[Nero is now used to Vergil's longwindedness. He's learned to try and follow along as best he can and offer the occasional nod or "huh" or other indication of understanding. And though his dad does probably go a bit overboard with the definition, Nero can't deny he does get it, and the multiple examples do help it sink in.]
Yeah, okay... that makes sense.
[He refrains from cracking wise about Vergil needing a drink after that. Since you know, he's the one who keeps interrupting for word definitions.] Thanks. You're better than a dictionary. [He reaches back to give Vergil a fond pat on the leg, then picks up his book again to fit the meaning of "scrupulous" into the sentence.
Ah, okay... though he still thinks "balls" would work. Like, metaphorically maybe!]
Such high praise, [Vergil says with a slight wrinkle of his nose. But even with his light deflection, Vergil knows it's sincere from Nero after the months he spent reading Vergil's books in secret and relying on a dictionary to help him grasp at the meaning. Not to say a dictionary can't be of some use, but Nero doesn't have to then potentially start looking up words used as part of the definition. And a dictionary lacks the ability to place it into context that will make the meaning truly stick the way Vergil can. Vergil sets aside his glass of water once he's done with it, and settles back into reading alongside Nero.]
[The little disruptions slow Vergil's reading down a bit as he must pause in his reading to either provide the definitions or help Nero reason his way through it, but he hardly minds it any more than he does when Nero ends up wiggling his way into a different position. If anything, the disruptions are helpful in their own way as Vergil comes to realize that the shortness of breath is apparently not the only bit of fatigue he's liable to experience throughout the course of this illness. It's a strange and foreign experience, but his eyes begin to feel increasingly fatigued with reading words on a page. The little breaks to explain something to Nero provides him with the opportunity to take a break and prolong his ability to read for just a little bit longer.]
[What's doing him less favors, however, is Nero's nearby warmth and weight.]
[Vergil fights against it for as long as he can. When he doesn't have Nero as a distraction, he opts to look away from the page, refocus his eyes elsewhere for a moment before returning to reread the paragraph again. He slows his pace down considerably, trying to make the words stick in his mind and grasp at their meaning. But there's only so much fight he can put up. Vergil eventually sinks a little further into the couch during some of Nero's fidgeting into another position, more reclined than he was before. Rereading a paragraph becomes rereading a sentence, a word as drowsiness has him blinking in and out of consciousness.]
[There's a light thump as his grip on his book loosens to near total release, the novel falling onto his chest. But Vergil does not so much as stir let alone suddenly jerk awake over it dropping.]
[So, it turns out that under the right circumstances Vergil may, in fact, nap after all.]
[The book does have some vocabulary words in it, but not so many to make it unreadable. The beginning part is a tense scene where someone is following the hero through a dark subway at night. It's exciting and well-paced, barring the words Nero keeps tripping on, and he gets into it enough to skim over a few words he'd otherwise ask Vergil about.
And then there's this shit: "The police arrived at the station in a macabre parade."
Muh caber? Ma sabre? Mackabray?
He almost feels bad interrupting again after a long pause without, but...] Uh... what is...
[Then he hears the little thump. A telltale slow breath. Nero shifts very carefully to look up and see that Mr. No Naps has fallen asleep. Well, good! Stubborn bastard needs the rest. He looks almost cute with that book on his chest...
Nero waits a few more minutes to ensure his wiggling and movement doesn't stir Vergil, because you just know the idiot will never allow himself to fall back asleep if that happens. Once he's pretty certain he's steadily sleeping, Nero sits up, setting his book on the coffee table. He gently moves Vergil's book to join it, then grabs the throw off the back of the couch and unfolds it (Kyrie lives with them now, of course they have a throw on the couch.) Gently tucking it around Vergil, he leaves him to nap on the couch and goes to tidy up the living room, including putting Vergil's book bag back in his room and closing the blinds to make it a bit darker.
Sleep tight, old man. Nero will protect your nap like a mackabray guardian.]
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no subject
Yeah, okay... that makes sense.
[He refrains from cracking wise about Vergil needing a drink after that. Since you know, he's the one who keeps interrupting for word definitions.] Thanks. You're better than a dictionary. [He reaches back to give Vergil a fond pat on the leg, then picks up his book again to fit the meaning of "scrupulous" into the sentence.
Ah, okay... though he still thinks "balls" would work. Like, metaphorically maybe!]
no subject
[The little disruptions slow Vergil's reading down a bit as he must pause in his reading to either provide the definitions or help Nero reason his way through it, but he hardly minds it any more than he does when Nero ends up wiggling his way into a different position. If anything, the disruptions are helpful in their own way as Vergil comes to realize that the shortness of breath is apparently not the only bit of fatigue he's liable to experience throughout the course of this illness. It's a strange and foreign experience, but his eyes begin to feel increasingly fatigued with reading words on a page. The little breaks to explain something to Nero provides him with the opportunity to take a break and prolong his ability to read for just a little bit longer.]
[What's doing him less favors, however, is Nero's nearby warmth and weight.]
[Vergil fights against it for as long as he can. When he doesn't have Nero as a distraction, he opts to look away from the page, refocus his eyes elsewhere for a moment before returning to reread the paragraph again. He slows his pace down considerably, trying to make the words stick in his mind and grasp at their meaning. But there's only so much fight he can put up. Vergil eventually sinks a little further into the couch during some of Nero's fidgeting into another position, more reclined than he was before. Rereading a paragraph becomes rereading a sentence, a word as drowsiness has him blinking in and out of consciousness.]
[There's a light thump as his grip on his book loosens to near total release, the novel falling onto his chest. But Vergil does not so much as stir let alone suddenly jerk awake over it dropping.]
[So, it turns out that under the right circumstances Vergil may, in fact, nap after all.]
no subject
And then there's this shit: "The police arrived at the station in a macabre parade."
Muh caber? Ma sabre? Mackabray?
He almost feels bad interrupting again after a long pause without, but...] Uh... what is...
[Then he hears the little thump. A telltale slow breath. Nero shifts very carefully to look up and see that Mr. No Naps has fallen asleep. Well, good! Stubborn bastard needs the rest. He looks almost cute with that book on his chest...
Nero waits a few more minutes to ensure his wiggling and movement doesn't stir Vergil, because you just know the idiot will never allow himself to fall back asleep if that happens. Once he's pretty certain he's steadily sleeping, Nero sits up, setting his book on the coffee table. He gently moves Vergil's book to join it, then grabs the throw off the back of the couch and unfolds it (Kyrie lives with them now, of course they have a throw on the couch.) Gently tucking it around Vergil, he leaves him to nap on the couch and goes to tidy up the living room, including putting Vergil's book bag back in his room and closing the blinds to make it a bit darker.
Sleep tight, old man. Nero will protect your nap like a mackabray guardian.]