Chapter 453: Calming people down (2/3) |
After a long chat and talking Yue down from inflicting everlasting psychological scars on the kids who hurt Emma, John parked their car outside of a small apartment/store hybrid building in Akihabara with a sign saying 'Future Devices Research Facility.'
John stepped outside of the car and hummed. "Titor really doesn't know how to be subtle about these things huh?"
Yue stepped out of the car as well and then picked up Aurora's carseat, holding it and Aurora close to her. "You know Titor, Husband. He has all your worst habits and traits from the past."
"Hey, I wouldn't say those were my 'worst' traits. Just my more... flamboyant traits."
Yue giggled. "If you wish to call them that."
John walked around the back and opened the trunk to pick up a tray of food containers, filled with still warm entrees and dishes.
Yue watched him and hummed. "Are those for Titor and Amadeus?"
John closed the trunk and nodded. "Yeah. I HIGHLY doubt that our niece is as well behaved as Rory's been. Those guys probably haven't had a decent meal in a while."
Yue smiled and then tickled Aurora's cheek. "Of course~ No one is as sweet as my little baby girl. Isn't that right, little one?"
Yue gasped. "Mama? Little one, can you say that again?"
"Mama! Wo ai!"
Yue squealed and set the carseat down before scooping Aurora up into her arms. "Oh, you're such a genius! Mama loves you too! So, so much!"
Aurora giggled and snuggled against Yue's chest.
John walked over and picked up the carseat before chuckling. "Dial back the cuteness a bit, Rory. You'll give people heart attacks more than your big sis Alphy does at this rate."
Aurora blinked, then she looked sad and said, "Afi... baba..."
John ruffled Aurora's blonde hair and said, "I'll tell her to visit more often, Rory. But anyway." John walked towards the door and said, "Let's check up on your aunt and uncle, shall we?"
A soft knock.
John waited.
Another knock.
And then John frowned and tried the door, only to see it was unlocked.
'Oh wow. They must be super tired...'
John glanced at Yue.
Yue frowned, looking concerned. "We should just enter, Husband..."
"Yeah, probably for the best." John nodded and opened the door.
The first floor was dark, only lit by a few flickering monitors.
For a moment, John thought it was empty and started making his way towards the stairs to the second floor. But then a shadow shifted on the floor and got up.
Aurora screamed, hiding her face in Yue's chest.
Yue narrowed her eyes, emerald light flickering around her for a split second.
As for John...
He stared at the shadowy form. Specifically, at the shadowy form's gaunt and drawn out pale face... then the limp dark hair, and the haunted eyes...
"...The heck happened to you, Titor?" John blinked and said, "You look like a ghost."
Titor opened his mouth to speak.
And then a shrill baby's scream echoed from upstairs.
A soft sigh echoed from upstairs and then a tired female voice called out. "Love... can you take care of Tina for a bit? I need more sleep..."
John blinked. And then he said, "Oh."
Titor sighed.
===
After a quick relocation upstairs and turning on the lights, John, Yue, and Aurora sat on a couch across from Titor, Amadeus, and a cute pudgy baby girl with reddish brown hair. Said baby girl's crimson eyes were also still wet with tears as she sniffled, ready to burst into sobs at any moment.
John let out a wry smile and said, "Looks like you two have been through hell and back."
Amadeus let out a sigh as she shifted her shirt to feed the baby girl. "You don't know the half of it..."
Titor rubbed his face and muttered, "Three hours of sleep every night. That's it..."
John nodded. "Yeah. I can tell... Have you two even had a proper bath or meal since your baby girl was born?"
""No.""
"Ah. Well..." John cleared his throat and placed the tray of food on the table. "I figured, so I made you guys some food."
Titor looked at the food like a man dying of thirst staring at the ocean.
Amadeus looked like she wanted to break out into tears just like her baby girl had.
And John felt really guilty about not visiting sooner.
At that time, the baby girl started sniffling, her eyes crinkling up with tears again.
Amadeus froze, genuine fear and raw exhaustion passing through her body.
Seeing that, Yue handed Aurora over to John and then held her arms out to Amadeus. "May I?"
Amadeus let out a relieved smile and held her baby out. "Please..."
Yue smiled and gently held the pudgy baby girl. "There, there. It's alright, little one."
The baby girl sniffled and then looked up at Yue with her crimson eyes.
Yue kept smiled and gently brushed aside the baby girl's reddish-brown hair.
The baby girl sniffled again and then let out a faint smile.
John blinked. "Huh..."
Amadeus stared at Yue and then narrowed her eyes. "Oh you have GOT to be kidding-"
The baby girl immediately started crying again.
Amadeus flinched.
Yue stayed calm and gently rocked the baby girl, caressing her cheek. "There, there... Everything is alright, little one."
The baby girl slowly stopped crying, eventually leaning against Yue's chest and drifting off to sleep.
Titor stared at Yue with wide eyes and whispered, "How did you do that?"
Amadeus nodded and said, "Yeah... Tina's never this quiet..."
John shifted Aurora around to be comfy in his arms and then said, "So our niece is named Tina then?"
Titor nodded. "Yeah. Well, technically it's Christina. I wanted to call her Kris, but-"
Amadeus cut him off and said, "Tina is a better nickname."
"...So my wife says."
John nodded. "Right... A bit on the nose, but fair." He looked at his niece and then at Titor and Amadeus. "...Have you two had a night's rest at all? You both look super drained... and tense."
Amadeus waved at herself and said, "Look at me and you tell me."
Titor rubbed his face. "No, John. No. We haven't."
"...And you didn't think to call me or Yue this entire time to help babysit?"
""...""
John sighed.<img src="https://unlimitedwritingworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Transparent-png-with-text.png" alt="" width="450" height="329" />