The chapter alert didn't work for some reason so I had to re-post the drabble.
Never Forgotten.
"Why didn't Zexion come with us?" Lex asks. Lexaeus looks down at his little boy, swinging their clasped hands idly. In the man's other hand, he grasps a bouquet of flowers - lilies, tulips and foxgloves amongst others. It's a chill day, brisk even, and the gentle walk through the cemetery in the cool breeze is guaranteed to wake you up.
"I don't think Zexion would be very comfortable visiting Mummy's grave with us" Lexaeus explains to his son softly. "He said he didn't want to intrude and it was a family matter."
"But he is family now," Lex says with a smile. Lexaeus smiles back weakly.
"I know, but he didn't think it's his place to come with us. Besides, I don't think Maxi would have much fun here, would he?"
"And it's cold" Lex adds. "Babies don't like the cold."
"True." Lexaeus sighs, his warm breath becoming white vapour in the air. He never liked the fact that Lex was introduced to death so early in his life, and to have it happen to someone so close to him; His own mother in fact. He didn't understand it at first. Lexaeus had to explain that his mummy was very sick when she was diagnosed with cancer. It was a long battle. Some days she was fine, other days she was… not. She had to go into hospital for her final few mouths, and Lexaeus took their child in to visit her when he could. It was even harder to tell him she fall asleep during the night and couldn't wake up again.
Now, Lex understands perfectly well and acts very mature about the whole deal. Maybe he can handle it more better then Lexaeus. Possibly.
As soon as they arrive at the gravestone, Lex gets to work of pulling away any troublesome weeds from the grass and brushing away dead leaves. He always does this when they visit her. Finished with his tidying, he takes the flowers from his father's hands and places them into the flower holder in front of the headstone, replacing the ones they have left last visit which have wilted beyond survival.
With the grave looking nice again, Lex smiles and returns to his daddy's side, taking hold of his hand. They gaze upon it for sometime, in utter silence.
"…Do you think Mummy minds about you being with Zexion?" Lex asks after awhile.
"Mummy would want us to be happy," is Lexaeus only answer, but it is enough for the child. He knows that his dad loved his mother and misses her a lot, but he now loves Zexion and he really cares for him and Maxi. Lex looks up, seeing the sad expression on Lexaeus' face.
"…We can go now if you want, Daddy."
Lexaeus looks at his son for a moment, then nods his head.
"Alright. Let's go back home."
They walk back through the cemetery, and Lex takes a lot of notice of all the gravestones across the grass. Some are old and acid rain has ruined the craved lettering into nothing but lumps and bumps. Some are very new, glossed over with gold and silver lettering. No matter the state of the stone, they all did the same job: they are marks of burials.
"A lot of people have died" Lex mumbles softy. Lexaeus nods his head.
"That's what happens to living creatures, little one."
"I know…" Lex sees some of the names and ages on the marble, "some of them are my age," he says. "Some of them are even as young as Maxi… Daddy, do any children at the hospital die?"
The man always feels uncomfortable when his child asks questions like this. He sighs, trying to be as calm as possible.
"Sometimes. If they are too ill to get better again."
"Like what happened to Mummy?"
"Yes. I guess…" Lexaeus goes very quiet for a moment, eyes hazy until a tight squeeze at his hand brings him back to reality again.
"It's okay, Daddy" Lex smiles, "we don't have talk about it if you don't want."
Lexaeus looks down at the child, admiring his earthy brown curls, his cheeks rosy-red from the cold, his deep, dark, clear, sapphire-like blue eyes blinking up at him in curiosity, full of life. The man cannot resist smiling at him and scooping him up into his arms. He kisses his chilly nose, making the child giggle.
"What's gotten into you, Daddy?" he smiles. Lexaeus shrugs.
"I don't know. You make me do all sorts of strange things. Children are why dads act silly sometimes."
"I thought you were just silly all the time" the boy teases. Lexaeus just chuckles, before lifting the boy up into the air, settling him onto his strong shoulders. The boys laughs, taking hold of his daddy's big, warm, worn hands for support.
"Lets go home" Lexaeus mumbles, moving his hands from Lex's wrists to his legs and the boy's fingers tangle into his short wavy hair. "This afternoon, we can all go out for lunch."
"All four of us?"
"Of course all four of us." They leave through the graveyard gate and head down the street, with Lex as taller as he has ever been. "Families do things together and we are a family like you said, right?"
"Right Daddy."