Before sunrise had even touched the windows, tiny hurried footsteps echoed through the hallway.
Followed by whispering.
Very loud whispering.
"Mama."
A pause.
"Mama."
Another pause.
Then dramatically louder:
"MAMA."
Leah groaned softly into the pillow.
Beside her, Izana's eyes had already opened several minutes ago.
Of course they had.
Years of danger had trained him to wake instantly at the smallest sound.
But this—
this was different.
Tiny footsteps.
Tiny whispers.
Tiny chaos.
He stayed still anyway.
Because he already knew exactly what was happening.
Leah lifted her head slightly with sleepy confusion just as the bedroom door suddenly opened.
And there stood Zarek.
Messy pale hair.
Lion plush dragging beneath one arm.
And several folded papers clutched tightly against his chest.
"Birfday," he announced immediately.
Leah blinked slowly.
"…It's too early."
"DA-DA BIRFDAY."
Izana kept his eyes closed.
Barely.
Leah immediately noticed.
And barely stopped herself from laughing.
Zarek climbed onto the bed with maximum determination and absolutely no balance.
The papers nearly fell twice.
The lion plush hit Leah directly in the face once.
Then finally he crawled toward Izana.
"…Shhh," Leah whispered weakly.
Zarek nodded seriously.
Then immediately yelled:
"DA-DA."
Leah covered her face.
Izana still pretended to sleep.
Tiny suspicious eyes narrowed.
Then Zarek crawled directly onto Izana's chest and poked his cheek.
"…Wake up."
Nothing.
Another poke.
"…Da-da."
Izana finally opened one eye slowly.
"…What."
"BIRFDAY."
Izana looked at him silently for a moment.
Tiny excited face.
Messy hair.
Papers crushed against his chest from carrying them too aggressively.
And despite himself—
Izana's expression softened instantly.
"…I see."
"You old now."
Leah laughed into the pillow immediately.
Izana looked unimpressed.
"…Thank you."
"You welcome."
Zarek looked very proud of himself.
Then immediately shoved the folded papers directly into Izana's face.
"Present."
Izana carefully sat up slightly against the headboard while Zarek climbed into his lap automatically.
Leah shifted closer beside them watching quietly.
Izana unfolded the first paper carefully.
Black scribbles.
Several large red circles.
Tiny painted handprints.
And what was very obviously supposed to be Izana in the center.
Silence.
Zarek watched him expectantly.
"…Me," he explained.
"I gathered that."
"Good?"
Izana looked down at the drawing again.
The paint smudges.
Crooked little fingerprints.
The effort.
"…Very good."
Zarek lit up immediately.
"There more."
Apparently there were many more.
One was mostly blue paint.
Another somehow had a crayon broken directly through the middle of it.
One appeared to simply be handprints with no further explanation.
Izana looked at every single one carefully.
Like they were priceless.
Because to him—
they were.
Leah quietly watched the way his fingers rested against the tiny painted handprints.
Gentle.
Careful.
Like he was afraid to damage them.
Zarek bounced slightly in his lap.
"I make all."
"I know."
"Secret mission."
"…Worst secret mission I've ever seen."
Leah laughed softly.
Zarek gasped dramatically.
"GOOD secret."
"…Sure."
Then Zarek suddenly remembered something important.
"Cake."
Leah blinked.
"…What."
"Birfday cake."
"It's six in the morning."
"Cake now."
Izana almost smiled again.
Leah pointed accusingly at him.
"Don't encourage him."
"I didn't say anything."
"You look encouraging."
"That sounds like a personal issue."
Zarek tugged on Izana's sleeve.
"Cake now."
"…Your mother appears hostile to the idea."
Leah stared at both of them in betrayal.
"You're teaming up against me before sunrise."
"Yes," Izana answered calmly.
"YES," Zarek repeated proudly.
Leah sighed dramatically.
"I've lost control of this family."
A while later they finally went downstairs.
Warm morning light slowly filled the mansion now while the staff quietly prepared breakfast nearby.
Zarek refused to walk.
Obviously.
So Izana carried him downstairs instead while the toddler proudly held onto the drawings the entire way.
The second Elias saw them from the dining room, he smiled faintly.
"Well. Happy birthday."
Izana nodded once.
"…Thank you."
Zarek immediately lifted one drawing toward Elias proudly.
"I MADE."
"I can see that."
"Da-da old now."
Elias laughed quietly into his coffee.
Meanwhile Leah disappeared briefly into the living room before returning with another gift carefully wrapped.
Much neater than Zarek's.
She stopped beside Izana and handed it to him softly.
"This one's from me."
Izana looked at her for a moment before taking it carefully.
He unwrapped it slowly.
Then paused.
Inside the frame was a photograph.
Izana asleep on the sofa months ago.
Zarek asleep against his chest while tiny hands clung to Izana's shirt.
Both completely peaceful.
Leah's voice softened quietly.
"You never see moments like that yourself."
Silence.
Real silence this time.
Izana stared at the photo for several long seconds.
Something painful and warm tightened quietly in his chest.
Because he remembered that night vaguely.
But not this.
Not how safe they looked.
Not how human he looked.
Zarek peeked at the frame curiously.
"Da-da sleeping."
"…Apparently."
"You drool little."
Leah immediately choked laughing.
Izana looked deeply unimpressed.
"I did not."
"Little bit," Zarek insisted.
Elias looked suspiciously amused now too.
"…This family has become disrespectful."
"Yeah," Zarek agreed sadly.
Dante finally entered the dining room at that exact moment carrying paperwork.
Then stopped.
"…Why is everyone awake."
"Birfday," Zarek informed him immediately.
Dante stared at Izana.
Then sighed dramatically.
"…Right."
He placed one small black box onto the table.
"There. Before I regret participating."
Izana opened it calmly.
Inside rested a custom black knife.
Elegant.
Perfectly balanced.
Minimal silver detailing along the handle.
Izana tested the weight once before looking toward Dante.
"…You chose well."
Dante looked personally offended by the sincerity.
"…Don't get emotional on me."
"I wasn't."
"You're close."
Meanwhile Zarek leaned dangerously across the table trying to see everything.
Then suddenly remembered something horrifying.
"…WAIT."
Everyone looked at him.
"Cake."
Leah laughed softly.
"Yes. You can finally have cake."
Tiny victory gasp.
An hour later the mansion had descended into complete chaos.
Cake somehow ended up:
on Zarek's cheek
on Dante's sleeve
and suspiciously on one of Izana's gloves.
Zarek sat proudly beside Izana eating far too much sugar while explaining something incomprehensible about lions.
Izana listened anyway.
Actually listened.
And quietly throughout the entire day—
he kept looking back at the tiny painted handprint cards beside him.
Again.
And again.
And again.
That night, after the mansion finally quieted and Zarek had fallen asleep against Izana's chest on the sofa holding his lion plush—
Leah noticed Izana looking at the drawings again.
Softly she asked:
"You kept looking at those all day."
Izana's fingers rested lightly against one tiny painted handprint.
His expression softened quietly in the dim light.
"…He worked hard on them."
Leah smiled gently.
Then leaned against his shoulder while Zarek slept peacefully between them.
And for the first time in years—
Izana had a birthday that actually felt like one.