Work Text:
It was a few months after Harrow gave Callum his sketchbook that he was finally allowed the privilege of seeing one of his drawings.
When he’d first given Callum the sketchbook, he was drawing unabashedly all over the walls of his new room. But something had shifted since he’d given him the sketchbook, maybe because being acknowledged as an artist made him take his work more seriously. He continued drawing all the time, just like before, but didn’t leave his art out for everyone to see.
Harrow knew that Callum was a pretty shy kid and only showed his drawings to Sarai, slamming the book closed whenever someone came up to him while he was drawing. So he knew not to take it personally that Callum never shared his art with him, but Harrow longed for the day he was comfortable enough to let him into that part of his life. So he could tell him how proud he was of him, and what a great little artist he was becoming.
It was a quiet evening after they’d finally gotten Ezran to sleep. Harrow and Sarai were lounging on their bed, enjoying a tray of jelly tarts, when they heard a knock on their door. The guards opened the doors to reveal Callum, with his sketchbook clutched to his chest, looking a little hesitant but also full of resolve.
“Hi sweetie,” Sarai smiled at him. “Do you want a jelly tart?” She grabbed one off the tray and held it out to him. But Callum just shook his head, walking past the tarts. She leaned closer as he whispered something in her ear. Her eyes brightened.
“Yes! He would love that. Go ahead.” She patted his shoulder, then nudged him in the direction of Harrow.”
“Um,” He began, peering down at a page of his sketchbook. “I made a drawing.”
Harrow broke into a grin. ‘Really? Let me see.”
Callum hesitated before turning the sketchbook around, and holding it out to Harrow. Harrow bent down, squinting slightly at the drawing. It was of his side profile, looking completely crooked and disproportionate, but it was still recognizable as his. So by six-year-old standards, it was of amazing quality.
“Is that me?” He asked with a wide smile. Callum’s face fell, thinking Harrow’s question meant he’d done a poor job depicting him. He pulled his sketchbook back and turned his face away, about to walk off. Harrow rushed to fix his mistake. “No, no! It’s nice.”
Callum turned back to him, checking to see if he was genuine. “It’s so nice!” Harrow exclaimed, thinking he’d gotten the situation under control. He held his hands out for the drawing, and Callum gave it to him.
But then Sarai looked over his shoulder–and absolutely burst out laughing.
He tried to continue his stream of compliments despite his wife absolutely losing it. “Oh I’ve never–”, but he struggled to keep a straight face. “Oh I’ve never looked better.”
Sarai was covering her mouth with her hands, trying to smother her laughter so she didn’t offend Callum or wake up Ezran. But Callum kept looking over at her, and Harrow had to fight to keep his attention. “Oh where were you, huh?” He nudged his shoulder. “Where were you when it was time for the royal portraits? You should’ve done my portrait!”
Callum fidgeted with his hands, looking uneasy. “King Harrow, I don’t think it looks good.” He admitted.
‘It is FANTASTIC!” Harrow bellowed. He studied the picture, desperately trying to find features to praise, his eyes landing on the large black circle on his cheek.
“Oh my god, what’s that?” He pointed towards the circle, lowering the sketchbook so Callum could see. “Is that hyperpigmentation?” He asked excitedly.
Callum frowned immediately. “Just tell me–” Harrow saw his face. “Okay,” he said, trying to change course.
“You know what?” Harrow placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.” He patted his shoulder soothingly. “I just want you to just keep up.” He brought his face closer to Callum’s so he could look him in the eyes. “Keep it up, okay?”
But Callum glanced over at Sarai instead. “But then why was mommy laughing?”
“Mommy doesn’t know what she's doing anyway!” Harrow shouted, shooting Sarai a look. She was trying hard to compose herself, but her smile was already cracking.
“That’s how–” He glared at her, what was he supposed to do now? “That’s how you say ‘That’s a great drawing’ in Del Barian.”
At this claim, Sarai started laughing again, falling back on the bed, trying to contain her laughter. Harrow couldn’t hold back this time, he started laughing too, still trying to glance at Callum, but he was smiling too. Soon after, he was giggling too, his parents’ mirth infectious.
When they’d caught their breath, Sarai wiped her eyes and pulled Callum into her lap. “Sorry for laughing, sweetie.” She apologised, squeezing him tight.
“It was pretty funny.” Callum acknowledged with a grin
“But it was still a good drawing, don’t forget that.” Harrow wagged a finger at him. “It made me very happy that you drew me.”
“Even if it was silly?” He tilted his head.
“I like it even more because it was silly.” He reached over to ruffle his hair. “Look how happy it made me and your mom.”
Callum stared at him with a smile that made his heart melt. Then bounded out of Sarai’s lap with a sudden burst of energy.
“Can I show Ezran too?” He asked, crawling over to the other side of the bed where the sleeping bundle lay.
Sarai rushed to hold him back before he poked him awake, but she was too late. Callum started undoing his swaddle, disturbing him. Ezran yawned before he slowly blinked his eyes open.
Sarai put her finger to her mouth to quiet everyone, holding her breath, hoping Ezran would just go back to sleep as if nothing happened.
No such luck.
He started stretching his limbs, kicking the blanket off his legs. He peered around at all his family members surrounding him, babbling insistently.
Sarai sighed. “Go ahead, Callum, you can show him.”
Harrow handed the sketchbook back to Callum, who grabbed it eagerly.
Sarai pulled Ezran against her, holding him up into a sitting position. He reached out excitedly–he was in the phase where he really liked grabbing things.
Callum ripped the page out of his sketchbook. “Look, Ezran! I made a drawing of your dad.” He handed the sheet of paper to Ezran, who gripped it tightly, the side crumpling at the edge.
“Do you like it?” Callum asked. As a response, Ezran immediately stuffed the paper into his mouth, drooling all over it.
“Oh no, don’t eat that!” Harrow rushed to tug the paper out of his mouth before he could tear a piece off. Then he gently opened Ezran’s fist, prying off his fingers one by one due to his strong grasp reflex.
“He must really like it,” Sarai joked. “He tries to eat everything likes.”
Harrow wiped off the drool with the hem of his shirt, before he placed the crumpled page on the bed.
“Ewwww,” Callum cringed dramatically. “Now the corner’s all soggy. It’s ruined.”
“No, it’s not ruined.” Harrow reassured him, his mind scrambling for an excuse. “Think of that as Ezran’s way of making art, and contributing to the drawing.”
Callum looked skeptical.
“Heck,” Harrow started, raising a brow at the drawing. “I’d even say that the drool splotch is kinda shaped like my face.”
Callum squinted and tilted his head, trying to spot the resemblance Harrow was apparently seeing.
“You know what,” Harrow said, climbing off the bed to grab a pin from the bedside table. “I think I’m gonna hang this up,” he grabbed the drawing. “Right over here”, he said, before hanging it beside his vanity.
“But why?” Callum asked.
“So I can appreciate both my boys’ talents every day.” He said with a wink.
Callum found it funny that Ezran’s talent was ‘drooling’ at the moment, Sarai looked just about ready to make fun of him for finding his image in a drool splotch, and Ezran was just happy to be there.
He stared at their antics fondly, before he pulled all of them into a crushing hug, his entire family in his arms.