#dad!titus

A loud sigh resounds the instant Lieutenant Demetrian Titus sits down on his bed in his chamber to rest from his last mission, a simple and easy elimination of Xenos. For someone as experienced as he is, it is not difficult; he is a Primaris. To say that he is made for this is an understatement, his entire body is modified and prepared to face anyone who dares to disturb humanity. That intervention also essentially saved him from certain death at the hands of a filthy Xeno.

The scar on his chest is still quite noticeable, though it's not the only one. He has many scars scattered across his body, not to mention the implants he has to connect to his power armor. Another small sigh escapes his mouth.

His gaze shifts to the pillow to his right, somewhat squashed and possibly uncomfortable to sleep on, but still making do. It's easy to see how the corner of what looks like a piece of paper peeks out from under it. He can't help but let out a small laugh. He reaches out to pull out the paper, a perfectly folded piece. The smile on his lips grows slightly as he opens it. A drawing done with crayons, it's somewhat abstract, but each stroke carries the love of the person who drew it.

Titus remembers the day Lilia gave him the drawing. He had gone to visit her again at the convent on that agricultural planet, amid some teasing from Gadriel about how he worried so much about that little girl, to whom he even gave a name, buying and sending things anonymously, however, all the sisters at the convent knew they were gifts from him for the girl.

From simpler things she might need to something he thought she would like, a basic set of crayons and some paper was the last thing he sent. Something inside him is eager to see her. During his occasional visits, he notices how Lilia is growing a little more, gaining some weight, and what used to be completely bony arms now has some flesh on them.

The sisters at the convent keep him updated on every detail, even if he says it isn't necessary—a lie; he just wants to keep up appearances in front of others—but he can't help acting so gently around the little girl, just remembering how excitedly she runs to him every time she hears his footsteps, even before he calls her.

[ . . . ]

Titus's calm footsteps echo as he walks toward the convent. It's been several weeks since he last saw Lilia. After giving her a name, he doesn't even think of calling her anything else; such a soft and beautiful name is pronounced by him. He continues walking until he reaches the convent's main door.

He raises his hand to knock, but his senses alert him to something running in his direction as fast as it can. Titus turns his head slowly, watching as a small white and red figure runs toward him.

Gently yet excitedly, she hugs his leg, looking down at the white and red cap. The little girl's head lifts, staring into Titus's blue eyes. Seconds later, she smiles brightly.

Titus slowly crouches down to Lilia's level, raising his large hand toward her. His armored body is covered in blood for a moment, his hands so large they could crush the girl's head. Titus freezes, inches away from caressing the girl's head, something he usually does, but now he stops to think about how small she is.

Lilia looks at Titus doubtfully, tilts her head with a small sound of confusion, and then stands on tiptoe so her head touches Titus's hand. He snaps out of his reverie and can't help but laugh again. The Primaris truly doesn't understand how this little girl trusts him so much, and it seems that fear is the last thing she would feel about Titus.

Lifting him with one arm while Lilia carefully holds on to him, she gently hugs his neck.

— How was your day, Lilia? —

Before the girl can answer, the voice of one of the convent sisters is heard, approaching with hurried steps and a trembling voice.

— Lilia? Lilia, don't just run away. For the Emperor's sake, don't give me such scares —

The sister looks at the marine, and he looks back. Immediately afterward, they both look at Lilia. She hides behind Titus's neck, certainly somewhat embarrassed because she ran away when she heard the noise of the landing craft.

A feminine sigh resounds, and the sister laughs softly after sighing. No one in the convent can compete with the marine regarding Lilia's favoritism. She spent days drawing the marine during her breaks, just as she began to learn to sew alongside the other sisters.

— Lord Titus, it's a pleasure to see you here. You may come in. I assume it will be just a brief, sporadic visit, as always —

Titus nods back, looking at Lilia in his arms.

— Lilia, don't you think this is a perfect time to give that to Lord Titus? —

Lilia blinks several times and nods rapidly. Titus looks at Lilia with some confusion when he sees her struggling to get out of the marine's arms. He carefully lowers her and watches as she runs down the convent hallway.

— Relax, it's nothing bad, Lord Titus. Lilia's been preparing something very important for herself —

Now Titus's curiosity is gnawing at him, as he watches the little girl disappear down the hallway and reappear a few minutes later, running back, holding something in her hands.

When she stops in front of Titus, the little girl is catching her breath, panting a little from the sprint she's made to gather the important thing she'd packed.

— Lilia? —

The little girl raises her gaze to Titus; there's a sweet sparkle in her eyes when she hears her name, the name he and his beloved gave her.

Something inside Lilia tickles, she's heard about the children adopted from the orphanage, people who truly love them and allow them to call them Mom and Dad.

She quickly dismisses those selfish thoughts in her head, she shouldn't cling to anything. Rather, she's afraid of holding on to something and then simply being discarded like the trash she is.

Lilia clutches the sheet of paper in her hands. When Titus bends down to Lilia's level, she reacts with embarrassment, hiding the paper.

— Lilia... What's going on? —

Titus can tell, can tell his little girl isn't okay. He doesn't even stop to think that he's called her his little girl. He just raises his hand to her head and gently strokes her.

— Lilia, whatever you have hidden, if you give it to me, I'll treasure it —

The girl's eyes light up again with excitement. She holds out the drawing in embarrassment while tightly closing her eyes, avoiding Titus's reaction. He simply freezes, staring at the drawing, a drawing made with the crayons he bought her, a drawing of him and her.

Lilia opens her eyes and looks at Titus. He has a neutral expression on his face until he hugs the girl against him.

— I'll treasure it, Lilia, thank you —

[ . . . ]

If he ever had a moment of vulnerability, it would be when he remembered the people important to him. Initially, his beloved partner, Elitheia, and now, little by little, Lilia was slipping into his memory.

That agricultural planet was such a peaceful place that it seemed untouched by what was happening outside, as if they were simply living peacefully in a world completely parallel to what they were experiencing. The convent in question was a quiet place where the Sororitas Adeptas could take a break. Strangely, such a place existed. He learned about it thanks to his partner. She had mentioned in the past that there was a quiet place where the Sororitas Adeptas could take a short break. She herself had been there several times, as they also took seriously injured sisters there so they could recover peacefully and without worry before returning to their main task.

He raises his large hand to her face, clumsily brushing back her hair. Never in his more than two hundred years did he think they would become so attached to a girl of only ten years old, or so the Biologis tech-priest who had examined the children said. Based on her height and build, he would have said she was much younger, at most about six or seven years old, so small and so fragile.

Children who were used by heretics, children who were not to blame for what was happening to them, and yet they blamed themselves, praying to the Emperor for a better tomorrow.

It's not uncommon for orphans to exist on a hive world, overpopulation and poor oversight lead to these kinds of situations. However, he doesn't even want to remember everything the Tech-Priests told him, since he was the one who requested the children's examination and treatment.

Not only the giant heretical mark burned into their bodies, physical abuse, from beatings to amputations simply for the amusement of those disgusting swine, but what struck him the most was the Tech-Priest's superficial comment, several of those children had been forced into sexual acts with noble adults.

He clenches his jaw tightly, his blood boiling inside him, and to think that those people are still alive in that hive world.

His gaze returns to the drawing, and his facial expression softens slightly, like he'd said about a drawing of Demetrian Titus and Lilia, created by Lilia herself with crayons an anonymous source had obtained for her—everyone knows it was Titus.

Each one has an arrow pointing at them with their name written in a rather shaky way. To say that Titus loves this drawing is an understatement; it is a relic to him, so valuable that if he were to lose it, he could end up submissive in great pain just thinking about Lilia knowing that he lost it.

The simple thought of making the little girl cry hurts him more than the mortal wound they made in her chest. But there is something else in this drawing that, every time he looks at it, breaks his heart: the small marks of dried water on the paper, two in particular. He did not ask Lilia directly, but he deduces that it is because the little girl ended up crying while writing her name. He never expected her to love the name so much, as if it were the most valuable treasure she has.

He still perfectly remembers Lilia's happy face every time he calls her by her name; no matter what she's doing, she turns quickly towards him, as she recognizes his voice instantly. No, not only his voice, little Lilia even recognizes the noise the marine makes when he walks—heavy steps because of the armor, but they have something soft, as if he is afraid of breaking something in the convent. She always gets so excited when he comes to visit her, almost forgetting the rest of the sisters in the convent to give him her full attention.

At the same time, a vague thought runs through his head: how the name he and Theia had given her seemed to have revived something inside the girl, as if it shone brighter than it usually did.

He's so proud of himself for having asked Theia what he should give the little girl. At first, he'd mentioned something material that she was missing, but Theia realized something he hadn't thought of yet: he was, as always, calling her little, little girl... Various synonyms for little, but never by name.

Elitheia's contrite face when she found out everything was filled with sadness and anger. Titus admits that even he was speechless after reading the children's files. He talked about what he knew about the girl from the several times he had visited her at the convent, recounting how she was completely shy, how she ducked her head and played with her hands when she was nervous, how... This could go on for a while, and Theia wouldn't mind him at all.

Elitheia's lips formed a gentle smile. Watching her partner speak so sweetly about the little girl's activities melted her heart. She found him so adorable, even with his size and the scars on his face. He possessed such a soft side that she cherished even the little girl's small gestures.

After that, the conversation flowed like a river until they agreed that her first gift, a name, would be something she couldn't live without, something she could hold onto and claim as hers.

Theia undoubtedly suggested some very pretty names, all related to flowers, but the name she liked most was Lilia. They both liked it, though. Small, shy, and innocent, it fit the little girl's description.

The marine comes to after recalling the entire journey he went through to find little Lilia's name. He also notices his cheeks heat up slightly as he remembers how Gadriel overheard the whole conversation and made a comment that left him completely frozen.

“—Basically, it's as if you've adopted that child; you could be her parents in the child's eyes—”

At no point did he speak to Elitheia about the possibility of starting a family; there wasn't time to think about it, but he must admit that in moments of peace, he truly wants—no, longs to—start a family.

He wants to see his beloved peaceful and happy, creating a family and… Now that the marine stops to think about it, Lilia somehow reminds him of Theia, with such a calm, comforting aura, delicate and gentle gestures.

Now more than ever, he wants to find a moment to introduce Theia to Lilia. He knows how busy his partner is right now, but he will still try his best. He can only smile again, imagining a possible scenario for that introduction. Lilia would adore Theia; he knows it. He has spoken to Lilia about Theia several times, and at no point has she shown anything other than admiration.

He even remembers a little drawing Lilia made of how she imagined Theia, based on Titus's description. For some reason, she drew her with bunny ears. Titus still doesn't quite understand, but he thinks she's too cute.

[ . . . ]

But it seems someone anticipated her partner's thoughts.

Elitheia Agni, Sisters Hospitaller, has landed with one of the landing craft on the agricultural world. She knows where she is better than anyone. She calmly steps off the craft, taking steady strides until she reaches the convent doors. A few gentle knocks later, the door opens.

— Lady Elitheia, a pleasure to see you again —

The sister says as she lets the Hospitaller in.

— It's a pleasure to see you again, Sister Eva —

Theia replies softly, her gaze wandering from side to side, searching for little Lilia, and the sister seems to have noticed.

— If you're here to see Lilia, she's probably finishing her chores right now. A little while ago she was sewing with one of the sisters and then went into the kitchen to help peel some potatoes. I can guide you if you wish, Lady Elitheia —

The sister says as she lets the Hospitaller in.

Theia nods as she calmly follows the sister. She's only been to this convent twice, and both times were to heal her battle wounds. She sees how the place seems even more alive, with small potted flowers decorating the halls.

She can also hear the voices of other sisters speaking sweetly.

— ...Do you think she'll like it? It would be fine for winter, though I think I sewed one of the sleeves larger than the other. Should I sew a little more on the other sleeve? —

— ...Obviously, Lilia will like it. She's a very sweet girl. I'm sure she'll love the sweater. And stop sewing more on the sleeves. Lilia will end up dragging them around. She's already small —

The silence stretches for a few seconds, and a squeal of excitement is heard.

— ...I admit she could look very cute in an oversized sweater! —

Theia laughs softly at this conversation. Everything is truly so lively here with the little girl present. The minutes pass, and they reach the kitchen. The doors open, revealing Theia inside.

— Sister Eva, what brings you to the kitchen? —

The sister in the kitchen asks, lowering the peeler from her hands and looking toward the newcomers.

— We're looking for Lilia. Wasn't she here helping you peel the potatoes? —

Sister Eva asks while her opponent gently shakes her head.

— She finished her part a while ago. I gave her permission to go play for a bit —

— I understand... Do you know where she is? —

— No idea, Eva. Try the backyard garden. She's usually there watching the butterflies, although it's getting dark now —

With that suggestion in mind, Sister Eva and Elitheia search for the little girl throughout almost the entire convent. Nothing, nothing. It’s as if the little girl were playing hide-and-seek with them, except there’s only one other option: the little girl’s room. They should have started there, but who can blame them? Lilia tends to move around a lot; she rarely stays locked in her room.

Eva gently knocks on the bedroom door. When she doesn’t get a response, she opens it slowly. There’s no one in sight, except for a bear peeking out from the side of the closet.

— Lilia, I know you're there; come out. There are people who want to… —

Theia gestures for silence to her sister as she walks with calm steps toward the giant navy-blue teddy bear that reminds her of Titus’s hair, as well as those blue eyes. It is undoubtedly a teddy bear made in Titus’s image; Theia can’t help but smile at that.

Titus had mentioned several times that she was extremely shy around strangers, and even though he had mentioned Theia to Lilia, she was still shy and somewhat afraid of meeting new people.

— Hello, Mr. Bear. Do you know where Lilia is? —

Something stirs behind the Bear. Lilia's white hair peeks out a little as she moves the Bear's head with her hands.

— Really? I was so excited to meet her —

Theia speaks again to the bear, seeing Lilia's head moving behind it, and can't help but smile at the sight before her.

— ...Are you excited to meet her? —

Lilia's soft voice resonates as the room is completely silent. Theia is surprised for a second; even Sister Eva herself is surprised. Lilia rarely speaks; she assumes it's because of everything she went through, so no one forces her to talk. They will simply let her heal little by little from her wounds.

— Of course, I'm excited to meet her. Titus has talked so much about her that I came running without telling him. It's a secret, Mr. Bear —

Theia gestures to the bear to silence her, while Lilia lets out a small muffled laugh.

— Oh, I forgot to introduce myself properly. My name is Elitheia Agni. You can call me Theia, Mr. Bear —

There's no reaction from the stuffed animal, but Lilia pokes her head out from the side as she looks at Theia with a curious and excited expression.

— Hello, Lilia —

The softest, sweetest tone she could have used to call the little girl echoes in the room. Theia's voice is like the most harmonious melody, while Lilia stares at her with immense admiration for everything she's heard from Titus about her.

Lilia comes out from behind the closet. She had hidden herself the moment she heard a landing craft and saw it wasn't Titus's.

— …Hello —

She murmurs as Theia slowly approaches her, giving her enough time to react if she wants her to stop and not come any closer.

— It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Lilia —

Theia opens her arms to the little girl. She hesitates for a few seconds before leaning in closer and allowing the Hospitaller to embrace her. She's not as large as Titus, but she's just as kind and caring.

She has such a calming aura that makes her let her guard down without realizing it. Even in Theia's arms, she begins to talk. She expected to get little in return after hearing Titus say she wasn't very talkative, but for some reason, she was speaking. Not much, but she responded most of the time when addressed.

Lilia looked at Theia with complete excitement and admiration, listening to her every feat and fight.

— …You're amazing —

She murmurs as she rests her head against Theia's chest, slowly narrowing her eyes. It seems the little girl has experienced many emotions in a single day. Theia can't help but smile as she rests her head against the little girl's. It's just like Titus said. She doesn't know why, but she feels the need to take care of her. Something inside her stirs with excitement when the girl responds to something she's said. Something inside her thrills when she sees her smile, and look, it's just a first encounter.

— You're amazing, Lilia —

Theia places a soft kiss on the little girl's forehead as she watches her fall completely asleep in her arms.

[ . . . ]

— Lord Titus, what a surprise to see you here. You seem a little nervous. Is something wrong? —

Sister Eva asks, although she knows exactly why the marine is reacting this way. Lilia hasn't come to welcome him with open arms, even though it's nearly dusk.

— Is Lilia asleep yet? —

Titus's question makes the sister let out a small laugh, then nod in agreement.

— If she's already asleep, you can go check on her, it will be a pleasant sight for you —

That sentence leaves Titus somewhat confused. He nods as he walks toward Lilia's room. The door is ajar, and as his mind processes what his eyes are seeing, his chest begins to pound with emotion. He sees Theia hugging Lilia as the two sit on the bed. Lilia is tucked in while Theia strokes the little girl's head.

Theia raises her head, seeing her lover peering through the small opening in the door. She can't help but laugh as she gestures for him to come in.

— You should take a picture, it’ll last longer —

Titus gently shakes his head at what Theia has said.

— I'm engraving this image into my mind. I won't let it ever be forgotten —

He slowly bends down to place a gentle kiss on Theia's forehead.

— Looks like you got ahead of yourself —

Theia smiles softly as she nods and continues stroking Lilia's albino hair.

— You didn't expect me to wait to meet Lilia after you talked so much about her —

The Hospitaller replies, glancing sideways at her partner and then at the teddy bear. She then looks at the drawings she had been glancing at; they are all drawings of Titus and Lilia.

— She adores you. You're her favorite person —

Theia jokes as she watches Titus's cheeks redden at what his beloved says.

— But it seems she adores you too. She hasn't slept with anyone since she arrived. She always curls up in a ball when she sleeps, but with you, she appears completely relaxed —

The conversation between the couple continues, discussing the little girl and her peculiarities, or so it was until they both realize what it means. Theia looks at Titus, and he looks back at her, and seconds later he looks at Lilia.

Essentially, an outsider would assume they’re a family... And for some reason, neither of them dislikes it at all; they just want to create more and more memories together, as a family.

The first rays of light are already peeking through the agricultural world, slipping elusively through the convent windows and directly illuminating the face of the little girl curled up in a ball, hugging two teddy bears—one made in the image of Demetrian Titus and the other in the image of Elitheia Agni.

Lilia lets out a small moan as she feels her head being struck by an invisible hammer. Her face is completely red, and she's sweating so much that a thick layer of it covers her skin. She's been tossing and turning all night, unsure of what to do, as everything is painful and uncomfortable. Even though she is suffering from a fever, she didn’t tell anyone how bad she felt.

Like her lungs, she's gasping for air almost all the time. Even when she breathes, it’s as if she is suffocating. It’s the same feeling she had when the director's lover grabbed her slender neck with her bony hands. The little girl closes her eyes tightly, trying to erase that image from her mind.

Lying on her side, hugging the two bears and crying silently, even if she is slowly forgetting the past, she still has memories that won’t fade away—emotional wounds that still need to heal. She can remember how, in the past, she couldn’t complain when she got sick. She remembers all too well what would happen if the director of the orphanage heard that a child was ill: a sure beating, pain worse than what she would endure from the sickness.

“— The garbage is thrown away —”

The little girl opens her eyes wide as the headmaster's voice echoes in her mind. With teary eyes, she finds herself looking at the two bears she's cuddling. She wants to call them, but she doesn't know what to call them. She wishes to refer to him as Dad and her as Mom. She doesn’t want to address him as Lord Titus and her as Lady Elitheia like the other sisters in the convent do. Yet something inside her prevents her from naming them that way. Rather, it’s a fear that will never go away.

She’s so afraid that Demetrian Titus and Elitheia Agni will discover that the garbage is thrown away that she doesn’t want to get her hopes up, even though from the first moment she met them, they were kind and sweet, even spoiling her with gifts she couldn't have dreamed of.

The fear of emotional attachment haunts her; she’s terrified of clinging to them and growing attached, only to be discarded.

Small whimpers escape her every time she tries to move; her head feels as though it is going to explode if she keeps moving. Tears stream down her cheeks, yet she doesn’t cry at all. She remains silent, trying to wipe her tears and sweat with the sheet.

She forces herself to move, forces herself to get up and say everything's okay even though she feels like she will faint from the pain at any moment.

Gentle knocks on the door alert her. She feels so sick and confused. Her small room in the convent shifts to the dirty, moldy room in the orphanage, filled with rotten things and items stained with heretical Slaanesh symbols, where more than fifty children huddle together, trying not to die of hypothermia.

— Lilia? Are you still asleep, little one? I'm coming in —

Sister Eva's voice echoes, bringing her back to the convent room. The sister opens the door, revealing the scene: a small white ball hugging her teddy bears and covered by the sheets.

— Haven't you been able to sleep well, Lilia? —

The sister asks again, noticing that the little girl in the bed isn't responding, but she does see the little girl trembling beneath the covers.

Lilia had never been capricious; no matter the situation, she always woke up to help out at the convent, so this is certainly new for Sister Eva.

Sister Eva quickly approaches the little girl, her hand instinctively moving to the girl's head when she feels her red, hot, feverish face. The touch of Eva's cold hand on Lilia's forehead makes the little girl let out a small sigh of relief. The sister notices the tears streaming down Lilia's face, her chest pounding; she's starting to feel a little upset. Who are we kidding? She's completely upset right now.

— I'll get a bucket of cold water and a cloth. I'll also inform Lord Titus and Lady Elitheia about your condition. Hang in there, little one —

The sister says, Lord Titus has become Lilia's legal guardian after a private conversation with the convent's senior sister. No one knows what happened in the office, but Senior Sister Elizabeth surely opened Lord Titus's eyes, while Lady Elitheia is Lord Titus's partner, so it would also be right to inform her in a situation like this.

Lilia's eyes narrow as she sees Sister Eva quickly recover and almost run out the door. The little girl raises her hand toward the door.

— Wait... Don't leave me alone... Please... Coal, I'm scared —

That last murmur ends with her soft voice breaking. When she realizes she’s completely alone in the room, she feels so alone that she's terrified. Her mind begins to spin with all sorts of scenarios.

Her convent room shifts to the orphanage again and again, like images flashing before her eyes.

— …Coal… I'm scared… —

She murmurs that name again as she stops hugging the teddy bears and curls into a ball, wrapping her legs and burying her head completely under the covers. She begins to cry loudly, biting her lip in an attempt to muffle the sobs.

“—Shhh… Calm down, Bean, I'm here. I won't let them hurt you— ”

That voice echoes in Lilia's head, hoarse and broken but still as sweet and kind as she remembers. She closes her eyes tightly as memories of the past quickly begin to drown her.

[ . . . ]

Soft footsteps are heard walking toward the girl lying on the floor. The little girl holds her breath, fearing it might be an inspector sent by the orphanage director to check on the children. She closes her eyes tightly as she tries to stop the tears from coming. She listens as he stays still and crouches down in front of her.

She's afraid of opening her eyes and getting hit, so she prefers to continue pretending she's asleep. To the girl's surprise, a small, calloused hand caresses her cheek.

— ...It's me, Bean —

That voice, which the girl would recognize anywhere, makes her slowly open her eyes, seeing the child's face completely covered in dirt.

— ...Coal —

She murmurs toward the boy, who only nods as he helps her sit on the lap of the boy several years older than her. Coal, as everyone knew this boy, was the oldest in the orphanage, always covered in coal because the most capable children were sent to the mine to help extract minerals. In the eyes of the planet's nobles, they were sweet children who wanted to help the orphanage that cared for them so much, which is why no one questioned why there were children in the mine.

The boy searches in his pocket for a small, battered, and dirty leather canteen.

— It's clean water, the miners gave it to me. You should drink a little and then eat something —

Coal's voice is soft, trying not to wake the other children or alert any adults in the orphanage.

Coal tightly hugs the girl's thin body, trying to keep her from falling as she's so sick, helping her drink the clean, cool water. After taking two small sips, her body feels a little relieved almost instantly.

The boy looks at her silently, letting out a small sigh of relief. For some reason, ever since Bean—what he'd nicknamed her after the first few days of watching her sleep like a bean—arrived at the orphanage, the director's mistress had become increasingly present, punishing the girls there.

Being one of the older children, I always try to help the other kids. I save my rations from the mine for any child who had been punished by missing a meal, and I take care of anyone who gets sick so the director won't beat them.

Coal's hand rises toward the little girl's forehead, so small for a ten-year-old, so thin she looks like a tree branch that would break at any breath of wind, but with the brightest smile of all.

The girl struggles to stay awake; she's tired. The small piece of bread she was eating remains in her hand after three microscopic bites.

— Everything's okay... You can sleep, Bean. . . I'll protect you as always —

Still in Coal's arms, Bean nods, slowly falling asleep on Coal's chest, listening to his heartbeat.

The mere presence of Coal in such a place is completely comforting for the children of the orphanage.

Small moans of pain escape her lips between soft gasps; the little girl's eyes slowly open, looking from side to side. Perhaps it’s because she's sick or because she's still half asleep, but she still doesn’t realize she’s in someone's arms.

Her soft breathing is the only thing he hears. Seconds later, he also notices Coal's breathing as he holds her in his arms, never having stopped protecting her.

The girl's smile slowly spreads; she really doesn’t know what would have happened to her if Coal hadn't been in the orphanage.

— …Thank you —

She murmurs so as not to wake the boy. It seems he stayed wide awake all night and only decided to get some rest in the morning.

[ . . . ]

Lilia's eyes slowly open, noticing the cold, damp cloth on her forehead. A soft hand clasps her small hand. Until her eyes adjust to the light, her vision is blurred. She blinks several times until she realizes there are two adults in the room, Demetrian Titus and Elitheia Agni. He stands at the side of the bed, occasionally checking the cloth on the girl's forehead to moisten it again. She gently holds the girl's hand, praying soft prayers to the Emperor.

The first person to realize she is awake is Elitheia, who, while still holding the girl's hand, composes herself slightly, raising her hand to the little girl's cheek, wiping away the tears that have fallen down her face. To say they were both scared is an understatement. When Sister Eva's holo message reached Demetrian, it took him no more than two seconds to almost run to one of the dropships and fly toward the little girl without looking back. He and his partner had agreed to see the little girl together, but he hadn't expected his little surprise for her to turn out like this.

Without a second thought, he notified Elitheia, and they headed toward the agricultural world. The last thing they heard were some comments from Gadriel and Leandros. And that's how an Astarte and a Sororita Adepta almost broke down the convent door in search of the girl. It took them no more than fifteen minutes to arrive. If there were speed limits, they probably would have broken them just to get there quickly.

Demetrian's sigh resonates in the room, filled with relief at seeing his little daughter's face awake. He bends down, raising his large hand to remove the cloth from the little girl's forehead. She still seems quite bewildered and certainly lost. She hasn't spoken a word yet, only staring at the two of them in the room over and over.

— Lilia? —

It's Theia who breaks the silence, bringing her face closer to the little girl's, touching her forehead against hers, noticing that her temperature has dropped noticeably.

— How are you feeling, my little girl? —

Theia's sweet, soft voice is all the little girl hears right now.

The room falls completely silent again as Elitheia and Demetrian wait for any reaction from the little girl. She only blinks a few times and gives them the biggest smile on the planet.

— ...Mommy... Daddy... —

The moment she calls them that, they both react instantly. Warmth begins to fill the room. Elitheia smiles warmly in return as she lifts the sheet a little and gets into bed with the little girl.

— Yes, my dear daughter? —

He hugs her to his chest while Lilia settles a little more. It seems that the storm has passed and now calm has arrived. Titus, who had been completely frozen watching the situation, moves a little closer to his partner and his… daughter. It's still so strange to him, but it's strange in a good way. It's something he's never experienced. He grew up and matured, filled with rage, but right now he can only feel the warmth and love overflowing in the place.

Elitheia gestures to her partner, as if squeezing herself a little further onto the bed to make room for him. Even though the bed is small, I don't think Lilia would complain at all about being sandwiched between her two favorite people.

— ...Thank you for being here with me —

Lilia murmurs, closing her eyes again, as they hug her.

— You have nothing to thank us for, my little one. We'll always be with you, we'll never leave you alone, right my dear? —

Elitheia looks at Demetrian, and he nods automatically. As I said before, this is the first time he's felt such warmth, this is the first time he's felt such peace.

— Never, no matter where you are, we'll always take care of you, Lilia. Don't ever think for a second that we're going to leave you, my little one —

— Thank you... Daddy... Mommy —

Elitheia's eyes gaze so sweetly at the little girl as she continues to murmur "Mommy" and "Daddy" Demetrian slowly brings his hand up to Lilia's face, caressing his daughter's small, fleshy cheeks with his large thumb.

— Stop being thankful, Lilia... Mommy and Daddy will always take care of you —

Another little story of the little Titus/Agni family!

It's a bit short but I loved the result and didn't want to add filler.

Also featured in this chapter is Coal! He's my first male Oc for Wh40K ( ՞ ܸ. .ܸ՞ )

Soon when I have time I will make some drawings of Coal and Bean (Lilia)

✨💕