"Asher, that's enough looking out the window for today. Dinner's getting cold."
Asher tapped his foot in a strong 'no'.
"Asher..."
"It'll come today, I feel it."

Dakota sighed and picked Asher up, who squeaked in protest. But this time Asher was right, and he just about managed to slip out of Dakota's grasp and fly out of the ajar door. Thanks to Dakota holding him back Aeralis got further than 1/10 down the path to their den, but Asher had accelerated really fast and was too exited to slow, so he flew happy circles around her. He only stopped when Aeralis presented the Button that he had lost while on a visit to her clan. After a great many (many, many, many...) l letters and a great search, they had found it, and Asher was bursting with joy. Even when Aeralis told him Puffie's message of "Are we still ok, bud?", Asher could only nod as he admired his wonderful Button. He turned it around, and to his surprise, a baby fae was clinging to the back of it.

"Uh..."
"He didn't leave... Not even for food..."

Aeralis made a surprised pikachu face as Asher tried to shake him off. It didn't work.

"Well ain't that a strong grip. This one's yours?"
"I-"
"I could wait till he falls asleep and try send him back then."
"O... kay... No, I don't have kids."
"Ah! I didn't- sorry, I meant if he was part of your clan-"
"Ah, no, he's not- related to anyone in the clan..."
"Huh." Asher held the Button in the air to look at the fae a little better. "Aren't you a little misfit? What are we going to do with you?"

That was when the fae looked at Asher with shiny eyes and shouted "Dad!"

Both dragons just... Looked on shocked... And Dakota's laughter filled the cavern behind them...

"....Uhhhhh...." Asher poked the child, who just gripped his finger. And he really did have a strong grip. "Help, it captured me!"

"Congrats on your new baby!" Aeralis told him, flying away as the situation began to grow out of control.
"No, wait, take it back!" Asher yelled after her, but the child jumped onto his face before he could fly after her. So Asher stood there. Giving up.

"I don't know what to do with this." He said shortly "Dakota stop laughing."
Dakota finished rolling on the floor, and through chuckles reassured his friend.
"Eh, I had kids before. I can father him."

But once the child clung to Asher, he wouldn't stop clinging to Asher.

This was a problem because it had been years since Asher had hatchlings, and even then, Midnight was around to help with everything most of the time. So they raised the child together.

"You have to say it's an aeroplane or he won't eat it."
Thimble hit yet another spoon of blended beetle into Asher's face, who apparently wasn't covered with enough of it yet. He put his face in his paws, as Thimble climbed down his back and clung to his tail.

Asher's voice dragged a little. "Chara wasn't this clingy. She was a rebellious teenager and lived in her room. I just want sleep."
"Take him outside. The plums are good and soft, maybe he'll like them, and a walk will do you good."

Asher got up stiffly to pick Thimble up, who still wouldn't let go of his tail, and flew to the tree. One by one, plums fell down to the ground with a squish.

Asher gave up for the fifth time today and ate a plum himself. Thimble watched Asher closely, and grabbing a nearby plum copied him. Asher breathed out a laugh.
"Cute. Still not enough for you though."

Late in the evening, Dakota came to look for them. Asher was discovered sleeping in a twig, with Thimble also fast asleep on his belly, still holding Asher's tail like a teddy.

"How sweet. Better take you home before the monsters start waking."

Scooping the two into his paws, Asher stirred lightly, sleepily swiping Dakota's paws away momentarily.
"Don't touch... My son..."

Dakota stopped, finding it difficult not to laugh there and then.

"I'll bully you about this when you're awake." He whispered to Asher, as the headed on home to bed.

"It's funny how far the leaves fly during the autumn. I'm still having to rake the lawn. Apart from one or two all we have is spruce trees."
"All you need to do is swipe your tail once and it's ready."
"Hey, you just pick up one leaf at a time because oh you're so small-"

Thimble came down the stairs with his suitcase, a little bit shaky. "Hey."

Asher and Dakota stopped their conversations to turn to look at the boy. Thimble was much taller now, a fine young dragon, but still had the same sensitive eyes as he had when he was a hatchling. Asher got up from his chair on the kitchen table to offer his hand, which Thimble took gratefully. He put his other hand on top to steady Thimble's shaking.

"You can do it this time Thimble."
"I hope..." Thimble shook his head.

Dakota got up to open the door, and the other two walked up to him after a nod of encouragement from Asher. Thimble squinted at their dark front garden, which seemed so much smaller and lonelier now. There was the tire swing he loved to play on everyday, the sandpit Asher had painfully made with Dakota's instruction and Thimble clinging to his neck curiously watching it all, and... The plum tree...

A tear fell down Thimble's cheek. And then another. Asher grabbed his cheeks gently but firmly, looking into his eyes.

"Thimble. You're my son. You're brave, strong, smart and honestly the best thief I know next to me even if you won't pursue that path, and you can do this." He let go and held Thimble's hand again. "But it's also okay not to. Sometimes it's braver to say no, and go when you're ready. That's fine. Just say so, and we'll go put your suitcase away for another day."

Thimble sniffled a little. Dakota lowered his head to nudge the small fae. "Your dad's right. We will be happy to keep you here. Don't listen to all the dragons saying there comes a time when dragons need to move out, you're stressing about it. Do it at your own pace. Hauku took a few tries too."

Breathing in deeply, Thimble calmed. He breathed in again, but this time he puffed his chest and faced the world outside, determined. "No. Today's the day. It's time for me to move out."

"That's my boy." Asher patted his back.
"The world is yours" Dakota added.

Thimble sighed, and took a step forward, as his guardians held their breath. And he took another, and another. Then he looked back, and the fae and imp waved their hands forward simultaneously. So Thimble took another step. And then ran like lightning back to them.

"I forgot to say goodbye!!"

They laughed, and he hugged each of them one by one.

"You're really only going to be a few trees away you know"
Thimble snuggled in Dakota's mane. "I know. It still won't be the same though."
"Well, at least you can sleep through the night without Asher's snoring."
Asher folded his arms "Hey! I'm short but I can hear!"
Thimble laughed, still a little through tears. He then flew down to give Asher a very long hug.
"Take care of yourself, you little misfit."
"I will, dad."

And so they gave each other one last wave, and Thimble began to disappear into the trees. Dakota and Asher slowly dragged themselves away from the door to sit back on the dining table, and resume tea time. After a while, Asher suddenly turned behind him in panic, and after a moment of confusion turned back to resume eating his cookie.

Dakota looked at him quizzingly. "Thought you lost Thimble again?"
Asher put down his cookie. He couldn't swallow it with the tears that were filling his eyes. "Yeah. Was our den always this cold?"

Dakota picked him up and placed Asher on his head, where Asher could snuggle in and feel comforted. "I'll miss him terribly too. I'll light a fire."

Meanwhile, Thimble opened the door to the house they had all built together. The door is new and doesn't creak like the ones back at home. Well, old home...

He dropped his bag by the door, and lit a candle, which made the house seem a million times less empty. These were Asher's scented candles, and they smelt like home. He went over to the easel Dakota got him for his birthday, and adjusted it for work. The canvas had been started a little already, a wash here and there. Thimble put the paintbrush into a dark oil paint. Black. A colour so often hated. Especially next to red. Smiling, he began to paint an imp's head. But given the right context, and a little life, anything can be made beautiful. Rules were made to be broken. Next to the imp, a fae was being brought to light. Thimble stuck his tounge out in concentration, and leaning back he nodded in approval at what he was making. Going back into it, he began to paint a smaller fae in the middle.

The paintbrush danced as if alive. And by the end of the day, Thimble had a lovely painting of his parents and himself to hang on his wall. One step at a time, he will make this house his own.

I don't care. It's my favourite colour.