?’’

He smiled and crouched down to meet her eyes, putting them on the same level.

‘’Yes Love?’’

‘’Can I have a hug?’’, she asked adorably.

His brows burrowed but he nodded without even needing to think about it, ‘’Of course.’’

The little girl wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her close, a sense of confusion lingering within him as she clung tightly and refused to let go.

Of course, he didn’t pull away; it was a rule he upheld as a teacher—never end a hug until the child chose to.

He couldn’t shake the worry that something might be troubling her; often, the small things that adults overlooked could be significant issues for children.

‘’Are you all right, baby?’’ he asked gently while rubbing her back, ‘’Why did you need a hug?’’

‘’You smell nice today.’’, she almost mumbled into his ear, going limp in his arms like she was in no hurry to go elsewhere.

His eyes widened by a fraction before he realised what it meant.

’My scent?’’

‘’Its different, which isn’t uncommon in such cases.’’

‘’Oh,’’ he continued to hold her, feeling his cheeks heat up the tiniest bit, ‘’thank you dear.’’

“I want a hug!” shouted Mia, bouncing in her seat.

“Me too!” called out Jake, and soon, a chorus of voices erupted.

“Group hug!” Alyn declared, and before Lucerys could react, a wave of children surged toward him.

“Wait, wait!” he laughed, trying to steady himself. But the kids were too quick, tumbling into him in a flurry of giggles and excitement. The impact sent him plummeting to the carpeted floor, surrounded by a bundle of enthusiastic arms and laughter.

‘’All right you little rascals!’’ he said in between breathless laughs as the children continued giggling, ‘’Go back to your puzzles!’’

**

It had been a few days since his appointment with Gerardys, and he had followed all the clothing instructions without much trouble, opting for cotton shirts under his usual loose hoodies.

He even used the pumping machine, though he felt mortified about discarding the milk.

He had read in one of the pamphlets provided that the milk could be donated, and while the idea was appealing, he was far too embarrassed to go through with it—everyone would know, and it felt like an invitation for his uncle to discover his secret.

Standing in the bathroom of the school, he took out the items from his bag that he brought with him. His scent had changed, but he hadn’t thought it would be significant—at least, not until now.

He’d always known that children were more perceptive than most people gave them credit for. If he wanted to continue hiding the fact that he was lactating, he realized he would need to be more vigilant than he had anticipated.

He opened the box of patches, circular in shape, and took out the accompanying manual that came with it, giving it a quick read.

1. Wash your hands.
2. Sanitize the gland with an alcohol swab.
3. Peel the backing off the patch and apply it directly to the scent gland on the side of your neck. Press down firmly to ensure it adheres properly.

Duration of Wear: The patch is effective for up to 24 hours. Avoid excessive moisture to maintain adhesion.

Discontinuation : If irritation occurs, remove the patch immediately. If symptoms persist, consult your doctor.

Storage: Keep unused patches in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight.

He followed the instructions carefully and examined the patch once it was on his neck. It was skin-colored, blending nicely with his tone, but he knew it would still be visible to anyone within arm's reach if his neck was exposed. Luckily, his hoodies helped conceal it, leaving only the upper half of the circle in view.

The patch felt strange, like a foreign object clinging to his skin. He realized it would take time to adjust to this new reality, especially since going without it was no longer an option for him.

With a sigh, he rubbed his face, grappling with how it had come to this point.

**

“Daddy!” Aerea exclaimed, beaming as she dashed toward Aemond, who stood by the kindergarten gate. His sleek black car, a reflection of his personal style, matched his dark clothes and sunglasses perfectly. A subtle smile tugged at the corners of his lips, betraying the joy he felt at seeing her.

He strolled behind Aerea at a relaxed pace, the classroom now empty with the children gone for the day. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment—today had been a success. Pairing Aerea with Alyn had proven more effective than he had anticipated, especially judging by the way Aerea beamed.

“There you are,” Aemond said warmly, holding back as she wrapped her arms around his waist. “Did you have a good day today?”

“We made puzzles!” she replied, her excitement evident in her voice.

‘’Well,’’ he tucked a stray silver strand behind her ear, ‘’why don’t you tell me all about it on the way home?’’

The girl’s smile faded, and his own dimmed as she turned to him, worry etched across her face.

“Mr. Luke,” she began in a small voice, “you aren’t coming home today?”

He felt a wave of relief wash over him, allowing his lips to curl into a reassuring smile again.

“I am,” he assured her, “I’ll be right behind you.”

For several weeks, he had been taking Aerea home, and he and Aemond had agreed it would be best for his uncle to pick her up occasionally. They wanted to ensure that Aemond remained a steady presence in her life to make sure he didn’t completely take over the tradition which Alys adhered to, reinforcing the idea that her father was always there for her.

‘’Can I go home with you then?’’, Aerea asked, giving him puppy eyes that made him weak in the knees.

“Come now, young lady,” Aemond said, a hint of feigned disappointment in his voice. “I came all this way for you.”

“Let’s face it, Uncle,” he replied with a smirk of satisfaction. “She likes me more.”

Fortunately, Aemond didn’t take offense. He simply exhaled and shook his head. “Nonsense.”

“All right,” he said, ready to rise to the challenge. “I’ll prove it.”

He crouched down in front of Aerea and grabbed Aemond’s wrist, gently pulling him down to join him. Thankfully, his uncle took it in stride and settled beside him without any offense.

“Now, tell me, Aerea,” he asked playfully, “who do you choose? Daddy or Mr. Luke?”

Aerea's gaze darted between them, her nose scrunching adorably as she pondered her choice. A smile spread across his face as he saw her nod to herself, a sign she had made up her mind.

Both of them watched in anticipation as she reached out, taking one hand of their hand in each of hers, her eyes shining with sincerity as she squeezed firmly.

"I choose you both," she declared with determination.

Her simple words instantly evaporated the light-heartedness of the moment, replaced by an overwhelming rush of emotions he could hardly put into words. The one thing they all shared was a profound realization: he would do anything for this little girl.

He tried to hold back his feelings, but it was a losing battle; tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, betraying the depth of his affection and commitment.

Shit.

He turned his head, biting his lip as he closed his eyes, trying to swallow the lump in his throat.

“Mr. Luke?” Aerea’s voice called out, tinged with concern.

He knew he should respond and reassure her, but he struggled to find the words without making a spectacle of himself.

“Are you crying, My Lord Strong?” Aemond asked, a mix of amusement and incredulity in his voice. “At this age?”

‘’I’m not.’’, he denied lamely, knowing full well he was just digging his grave deeper.

‘’I’m sorry, Mr Luke.’’, Aerea apologised, likely thinking she had done something wrong, and it only made him want to cry harder and weep like a baby.

He immediately turned his head and simultaneously wiped at his eyes.

“No, no, why are you apologizing?” he said, reaching for her with open arms. He pulled her into an embrace, and she came to him willingly, holding him tightly as he accepted his vulnerability.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” he sniffed again, “I promise.”

He felt her arms tighten around him, and her sweet voice whispered, “I love you, Mr. Luke.”

He buried his face in her neck, inhaling her milky scent.

“I know, my sweet girl,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “I love you too.”

He almost shivered as he felt Aemond’s hand rubbing his back, his movements slightly unsure but fluid, not being able to ignore how large his uncle’s hand felt on his back, how comforting it was, the warmth seeping in through his hoodie and shirt.

“Group hug?” Aerea asked politely.

He pulled away slightly and glanced at Aemond, gauging his mood while sensing Aerea’s pleading gaze from the corner of his eye.

Aemond let out a small, rare chuckle. “Sure.”

The three of them formed a small circle, wrapping their arms around each other. His and Aemond’s embrace was not firm; it felt clumsy. He was cautious about hugging Aemond, and he suspected his uncle felt similarly reluctant.

Yet, despite their uncertainty, they shared one thing in common: their hold on Aerea was as tight as it could be.

Chapter Text

Lucerys sat in Aerea’s room on the carpeted floor, watching the curious gazes of both the silver haired father and daughter as he opened up the baby blue coloured box he had bought previously on his shopping trip with Aemond.

‘’Okay, Aerea, Do you know what a memory box is?’’, he inquired with a smile.

 Aerea’s big eyes widened as she shook her head. “No, what is it?”

“A memory box is like a treasure chest for special things.’’ He explained gently, ‘’It’s a place where we can keep memories of someone we love, like your mom.’’

The little girl immediately perked up as she realised the meaning of his words.

 “So, we can put things in here that help us remember her?”

“Exactly!” He replied, nodding. “We can add things that make us think of the happy times you had together, it can be photos or something like mister Snuggles. It’s like keeping a little piece of her with us.”

It was yet another activity he had wanted to do with the little girl when he was completely sure that the mention of her mother’s things didn’t bother her, didn't bring over a fresh wave of grief.

As always, Aemond had been amicable when he had asked him to put together some of Alys’ things, and despite his uncle’s easy acceptance, he couldn’t help but notice the way his single violet darkened at her mention, how his body became stiff before he nodded.

He let the girl come closer as she sat by him and looked inside the empty box with those same doe eyes that made him gush.

‘’I have photos,’’ Aerea said as she inspected the box, ‘’and can we keep mommy’s butterfly clips in here?’’

He gently rubbed her back, ‘’Of course we can.’’

‘’And the drawings I made for her?’’

‘’Yes, we can.’’

‘’And her pretty journal that she always wrote in,’’ she said with hurry, ‘’and her flower press, and and-‘’

‘’Slow down, darling,’’ Aemond interrupted gently, ‘’we’ll get to all of it. Besides, we don’t have to put in everything today.’’

His uncle looked at him and for a single moment, that soft was look was pointed at him. His heart skipped a beat as the alpha gave him a nod, silently telling him to continue.

He ignored the strange feeling and smiled at Aerea again.

‘’Lets get started then.’’

For the next few minutes, they sifted through Alys' belongings. Among the items were numerous butterfly-themed charms and hair clips, along with several packets of seeds. He deduced these were for flowers, which aligned perfectly with what his uncle had mentioned about Alys being in charge of the gardening.

They discovered a few books on horoscopes, as well as a pink journal with a pen attached, adorned with a butterfly at the top.

He saw the girl’s smile as she put the items in herself, simply staying by her side as she went through this process, letting her come to the realisation that her mother was gone, but not lost.

Aemond, who had been immersed in a photo album looked up and called Aerea over.

‘’Aerea, come here.’’

Aerea obeyed and went over. The little girl nestled comfortably in her father’s lap, her crossed legs resting gently on his. Aemond wrapped his arms around her, creating a warm embrace as they both leaned forward, their eyes focused on the pages of the picture book.

‘’look at this.’’, Aemond said as he placed a finger on top of a photo he couldn’t see.

He couldn’t help the warm feeling in his chest at the picture the two of them painted, it was so cozy and intimate that he felt almost honoured to witness it. A part of him even wanted to take a photo himself and capture the moment forever.

Aerea’s little brows furrowed before realisation dawned on her, ‘’Is that mommy?’’

The little girl looked over her shoulder up at Aemond, who smiled back and pointed at the same photo again.

‘’Yeah, and who’s that in her arms?’’

‘’Is...’’ her violets practically twinkled, ‘’is that me?’’

Aemond hummed, ‘’That’s right.’’

She giggled, ‘’I’m so little.’’

“You were, indeed.’’ Aemond agreed with a nostalgic tone, ‘’Just a tiny little thing.”

“But now I’m big! I can run and play!”

Aemond nodded, his gaze warm. “You’re growing up, but you’re still my little girl, no matter how big you get.”

Aerea looked up at him, her eyes full of hope, “Even when I’m grown up like you?”

“Even then,” Aemond replied, pulling her into a gentle hug, “You’ll always be my little Aerea.”

A few moments passed in silence as Aerea’s little fingers brushed over the photo.

His heart sunk immediately as he watched her smile dim until it was gone, her expression solemn like she was lost in her thoughts.

“Daddy,’’ she asked in a small voice, looking up at Aemond again, ‘’do you think Mommy will watch me grow up?”

He saw the grief as it crossed his uncle’s face, and admired him once more as his uncle simply pushed it aside and smiled at her again, a slight waver in his healthy eye that suggested he was holding himself back from breaking down.

At that moment, he wanted to do nothing more than pull them both into a bone crushing hug and let them know that everything will be all right.

That even if it didn’t matter, he would always be by their side.

‘’Of course, she’ll be with you every step of the way.’’ Aemond assured, and kissed her forehead gently as she sunk into his embrace.

Aemond took out the photo and held it out for her, ‘’Do you want to put this in?’’

Aerea nodded and took it, ‘’Yeah.’’

The calmness of the moment was broken when the three of them heard the bell ring, their gazes simultaneously turning towards the entrance of Aerea’s room on instinct.

The little girl was still seated in Aemond’s lap and it felt like a shame to let them separate.

He stood up immediately, ‘’Ill get it.’’

He made  his way out of the colourful room and into the dreary living room of black and white with mixed tiles and leather sofas.

As expected, Amelia was drowning in her pots and pans as she worked hard to make sure dinner was ready in time. He saw her give him a grateful smile as he walked towards the door, which her returned politely.

He opened the door with the same smile, ready to greet whoever was on the other side.

However, his smile faded immediately and his mind went completely blank as he registered the identity of the man who stood at the threshold of Aemond’s house.

‘’U-uncle Aegon?’’

Aegon was dressed in casual jeans and a thick coat for the winter, his hair was loose but combed through neatly, though there were slight beach waves in them for, likely cause by his journey on the yacht from Dragonstone to KingsLanding.

But the part which caught his attention was the large duffle bag he carried over one shoulder.

His uncle gave his form a once over, mirroring his confusion, but there was no shock in his face. If anything, he looked completely calm.

‘’Nephew,’’ he greeted casually, ‘’what the hell are you doing here?’’

He immediately struggled to form an answer as his mind refused to catch up, letting him down in the exact moment he needed it.

Stupid brain!

‘’I...um...I....’’

How the fuck was he supposed to explain his presence here?

Apparently, a minute was too long to come up with an answer, because Aegon huffed and rolled his eyes.

‘’Never mind, I’ll deal with your stuttering later.’’ He dismissed, ‘’right now, I need to get off my feet.

Instinctively, he stepped aside as Aegon strode into the house as if it belonged to him. He could only watch as Aegon tossed his duffle bag onto one of the single sofas and then sank into the middle of the large sofa with a contented groan, as though he had been on his feet for hours.

Stretching his arms, Aegon hummed with satisfaction.

“Ah, that’s good,” he said, sinking into the leather. Glancing around the living room, his expression turned to one of disgust. “Gods, this furniture is depressing—there’s not a splash of color anywhere.”

He agreed with the conclusion, and finally found his footing as he walked closer, still confused by the whole situation.

He caught a hint of silver running towards Aegon in his periphery.

‘’Uncle Egg!’’, Aerea exclaimed in excitement as soon as she saw Aegon,

Aegon beamed, smiling with all his teeth as he stood up from the sofa and crouched to receive the little girl in his arms.

‘’Arry!’’

Aerea giggled as she wrapped her arms around his neck, likely finding Aegon’s scent comforting like his own.

Aegon had been the first to present as an omega among all the children as they grew up, and though it came as a surprise to everyone, no one was more worried than Alicent.

Her worries were justified, his eldest uncle was a wild thing back then, drinking and partying was his entire life.

But now that he watched him hugging Aerea with that expression, he could say for certain that he had changed.

‘’Oh my sweet little munchkin,’’ Aegon cooed as he swayed them together, ‘’my favourite niece, how are you?’’

‘’I’m good.’’

Aemond strode in a moment later and unsurprisingly, his expression was neutral, but he could easily see the anger he was trying to conceal, the look of veiled disdain he bestowed upon Aegon.

‘’Brother,’’ he said with fake politeness, ‘’what an unexpected surprise.’’

Aegon chuckled, unfazed by the entire thing as he kept the little girl in his hold.

‘’Aww,’’ he said with a slight mock, then looked at Aerea, ‘’Look at how happy you father is to see me.’’

Aemond’s jaw tightened immediately,

‘’Aerea,’’ he regarded his daughter with a much more gentle tone, ‘’why don’t you pack your bag for tomorrow and finish the box?’’

Aerea nodded and made her way back to her room, ‘’Okay.’’

Aemond sighed and looked towards Amelia, who had been watching the entire scene unfold with a worried expression, likely picking up on his uncle’s bad mood.

‘’Amelia, why don’t you prepare some tea for our......’’ Aemond looked at Aegon like he was a bug beneath his feet, giving a pause as if he was searching for the right word, ‘’guest?’’

He shuffled on his feet, wondering if it would be considered impolite to break out from the nearest window.

Chapter Text

Lucerys simply sat at the single sofa, watching the scene before him while taking small sips of his tea, careful not to make too much noise and make himself as small as he could, as if that would help him disappear.

Aegon seemed to be completely oblivious to the tension which had surrounded the living room, if the way he gorged on the cookies Amelia had laid out was anything to go by.

What worried him the most was Aemond’s gaze, which was as predatory as it could be as he stared down his own brother like he was contemplating fratricide.

‘’Out with it then.’’, Aemond said with demand in his tone, breaking the silence they had found themselves in.

His other uncle took his merry time, making sure to finish the cookie he had in his hand before gracing his little brother with an answer.

‘’Out with what?’’, Aegon said with confusion.

‘’Why the fuck are you here instead of Dragonstone?’’, Aemond clarified, his voice dripping with ire despite the soft tone he used.

Aegon chuckled, clearly unaffected, ‘’Good to see you’re as pleasant as always, brother.’’

‘’And you’re deflecting, so tell me before I kick you out.’’

Aegon pursed his lips like he was thinking about it, clearly not ready to divulge the reasons for what seemed to be an impromptu trip to Kings Landing.

‘’I.....’’ Aegon started, and suddenly his gaze was on him as if he just noticed him, making him squirm as he pointed towards him, ‘’why is he here?’’

He felt his heart thudding, feeling like he had done something wrong even though his reasons for being at Aemond’s house were as chaste as they could be.

However, before he could defend himself, Aemond spoke up.

‘’Answer my question and I'll answer yours.’’

‘’Luke,’’ Aegon regarded him, ‘’tell me, why are you here?’’

‘’Don’t tell him.’’, Aemond said immediately.

‘’Really?’’ Aegon said with offensive disbelief, ‘’You’re going to listen to Aemond over me?’’

He opened his mouth to speak but once again found himself at a loss of how to placate the situation. If he answered Aemond would mind, and if he didn’t, Aegon would mind.

The perfect ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ situation’.

In the end, all that came out were incoherent stutters that made no sense.

‘’I...that’s not...’’

It looks like the gods finally decided to cut him some slack, because just then, he got a phone call.

He fished his phone out of his jeans pocket, grateful to every god he could think of and whoever was calling at just the right moment.

The caller ID wasn’t anything surprising.

Jace.

His brother called him every couple of days just to check in, even though he was super busy. After all, being the heir to one of the wealthiest conglomerates in Westeros was no small feat.

However, before he could pick up, Aegon let out a small groan as if he was annoyed.

‘’Please, don’t tell me its Jace.’’

His brows raised, wondering how Aegon knew, ‘’It is.’’

‘’For fuck’s sake.’’, Aegon muttered as he rubbed his face in exasperation, then looked at him with a steely and determined gaze, ‘’Look, he’s going to ask for me and I want you to tell him you haven’t seen me, all right?’’

It didn’t make sense, why was Aegon avoiding his brother? Weren’t they happily dating for what seemed to be years now?

‘’But I-‘’

‘’Just do it.’’ Aegon insisted, ‘’put it on speaker.’’

He sighed and gave in, choosing not to escalate the situation further, even though he didn’t know what the situation in question even was.

He picked up the phone, put it on speaker and greeted his brother, ‘’Hello.’’

‘’Hey Luke,’’ Jace said casually, ‘’how’s it going?’’

He could practically feel Aegon’s violet eyes boring holes into him, as if daring him to disobey his orders, telling him the results wont be pretty if he did.

‘’I’m good,’’ he tried to sound as normal as possible, ‘’how are things there?’’

‘’Everything’s fine.’’ There was a pause and Jace took a long breath as if he was exhausted, ‘’Look, this might be a strange question, but you haven’t seen Aegon have you?’’

His eyes widened, Aegon’s prediction was right, who was still staring at him. his uncle shook his head vehemently, a sort of desperation present in his actions, non-verbally telling him to just do what he told him.

Pushing aside the guilt, he decided to play the part of the oblivious brother.

‘’Our brother?’’

‘’My boyfriend.’’ Jace amended.

‘’No, I haven’t...’’ he squirmed in place, not used to lying to anyone, especially family, ‘’isn’t he with you?’’

‘’Well, he’s not,’’ Jace informed, his tone suggesting he was holding back his annoyance, ‘’and I have it on good authority that he’s in King’s Landing.’’

He bit his lip, still feeling mortified that he was still playing into the charade, resisting the urge to just come clean and tell his brother that his runaway boyfriend was sitting right in front of him.

‘’I’m sorry, I have no idea where he might be.’’

Jace muttered what seemed to be a long string of curses before answering him in a much calmer voice.

‘’That’s fine, thanks for the help, bye.’’

‘’Bye.’’

Aegon sunk into the couch whose edge he had been sitting on until now, letting out a small satisfied sound as if he had barely made out of a life-threatening situation with his limbs intact.

‘’Oh, thank the gods,’’ he said, ‘’I thought my heart was going to stop.’’

‘’Aegon, let’s get back to the point,’’ Aemond spoke up, ‘’why are you here and why are you avoiding our nephew?’’

He was curious to know the answer to that as well, though there had been problems between the family when they got together, it ultimately served as a bridge for their family to reunite.

Not to mention the fact that he was pretty sure his mother and Alicent wouldn’t have reconciled to the point of getting married if Aegon and Jace hadn’t fought for their love as they did.

He had decided to support his brother at the time, and though his wild and promiscuous uncle wasn’t the first choice of boyfriend he would have chosen for Jace, he could tell how happy they made each other.

‘’Did something happen?’’ he questioned gently when Aegon still refused to answer, ‘’I thought things were going well between the two of you.’’

Aegon threw his hands up in defence.

‘’Why am I being interrogated?’’ he asked with annoyance, ‘’Can I not just have a moment of peace? Is that too much to ask for?’’

‘’It is when you’re crashing at my house without an explanation.’’, Aemond parried calmly.

‘’Oh come on!’’ Aegon whined, ‘’all I’m asking for is one night, I’ll be out of your hair tomorrow I promise.’’

Aemond sighed and stood up from the sofa he had been seated in, he paced around from one point to another a few times before giving a firm nod to himself as if he had made his decision.

‘’Fine,’’ Aemond conceded, ‘’but I expect answers in the morning,’’ Aemond shook his head in disapproval, ‘’gods Aegon if you’re drinking again-‘’

‘’I’m not!’’ Aegon interrupted, than reached into his pants to take out a small item and throw it at Aemond, ‘’Here take this, asshole.’’

Aemond easily caught the item in his hands and inspected it in two fingers. From where he sat, it looked to be a coin of some sort.

‘’What’s this?’’, Aemond asked.

‘’Its my sobriety chip, you nincompoop,’’ Aegon answered, ‘’I got it last week, I'm three years sober now.’’

He felt his lips curl up at that, feeling proud of how his uncle had gotten his life together, so far away from the clubbing monster he used to be.

‘’Congratulations, uncle.’’, he found himself saying before he could help it.

Aegon gave a proud smile, ‘’Thanks, nephew.’’

‘’You can stay the night,’’ Aemond said as he threw the chip back to Aegon, ‘’but I’m calling mother tomorrow, because I’m sure you didn’t tell her before bolting.’’

‘’Why?’’ Aegon whined again, ‘’She doesn’t need to know, besides she’ll snitch to Jace and I don’t want to face hi-‘’

‘’She’s pregnant you dipshit,’’ he interrupted, ‘’she doesn’t need the stress, sort your mess out by then.’’

Aegon crossed his arms like a child and huffed, ‘’Fine.’’

Amelia walked over from the kitchen; her hands clasped together as she wore a small but nervous smile. He felt sorry for her, the poor woman was likely lost, wondering how to deal with the mess his family was sometimes.

‘’So,’’ she started with obvious caution, ‘’dinner for how many people tonight?’’

‘’All of us,’’ Aemond said with none of the anger, and looked directly at him, ‘’stay for dinner, Luke.’’

He immediately found himself objecting to the idea, the last thing he wanted was to spend more time in this situation he was desperately trying to escape.

‘’Oh, its okay you don’t ha-‘’

‘’I insist, Amelia, can you also prepare the spare bedroom for our....’’ he sighed and looked at Aegon with the same disdain as he sighed, ‘’guest.’’

Amelia nodded, dutiful as ever, ‘’Right away sir.’’

He placated himself that he would only have to be here for another hour or so, then he could just leave and come back at a later date when Aegon wasn’t here and this whole matter was over and done with.

Not to mention the fact that he didn’t even know what all this was. All he knew was that Aegon had decided to runaway without telling anyone and his brother was likely going sick with worry looking for him.

And the worst part was that he was in cohorts with Aegon of all people, the guilt wouldn’t go away until he came clean to Jace and apologised for lying.

‘’Why don’t you stay the night nephew?’’ Aegon suggested with a shit eating grin, ‘’We can have a sleepover.’’

Now that was something he couldn’t afford to do, especially not with the changes his body had gone through recently. He had a morning routing with his lactation supplies and patches that he needed to change every 24 hours.

‘’One,’’ Aemond started, ‘’he’s not sleeping with you, and two, I agree with him, you might as well stay the night.’’

Oh no, this could not be happening, this was not happening, not right now.

‘’Its fine,’’ he tried his best to hide the desperation in his voice, ‘’I don’t want to impos-‘’

‘’It isn’t safe for you to go out after dinner,’’ Aemond interrupted, ‘’it’ll be late.’’

‘’But I have my own car an-‘’

‘’I see we’re all agreed then,’’ Aemond dismissed, then turned to leave, ‘’I’m checking on Aerea.’’

He simply sat there dumbly, cursing himself for what he had gotten himself into.

Gods help me.

Was anyone going to listen to him?

Chapter Text

Luke lay in the guestroom bed at Aemond’s house, his mind racing with a million thoughts as he tried to figure out how to handle the mess he’d found himself in.

Mainly, the fact that he was a lactating omega without any of his supplies.

At least he had the box of patches with him, the ones he needed to change every 24 hours—but that only solved part of the problem. The real issue would be when his chest inevitably filled up with milk the next morning.

He knew what he had to do. He’d have to milk himself the old-fashioned way at the crack of dawn, and just hope nobody found out.

He rubbed his face in a strange mix of mortification and exasperation.

Fuck my life......

There was a knock at the door, and Luke shot up from the bed, instantly wondering who could be on the other side.

He walked over, silently hoping it wasn’t more trouble with Aegon—or worse, Aerea.

He opened the door to find Aegon standing there, grinning, wearing Aemond’s silk pajamas and clutching a pillow to his chest.

"Hey, nephew," Aegon greeted him, his grin widening. "Got room for one more?"

Luke blinked, caught off guard. Was his uncle seriously asking if they could share the bed?

"You...?" Luke began, his voice faltering as he tried to make sense of the situation. "You mean...?"

Aegon rolled his eyes. "Gods, you really need to work on that stutter.’’

His uncle once again walked into the room like he owned the place and started to shuffle around the hundred pillows he had previously been laying in, carelessly throwing them off to the side as he made himself comfortable on one side of the bed.

"What are you doing?" he asked weakly, already knowing there was no stopping Aegon at this point.

Aegon shot him a sideways glance. "What, you don’t want me in your bed?" he said, his tone casual. "I mean, it’s a big bed. We’ll fit just fine."

Luke couldn’t help but feel scandalized by the suggestion. He crossed his arms, then uncrossed them immediately, wincing slightly from the ache in his chest caused by the lactation.

"But that—"

Aegon interrupted him with a lazy wave of his hand. "Don’t worry about your chastity, Luke," he said, sinking further into the pillows and closing his eyes. "The only brown-haired nephew I’m into is your brother."

He huffed, ‘’Don’t be ridiculous, we’re both omegas.’’

He made his way over to the bed and laid on the free side, making sure to keep a respectable distance between them.

Aegon snorted in amusement, ‘’as if that ever stopped me.’’

His eyes widened at the implication and he seriously considered building a wall of pillows between them just to be safe.

‘’Youve been with omegas?’’, he asked incredulously, watching as Aegon opened his eyes and looked at him with a smirk.

"Yeah, I probably tried every flavor there was to try before your brother came in and swooped me up with that perfect smile of his. Didn’t know what hit me, honestly.’’ He chuckled like he was recalling a fond memory, ‘’One minute, I was just enjoying the buffet, and the next... bam. Jace makes me want to just have a one-course meal."

He felt his expression softening immediately. He laid on his side to face Aegon properly and watch his face for any reaction that might give away what was going on.

‘’Will you tell me what’s wrong now?’’ he asked gently, ‘’Are you guys having problems?’’

Aegon pouted and looked at anywhere but him, ‘’What makes you think we’re having problems?’’

‘’Aegon.....’’ he started with exasperation, then repeated Aemond’s words again, ‘’you’re deflecting.’’

His uncle kept his eyes downcast and drew uneven patterns on the mattress with his finger, his expression now solemn as if he was in deep contemplation.

‘’He proposed to me.’’, Aegon muttered, almost too quiet for him to hear.

He felt his eyes widen again.

‘’Wait, as in....’’ he could hardly believe it, ‘’proposed, proposed?’’

Aegon chuckled mirthlessly, ‘’Yeah, with a ring and everything.’’

He raised his brows, a slight judgement in his voice as he spoke.

‘’And your first reaction was to bolt?’’

"I freaked out, okay?’’ Aegon immediately defended, and rubbed his face, ‘’I wasn’t ready. I mean—shit—It just came out of nowhere." His voice dropped to a more serious tone, though the humor never fully left it. "The last time I was in a committed relationship, I was probably more in love with the bottom of a wine glass than the person I was with."

He involuntarily felt his lips curl up while a part of him rejoiced at the fact that it probably wasn’t a major fight between them, at least nothing which couldn’t be solved with a simple talk.

"You mean that phase you had where you thought 'hangovers are just a part of life'?", he said with a slight tease.

Aegon snorted, but it was a hollow sound. "Yeah. Exactly. I don’t even know how to do this… ‘’he gestured towards the air, ‘’relationship thing. Like, I’m not just some guy who’s lived a normal and functional life. I’ve got baggage, Luke. A lot of it. And it’s not the kind that fits in a suitcase."

He looked at him for a long moment, his gaze thoughtful. It was true that his uncle had his fair share of problems, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t trying or hadn’t come a long way.

"Aegon, no one expects you to be perfect.’’ He said gently, ‘’Heck, I don’t know what ‘perfect’ even looks like when it comes to relationships."

Aegon sighed defeatedly.

‘’I guess I just thought he would leave me sooner than late.’’

Now that came as a surprise, enough to make him furrow his brows.

‘’Why?’’

‘’Because,’’ Aegon started in a firm voice, the pain clear in his eyes, "I mean, look at me! I’m a mess! I’m lucky he puts up with me."

‘’You’re not a mess.’’ He declared softly.

Aegon shook his head, nuzzling the pillow like a cat as he spoke in a voice so sad that he almost looked like he was about to cry.

‘’A part of me was just always waiting for the other shoe to drop, you know.’’ He confessed, ‘’I always thought that once Jace had his fill, he’d leave me and marry someone good, someone who actually deserves him.’’

‘’My brother isn’t like that.’’, he immediately defended.

It had been years since the two of them had been dating, he was frankly surprised his uncle still thought this way.

But then again, he didn’t know how the mind of a person with insecurities worked.

‘’I know he isn’t,’’ Aegon sighed again, ‘’and that just makes me feel worse.’’

He nodded in understanding.

‘’I get it. You’re scared. That’s fine. But you don’t have to push Jace away because you think you don’t deserve him.’’ he advised, ‘’You’re not the same guy you were before. And if you think you’re not good enough for him, well..." he shrugged. "Well, I think Jace should be the one who decides that, and I’m pretty sure my brother knows what he wants."

Aegon let out a short, snort-laugh, shaking his head. "Right, 'cause I’m a great catch, huh? I mean, I don't think even I would date me if I weren't me."

‘’Stop putting yourself down and just talk to him.’’, he chided without anger.

A long moment of silence passed and he could see the gears turning in Aegon’s head before he buried his entire face into the pillow and let out a muffled groan.

When his uncle came back for air, the worry was still etched on his face.

‘’That conversation could go either way and that terrifies me.’’

He nodded, ‘’But as long as you love each other, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.’’

Aegon took a deep breath and settled into the pillow again. Luckily, his expression seemed much at ease now. The frown lines were gone and his uncle smiled up at him.

‘’Look at you being all wise and shit,’’ he teased, ‘’I figured dealing with toddlers all day would’ve turned you into a human puddle by now."

He chuckled before he could stop it. it was clear Aegon was trying to change the subject and he was more than happy to indulge him.

"Well, it’s definitely taught me patience, and I happen to love my job, thank you very much.’’ He declared, ‘’Toddlers have a way of keeping you humble—and entertained."

‘’Is that why you’re in Aemond’s house?’’ Aegon inquired, ‘’Mom told me you’ve been helping Aerea, the poor, sweet baby.’’

He nodded, ‘’Yeah.’’

‘’How’s my brother behaviour?’’ his uncle pressed on, ‘’I know he isn’t your biggest fan.’’

‘’He isn’t,’’ he agreed, ‘’but he’s a dad and fully capable of putting his daughter first. He’s been kind.’’

Aegon hummed and nodded, and he could see the way those violet eyes fell upon his neck, or more precisely, what was stuck to it.

‘’By the way, what’s that patch you’re wearing on your neck?’’

His lips formed a thin line, it was a question he completely dreaded, and he cursed his stupidity for not going to sleep in his hoodie.

‘’Oh, its....’’ he scrambled to think of an excuse, ‘’its for my job.’’

Aegon’s brows furrowed, ‘’I don’t understand.’’

‘’Omega teachers are required to wear scent blockers, to not distract the students.’’

He hoped his uncle would buy his bullshit explanation, but apparently it wasn’t going to be that easy.

‘’But that’s ridiculous.’’

"It’s not ideal, but it’s the policy.’’ He lied through his teeth, ‘’Can’t exactly teach math when half the class is distracted by your scent, can you?"

Aegon’s expression was still morphed in confusion, and judging by his less than enthusiastic reply, he could tell his uncle didn’t believe him.

‘’I guess....’’

He squirmed in place and decided it was better to squash this before Aegon asked anymore questions.

‘’Well, I’m tired so....’’ he turned so that he wasn’t facing Aegon, ‘’good night, uncle.’’

His uncle’s reply came a little later than ideal, and he hoped that Aegon noticing his patch wouldn’t lead to a situation that might cause him embarrassment.

‘’Good night, nephew.’’