Gavan Rainwater ran a hand wearily down his face as he walked through the welcoming doors of Iron Mountain Academy. The school had finally been finished the month before, complete with furniture and roof (which all agreed was a tad important) and Gavan had never been so glad to see it.
"You look like someone ran you over," a familiar voice said behind him with a hint of humor.
"Which is slightly better than I feel," he replied, turning to face Eleanora with a tired smile.
Her long dark hair fell behind her shoulders and her dark skirts swished along the floor. He knew the skirts hid the fact that she was floating above the ground to make herself look taller but he didn't mind, no matter how much he griped that it was a waste of energy. At least he didn't have to lean down so much when he kissed her…
Which he promptly did, upon arrival by her side.
"Problems in town?" she asked innocently enough, hiding a smile when he glared at her.
"Yes, in fact. Oh, just some lovely members of the Dark Hand of Brennard decided to attack the town, but don't worry, I handled it." He let just enough smugness into his voice to earn him a smack on the arm.
"Well next time call for help." She told him sternly, amusement lacing her voice. "You had some very worried cubs up late into the night."
Gavan grinned, as he always did, at the word "cubs". It was coined quite a few months ago by Tomaz, who commented that they, the Elder Magickers, were raising the seven young Magickers in their care more like a wolf cubs then human ones. But the children didn't mind, occasionally grinning at the affection the adults put into the word.
"Oh really?" he asked with a smile.
"Yes, really," she said with a straight face, "couldn't even get them to go to sleep in their rooms." She pushed open a door to the room nicknamed the Den for it's den-like qualities and its comfortable warmth and reassurance.
Sofas, armchairs, and cushions were sprawled across the room. And so were cubs. All of them fast asleep.
Rich, with his flaming red hair, was easily spotted curled up in one of armchairs. Lying in a nest of cushions close by was his bearish best friend Stef. Henry was lying spread-eagle, his arms and legs splayed at erratic angles which wouldn't have been nearly so funny had he not been lying on a sofa. These were all usual occurrences, but what made Gavan grin most was the last four.
Trent and Ting might have been just been sitting on the same couch. Trent, it seemed, had fallen over in his sleep. He was now lying on his side on the sofa, curled in a ball, with his head resting on Ting's lap. Ting, whose body had shifted due to Trent's extra weight, was now leaning towards and slumped over him. And then, resting with their backs against the sofa on the floor lay Bailey and Jason.
Jason's head had fallen sideways and was lying comfortably on Bailey's shoulder. Every now and again Jason would sniffle slightly due to a few strands of Bailey's golden-brown hair that had fallen out of her ponytail brushing across his nose. Bailey was curled up against him, her head immersed in his messy sandy blonde hair. The young wolfjackal pup named Nitesh was curled around the curve of one of Bailey's legs. Her other leg was lying over Jason's.
Gavan chuckled and then drew in a sharp breath as the sound came out louder than he wanted. He jumped a little as Bailey muttered something in her sleep. He held his breath as Bailey shifted and snuggled closer to Jason, wrapping an arm around his stomach. He let it out quietly as closed the door on the young teens, letting the four on the sofa have some privacy.
Eleanora was grinning when he shut the door quietly and he could practically see a Cheshire cat grin spreading across her face. He imagined yellow feathers sticking out of her mouth as she held out a hand and he passed over some money. She had won that bet, sure.
But there were more.
For now, he was safe. His love was safe. His school and his cubs were safe. And hopefully they would stay that way for quite some time, without the Dark Hand of Brennard.
Hopefully.
Not likely…
A/n: What do you think? Just one chapter? Or should I extend it? Remember that little blue-ish purple-ish button is your friend.
I disclaim all the characters, settings, and events you recognize from the Magicker's series, authored by Emily Drake. There are also a few things in here that have been influenced heavily by other stories. Mainly the "cubs" and the "den" ideas, both from Whydoyouneedtoknow and her wonderful "Living With Danger" stories. Also the sleeping positions of Trent/Ting and Jason/Bailey are from "Their Way" (IronChefOR) and "She Will Not Squee" (tastypork) respectfully, both of
