terminusvitae:

     He comes in quietly, after the little ones are sure to be asleep, and perhaps the paramour with them.  Peeking at the bed, there he lies, sound asleep, with a wing trailing on the floor as he snores lightly.  Smiling to himself, the gaunt opens the icebox quietly and takes out one of his pet projects from earlier: chocolate covered strawberries. 
     In return for driving away monsters, a young woman had gratefully let him have his pick of her fruit bushes—and they were quite juicy and plump.  He chose thirteen, and when he returned home, he melted a rich brand of milk chocolate and dipped twelve the red delights in it.  After they had cooled, with vanilla icing, he had painstakingly written a character on each, and arranged them on a platter in a neat circle, reading “~ ♥ P A R A M O U R ♥ ~”.  In the center of the plate was a pile of whipped cream, with the third strawberry sliced into six pieces and placed on top of it.
     Perhaps quite foolish of him to have such a notion, he places it quietly on a table, retrieving from his storage room an intricate inking of roses with the word Joy scrolled upon it.  A single red candle is lit and placed in a holder shaped like a rose, and a note is placed beside it all:
               ‘Forgive me for this, but today is Mother’s
                Day.  I thought you should enjoy something,
                since you did carry Arles for nine months,
                though you aren’t female.
Happy Mother’s Day.
                                                                         —V.’
     Retreating quietly to the hallway, he removes his boots and purposefully drops one with a sound loud enough to wake the sleeping WEAPON.  Unsure of how to give such a gift, he prefers it found, since this situation…is exceedingly strange.

His sleep is peaceful, dreamless, the kind of slumber one falls to when utterly exhausted. Yet even in unconsciousness, he’s aware of the general noises expected within the confines of his home, the steady breathing of little ones sleeping, the relaxed heartbeats. It is no surprise, then, that the unexpected thump rouses him with a start, eyes snapping open upon the realisation that nothing should have fallen given the general state of the household.
     Wild hair is swept back from his face as he levers upright, listening. There is quiet movement, sure movement, speaking of someone who knows their way around. Accompanied by the lack of another heartbeat, he presumes it to be Vincent, though he knows better than to accept it for absolute surety.
     Travel to the living room is stalled, however, upon realising there’s a lit candle lending soft glow to the room and a rather sweet treat left for him to discover.

~~~~~     ~~~~~     ~~~~~

A strawberry dipped in delightful chocolate and topped with a swirl of cream will be tapped upon Vincent’s mouth when Chaos eventually emerges from the bedroom, soft purr greeting a pale ear as he nuzzles at dark hair.
     ”You certainly have a way with surprises, Vincent, else I’d be tempted to throttle you for that note.”

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