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Elena loves both her papis equally. She may love different things about them and there may be times when she is upset with one and prefers the company of another but those times always pass. She cannot imagine loving one over the other.
But, she has to admit, she prefers cuddling with Tėti over Papi always.
It isn't that Papi isn't a good cuddler. He is. He's just so thin and lanky—boyish almost. And, like Elena, he is often full of nervous energy and has difficulty keeping still for long periods of time. Both Elena and Papi often receive a calming hand on their knee from Tėti when they find themselves jiggling their legs up and down at dinner or in the living room. Tėti always calms them down.
And Tėti, well... he's just so soft. He's what a Tėti should be: soft and warm with long, open arms to wrap around her and a broad chest that has plenty of room for Elena to rest her head and listen to his heart beat steadily. Elena's favorite way to fall asleep is to lay wrapped up in his arms and watch his belly gently rise and fall with each breath and count his heart beats until her eyes close drowsily.
She would never dare tell Papi she preferred Tėti's cuddles. She's quite certain it would break his heart, which she suspects has already been broken before—something about his eyes says that.
Still, she never misses an opportunity to cuddle with Tėti and when she gets up to go to the bathroom one night and sees warm amber light spill out of Papi and Tėti's bedroom, she resolves to check in on him.
Papi is away for the night. He had to take Thanatos to an animal hospital in the city and said he wouldn't come back until he made sure Elena's favorite pet was recovered. Elena had wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffled as she watched Papi load that big dumb dog into the truck. Poor Thanatos, always eating what he shouldn't be.
After washing up in the hall bathroom, Elena creeps towards Papi and Tėti's bedroom and peers around the doorframe. Tėti is awake, propped up against some pillows, peering at a tablet, his glasses perched on the tip of his nose.
"Do you wish to stay in the hallway all night, Elena?" he asks gently, his eye never leaving the tablet.
Elena smiles and walks into the bedroom and immediately climbs into bed. Tėti puts down his tablet and removes his glasses and takes her into his arms. He immediately snuggles down so she can rest her head more comfortably on his chest and throws her arm around his soft middle. She counts his heartbeat a few moments before whispering, "Is Thanatos gonna be okay?"
"Most likely," Tėti says easily. "They will probably pump his stomach and give him charcoal."
"Charcoal?"
"Activated charcoal removes toxins from the body."
"Oh."
They are both silent for a few moments.
"Tėti?"
"Yes, Elena?"
"How did you meet Papi?"
"We've already told you; we met at work."
"Yeah but how? What happened?"
"Not much. Your Papi was quite rude and standoffish to me."
Elena smiled into his warm chest.
"Did you love him right away?"
"Yes. Though as time went on, I fell more and more in love with him everyday."
"Did he love you right away?"
"No."
Elena looked up from his chest with puzzled eyes.
"No?" she repeated. "That's impossible."
"I assure you, it's not."
"But he loves you so much!"
Tėti smiled a rather odd smile—one similar to Papi's sad-eyed one.
"He did not always feel that way."
"Well, what happened?"
"What do you mean, širdelė?"
"I mean, when did he start to love you?"
"Perhaps it is best you ask him that."
Elena laid her head back down and sighed.
"Papi doesn't talk about stuff like that. He's boring."
"He is not boring."
"Well, no, but he doesn't talk about girly stuff."
"Love is not girly. And what is wrong with being girly?"
"Nothing, Tėti," Elena sighs, used to this remark from her father.
"What on earth made you think of such questions, anyway?"
Elena is silent for several moments, worrying her lip between her teeth as Tėti waits patiently.
"Gabriel's parents are getting divorced," she says suddenly, her voice small.
"Is Gabriel a classmate of yours?"
"Yes. I went to his birthday party last year, remember?"
"Of course, of course." Tėti tightens his arm around Elena's middle and she hides her face in his chest. "Are you afraid your Papi and I will be break up someday?"
"No," she mumbles.
"Because I highly doubt that will happen."
"It could," she replies.
"Anything could happen," Tėti replies. "And whatever should happen, will happen."
Elena frowns into his chest. She loves her Tėti, really she does, but sometimes he talks so funny.
"Elena, there is no use worrying about something that has not happened. Your Papi and I are quite content at the moment."
Elena nods and picks at Tėti's cotton shirt idly.
"Why didn't Papi love you at first?"
"Most people do not fall in love immediately," Tėti says softly and rests a hand on her head, fingers carding through her curls.
"They're friends first?" she asks.
"Sometimes."
"Were you?"
"At first, yes."
Elena closes her eyes and sighs, the feeling of his finger's running slowly through her hair lulling her to sleep.
"Tėti?" she murmurs.
"Yes, Elena?"
"Do you love me?"
"Of course, I do."
"How much?"
"Love cannot be quantified, I'm afraid. Life would probably be much easier if it could be."
"Will you always love me then?"
"It certainly seems that way."
Elena huffs a tired laugh and pats his soft tummy.
"You're a good Tėti," she mumbles before sleep claims her.
Hannibal reaches over and turns off the light.
Elena is suddenly aware; not quite awake but aware that time has passed and she is being carried in her Papi's arms. She blinks and curls in, rubbing her face in his chest as he walks her down the hallway.
"Go back to sleep," he says softly. "It's barely morning."
"Is Thanatos okay?"
"Yes," he says. "He's downstairs sleeping with the others."
"So he's not poisoned?"
"No, he's fine. A bit embarrassed but fine."
Elena smiles and yawns as he lays her down in her bed, the sheets and pillow deliciously cool. He brings the blanket up to tuck around her and leans down to kiss her on her forehead.
"I'm not sleepy," she lies, her eyes barely open.
"I can see that," Papi smirks. "Can't hurt to try to sleep a little bit more, though."
"Are you gonna go to sleep now?"
"I'm gonna try."
"Tėti was waiting up for you, too."
"I know."
"He loves you a lot."
Papi hesitates for the shortest of seconds before whispering, "Go to sleep, Elena."
"I love you, too." She yawns. "A lot."
Papi leans down again and kisses her on her cheek.
"And I love you," he whispers in her ear. "More than you know."
"And Tėti?"
"Tėti, too. Now, go to sleep."
Elena nods and is asleep before Papi leaves the room, closing her bedroom door behind him.
Hannibal is awake when Will walks into their bedroom.
"You didn't poison Thanatos on purpose, did you?" Will asks as he clumsily steps out of his jeans.
"You know I don't hurt animals," Hannibal replies, watching Will undress. "You need to actually put your medication away and not simply leave it on the counter."
For a brief moment, Will looks as if he wants to argue the point but settles on yawning instead. He climbs into bed and under the sheets that Hannibal had raised for him.
"When did Elena come in here?" he asks, stretching out.
"About one."
"Nightmare?"
"No," Hannibal says and begins rubbing soothing circles on Will's back. "She is actually preoccupied with love."
"She's not at that age yet, is she?" Will mumbles, his eyes closed but his brow furrowed in concern.
"She is concerned about our love." Hannibal draws several figure eights on Will's back. "It seems that the parents of a classmate of hers are getting divorced."
"Yeah, Gabriel."
"How do you know?"
"She told me when I picked her up from school yesterday."
Hannibal frowns for the shortest of seconds before continuing, "She worries that the same fate should befall us."
"We're never going to get divorced," Will mumbles, his voice groggy.
"That is what I told her."
"We'll kill each other first."
"I left that part out."
"What a good dad you are."
Hannibal trails his hand underneath Will's shirt and rubs his bare back, cool to the touch. He counts his vertebrae and sighs.
"You need to gain some weight, Will. Perhaps--"
"No, you promised."
"Yes, but--"
"Hannibal. Go to sleep."
Hannibal leans up and kisses Will on the side of his head. He lays back down and patiently waits until Will's breathing evens out. He carefully sits up and climbs out of bed, the sun just beginning to rise.
He washes up in the en suite and puts on his robe. He heads downstairs, where the dogs are already awake and snuffling at the backdoor. He opens it and watches them run out, even Thanatos. He dutifully fills their food and water bowls and then brews a fresh pot of coffee. He glances at the clock and realizes it's nearly time to awaken Elena for school.
He is not surprised when he walks up the stairs and finds her bedroom empty. He heads into their bedroom and finds her sprawled in their bed, Will's arm thrown haphazardly over her.
Hannibal decides to let her sleep in and goes back down to let the dogs inside.