Chapter Text
“Am I a bad child?”
The question was soft, barely audible amidst the noise of boys fighting and the sounds of scattered objects. The metallic clangs rang out through the air, and the man barely reacted.
Maybe he was used to it. He had known the boys for a much longer period than he had known her. A father would always have his favorites.
His shirt cuffs were already half-rolled, like he had stopped caring about appearances long before he walked into the room.
He didn’t look up straight away.
There was a pause—just long enough to make it feel intentional. The kind of silence that wasn’t empty, but full of everything he refused to say.
One of the boys shouted something sharp. Something broke after it. Nobody corrected them.
The man finally exhaled through his nose and adjusted his stance, like the question hadn’t reached him at all.
“…Where did you hear that?” he asked flatly and resumed pouring the strange liquid into a small glass.
“...”
She hesitated.
As if reading her thoughts, he finally turned to face her. There was a sort of weariness in his eyes, and yet, if one looked closely, there was a slight gentleness to his creases as he stared upon this tiny girl perched on the edge of the bed.
He knelt before her, placing the small cup in her hands.
“Do you think I am like your parents?” He asked gently, watching her face carefully. “That I would blame you for something that is no fault of yours?”
She bit her bottom lip. Her eyes glazed over, and her body trembled.
Without thinking, his arms wrapped around her small figure. He held her close within his embrace, placing a small kiss to the top of her head.
“No,” he said softly. “I don't think you're a bad child. You are lovely as you are, and I love you all the same.”