It was a cold, cloudy morning in Paris, and the city was bustling to life when the clocks all hit dawn. People went off to work, children awoke to prepare for school, and everyone went about their day as normal. It had snowed the previous night, and a good foot and a half of the stuff blanketed the ground. Icicles clung to balconies and slicked the road. The Eiffel Tower was as majestic as always, and glistened like a diamond in the weak sun that tried (in vain) to break through the heavy clouds.
In a small apartment on the Rue des Saints Pères, a small boy stared out of his bedroom window, face pressed against the chilled glass. His eyes were wide with excitement and he quickly hurried to get dressed so he could go play. The four-year-old grabbed his winter coat, black with silver fastenings, and his black snow boots, pulling them over his pajamas and then running out of his room.
He walked down the stairs into the foyer and raced for the door, only to fall short when he saw the child-proof door handle. He frowned severely and tried to pull it off, but it didn't work.
"What'cha doin', son?"
Trafalgar Law scratched his head, messing up his dark hair. He pointed to the door and then looked up at the tall man before him.
"Wanna go 'side." He said.
Trafalgar "Manny" Manuel smiled. "I know, but you have to have breakfast first, alright?" he laughed at the off-kilter button job on the boys' coat and the fact that his shoes were on the wrong feet. "And ya have ta get dressed."
"Yes, daddy." He looked up at the stairs. "S'il vous plaît?"
It took every ounce of self control for the man not to squeeze the boy into a hug for his cuteness. Carpathian males didn't often show emotion, but his kid was just so damned adorable!
The two ventured up stairs, careful not to wake the child's mother (who was pregnant and resting more often), and into Law's room. Manny went over to the closet and sorted through the various long-sleeved shirts for the boy.
"Está frio," he said, and then grinned as Law mimicked the words back in his soft voice. The child spoke French and Brazilian Portuguese perfectly, but he did have some pronunciation issues.
He pulled out a dark gray sweater with a polar bear on the front, and the a pair of thermal pants, which he would wear under his jeans. Next came socks, and then his hat and gloves.
Law wanted to put everything on at once and run outside, but Manny was firm in telling him that he had to eat first. Law nodded, and walked down the stairs and into the small kitchen. The stove was on, and a kettle was warming on it.
"Papa, why do you like coffee?"
Manuel scrubbed a hand over his face and yawned. "Because, pequeño, it tastes good and wakes me up."
Law looked at the dark brown liquid in his father's mug. It was steaming slightly, and his father blew on a couple of times before he took a sip. "Can I try?"
"You won't like it. It's very sweet, I put agave nectar in it."
Law grimaced, he wasn't fond of overly sweet things. Unless they were his mama's almond croissants. Hot buttery pastries with almond purée inside, and topped with almond slivers and powdered sugar. His mother usually made them for special occasions, or when Law and his father both begged so much that the woman caved in. He stood on his toes, chin barely reaching the edge of the counter, looking for said food. He was hungry now that he'd thought about it.
"Want a drink?"
Law looked up at his father, "Juice!" he grinned, running over to the table and sitting in his chair by the window, where he could view all of Paris.
Their apartment was on the 17th floor of the building, and provided a great view. Every night he would sit at his bedroom window and watch the people walk around, and the ships dock at the d'Azur harbor. He loved the ships that came to port; he watched them and the people who went in and came out. There had been a few times where pirates had come, but Law liked them. He drew his own one day, a yellow submarine, and his father thought it was funny but his mom did not. Madeline was terrified of Law becoming a pirate. She made him promise never to become one unless he absolutely had no choice. Even though he didn't understand why she was so afraid, he'd agreed.
...
After an hour or so of breakfast, which consisted of vanilla porridge (which Law did like) and an almond croissant, Manny picked his young son up and carried him up the stair to say goodbye to Madeline. Once they hit the top of the stairs, Manuel walked to the end of the left hallway and gently opened his bedroom door. Madeline was laying down, staring out of the window, watching the snow fall.
"Maman!" Law squealed and reached for the woman who smiled and opened her arms to take him.
"Careful, son. Yer ma's in a delicate condition."
Law lifted the soft blue quilt off of his mother and looked intently at her distended belly. She was heavy with child, and was due in just a few weeks. She had been ordered by Manny to stay in bed for 20 hours a day, only allowing her to get up to bathe, eat, and use the restroom. But she didn't mind, as her two boys catered to her every need. Law liked helping take care of his mother, who told him it was practice for when he got married and had a wife to care for. Being four years old, Law found the concept of marriage "gross", and made faces whenever Madeline brought it up.
Law leaned down and put his head on his mothers stomach and waited patiently for his unborn sibling to move. After a few moments the child scowled and sat up with a glare. Madelined smiled at her oldest child.
"Ma petite, the baby is resting." Law pouted and looked up as his father walked in from the bathroom, dressed in his winter gard and ready to go. Law slid of the bed and ran over to his father with a grin.
"Bye mama, bye Ian!"
Without waiting for a reply, the raven haired boy raced down the stairs and out of the front door.
...
The snow was thick on the ground and crunched under Law's weight. He stomped in circles while waiting for his father to come outside with him. The streets were mostly empty because it was so cold, but Law didn't care, he wanted to play, he loved snow.
"DADDY! HURRY UP!" he yelled, watching as his father pulled on another coat.
"Relaxe, filho." he said with a grin. "I know you're excited."
Brushing snow out of his hair, Law took his dad's hand and ran off with a grin. "Let's go!"