Wriothesley's POV
Honestly, Neuvillette leaving in a gigantic mansion isn't as shocking as what I'm seeing right now.
Neuvillette in sweatpants and a loose-fitting T-shirt.
He knows how to wear something other than a suit?
Shocking.
"Everything alright with you two?" Was the first thing he asked.
"A bit shaken up but not much else."
A hint of relief seemed to flash in his eyes for a moment as he invited us in.
He led us to the living room and as soon as she laid eyes on it, Sigewinne was ready to jump onto the large couch in the middle.
To be honest, even I was tempted.
It looked way too soft for me not to be.
Unfortunately for her, Sigewinne's plans did not go all that well.
As she was about to make a run for it she was held back by her collar by Neuvillette.
"You will have to shower first, young lady. You look like you jumped into a pile of dust."
Actually, she sat in one, but close enough.
Though...
My eyes couldn't help but drift from Neuvillette's hand holding onto Sigewinne to his face.
It was as if lightning had struck him that second and he immediately let go, taking a step back.
"My apologies. I overstepped."
That's not really why I was looking at him like that.
I would have done the exact same thing he was just a bit quicker with his actions.
He's definitely very used to having kids around.
And he hadn't exactly been grabbing Sigewinne either. He just gently held her collar in an attempt to stop her from advancing.
"It's alright, Mr. Neuvillette. You just wanted to protect your poor couch. It's just that... we don't exactly have any clean clothes to change into."
Well...
Now this is certainly awkward.
We both look like we rolled around in dust and we have nothing else to wear.
I should have thought about this.
We should have bought something on the way.
"Ah. No worries. That problem can be solved quite easily." Neuvillette said reassuringly.
?
He led us down the hall to the third door on the right.
He opened the door to reveal a giant walk-in closet filled mostly with colorful children's clothing with in one corner, a small section for clothes about his size.
"Every once in a while the children from the House of the Heart stay with me for a few days. These are all clothes they chose on a whim when we were outside. It's an everyone wears everything kind of situation so please go right ahead." Neuvillette explained.
Yeah...
That can work for Sigewinne but I-
"They also chose some for me and they don't always get the size right. You should be able to find something that fits you, Mr. Wriothesley." He added.
That was about all he could say before Sigewinne dragged him away to look at some clothes.
This gave me a chance to take a better look around the room.
While everything was tidy and well kept with every single piece of clothing folded neatly in piles.
The things that stood out like a sore thumb were the little drawings covering both the shelves and the walls.
From ones clearly down by someone very young all the way to detailed and intricate drawings bordering professionals.
Seeing as how Sigewinne looked to be almost done, I took a look at my own choices.
...
These were definitely chosen by children.
No adult would buy clothes like these.
I tried to ignore the bright neon-colored pieces and took out one of the only white shirts on the shelves.
All was well with this one till I turned it around.
World's best uncle
Not up for grabs
If interested, please call...
It was followed by a phone number.
All of this written in bold, red letters.
...
Without another word, I put the shirt back on the shelf.
Neon green it is!
I managed to fish out a pair of gray sweatpants that were about my size. Maybe just a bit too short.
As for Sigewinne...
She chose a set of white pajamas with little black cats wearing tophats on them and a light blue fluffy onesie with a hood with rabbit ears on it.
On top of her pile was another piece of clothing that I had completely forgotten about. One that in my case will pose a bit of a problem.
Underwear.
I don't exactly have a clean pair of boxers lying around in my car.
Neuvillette probably spotted me eying the piece of clothing and quickly said:
"It's brand new and washed, I can assure you."
That's good and all but...
How do I ask him if he just happens to have a pair of boxers in my size without this turning incredibly awkward?
...
Let's leave that for later.
I'll help Sigewinne shower first.
That will give me some time to think about how I want to phrase this.
Neuvillette led us to the bathroom on the first floor and gave us a few towels before leaving.
He also reassured me that I shouldn't worry if we make a mess.
From that, I can only assume that he had a few not-so-peaceful attempts at bathing young children before.
Luckily for both of us, Sigewinne usually behaved herself while bathing.
Even so, today, she was unusually quiet.
"Everything alright, princess?" I asked eventually.
I was washing her hair so with her back turned to me, I couldn't really make out what expression she was making.
"Dad..."
"Yes, my dearest?"
"I'm glad that you're okay." She mumbled.
My hands combing through her hair stopped for a moment before resuming their motions.
"I'm glad that you are alright as well, Sigewinne."
I was thoughtless.
Since she had been behaving as her usual cheerful self, I had stupidly assumed the incident didn't hit her so much but clearly...
"We'll have to move, right?"
"Yes." I admitted.
There was a short silence before she spoke again.
"I want my favorite blanket back."
"Hmm."
"And I want my photo album." She mumbled.
Ah... That...
Sigewinne's little collection of memories.
"That I can replace."
Her head shot back in an instant, nearly smearing soap into her eyes.
"All of it?"
"All of it. I made sure to scan every single one of them just in case you ever lost one." I smiled.
Tears started to gather in her eyes but she stubbornly pushed them back.
Oh dear...
I pulled her into a tight hug.
"If you want to cry, just cry."
"But I want to be strong for Dad." She mumbled dismissively.
"I will be far happier knowing that you aren't bottling things up, Winne."
At first, there was just a single sniff.
And then another.
And another, before her whole body shook.
"Waaah!"
"There, there. I'm right here. You're safe. Let it all out."
I held her tightly as she cried to reassure her that I was there and I wasn't leaving. To try and somehow tell her that it was all going to be alright somehow.
"I want to go home."
"Me too princess."
Me too...
There were far too many memories in that apartment for it to just go up in flames like that.
"I don't want to go to school tomorrow."
"Tomorrow is Sunday."
"The day after then."
"That can be arranged."
If she needs some time off I won't force her to go.
At most, she will have to stay at work with me.
"I want to eat pancakes with ice cream for dinner." She continued.
...
"Fine."
Just this once.
I'll allow nonsense like that for dinner just this once.
We stayed like this for a while longer before she pulled back and allowed me to finish washing her hair.
I dried her off and got her into the clothes that surprisingly enough fit her quite well.
That onesie though...
That's just too adorable!
I brought Sigewinne downstairs and placed her on that couch she had been eyeing previously. Neuvillette came into the room not long after, handing her a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows.
That is certainly one way to cheer up a kid.
After that he came over to me and handed me a pile of fresh towels and a pair of-
It was a pair of boxers.
"It's new. I'm not too sure about the size though." He said awkwardly before slipping away and taking a seat next to Sigewinne.
So I was left behind staring at the underwear.
...
Oh my god!
I can't wear this!
I'm gonna die of embarrassment at the mere thought of it!