None of them had anticipated it would be this difficult. Babysitting. All of them had fought in wars, each a renowned warrior with terrifying names whispered across battlefields and tales that struck fear into hearts. Yet here they were, utterly unprepared for their greatest challenge yet: their nephew. Nyx was in that curious, mischievous stage, caught between infancy and toddlerhood, wobbling uncertainly on unsteady legs one moment, and the next, crawling with surprising speed and determination. Originally, there had been four of them, but Amren had long since made her exit, passing Nyx off to Cassian after the little one had splattered some unidentifiable, mushy concoction onto the side of her cheek. Cassian had laughed so hard, a snort might have slipped out, or maybe that was Mor’s doing. They’d all endured their fair share of mess. They quickly learned why Feyre forbade felt-tip pens—Mor’s once-pristine dress now bore a small, chaotic scribble near the hem, a colourful reminder of their folly. Not long after Amren’s departure, Cassian found himself the proud recipient of an orange mush assault from Nyx’s plate, which earned him a generous helping in his hair. Azriel had the foresight to minimize disasters before they struck, but even he wasn’t immune when Nyx, in a sudden burst of mischief, launched his beaker of sticky juice across the room from his highchair. Now the three of them lounged on the sofas, watching the little whirlwind giggle as he crawled energetically around the living room, safely enclosed by baby gates. Fortunately, Nyx hadn’t yet figured out how to fly, though the way he flailed, it was only a matter of time. “How can someone so tiny and cute cause such havoc?” Mor sighed, brushing her hand absently over the pen scrawl that stained her dress. Before Cassian could reply, likely to grumble about how Feyre managed this chaos with unshakable grace, the front door opened. Her scent drifted in first, warm and familiar, before anyone even caught sight of her. You, Feyre’s usual babysitter, and apparently Nyx’s favourite aunt, had returned home. At the sound, Nyx let out a delighted squeal, crawling straight to the baby gate with arms stretched wide to greet her.