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A skittish smile spread across V’s lips as he watched Nero’s floating blue arms cross in a fit. “Uh-oh! Your laces are tangled, Nero!” V announced, as he tried to unravel his brother’s matted shoe laces, “Don’t worry, I’ll get daddy!” The sound of V’s sandals echoed in the hall as he skipped to Vergil’s room. He retrieved the man and informed him of the ongoing situation as he led him back to his brother who sat in the middle of the hall grumbling.
Vergil carefully kneeled down and tugged gently at the knot of laces to test the restraint that they had. He sighed in defeat, there was no way he'd possibly be able to untangle the mess without having to sacrifice an inch or two of the strings.
“Can you help, daddy!?” V hugged his pa’s leg as he watched him try and help his brother out.
"You don't think I did a good job, daddy!?" Nero pouted, his tiny arms crossing over his chest with a huff.
“I think you did, Nero!” V moved to his brother and hugged his neck.
Vergil smiled, ruffling his white hair with reassurance, "No, you did a fine job, son" he said, "but it would appear that you have them on the opposite foot." Slipping the tiny shoes off the toddler’s feet, Vergil chuckled softly, once more tugging at the knots to see if he could untangle them. A single pull and the left boot's laces finally gave way at the constantly hauling and strength of the man. The right boot however didn't give in so easily. It seemed the more and more the older man fussed with the lace the more the thin fabric decided to wonton into itself. Groaning with a sense of frustration, Vergil shook his head.
V pouted since even his pa wasn’t able to untangle the laces.
"How about your booties instead? You have yet to wear them, Nero." Vergil asked, slipping the ball of tangled threads inside the boot before he stood to his feet.
Nero's face turned up into a frown. "But I wanna wear my boots!" he demanded, kicking his feet in disapproval. His booties and boots weren't all that different. The length of the materials being the only distinctive attribute that separated them from each other, but still nonetheless, Nero was persistent on his attire today.
He wanted to make a great first impression for daddy’s new friend.
Nero wanted to be presented as a big boy, and even though his booties would have set him at least 2 years older in age; he just didn't see the joy of stomping down the grass and splashing in puddles in his booties as he did his boots. So, he tried to lace them up himself but ended up just creating a disaster. He also thought he could convince V to wear a pair as well, but he was more comfortable with his sandals than heavy boots.
Honestly, Nero liked to resemble his daddy at times, but he also liked appearing tough since he felt like he had to protect V. He had scratches all over his legs from his rough playing, the scars only lasting a few days though before the skin would once again smooth due to his rapid healing ability and V’s need to stick sterile bandages on every wound his brother got. As weird as it sounded, Nero felt like the marks showed his level of toughness. His daddy had scars before; much larger and more detailed ones. The more scars and the deeper, the mightier of a person you had to be. Nero figured since scars indeed hurt, much larger ones must have been a nightmare only the super tough could withstand.
Vergil had many at times, small ones that transitioned into larger ones. All barely visible within a few days without being an uncomfortable amount of close to the man, but with being his son and having a very keen set of eyes (thanks to being part demon), Nero noticed a lot about his daddy, a lot of things others wouldn't. He admired his pa for his multitude of scars he'd come home with. He figured his daddy to be extremely tough because a lot of them were deep and gushed blood, but he didn't seem to be in any kind of pain and some day he wanted to be just as strong and unaffected by the pain too so he could continue to protect V.
*****
Nero stood to his feet and ran off in the direction of his room to obtain said booties and V just waited with Vergil until his brother came back; head hung to his chest.
“Nero will be fine. He must learn that there are always other options out there, and you must learn to not wither into yourself at your brother’s frustrations.”
“But I just want everyone to be happy!” V sniffed and looked his pa in the eyes with not much of a choice since his little chin sat in the older man’s fingers.
“Everyone will be. You don't want to wear those, do you?" Vergil asked, slipping the still with tag booties out of Nero’s tiny hands.
He just shook his head looking over at the boots on the floor and his brother gave him a hug. Vergil sighed and picked them up again. He once more kneeled down in front of his son before slipping the boot without the tangled laces on his foot and the other—well let's just say the other boot wouldn't have matching laces as he plucked the dark brown ones from a single bootie, replacing the one he just shredded. Both boys closely observed as their pa tied the strings.
Nero hastily picked the discarded ball up before toying it between his fingers, giggling and sharing the item with V as if they’d just discovered buried treasure. "You're so strong, daddy!" he chimed, his little fingers trying to curl around Vergil’s clothed bicep.
A light smile cast on the older man's lips as he retreated to his feet—flexing his arm; the squishing sound of his leather coat wrinkling under the force. Nero's eyes lit up as he was lifted from the floor.
"Ah!" his little giggles filled the hall as he held on for dear life; floating blue arms. "I wanna be strong like you, daddy!" he scrambled to cling onto his chest.
"Seems as though you’ve already obtained quite the strength, Nero. In fact, I do believe there is place for even more growth within you. You shall be great, my son." Vergil nodded, ruffling his son’s hair. “As will you, V.” he said as he scooped his other son up in his opposite arm. “You both shall be.”
Both boys just clung to their pa but soon got back down since Nero’s laces came undone.
“Let’s lace your boots, Nero!” V chimed when Vergil let them carefully to the floor.
Nero smiled, hugging his brother’s neck quickly. "Okay!" he sat still while V took both sides of the laces in his tiny hands.
He didn’t wear sneakers or boots but that didn’t mean he didn’t know how to tie a bow. V carefully showed his brother how to wrap the strings around themselves and how not to knot them. Vergil just watched his boys to the side, quite proud of how quickly they caught on.
“And that’s it!” V tugged the bow he’d made to ensure it was secure enough not to untie but also not to knot. “Now you try.”
Nero nodded and let V take his hands and place the two sides of strings in them. “Just like I showed you.” His second attempt to tie his boots went better than the first but he still was having a hard time not turning the bow into a knot. Nero pouted and began making frustrated noises; his tiny demonic appearance showing and upsetting his brother.
“Aw, it’s okay, Nero! We can keep trying.”
“I don’t wanna!” Small and angry devil noises left the toddler as his floating winged arms crossed above him.
V just giggled at his brother’s adorable fit and took hold of his floating blue hands, “Let’s try again!”
Again, Nero was shown how to tie his boots and this time he managed to get it right without the help of his brother.
“Yay! You did it, bro!” V threw his arms around Nero’s neck and he did the same but instead his tiny devil arms hugged him.
Vergil didn’t even know he could smile as big as he’d did—a proud pa indeed of his boys.
“We’re ready to go, daddy!”