Lying on the couch a couple of evenings later, Fort was playing a game on his communicator when the door finally opened.
Two ladies filed in, singing at the top of their lungs.
"You be my lullaby, and I'll be your NIGHTINGALE!"
"Shh!" Fort hushed them with a soft smile. "The boys have long been asleep. How was the concert?"
Honey's face was beaming like the sun. "It was so good! Look! Gale even signed my shirt!"
"Dimi neglected to mention his tickets included backstage passes. The group's manager, Sam, took us back there himself," Noble added as an aside.
The teen took off her jacket and let her father see the ink. He narrowed his gaze.
"How exactly did this 'Gale' person sign this shirt?" He pointed to the writing on her stomach with a frown.
"Relax, Dad. He wrote his name and then gave it to me. Part of the VIP treatment. Mom got one too!" Honey nodded.
Noble hung up her coat in the closet. She had on a shirt identical to her daughter. Seeing her husband's expression, she smothered a smile with a shrug. "What? He was so nice to give them to us. It would have been rude not to wear them!"
"I am glad you had fun," Fort tucked away his communicator and sat up.
"It's too bad the lead singer had to leave as soon as the concert was over." Noble sighed. "I wonder if Awakened Kai is as polite in person as he seems."
"You know perfectly well he goes by Night onstage," Honey blushed a little. "And I'm sure he had a good reason for heading out. It was better this way."
"Oh?! And here I thought you were a die-hard Night fan? Changing your allegiance, are you?" Fort teased. He scooted over and patted the couch, inviting both ladies to sit.
"Night is the lead singer of course, but Gale is the songwriter and dancer. I could never discount his contributions to making them both look good!" Honey defended herself. She plopped down in the armchair in exasperation.
"Both young men are very good singers." Noble took the cushion next to her husband as he looped his arm over her shoulder.
"Good? You said they were the best singers you've ever heard! I could barely hear their singing over your screaming some of the time," Honey jumped at the opportunity to take the attention off of her burning ears.
"I would hardly call what I did screaming, dear." Noble rolled her eyes.
"Oh really?" On cue, the teen produced her communicator and leaned forward to show her father the video.
On the screen, the floating Awakened was cheering as both Night and Gale danced around the stage singing their iconic lyrics. In her enthusiasm, she was swept up into the crowd that rushed the stage and was pushed back by the concert's security. Noble hid her eyes, afraid of what else her daughter might have recorded.
"I didn't realize I married a fangirl!" Fort squeezed his wife's shoulder. "That is certainly a side of you I've never seen, but I want to!"
"No, no. That was a one-time thing. Thousands of hormone-crazed teens and their hormone-crazed emotions were a shock to my system. It was either give in and join them or go absolutely crazy." It was the first time Noble had ever experienced anything like that.
Her ability to sense others' emotions had never been quite so acute as it was at the concert. Usually, she had to fight the urge not to affect others' moods, but this time so many euphoric adolescents had been the ones to influence her.
It had been fun in the moment, but now, with all the endorphins finally clearing, Noble felt her reason taking back over.
"Anyway, I wasn't screaming. I was calling encouragement." Noble tilted up her head defiantly.
"Well, you 'call encouragement' better than any teenage girl. I've never been so proud and embarrassed all at the same time." Honey lowered her communicator as the video finished. "I'm just glad they didn't bring you up on stage for that one song…"
"Hey, that blonde stole my spot. They were clearly not pointing to her!" Noble pouted.
"I would have picked you," Fort smiled adoringly at his wife.
"Aw, aren't you sweet? I'd pick you too." Noble blushed.
The man received a kiss in response, of which he took full advantage.
"Whelp. This is my cue to go to bed. Be good, you two." Honey dragged herself out of the chair and tucked her communicator into her pants pocket. Leaning down, she kissed her father on the cheek. "Goodnight, Dad."
Fort brushed back the hair from his daughter's face. "Goodnight kiddo. Have a good sleep."
The girl turned to her mother and the ladies hugged. "Thanks for taking me tonight, Mom. I know I was reluctant at first, but it was really one of the best nights. I wouldn't have wanted to spend it with anyone else."
Noble hid the words in her heart just as she hid the tears in her eyes. "I love you, sweet girl."
"I love you too. Goodnight." Honey squeezed her mother's hand before turning away.
"You raised a wonderful kid with that one," Fort whispered as Honey left the room.
"We raised a wonderful kid. Three of them actually." Noble cuddled up against her husband. "You should have seen Honey at the concert. She started out so shy and subdued, but our girl was just as crazy as I was. I just didn't get a video."
"It is very nice to see you getting along so well." Fort pressed his lips to the top of his wife's head.
While the ladies did not argue like some mothers and daughters did, they were not as close as they had been when Honey was little. Some change in the relationship was to be expected, but Fort liked the genuine enjoyment that the pair had shown just now from their shared experience.
"It's a night I will always remember." Noble shut her eyes and replayed it all in her mind. She really should send Dimi a thank you.
"Are you tired?" Fort felt his wife's breath slow down. He tightened his grip around her, lest she float out of his grasp when she dozed off.
"No, I was just reveling in the moment. I am actually quite energized!" Noble's eyes popped open and she graced him with her most enchanting smile.
"You have no right to look so beautiful when I know you have to leave in a moment."
Noble checked the time and nodded. "I am sorry. Rain check?"
"Do I have a choice?" Fort smirked.
"I love you! Are you planning to watch?" The woman's hopeful plea was even more adorable than her pout.
"Try and stop me! Now hurry and go while you still have energy. It is my turn to fangirl. Though I have arguably better taste." Winking, the man lightly pushed his wife to stand.
"You're incorrigible." Noble bent down and kissed her husband. "Thank you."
Fort nodded. "Knock 'em dead. And if you can, save some of that extra energy for me!"
"I will," Noble promised as she blew a fond goodbye in his direction.
Heading to her dojo, the Awakened shot off a message to her fiery counterpart.
"It's go time."