Chapter Text
Typically, an alpha mating with another alpha was frowned upon.
Old rhetoric, as far as Phil was concerned, and he knew specifically just how old it was- but that was neither here nor there. It was safe to say that his relationship with Etoiles was considered an odd one even to most common folk, as even alpha/omega relationship typically sought out a third, but-
He and Etoiles just fit together, in a way that Phil hadn't felt in nearly a century. The ease of their combat together was near-fluid from that first day, when they'd been forced to work together in close quarters in the depths of a dungeon, and it'd only gotten more seamless as they'd grown closer, Etoiles eagerly following behind Phil's ever step in a way that almost seemed at-odds with everything else about him. Sleep didn't come easy for either of them, they were both a bit shit at cooking, and they both had all the subtlety of a brick through a window at times, but still.
Phil carded his hand through Etoiles' hair, gleaming a pale yellow in the early morning light and smiling a bit to himself as the other groaned. Light sleeper, always had been, same as Phil... But they kept themselves laid out just for a little longer, despite the itching need to move. Phil didn't often like physical shows of affection, but there was something about the early light of dawn and the warmth of a shared bed that made it feel all the more intimate, in a way that Phil's still-tired brain could tolerate.
"We going to Baghera's for breakfast?" he murmured, brushing through Etoiles' hair again, holding it out of his eyes as he looked up at Phil blearily. The glass bottle of cucumber seeds hanging around his neck glinted in the light, clinking softly as they both shifted a bit. "Or Slime's?"
"You are asking me stupid questions when the sun isn't even up yet Philza?" Etoiles rasped, and Phil laughed at him, pressing a quick kiss to his forehead before he tossed his blankets off of both of them, smiling even wider as Etoiles moaned like he was dying. "You are so mean to me Philza, forcing me out of our bed... would you believe if I told you I was having nice dreams before you started speaking?"
"Nope!" Phil said, sitting up with a grunt and spreading his arms and wings wide, jumping a bit as Etoiles buried one fist into the base of his primaries and gave a slight tug, as if in punishment for his disregard. Phil promptly dropped his wing entirely, making Etoiles sputter the feathers he suddenly found in his mouth before Phil stood completely, retreating to the other side of the room to stoke the coals that were still glowing slightly. "Better to get out of bed before they start bothering us too, mate. Baghera isn't going to just let you lounge around on our last day, so you might as well see her fully dressed."
"It is nothing she hasn't seen before," Etoiles muttered petulantly, and under Phil's amused gaze he shuffled back under the blankets, turning so he had his back to Phil. He could just see the paleness of his mating bite peeking out from under the blankets, and he turned just long enough to stoke the fire back into a blaze before he wandered over, sitting himself back down and pressed a kiss to Etoiles' shoulder. He didn't make it far before Etoiles' hand was on the back of his neck, pulling him down for a proper kiss. "You enjoy making this difficult for me, Philza my bro."
"Maybe a bit," Phil teased.
"You are evil then."
"If I say yes will it get you out of bed faster?"
"Promise me lead on this job?"
"Mate," Phil said, his heart dropping as he pulled away, even as Etoiles' puppy-dog eyes never abated. "Not this one- and you fucking know why too."
"Perhaps you really are evil," Etoiles huffed haughtily. "Or will you give me a gift to say sorry?"
"I can eat you out?" Phil offered with a laugh, though he still felt a little catch of heat in his gut when Etoiles brushed a thumb over Phil's lips in consideration, then down lower to thumb at his nipple through his robe. There was a slight heat rising up inside of him, and this close all Phil could smell was Etoiles; the scent of cut greens and pine, like their version of new spring. His mind was fuzzing with it, and he couldn't quite help the way his own eyes dipped lower, taking Etoiles' mussed hair and slightly askew clothes. "Sound good?"
"I supposed that would be fair," Etoiles sighed.
Phil shoved him with a laugh. "Whatever. Now get up! They're bound to be here any second now."
Their house was just on the outskirts of the town proper, just enough to be noticeably separate from the rest- it was further than Etoiles lived before, but he'd acquiesced to the move easily, poking fun about Phil being a hermit. Honestly even this house was far closer to town than Phil originally considered, but he also supposed it'd be good for their friends to actually be able to find their house- and even having a house at all was a little strange to Phil, even if his and Etoiles' job did enough to work off Phil's wandering urges.
It was a bit of a shit hole, but it belonged to him and Etoiles, so it was home.
He could see the rest of the town from their kitchen window, the warmth of the morning having cleared up the cold fog quickly- they were still in the midst of summer, and even then it was cold enough that cloaks and the like were needed. Phil's breath fogged a bit as he picked over his and Etoiles’ supplies, positioned at the door for ease of access. They were going closer to the border this time- a common place in their line of work, but it was bound to be warmer further south so they'd packed accordingly. Rations were still in place, weapons, a million other odds and ends they'd miss when they got out on the road proper.
It all looked good, and when he straightened again it was just in time to catch the flash of yellow feathers through the window before there was an almost-frantic pounding at the door.
"Philza?! Etoiles?!" Baghera called, still knocking on the door. Etoiles’ sigh was loud enough that Phil could hear it over the clamor and the door, and he laughed, quickly moving to undo their locks and yank their door open. Baghera beamed at him, and Pomme was beaming right alongside her, both of them carrying a bundled something in their arms. "Good morning! Me and Pomme wanted to make sure you were coming to breakfast this morning-"
"Oh!" Phil exclaimed with a laugh as he was suddenly burdened with two things that he immediately identified as weapons of some kind. "Our swords then? And yeah, just waiting on Etoiles now."
"Ey, bouffon, qu'est-ce qui te prend si longtemps?" Baghera called, not even bothering to knock as she shoved the door to their room open, where Etoiles stood, sans socks but otherwise dressed. "Oh you are alive."
"Good morning Baghera," Etoiles said flatly, and then his eyes skated past her, past Phil, and landed squarely on Pomme. "Pomme! Même toi, tu es réveillé à cette heure? Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas chez toi?"
"Ne dis pas ça! Elle devrait demander qui tu es, Etoiles, qui dors si tard-" Baghera berated, smacking him in the arm and then they were at it again, leaving Phil to take a seat at his table with a fond sigh, quickly unwrapping the two swords.
Bad had done a good job with them- they were often put through a lot of wear and tear fighting through hoards, but he'd managed to do a decent job without shaving too much off the edges. Their rippling enchantments were still intact, which was by far the most important part- he knew a little magic, but runebreaker swords were just as important as a counterspell was, if he were honest. Maybe even a little more, if only because Etoiles could often get to the caster before Phil could even make a move. Armor of antimagic combined with amulets of obscurity- they made one hell of a team, even in the midst of a nation whose strength relied entirely on its magic.
It helped too that Etoiles was so keen on clearing any newly discovered dungeons that cropped up- they often let him keep a few things that he then shared with Phil and suffice it to say that old magic that lacked the restrictions their government imposed were far better for the job. He'd known even before he'd first come to Oseron that Enchantment Magic specifically was good to have in the back pocket, for a diversion or just a straight up fucking lie but- well, he was fairly certain that his and Etoiles’ enchantment scrolls were the only technically-legal ones within the country borders.
A damn shame too, considering the situations that magic had gotten him and Etoiles out of, but the fucking Tories that made up the Federation did little else besides enforce the stupid rules they put in place.
Pomme leaned against his knee as she watched Baghera and Etoiles go back and forth- Phil had never really had an ear for language, and certain dialects this far north had proven to be even more difficult for Phil specifically. He could catch a few words, 'idiot, morning, fucking whore, goodbye' and it was more than enough to get the gist of it.
"Like, cats and dogs huh?" he joked, thumbing over the edge of Etoiles’ sword, grinning when he caught Etoiles' eye. Pomme nodded, though she looked riveted as her head bounced back and forth, like watching a game of jeu de paume. He could practically feel the way Etoiles was vibrating from across the room, his eyes continuing to flick over towards his sword- he'd been complaining about missing its weight on his hip, which Phil could definitely relate to, but it was just as fun to tease him while he was trapped in a conversation with Baghera. "Suppose it's important for them to get one more round in before we head out."
"You think this is going to be their last?" Pomme signed at him, her expression unimpressed, and Phil laughed.
"I mean, it definitely won't be but-" He shrugged, lowered the sword to rest on the table as he leaned his cheek on his fist, watching the two fondly. "I dunno. It's nice in its own way, I guess."
"Yeah." Pomme nodded, then turned to pat Phil's hand, her little cheeks smudged with blue and red paint as her wide blue eyes blinked up at him. He offered her a wry smile, already thinking about all the things she might ask for- Richarlyson was known for that kind of thing, trying to scam people out of things with his puppy-dog eyes, and also for getting almost everything he wanted, whether the look succeeded or not. Her scent was mild enough, still mostly Baghera's iron and her own favorite apple-scented oils. "I'm going to miss you both, oncle Phil."
"Oh," Phil said with a little laugh, suddenly feeling as though something had knocked the wind out of him. "Gods mate, what the hell are you telling me that for? Etoiles-"
It was enough to get both him and Baghera to turn, and though Pomme glanced back at him with a slightly scrunched expression, she was easily diverted by Etoiles crouching down to her level. She threw her arms around his neck, likely saying her goodbyes quiet enough only he could hear and Phil stood, stretching his wing out to lightly knock against Baghera's.
"You said breakfast, right?" he asked when she turned towards him, face alight with mischief as she batted him back with her own wing, which he laughed at and ducked under. She still smelled of iron and sugar, fanning Phil enough that he could feel his hair being blown away from his face. "Hey, hey! Where's everyone meeting at?"
"Oh, we are going to Roier and Cellbit's," she said easily. "I think Foolish and Vegetta are already there, and then Tina and Bagi. Mouse will be by a little later-"
"Phil," Etoiles interrupted, still carrying Pomme in one arm as he lightly touched Phil's shoulder with his free hand, his eyes huge and pleading, and Phil laughed for a whole new reason now. "Phil please. My light and my life, my reason for existing-"
"Shut up," Phil chortled, one hand already resting on Etoiles' hilt.
"-My left and right hand, my eyes, my heart." Etoiles continued, making grabby hands. "Please Phil."
Phil lifted the sword, moving it just a little closer to Etoiles, but pulling it away just as he reached for it and instead leaning a little more into Etoiles' space before he could start complaining again. Etoiles acquiesced easily, pressing in a little closer to swipe his tongue into Phil's mouth, sending heat creeping right down his spine, and then the sword was tugged out of his hand. Etoiles shot him a beaming grin that Phil could only roll his eyes at, dragging his thumbnail across one corner of his lips and then they both turned to Baghera, who was still staring at the two of them with a shit-eating grin.
"Breakfast?" Phil posited before she had the chance to say anything, and though she cackled a bit in amusement and Phil's mild embarrassment, she dropped the subject easily, moving towards the door to hold it open as everyone else filed out.
The morning was brisk, frost clinging to the scruples and shingles of their little home, stiffening the grass that crunched pleasantly underfoot as they trudged down the hill. Pomme was still happily bouncing from her place on Etoiles' shoulder, and Baghera was kicking up whatever rocks or leaves or sticks she found in her path as they went, and the cold did a lot to help Phil shake the final dregs of sleep that had been clinging to him.
Qorja was sprawled out in front of them, and he could already see his friends and neighbors milling about, chimneys going all across town, the lights drowned out by the shining dawn already brightening everything as far as the eye could see. It was a quaint place, definitely not in any way extravagant or impressive, but it was more than enough for everyone who lived there.
"Oye!" Pac called as they passed his and Fit's house, having caught sight of them while bringing in a bundle of firewood. He looked tired and drawn, but Phil figured it was likely just him and Fit trying to keep up with Ramon. He was a little shit already, not even a year old, and he was giving Richarlyson a run for his money in terms of causing his parents grief. "Bom dia! Are you going to Cellbit's?"
"Yeah, heard they got breakfast for us there, you didn't hear?" Phil called back as Baghera and Etoiles waved good morning.
"My bro! You look like shit man!" Etoiles called with a wide grin.
"Oh, thank you Etoiles," Pac returned with a little snide wrinkle to his nose. "But no, me and Fit just uh.... woke up late. We'll be there in a little bit!"
"Do you want me to go get Mike?" Baghera offered, cupping her hands around her mouth to project, and Phil could hear a wail coming from inside the house and Pac turned, anxiously running a hand through his hair. "Or- Phil I'm going to go help him. Etoiles! Make sure Pomme doesn't get snatched up by big birds!"
"Of course not! She is a strong warrior! She will destroy anything that looks at any of us wrong, right Pomme?" He cheered, bouncing her on his shoulder again and she nodded, pumping her little fists with an adorably determined expression on her face that Baghera cooed at. "She is a titan Baghera! A god among all us losers down here-"
"Oui, oui, we all get it Etoiles,." Baghera chortled, bouncing closer to Pac, who looked greatly relieved to be offered help as she opened the door for him. "But you and Fit seemed to be doing poorly no? You should ask for more help Pac-"
"He was just really fussy last night, you know? Normally Fit can just hold him until he falls asleep but-"
Their voices petered out as the door fell close behind them and Etoiles and Phil continued on, exchanging an amused look. He certainly didn't begrudge either Fit or Pac their experiences as first time parents- even Richarlyson could only provide so much insight, considering he'd been taken in when he was already old enough to walk and talk. He hadn't put much thought into kids himself- the constant travel made it difficult, and now his and Etoiles line of work as essentially mercenaries was even more ill-suited to the idea. Maybe when they were old enough to actually settle down a bit, but even then he couldn't see either him or Etoiles being able to give up fighting and traveling for long enough to raise a kid.
That and, with most of their other friends having settled down themselves, there were plenty of kids to go around if Phil was ever feeling particularly broody.
As if summoned by the thought, Richarlyson suddenly turned the corner, barreling into Phil's with enough force that it nearly sent both of them toppling over. Phil's wings spread instinctually as he staggered back, flapping a bit to help him keep balance as Richas paused only long enough to shake the shock off and glance up at Phil before he took off, the sound of yelling following closely behind him. This time Phil made sure to stand out of the way as Roier flung himself around the corner next, shouting something in Spanishspanish at the top of his lungs as he went.
Etoiles was already laughing, and the sight was more than enough to be the thing that broke the camel's back for Phil too, laughter spilling out of his mouth easily as Cellbit eventually came trotting slowly after the two of them, pausing when he saw Phil and Etoiles and Pomme.
"Oh, hi!" he greeted cheerily, "Good morning! Were you heading to our house?"
"That's where we were told breakfast was going to be." Phil said, still giggling a bit as he offered his forearm for Cellbit to bump in greeting. He slotted in right beside them, looking out towards Roier for a second before apparently shaking the thought of following them off with a smile. "Richas is already up and at 'em I guess?"
"I think he might be a plant like Etoiles is,." Cellbit offered. "He always seems to wake up with the sun."
"Well, you wouldn't be saying that if you'd seen Etoiles this morning. I practically had to drag him out of bed."
"Really?"
"We have a lot of riding today,." Etoiles offered flatly, making Phil laugh again. "But I suppose it will be better than sticking around for a bit here."
"Oh, so you did hear about the new petition that Chancellor Mapato has been trying to put into place, then?" Cellbit asked as they neared the town square, grimacing when both Phil and Etoiles nodded. It was hard not to be aware of the ideas that had been hocked ever since the chancellor's rise to power- a rise in taxes, new rules to restrict travel unless absolutely necessary, and then even more restrictions regarding secondary genders. He seemed to have slightly reductive views in general, which was concerning enough to hear about, but from the look on Cellbit's face Phil had a feeling they'd become more than just an idea. "It's... bad. You and Etoiles should look it over as soon as you can- they seemed to be trying to enforce everything as soon as possible."
"Bad how?" Etoiles asked, his brows scrunched at the worried tone in Cellbit's voice, and Phil could feel his own face twist with worry as Cellbit sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You make it seem as if they are intending to jail us if we do not follow their rules. Would be bad manners to do when they haven't been announced surely."
"Well- I don't really understand why but it has to do with assigning alphas and omegas together,." Cellbit said stiffly, and Phil instantly understood, his wings drawing tight around his shoulders in discomfort. Another war-recovery effort then, or at least a restriction framed as such, only time would really tell. It'd been almost a century since the war, one that Oseron had suffered the most from, and even before Phil had made a home there it was well known that the country as a whole prioritized making spellcasters over anything else. There'd been rumors about someone attempting lichdom, which ultimately served as the catalyst for the war in the stories Phil had heard most often. "Apparently if they're not in a relationship containing a gender other than their own the state will forcibly assign one."
Oh, so they were just royally fucked then.
"Gods fuckin above,." Phil muttered, wiping a hand over his face, already feeling his hair growing greyer just thinking about it. "It's like a fucking breeding program..."
"Hm. I don't suppose they will just ignore us if I proclaim my love for my bro Phil." Etoiles said, half as a joke and Phil batted at him with an outstretched wing, not even bothering to look over. "But this seems... like extreme measures. And the assigned couples are expected to raise the children they make then?"
"I think the people assigned get a little money to help or something, but-" Cellbit shrugged, eyes cast away and a little distant, and Phil could practically see the wheels in his mind turning. "Honestly I'm wondering why it was so extreme. It's only in Ubhara for now, but I'm betting that Mapato will try to push to make it a nation-wide thing as soon as the summit convenes in the fall, and then... well, we'll have to see who else agrees then, but you and Etoiles are going out of the state for a while, so maybe you won't have to worry about it until you return?"
"Maybe." Phil sighed, exchanging a look with Etoiles. It was kind of a shitty mood to be walking into a goodbye party, but he was glad to at least know now. It was something they were going to have to prepare for eventually. If they weren't able to duck it, then... well, Phil would think about it later. "Oh, fuck me, is that why Cucurucho was supposed to have someone from the capital come down to help him? He's already enough of a pain in the ass without outside help."
"I mean, maybe, but that guy was supposed to be here like weeks ago, right?"
"Well, it wouldn't be surprising if he decided to have a little fun times on the way here, you know?" Etoiles sighed. "The people up there don't seem to care much, but... it will be annoying, if there is another Cucurucho around when we get back."
"You can fucking say that again."
"Sorry, but-" Cellbit tried, as if he also just realized how dour the mood had gotten, but both Phil and Etoiles shook him off.
"No, bro, it is good to be informed, even if the rules being made are bullshit,." Etoiles said flatly, and Phil laughed at his bluntness, feeling levity slowly return to him. "Just gives us more reason to look forward to our little trip, huh Phil?"
"Wiser words.... but yeah, it's better we know now than get a rude shock whenever we get back mate. I think the only other people that would have to worry about would be... Foolish and Vegetta for now, huh? And then- fuck, we might have to worry about the kids when they get older-"
"I know,." Cellbit said grimly, rubbing at his arm as they neared the house, and already Phil could see people bustling inside, the door partially open to let some of the heat escape. "But- later yeah? You both should have a little fun before you both go."
"Thanks mate,." Phil said with a smile, clapping Cellbit on his shoulder as he made his way to the door first, holding it open for Etoiles and Cellbit and Pomme, the cheer of everyone else inside doing much to warm whatever chill had been clinging to Phil during the walk over. He smiled, stepping inside the door, and greeted his friends in return as he was ushered further inside. "Tina! You're looking better!"
"Oh, thanks Phil." She smiled a little awkwardly, still hanging off Niki as Bagi approached, brandishing two cups of water. Tina took one gratefully, her pointed tail curling over Bagi's wrist absently as she downed the whole cup in almost one go. She was just starting to show now, and her nausea had been keeping her house-bound for the last two weeks or so, so it was nice to see her for at least a little bit. "I swear, you had the right idea about not doing kids! But then I think about a mini Bagi running around and I just get so-"
She squealed a bit, tugging Bagi closer with her tail to plant a kiss on her cheek, and then her mouth. They were sweet to watch, especially now they'd gotten their shit together- but Tina had insisted she hadn't wanted to take Bagi away from her work with Ordo Theoritas, and Bagi had wanted to take her time with Tina, to do it 'right', as if there was even such a thing.
"Or a mini Tina." Bagi added with a goofy, love-struck grin. "But I think just one will be good, you know? Because Foolish already has Leo and Cellbit and Roier already have Richarlyson-"
"I guess it's true when people say you blink once and suddenly all your friends are mated with kids,." Phil joked.
"Oh, it's alright Phil, that just means there's plenty of babysitting duty to go around whenever you get back!" Tina said brightly, and Phil snorted at her. "But, oh, where was it you're going again? Somewhere near Yhelvine, right?"
"That's like the entire south side of the country." Phil laughed. "It's supposed to be somewhere in Yasnae, if that helps anything."
"Oh, wow, that's really far, no?" Bagi asked, her brows furrowing in concern, though they were all briefly distracted by Richarlyson barreling past them again, nearly knocking both Tina and Bagi in his rush past them- "Richas! Nada de correr dentro de casa! Ay, I swear..."
"A little speed demon!" Tina sighed, though she shot a knowing look at Phil. "You see what you're missing, Phil? Imagine how much worse Etoiles' kid would be!"
"Richas is more than enough energy for all of us, mate." Phil scoffed a bit, ruffling his feathers to sit more comfortably against his back, scanning over the rest of the room as they moved a little further into the living room area. It sounded like Foolish and Vegetta were in the kitchen- though whether they were actually doing anything productive was anyone's guess. Etoiles was still fussing with Pomme and Cellbit, bouncing a little on the balls of his feet before he reached out and caught Richas round the middle, tossing him lightly up into the air before letting him go again. "There he goes again- oh, right, Bagi, Maxo had mentioned something about the newer drafts over Enchantment magic possibly being a problem for us in the future, have you heard anything about-"
"Oh, yes! I meant to tell you, but- well, they are just being assholes about it, really,." she said with a slight roll of her eyes. "You know, extra punishments specifically if you use that kind of magic on 'important people'."
"So not around Cucurucho, got it,." Phil said, though it was more a joke than anything else- just about everyone avoided that fucker at all costs, though he seemed to delight in turning up when people least expected it. Honestly, Phil had been a little surprised he hadn't turned up yet, considering just how much he liked fucking with Phil and Cellbit. "But honestly, that shouldn't be too much of an issue. It's not like the people we'll be around will be jumping to go to the patrolmen of the area. Not unless they're looking to get themselves caught out."
"Yeah, it shouldn't be too bad. But then I guess we need to worry about those new dynamic laws Mapato is putting up,." Bagi said, and Tina frowned at the same time Phil did, the three of them exchanging a look. Oseron in general wasn't a great place when it came to its handling of dynamics in general, but in their little close-knit community the only real issues that came up tended to be whatever new laws or tariffs were being proposed in the moment.
There was a reason that most of Ordo Theoritas field work was done by alphas- Phil and Etoiles and Bagi were all able to make moves in spaces where other dynamics might be scrutinized, if not outright barred depending on the place. It didn't stop the others from doing work, but it made being on the field a little more complicated, even if it was someone like Cellbit, who could handle himself in most situations. Trying to actively dig into some of the more dubious areas in a country that didn't put a lot of value in about half of its citizens? There had already been far too many close calls for anyone's comfort, no matter how much Cellbit insisted it was worth it at the time.
He'd improved a lot since then, but then again a lot had changed since Phil had met him; a husband, a son, a community of friends close enough to almost be considered family themselves... even being surrounded by people who thought of him seemed to do him some good.
"I guess they're making new identification cards for omegas,." Tina sighed, leaning a little further into Niki, who wrapped an arm around Tina's waist easily, tilting her head to the side so Tina could briefly nuzzle against her neck. "Which is so dumb because Cucurcho doesn't even talk to me! That and I thought their new rules are only supposed to be for older people... like you, Phil."
"Oh, thanks for that mate,." Phil snorted, smiling back at Tina when the three of them giggled. "But it's not like having Cucurucho pay attention to you is a fucking good thing."
"Well, you'd know, wouldn't you?" Tina scoffed. "Al-pha."
"Point taken!" Phil said with a twist of his mouth. "It seems pretty fucked, honestly. I was wondering how much they were going to press for it before the pushback got too much."
"Honestly I don't know how much pushback they would get for something like this." Niki said with a sigh, looking a little sick. "Considering what they're making it look like, and how they're trying to make it seem like a noble thing for the country..."
"Well, it's all bullshit, and I'm sure we're not the only folk to have noticed." Phil offered, though he wasn't as convinced as he tried to make himself sound. "So long as we keep an eye on things they shouldn't get too out of hand. Or we'll have to take matters into our own hands."
"They're all the same,." Niki said with a slight shake of her head. "Give them an inch-"
"And they take a mile." Phil finished with a sigh, because they both knew just how true that was. "Right. Well, I suppose we'll just have to make do for now- it's not like me or Etoiles will have to worry about it until we get back anyways. You lot will just have to keep up in the loop if anything gets real fucked."
"What is this Phil? You are speaking of work even while we are supposed to be celebrating?" Etoiles interrupted from across the room, making them all laugh. "Ay merde, we are leaving for a long while and still you insist on making everyone sad!"
"Bruh, we weren't even talking about-" Phil laughed, though he had to cut himself off as he ducked Etoiles' efforts to box his ears, stretching his wings out to get a little more distance between them before he maneuvered to there was an entire table between them instead. "Stop! I get it, I get it!"
"I think we should maybe start eating,." Bagi giggled. "I think Etoiles is getting uh, hangry, I think."
"Well excuse me!" Foolish called from his place in the kitchen, peeking around the corner just enough that everyone could see how disheveled he was. Vegetta didn't look much better as he sheepishly trotted around the corner, brandishing a large bowl of scrambled eggs, his loose collar more than enough to show off the new marks he had decorating the column of his throat. "We can't all be speed demons in the kitchen! And honestly Etoiles should've thought more about sleeping in a little more before he started threatening to wrassle right in the dining room."
"Oh, true! It's my bad,." Etoiles said gruffly, rolling his eyes so hard that the rest of his body did a little roll with him, his arms crossing over his chest to add an extra bit of sass to the motion. "It is on me when I like waking up with the sun, like the same as yesterday, and the yesterday before that-"
"We're also not fucking blind-" Phil started, though his quickly shook his head as the other wandered over to sit. "Fuck me, nevermind. Last time I even bother saying goodbye to you chuckle fucks."
"Aw, but you'd miss us, Phil." Foolish cooed, reaching over to attempt to ruffle Phil's hair and receiving a face full of primaries in retaliation. "Okay, that's my bad. Maybe you wouldn't actually miss us."
"This is true. Felipe Minecraft hates talking to other people. Saying good bye is like torture."
"What the fuck, man?" Roier said as strode through the door, Richas tucked under one arm as Baghera trotted in along behind him, grinning ear to ear. He rubbed his chin light across the top of Cellbit's head as he passed, before also passing Richas to sit on Cellbit's lap, already bouncing with an excess of energy before he shoulder checked Etoiles. "You are trash talking your mate man? That's no good Etoiles, Felipe is going to kick your ass."
"My bro he already does this to me everyday!" Etoiles exclaimed, shoulder checking Roier right back, which quickly devolved into small shoving match, their boots shuffling across the wooden flooring as they fought for purchase. "My mate is so strong and cool, man, and I am a piece of shit! We wake up every morning and I have already lost the fight. That is how incredible Felipe is!"
"Shut the fuck up,." Phil chortled, shoving his wing in between the two of them. "And sit the fuck down- if you lot keep at this there's no way we're leaving today."
"Not without eating something at least!" Niki called with her own bout of laughter, nabbing two rolls from the plate in front of her and tossing them at Roier and Etoiles, who both caught them easily before they finally deigned to sit down. Baghera shoved herself up against Phil's side, and Etoiles was practically on his lap, already reaching across the table for the tortillas and chorizo, and Phil couldn't help the fond warmth that sat in his chest, food and laughter being passed around like it was second nature.
It was a good little goodbye, and he already couldn't wait to come back home.