"I'm very happy about this. Kaladin's in a better mood, and it's a lot easier to tease him!"

—Syl

"Kaladin, are you sure you washed these stagm properly?"

"Yes, I'm sure." It was strange how, after years away from Hesina, after all that had happened to him in that time, she could so easily go back to treating Kaladin like the dour teenager he'd been when he'd left.

"Really?" He knew that tone of voice all too well, and one look over at the vegetable in her hand made the point clear: the tuber was as dry as Shallan's humor. "One would think a Radiant would be a little more thorough."

Without a word, Kaladin snatched the tuber out of his mother's hand, taking it to wash it off properly. He sighed, realizing he was acting just a bit childish. He was supposed to be helping his mother prepare lunch, but...well...

He'd had an...interesting morning before coming to visit his parents, the events lingering in his mind. The things Adolin could do to Kaladin made him blush just thinking about them, but they also made him smile.

A pleased sound alerted him to the fact that his mother had followed him to the water, and was grinning at him. Hesina asked, "Kaladin...are you seeing someone new?"

Kaladin groaned. His mother was always interested in his dating life, for reasons he couldn't understand.

Rather than confirm or deny, Kaladin just focused on washing the tuber.

"He is!" Syl, the traitorous spren, cried out, zipping over from where she had been playing with Oroden in the form of a ribbon and retaking her usual shape of a young woman. "See how happy he is!"

Now they were both looking at him. Of course, that wouldn't move Kaladin. Not because he was a soldier, or a Radiant, but because he was the most stubborn man who had ever lived.

"What haven't you told your mother?" Storming Damnation. Lirin entered the room, clearly at least mildly curious, walking over to join the 'Let's all stare at Kaladin' game.

With a note of emotion so strong in her tone that Kaladin almost thought Hesina sounded like Shen with his rhythms, she explained, "He's seeing a girl. Or a boy. Someone."

He almost choked on his own tongue. "How did you know I-?"

"Kaladin," Hesina said, disappointment ringing. "I'm your mother. If you think I somehow missed the way you were staring at some of those farmer boys when you were a kid, then I have to be a little insulted."

While he wasn't adding anything to the conversation, Lirin was still staring at Kaladin, and Syl was on his shoulder, obviously having Opinions about the fact Kaladin wasn't explaining the truth. Stupid honorspren... "Both."

That made both of his parents blink. "What?" Lirin asked, as though he hadn't quite heard what Kaladin said. His father hadn't looked that old and confused...well, ever. Clearly, he was finding the concept hard to wrap his brain around, he needed an explanation.

"Both. I'm...currently seeing a man and a woman. Who are also together." Unsure what else to say about the matter, he held out the now thoroughly clean vegetable to his mother. "Stagm?"

Hesina took the tuber, heading back over to continue with lunch preparation, but it was obvious that the conversation wasn't over. Storms, it wasn't even paused. "That's quite interesting, Kaladin. Are you...happy with that sort of arrangement?"

Taking a seat at the table, Kaladin considered that. When they'd first proposed the idea to him, he reacted about the same as his father. That just...wasn't how relationships worked. Right?

But he'd given it a try. And...well, Syl was right. He was happy. "It's strange, but I think I like it."

There was a smile in Hesina's voice as she asked, "So, who are the lucky pair? Are they anyone we know?"

Oh. Well, hmm...

Adolin and Shallan's families apparently knew about the relationship. So it wouldn't do any harm to tell them, right? "You do know them, actually." Adolin and Shallan (or one of the other two girls living in her head) had stopped by the apartment at least a few times, before he'd started dating them, since they were the only non-Windrunner friends Kaladin had. Would that make it better, or worse?

His mother was putting the last touches on their lunch, soon ready to bring it over to the table. Without a word, Kaladin could feel Hesina's curiosity. She wanted names.

"Well, remember my friend, the one with the black and blond hair?"

"I do. He was very polite." Thinking about it more, Hesina added, "Ah, so him and the redheaded girl?" Kaladin nodded.

Lirin looked like he might faint. "Kaladin...are you trying to tell us that you're dating Highprince Adolin Kholin and his wife?"

"...yes."

Lunch was served, but before they dug in, Hesina looked at Kaladin and told him firmly, "You're having them both over for dinner."

"I have not been able...to stop them from mating."

—Pattern

"Can't we just tell them that...I don't know, I have special Radiant duties tonight? Or we both do? Or that I don't exist, and they just imagined me?" Shallan was sitting on the bed, fretting, while Adolin was getting dressed. It hadn't been especially hard to pick something out, just going with a dress that fit her station but wasn't especially fancy.

From the ceiling, Pattern hummed. "Mmm...these lies...they do not seem persuasive."

Kaladin agreed, annoyingly. He was wearing a uniform, because of course he was. "My mom was thorough. We only settled on tonight after making sure it didn't clash with any of our schedules."

Letting out a long sigh, Shallan laid back on the bed, trying her best to ignore the nervous feelings in her stomach.

I do not understand why this event brings you anxiety, Radiant wondered.

Veil laughed. That's because you don't understand relationships.

...that is most likely the case, yes. Still, were you not wanting to meet Kaladin's parents only a week ago?

Radiant was right. Shallan had been excited by the prospect, before Kaladin even brought it up. Unlike Adolin's family, a wonderful grab bag of people who made Shallan nervous (with Renarin as the only exception), Kaladin's family...

Well, they were darkeyed. There was something about Kaladin's mother, Hesina, that made Shallan and Veil think there was more to it than that, perhaps a mixed marriage in recent genealogy, but they were bound to be a lot easier to be around than queens or a king.

But that optimism had initially come from the idea as a general concept, an eventuality. It was rather different from walking around all day, thinking about all the ways the dinner could go wrong.

It would be simple. If she opened up too much, if Adolin or Kaladin let the wrong thing slip, then...they'd know she was broken. That shouldn't matter, she barely knew them, but it did.

Before she could spiral too much, Radiant took the lead, their hair lightening to a blonde, as she whispered, "Shallan...do you wish me to attend this dinner in your stead?" After all, protecting her was why Radiant and Veil existed.

Adolin and Kaladin were talking about what Adolin was going to wear, with the Windrunner trying to talk his boyfriend out of attending the dinner in clothes that were too ostentatious for the occasion. Still, Radiant noticed that they'd seen the change in hair color, but they were leaving it up to the Three to settle. Radiant would let them know of her appreciation for this later.

No...they asked me to be there. After all, they're dating me, not you or Veil.

Radiant nodded her head, but then asked, "Do you want to withdraw? If tonight is not a good night for you to undertake this endeavor, we can try again another day."

Stepping back into the front, Shallan returned her hair to its normal hue, and did her best to steel herself. "I can do this." Compared to infiltrating the Ghostbloods or stealing Jasnah's Soulcaster, this would be easy.

Probably.

"..."

—Mayalaran

Approaching the apartment, Adolin was in high spirits.

This wasn't his first encounter with a significant other's parents. In fact, he thought himself something of a professional at it. Adolin was naturally charming, and he'd learned how to fine-tune that charisma to match the situation perfectly.

At least, that's what Adolin had thought. Right up until Lirin, Kaladin's father, answered the door by giving Adolin a glare that he was fairly sure broke his vows against violence, and for a second Adolin was fairly sure the surgeon was going to spit in his face. But instead, he ushered them all in with a terse greeting.

Well, Adolin thought, that wasn't too bad. I've actually been attacked by the fathers of women I've courted before. With enough time, I can smooth it over.

But that wasn't what happened.

The dinner was...well, it was mostly Soulcast food, but Adolin complimented it regardless. They were quiet while they all ate, but even when it came time for conversation, Adolin ran into a blockade. Every icebreaker he knew was completely powerless against Lirin's scowl, and Shallan was too busy getting along with Hesina to help.

Adolin tried to take comfort in that, at least. Seeing her smiling...that was a victory. She'd been so nervous about attending, but from the barbs she was trading with Hesina, all at Kaladin's expense, it was obvious she was having a great time.

Shallan was in the middle of telling the boots story (which Kaladin still didn't care for) when Lirin spoke up, surprising Adolin. "You're a soldier."

It wasn't a question. Nodding his head, Adolin met the surgeon's eyes head on. "That's correct. While I prefer dueling, I've fought in many battles."

"In other words, you've killed many men."

The atmosphere in the room chilled, and the pleasant conversation on the other side of the table died as everyone started looking at Adolin.

Strangely enough, he was used to disappointment from people's fathers. Perhaps the recent feelings of his own contributed to that. Still meeting Lirin's gaze, Adolin told the truth. "I have. Humans and Singers."

"...I can see how you and my son get along, then."

Kaladin flinched at the remark, and Adolin wouldn't stand for letting that comment slide. "Your son has saved hundreds, if not thousands, of lives with his actions. Including the lives of me and my wife." He paused, before adding, "There is a reason an honorspren, of all things, forged a bond with him."

It looked like Lirin had something to say about that, but Shallan cut in before he could. "As a surgeon, I have to wonder if you have any interest in natural sciences?"

The question took the man off-guard, and he blinked behind his spectacles, before replying, "Some. Of course, it's considered a feminine pursuit, but..."

"Would you like to see some of my sketchbooks? I specialize in the study of living organisms, and my travels have let me record some truly exceptional subjects."

While Lirin pondered that, Hesina came up to Adolin to ask, "Would it be treasonous to ask a highprince for help cleaning the table?"

Doing his best to recover from that conversation, Adolin gave her his most charming smile. "I won't tell if you won't." Together, they gathered up the dishes used in the meal, and went to clean it across the room from the others.

As they got to work, Adolin kept expecting Hesina to apologize on her husband's behalf...but she didn't.

Instead, she said, "We've been worried, about Kaladin."

She didn't have to clarify why. After double checking to see that his boyfriend was engaged in the conversation with Shallan and Lirin, Adolin told her, "We are too."

Adolin worried about both of his partners. Those dark moods that took over Kaladin sometimes were terrifying to watch. So different from the slump Dalinar had fallen into in Adolin's youth, but perhaps more dangerous. Shallan's issues...he tried to believe she was working on getting better, but the more she tried to assure him of that, the less confident Adolin felt in her progress.

They weren't alone, as suddenly Syl was floating between them. Which, considering the subject manner... "I think he's getting better?" The spren tried to sound optimistic, but Adolin could still hear her worry.

Hesina and Adolin worked in silence for a little while after that, until she asked something of Syl. "Do you think he's good enough for Kaladin?"

Feeling strangely flustered, Adolin tried not to pay too much attention as Syl hummed and hawed, looking him over like she was appraising spheres. "I'm pretty sure they love each other," she finally said. "So...yeah. He's pretty good." Adolin sighed in relief, but he'd done so too soon. "Plus, you should hear the sounds he can make Kaladin make!"

Desperately wishing Shallan would just come over and Soulcast him into stone, ending his misery, Adolin listened to Hesina laugh at the comment, before bowing her head in Syl's direction. "Thank you. I'll talk with Lirin about this later."

Before too long, the three had said their goodbyes and were returning to their chamber.

Shallan was in high spirits. "That went rather well!"

His eyes on Adolin, Kaladin asked, "Did it?"

Feeling rather exhausted after that ordeal, Adolin put on his best smile anyway. "Absolutely." Then, feeling a bit bold, he leaned over and kissed Kaladin firmly on the mouth, making Shallan giggle. "Any meal I spend with you two is more than I could ask for."