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A wail pierced the air, causing the couple in the bed to stir. Nathaniel was the first to wake, a soft groan escaping his lips for what had to be the fifth time that night. While most nights he could sleep a good few hours, there were nights such as this that he was lucky to get one, if not two hours of sleep before having to get up.
As he put on his glasses and rose from the bed, Margaret, who had been sleeping next to him, turned towards him. “I can get her, you know,” she said, tone groggy as she made to sit up. Nathaniel, however, placed a hand on her shoulder and eased her back.
“I’m already awake, and you tended to her last time,” he told her, his lips twitching as a sleepy glare was shot his way.
“Stubborn.”
“As are you, or have you forgotten, my dear?”
“Don’t start-“
A soft chuckle escaped his lips before he turned towards the door. The wails continued, a sure sign that he should get a move on. As much as he loved to banter with her, there were more pressing matters to attend to.
It didn’t take him long to enter the nursery, and even less time to scoop up the tiny bundle gently into his arms. As soon as the child was secure in his arms, the wails slowed before disappearing all together. Lavender eyes, which mirrored Margaret’s own stared up at him in what he thought to be curiosity. Small tufts of silver coloured hair could be seen atop her head, which looked to be growing at a faster rate than he thought.
“Are you hungry?” he asked, his tone soft as he was met with a coo in return. It was only a few hours ago that she had been fed, so that couldn’t have been it. She also didn’t appear to need changing, nor did she seem to be in any pain.
Perhaps she was lonely, and simply wanted to be with her parents?
Nathaniel smiled softly before beginning to gently rock the child, who let out a happy sound. It seemed that his last guess had been correct, and while he was tired, he was more than happy to hold his daughter. When they had first brought her home, she had taken to Margaret and would kick up a fuss whenever Nathaniel tried to handle her. At first he thought it was because the child was rejecting him, but his wife was quick to inform him that he was holding her all wrong. Once she showed him how to properly hold her, the fussing stopped and she took to him as quickly as she did her mother.
He took to walking around the room, his daughter still in his arms. As he did so, his mind went to all the moments and events that led to this. After joining the Rats, Nathaniel had been certain that he would never see her again, especially not with his memory intact. Furthermore, he never expected to be set free from Fyodor’s control, which was thanks to his beloved wife. He had learned that day just how potent her anger was, and how swift she dealt it out. Not even he had been spared from her wrath, and he was certain that the bulk of it was directed towards him. The others, even Francis had left them be, all of them knowing better than to interfere with a highly irate woman.
Once her anger had settled, and both were in good enough condition to leave, they had moved back to the United States, specifically a town just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Nathaniel had no use for his own hometown, or his parents, and he wanted to be as close to Margaret as he could. During the transition from Japan to their home country, both had confessed their feelings, and by the time they arrived home they became attached to the hip. Marriage was the next logical step, and while a few felt it was rushed, the rest of the Guild, and the couple themselves knew it was time.
It wasn’t long into their marriage that they were given quite a large sum from their former employer, and with it they managed to find a house that Margaret had wanted for as long as she could remember. Shortly after moving into their house, they had found out Margaret was expecting, which brought mixed reactions from joy, to fear, to worry, and more than one near panic attack on Nathaniel’s part. While Margaret was more than ready, Nathaniel had his doubts which stemmed from his own upbringing, and the trauma he was still working through thanks to Fyodor’s mind control. Plus, he knew next to nothing about child rearing and felt wholly inadequate. All of these feelings eventually subsided upon their daughter’s birth, and the anxiety he previously felt vanished when he held the tiny bundle for the first time. A sense of calm and peace flowed through him then, much like it did in the present.
When his thoughts came back to the present, he looked down at his daughter, who was still staring up at him. “So,” he said, his smile not once leaving his lips. “When are you going to sleep? Sleep is important, you know, and Daddy would like to have some too.”
“As would Mommy.”
Nathaniel looked towards the door as Margaret entered a smile on her lips as she moved over to the pair. “I told you I had this,” he said as she quickly, yet gently took their daughter out of his arms, which earned her a pout.
“Maybe I wanted to have a turn with her. Is that a problem, dear?”
“It is a problem when you should be sleeping.”
“We both know neither of us will sleep until she does. Honestly we should just move her into our room for the time being. We wouldn’t have to go far, and she might sleep better.”
“But is that wise?”
“Do you have any other ideas?”
“Well, no-“
“Then she’ll stay with us.” With an air of finality, Margaret took their daughter out of the room, stopping briefly when she was on the other side of the doorway. “Can you bring her cradle in? My arms are full at the moment~” A cheeky grin crossed her lips as she took in her husband’s scowl, which ended up being replaced with a long sigh.
“Fine, but you owe me, Margaret.”
“Yes, yes.” She dismissed his with a wave before turning her attention to their daughter. Margaret’s coos could be heard as she went back to her room, which brought a smile back to his lips. Despite being the one left with the more daunting task, he couldn’t help smiling; it wasn’t every day that you started a family with your beloved, and one that was sure to last for many years to come.
Carrying the cradle back to their room was worth it.