In the Middle of the Night, KKM, Hube/Nicola, for stagesoflove
Title: In the Middle of the Night
Author: Ellie Biel
Fandom: Kyou Kara Maou
Characters/pairing: Nicola/Geigen Huber Briscella
Warnings: sap? But it's Huber-flavored sap, so it's all good. =)
Notes: Written for stagesoflove Five Senses - Stage 2: Hearing
(Stage 1: Second Chances)
Sometimes it seemed like he'd never left.
He'd never forget what had happened any more than the rest of the kingdom, and if the loss of his eye wasn't reminder enough, every time he saw the new maou he couldn't forget that the boy-king possessed the soul of the woman whose death was on Hube's shoulders.
There was also the grudge that von Grantz held against him, and Hube couldn't say he blamed the man. If anyone dared to do so much as put Nicola or Eru in harm's way, he'd never forgive them.
He'd spent the last twenty years of his life wondering what might have happened if Julia had lived, however, and although it didn't assuage his conscience any, he suspected that Shinou would have only found another way for Julia's soul to be freed. The Original King would have to go through Hube if he ever thought to have plans for Eru's soul. He didn't care if his daughter possessed an unheard of mazoku power for one with human blood; she was not going to be a pawn in anyone's game.
In that, at least, he knew their young maou would be on his side.
He enjoyed evenings the best, just before supper, when he joined Nicola and Eru for a walk around the castle. Even with guards and patrolmen passing by, it was still one of the few times he got to enjoy their company alone. As much as he cared for Greta, she was the maou's daughter, and although she was family and he owed her a great debt for helping him escape his cell, he still treasured the moments when it was just the three of them.
If he'd ever thought humans, especially human women, were weak, he ceased to believe that when he saw the amount of energy Nicola spent every day. He'd never paid much attention to children and infants, and Eru was more than a handful even when she wasn't exercising her mazoku. Nicola seemed to have a sixth sense as to when a toy was flying overhead, for she'd reach up and catch it without a glance, setting it back down and ready to snatch the second one in its wake.
All that and she still got up during the night when Eru's wailing woke them both. It was only during those late hours that Hube felt as if he were inadequate, for he could feel the bed shift and hear Nicola's soft tread just as his own eyes were opening, as if she could tell when Eru needed her even before she cried.
When his eyes flew open that night, like they did every night, and he realized Nicola's body was still pressed against his, he lifted a finger to stroke her cheek lightly, watching her eyes move beneath their lids. Eru continued to whimper and Hube knew if he waited, Nicola would wake up, the cheek that had been on the pillow flushed brighter than the other and half lidded eyes concealed by dusty lashes.
Hube slowly eased out of bed, doing his best not to disturb Nicola, and went to the cradle where his daughter lay.
When Nicola woke up an hour later, she sat up abruptly, feeling for Hube and stifling a cry of alarm. Eru was normally awake by now, and she threw off her blankets and slid from the bed, biting on her knuckle as she realized that cradle was empty.
She looked up and noticed the leg that was visible in the moonlight, and she crept over to the rocking chair in the shadows of the room, first heaving a sigh of relief as she saw Hube sitting there with Eru asleep on his chest.
Gisela had told her that it was normal to be a bit overly emotional for a few weeks or even months after having a child. Nicola wiped away the tears that spilled down her face and she smiled as a soft snore reached her ears.
She tiptoed over, kissing them both on the cheek, and wiped at her cheeks again once she was back in bed with the blankets pulled up under her armpits. Gisela was a wise woman, Nicola had quickly come to that conclusion, but it was obvious she had no children of her own.
Nicola didn't think there would ever be a time when a sight such as that didn't move her to tears.