𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚖𝚊𝚜 𝙸 𝙶𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚖𝚢 𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝

This Christmas I Gave you my Heart

A Klance Christmas story...
After the war, canon to events of VLD. Warning: Might be triggering with trauma, suggested assault scenes, blood and suicidal thoughts.
***

Lance's face broke into a big smile as his niece suddenly flew into his arms, her voice squealing with delight as he entered the house. Cold wind blew on his back, but gentle warmth welcomed him immediately as he shut the door right before his surprise attack.

"Uncle Lance, Uncle Lance!! Guess what I did!!", she cried her small hands clasped around his neck as she looked at him, "C'mon.. guess!!

He stumbled a bit, catching and supporting her weight as his soft beanie fell off to the floor along with his bag.

He looked into her big bright eyes before he looked up at the ceiling, pretending to think hard, "Hmmmm... lemme see here... Did you plant a giant beanstalk?"

"What? NooooOo!!", she laughed shaking her head, "Try again!!"

"Climb a tower??"

"NO!!", she giggled, "It's not a fairy tail Uncle!!"

Lance screwed up his face in confusion, "Whaddya mean? Everything I just said is totally normal!", he said squeezing the four year old girl affectionately.

She giggled more and shook her head so hard her hair came undone from its bun, "That's ridiculous Uncleeee!! Everyone knows you can't climb a secret tower! There's none to climb here in the first place!!"

"I guess you're right.", he grinned setting her down, "So I give up, what did you do?", he asked squatting down to her level.

"I made you a bayarn!! Just like you said you had!!", she squealed bouncing on her toes as she grabbed his hand, "C'mon! C'mon!!"

Lance didn't have a chance to respond before he was dragged away by his determined and strong niece, her fingers wrapped tightly around his two forefingers and thumb.

"Whoa, where you taking me??", he cried as she half marched and ran forward through the living room and hallway.

Ignoring him, she pulled him into the kitchen and forced him to sit at the table and only then did she let go in order to run to the counter and pick up a paper maché project. Setting it down with a flourish, Lance noticed the shape and blue colored paper design within the crude piece.

"Hey... you made me my bayard!!", he smiled picking it up and looking over the roughly U-shaped paper art, "It's really good!!"

She nodded importantly, "I worked hard in it Uncle Lance!! You said you missed being a paladin sometimes and I remembered that you had a bayarned, so I decided to make you one!!", she told him proudly.

Lance felt his heart warm from his thoughtful and sweet niece, her gift and pronunciation of bayard making him want to squeeze her affectionately.

"I love it Amal. It's perfect.", he said emotion creeping into his voice as he hugged her gently, "You're a really sweet girl."

He watched as she smiled at him one final time in acknowledgement before giggling and running off, probably ready to cause mischief or find her mother and give her the whole report of her good deed.