Work Text:
The crack of dawn finds Neuvillette hastily dressing with the first pieces of clothing he can find in his closet. A pearl white poet shirt, a black pair of pants and a light pair of shoes. A flimsy outfit, enough to allow him free movement, as he is in a hurry.
Before leaving the apartment, Neuvillette stops in the hallway, in front of the decorative mirror placed on the wall. He styles his hair in a ponytail, careful to leave his sensitive rhinophores free. This way, his long hair won't get in his way too much.
Neuvillette checks himself one last time, then rushes out of the apartment, quickly descending the marble stairs of Palais Mermonia, reaching the lobby.
Sedene's station lies empty, as the melusine is yet to arrive at work. Neuvillette goes to the desk and grabs a piece of paper and a pen.
Dear Sedene,
My sincerest apologies, but something unexpected has come up that requests my presence for today and upcoming week. I kindly ask you to postpone all my appointments from the time I will be absent from my duties as Chief Justice.
Please, inform the guests about this unforeseen situation and find suitable dates to reschedule the meetings.
-Iudex Neuvillette
The letter is short as Neuvillette is in a hurry, not bothering with formalities at this very time. He leaves the paper on the desk and makes his way to the massive doors of the Palais.
Outside, the first rays of sunshine appear on the horizon. The sky is still dark, but little by little, its blue colour starts to appear. The citizens of Fontaine are still asleep. Only the bakers are awake to prepare the sweet pastries and bread that later will fill the windows of the boulangeries. The aquabus lines are closed at this hour, making Neuvillette to consider using his newly returned powers in order to reach his destination.
Checking his surroundings, to make sure nobody sees him, Neuvillette channels his authority.
His figure is enveloped in a soft blue glow as power surges through him. Suddenly, his being gently levitates above the white marbled stones that cover the plaza in front of the Palais Mermonia. From his back, a set of navy blue fins emerges as small patches of scales adorn his cheekbones and hands.
As the power settles in, Neuvillette calls upon his authority in order to teleport himself on the outskirts of the city. Since he doesn't want to drain his energy by using his powers to reach the objective faster, the dragon chooses to glide above the water.
"Soon, my beloved." A thousand thoughts run through Neuvillette's mind. Will Wriothesley want to see him? Even if he comes unannounced? Why did the duke choose to hide his pregnancy from him? Did someone threaten Wriothesley?
The trip doesn't take long, as Neuvillette reaches the northern shore of Belleau Region. Once on land, he tries to reach the small flicker of Hydro that rests within his and Wriothesley's child. The connection is stronger as he gets closer.
Without realizing it, his feet start walking towards the direction in which the bond is stronger. As Neuvillette walks through the countryside, the darkened sky slowly makes way to a beautiful crystal blue as little by little the golden rays of the sun appear behind the vast blue of the sea. Soon, the chill breeze of the night will be replaced by the warmth of a bright summer day.
The traces of hydro energy lead him to a small cottage situated at the foot of a hill, not far from Poisson. The house is surrounded by tall pine trees. As the cold wind rustles the branches, the scent of the earth surrounds Neuvillette, soothing his agitated mind just for a few moments.
Getting closer, Neuvillette could note that the exterior is painted in a warm colour, as all the other houses situated in the rural area of Fontaine are, blending in with the beautiful scenery.
Lost in his mind, Neuvillette doesn't realize when he finally comes to stand by the front door. His heart beats fast inside his rib cage.
To calm himself down, Neuvillette takes a few breaths and slowly enters the house. He quietly steps inside. The hallway leads him to a living room.
The interior is decorated with simple and elegant furniture, as the walls are painted in a soft shade of beige, creating a sense of coziness. A cushy sofa sits on one end of the room, with a neatly folded blanket on it, as a nightstand with a lamp sits next to it. On one side of a wall, a hearth decorated with stone completes the furnishing.
As Neuvillette looks around, suddenly, the small cries of an infant pull him back from his thoughts. His head snaps towards the direction of the sound. His eyes find a dark wooden door. Neuvillette quietly approaches it. A shaky hand grabs the metal door handle and pushes on it. Little by little, the door opens. And there, in the middle in the room, stands Wriothesley, cradling a fussy baby, as he tries to lull the infant back to sleep.
"Beloved…" Neuvillette's voice quivers as he speaks.
The man in front of him freezes. Icy blue eyes meet draconic lavender ones, fear written in them.
"N-Neuvillette?" comes the panicked response from Wriothesley. "How… What are you doing here?"
Not knowing how to answer, Neuvillette takes a few steps forward, only for Wriothesley to move away, until his legs touch the wooden frame of the bed. The Duke sits on it, cradling the child closer to him, avoiding Neuvillette’s gaze.
Something breaks inside Neuvillette. Seeing his Wriothesley so afraid, he comes to sit next to him, not wanting to be kept away from him any longer. Wriothesley makes no move to distance himself from Neuvillette this time, a silent give of permission. They sit next to each other in silence, neither man making any movement. Suddenly, a delicate scaly hand gently caresses Wriothesley’s face, and Wriothesley can do nothing but let his gaze fall upon Neuvillette, after all this time they’ve been apart.
The Duke makes no move to get away from the soothing touch. Instead, he leans his face a little into the warmth of Neuvillette’s hand. Oh, how he missed his lover's touch. Seeing that the other man isn’t upset with him, Wriothesley feels a wave of relief, as a weight has finally lifted from his shoulders.
But with all this solace, words seem to come hard to Wriothesley, as he doesn’t know what to say to his lover.
"You shouldn't have gone through this alone." Neuvillette says softly as his hand keeps stroking the high of Wriothesley’s in a soothing manner. He waits patiently by Wriothesley's side, until he is comfortable enough to speak.
After a few moments of silence, Wriothesley finally speaks.
"I was afraid… Afraid that you would reject me if you knew I was carrying this child. Afraid I would stain your image as a respectable Chief Justice because you had a child with an ex-convict. Besides, the high society of Fontaine would make sure to let you know how they feel about this." He takes a ragged breath in, then he continues before Neuvillette can speak.
"They wouldn't accept me, Neuvillette. I am an orphan. Never knew my birth parents and I'm pretty sure I wasn't born into a wealthy family. I… I feel like I'm not good enough for you and maybe you deserve someone better who hasn't had their past tainted so terribly. Someone who comes from a good family." A single tear runs down Wriothesley's face as he speaks.
"And I understand if you want to end this relationship that was between us all this time." More tears keep falling from the duke's eyes.
Hearing all this, Neuvillette grabs Wriothesley's face in both his hands, bringing their foreheads together. A clawed finger gently brushes the tears away.
"My treasure, my sweet Wriothesley. Let those people talk however they want. They will never be you, Wriothesley. You are the only one who sees me for who I am and not just as a prestigious title. Those who seek my hand in marriage, only do it to make sure their vain goals are fulfilled. Whereas, when I'm with you, you make me forget for a few moments about the burden my title holds. You showed me how humans love and share their emotions. I am at peace whenever we are together… You mean so much to me, beloved. I don't want anyone else. Only you." Neuvillette leans in, leaving a soft kiss on Wriothesley's forehead.
"What you did was from your desire to help the ones in need. Others wouldn't understand this about you. You wanted to protect your siblings from those people. You are a selfless man, Wriothesley." Neuvillette noses at Wriothesley’s cheek, meant to soothe, to scent.
"I love you. Please, never doubt my feelings for you, beloved." whispers Neuvillette.
Fresh tears start to spill from pale blue eyes, as that beautiful smile with which Neuvillette has felt in love finally appears on the Duke's face. He pulls Wriothesley into a warm hug, careful to not disturb the child. They sit like this, until Wriothesley finally calms.
"I love you as well, Neuvillette." Wriothesley closes the distance between them with a tender kiss, relieved that his lover still wants him, with all his flaws and heavy past.
Between them, soft coos make themselves known. The two men part to look at the now awake baby that rests in Wriothesley's arms. Neuvillette's breath hitches now that he has a clear view of his own child. Small lavender draconic eyes look curiously up at him. With a shaky hand, the hydro dragon reaches for the infant's tiny hand, letting her fingers wrap around his pointer finger.
"Hello, little one." Neuvillette smiles as the baby coos at him.
"Her name is Adelaide." says Wriothesley.
"You chose a beautiful name, beloved."
"Do you want to hold her?"
Neuvillette nods. He waits anxiously, as Wriothesley carefully places the infant in his arms. Not used to the new pair of arms who hold her, Adelaide whimpers, missing the strong arms of her father. Neuvillette gently rocks her, as he whispers sweet nothings. As she is finally lulled back to sleep, his gaze meets Wriothesley's, who looks at them both with so much love and adoration.
"She has your hair."
"And she has your eyes."
They both chuckle. Wriothesley leans in, resting his head on Neuvillette's shoulder, as he gently caresses his daughter's cheek. They sit in silence as the warm rays of the sun fill the room with the golden glow of the morning.
"You still didn't tell me how you found us," Wriothesley points out as he meets Neuvillette’s gaze.
"It was our dear daughter who led me to you." explains Neuvillette.
"Oh" Wriothesley is too stunned to speak.
"It seems she inherited part of my powers," continues Neuvillette. "At first, I could sense a small flicker of hydro but couldn't find its exact location in Fontaine. As I have a curious nature, every now and then I tried to reach for it through hydro resonance, thinking I might find it one day, but came out empty handed.
Last night, however, I couldn't sleep. And, since the rain helps me amplify my powers, I tried one more time to reach that small hydro energy. And this time I could find what it truly was and where it was. And here I am."
Neuvillette looks down at his sleeping daughter with love and adoration in his eyes.
"So, it was our little peanut all along, huh?" says the Duke with amusement in his tone. "But I have something to say as well. After I got to hold her for the first time, I really wished you were there with me, Neuvillette. I'm so sorry for not telling you about her sooner."
"Beloved, please… I'm here now.". A scaly hand touches Wriothesley's cheek, trying to comfort the man. "You won't be alone anymore."
Wriothesley takes that delicate hand in his own and brings it to his lips, planting a kiss on the soft and scaly skin.
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
Looking at the clock on the wall in the living room, Sigewinne contemplates whether or not she should go check on the Duke. It's near noon, and the man hasn't made any move, indicating that he is still asleep.
Miss Navia and Miss Clorinde left not long after they woke up. Same for Doctor Rayne, as she said she still had some work to do at the clinic in Fontaine, leaving Sigewinne alone in the house.
The head nurse had prepared some tea and breakfast for Wriothesley, but it got cold since he was still asleep. Sigewinne can't fault him for this. The man was exhausted after a long night of labour.
She goes to check on him, her footsteps light as she goes to stand at the Duke’s bedroom door. Slowly, she makes her way in, making sure the door won't creak and wake the man.
Once in, Sigewinne is surprised to see an unexpected guest. Next to Wriothesley, there lies Neuvillette with their daughter in his arms, as the Duke rests his head on the dragon's chest.
The little family is sound asleep, unbothered by the warm sun that now sits high up in the sky. Sigewinne smiles seeing the two men finally reunited. Content with herself, she slowly makes her way out of the room, leaving the family to rest a little longer. She’ll wait a while longer for them to wake up.
"Fate works in mysterious ways." The head nurse ponders, wishing she had a Kamera with her to capture this adorable moment.