Work Text:
Silver, Age 3 - Many Years Ago…
Life in the woods was a peaceful life, quiet and happy for what seemed like everyday for Lilia and his precious son. Everyday was practically filled with sunshine, laughter, and endless smiles from his beautiful little boy. Nothing could ever go wrong- or at least that is what Lilia thought, after all, how could one simply slip past him and his watchful eyes and incredible senses? Certainly no one would dare enter his territory without expecting severe consequences for their actions. He was a father, naturally he was on high alert for his toddler’s safety.
Though, nothing could ever have prepared him for the fright that was to unfold before his eyes…
As he stood at the kitchen counter preparing himself some tea, Silver played happily on the rug by the fireplace still happily in his night clothes looking cozy that chilly February morning. Lilia was in no rush, it was to be a slow day with snow and light winter weather so he had no need to quickly change Silver to his day clothes and prep the child for the outdoors, for now it was more than alright to keep the little one indoors all cozy by the fire.
Silver was an energetic boy, always happy to wake up and greet the day and be the most sunshine filled child Lilia had ever seen. He was normally a ball of energy, little sleepiness inside him, other than at nap time or bedtime- however, that was about to change and Lilia’s whole world was about to shatter.
The child hummed a small tune he heard many a time from his father’s lullabies as he coloured, Lilia smiled, only turning away for a second to pour the kettle until silence was all he heard… then a thud. A loud thud.
Lilia froze, blood running colder than the winter air outside the cottage, the old fae turned around to see his once happy toddler now laying on the ground still… deadly still. He wasted no time in running to his fallen child, praying to any devine being above that his baby was alright.
“Silver?! SILVER?! ANSWER ME!” Lilia yelled frantically as he checked the child over for a pulse- there was a pulse and some small, deep breaths… he was alive but asleep… how? Silver showed no signs of sleepiness before… “SILVER?! SILVER?!” WAKE UP, CHILD!”
No response… only a sleepy exhale and a twitch from the sleeping boy. Lilia panicked, what could have caused this? How could his very awake child suddenly pass out without warning? Silver was just fed his breakfast, no possible way it could have been from lack of food and low blood sugar levels- was it exhaustion? No, it could not be that either… Silver slept as soundly as ever that night, no waking up from a nightmare or an accident, no cries or anything of the sort.
A small yawn left the boy’s lips as he stretched adorably from his sleep, waking up slowly and opening his aurora eyes to greet his frightened father who had tears in his eyes.
“Hmm…? Papa? Papa, what’s wrong? You okay?” The tiny boy asks sleepily, reaching up to lovingly pat his father’s face with his tiny hand. “You okay now, I’m here.”
Lilia could not hold back, he embraced his still sleepy child and held him tightly to his frame. In all his many years of life and experiences of the horrors of war and suffering he had never been more frightened in his life. The sight of his own son, his baby, on the floor appearing as if he were kissed by death itself sent him into a fearful state he had never experienced before.
“My baby… I thought I lost you… oh my baby, my baby boy… you frightened this old man so.” Lilia felt a tear escape his eye, he carefully picked up his son and walked to their favourite rocking chair by the fireplace.
“But- but I’m okay… I sleepy though…” Silver yawned. “Dunno why I’m so sleepy, papa… wanna take a nap now…”
Lilia could not help but crack a smile at his little one’s remark and his adorable sleepy whine. “Alright, just a short nap, alright? Then it’s straight to the doctors office, young man. You cannot be frightening papa here, I love you too much.”
Silver giggled sleepily and then fell right to sleep with his head resting on his father’s heart. The elder fae only held his son closer, trying not to break down in tears again. For the first time ever he feared his child sleeping, what if he never awakened from his slumber? What if he…
No, no, he must not think such awful scenarios. His baby was fine, he was fast asleep cradled in his arms where he should be.
“Great Sevens above, please do not take my child from me… do not take my baby… anything but my baby…”
———
Silver, Age 17 - Present Day…
Classes finished that crisp fall evening and all students were ready for a restful Friday night after a week of hard work and dedication. Midterms were over and everyone was finally feeling the need to unwind and relax. In Diasomnia, many of the boys were finding the time to watch television and keep up with their favourite series, read, learn a new card game, or simply try their hardest not to get food poisoning from a certain Vice Housewarden…
Malleus and Sebek were learning to play a new board game in the lounge when Silver sleepily walked past them and up the staircase to his bedroom. New book in hand, he wanted to attempt to get some much needed reading done before classes started back up on Monday morning. He loved to read, and it just so happened that the literature planned for history was a beloved tale from the Briar Valley about the Sleeping Princess and the Knightly Prince. This was a story he knew well, after all, his father or Malleus would read it to him before bed. The story of true love awakening a fair princess made his heart soar and a soft blush appear on his face.
‘I’m oddly sleepy again…’ the silver haired boy sighed to himself. ‘I just have to try and keep myself awake for as long as possible so I can try and get ahead of the upcoming assignments…’
The sleepiness was definitely not going away. Not anytime soon that is.
Silver opened the bedroom door and sat at his desk, book in hand and began to read….
3… 2…1…. Out comes the snores.
Nope! Not now! Silver jolted himself awake and shook his head like a puppy who got itself wet. He placed the book face down and patted his face a bit in an attempt to keep awake- though, he knew it would probably not get him very far it was still worth a shot. Silver sighed and closed the book, there was no way he would get anywhere near his goal with this drowsy spell so he pulled out his worksheets for Crewel’s class and started to work on those instead.
‘Perhaps the story is making me sleepier because it used to be my bedtime story as a child… hmm, yeah, that must be it. Bedtime stories would make anyone… sleepy… Zzzzzz…’
Silver slumped forward and began to drift off into a deep sleep, much deeper than one of his regular naps. His arm lay limp above where his head rested and his other arm as a pillow. He was still, too still… his breathing slowed and his body became heavy. Sleep had claimed him once more, earning yet another victory over Silver.
Silver began to enter the dream world, stepping fully away from the world outside his closed eyes and into a world where anything was possible, even the impossible was possible. Perhaps even in the dream world his father would become a better cook, he wondered many a times in his dreams.
Soon enough, that very father appeared in his bedroom with a suspicious bowl of what he called mushroom risotto, smiling happily at treating his handsome son to a healthy and nutritious dinner.
“Silver! I made your favourite! Mushroom Risotto~ with some add-ins of course~! Very nutritious!” Lilia paused, his eyes falling onto the slumped over figure of his son laying at his desk, homework scattered under him.
“Oh dear, asleep again? Wakey wakey, sleepyhead! Time to eat~!”
No response… once more his son lay before him unresponsive and still, deathly still…
“Nothing hm? Still.. why.. why am I…?” Lilia began to tremble violently, his breath gasping, he reached a trembling hand forward towards his son but nothing- he could not touch him. He froze in his place.
“Deep breaths, deep breaths… calm down… this is not the first time this has happened. Why on earth am I shaking?” The ancient fae began to take deep breaths, trying his hardest not to hyperventilate, he had to remain strong for his son, for Silver…
“That’s right… this is not the first time this has happened. I must check his- no… it’s not the…”
Lilia’s panics ceased at the sound of a sleepy whine and a shuffle coming from the boy, Silver was waking up.
Oh thank the sevens! His boy was alive!
“Hmm…? How long was I… out…?” Silver stared into his father’s now fear filled eyes, concern now flooded through him, perhaps something happened when he was asleep?
Lilia leaped forward, tackling Silver into a tight hug, a hug he could feel his father trembling.
“I’m okay, father… we are okay…”
Lilia shook his head, sighing softly, “No, no we are most certainly not! You frightened me terribly again, young man! Once more I think it’s time I drag you to the doctor to make sure you are really alright… but before that I made you dinner~ best eat up now, dear!”
Silver eyed the bowl of suspicious mushroom risotto and then to his father nodding. Oh how he prayed that he would survive this round of culinary war crimes- and by the looks of the mushrooms in the dish he was thankful to be going to the doctors soon after.
“I asked that lovely young man in Octavinelle for some of his home grown mushrooms, he seemed so happy to share his lovely little fungi with me~ kufufufufu~!”
Oh great sevens above… help him survive this…
“T-thank you, father…”
“Of course! Oh and that reminds me, I will be spending the night here with you~ I cannot leave my baby after he scared the absolute crap out of me! So I’ll be here all night~! Lullabies included, dear~!”