So this little ficlet marks the beginning of a series of oneshots featuring Walter that take place during Integra's upbringing. Most will be fairly lighthearted, some will be serious.
May contain spoilers for the entire series. :)
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Walter C Dornez know approximately fuckall about taking care of children. He doesn't like children, and doesn't know the first thing about what they want or what they need.
So how he got roped into being the primary caretaker for Arthur Hellsing's infant daughter is beyond him.
The baby is a tiny little thing- she hardly seems to weigh anything when Walter picks her up to carry her around. Ugly, too; despite Arthur's insistence that she was the most beautiful, perfect thing in the world, Walter only saw a squishy, pink, potato-shaped protohuman. All in all, this new being was a squalling, smelly mess, and Walter had a hard time seeing the appeal in having one of your own.
Still- Arthur had work to do, and Walter was the only one he trusted to babysit. So, he carried the little bundle around while he performed his duties as the butler of the Hellsing manor. Little Integra sat on a blanket while he dusted the chandeliers or swept the floors, with a bottle or some trinket or another to keep her occupied. He dresses her and bathes her and soothes her to sleep, even though he hasn't the foggiest clue if he's doing anything right.
But the child hasn't died yet, so he must not be doing too badly.
Integra makes a happy gurgling sound and crawls toward him on chubby limbs, grinning toothlessly up at him. Walter hands her a spoon from the tray of silver he's polishing. She giggles and bangs it against the table leg before sticking it in her mouth, gumming the cold metal like it was the most amazing meal in the world.
Walter watches with a vague sort of interest while he does his work.
He supposes it's kind of cute. Just a little bit.
"Alright, I'm finished here," he says, standing and picking Integra up off the ground. The baby squeals and beats a tiny hand against his cheek
"That's not very ladylike," Walter scolds gently, though he finds himself smiling.
Integra babbles some nonsense, trying to get his glasses into her mouth.
"Hey now- stop that!"
Walter laughs in spite of himself, which gets the baby to laugh as well.
"Our next stop is to dust the library, little miss. I'll have to ask you don't chew on any of your father's books."
He sets Integra down and starts into his dusting. He becomes engrossed in it, momentarily forgetting he was supposed to be minding his master's daughter.
Integra bursts out screaming, ripping Walter from his task and sending him flying into a panic.
A large spider scurries away from the baby, leaving the sobbing child with an angry red puncture on her tiny hand.
"Oh dear," Walter mumbles, grabbing Integra and taking her into one of the mansion's many bathrooms. He puts some antiseptic on the small wound, and debates whether he should bandage it, before deciding that Integra was far too young to keep a bandage on.
Her wails die down to pitiful whimpers. Her huge blue eyes are still full of tears, which roll freely down her round cheeks.
"Now there, it's alright," Walter tries to reassure her- though he's unsure of how much a baby can really understand. "It's just a spider bite. You'll be right as rain in no time."
Integra sniffles, then flings her small body forward to cling to Walter's shirt. Walter smiles pityingly at her.
"Maybe it's time you took a nap, little miss," he mutters, patting her back absentmindedly.
