Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Contrary to V's plan, he failed to reunite with his demonic half, Urizen. Before the Demon King could even reach for the fruit, Nero and Dante stopped him and destroyed him.
However, since the human part of Vergil didn't want to die, he ate the fruit before he completely disintegrated. The remaining demonic magic in V's body grew stronger and was able to restore his body. From now on, he lived as an independent individual. Furthermore, he also revealed himself to Dante and Nero as a now former part of Vergil. In addition, after reflecting, he also acknowledged his son.
Naturally, the legendary Devil Hunter Dante was not thrilled by this news, but he also made no move to fight against him. The newly renewed V was also not interested in setting his shadowy familiars against his brother, especially since he was aware that he would lose by a landslide.

However, he asked for his help in felling the Qliphoth. He wanted to make amends for his mistake, but as a human, it was not possible for him. Despite his renewed powers, they were not sufficient. He had become aware of his weakness. And although it was difficult for him, he seemed to accept this—for now. But the loss of his demonic half would leave a deep wound that would only heal slowly.
V handed over the Yamato, which had returned to its usual form after Urizen's fall, to Dante. He did not feel worthy to wield this noble and strong blade, nor did he believe it would carry out his will. The experienced Devil Hunter accepted the burden, but he promised to return the katana to him when the time was right.
And so, they set off determinedly into Hell to fell the demonic tree, uncertain when or if they would return at all.

*

Two years had passed since the fall of the Qliphoth. V and Dante had resurfaced a few months later. Dante explained that they had discovered a random rift and had "hustled right out of it," as he put it. V amusedly mentioned afterwards that the legendary Devil Hunter had finally managed to close the rift after several failed attempts.

Although the human part of the elder twin brother sometimes doubted his new and admittedly weak identity, Dante frequently encouraged him to finally be able to lead a life. Even if the hunter later repeatedly referred to him as his "smaller older brother." Likewise, the others at Devil May Cry were by his side and, albeit slowly, began to trust him. V, the mysterious man, finally had something akin to a family. It seemed as if peace had finally arrived.

But other problems emerged.

Lethe still suffered from amnesia and remained unaware of her origins. V was hesitant to tell her about her past. Telling her that she was the mother of his son felt wrong to him, as she had longed for freedom during their fleeting love affair. And that is what Lethe was now: free. But should she ever remember, it was his duty to stay by her side.

Nero had begun taking on jobs with him. Perhaps to keep an eye on him; after all, he didn't trust him. Especially since Vergil had taken his arm and killed thousands of people in Red Grave out of a lust for power. But the young Devil Hunter was beginning to admire him for trying to live a normal life within the scope of his possibilities. Perhaps it was finally time to give him a chance. However, the young Sparda still struggled with doubt.

* * * * * 

Outside, snow lay on the streets, forcing some people to do their Christmas shopping on foot, as the heavy traffic left little time. Those who still drove came to a slow crawl.
It's faster on foot, Lethe thought, looking at the city's crowded streets with an amused expression. She was happy to live outside the city in a small apartment in an old couple's house. It was quiet. And if demons occasionally decided to cause trouble there, the couple was grateful when she dealt with them. But she didn't live there alone. There was someone else who wanted peace and quiet. Thinking of that someone brought a smile and warm cheeks to her face right at that moment. Nevertheless, she pulled up her black scarf and the collar of her dark green coat as a gust of wind brought her back to reality, and she quickened her pace. She also pulled her cap lower. She had one more thing to get. One gift, then the stress would finally be over!
Her walk led her to a small shop in a side alley. It looked quaint. The brick wall was overgrown with moss and ivy, which even crept into the roof. Covered in snow, it looked almost like something from a certain fantasy world where magic was omnipresent.

Lethe stepped through the rather old, creaking entrance door and was announced with a shrill jingle. The shop she stood in was an old antique store that offered all sorts of trinkets and curiosities. The red-haired woman stomped the snow off her shoes and then fully entered the business room, pulling off her gloves.
An old man was sitting at the counter, who probably hadn't expected any more customers that day. He looked somewhat bewildered at the young woman, who grinned at him and eagerly waved her hand in greeting.
"Oh! Welcome!" he said, then seemed to ponder. "Oh! It's you! The young woman who asked for the special piece!"
Lethe nodded gently and approached the counter. The man returned her nod and then went into the back room. In the meantime, she looked around a bit, but saw nothing that interested her at that moment. Furthermore, some of the things that did interest her were too expensive, and due to the fact that she could only accept easy jobs that required minimal demonic magic, money was a bit tight. She nervously played with a ring on her right hand and bit her lower lip slightly. She also felt a bit dizzy, forcing her to sit down in an old armchair. She quietly breathed in and out until she felt better.
When the old gentleman returned from the back room, he held a large, narrow case and placed it on the sales counter. When he looked at Lethe, he seemed slightly worried, but she waved him off and carefully rose.
She then pointed at the case and slowly moved closer with a curious look. The man nodded and opened the case, which, despite its age, was surprisingly well preserved. A grin crept onto the young woman's lips, and she nodded after seeing the desired object. He immediately closed the case again and then looked questioningly at the red-haired woman, who had suddenly spotted something behind him that she wanted like a child.
She pointed to it, but the man initially couldn't quite decipher it and grabbed the wrong item. Lethe lightly slapped the surface of the counter with her palm, which made the man jump. She gave him an apologetic look, embarrassed by the sudden burst of panic. Then she formed the words with her hands.
"I want the purple fabric."
The man looked somewhat confused; he knew she couldn't speak, but he couldn't interpret sign language. Lethe breathed out strainedly and forced herself to calm down again. The inability to speak still bothered her.
She pointed to him, then one of her ears, and then to the surface of the counter, her hand, and then herself. The man looked at her. At least he was trying to listen to her now, if you could call it that. She knocked once and shook her head.
"No...?"
A slight nod and smile followed from her side. Then she knocked several times and nodded vigorously.
"Yes?"
She nodded gently again, smiling.
"Okay... one knock and a head shake means 'No'... Multiple knocks and a vigorous nod is a 'Yes'," the man checked. A vigorous nod followed from Lethe, and so he began to show the young woman the items on the wall until he pulled out the desired fabric, and the red-haired woman almost beamed at him. It was silk with an unusual pattern embroidered on it.
"Good," the man said, looking at Lethe. "Is there anything else?"
She shook her head and waited.
"Fine, fine... the deposit was made..." he mumbled to himself, going over his own information again. The young woman, however, pulled out an envelope, placed it on the counter, and pushed it toward him. He looked at her as if she were crazy.
"Cash payment? Really? A whole two thousand dollars?"
Lethe shuddered at the amount but nodded again in confirmation, trying not to let herself be further unsettled. Although she was now a Devil Hunter, she currently couldn't take on lucrative or more dangerous jobs with the others. So she was left with the choice between managing the Devil May Cry or solving mysterious cases involving demons. With the latter, she even had to be accompanied. And that precisely diminished her finances, were it not for her roommate, who also hunted demons.
"Well, well... I won't ask, I'm just glad when I don't have existential worries for once. My wife always nags me about why I don't sell the shop and retire," he rambled on, looking deeply wistful. Lethe looked embarrassed and fiddled with the fringe of her green-and-black plaid scarf. "I just talk too much... must be my age!"
He chuckled once and began packing the briefcase with the fabric into a giant cloth bag after carefully counting the money in the envelope. Then Lethe took it, said goodbye, and walked out, only to be surprised by an icy gust of air. She once again pulled up her collar and scarf until a gust of wind suddenly appeared, but it wasn't coming from the environment itself.
"Ah! There you are!" a distorted voice croaked, and Lethe heard excited flapping. Griffon.
A silent sigh came from her, conjuring a small cloud of steam.
"Hey! Shakespeare is just worried, Siren!" he said, flapping even more excitedly, and the undersides of his wings glowed even brighter. Both could be glad that this side alley was virtually hidden and barely anyone was interested in antiques.
"I appreciate that. Let's go home... before someone else spots you," Lethe signed to him, putting on her gloves after gently setting the bag down near the snow-covered step of the entrance.
"What did you buy there?" Griffon was just about to flutter toward the bag when the red-haired woman quickly grabbed the bag and subsequently flinched briefly.
That was too fast, she thought, and grumbled.
"And that's why, my impetuous Siren, he doesn't want you to do anything stupid before tomorrow and appointed me your bodyguard! Oh, and best wishes from Javier and Nico! They arrived safely in New Orleans and are enjoying their togetherness!" the demon bird said amusedly, earning an angry look from the young woman. "Careful! Or your freckles will be drowned out by the redness in your face!"
He flew upward and circled Lethe like a vulture. She sighed again and headed home.

*

When Laurine opened the door to her apartment, Griffon quickly darted into the warmth and made himself comfortable on his perch in the living room, which adjoined the hallway. Lethe found the thought amusing, wondering what an uninitiated visitor would say about this bird-like demon.
"We're back!" he then croaked, and a black-haired man, dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, strode out of the bedroom. He had a book in his hand, which Lethe had given him for his birthday: the complete deluxe edition of William Blake's works.
He was reading this book for the eighth time. It seemed as if he never tired of it. However, that very book was also responsible for V starting to become creative himself, writing poems in an old-fashioned style with a real quill, or simply putting his thoughts on paper when he wasn't hunting demons.
Wordlessly, he walked toward his roommate and smiled at her before glancing at the bag. She lifted it and pressed it close to her with a warning look.
V suppressed a laugh, which turned into a chuckle. Lethe looked embarrassed and took a deep breath before rising onto her tiptoes. He leaned down to meet her so she could give him a kiss on the forehead. Then she looked at him with a gentle gaze before quickly disappearing into the bedroom.
"Don't ask me what you're getting," Griffon croaked amusedly, shaking himself once before fluffing up and groaning contentedly. "The weather outside is rotten... I don't get why you want to go to the ice rink with her tonight..."
"The others are there too... As are... Nero and his wife," V sounded slightly worried, as he still had to get used to the circumstances. "The whole... family is gathering."
"Well, you have the Siren who speaks for you. Just do what you always do," he said, and then the familiar dissolved, becoming the markings on the human's skin that could barely be seen due to the shirt.
After that, he waited a while until Lethe came out of the bedroom.
"Do you want to eat something before we go?" he asked calmly, looking at the young woman with care, who then nodded excitedly.

* * * * *

V and Lethe didn't take long to reach the small pond, which was a safe ice rink. Dante had officially rented the place. Where he got the money was uncertain, as everyone knew he had debts. For a good cause. Unofficially, he always dropped off his money elsewhere, and Lethe knew where his funds flowed.
"It's quite cold..." Laurine said to her boyfriend, who then gently pulled her close as they walked. This gesture on his part brought him a warmth he deeply enjoyed. This woman was there for him, despite her initial difficulties in navigating this world herself. Their relationship flared up again before the fall of the Qliphoth when he realized he still had feelings for her. And she, too, felt very safe with him.
"We're almost there... then we can..."
Sounds of battle!
V immediately summoned Griffon and Shadow.
"Oh, great... The Spardas aren't even allowed one day of peace!" Griffon complained as he was summoned along with Shadow, who stood at V's side.
"Go to Kyrie and the other two, Shadow will accompany you," the black-haired man pleaded with Lethe, great concern in his voice. "Shadow, do not leave her side until the danger is over."
A low growl, and then the young woman hastily started walking. The black-haired man watched her to make sure she reached the two female Devil Hunters and Kyrie before he joined Dante and Nero with his familiar.
The two were currently fighting a giant brute whose skin was covered in dangerous ice spikes. It alternately struck at the two white-haired men with its fists, like a wild, enraged Yeti. V did not know this kind of demon, not even during the time when he, his complete self, wandered through Hell under Mundus' control.
"The beast is purely magical... materialized through demon magic, similar to your little Siren's, just better, Sherlock!" Griffon said to his master, then flew into the air to inflict a fierce electric shock on the creature, which only seemed to tickle it. V, meanwhile, thought things over and quickly came to a decision.
"Looks like someone let the monkey out of the cage!" Dante scoffed, landing next to V after an attack and then shouldering his sword. "Finally here from the love nest, Vitale?" he asked, amused. V had to grin once.
"At least I have one," he retorted, and the half-demon clapped him on the shoulder.
"I think we should let Nero have a chance to shine... don't you think? I mean, he can finally turn into a devil too. It took him long enough." Dante said.
The young man they were talking about continued fighting the giant ice monkey and was frequently knocked away. Dante watched him, and V occasionally looked toward Lethe and Kyrie, who were standing with Trish and Lady. His partner had taken Kyrie into her arms, and Shadow waited, as a predator usually does, for his cue. Then he looked back at Nero, who had meanwhile swapped Red Queen for Yamato and cleared the creature out of the way with a single strike. It immediately dissolved.

"We should find the perpetrator," V suggested, looking at Dante, leaning on his cane in his usual manner. He looked again toward Lethe. "For that, we probably need help..."
He spoke quietly, which made Dante briefly look at his nephew. Nero then approached them, the Yamato resting on his shoulder and a broad grin on his face.
"I don't think your old man likes it very much when you do that with his prized possession," the legendary Devil Hunter commented, tapping V on the shoulder, who then looked at his son.
"I did that occasionally, too... just to know what it feels like to be as dumb as you, Dante," he countered his brother in his characteristic calm tone and smiled proudly toward his son.
Suddenly, V was hugged from behind, and he gently stroked the person's forearms with his free hand.
"We aren't finished yet, my Siren. But we need your help... can you manage it?"
After this question, Lethe cautiously nestled against him.
"Look how sweet these two are," Dante quipped in amusement, but instantly fell silent when he received a dirty look from the considerably smaller woman. "Oh man... I'm happy for you two, though."

When Lethe pulled away from V, he turned to face the red-haired woman and gently stroked her sides. He smiled at her, but a certain concern could be detected in his green eyes.
"I'll manage it, with you and the others by my side. We are a strong family, aren't we?" she said with sighn language, and the black-haired man nodded gently. Following this, he stroked her cheek very softly with his free hand.
"I will look out for both of you," he whispered as quietly as possible. A blush rushed to the young woman's cheeks. Then he released her, and she carefully linked her arm with her beloved's.
V showed his affection for Lethe openly. This was unlike the time in Fortuna, where he had known this woman as Laurine Kayne. Back then as time as Vergil, he feared that love was a weakness for him.
Now he had a family, a home, but in exchange, he had a different body and the mother of his son without her memory.
"I will never leave you again," he whispered, barely audible, and then noticed Lethe looking up at him questioningly, signing to ask what he had said. "I only said that I can no longer imagine a life without you and the others."
V grinned crookedly and gave her a kiss on her hairline before they quickly walked on to get to the bottom of the problem.

*

Lethe quickly raised her hand and cautiously knelt down as if she were looking for something. While V stood behind her and Griffon watched the surroundings, Dante looked over at Nero. They were a little further away.

"You should go talk to him," Dante began, while also keeping an eye on the surroundings. He heard Nero sigh heavily.
"It's hard for me, you know? Finding out that he took my arm, the tree story, and that he's my father," Nero said, then paused. "...Or part of him."
His uncle smiled in amusement, but the expression suddenly vanished.
"I don't even want to imagine what I would have done if I had known about V and Urizen. That my idiotic brother separated himself from his human side. We both killed the demonic part, and he almost got to that cursed fruit. It's unimaginable what would have happened," Dante began, looking at V. "His desire to make up for his mistake, that was genuine, even if he manipulated things to get what he wanted. And now look at the idiot, after eating the fruit. He takes care of your mother, who still doesn't know about her past. He taught you how to use the Yamato, even though he's no longer capable of using it himself. Like you, her, and me, he has trauma. But we heal. Scars will remain, but that's what makes us a family."
"Man, Dante... I didn't even know you could be intelligent," Nero countered humorously, and then took another deep breath. "I know it won't be easy with him... especially since he's socially incompetent."
Dante grinned broadly and nodded.
"Your parents deserve a new beginning after all the crap," the experienced Devil Hunter said, clapping Nero on the shoulder.
"Will Mom ever remember who she really is? I'd want to ask her a lot of things..." the younger man asked, then also looked at the tragic couple. The elder man clapped his shoulder again.
"When the time comes, be there for her, both of you."

"She's found a trace!" V said afterwards to the two men, looking over his shoulder at them.
Indeed, Lethe had been able to conjure a kind of arcane violet light trail that wavered from her toward another direction. She looked expectantly at the white-haired men, who both nodded at her. "She says the trail is fresh, so be careful."
Lethe had been able to track magical remnants since she was freed. Generally, however, she had never been born with such abilities. V's research, and Nico's as well, showed that a powerful demon had attempted to alter her DNA, succeeding to a small extent. Laurine was human through and through, which is why the demonic power fed on her life energy. Luckily for her, the weapon virtuoso forged a helpful tool in the form of a ring that absorbed and stored the residual life essence of a dying demon. V's gift to his beloved, and moreover, a promise of marriage.
Another nod from the two Devil Hunters, and so they cautiously followed the couple until Dante pulled Lethe behind him. He had noticed something and instructed her to be silent. Then he paused briefly and shook his head.
The young woman stared at him somewhat sullenly, and a silent sigh followed from her mouth.
Nero and V stepped ahead, continuing to follow the light wisps, followed in turn by Dante and Lethe. The latter concentrated intensely and occasionally glanced at the ring on her finger to check the charge status. After this, she looked relieved and then defensively hooked her arm into Dante's. In her current state, she was easy prey for any demon, even though she could defend herself better than during the time of the Qliphoth.
As they followed the wisps further, she became more restless and plucked at the legendary Devil Hunter's sleeve like a small child, pointing in one direction.
"Fact... my demon sense is flaring up," he then said dryly.
"Not just yours, Dante Parker," Nero said, amused. V smiled slightly at this and then joined his partner. He summoned Shadow again and instructed him once more to stay with her should they be separated. In an unobserved moment, the black-haired man breathed a kiss onto the young woman's forehead and then stepped with her toward the two Devil Hunters.
"Let's not waste any time," he urged, and so all three men strode onward. They were in the middle of a forest, in complete darkness. Only the snow and Lethe's spell gave any indication of where a path lay. V internally cursed his full humanity. In moments like this, he wished for his complete body back.

"There are footprints here," Dante said, crouching down on the ground. His demonic senses allowed him to see better than a human. Lethe stopped the spell and had to take a deep breath.
"I won't be able to do any more; it will become dangerous..." she expressed in sign language, leaning gently against V. He supported her as best as he could.
"You've done enough. V, take her to the others. We'll handle whoever is waiting for us."
"Hey! Finally, something's happening in winter, and I don't get to join in?!" Griffon grumbled.
"Stay with them," the black-haired man replied calmly, which delighted the bird-like familiar. V then gently took Lethe's hand and led her towards the others. Shadow, who served as an additional escort, showed them the way. Nevertheless, the man remained vigilant until they reached Kyrie, Trish, and Lady.
"My poet... I'll be glad when the little one is finally out. I can't emphasize enough how much my growing belly is starting to wear me out... and I still have three months!"
"Are you sure it's a boy?" Lady asked cautiously.
"Either that or the baby has eleven fingers!" Lethe expressed in sign language and giggled silently. V, meanwhile, grinned in amusement but said nothing in response.
However, he knew his beloved suffered at night and that it bothered her to be so helpless. But he swore to support her wherever he could.
After this, they waited for the other two, who soon returned with broad grins and their swords shouldered. In moments like these, V wondered if Nero wasn't Dante's son after all.
"I think we should head to the office and move Christmas up... Whoever or whatever that was with the Yeti dissolved into thin air. But we are not going to let this ruin the celebration!" Dante said, raising a fist in the air.
"Especially since it's the first one we're celebrating as a family together," the younger white-hair added, smiling crookedly after walking over to Kyrie. She then gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Your nose is pretty cold, Kyrie."
A giggle followed from her side.

Any normal person would have thought everyone in this situation was crazy. But for the Spardas, it was the most normal thing in the world between demon hunts.

* * * * *

When V and Lethe were back in their apartment, the young woman had to sit down in the armchair after taking off her coat and attempted to kick off her shoes. She was completely exhausted and finally gave up. She closed her eyes strainedly and stroked her belly, which was now clearly visible.
The small celebration had been lovely, but tiring. There were small gifts, as the focus was more on strengthening the family bond. But one thing Dante insisted on: the holiday meal was pizza. Mostly the usual kind, but Lethe had been craving a pizza with pickles and chicken pieces.

V placed the gifts on the dresser and followed Lethe on quiet soles. With a smile on his face, he watched her helplessness and waited. When she closed her eyes, he stepped towards her and knelt down in front of her.
"Let me help you," he said gently and helped her out of her shoes. She looked at him somewhat sheepishly. She was a bit ashamed of her emotional outburst. She admired her partner for the calm way he dealt with her. Even during the worse episodes when her hormones went completely haywire.
The young man looked at her lovingly, and they were silent for a while. But it was certainly not a silence of awkwardness. He then stood up, only to lean forward, supporting himself on the armrests, and continued to smile. But this smile was crooked and cheeky.
Lethe took a deep breath and dreamily ran an index finger along his chin and jawline and the small scar on his chin, biting her lower lip slightly as she did so. The look she gave him spoke volumes. However, V continued to tease her by tilting his head.
"You're starting to scratch," she conveyed with a hand forming her words, returning his cheeky grin. Her boyfriend took it as an invitation and moved closer and closer to her face, finally tickling her neck with his stubble. A silent laugh followed, and after that, he kissed her on the lips.
Suddenly, she excitedly tapped him on one of his shoulders, causing him to retreat in confusion. Posthumously, as if stung by a tarantula and instantly re-energized, Lethe jumped up and vanished into the bedroom.
V then grimaced and summoned Griffon.
"You can keep your insinuations to yourself," he then said unusually calmly, casting a dark look at the demonic bird.

Then he saw Lethe emerge from the bedroom with a large item wrapped in violet fabric. Her gaze was like that of a child excited about their favorite toy.
Without wasting any time, she handed it to V and urged him with gestures to unwrap it quickly. Somewhat irritated, he did so and immediately held the case she had hidden from him. She watched him expectantly, her green eyes staring at the case. But then she decided to take it into her hands and held it out to him so that he only needed to open it.
His green eyes briefly met hers. Then he even took a deep breath and opened the case.
"Lethe..." he breathed, stopping as he saw what was inside. Even Griffon literally held his beak. "...That's a Mittenwald violin."
She carefully put the case away after V took the violin into his hand. An impulse then moved him to play it, but the fun quickly faded when the notes were out of tune and Griffon fell off his perch.
"It needs to be tuned..." V said, looking at his darling, who was covering her ears and making a pained expression. Gently, he set the violin aside and took her hands, kissing both of her back of hand. "I regret nothing, not a second with you."

He truly regretted nothing anymore. Not even that they became a family. After all, the Sparda family had grown closer, and they would all look out for one another. V had learned that strength did not come from power alone, but that power lay in the solidarity of a family.

Chapter Text

It had truly been three years already since Urizen had been defeated. A day so fateful that it almost frightened me when I looked back. Time and again, my thoughts returned to that one single day on which I had nearly died, had the fruit not saved me. In that situation, I did not ponder what this demonic fruit would bring forth within me. For me, nothing mattered but bare survival.
I had been living as Vitale Sparda ever since, as a proper name was required if one had to reside among humans. Most especially when the woman one loved and intended to marry brought a child into the world. That very woman whom my entire self had encountered three decades ago in Fortuna, and through that love affair, Nero, the firstborn, was conceived. Yet, the tragic circumstance of his situation was that he grew up alone, having been fed lies regarding his mother.
Livius was a tiny, silver-haired miracle that was never supposed to happen. According to Lethe’s gynecologist, her body was incapable of bearing a child. Even he had been astonished when, after two years, he was forced to establish that she was carrying him beneath her heart.
His birthday fell upon mine—the one I had adopted: the first of May. The most beautiful gift my future wife could have ever bestowed upon me. And yet, he would remain our final child, as something had to be removed from her body.
Despite the circumstances that my entire self had caused, Nero loved him as a little brother and visited us at the hospital alongside his beloved, to welcome the family's newest arrival.

But there were things about the human world that I simply refused to comprehend. Bureaucracy. The humans who conceived such a thing truly seemed to possess masochistic tendencies. Especially when our son saw the light of day, a multitude of applications had to be filled out. Things that I, as my whole self, never had any need to do. I simply saw no purpose in why a newly born being required a certificate merely to exist.
Dante had been thoroughly amused by this farce when he caught wind of it. Lethe, however, punished him with her glares, implying that without her work, he wouldn’t even have gotten back on his feet. Her job at Devil May Cry had become managing the paperwork, in addition to missions that required her specific skills. My brother never managed to pay her a proper wage, and while she was pregnant, we were reliant on my money, which I earned from assignments. Often, I took on the dangerous ones, a fact that the redhead did not approve of. Eventually, I made it a habit to maintain silence regarding them, as the final weeks in particular had taken a heavy toll on her nerves.
But now, the time had come to care more for my family, and the accumulated money came in quite handy.

* * * * * 

Lethe sat before the fireplace of our rented apartment, cradling Livius in her arms, who had finally fallen asleep. Generally, he had kept us quite on our toes these past few days, especially at night—which was entirely normal, according to the parenting guides I read. Due to the exertion, a guilty conscience always crept over me for simply having left her alone back then, after knowing she was pregnant with our first child. A child was work, a child required a great deal of attention, a child was not something to be romanticized.
"Let me put him to bed," I whispered softly to Lethe and took him from her arms. Lethe, however, pointed an index finger toward the cradle at the other end of the room and hurriedly slipped out of her seat. "Slowly... remember your scar..."
She smiled and signed with her fingers that everything was alright, causing me to let out a quiet sigh. We then carefully, without making any major noise, slid the cradle into place between the armchair and the couch in front of the fireplace, allowing me to gently lay him inside. Afterward, she gestured for me to sit down. A gesture she always made once Livius had fallen asleep, so that we might enjoy the quiet time together. A small family idyll with a bittersweet aftertaste. She then seated herself on the couch, wrapping herself additionally in a cozy blanket that lay beside her.
I smirked crookedly and dared to sit down beside her, subsequently pulling her into my arms. She did not resist and placed her head upon my chest. A closeness that was but rarely granted to us.
Mostly, she fell asleep from exhaustion or was occupied with renewing the wards around the house, yet tonight, it was as though she could draw fresh strength. She looked up at me with a certain fire in her eyes, the likes of which I hadn’t seen in a long time, and I took pleasure in it.
"Can you read something to me?" she asked me in sign language, and I briefly glanced over at Livius. My voice had always possessed a soothing effect on the little one, making it my task in the evenings to read him a story.

I smirked crookedly and nodded. Once more, Lethe leaped up, which caused me concern—yet she did not seem nearly as fragile as I was trying to project onto her.
Following this, she handed me my book, the one I had salvaged from my parents' house. A keepsake from my childhood that I had carried with me even during the days of the Qliphoth, granting me a sense of stability. It inspired me as well. It was an antique anthology of William Blake’s works.
"Do you truly wish for this?" I whispered softly to her, and she smiled at me warmly. A smile that I esteemed and loved all too well. A lightheartedness that lent Lethe a certain sublimity, which she had first been forced to reclaim in Red Grave. Shortly thereafter, I let out a quiet chuckle and reclined on the couch in such a manner that the redhead could join me. Meanwhile, I had arranged the blanket so that I could wrap her inside it. She lay down beside me, nestling against my chest with her face turned toward mine. I wrapped one arm around her, lest she might fall off after all. The couch offered ample room for one person, yet it still possessed its limits.

"I went to the Garden of Love,
And saw what I never had seen:
A Chapel was built in the midst,
Where I used to play on the green.

And the gates of this Chapel were shut,
And 'Thou shalt not' writ over the door;
So I turn'd to the Garden of Love,
That so many sweet flowers bore.