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ADRIEN WAITS UNTIL BREAKFAST IS WELL UNDERWAY BEFORE JOINING THE REST OF HIS FAMILY IN THE DINING ROOM. It's easy for him to pretend he'd just woken up, the bags under his eyes dark and prominent and his movements sluggish as he walked into the room. Everyone is already present and seated at the table. Excluding, of course, Bruno and Adalia who are already at each other's throats and chasing each other around the table in some mock version of tag. Willy is at the head of the table, his attention fixed on Emilia, smiling and holding their hands on the tabletop between them. Fine is attempting to multitask, shoveling food into her mouth while simultaneously reading a book that's propped open on her lap. Lara is stiffly sipping coffee across from her.
His mother makes a surprised noise when she sees him, a small sigh that Adrien might have missed if he'd never heard it before. But Adrien didn't need to actually hear it to see the shock on her face. After a while his family stopped expecting him to be on time for meals. And there were times they didn't expect him at all. It was like an unofficial routine they'd all slipped into without really knowing which days would be good and which would be bad.
She reaches across the table to where Adrien's father sits, slowly⸺and with great effort to keep his hand steady⸺spooning food into his mouth, and squeezes his free hand gently. She nods towards where Adrien is making his way into the room, and his father turns to look for himself. The smiles that work their way across his parents' faces confirms that they must think this is a good day.
"Good morning, Adrien," Lara speaks first, talking into her mug and continuing to drink from it once she's said her piece.
His mother motions to a servant that is standing on the outskirts of the room as Adrien takes his seat to Fine's left. Fine acknowledges him briefly with a small, distracted smile and a slice of toasted bread offered from her own plate. A young man comes scuttling over. "Bring my son a plate and utensils," his mother says cheerfully. It's almost like she's pretending to be ignorant to the exhaustion that radiates off Adrien like the sun gives off heat. "And bring out an extra tray of hotcakes while you're at it."
Adrien bites into the toast Fine gave him, chewing through the rumbling in his stomach that gave away his hunger. With his free hand, Adrien reaches over and folds over the half of Fine's book that is closest to him. Fine doesn't complain and tilts her head to accommodate for the new angle. Adrien makes an appreciative noise at the back of his throat when he recognizes that story as one he enjoyed when he was younger.
He lets the cover drop back into Fine's lap, takes another bite of his toast, chews, then leans over to whisper to his niece. "Have you reached the part where the knight gets killed?" he asked, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Fine choked on a mouthful of eggs and turned her head so fast to stare at Adrien with wide eyes. "She gets what?" She asked in a panic around the eggs in her mouth.
