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Lilia wasn't stepping out for long. Just routine check on the wards he has put up, needing to make sure they still held strong.
Lilia has to go a good distance for some of them but he wasn’t worried. It doesn't take long to get to each one and Malleus was good with Silver, if awkward at times. It wasn’t the first time Lilia trusted them alone together. He's confident in Malleus's ability to watch over Silver.
So he had been surprised when he started to hear Silver’s cries in the distance and how the didn’t seem to stop. It was odd. Even if it took some time, Malleus could usually calm him down.
Usually, Lilia would brush it off and continue the checks. But before Lilia realized it, he'd already turned around and rushed back.
He was home within seconds.
He finds Malleus where he left him in the living room with Silver in his arms. Lilia isn't sure who looks more distressed this moment, his prince or the still crying infant.
“My, my. What has this one so upset I wonder?” Lilia muses, his lips twitching. He pulled out a couple leaves that had gotten stuck in his hair. “I could hear him at the furthest ward. Why the never ending tears?”
“I’m not sure. He was fine when he first woke up, then started to cry.” Malleus frowned. Once Lilia is close enough, he reaches over to get a leaf Lilia had missed.
“That is strange for him. I wonder if he’s starting his teething.”
“Isn't that too soon?”
“Not for humans. I believe he might be a little late from the norm actually.” Lilia was just about to suggest for Malleus to pass Silver over when the child finally spots him.
Tears stopped for a brief second, the crying wavering into small short hiccups. Then before they could relax, almost louder than before, the crying started up once more.
“One would think he was part banshee.” Malleus grimaces. Despite his own discomfort with the sound, Lilia laughs and pats him on the arm.
“Remind me to show you what a banshee is really like. Even you won't be able to withstand it's sound.” Lilia's eyes narrow and he can't help but tease, “Besides, at least with this one I don’t need to check on the mountains, unlike a certain lord I would look after.”
“Must you bring that up now?” Malleus huffs.
Silver's crying continues. With a small sigh, Lilia steps over to take him only to freeze when the crying changed.
Did this child just-?
With a shake of his head, Lilia pretends he didn’t hear anything different and held the infant close. He started to softly sing a tune, one he’s long forgotten the words for but still clearly remembers the melody. Now within his arms and rocking his slowly, Silver calms down. He was still mumbling out sounds but they grew softer and softer. Until finally, it was so silent it was as though the crying had never happened.
“There we go.” Lilia says with relief. He holds Silver close, able to feel his short breaths against his neck.
“Lilia.” Malleus’s eyes were wide. “He just said...”
“Oh. So he did say it.” Lilia wasn’t sure at first. He thought he misheard, which he knew was impossible. But from Malleus’ reaction, Silver truly did say it. “I guess that would be his first word, wouldn't it?”
“He missed you. That’s why he was crying.” Malleus looked as surprised as Lilia felt. “He woke up and didn’t see you...that’s why he was crying. He missed his father.”
Lilia huffs a small laugh. His lips turn in a hint of a smile but if it doesn’t quite reach his eyes, then at least Malleus doesn’t call him out on it. Not yet, anyway. He waits until Lilia's put Silver down in his cradle for that.
“Lilia.”
Lilia pretends he didn’t hear his name called from the doorway. He continued to hover several inches above the ground. He reached down, gently brushing back the light strands of hair that had been falling over Silvers eyes. He was still so small, so young. Lilia struggles to measure time, but even at a six months he still seemed too young. Barely a minute old in the time of forever.
“Before, I jokingly told this little one to call me Papa. I said it a few times but I didn’t mean it. I had forgotten how quickly even human infants catch on. So when he called me that today, I was surprised. I wonder what else he’ll begin to say.”
“Lilia.”
He finally looks at Malleus, acknowledging him. He took one last look at Silver before following Malleus back downstairs.
“I know what you want to say, Malleus.”
“If you know, why do you always do this to yourself?” Malleus asked. “You always...had a soft spot for young ones. But when something happens to them, you...”
He doesn't finish the sentence but the implication is there.
“Come now, don’t say it like that. You’re just as fond of him as I am,” Lilia teased with narrow eyes. He tapped a finger on his lips, saying, “I recall someone sitting next to the little one for hours simply because his finger had been held for the first time.”
“One must not disturb a sleeping child.” Malleus says. “That’s what you’ve always said.”
“I have, but that’s because the last child I watched was a horror to put to sleep,” Lilia smirks. “I could always hear you whenever I returned from my travels. Everyone would be in a frenzy trying to calm you down before something broke again. We couldn't have all the mountains around the area fall to a tantrum.”
That was back when Malleus's parents were still around. His mother was very good at calming Malleus' distress. Though that never stopped her and her husband from getting Lilia's singing to put the temperamental infant to sleep within seconds.
“I never intend to be a father to this child.” Lilia admits. “As much as I would joke, I didn’t plan to keep Silver long enough to name him. I intended to find him a human family. One that could give him a normal human life. Watch over him from afar so I can keep an eye on his condition.”
Lilia knew there was something wrong with this child. He doesn't know why, but there was a strong spell over him. A powerful one that Lilia can't remove. One that Malleus can't either. He hopes that it won't effect Silver too much when he's older, but it's hard to say when he's still so young. For now, all Lilia can do is use whatever magic he can to keep the worst of it off this child.
“But you kept him.”
“I kept him,” Lilia smiled. “I don’t know why. There’s something about this little one I’m fond of. Something special. I don't want to let him go.”
“You love him.”
“I do. I truly do,” Lilia laughed lightly. “How dangerous, loving something so fragile and getting attached so quickly. But he’s mine. Apparently, he’s decided I’m his also. I never intended to be this ones parent. But if he wants me as his father, than that’s what I shall be.”
He wonders what he will do if a day comes when Silver decides he doesn't want him as this role in his life. If Silver decides to leave. Will Lilia be able to handle that separation? Will he be able to handle if he does stay?
Lilia is a fae and despite being able to control appearance, he ages slowly. Silver's lifespan is like a minute in Lilia's.
With how much he already loves him, what will happen once that lifespan reaches it's end?
He feels Malleus next to him and leans against his side. He probably shouldn't be, but Lilia allows himself this moment of weakness.
“It'll hurt you later, Lilia.”
“I know, Malleus. I know.” Lilia closes his eyes and sighs. He really does take too much comfort in Malleus next to him like this. “But I'm sure it'll be worth it, just to watch that child grow up.”
A days comes when Silver is older and asks an unexpected question.
“Father, why...why did you take me in back then. Not that I’m not grateful, just...”
“Just what? Are you unhappy with how you were raised?” Lilia asked. He wasn’t offended. Simply curious. If there was something Silver wasn’t happy about, he wasn’t shy about voicing it.
Silver shakes his head. “No, that's not it. I'm happy with how I was raised, even if some of it was...questionable. Food wise anyway.”
Lilia doesn't know if he should laugh or not at that. Of all the things Silver could criticize Lilia for, he always goes straight for his cooking!
“Oh? Then what is it?”
“Normally, people in yours and Malleus-Sama’s position wouldn’t take in an unknown child like you did. A human one at that. So I just...” Silver shifts in place, and Lilia is instatnly reminded of when he was a smaller child, not sure how to ask certain things. “Why me? Why did you pick me to keep with you after you found me?”
“Why?” Lilia blinked, caught off guard by the question. He wonders if this is something that’s been playing at Silvers mind. With a smile, Lilia hovered off the ground, just high enough that he could see Silver eye to eye. He pushed back Silver’s hair like he often did when he was smaller. He cups Silver’s cheek in his hand like when he’d wipe away his tears.
It feels like just yesterday he did these things for him. Even if he was still a young child in Lilia’s eyes, to the rest of the world he was a young man close to adulthood.
“Oh, child of mine. Back then, it’s true I was who had found you and took you in. But I wasn’t the one who picked you.” He said softly. “You’re the one who picked me to be your father. And I’ve felt honoured ever since.”