★EMILIA★

You watch as your husband sighs and flicks his fingers out from his spot on the couch, not even bothering to look up though a smirk slides over his lips as he hears his children shriek in delight.

You look up slightly to see Doflamingo's strings pull the kids away from each other, string-created hands wrapping around each child and tossing them in the air playfully a few times before placing them back down.

“Give your poor mother a break.” He quips from the couch.

“But daddy, big brother started it!”

You snicker to yourself as you flip another pancake.

“No, I didn't! Papa, she's lying!”

“No I'm not!”

“Yes she is! Papa, make her stop!”

“Daddy, I didn't do anything!”

In a flash, your husband rises from his spot and is immediately looming over his kids, arms outstretched with palms on their heads to silence them.

“What have we said about lying?” Doflamingo demands, looking between his son and daughter.

You glance over your shoulder at the kids when they don't respond.

“Your father asked you a question, you better answer him.”

Both children sigh before they look up at their much taller father and finally reply simultaneously,

“That lying is bad…”

Doflamingo raises an eyebrow as he motions for them to continue.

“And only bad people lie.”

Doflamingo nods, pleased with their answer.

“Did your mother and I raise you to lie?”

Both children shake their heads as their father's hands fall from their crowns.

“No…”

You can't help but grin, turning the stove off and sliding up to your husband, letting him pull you to his embrace as you both look down at your kids.

“Daddy and I want you to grow up being honest with us and with each other. You won't always get along, but you can't lie about even the small things.”

They both nod solemnly.

“Sorry mama, sorry daddy/sorry papa.”

Doflamingo places a wet kiss to the side of your neck, pulling a chorus of laughter from you before he lets you go to scoop up his kids. They both shriek again, clinging to his shirt as they shout, “higher daddy, higher!”

-

Later in the evening, you both sit on the terrace with a glass of wine, watching the stars twinkle as you quietly murmur to each other. Doflamingo stares lovingly down at you in his lap, a genuine burst of joy slinking into his veins as you tell him you love him, pressing kisses along his jawline.

His grip on you tightens as that familiar ache begins to fill him, and he's tempted to take you here and now, just like this, when he's stilled at the sound of a small voice.

“Mama? Daddy? Are you out here?”

Immediately one of his hands leans over the chair towards the opening from the terrace to your bedroom. Your daughter comes out from the shadows, looking worse for wear and she suddenly breaks down into tears when she sees you two.

You scoop her up and hold her tight, kissing her forehead and wiping her tears as Doflamingo lays a gentle hand on top of her head, brushing through her long blond locks.

“My darling girl, what's wrong?” You coo softly, trying to get your daughter to take deep breaths. After a few moments, she wobbly gets out, “Are you mad at me?”

Both you and Doflamingo say the same thing.

“Why would you think that?”

Doflamingo can't help but press a kiss to your temple at that. You two were truly a well-oiled machine.

“I had a bad dream that you didn't want me anymore because I'm bad,” the tears started again. “Big brother was right, I started it. I'm sorry mama, I'm sorry daddy.”

You both give each other a quick sideye before you slowly rise off of your husband, taking your daughter with you. You then place your daughter on her daddy's lap, and he immediately holds her tight like a precious treasure. You lean over and give your daughter a kiss to her head and a kiss to Doflamingo's lips before you retreat back inside.

Once the tears had stopped again, Doflamingo pulls his daughter away enough to look down at her. He gently reaches up and takes off his signature glasses, settling them on the armrest as he can be eye to eye with her.

“My sweetheart, you are a Donquixote. You are my daughter, my bright north star, my absolute joy.”

He preens as his daughter begins to pick up, a smile etched in her small face that shows a perfect mix of him and his beautiful wife.

“Your mother and I adore you and your brother, you are everything to us.”

Then, in a sneaky tone, he mumbles down to her, “Also, I know you started it.”

His daughter looks surprised, though she hides a cheeky giggle behind her hands as she asks, “Really?”

Doflamingo snickers, gently digging his lithe fingers into her sides, pulling more giggles from her.

“Yes. You are so much like me, my sweet girl. You are in fact your father's daughter.”

Happy with the knowledge that she wasn't in trouble, she curls into her daddy's arms and yawns heavily, letting her eyes close.

Before she falls into slumber, she hears her daddy whisper,