Diabolik Lovers: Daddy Edition

Chapter 13

After Kanato embraced Yui and Ema, days have passed and the others, understandably, still didn’t trust him. Kanato could understand though, even if the fact irritates him to no end. Instead of blowing up, he has learned from Subaru how to control his temper. He has been able to do so fairly well, and the others see his growth and commend him in his progress to earning their trust. For once, in a long time, Kanato is genuinely happy.

Five out of six of the Sakamaki brothers now join Yui and little Ema in the game room. The small child had already eaten and was changed by Kanato, himself, with the help of his brothers. The triplets were playing pool while Subaru challenged Shuu to a game of darts, and Yui sat on one of the couches watching everything unfold as her daughter clings to Kanato’s pant leg. The violet haired vamp, after taking his shot, looks down and smiles at the giggling baby girl.

“What is it Ema?” He asks the child who is reaching up. He becomes slightly confused. What does she want? The little girl stretches her arms towards the second triplet. He honestly thinks that she wants to be picked up so he sits Teddy down on the pool table and picks up his adoptive daughter. The girl squeals in happiness, but it soon ends as her eyes are glued to the stuffed animal on the pool table. She reaches out again in the same manner she did before, leaning out of Kanato’s arms.

“Be careful, little one.” Laito sang.

“Don’t tell me she wants that creepy thing.” Ayato guesses rudely, gesturing to Teddy.

Kanato looks between his favorite companion and his favorite human and immediately becomes stumped. On one hand, his baby girl wants to play with Teddy. On the other hand, it’s his Teddy. He wants to make her happy, he truly does. But he isn’t ready to give up Teddy, not for anyone.

“What do I do?” Kanato asks quietly.

“Just give her the damn bear.” Subaru butts in with his own two-sense. Kanato chooses not to respond and ignores his younger brother. In fact, he turns to Yui, expecting an answer.

Yui sees this look and can only feel a nervous sweat coat her forehead and the back of her neck, but she gives her best smile that she can muster and delivers his answer.

“W-Well, if you don’t want her to play with Teddy, why not give her another to- special companion.” She catches herself instantly, afraid to upset the bipolar vampire.

Kanato thought about it for a while before passing Ema to Laito. The fedora-wearing vampire took his daughter joyously letting the little girl wear his favorite staple of his signature look by placing it on top of her crown. Kanato then disappears to only reappear with many stuffed animals in various sizes and species. He places them on the floor, sitting them against the wall.

Laito understands what his younger brother is doing and sets Ema down on to her feet, letting her decide her new companion.

“Hmm. I don’t get it, Little Mama.”

“What?” Yui stands to watch Ema choose a new friend with five of her vampiric co-parents.

“Ema has a bunch of toys that we bought her, but she never took interest in the stuffed animals really. So my question is why now?” Laito asks while collecting and placing his fedora back on his head.

“I guess it’s because they were Kanato-Kun’s first. Children often connect with objects that represent or used to belong to their parents.”

Kanato hears Yui’s reasoning and feels his cheeks warm due to the thought of Ema seeing him as someone that important in her life. Yui sees the look of bliss cross the seventeen-year-old’s face and smiles, happy for him to be able to feel such a positive emotion.

Now all teens in the room watch as Ema goes from each toy but passes them up until she stops at a particular stuffed animal.

The child’s toy is a grey medium-sized rabbit dressed in a black and white stripped vest with a black ribbon tied around its neck. The bunny’s ears drooped slightly and had a pitch black eye patch covering its left eye. It’s adorable, and makes Ema squeal and clap her little hands. The small girl sits down in front of the stuffed bunny, the entirety of it almost being the same size as the small infant, and pulls it towards her to only gnaw on one of its drooping ears. The onlookers smile and clap for the child, proud of her decision and simply happy the child has found a new best friend.

Kanato could only smile wider, ecstatic to have been the one to give Ema her life-long companion. He wants to continue to make her happy for eternity. He wants to protect the innocence that the baby girl is radiating from the dangers of the world.

Suddenly, he feels Yui slip her hand in his, and he looks towards her. He’s surprised at the subtle act of affection, but he allows the touch and basks in it, feeling her warmth through the palm of her hand. This is another thing he wishes to protect, to keep safe and sound.

And to do that there’s one more thing he needs to do.

But now he decides it’s okay to simply enjoy the happy little world that is created by the bubbling child before them.

…

“Reiji-San.”

It’s late into the night, nearly morning, when Kanato decides to pay his second eldest brother a visit in his private rooms. Ema and Yui are fast asleep with Shuu; the eldest son decreed that the baby sanctuary is now his new favorite place to sleep snd take naps in during the day, much to the others protest.

He didn’t know if Ayato, Laito, or Subaru were still awake but it didn’t matter. He just needs to set the score straight with one person.

Reiji, who is reading casually in his study, turns his eyes to meet Kanato from across the room.

“What do you need? Wait, let me guess, you failed your previous mission of killing that insect and instead have become enamored with it instead. Is that what you wanted to say?” Reiji mocks.

Kanato stays silent, letting his anger simmer. However, Reiji continues seeing that Kanato has nothing to say at the moment.

“How pathetic. You’re just as weak as the others,” Reiji sighs, “I guess if you want something done right, then you must do it yourself.”

At this Kanato doesn’t continue to bite his tongue. He grips at Teddy in his arms, nearly tearing the material the stuffed companion is made out of.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Reiji-San. If you ever try to harm a single hair on Ema’s head then I won’t forgive you.” Kanato threatens darkly.

Reiji only smirks. “Making threats now, are we? Tell me, isn’t that awfully similar to what Laito said to you and Ayato all those weeks ago?”

“They are, but I’m repeating them to you. I will kill you without hesitation to protect her. Please don’t make me do something so troublesome.” Kanato speaks, sounding bored with the conversation already.

The second vampiric prince felt his eyebrow twitch in irritation, but otherwise didn’t let it show.

“Are you really in any position to be making such threats?” The bespectacled vampire asks again, though with a knife-like edge to his deep voice. However, Kanato does not flinch in the slightest.

“I should be asking you the same thing, after all, Reiji-San, you’re the one outnumbered here.” The fourth in line for the throne points out. At this moment, all of the other brothers end up making an appearance aside from Shuu.

They all simply look to Reiji with a deadly gleam in their eyes, this entire meeting in itself serving as a warning. Reiji isn’t stupid. Even he knew that he couldn’t fight against four of his younger brothers at once. After contemplating, he answers, “Very well, I’ll leave your precious human infant alone.” For now.

None of the younger siblings seem to believe this, but leave it at that to address it on another day. They all vanish with a simple look of understanding marked with plain distrust, and return to their respective places in the manor.

Now alone, Reiji looks out the window into the dark, early morning sky. His fist clenches at his side. How dare they threaten him? To protect a pathetic human child, no less. No matter. His time will come soon, but he guesses that he should prepare for the coming storm that’s brewing in the distance.