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Roland tries not to make a face at the line of conversation, his profile turning to the side to hide the fact that he almost missed his bite of cereal. Will immediately makes a sound of disbelief, as if he's already gotten used to such a thing in the short time that he's spent with his new sibling. It's already something to behold that Inigo himself is the guy to take him to his first ever summer camp, and not Roland's secret service. In fact, insisting on it.

'Um...Hot cuisine...? Well, I dunno 'bout that!' He goes, the camera angle shifting from a bottom view to a frontal, showing a face that looks precisely like Roland's - except for the droop in the corners of his eyes, and a softness in his eyebrows and cheeks that is absent in his father's. But the hair, the color of his irises, oh yes there would be no mistake of whose kid this was. Though it seemed that the Brand in Inigo's pupil aside, the three of them did in fact, look similar.

'You can tell me later when daddy isn't around what he tried to make! It'll be our secret!' He giggles mischievously, pretending Roland isn't around at all. To which the older man only ignores, waiting for his turn to speak up around this youngsters embarrassing him vicariously. It's not his fault they were talking about girlfriends, all right! Will is probably trying his best to vlog things, the face cam dizzying the more he walks around his designated cabin. Strangely enough, he looks to be alone.

'Wait, wait! I have to tell you! They're gonna teach us how to make stuff here, big bro! Real stuff! Food you can cook in the great outdoors! Food you cook in a fire! Like in my stories!' The younger has finally plants himself nicely by his bedside, and his uniform is in plain view. It's clear that he hasn't had much time to socialize with the level of enthusiasm he's cramming into one video call, regardless of the age gape between him and Inigo. It's at the moment of his next breath that Roland finally chuckles, his head shaking in amusement.

"Okay, settle down. Tell Inigo about that first." He shares a knowing glance at said pup, his cereal bowl half empty by the time he turns fully to show himself to the limited space of the selfie cam on his phone. Nevermind his One Fear of having to watch out for two of them keeping secrets like some club...or that it's cute to imagine such a bond forming already.

Inigo isn't eating from his own bowl anymore at all at this point. It's off to the side, forgotten for the moment - his full attention turned towards his little brother and everything he has to say. Inigo just watching with a smile on his face.

Though he can't help but note the way Will seems to be alone right now. Sure, maybe he wanted some privacy to be able to talk to his father and brother in peace, but.. call it being overly fussy about these things, but Inigo can't help but worry a little all the same. Especially with how talkative Will is being right now. He's not throwing it all out because he hasn't had a chance to chat with the other kids instead, right?

Not that Inigo isn't grateful to have this level of enthusiasm thrown at him. Like Will can barely contain himself with the amount of things he wants to tell him, despite having seen each other earlier today and having talked plenty.

"Wow, really?" He says, all attention and interest. Despite, you know, that kind of food being nothing new to Inigo. Living out in the wilderness is what he's done for years, after all. But Inigo wouldn't want to ruin the boy's excitement in telling them about it, nor has he bothered Will with the sadder parts of his fairytale world. It's nothing a kid his age should be thinking about.

"Then maybe next time our father causes a fire while trying to cook dinner, you can cook our real dinner over it."

It's a joke! A light tease! He defended Roland's honour a moment ago, so it just makes it even again when he says this, right.

Besides, Inigo is cutely letting his head drop sideways to rest right on Roland's shoulder anyway. Partially to be affectionate after saying that, but also since it makes them fit into the limited view on the camera so much more easily this way.

The fact that the kid was alone becomes more and more apparent when his hyperactive self starts moving again, almost giving a complete room tour by the time he plops down on the next surface with his hands cradling under his chin while speaking. There seemed to be no signs of anyone at all, with only one of each thing present - one bed, one nightstand, one cabinet, one chair and table...

Roland scoffs mockingly, playful, not giving the observation a second thought. It doesn't even occur to him at all. He reaches behind Inigo's head and messes up his hair while speaking directly into the call. "Hey! Give me a break, frozen pizzas are a lot harder than they look. If things had worked according to plan, Inigo would have begged me for the recipe. Heh."

Dad jokes are truly a marvel.

"And what are you two talking about, there wasn't a fire...There was smoke. That's different." Roland, please!! But thankfully for Inigo, his new family member doesn't quite buy into it, throwing a rather dry look that seems to be passed on from generation to generation.

'...that's not funny, daddy. Go order something for takeout! Don't starve my new big bro, okay? I have to teach him how to make stew when I come home!' Whatever expression he throws his own father at that point, William suddenly shifts and changes, looking incredibly happy again when eyes meet Inigo's. The first time he met his adopted brother, things were admittedly a little awkward. But the Brand in Inigo's eye made for the perfect story time, with William's curious heart naturally drawn to the tale of what it was that tattooed on his iris, and how he managed to get it. Though Inigo had his own method of telling such a story to the young boy, Roland is grateful that his son accepted it for what it was, and seems to search for it every time they lock gazes. Neither are aware just how much William is both fascinated and grateful for it; a reminder that his stories seemed valid, they could be real, and that out of them came the best gift of all. A new brother, a complete family at last.

Roland chuckles.

"Sorry to say peapod, but your big bro already knows how to make a fine stew. You two could have a stew-off in the backyard though. I'd be the judge."

It's a marvel, just seeing how much William looks like Roland at times. Not just in physical appearance, but also some of the little mannerisms. Sure, Will mostly acts really different, due to still being a young child and all.. but it's in moments like these that he swears he's seen that expression on the kid's face before, right on the face of the older guy sitting next to him right now.

Well, it makes sense, doesn't it? They're related. They share the same blood, Will grew up with Roland right there. (Until he was hardly ever there anymore.) It's not something Inigo is jealous of, wouldn't dare to, but it does explain the differences between the two brothers.

And he mostly just listens to the exchange the other two have, smiling at how cute it is. It's not the first time Inigo has seen Will be sassy in that kid kind of way with their father, but it's adorable. It's just good to see them so comfortable, so happy. There's no way he couldn't thank Naga ever single night for creating this for them. A restored world, a healthier body, a happier life.

Though there is one thing that bothers him.

"Oh--! Will, hang on for a second, there's someone at the door! We'll be right back!"

Look, usually he would have discussed this with Roland first, but there's no way to be subtle about it in the middle of a video call! So Inigo's fingers rapidly move to momentarily switch off the camera and microphone on the phone, with an ease that's been thankfully helped along through frequent use of the SCA back during their train adventure.

Then he turns to Roland, without missing a beat. In fact, before the other can even ask what's up, Inigo is already starting first: "Why is he all by himself?" He may be fussing a bit too much now, but how can he help it! That's his little brother, and if there's anything Inigo aspires to me, it's a good big brother who looks out for his little sibling.

"Huh? No one's at...the door--"

Inigo moves too fast for Roland to catch, the call already on mute and the video paused. Only William's name is seen now, flashed on the screen above his picture, cropped in the middle. The kid on the other end only nods before he's put on hold, and he seems still in chipper spirits. Roland however, is confused. Up until that question, where things suddenly change and he realizes the ruse Inigo pulls to get them to talking in private.

"..."

He doesn't answer right away. There's something about the way Inigo looks at him for the truth that makes it even harder to tell him why so. He rubs the back of his neck, a guilt that creeps up slowly but is present all the same.

"Because he's in a private cabin, pup." Roland steels himself, says it as steadily as he can. His arms cross back against his chest as he turns back to the screen of the phone in video call limbo. There's a silent hope that Inigo might understand his reasons, even if it inevitably isolated his son from making new friends his age. "He...He's still the president's kid. And I'd do the same for you, book you a private area so I could get security detail around your perimeter at all times. You can't be too careful, even if things are the way that they are."

Inigo isn't sure how to place Roland's apparent shame when he first sees it. Is the other just embarrassed he didn't catch onto Inigo's obviously very clever scheme to be able to talk without Will overhearing? That's what he at first assumes, but then Roland starts talking.

And then it becomes apparent very clearly that it's not why the other looks so awkward. No, that way he looks has so much more to do with the words he's speaking now, huh. With the reason he's giving for all of this.

"But--"

Inigo starts, instinctively, before letting his protest momentarily trail off. It doesn't feel right. He knows why Roland is doing that, which is why the protest stops right there. He knows that Will is just a kid, and one who only just recovered from being sickly. That he couldn't protect himself if something were to happen, the way Inigo could.

But still..

It's not right.

That feeling is what spurs Inigo on to keep talking, even though the look in his eyes is sympathetic, like he can understand it's not an easy decision for Roland either.

"But this way he can't make friends at summer camp. This way he still can't have the regular fun experience everyone has, even though he's able to be out of the hospital now." Like there's still something separating Inigo's new brother from the rest of the world - even if it's no longer the walls of a hospital room. Like nothing has changed.

Maybe he's too worried. Inigo knows that. Will seemed pretty chipper, but how can he not worry all the same? Who wouldn't want the best for that boy, even though Inigo has more heard of everything he's gone through rather than seen it all with his own eyes?

But this way, he can't make friends at summer camp.

No, that's precisely why Roland couldn't face Inigo now, and it feels like the room has gotten a bit darker as the sun completely falls down on them and everything is bathed in night. He needs to turn more lamps on, or the overhead fixture. Roland looks to the side, as if to pretend that he isn't aware of just how right Inigo is - how he's thought of that already, how Will knew too but was so used to Roland's way of being that he fought it and then still allowed it regardless.

He doesn't know when, but it seems Inigo has gotten a much better grasp of Will than Roland. His thinking hasn't changed even though peace has been achieved, no matter by what means they were able to return together. It's hard to change such habits, even more so when your son who's always needed you has miraculously changed with the times. Shouldn't he be allowing him the freedom that only books and stories once filled on reality's behalf?

Roland is frightened regardless, though he's not one to say it out loud. Especially not now.

"...He just sleeps in a different place, that's all. He's doing the same activities as the other kids in the program." A lame attempt if there ever was one, but it's also his final effort to defend his actions. Though if he knows Inigo any, and he's certain at this point in time he does, he isn't taking this against Roland. In fact, it's already enough to burn how kindly he looks at him, as if trying to reason with compassion. But he knows this too is not a reason good enough to isolate a kid with years being alone in a ward already.

But it's still different.

Inigo knows it. And he knows Roland knows it too, no matter what the other guy may be saying right now. It's still not the same. He's still not having the regular camp experience as all the other kids are. And it'd be one thing if this was the first time, but Will has been isolated from the rest of the world for so long already. He shouldn't have to endure more of it, even if Inigo knows where Roland's intentions come from.

He frowns, but it's not angry. He's instead just thinking, like Inigo is trying to find some solution. If not for this time, then at least for the next. So Will, his precious new brother, would never have to feel like he's different again.

"Why didn't you tell me..?" Maybe exactly because Roland knew that Inigo would see a problem with all of this, huh. "I-- I could have volunteered to be the camp assistant for his cabin. I could've kept him safe."

Sure, it wouldn't have been so easy. Because Inigo saw the camp assistants with their groups when he dropped Will off - all of them regular guys, modern, not like Inigo who's still fumbling with the very concept of a phone half of the time. He'd stick out like a sore thumb, having to try so hard to blend in.

But he'd do it for his brother. In a heartbeat.

"Don't you trust me, father?"

"No, pup! I do! I do trust you!"

He's always been weak to his son, but now that he's got two, this inclination to make them understand where he's coming from only grows infinitely stronger. "I..I didn't want you to work when you were having so much fun outside, discovering new things. Buying phones and getting around town by yourself."

That much he knows he's honest about. But he didn't think it was such an available option to him either, since he's wary of putting too much on Inigo's plate. Roland wants him to enjoy things, have fun with a new life. It was enough that he accompanied Will to the campsite on Roland's behalf, but to add more to his responsibilities before he's even gotten the chance to make friends made Roland uncomfortable. He was here in this modern world to be a new person, have the future he deserves where he can be the teen he's meant to be!

Though he does remember that Inigo by nature, is someone who loves to be there for others regardless of the circumstance. The peace they've won thanks to a magical wish from a dragon won't change that about him. He realizes it belatedly, causing his head to droop further and his sighs to heave through shoulders like he's really done both of these boys wrong.

What else can he say to such rationale? What can he counter when the argument is bulletproof?

"...You're right. I'm doing it to him again. I'm keeping him away." How do you even apologize for this with words? Roland shakes himself out of it, sits to his full height and gestures with an open palm towards Inigo. If he doesn't look like he's done a great crime yet, then he's not frowning hard enough.

"Go back to Will. I'll handle this. I'll make some calls. Can I borrow your new phone?"

Let dads make amends, as silly as they might seem at times. Plus, he's memorized the numbers he has to call anyway, so it doesn't need to be his line at all.

The guilt is drifting off Roland in waves. Inigo can feel it, like it really is being transmitted across the entire room. And even though he's definitely glad that the other is doing something about it, it's not like Inigo wanted him to feel guilty over it.

It's not as if the older guy was doing something wrong. Not from Inigo's point of view, anyway. He just wanted to protect his son. Nothing wrong with that. Besides, it must be hard - Roland having to adjust to not only have one son much more actively in his life, but now having another one from another world to deal with as well.

So he reaches out, Inigo's hand landing on Roland's shoulder.

"Father. It's alright. You were trying to keep him safe because you love him. I get that. I think Will does too." Sure, his little brother may be the one more likely to protest these things, but Inigo thinks he's plenty smart for his age. He may have missed a lot of school, but he has good common sense.

Inigo takes out the new phone, putting it in the palm of Roland's hand with a smile.

"Don't blame yourself, alright? We're fixing it now! I'll talk to Will, so don't worry about that."

When the item is deposited in his hand, Roland is already stood from the chair and a kiss is planted directly on Inigo's forehead before he utters a quick, "Okay, be right back. Thanks." And off he goes into the other corner of the room, hidden behind a wall that connects one area to the next. A faint voice can be heard after a while, Roland's own as he goes about the mandatory greetings that eventually lead up to a change of plans, as promised.

Meanwhile, Will is patiently waiting on the other end of the line. As Inigo removes the mute from both audio and video, the kid can be seen only partially. The top of his head with hair sticking out as if he had just tumbled in bed, and he seems to be reciting words from a storybook, unaware that he's no longer on hold.

'- but the queen was corrupted by the twelve who used her magic to...oh!' He perks up right away, adjusting the camera so he's on full ~~FaceTime~~ view with Inigo. It seems Roland and Inigo's huddle lasted long enough that he was able to change into pajamas, striped and oversized for a small frame.

'What happened, big bro? Are you guys okay?'

"Totally fine!"

It's a good thing that Inigo shifts easily in these situations. Sure, it helps that his conversation with Roland ended well, but there's still some worry about his father that he has to surpress now in order to be able to flash Will a big smile. He manages - it somehow feels easier to do it for Will's sake, maybe since his instinct to protect his little brother is so strong.

"Sorry that we took a while. Father apparently has some stuff he needs to discuss-- you know, the usual." Inigo makes a hand gesture, though it's all said with a joking edge, like an in-joke only the two of them are in on. It's true though - Will knows just as well as him about Roland's habits, if not better. And they're a good excuse as to why the guy is out of the picture - quite literally! - for the moment.

"He'll be right back though! And hey, in the meantime-- what story were you reading, huh? You seemed to be getting really into it!"

'Oh...who was at the door, then? Did you end up ordering takeout after all?' The little boy frowns, puffing up one cheek in mild annoyance. 'I told daddy to read more books about cooking! Like me! I read lots of them! I know how to make eggs in three different ways, big bro!' Scrambled, sunny-side, and boiled. Take that, Roland.

(Said guy is still on the phone, his voice progressively getting quieter and quieter, as if...whispering. Pleading.)

In the meantime, Will latches on to the thing that piques his passion the most, and that's when his new brother talks about his favorite storybook of all time. The smile on his face looks to mimic the brightness of Inigo's own, regardless if the older teen is trying his best to distract Will from the real issue: being isolated when the whole point of immersing him in summer camp was to help him get reacquainted with kids his own age.

'It's my faaaavorite book of all time! I want to read it with you when I come back! Okay?' Will sits cross-legged now, the phone held in both hands close to his face. It seems he doesn't even need to read from the book to tell Inigo all about it; so often has he repeated the story that it's practically his creed.

'The whole story is about this little girl and she's a princess, right? But then, her dad the king, he dies and so she has to be the next queen! She's even younger than me though, so she doesn't know what to do! And and and, and then these bad guys called the Zodiarchs come and try to raise her to be a Queen, but they keep blaming all the bad stuff they do on her, so people start disliking her! It's really terrible!'

The animated way he performs the words with his hands and the rising and falling of eyebrows, smiles, and frowns, is the complete opposite of Roland's own still and deliberate movements. Will really is just a kid.

'Y'know why she's super special though, big bro? It's because she's a really strong magician! She even had a magic teacher!' Will adds this last bit as if sharing a secret, even though the story isn't quite so, and it can only really end one particular way. The wonder in which he engages someone like Inigo is unmistakable, however: 'Big bro, do you wish you had magic powers too? I wish I could use magic like Queen Cassiopeia!'

There are a lot of things Inigo could do right now, but he's abandoning them all in favour of focusing on the current topic Will is going on about - figuring that it's probably what'd distract the boy the most at the moment, that'll keep him the happiest. He'll just defend Roland's cooking skills (or, well, the ones he's.. working on..) and his dedication to doing everything right for his son(s) in his heart instead, rather than distracting Will with it, making him think of less pleasant things.

It softens Inigo's smile a little as all those other feelings flood his heart though.

"Well, I'm not so sure about me.." Although he has to admit his perspective on magic is much different than Will's. Inigo comes from a world where it's normal, after all, though he can see why it'd be so special to a kid like Will now Inigo is trying to adjust to a world where it's nowhere to be seen. "But you do though, huh?"

Somewhere in the distance Inigo can faintly hear Roland speaking. Soft enough that he knows Will can't hear, but that means it's also soft enough that Inigo can't make out the words the other is saying, only the tone he's using. Something about the pleading makes his chest ache, and Inigo has to seriously surpress the urge to look over to the side to offer Roland any reassuring looks - Will would notice, after all. He'll just have to make sure to show Roland his appreciation later. Once they're both done doing what they can for the beloved other member of their family.

"Tell your big brother. What would you want to use magic for if you had it?"

Perhaps it's a good thing that Will was neither questioning where Roland was, nor shy about how he feels given that Inigo is so openly kind to him. That no matter how difficult it might have seemed at first for two kids to bridge the gap between age and world, they're here now, a budding relationship neither expected would blossom as it has. The grin on the younger's face is unmistakably happy, even if behind his innocent eyes lies a more experienced boy...one who has seen the worst of life's circumstances.

So when he says what he does to Inigo, it's not for any sort of blind faith that he makes the declaration. He says it because in spite of it all, his sickness and living majority of his life in a similar despair that Inigo might recognize.

'I'd use it to help as many people as I could! I'd work real hard on it like in the storybooks! I'd help you, and daddy, and the people daddy works hard for too!'

Just as these words come out of the phone's speaker, Roland wraps up his own conversation, a look of relief at the close of the call he takes in private. Bits and pieces of the conversation coming into Inigo's hearing - thank you's and I apologize-for-the-inconveniences. Will though, is none the wiser of what's really going on behind the scenes.

His smile turns a shade fonder, and the stare in his eyes shine with a glimpse of wonder. As if the more he speaks to Inigo, the more he can't believe at how things have changed, and how he's gained someone new in a family long fractured.

'I'm really happy you're here with us, big bro Inigo. You're the best.'

The timing is just right, with a hand that suddenly rests against Inigo's shoulder, warm and gentle. Whether or not Roland catches that from the call is a mystery, or that it doesn't quite matter anyway, bending by the waist to show his face right back.

"Hey, sorry. I'm back from, ah. A little errand I ran." Roland turns to the side, catching Inigo's eye. "I have a surprise for you. Might be better if Inigo tells you. It was his idea, after all."

He whispers something into Inigo's ear, smiling. That everything has been settled, and strings were once again pulled. The Secret Service would stay to protect Will, but would be out of sight completely. And most importantly, Will has been transferred out of the private cabin, and back into the group he was assigned to, complete with bunker beds and campfires in each hut.

With kids his own age, to know and play with.

Roland really came back just in time. Because even with as fond of Will as Inigo has quickly grown to be, there's no way he knows how to deal with those compliments. It's hard for him to take them coming from anyone, after all, let alone from Will. When they're delivered with this level of enthusiasm and honesty. How can he accept that he's the best when Inigo knows he's far from it?

But that's why Roland is his guardian angel today. Either knowingly or unknowingly protecting Inigo from having to reply to that, instead offering up another angle to the conversation. And a rather relieving one at that. It eases the smile on Inigo's face some.

"Hmmm," he hums, like he's about to share some secret with Will. Meanwhile he's using his hand to properly tug Roland over, urging him to sit back down again. Mostly because of what he's about to say.

"I think your father is not giving himself enough credit here, Will." Because even if Inigo suggested it, Roland still went along with it in the end. Still metaphorically went on his knees to ensure it was possible in the first place. Inigo couldn't have done any of that himself and he knows it.

So of course he's going to drag Roland into this too. Will deserves to know what his father does for him, when it comes down to it. How much his father cares for him.

"We made sure you don't have to stay there by yourself anymore. They're going to place you in another cabin, with some of the other kids." He smiles, looking at the screen. "Does that sound fun? You guys could tell stories together, rather than having to read them on your own!"

He takes the cue and sits close enough to be seen without obstruction, listening with a smile that grows ever so wider the more Inigo speaks. He shakes his head as if in mock exasperation; cut from the same cloth these two were, such that any gesture given to one seemed to always be thrown back in reverence to the other. Will would need to be more patient with them both, it seems.

Thankfully, Will pipes up just in time so Roland doesn't have to say a word. And does the boy look happy - much happier than the start of his call to check up on his new family, eyes grown so wide that the rest of his expression follows suit. Then, suddenly, with an explosive energy only a child could provide, he jumps up the bed and the phone falls somewhere by the wayside. The view becomes that of his two feet bouncing against a flimsy mattress, causing Roland to shift from amused to totally concerned.

'Yippee! I'm gonna be a part of a study group! I'm gonna go with the other kids! Big bro, daddy, thank you thank you thank you - !'

Roland isn't helping by talking over him, the smooth connection between two phones totally interrupted by One Dad trying not to helicopter parent. He may or may not be standing again, as if that solves or does anything to address the situation on the other side of town.

"William Crane, please do not jump on your bed! You might fall and hurt yourself - !"

It falls on deaf ears, as Roland turns to Inigo then back to the phone, wondering what best to do as Will continues his parade. At some point, he leaves the frame of the video call and audibly runs around the room, shouting from the top of his lungs, feet heavy against creaky wooden floors.

'We're gonna make stew, we're gonna make smores, we're gonna make - '

The video call drops, whether by accident or by design. And then there was silence as Roland blinks, slowly sinking back down on his seat. Turning to Inigo with a neutral look on his face, though his eyes tell the story of someone in shock of the events that just took place.

"I..." Roland starts off, rubbing the back of his neck. "Um. Should...we call back?"

Inigo is trying really hard to not look too amused at this, since Roland's concern about the kid is pretty obvious. But to Inigo that energy is just cute. It's so unbridled, so innocent. Inigo wonders if he was like that too, before everything happened. (A thought that makes him feel so much older than he really is.)

Still, he can't fully surpress the smile on his face when Roland pipes up again after the connection is broken.

"No, just leave him to celebrate for a little bit. I'm sure he'll call back himself if he finds some time to talk."

As if only now realising his bowl of cereal is a thing that still exists, Inigo drags it closer towards himself, shoving a spoonful of it in his mouth. Thankfully it can't go cold, since it was cold to start with..

"Look how happy you made him though."

"I think it's fair to say we made him happy."

Though if one were to ask, Roland would have given all the credit to Inigo. He says as much when he takes up his own bowl, sipping milk from the rim. He has his moments too, especially when he's comfortable. One of these days though, he'll need to treat Inigo to a better meal than this...Maybe take up Will on his offer to make stew from what he's learned.

"I don't think I could have done that if you hadn't...Well, showed me what I did wrong." He immediately wipes off the milk mustache that forms on his top lip against the back of his hand. There's a sheepish energy that thrums about Roland now, but he hides it well behind a chuckle and a rub to the back of his neck. The bowl is emptied out and set aside, both hands now free to lean on his knees as if in thought. For a time, the moment passes with only the clinking of Inigo's spoon against the bowl to fill in the silence.

When he finally does speak again, the smile on his face lightens somewhat, and he peers up at Inigo, gaze seeking.

"I'm still kind of new at this, to be honest." Roland says, free to speak in the presence of someone who has seen most of his inner world. There's no hiding no. "You're helping me more than you realize."

Whether he means Inigo's latent talent for kid-whispering or the fact that his presence alone soothes the troubles that ail him as a father trying to make amends after years of absence, is up to question for anyone. Perhaps with the way he sounds though, Roland could be referring to both. It just drives home the desire to ensure Inigo doesn't regret a single day of choosing here to settle his roots; that this is the world he stops and rests for good.

Under any other circumstances, they'd be weird words to hear from someone Roland's age. From someone who has a son Will's age. Being new to this. Even though the bond of father and son between Roland and Will has existed for so long already.

But Inigo knows. He gets it. Even if his own father hadn't been away often too, Inigo would have realised there are circumstances that can keep fathers and sons apart, prevent them from fully forming such a bond in the first place. He knows why Roland says he's new to this. Because he is.

"I'm only glad if I can help," Inigo simply replies. He meets Roland's gaze when the other talks, though it drops to stare at the last remainders of his cereal, a small smile on his face. "Both of you deserve it. Will has been through so much, but.. you have too."

Between working his butt off and coming face to face with his city, his people, his son being wiped out right in front of him. Roland hasn't had it easy either.

"So I just want to bring you two together."

Inigo believes it'll fall in place naturally, the bond between Roland and Will. He's already seen it shift so much ever since they returned to Roland's world, after all. Even if Inigo wasn't here, they'd get there somehow - he sure likes to think so, anyway.

All he's doing is maybe making things happen a bit more quickly.

He looks back up. "I think it helps that it's easier for me to understand both of you."

Will since Inigo is closer in age to him, and since he too has been an abandoned son. And as for Roland-- well, what hasn't Inigo seen from the other during that long, long time they spent travelling on that train? If he didn't understand Roland by now, he'd surely never get there.

He doesn't want to get into the finer aspects of just how much he wants to refute Inigo at first. But part of knowing Roland is precisely that; playing down his own sorrows in order to prioritize the greater good. His story is not even a new one, and it wasn't unique in the sense that worlds away, many people have gone through the same thing, if not worse. The loss of nation, of country, and of homes; it's as universal as saving them. Even healed as he is, with a fresh start here with both his boys, it's not enough to reverse the harm done to his own soul. He'll never quite forgive himself, or remove that burden from his heart.

For now...For now he returns here, with Inigo, his hands reaching out to hold his own, cradled gently as if trying to communicate something words can't express. He pauses, lengthy and heavy with a sigh coloring his words.

He will have Inigo on his corner to help bridge what he could not repair on his own with his son. But...

The grip wrapped around Inigo's hand grows tighter. It helps indeed, that they've been together for a long time.

"And what about me and you?" Roland says quietly, under his breath. "Am I...Am I doing okay?"

For the role he's assumed. Between the two of them, Roland had no one else to rely on after all. Eventually, he'd need to stop relying on Inigo to bridge his gap with Will too. He's admitting all of this freely now, a changed man after all has been said and done. The look he mounts on his expression ages him down, as if he's still the same boyish twenty-year-old with insecurities he does his best to ignore.

There's something about this moment. Maybe it's in the way Roland clasps his hands between his own. Maybe it's his quiet tone. Maybe it's that look in his eyes - insecure and worried in a way that Inigo has seen before on Roland's face, but that hits him right in the heart each time.

Whatever specifically it is, it makes Inigo grow quiet for a moment as he just looks at the other, his eyes growing watery.

"Oh, father.. You've always been doing perfect."

Sure, it's not as if they have never had awkward moments before in the long time by now that they've known each other. But when faced with that question, this answer is the only thing Inigo can think of. Even down to the very first moment he met Roland - when none of this still existed between the two of them, the other already made him feel comforted. Reassured. Inigo remembers it so well, that it's almost as if he can see Roland's now true, more aged appearance melt right back down to that younger form Inigo first met him in, right in front of his eyes.

"You're the whole reason I'm still here." After all, what would Inigo have done without Roland? Without the other welcoming him into his home, into his world, as if it's all Inigo's own. As if he's always naturally belonged right here. Would he have been strong enough to make it without that reassurance that there would always be a home waiting for him, right there with Roland?

"I think you've got it the other way around, pup." There's a comfort he falls back on holding Inigo's hands in his, fingers nearly interlocked where they rest from beneath the other's palm. The entire affair that just played out between the two of them; Roland coming home early to spend time with him, the discoveries of new things together, disasters in the kitchen and seeing two of his sons in the same room somehow. Then having the privilege of seeing them again in person, living together with him under one roof.

"You saved me. You saved us. All of us. We're home, thanks to you and your promise to help me."

Oh, how long he's despaired over his fate. How long he's convinced himself that he'd have to work eternities longer to even earn a sliver of a chance to bring back what was once lost forever. And he was fully prepared in every single way to stay behind if it meant that there would come a time where Roland can finally make things right. He's got a long, long way to go to make it up to the people he's let down but...the little things remind him never to take this second chance for granted. That the person sitting in front of him now not only honors him by calling him father, but has redeemed him in a way he thought impossible.

Here they are now, waking up to better and brighter days as if their pasts were all but a dream. He doesn't know how else to express himself when this comes crashing down on him.

The emotion from Inigo carries over so well to Roland, waves upon waves of sentiment outpouring from their shared experiences, that he's compelled to lift his gaze fully to meet such unadulterated love. Then, as if in reverence, he bows, cranes his neck downwards until the panes of his forehead rest softly against the back of Inigo's hands.

Just as Inigo expresses himself the best with physical affection, so to does Roland seem to speak better when his actions do all the talking.

For everything Inigo has granted him, and for the moments that are yet to come, what else is a man like Roland to do but to say thank you?

It really doesn't feel fair to give this as much weight as Roland having accepted him into his fold. After all, it's not like Inigo feels like he's really done anything here. It was just pure luck that he happened to be a guy born into a family line that's connected to an ancient dragon - and one that was willing to grant him a favour after peace was restored to Ylisse. Not that it wasn't a good thing, and it's not like Inigo is infinitely grateful that Roland's world was able to return to its original state, but it doesn't feel like that's really something he should be thanked for.

Not to this extent, at least.

But who would he be to say that right now? When Roland is so genuinely grateful, so emotional. Inigo can't just shut all of that down in an instant. So he sniffs, the water still present in his eyes even though no tears are falling, and just stays quiet for a moment as the older man presses his forehead against his hands like that.

"Well.." He finally starts after a few moments, softly. "Let's just be happy that it all ended this way."

That they were somehow able to do it. Somehow able to create this life that feels ideal to Inigo. A cute little brother, a loving father, a world not torn apart by war and destruction. A place to stay - permanently.

"You know, sometimes it seems so good that it almost feels like a dream." Like it's a little too ideal. Especially since Inigo never ever expected things to end up in any good way for him. "But if that's the case, I really don't want to wake up."

Waking up? A dream? No, no Roland refuses that kind of talk, even in its symbolism. They've both worked too hard for it, wished and wanted beyond what their hearts could take. Now, the fight has been won and they could live together in peace. He lifts his head up from where it rests against Inigo's hands, a slight shake to dispel the idea. His words come hushed and hurried, but full of sentiment.

"It's not the end, though. Is it, Inigo?" He manages to smile up at him, eventually sitting back to form, shoulders straightened and chest out. The hands on him; no, he won't let go yet. "This is all just the beginning. Right? For you, for me, for Will." Eyes drift close, briefly, before deep browns catch the Brand that still marks Inigo's one pupil. "You're home at last. Let's make the most of it..." Then, Roland laughs, hearty like he won't usually do on regular days when at work or even in play. Opting silence or soft chuckles under his breath, today he's happy enough to chortle, glancing at their forgotten bowls.

"Even if we're starting out with cold cereal for dinner. Again. Anyway. There's always tomorrow."

And then next. And the next. And the next.

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wow that had so many typos, i'm so sorry ;_;

sshhh i never see any typos, everything is just the way you intended it to be

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