Exile was holding something against his chest with a carefulness that looked almost comical on him. Something blonde and round and squirming. Something with a tail that was going absolutely berserk.
The orange eyes found her first. Then the arms came up, both of them, fists opening and closing, chubby legs pedalling against Exile's forearm with a determination that had no business being that coordinated.
"Muummy!" A wobble in it. The round little face was doing the thing faces did right before they stopped being happy and became something much louder. "Muuummy."
Exile was already moving. He set the boy against her chest in one smooth transfer, and the kicking stopped instantly, replaced by two fistfuls of her hair and a tail that thumped against her hip like a small, ecstatic drum.
She sat with him for a moment, taking in his soft blonde ears, his cheeks like rising bread dough, and the pleased expression of someone who had gotten exactly what he wanted.
