Ringabel celebrates Father's Day.

His first "true" Father's Day (as Edea had still been pregnant the last) is a quiet, peaceful affair. Edea promises him that he can sleep in, but the soft cries of his daughters rouses him before dawn anyway, and he happily, tiredly scoops up both of the tiny figures in his arms and brings them back to his wife for nursing.

Ringabel curls around Edea and their two precious girls, his angels, murmuring into the woman's hair that this is what being a father is about. Supposed to be about. He's still learning.

He falls back asleep, and when he wakes, one of his baby angels is nestled happily against his arm, watching her papa sleep. He smiles at her, and she is just old enough to recognize him and smile back.

The second year is more active than the first, now that the twins have learned to walk. Their personalities are shining through as well. Marie is active and energetic, and mimics her mother more often than not, trailing behind Edea like a baby duckling as the Grand Marshal works. Cecile is so quiet and clings to her father's legs or arms, curling up in his lap and watching him write. He tries to remind them both every day that he loves them.

Edea once again promises him that he can sleep in, but he's woken just after sunrise by two little toddlers clambering into bed with them, like always. Still too young to understand things like "time" or "days", Marie and Cecile treat the day as though it's normal, and as Ringabel tickles a squealing Marie and blows a raspberry into her tummy, he thinks he wouldn't have it any other way.

Their third year is exhausting. Even the quiet Cecile wants to know everything, and she fires off a string of rapid fire babble at her father, who tries to respond to each and every one. It's important that she learns, that she doesn't feel neglected, that neither of them feel neglected. He tries his best to split his attention evenly between them, playing monster with Marie and reading to Cecile, being the father he never had.

Though they've gotten their own nursery by now, he's already awake and reading on that special morning when the door opens and the pair come sneaking in. The book is set aside in favor of his angels, holding them both to his chest and running his fingers through their messy blonde locks as he tells them another story about the Vestal.

When Edea comes back from her early meeting, it's to the sight of her husband curled up in a pile with his baby angels, all of them asleep and drooling. She joins them.

The fourth year is when things get interesting. He sits back with Edea and watches both girls play with the weapons their grandfather had tempered just for them, joining in occasionally to give them a real challenge. A small steel sword for Marie, and a small steel shield for Cecile. The girls love them, and he knows they'll make wonderful knights, both of them.

But the steel is heavy for their little muscles, and Ringabel spends his afternoon gently massaging their arms and promising that they'll be just as big and strong and beautiful as their mother. Both girls declare that means they'll protect their Papa too, and he isn't certain if he should be embarrassed or proud as they bury themselves into his arms, giggling.

But he is certain he'll protect both of them until they're ready to protect others.

When his fifth Father's Day dawns, Ringabel sleeps in. He wakes up slightly confused, feeling warm and comfortable, despite the absence of his angels in the large bed with him. Rolling around for a few minutes, selfishly relishing in the feeling of peace, he had just decided to get up and look for his family when the door opens. Marie and Cecile come sneaking in quietly, though when they realize he's awake, they pout before running the rest of the distance from the door, hopping into the bed with him and giving him eager good morning kisses. Edea follows just behind, the tray in her hands slightly supported by her pregnant belly.

"Papa, papa!" Marie says as she tugs at his hand. Cecile curls into her father's side, clinging to his other arm as it wraps around her. "Mama said we had to be nice to you today. It's Papa's day."

Ringabel smiles. "You're not always nice to me, Marie? I'm hurt."

Her lip juts out. "No, Papa. I love you."

"Marie didn't mean it," her sister implores, wiggling a little as she bats at her sister. "We love you, Papa! Don't be hurt."

"Of course I'm not." His throat feels tight as he wraps his arm around the more active of the twins, tugging her down against him for a kiss on the top of her head. "I love you too, my little baby angels. You'd never hurt me." Edea joins him on the other side of Cecile, and together the family huddles.

He had always longed for a family, and now that he had one, he couldn't imagine he'd ever be hurt again as long as they were safe. And he would give his life to make sure they were.