Page 45 of Delinquent Dette
“Well, the eggs seem to really love you. They’re happier than I’ve ever heard them.” Frikka reached out to touch their shells,and each one chirped and piped with thoughts of joy and bright colors. His own eggs had never been that happy.
I love them, too! I really hope they find the best home. Pretty little babies. I want a clutch of my own so bad, Papa.Jasper snuggled in, and his dragon’s eyes teared up.
Frikka glanced around and grabbed his phone before sending a quick text to Suyin.Jasper is over with the eggs. You should come see this.
A ping shot back a few minutes later.On my way.
Frikka sat and watched Jasper tend the eggs so dutifully, breathing warm air on each of them as a good Dette should have. All his nesting instincts kicked in hard.Babies!He rubbed his cheek along a shell, earning more piping laughter and joy through the bond.They’re so loud!
To Frikka, it was barely a chirp and whisper, but they made a bond with Jasper near instantly.
“Jasper. Do you have a nest in your new home?” Frikka cleared his throat and watched.
I… Please do not be sad.Jasper glanced away from Frikka.I’ve reconstructed the nesting room—after the…Jasper didn’t finish. It’d been a fine nest. So much death had happened there, but it seemed fitting that Jasper might find some comfort there.
It stung worse than it should have, and Frikka breathed through the pain in his heart. “I cannot help being sad, but Sten made a good nest. Be sure and reinforce everything…”
Jasper nodded.I completely redid it, so it doesn’t look anything like the old nest.
“Well, that’s good. Your father and I used to do the boning there, so I’d expect you to—”
Gross, Papa!Jasper snorted.
By the time they’d settled and Frikka gave his blessing for the nest, their minds seemed to be on the same page. Jasper stared at the eggs like they were his entire world.
“What’s up?” Suyin called from the top of the steps as he jogged down, earning a territorial snort from Jasper. “Oh. Oh!”
“See? I think Jasper is ready to be a papa, whether a Drake has haunted his nest or not.” Frikka laughed and Jasper snorted while doing his best to cover the eggs with his body.
Precious babies.
“Precious babies, yes. I still need to see them, Jasper. Please? If you can’t let me check them, I can’t see if they want you to be their papa.” Whatever Suyin said seemed to snap something in Jasper’s mind and he pulled away, staring at the pups with wide-eyed joy. His tail twitched ecstatically, and Suyin hopped into the nest, reached over to give each of them a gentle pat, and grinned wide, his face nearly split with joy. “Oh. Oh, Jasper.”
Jasper puffed up with pride, sticking his snoot up in the air a little, as if accepting the praise.
“Jasper, are you ready to be a papa? Do you have your stuff together well enough to take on three pups?” Suyin hesitated as Jasper shifted and searched for his pants, keeping near the eggs the entire time.
“I’m a silver. My house is still under construction—but there’ll be lots of Dettes there soon. Umm, I’m relatively certain I could. My work is all on the computer these days… Can I really adopt them?” Jasper bounced in place excitedly, his eyes wide.
“I think so. They’re responding amazingly to you. I think you’re the right pick. You don’t have a mate. Is that going to be a problem?” Suyin cleared his throat.
“No. Leo and Hallr can wrangle nine and Hallr is shit at minding pups.” Jasper huffed. “I can do right by three.” He gathered them into his lap near instinctively. his usual timidness gone, replaced by fierce protectiveness.
“I think Hallr does fine by the lizard army.” Frikka snorted. His grandchildren were quite the Nielsen horde.
“Yeah, well, they have so much help. It’s good he can afford it.” Jasper patted over the eggshells. “I can afford these three. Easily.”
“That’s good. Once we finish the paternity testing after they’re born, we’ll have an idea who needs to pay restitution to their papa and fund their hoards.” Suyin gave Jasper a wicked grin. “And if no pater can be found, we’ll have them set up with a base fund from the Slang Conservatory. They’ll start as mid-coppers but will be fine.”
“I can really have them?” Jasper’s eyes lit up and his entire body tensed.
“I don’t think it’s our say. They’ve chosen you.” Frikka smiled. It was the first time he’d ever seen Jasper so excited. No new book, nor toy, nor interesting paint had ever stimulated him so. Jasper wanted to be a papa. Nothing more.
“What say you, babies? Do you want to be my babies? Do you want me to be your papa?” Jasper brightened even further as the eggs’ happiness faded from Frikka’s bond. It left a tender spot in his heart, sore almost. The two eggs of his seemed so lonely, such a small clutch. “Thank you. So much.”
Frikka waved him off. “You need to go out and get nesting supplies. You can either sit with the eggs while I shop for you, or I can call Leo to go take you shopping.”
Jasper frowned. “They need to stay safe in a nest, but I need to pick the things out. Papa, stay with them a little longer. I’ll get Peter and Leo.”
