Dogs of War [ Chapter 51 ]: Arc Three.
Title: [ Calm Before The Storm.]
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(........Ugh...)
(.......Everything just feels weak...)
( But, I need to go wake those two up...)
(....Right, right, let's just get up...)
( Baobhan will be fine... Skoll, maybe she'll give me a break today...)
( Haa...haha... Little girl loves to sleep in...)
(...I could sleep a little more too... But, they need breakfast first...)
Another day, another reminder, another reason to raise his body out of bed. Rubbing his eyes as they opened. Gold eyes duller than brass, with small circles going around them. Slowly stretching his body, he felt too old to be so young, everything felt so stiff. Looking around, he found himself in bed, and looking to the other side of the bed, he found her missing. Surprised she had woken up before him, but as he pondered on it, he soon remembered why, and it made sense. Yet still, the information made him feel uncomfortable.
"Ahh... I'm being left with Baobhan today, right," He muttered to himself, letting out a yawn as he turned back to the window, feeling a bit of comfort as well as warmth. The sun's morning light hit him while he ran his left hand through his hair. As he pulled back his hand and stared down at his palm, he noticed a couple more strands fell into his grasp.
Red and white strands, the roses growing ever gray as he sighed.
"Haha... I wonder when I'll go gray?" He asked himself, chuckling as he pictured the image in his head. Laughing a little more while thinking of a certain someone that came to mind. "Maybe Merlin will be jealous that I stole her look? I'll still work it better than her... haha."
"Hmm, I wonder...?" He paused, his eyes softening as he thought back on the woman, it had been a very long time since he had said her name. Without a doubt he had thought of her, hell, he thought about everyone when he had nothing better to do, or just when he wanted to smile. Merlin, she was always going to be a good woman in his heart. A flower always blooming, greeting others with shine and beauty no matter their mood. At one point in his life, that woman...
She had really shown her worth...
( Foolish... But, I'd like to see her again...) He thought to himself, smiling for a moment before placing his hands on his knees and standing up. Stretching his arm out before taking in a breath, he readied himself for the day. Buttoning up his shirt, he turned around before walking out the door.
Walking out into the hall, his eyes shifted toward the direction of the kid's room, a warm look appearing in his eyes as he began walking forward. Reaching the closed door, he paused for a moment as he figured how he'd wake them, the schedule was the same every time, but as he thought... He couldn't help but feel sour, wrong even. Lowering his head, he sighed as he remembered something. His daily ritual could not continue without at least this.
"I'll be better... Your Papa promised," He muttered to himself bitterly, a look of shame in his eyes. It had been a while since that night, and it stuck with him, it couldn't leave him, and every time he stepped in front of this door...
He felt the desire to be stronger, be better, and be her father.
It was a thought that clogged up the space in his head, and he reached the same conclusion every time. He needed to get them out of here. Before, he saw it as a hopeless cause, but... Y/n's fist balled, shaking for just a moment, as every time he thought about it before, he saw it as a hopeless cause. But, after that night, he couldn't live with himself any more, after seeing her again, he felt a bit of himself return. He held his daughter, his daughter saw him, she saw just a glimpse of the truth, and it killed him inside.
And every day after, when he would see her, when he saw Baobhan Sith and Skoll when he'd wake them.
He couldn't live with himself. He would get them out of here, someday.
( Even if it kills me... I'd much rather do something than live as I am...)
Shaking his head, taking in a breath before smiling, he turned the knob and opened the door. Walking inside the room, the sour feeling in his heart lessened at seeing the little girls sleeping. Chuckling, he noticed that Skoll was sleeping sprawled out on the bed snoring softly, while the red-headed twin slept soundly, wrapped up in covers. Skoll was just so much bigger than Baobhan Sith... That it was funny.
"Alright, well I know who's getting up first," The father said with a smile, walking over to the left side of the bed. Looking down at Baobhan Sith, he patted the little girl on the back as he whispered a little while bending down to her level. "Hey hey, time to get up, Princess. The food isn't going to eat itself, haha..."
"Uhmm... Father... Tired...," Baobhan Sith mumbled as she stirred a bit in her sleep. Poking her on the cheek, he laughed a little as she rubbed her eyes. "You can sleep later, right now I need you up and walking, Baobhan."
Listening, the little girl who was dressed in pink, slowly stirred before raising up, pushing back the white sheets, and rubbing her eyes. Blinking and opening her eyes, the little girl with cute but tired silver eyes reached out to her Father with her tiny arms and spoke tiredly. "Father... Pick me up please, Baobhan is tired..."
( Yep, I'm a sucker for these two little brats...) Y/n thought to himself, sighing while forming a small smile before taking her up in his arms and letting the little girl rest her head on his chest as he shook her a little. "Are you gonna want me to keep doing this when you're older?" He asked jokingly as the little girl answered.
"...Yes Father," Baobhan Sith muttered before trying to fall asleep again while Y/n walked over to the other side of the bed. Now it was time to wake up the little honey badger. Walking over and laughing a little at how his other daughter slept, he knew waking her up wouldn't be as smooth.
"Skoll, get up," Y/n said in a straightforward tone, knowing a gentle approach wasn't going to work for her, she was too much like him. And proving him right, the girl even in her sleep fired back.
"Papa is a bastard... Papa is a sleep tyrant..."
"Oh? I'm a tyrant am I?" Y/n asked in a slightly annoyed voice, a funny smile on his face as he gently put Baobhan Sith on the ground, letting her stand up on her own as she held onto his leg a little. Smiling to himself, he watched the little girl snore as he began rubbing his hands together...
Creating friction...
Which created power...
And right when he felt ready...
CLAP!
"Ahhh! Wha-Papa why!?" Skoll cried as she shot up on the bed, looking around for the person who woke her before landing her eyes on her father and giving him a look of betrayal.
"We both know why, now let's stop this song and dance and get you two ready," Y/n said calmly as Baobhan Sith who was used to the two's antics in the morning just looked up at the scene a little curious.
"Blahh!" Skoll said, sticking out her tongue at her Papa who grinned as he put his hands behind his before bending down and sticking his tongue out at her in return.
"Wahh!"
"Blahh!"
"Wahh!"
( Father and sister are being funny again... ) Baobhan Sith thought as she laughed a little herself while the two in front of her joked around.
"Papa is an old man!"
"And my daughter still wets the bed!"
"No-no I don't! That's Baobhan sith!"
( ....What?! No, I don't!)
"Listen little girl, as long as I'm the same old man who taught you how to wipe your butt, you can't say jack about ya Papa," Y/n said in a teasing tone as Skoll looked quite embarrassed at the comment, finding herself beaten.
"That wasn't fair, papa...," Skoll muttered while Y/n laughed.
"No fight in life will ever be fair, but that just means ya gotta even the odds, ahaha!" Y/n said with a laugh before patting her on the head and ruffling her hair. "Now let's get you two something to eat, alright?" He asked, getting a happy Skoll in return as she quickly nodded her head and jumped off the bed.
"I want pancakes!" Skoll exclaimed as Baobhan Sith quickly followed after her.
"I want an omelet!" Baobhan Sith said in quick succession.
( Call my kitchen hell, because every day I feed these little demons! Hahaha! ) Y/n thought to himself, smiling as he saw the set of twins, one bigger than the other, run out of their bedroom and downstairs, ready to start their day. Feeling something warm and familiar sprout in his chest as he closed his eyes and shook his head.
Two little girls. Two adorable little girls that made his world spin, days fun, and life enjoyable. Doing more for him than he ever will for them, they were a large piece of his heart. He couldn't put a price on their happiness and he wouldn't dare try. Y/n did love them, they were his children after all.
Closing his hands and forming fists, he found strength in their light, resolve in Artoria's fire, and yet still searched for peace. As things were now, he couldn't sit down nor sleep. Rest was but a dream. Something was brewing in his heart, a desire, a want, and a need. One that once fulfilled would grant him a long-desired peace...
"Let the day come soon... Let the day come soon...," He whispered, a small prayer.
"Let the day come soon, where I can show them what lies beyond this place, and give them a home, show them heaven...," He prayed, flickering a flame that had long since been mere sparks. Making a vow unto himself for them, he finished his promise.
"Free them from hell... See her again, and then... Then I can rest..."
The plan had never changed, only forgotten. Only halted.
But he remembered.
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"We will be back before night falls..."
"Alright, I'll have food on the table before you two get back..."
( Mother and Father... They're acting cold, again...)
Standing at the front door was the blonde pair of both Morgan and Skoll, yet as Baobhan Sith stood by her father and watched on, she felt like she was seeing something odd. Because ever since that night... Her Mother has been keeping her distance from her Father. While her Father has been more cold to her mother... Right now, they looked at each other like strangers, and it confused her, bothered her as she thought to herself...
( Skoll won't talk about what she saw... She doesn't even remember going downstairs... I don't get it...)
"Hey hey, you'll be back soon, I'll just be with your sister for the rest of the day, cool?"
"But I wanna stay with Papa... I wanted you to teach me how to hunt bears..."
"I promise to do that the day after, Y/n honor guarantee."
Looking over at her sister and father, she could tell Skoll was a bit upset about leaving. But, her Father was doing his best to make her happy. Watching her Father laugh as Skoll ran up and hugged him tightly, Baobhan Sith couldn't help but feel sad, as even she felt what was behind it.
Her sister didn't want to let go, and didn't know why.
"Papa you better be safe, alright...?" Skoll whispered under muffled breath, trying to squeeze her Papa as he hugged her back and patted her on the head.
"Yeah, I hear you...," Y/n said with a small smile before looking up past her and at Morgan.
There was an unspoken understanding between them. A loss for her, a stalemate for him. Whatever she had tried to fake between them, wasn't going to work anymore. They were strangers in this house, at most, prisoners and warden. He wasn't sure, but maybe, just maybe on that night, he truly frightened the woman, made her back off... From that point onward, she only spoke to him when needed, and merely kept an eye on him, as if she herself was trying to figure out how to handle him, knowing now that he still possessed a bit of himself. A watchful eye, and an attentive listener. They were both monsters, one caged inside a prison, the other hellbent on keeping the former behind bars...
The madhouse was falling apart, and the little ones will have never seen it come. Their picture-perfect life shall end as a thief in the night, falling apart quicker than they would possess it. Short will the days after seem, and cold will be the nights.
"Be safe dear," Y/n calmly said, staring into Morgan's eyes that gave a look that was as cold as his.
Emerald Madness meeting Golden Strength.
The Wolf Knight shall howl once again.
The Wicked Witch shall be revealed.
And...
It shall all come crashing down.
It shall all come crashing down.
My fair ladies, this house shall come crashing down.
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A/n:
Have a good day and make sure to stay safe and drink water!