Work Text:
Despite visiting the Kent farm fairly often before he moved in, living there with Ma and Pa was incredibly new and weird and different for Kon. When he was a guest, it was easier to accept their doting – he was a visitor, they were being nice and polite because that’s what you do with guests you don’t see all the time. But having their care and concern directed at him every day was . . . disconcerting.
They’re so kind, is the thing. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! It’s nice. But Kon’s not used to such open affection and care directed at him. Every action stated that they loved him deeply. It was new and different, and Kon didn’t know how to handle it. Was this what having a home felt like?
He’d thought Metropolis was home, when he first hatched. It was Superman’s home, after all, and he was Superman! So of course it was his home. Afterwards, he’d realized that he hadn’t really had any people there to truly make it home. But it was still his birthplace – or, well, lab escape place? – and he knew he’d always be fond of the city because of that. And, well. A part of him always kind of thought that Metropolis would be his home one day because it was Superman’s home, and he was going to be Superman. And maybe it would be, some day, if Kon was worthy.
Now, he’d called Hawaii home for quite some time. He’d had people there who cared about him – Dubbilex and Roxy and Rex and Tana and Makoa and Hillary and Robert. And sure, things didn’t turn out so great with Rex or Tana, but – he’d had people and a place to grow into his own, for a time at least. And then he got lost in the Wild Lands, and everyone left him, and he moved on. That chapter of his life closed a long time ago.
And then there was Cadmus. It was a science lab and technically it was work, yes, but – he had people there. Guardian and Dubbilex and Serling and Mickey and Colonial Winterbourne and everyone else at The Project. The chaos of Cadmus was soothing and familiar, even when he was suspicious of what Mickey had planned for the Project, it was so very familiar to him. Cadmus had been a place he didn’t fully trust since the beginning, but it was still the place that made him.
Though sometimes, surrounded by the monsters Cadmus made and contained, he couldn’t help but wonder whether maybe he was one of them. What separated him from them? It wasn’t a pleasant thought.
Still, it was home, or had been for a time, before it was shut down. Its absence was a jagged shard in Kon’s heart. A part of Kon wished sometimes that he’d wake up and find out that everything with Guardian’s death and Jim being cloned and The Project getting shut down never happened, that the Imperiex war never happened and everything and everyone was okay, and he’d wake up back in his room to Guardian hassling him about being late to training and his life would go on like it was supposed to.
It was a foolish wish. You couldn’t just undo the past like that.
Calvin Gardens wasn’t great, but it had been a place to stay and make his own. Sure, being the building Super had been exhausting and time consuming, but he’d been helping people. And then his existence had put them all in danger and gotten people killed. Kal had stepped in and told him it wasn’t his fault (but it was his fault, Kon knew that, this was all on him) and that he had a place in mind for him. And now Kon lived with the Kents.
So yeah, Kon had had many places he had called home at one point or another, and he wouldn’t say that any of it had been too bad. But none of it had felt like this. It was so calm and steady. Too calm and steady. A part of him wanted what was familiar. Jumping from one place to another, constantly losing things. He knew how it felt, how to handle it. He was an expert at moving on from another place where he’d messed up. He didn’t know how to comprehend being loved like this. He also didn’t know how it could possibly last. Kon always ruined things. It felt like it wasn’t a matter of if but when he’d bring some terrible thing down on Ma and Pa just because they loved him.
It ate at him, that he would bring some kind of disaster onto them, when they’d been nothing but kind about him for so long. He didn’t want to worry Ma and Pa about it by bringing it up, but unfortunately, they were uncannily perceptive and figured out that something was up. It only took a little coaxing for the whole mess of worry to come spilling out. Kon sort of expected it to all be over then and there, for them to rethink things and decide that yeah, that didn’t need a danger magnet like Kon dragging him down.
Instead, they exchanged a brief glance before reaching over the table to hold his hands.
“We’re a lot sturdier than we look, son.” Pa assured him, taking Kon’s knobby hand in his own weathered ones and patting it reassuringly. Kon looked at him dubiously.
“We’ve been targeted before because of Clark. We can handle it. Let us choose you, hon.” Ma reassured him, squeezing his hand.
“O-okay.” Kon croaked out, and that was that. Still, Kon couldn’t quite dislodge the feeling that he was out of place, that something this good couldn’t possibly stay with him. He’d pushed his luck enough by daring to stay this long. He couldn’t bring himself to leave, though. Smallville and Ma and Pa were rapidly becoming home and he couldn’t bring himself to do the logical thing and walk away before things went awry.
He never was good at doing the smart thing, really.
As much as Kon was finding himself at home in Smallville with the Kents, he really missed the hodgepodge family he’d found himself a part of in Cadmus. Guilt about that choked him, occasionally – he had a good thing going here, he was beginning to understand, and it felt almost ungrateful to miss Cadmus with all of its sketchiness. But the people there were important to who he was, and he wouldn’t be who he was without his time there. He missed them all, of course, but some partings were more painful.
Kon really, really misses Serling. She’s one of the parts of Cadmus he misses the most, alongside Guardian. And oh boy was that complicated at the moment. Last he’d seen Jim, he was a swiftly growing teenager who seemed to be regaining his memories. Days earlier, he’d been a literal baby. By now, he should be an adult. Kon had kind of lost track of him during the war, so to speak, and had barely a clue as to whether he was still alive just like the rest of them.
They’d gone into hiding because it wasn’t safe – partially because Luthor’s government goons were after them, but also, he couldn’t help but feel, because of him as well. That meant he had a duty to make sure they were okay. Given the lengths the government had gone to to try to get Jim into custody, anything could be after them.
The problem was that they had completely dropped off everyone’s radar. He couldn’t find any of them and at first, it had been reassuring – they were well enough hidden that they were safe, surely. But as the months had gone on, doubts had begun to creep in. No news wasn’t always good news – they could very well all be dead and he’d be none the wiser. So he’d stepped up his search, becoming almost frantic, calling in every favor he could think of to get just a hint that they were alive.
It's lead him on a wild goose hunt around the world, but this time, he thinks he might have actually found them. He’s keeping low-key, looking in a disguise instead of his flashy superhero outfit, and poking around the tunnel entrances where strange sounds have apparently been heard the past couple weeks. So far, it all looked normal, and he’s about to give up. Someone linked their arm with his. He glanced over, startled, and saw a very familiar face.
“Serling?” he hissed in surprise.
“Keep moving.” She kept her gaze straight ahead, pulling him after her into a tunnel. As soon as she stopped, he spun around and drew her into a desperate hug.
“You’re okay!”
Serling relaxed and hugged him back. “Yeah, we’re all safe.”
“I’ve been so worried about all of you.” He drew back and fully took her in. She looked tired and worn out. “But especially you. I missed you so much.”
“Missed you too. You know, I think you’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”
Kon smiled, giddy. “There’s been so much that’s happened, I can’t wait to tell you about it.”
Serling’s face fell. “Kon . . . it’ll have to wait”
“What? What’s wrong?”
“Letting you see me is a big risk already – we’ve got to make it short. Cadmus’s scientists can’t afford to be found at all until it’s all clear. I shouldn’t even be talking to you but I wanted to give you some closure so you’d stop searching.”
“What?” Kon repeated like a broken clock. Distantly, he felt the world crashing down around him again.
“The government is still looking for us, still wants to use us for who knows what. We can’t be found and you looking could bring them down on us. It’s not your fault, it’s just a shitty situation all around.” Serling looked at him apologetically.
“Oh.” Kon said numbly. “I don’t want to put you in danger –”
“It’s not your fault,” Serling repeated, staring at him intently. “Don’t blame yourself. It’s just the shitty hand we were both dealt and we’ve got to deal with it. As soon as it’s safe, I’m finding you again.”
Kon laughed wetly. “Right, right. You all are okay though?”
“Oh, we’re fine. It’s stressful, but we’ve gotta do it. Mickey is going a bit stir crazy, though.”
“I bet he is!” Kon chuckled. “And you’re put out about not having lab space.”
Serling made a face. “Oh, it’s been annoying. There’s so much I want to be doing and nothing to work with.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure something out. How’s Jim?” Kon asked. “Is he still with you guys?”
Serling shrugged. “He stuck with us for a bit after the war and then said he wanted to figure out his own life and left. He’s out there somewhere.”
“Good for him.” Kon sighed in relief. The rumors of Guardian fighting in the Imperiex War had him worried that he’d gotten drawn back in. “He deserves his peace.”
“So do you. I hope you find it. Tell me about it sometime, when all of this is over?” Serling said earnestly.
Kon squeezed her hand. “Of course.”
“Take care of yourself, Kon.” She whispered, giving him one last hug before she stepped back and vanished.
Kon took a deep, shuddering breath. This wasn’t goodbye forever. She’d promised that.
Some day, they’d be fully back in each other’s lives. He’d just have to hold onto that hope.
When he gets back to the Kent farm, Ma and Pa can somehow see how torn up he is, despite the tears being long gone. They fold him in between them and let him cling to them as some kind of grounding force.
When Kon had first met the Kents all that time ago, when he was still pretty fresh from the tube and young and carefree and the world seemed clear and he knew what he was doing, it was a chance meeting like so many others. If you’d told him back then that the kindly old couple who’d fed him after meeting that alternate universe Kal-Superboy would one day be some of the most important people in his life, he’d probably have laughed and asked how he’d ended up that tied to Kansas of all places.
Now, it felt like that meeting was some kind of fate – the future tapping him on the shoulder and telling him that these people and this place would be important to him some day.
Kon stopped his rounds of the farm and looked at the spot where he’d promised that he’d carry on Superboy’s legacy. He’d come a long way since then, and he’d like to think he hadn’t done too bad of a job.
“Kon, you got the toolbox?” Pa hollered.
“On my way!” Kon yelled back, putting aside that train of thought and continuing towards the barn. He had a tractor to help fix.
Ma and Pa have been teaching Kon a lot of things since he came to the Kent farm, and Kon’s been soaking them up like a sponge. He’s learning the minutia of farm life from both of them, and enjoying it very much. Pa has been teaching him various handy skills, and it’s great to be able to do something with his hands to fix things instead of break them. Ma has been teaching him fibercrafts and baking. Learning how to spin yarn has probably been his favorite – the simple, repetitive motions of the drop spindle are soothing, and it’s nice to be able to tangibly see that he’s made something.
Baking, though, allowed him to make something good to share with people, and he liked that a lot.
“Now, we want to make balls that are about this size.” Ma said, deftly rolling a chunk of cookie dough between her hands and placing it on the tray. Kon watches, mesmerized by how fluid her practiced motions are.
Kon plunged his hands in the dough and clumsily tried forming balls of his own. They were not nearly as even and round as Ma’s, but they were close.
“Great job, Kon.” Ma acted like they were perfect anyway, patting him on the cheek as she slid a tray into the oven.
Kon preened and vowed to do even better for the next sheet. He stuck his tongue out in concentration as he threaded his TTK through the remaining dough. Carefully, he felt out the right amount of dough and made it into a sphere. Proudly, he plunked it onto the baking sheet.
“Ta-da! My trusty Tactile Telekinesis for the win again!” He crowed.
“It sure is handy.” Ma agreed, voice full of amusement. “Let’s get these into the oven so we have something nice to enjoy.”
When they’re taste testing the cookies, they’re just as good as always.
“These are excellent.” Ma praised. “How about next time, you do most of the work and I help, and you can bring them to your next Young Justice meeting.”
“Yeah, that’d be fun.” Kon said.
Kal checked in on him pretty frequently. Not that he didn’t before, but it’s a bit different and more often when Kal can see him whenever he visits his parents. It’s nice, to see Kal more frequently. To get to talk to him about anything and everything. Today, they’d talked about the latest emergencies that Kal had responded to in Metropolis and Kon’s most recent adventures with Young Justice before going on a walk. They took a meandering path through the fields, checking on things as they went. Kal quizzed him on farm knowledge, and Kon was happy that he was getting more things right.
“I guess I’ll really be a farm boy some day at this rate.” Kon said.
Kal ruffled his hair fondly. “You already are.”
Their final destination was the hills at the edge of the fields, where Kal had gone to think when he was younger. He’d introduced Kon to the spot on one of his earlier visits, and Kon had begun to do the same when he stopped by. It was peaceful and shaded by trees, and perfect for just thinking. Kon had been coming out here a lot, when he didn’t quite know how he felt about something. It felt like it helped at least somewhat.
Kal sat down and patted the ground beside him. Kon settled in next to him.
“How are you settling in here?” Kal asked.
“Good! It’s good. It’s an adjustment, but it’s good.” Kon fidgeted with the hem of his jeans. It’s odd in some ways to so regularly wear clothes that aren’t his uniform, but it’s nice too.
“I’m glad.” Kal said softly. “I’d hoped you’d like it here. I know you did before, but it’s one thing to visit and another to live in a place.”
“A place being home makes it different.” Kon said, not entirely sure how he felt about it but feeling that statement to be true.
“Exactly!” Kal said. "You never truly know a place until it's home."
“I don’t think I’m good at having a home.” Kon confessed. Kal’s face shattered, and Kon felt worse. “I’m sorry, I –”
“It’s okay! It’s okay! You don’t have to always spare everyone else’s feelings! I like hearing when you’re having problems, Kon. Oh, shoot, that came out wrong. Obviously I don’t like it when you’re hurting, but I like it when you share that with me, with us. I can’t – we can’t – help you if we don’t know what’s wrong. And I want to help you, Kon. I’m so sorry I didn’t always see it before but I want to be there for you now.”
“Why?”
Kal tenderly brushed some of Kon’s wild curls out of his face. “Because I love you. You’re family.”
“O-oh.” Kon stuttered.
Kal smiled and guided Kon into his shoulder, enveloping him in one of those all-encompassing hugs that he was so good at. The kind that made you relax and let go of all your worry because Kal was there and you weren’t alone and you’d face it all together.
Kon melted into his embrace, and trusts his words.
Kon dialed the number he had for Roxy. The phone rings and rings and rings and rings. Just as he’s about to give up and set it down, the phone clicked on and a very familiar voice filters through it.
“Who is this?” Roxy said testily.
“It’s me! It’s Kon!”
“Oh!” Her voice lightened. “I haven’t heard from you in a long time, kid!”
“Yeah, it’s been busy.” Kon said, trying not to get choked up. “But I’m doing great! How about you?”
“It’s working out, somewhat. I’ve been getting my degree.”
“Oh, neat! What are you studying?”
“Social work, actually. It feels like a way to help kids like us, you know? Looking back we both could’ve used an adult in our corner and I want to be that person.”
“That’s great, Rox.” Kon said, getting choked up. “I know you’ve always wanted to help people and that’s a great way to do that.”
“Yeah, I’m liking the coursework so far, it feels like it really fits. But enough about me! Now how are you doing, kid? I heard a bit about Cadmus vanishing again, you doing alright?”
“Yeah, I’m good.” Kon promised.
“You sure? Cause if you need a place to stay you’re more than welcome to crash with me. You’re always welcome.”
“Thanks for the offer, Roxy, but I’ve got a place.”
“Yeah? How is it?”
Kon looked around the living room, phone still pressed to his ear. His eyes pass over the wall of photos, where shots of him and Krypto sleeping on the couch and him and Ma in the kitchen and him and Pa leaning over the pickup truck are scattered generously amongst years of photos of Kal and Ma and Pa.
“It’s a good place to call home, Rox.”
Kon hadn’t been sleeping much since the war, aside for that really long nap and odd dream he had the first night back. Ma and Pa were worried about that, he could tell, but were gentle in talking to him about it. He hadn’t said much, not knowing how to explain it or even if he wanted to.
When Kon closed his eyes, all he could see was the look on Bart’s scout’s face as the fireball hit him. He had a feeling he’d be seeing it for the rest of his life. And watching Doomsboy beat up Bart’s scout in that weird alternate universe certainly hadn’t helped matters. So, yeah, now he had nightmares about Bart’s sort of death every time he went to sleep. Not anyone’s idea of a fun time!
Tonight was particularly bad. Kon’s only got a handful of hours of sleep between the nightmares and had resigned himself to simply staying up until the sun rises at this point. It won’t be the most pleasant day, but maybe he’ll conk out for a nap in the afternoon and it’ll even out. To pass the time until a more reasonable hour to be awake, he’s curled up in a ball with a blanket draped over his shoulders, chin on his knees as he looked out at the sunrise. The deep blue-grays of night melt under the golden glow of the sun, and the wheatfields come alive at the first light of day. It's one of the most beautiful sights Kon’s ever seen, and he’s been a lot of places, so that’s really saying something.
“Hey, kiddo,” Pa stage-whispered from the doorway. Kon almost jumped out of his skin.
“Pa, why are you awake?”
“It’s time for morning chores. Better question is, why are you awake? In my experience teenagers sure do like sleeping in. I remember having to quite literally drag Clark out of bed for school some mornings.”
Oh. Right. The Kents are farmers. This is a reasonable time of day to be awake for them. Yuck.
Pa chuckled at Kon’s scrunched up face. “Since you’re awake, you’re welcome to join me.”
“Sure, why not?” Kon shrugged. It would be something to take his mind off of things. He shrugged on his work clothes – originally an old pair of Kal’s jeans and one of Pa’s Carhartt jackets, but they’d both claimed they were his now. Kon has just about accepted that fact. The clunky boots were all his own, though. As they headed out the door, Krypto snorted himself awake and trotted after them.
Early morning dew still clung to the grass as they made their way to the barn to start the day off by milking Nellie. She’s happy to see Kon as she usually is now – quite unlike the first time he tried to milk her – and nudges him gently with her head. While he milks her, Pa checks to make sure everything’s in order in the barn. By the time Kon’s done milking Nellie and stored the milk to deal with later, Pa’s chucking hay bales into the back of the pickup truck to feed the small herd of cattle at the Kent farm.
“I can take care of that, Pa.” Kon said, effortlessly chucking a bale into the back.
“I may not be as young as I used to be but I can still handle chucking some hay bales.” Pa grumbled.
Kon grinned. “Well, it’s taken care of now.”
“I suppose so.” Pa said. “Let’s get moving.”
Pa climbed into the cab and Krypto leapt up into the back with such force that a hay bale flew out of the back. Well, almost flew out – Kon’s TTK sure was handy to catch it. Krypto barked, unrepentant, and settled in.
“Goofy dog,” Kon chuckled and climbed into the passenger seat. The quickly becoming familiar feeling of the pickup truck’s engine stuttering to life rattled through the truck, and Kon rattled with it. There were no words exchanged between Pa and Kon as they made their way to the far pasture, but none needed to be said. Existing in the same space was enough.
They reached the gate, and Kon hopped out to open it for Pa to drive in. Once he relatched the gate behind them, he crawled into the back with Krypto and the hay instead of returning to the cab. He’d done this enough times by now to know the routine.
Kon appreciated the view as they drove further into the pasture, keeping an eye out for the herd. It didn’t take long for them to come into view, ambling towards the truck. Krypto launched himself out of the back and towards the approaching cattle. They stopped and eyed him warily as he circled them.
“Krypto, stop!” Pa yelled, getting out of the truck. Krypto glanced in their direction briefly and went back to attempting to herd cows.
“Krypto, no,” Kon groaned, burying his face in his hands.
“He’s getting better at herding, I guess.” Pa mused. “This is better than last time. At least they’re not scattered to every corner of the pasture.”
“Well, when you put it that way . . .” Kon conceded.
Krypto lost interest and bounded back to them.
“No, you’re not getting treats, you were a bad dog.” Kon scolded. Krypto wagged his tail and looked pleadingly up at him. “Dude. No.” he gave Krypto a scratch behind the ears anyway.
“C’mere ladies,” Pa called, and the herd drifted closer. “Alright. That’s close enough to work. You ready, Kon?”
Kon nodded, climbing into the back of the pickup. Krypto floated up to join him while Pa restarted the truck and started idling forward. The cows ambled closer, ears indicating their curiosity. Kon tore a chunk off of a hay bale and tossed it out the back. The herd picked up its pace, some nosing at the tossed off hay, others looking eagerly at Kon for more.
Kon fell into a rhythm soon enough, tossing chunks to the herd as the truck idled forward. Krypto had settled in to watch, deeming supervision the only thing needed from him. Which was good, Kon definitely didn’t need Krypto deciding he wanted to play. Pa startled Kon by appearing out of nowhere next to the pickup to encourage the cows forward. Kon hadn’t even noticed Pa get out; he must have put it in neutral again or something. It used to alarm Kon, the first time he’d seen Pa do this, and in some ways it still did, but he’s accustomed to it now.
Soon enough they’re at the other end of the pasture, and Pa’s climbed back in to drive them over to the alpacas. There’s enough hay for them left in the back, and Kon decided to stay with it instead of crawling back into the cab. Krypto nosing at the hay curiously despite being around it every day.
“Don’t you dare eat that. It’s not for dogs.” Kon warned. Krypto woofed at him and licked his face.
“Eugh, your breath stinks.” Kon complained, holding Krypto away from him. Krypto took that as a sign to wrestle with him. “Hey!”
Their playful tussle is broken up by Pa honking the horn to get Kon to open the gate. “Whoops!”
Pa merely chuckled as Kon flies to the fence and wrenches it open swiftly. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, kiddo.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Kon mumbled, cheeks flushing in embarrassment.
The alpacas perk up as they trundle into the pasture and refill their feeder with hay.
“You are nosy.” Kon laughed, feeling a curious head peek over his shoulder aggressively. “We’re feeding you, don’t worry.”
The task went by quickly enough, and they’re soon leaving the alpacas to their meal. Kon climbed into the cab with Pa, and Krypto ran along next to them as they drove back to the house.
Pa parked the pickup, and they trudged back to the house. Kon feels pleasantly worn out and awake, his earlier nightmare a distant memory.
“I thought you two would be getting back about now.” Ma said, setting a steaming plate of bacon and sausage and eggs on the table. There’s another plate piled high with toast and a bowl of carefully sliced cantaloup next to it. A jar of Pa’s favorite marmalade was on the table, alongside Ma and Kon’s favored raspberry jam.
Kon’s stomach growled ferociously.
“Great as always, Martha.” Pa said, giving Ma a kiss on the cheek before he settled down and started dishing up his plate.
Kon dished himself up some bacon and a couple slices of toast, slathered in raspberry jam. He let the humming tide of Ma and Pa’s conversation about the day’s tasks and the latest about the neighbors wash over him. Krypto settled down on his foot, and Kon sneakily slid some bacon down to him. Based on Ma and Pa’s looks of amusement, he didn’t quite succeed at the sneaking. Oh well.
“Kon, what are your plans for the day?”
Kon shrugged. “Not sure, really.”
“Nothing wrong with just seeing where the day takes you.” Pa hummed. “Take it one moment at a time.”
Kon noticed that they’d all finished breakfast, and whisked the dishes away before Ma or Pa could do so.
Ma tsked. “Kon, you don’t have to –”
“I wanted to.” Kon interrupted. “I’m not a guest, after all.”
“Right.” Ma smiled warmly. “Let’s finish the morning chores, then, shall we?”
They all tromped out in their work boots, Kon carrying the pail of milk and bucket of table scraps, and Ma carrying the cat food. Pa split off to go look over the fields, Krypto following after him. Cats and chickens, after all, were boring compared to exploring.
A fuzzy striped head pokes out of the grass as they head towards the barn.
“Hi, Tabby,” Ma said affectionately. Tabby meowed and bolted towards the barn.
“Here, kitty kitty kitty kitty!” Ma called, her voice rolling through the phrase musically with the ease of long familiarity. Kon could feel the gaze of many curious and hungry eyes watching them.
Opening the barn door lead to a susurrous of sound as the barn cats made their way to where they were fed. They were all waiting when they pushed the door to the small room open, meowing plaintively.
“Someone’s hungry.” Kon said wryly, dodging Frankie and Abigail as they wound between his legs.
The cats barely waited for food to be poured into their dishes, eagerly diving in. Kon ended up pouring some milk on Tabby’s head when she rushed forward to crouch over the dish.
“Silly kitty,” he teased, running a hand over her back. She purred and arched into Kon’s hand, not once stopping drinking.
“They’re all silly.” Ma said affectionately, gently petting the other cats. Their content purring vibrates through the room, and Kon finds himself purring along.
Eventually, Ma stood up, cracking her knees and she did so. “Let’s leave them be and take care of the chickens now.”
The chicken coop and its shed was pretty close by, so they don’t have to go far. Ma grabbed the chicken feed and Kon picked up the egg bucket and braved the coop.
“Hi ladies,” Kon said, poking his head into the coop. There were a couple hens sitting on their nests, but there was also a great big golden barn cat settled smugly in a nest.
“Hannabanana. Why do you do this?” Kon said despairingly. Hannabanana meowed and settled further into the nest. Kon groaned, deciding to just get this over with. Gently, he set the bucket down on the floor and slowly moved his hand towards the ridiculous cat. She pinned her ears back and hissed.
“Come on, don’t be like that,” Kon pleaded. “You know I have to check.”
Hannabanana did not see the logic in this, and swiped at him. Kon dodged and managed to extract two eggs from underneath her. She looked at him balefully as he tucked them into the basket.
“One of these days you’re going to have kittens here and it’s gonna be a nightmare.” Kon grumbled.
Hannabanana mrrped at him dismissively, eyes watching him closely as he plucked eggs from an empty nest.
Ma laughed as she enters, catching their staring contest. “Oh, it’ll be a riot for sure. We’ve had a cat do that before.”
“Well that’s just great.” Kon grumbled, reaching under a hen to get an egg. She pecks at him. “Hey!”
“You didn’t even feel that!” Ma laughed.
“It’s the principle of the matter.” Kon pouted, and Ma laughs harder. Success!
Their final egg count was six, plenty for breakfast tomorrow and some kind of baking tonight.
“That’s a good haul.” Ma said approvingly, looping an arm around his shoulders as they walk back towards the house. Kon leans into it.
“We can see what there is to do today, and maybe I can give you a lesson on the spinning wheel.”
“That would be great, thank you!” Kon said, barely restraining himself from bouncing in place.
“I’m just glad there’s someone taking it up after me.” Ma said.
Pa met them at the porch, a content smile settled on his face and a tea mug in hand. “Fields are looking good. Little bit of maintenance needed but it should be a nice quiet day.”
Pa passed cups of tea over to Ma and Kon and eased himself onto the porch swing. Kon and Ma settled in as well, with Kon sandwiched between them comfortably.
Kon looked out at the plains stretching into the distance and felt a sense of peace wash over him.
This could be home, truly home, Kon could feel it in his bones. And every day, he was getting closer to being able to call it that. It would take time, but it was worth it, to have a place like this and people like this in his corner.