Queen's note: Fluffy DoomDad is so fun to write, he really is a big softy inside but does not always get to show it when fighting Hordes Of Hell…cuz reasons. Also, ITTY BITTIES! Get some life by way of small things in the Fortress, and to be protected in the Demigod's growing Garden XDXD
Garnets
Chapter Fifty One:
Bitty Things
"John?" Lily asked as she finally felt settled once more, staring out the window to the stars she was facing now, resting her head against the black covered chest.
"Hm?" The not quiet man blinked as he turned his focus from rubbing his thumb over Lily's hand in his. Waiting until she was ready to talk again, thinking over what had been said and explained about the hell invasion from her point of view. And what Vega had managed to get both to talk about.
"...before you leave to…Argent D'nur… can, can…" Lily hesitated, the demigod shifted and nuzzled against the top of her head, humming reassurance that it was okay to ask what she needed.
It still took a minute. Lily staring at the hand holding her's. Tracing those odd circular and star-like scars in John's right palm. Really paying attention again instead of idly playing with them as she had been for what felt like the last few hours, seeing the differences between the one on his left hand and right.
"Can you take me back to the Platform?" Lily finally asked, looking back and almost up at John's face. "Just for a little bit."
He was not exactly surprised, thoughtful for sure. Lifting his left arm from where it was comfortably resting over Lily to sign. Remember thing?
"Yeah." Lily nodded, pressing back against his front and right arm, settling back down. "I saw you had a lot of hardware from the platform. But I haven't found something in all the stuff that was packed."
Can go. John sighed around Lily, paused and tapped her head. Remembering what Vega mentioned about her needing to get some more rest, and food. Tomorrow?
Lily was not that so sure what day it was or when in the day it was for that matter. But something warm to eat… mash potatoes sounded good. Or just one of those canned soups. Something soft and easy sounded the best that she did not need to cook.
"Tomorrow sounds good," Lily remembered to say something, but did not seem inclined to get up. Or move.
She wanted to cuddle her cats suddenly, more so now that the hallucinations were gone. "Can we go to the gardens?"
"Mmhm." The Demigod shifted for the first time, sitting up and carefully moving Lily to be cradled in his arms while getting up. Smiling as she settled down, all but purring that his human was not mad at him or scared.
"...it's not fair you're so strong sometimes." Lily complained, getting a rasping laugh back as well as a her head pressed against as the Demigod started for the garden area. She also admitted in a grumble, "...really nice most other times though."
She was starting to like being carried again, but did not want to admit it aloud. John's stride was just that long enough to cover the distance fast but not rush. He was hard to keep up with on her own feet. The semi peace after the talk was interrupted by loud, almost angry whistling and then three echoing feline yawls.
Lily winced.
John avoided the daring gray short haired tabby that tried to attack his foot, as if thinking he was taking her person again. The not quite man looked at the feline in a cross of bemusement and concern as the young cat tried to climb or hang onto his right leg. All the way to and Lily's room where John set her down on her feet outside the door. He was gently trying to pry off the small soft thing when there was a starting sound and running feet.
"Careful!" Valens voice warned but was not really warning of trouble.
Who he was talking to slowed a moment so as not to knock over Lily but the slightly shorter teen clung tightly to the blonde. It took a few moments for Lily to recognize them. With hair that was cut about half of the length to the neck instead of knotted at the shoulders. Her hair was a light brown, and most of the apocalypse had been washed away but for some staining on the skin that would fade. The younger girl would be paler than Lily's sea tan.
John arched an eyebrow at what was happening, now holding an angry feline between his large hands and body. He was not concerned as he looked over at Valen. Tilting his head before realizing the older Argenta man was carrying something alive and sleeping cradled between his own right arm and body. Gently setting the now confused cat down, John moved over to look.
It took a moment for John to realize why this looked familiar. Valen was holding a baby. Small enough to be like an Argenta newborn, settled and supported fully by the man.
It was so tiny and soft if not the smallest of the souls he had sensed in… ages.
"Gently," Valen cautioned but had no issue with letting John touch the human infant. "Just like when Vito was born."
John nodded, marveling at such a bitty life. Only daring to use one finger to run down an arm that seemed smaller than… his fingers. It almost felt like there were no bones in the tiny life.
The Demigod pulled back, looking at Valen. Soft like Vito was.
Valen's own expression became softer, for once not pained at memories past of his son. "Little smaller, but yes… yes indeed. The young one there has been doing well to take care of them."
John glanced back, finding the new human he had not met yet cuddled up and clinging a bit to Lily. The older, young woman holding the teen tight back, able to understand all too well that relief of being safe and away from the constant danger and fears on earth. The new girl had Lily's mask, and it did not take John to realize that his human likely gave it up to help.
He looked between the baby and girl suddenly, concerned as he realized that they came here together. Then eerie blue eyes shifted to Valen.
The Sentinel nodded, speaking in a low enough voice only the Demigod could hear. "Only one is hers, she found the other infant after the invasion.
John held up two fingers in surprise.
Valen nodded and turned partly to tilt his head back at the large tree. Where he had originally set up the younger awake humans for the day in the gardens. They could see the other infant in a nap, and Heather was also curled up happily napping as well on the same blanket and the wolf Rula stretched out protectively.
It was so… strange to see life around the old Fortress again after Mars. John could not imagine seeing it happen when he first limped through the pitch black halls. Navigating by ancient, half awake memories to the core of the Fortress, trailing blood and gore after him.
Now just short months later he had Sentinels again, odd little humans… tiny souls and at least… daughter? A new family person again?
This was not so bad.
John looked back to Valen, signing in the free moment to the other man. You okay?
Valen considered the question as he looked down at the infant cradled close to him and dosing. "Not fully, Bi'Jay… John. I thought it would be impossible to hold another babe… it's far too easy to bring up old habits."
John smiled at the first slip Valen had made. The Argenta version of the name he could remember back then. He reached out, clasping the metallic shoulder of the other, John then cupped his hand against Valen's head. A motion that startled the older Argenta man, as it was an echo of what he had done to John ages ago before the Divinity Machine. It had not been the real start of a friendship then, but an understanding from one warrior seeing and… understanding the exhaustion of another at his last straws of strength.
The Slayer King pulled his hand back, looking back down at the tiny… itty bitty soul. He touched the small head, holding back all his power and strength to do so. Why so small?
"I don't think anyone can answer that." Valen hummed, remembering thinking and asking his wife that so long ago. He nodded forward as the warning before the other two broke apart.
"This is who I was talking about in the store," Lily was giving the younger teen a head pet on her hair as she was turning them back to Valen and John. "His name is John. Big guy, this is who we saved back when the… Wretched and its hellhounds showed up."
Lily paused to see if the girl was going to want to be brave. She sort of was, having been reassured quite a lot by being with the Argenta and Vega, giving a little wave from beside Lily. The brunette still spoke in a shy voice, with almost an older southern states accent, even though she spoke the global standard. "Hello sir… I'm Daisy-Dew. That's Fern, the little that Mr. Valen is holdin'. He's my son, Rowan is my other son I found, over there with Heather."
John straightened up, startled by the name, then looked between the girl and baby several times. Small one had baby? When?
"...what did he say?" Daisy-Dew whispered to Lily, still not yet grasping most of sign language yet despite the last few days being with Valen and Heather. Just knowing a few simple ones.
"He's trying to sort out if you had… Fern?" Lily said softly, "How long ago?"
"Oh, I know I'm still a young lady." Daisy-Dew said, shifting and looking down with a small shiver. "I was givin' birth in the hospital, Miss Lily, when all of hell came. My Grandma was there an' tryin' to help, but she just… passed on her feet like everyone else did. I found Rowan there after I got Fern cleaned up and was tryin' to find people."
The teen stopped talking, going a little pale.
"...bodies started moving where you were too?" Lily guessed, getting a shaky nod.
"I couldn't leave little Rowan there, he was the only one alive besides us in the city it seemed." Daisy-Dew breathed, "I've been hidin' in different stores before ya'll found us."
The teen jumped a bit as a massive hand was gently set over her head. Daisy-Dew peeked up to dare and meet those eerie blue eyes. The man that was apparently in charge had a surprisingly soft, honest, if intense gaze. Like seeing a big bear that liked some bunny. His palm was warm, and despite that she could sense the strength behind it, his hands seemed… gentle.
John lifted his hand to sign at Daisy-Dew.
After a moment Lily spoke to translate. "He wants to know if you have a room yet."
The girl brightened, "Not yet, I've been stayin' with Mr Valen. He's been helpin' me with my boys so much."
He's good with them. John sighed, getting smacked with Valen's metal hand as the other was turning to go back to the spot. Flower okay here? Can get food?
"I'll be good," Lily rubbed her face with her shirt and then looked up. Wanting to ask him to come back, but he mentioned getting food. That would be a bit silly to ask, right?
John stepped over, stooping to press his head against Lily with a reassuring sound. Not quite speaking primordial but it was like he hummed in it to his human. He gave a bit of an awkward pat to Lily's shoulder before heading back out of the gardens. Hearing the new human speaking, asking if Lily was okay. Wincing a bit at the soft response of.
"Sort of, I'm tired honey, the last few days have been hard."
"Oh, want to come nape with us?"
"...yeah, for a little bit."
When John came back it was cute, finding the… for a lack of a better term a puppy pile on Valen. The Demigod smiled as he sat near, and gave a happy grumble as Lily shifted from off Valen's side to climb into his lap instead to get the warm bowl of potato chowder from a can. The two tiny infants sprawled in the shade on the blanket, while both Heather and Daisy-Dew were firmly cuddled up against the older Argenta man where he was stretched out on his back. Getting back pets seemed to be the thing to get humans to nap right now.
Rula stretched, moving from where she was to get up slowly, shaking herself and then oh so carefully, the old wolf stepped onto the blanket. Sniffing the two babies before giving each a small blep on a foot and settling down into a laying guard position as the others were now resting.
"...she's a good girl." Lily said quietly, glancing up as John nodded, but nudging her arm lightly to keep eating. Lily wondered what time of day it was, glancing around the gardens and trying to judge the light levels. It was almost like the day and night schedule on the platform. It was also so strange how time seemed to move weirdly in space.
John huffed as Lily leaned more on his supporting right arm, having to be quick to catch the bowl as smaller fingers went slack. Not much left but he smiled, feeling the contented humming of Last Gift in the back of his mind.
…maybe he liked the idea of having a daughter, instead of having just a human that was his. His Crucible did not seem to mind.
Reviews!
XFireStoneX: You dont miss things fren! and I love that lol DadSlayer and DoomDad vibes are great to read and write [wish there was more to read though!]