#THEY'RE FINE OKAY THEY JUST DID A DUMB TODDLER THING

[dragons-bones]

FFXIV Write Entry #24: Sovenance

Prompt: refraction (free write!) || Master Post || On AO3

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A wiggle here, a wiggle there, and pop!

Roksana tumbled to the ground with a whee! and Amandina followed a heartbeat later, landing lightly on her feet. Roksana got to her feet, giving herself a good shake, and the pair of carbunclets looked around.

…I think we took a wrong turn at the gemology lab, Amandina whispered, ears pinning back against her head.

Roksana cheeped agreement.

Above them, singing in chorus, were the enormous aether batteries that powered all the wards and protections in the Arcanists’ Guild. The laboratories, the libraries, the classrooms, even the special holding cells for dangerous cargo. Sunk into the last of the subbasements, deep beneath the floor of Galadion Bay, only seven people in the whole of the Guild had the access necessary to even reach this level.

Mommy was one of them, and she did not bring them or their siblings with her. Ever.

The twins pressed up against one another, staring with wide eyes. The aether here was thick and cloying, the giant clusters set into the batteries so potent that the wrong gesture could probably cause a spell to cast. Roksana’s nose twitched under the assault, and she sneezed.

Amandina headbutted her, and then slowly crawled forward on her belly, ears twitching and tails lashing. I dunno how to find our way out, she whispered. It’s hard to sense directions in here. My array feels…weird.

Itchy?

Yeah.

Me, too.

Roksana wriggled her way after her sister, craning her neck back to stare at the battery. The aethersong was loud, too, which was making it hard to think. She pawed at her ear, unsettled. The aethersong didn’t sound right, either.

I think one of the water crystals is broken, she chirped.

Amandina wrinkled her nose. Ew.

Yeah.

The two stared up at the battery together for a while longer, and then Amandina shuffled away to poke her nose into the far corners. Probably trying to find a spot where they could wiggle through the wards and into voidspace and back up to Mommy’s office, despite how sleepy and confused the aether was making them; Amandina was very good at finding spots like that. Too bad the spot they had come through was too high up on the wall, close to the ceiling, for them to reach.

Roksana’s attention, however, was still held by the aether battery. Maybe the water cluster wasn’t broken, but it wasn’t right, either. She sneezed again.

She ilmed a little closer, peering up at the battery. Maybe the cluster had a crack? Maybe it hadn’t been set properly?

She sat up on her hindlegs, nose twitching and ears flicking, and carefully reached up her paw. Maybe—

The pad of her paw brushed ever so gently against the metal of the battery casing.

[THE WATER IS POISON THE WATER IS POISON AND THEY HAVE CHANGED THE WATER IS POISON AND THEY HAVE CHANGED AND THEY WILL KEEP CHANGING EVER AND ON THE WATER IS POISON AND THEY HAVE CHANGED AND THEY WILL KEEP CHANGING EVER AND ON AND— THERE IS FIRE. THE WATER IS POISON AND THE WATER IS GONE IT IS FLASH-BOILED IN AN INSTANT LEAVING THE BEDS BARED AND DEAD AND DYING AND THERE IS NO WHERE FOR THE RIVER TO GO BECAUSE THE RIVER IS GONE AND SO IS THE OCEAN THEIR SIBLING IS NO LONGER WATER. THEIR SIBLING IS LEVIN. THE WATER RETURNS AND IT ROARS FROM UPSTREAM AND FROM THE SEA AND IT RUSHES INTO THE EMPTY WITH RAGE AND GRIEF AND HORROR AND IT IS TOO LATE FOR EVERYTHING IS DEAD EXCEPT THEM THE WATER IS POISON BUT IT IS A DIFFERENT POISON THE WATER IS POISON BUT IT IS A DIFFERENT POISON AND THEY HAVE CHANGED THE WATER IS POISON BUT IT IS A DIFFERENT POISON AND THEY HAVE CHANGED AND THEY WILL KEEP CHANGING EVER AND ON—]

Roksana was wrenched back into awareness, peeping at the top of her lungs and trying to curl into a ball to hide amongst her tails and cover her eyes with her paws, but she couldn’t, because she was currently dangling from Big Sister’s mouth as Big Sister leaped from the ground of the thirteenth basement and through the hole in the wards.

[Careless! Thoughtless! Always having to know even if it means trouble! This is why you are not supposed to wander!] Big Sister was furious, her harmonic no longer the familiar windchime but a howling gale, but for all her rage, she was the eye of the storm, cold and still and relentless.

Big Sister crawled through the spaces of reality, growling low in her throat and slapping aside wards with a paw or smacking away a clinging bit of magic with her tails, forcibly shortening the path between A and B in ways that made spoken gibber uselessly. They crawled for a heartbeat. They crawled for a myriad.

Then Big Sister was stepping into realspace, into Mommy’s office, hopping down from empty air with a commanding warble. Big Brother jerked awake, rolling off the couch, and scrambled over to join them at Roksana and Amandina’s basket.

What happened? he said.

Stupid baby sisters went wandering and touched things they shouldn’t, Big Sister grumbled, her harmonic back to normal. She dropped Roksana next to Big Brother, then turned and hunkered down, wind aether gathering along her haunches. Keep an eye on her, I need to get Amandina.

She leaped, and vanished back into the space between.

Fire and water normally didn’t mix well, but Big Brother had always tolerated her squishing into him because he was warm and it felt gooood, even if grumbled. He didn’t grumble today, though, as Big Brother loafed immediately in her basket and Roksana pressed her face into his side, peeping pathetically and shaking all over. Big Brother wasn’t good at comforting, not like Biggest Brother was, but he started purring immediately.

Roksana couldn’t remember why she was so scared, but she was, and Big Brother was helping, and that was what was most important.

Big Sister re-appeared in a flash of displaced aether, Mommy’s wards rippling, with Amandina hanging docile and contrite by her scruff from Big Sister’s mouth. Big Sister stalked over, deposited Amandina next to Roksana (Amandina immediately cuddled up to her, purring her tiny, squeaky purr), and then promptly loafed on top of them both, starting up a ferocious purr like storm shutters rattling in the wind.

Roksana was starting to feel much better. Big Sister and Big Brother would always keep her safe, and their aether was almost as comforting as Mommy’s or Papa’s.

Mama is going to be upset, Big Sister said primly.

Roksana felt bad again. Please don’t tell! I’m sorry!

Baby sister, if you don’t think Mama isn’t running full speed up the tower right now, you are sorely mistaken, Big Brother drawled.

The aetheric resonance was so strong we felt it through our foci, Big Sister said. Mama wears all our foci on her wrist, she knows something happened to you, and you [will not lie, am I understood?]

Roksana whined wordlessly, but slumped beneath her siblings. Okay… Thank you for saving me, Big Sister.

No thanks necessary, you little troublemaker. Big Sister’s harmonic was at least affectionate beneath the annoyance.

…How did you find us? Amandina chittered.

I followed my nose.

That made sense. Big Sister had the bestest nose in the whole of Mealvaan’s Gate. She could sniff out anything, anywhere.

How did you voidwalk?

I’m Eldest, Big Sister said, as if that explained everything. Which it did.

That was when Mommy burst into the office, chest heaving and breath a wheeze as she stumbled over, Bigger Brother right at her heels. “What happened?” she croaked, gently pushing Big Sister aside to scoop up Roksana and Amandina.

Mommy was scared, which meant she was mad, but even when mad, Mommy cuddles were the best. Roksana promptly burrowed into Mommy’s neck to hide as Amandina crawled up to perch on the opposite shoulder.

We went wandering, Amandina said quietly. And we took a wrong turn, and we ended up in the aether battery room.

I touched it, Roksana admitted. There’s a bad water crystal in it.

“Just touching something with a crystal component out of alignment shouldn’t have caused a reaction like that, my dears,” Mommy said, gently stroking her back and tails. “Can you remember what happened?”

No. I think it was scary, though. Still kinda scared.

Aetheric resonance, Big Sister said, harmonic grim. I think one of the clusters is from the Yafaemi Estuary.

Roksana didn’t know what that meant, but Mommy did, because she said a bad word in Abanian. She didn’t feel like asking what aetheric resonance was right now. Maybe later.

Mommy was upset, and she and Amandina were definitely grounded, but Roksana was warm, and safe, and home, snuggled up with her Mommy and the comforting sound and smell of her aether. Everything would be okay, even if it meant no cake for a sennight.

PREVIOUS || NEXT

[sweetlikehoneystingslikeabee]

Which of the rogues are amenable to having kids and which ones aren't? For the ones who want or would be cool with kids, what kind of parents would they be?

Rogue Party Parenting

OKAY, SORRY, this is late. I got Busy again. Some of these are longer than others given the subject. Tried to give all of them a reaction to kids, though, given some people already have children that are a package deal. And life in Gotham is weird, sometimes.

Tw: Mentions of past child abuse, miscarriage, suggestive lines here and there

Riddler

Hahaha so much past trauma coming up. He tells himself children are far too much of a hassle, disgusting, pointless- For him to have a child, not only would it be after a lot of conversation, his partner would have to really want that, and he'd have to decide he's 100% committed to said partner. Otherwise, it's an automatic no.

In his mind, he doesn't like kids. He wouldn't ever be mean to one, certainly not. And he'd never treat them like his father did to him- Never. And- Well. Bath time is kind of nice once they're all warm and dry in the towel and he can kiss their forehead. He SUPPOSES the quizzical way they look at him and the world is endearing-

oh, dammit, maybe he does actually like kids. Or, at least, he doesn't dislike them the way he thinks he did. He sees that vulnerability children have and he can't feel anything negative towards them. There are some issues he has to work past such as noise (due to emotional childhood trauma), but he figures it out.

His children will be so crazy smart. It doesn't matter if they are biological or not, the level of reading comprehension they'll have just being around him is above average for their age. He tries his best to foster knowledge rather than being a condescending prick like he is to everyone else.

If they're even a little self-conscious, he's going to fight that. Pick them up. Teach them to have confidence and a little bit of swagger. You're the top, kid, don't let anyone tell you different.

When he's in his nice suit/clothes, he starts carrying around wet wipes so the kids can clean their hands before getting him dirty. His workshop clothes are fine, though. In fact, he'll encourage them to do projects and get dirty with him as long as it's not one of his death traps. He'll show them how to take apart and put together radios and the like.

When they hug him and tell him they love him, he has to hold in the emotional wave that comes over him.

Penguin

I did get an ask about pregnancy hcs for him here which answers that first question lol. If he got to have one, it would not be a stretch for him to be game for a little row of metaphorical ducklings, he REALLY loves being a dad. He gets weepy at any births of his kid(s).

The baby/toddler stage is probably his favorite because he loves hogging them. He's loves cuddling them. It's kind of ridiculous how much he loves it. A lot of it is because he himself didn't get a lot of that as a child so he unintentionally projects those feelings. It's ultimately fine, his kid(s) are going to feel loved.

Spoils them. Hopefully his partner is more even keeled or else they will be spoiled rotten. Toys, education, clothing, only the best for them. And Oswald has plenty of money in legitimate businesses he can sign off monetary deposits to his partner so they'll be safe in case of any... unplanned incarcerations.

He will try to have a healthy balance of not letting his kids too deep into his world- but as they get older, he'll try to include them more and more so one day, his empire can be inherited. Try to have them less on the criminal end, but know how to handle that side of things.

If any of his children look different and/or are neurodivergent, he's so protective. Don't get me wrong, he's protective of all his kids- But he will be making sure the bullying and harassment he went through as a child will NOT happen to his kids.

So many dumb family vacations. Those cheesy pictures they ask you if you want to take in the front of theme parks? Every time. He can afford it, and he knows them being young won't last forever. It'll take a lot to convince him to be in the photos at times but if one of them bats their eyelashes at him, he will fold like a sucker.

100% will pull his pants up and let the kids into bed whenever they have a nightmare. Come on, look, you guys can't just put them back to bed, what if they have another nightmare?

Mad Hatter

He'd love to have children with his partner! Should he have children? That's definitely a question that should be asked if for no other reason than he works with a lot of drugs and isn't always the most coherent. You see, my general Jervis Tetch works with mind control devices and psychedelics. He likes chasing that rabbit hole down, down, down-

What was he saying? Yes, he'd love a little dormouse to add to their tea party! There's a glint of a joke in his eyes, that hint of recognition that his partner would recognize that he's much more aware than he lets on. They'll figure out how to keep their child safe at every instance.

There's so much to do! He has to paint the nursery and start sewing baby clothing- Jervis will sew so many theatrical fancy little outfits for his kid the photos will be downright embarrassing for potential future partners.

Always wants to read them bedtime stories. While both Alice in Wonderland books are a staple, he likes reading them the classics as are appropriate for young ones. Treasure Island, the Secret Garden, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. If his partner adds it to the list, he'll read it to them at some point, so there's definitely potential for some more modern books in there.

Very affectionate! Insists on them holding his hand to cross the street even once they're past the age for that sort of thing. His hugs goodbye last a second too long because

There will come a time when his now teenager child thinks he's cringe and doesn't want to be associated with him- and it'll hurt. He'll recede into his criminal businesses for a little while being UNCOOL and UNLOVED as his partner reminds him they love him very much.

Overall, he's very attentive. He doesn't talk about why that is but his partner might have an idea if he's talked about his childhood.

Scarecrow

No. He will play around with the idea of having children and it might make for some sexy dirty talk but biological children are not for him. He's too damn old and frankly he has way too many issues to want a child. If his partner has children, he will have some mixed feelings about him being a potential guardian. Tainted, burned out gardens aren't made for growing things.

He has to stop himself getting snippy at times to the child. Tell them to stop messing about his funeral home. Part of it is him worrying they'll find out about his other persona or set something off. Another doesn't want them scaring off clients or stumbling into the fridge room where he keeps the bodies as they wait for preparations. Scoops them up by the collar or uses his cane to snag their shirt.

If they show any kind of interests in the business or his hyperfixation of fears/psychology, though, and he may just take them under his wing. Gives them textbooks to study and look over when his partner might not be able to watch them. Defines any terms they don't understand with a calm ease that doesn't make them feel any kind of way.

If he catches wind of someone bullying them, he's going to teach them a valuable and important lesson on finding out the fears of your enemies and taking advantage of them. If it's severe, he might step in as scarecrow and teach them the meaning of the word horror.

Lightly smacks the back of their head if they curse but any bruise on their body caused by anyone (especially an adult) will be met in kind.

Victor Zsasz

Please do not have kids with this man. He's way too neutral on having kids and he should not be responsible for the development of a child.

He does not care if his partner wants have kids either way. If his partner wants them, it does give him an excuse to get really kinky with it, though. Breeding kink and domination to the nth degree.

for his child's fifth birthday, he gifts them a knife. Shortly after, he starts showing them how to use it for carving... wood. Yeah. These techniques are for wood. And knife tricks. What do you mean you can't teach a kid knife tricks? If they get cut, it's just part of the learning experience.

They're going to know how to skin an animal and get it's bones at a a young age and they are going to be the creepy kid in the classroom. Maybe his partner likes that. Maybe all three of them were/are the creepy kid in school.

If anyone tried bugging his kid, he would act really chill and nonchalant about it- and that person would disappear. Victor would have a new tally mark. Maybe his kid could even cut it on him themselves... Parent-child bonding!

Speaking of bonding, shooting galleries are a good bonding activity. They'll be a pro in no time!

Killer Croc

I briefly talked about it before, but Waylon has some complicated feelings about biological children. He knows his condition is genetic and while it could skip a few generations, what if it doesn't and his child hates him for "doing" that to them? Plus, yes, he worked things out with his mother eventually, but his childhood was rough. He'd be on the fence. Perhaps with some growth and the right person, yes.

Similar to Bane, he's nervous at first with a baby because they're so tiny and he's so huge. Even if it was a toddler from a previous relationship situation, it's a constant thought in his head. This passes the first time they laugh and giggle at him picking them up. That's an addicting feeling for him.

I need you to picture his child needing a theater costume finished and he's up way past bedtime individually bedazzling an ugly as sin animal costume. Because damn it, they asked and he is going to do it. That's the dad he is.

There is something so healing for him having his child love him exactly the way he is and not be frightened of his appearance. Touching his face, not judging him, they look at him and that's "daddy." When he first has that epiphany, it's going to make him really emotional and they won't understand. He's so... happy.

If anyone hurts his kid, there will come a very uncomfortable precipice of him potentially going back down a dark road. There's still those scars of anger and rage across his heart that would make him do some awful terrible things if he thought it meant his child would be safe. All of this increases tenfold if his child does inherit his condition. Not to be romanticized, it's genuinely something that could be a concern.

That said, they are going to get rides on his shoulders forever and get to feel so tall.

Harley Quinn

She loooooooves babies. The way they smell, their soft skin, their giggles- She has this magic with little kids where they know they can trust her and let loose. In another reformed life, she'd be an excellent preschool or kindergarten aide.

That being said, she's okay if she doesn't have kids due to having a trauma related miscarriage. If her partner never wanted kids, she's happy being the kooky aunt who gets them hyped up on sugar and passes them back to their parents exhausted.

As a parent, Harley is so much fun. Vacations, arts and crafts, sports if that's your thing! She'll even get into the nerdier intellectual stuff if that's what you like. Harley is adaptable and she wants her kid to be happy.

Unfortunately, sometimes Harley is a little TOO fun. Not enough rigid rules which can put her kids at a weird schedule which can get frustrating in the long run. Plus... Harley kind of steals the show a lot of the time. If her child isn't as outgoing, she might unintentionally take attention away from them in social groups.

They will never doubt they are loved. She makes a promise to herself they will never fear her or feel like they're too much. She loves the little human being they are and will grow into. If they ever get into an abusive relationship, she's going to skip directly past trying to get her child to see reason, she's just going to knock said abusers teeth out.

If her child is neurodivergent and in need of medication, she is ON IT. The moment she sees any potential symptoms, she's getting it looked into. She's very aware of the statistics of neurodivergent adults who got missed as children and how it can effect them. Plus with her degree? She's very aware of how that medication works and can go toe-to-toe with doctors when needed.

Poison Ivy

I'll be real with you, 75/25 in favor of no kids. Pamela would rather adopt or be a pet mom.

Most of the reasons for her not wanting kids is directly related to the environmental impact of the growing overpopulation of humans. Another big one is she has 0 interest in being pregnant. She already has one parasite effectively living in her body, thank you.

If she became a guardian of a child through adoption or somesuch, though, she's actually pretty maternal. Shows them how to walk through nature without hurting it, how to use it for medicine.

When her child is upset, she'd lift them into her plants to a place hidden where it's just the two of them. Allow them to cry against her while she hums a song to them. One her own mother sang to her when she was a child.

And yet, she doesn't hold a lot of sympathy for scrapes and bumps and bruises. Pick yourself up and continue. You'll get hurt, it's part of life.

If her child is female identifying, she is wickedly defensive of anyone looking at her. Threatens to feed them to her plants if they seem too friendly. If her child is male identifying, she'll teach them to be the perfect gentleman. Still very protective, but he's going to respect others. Nonbinary/third gender it would depend on the kid themselves.

All would be a little too wise and knowing. Knows how to manipulate others through looks and honeyed words.

She attends any and all parent-teacher conferences and has a vendetta against Karen from the PTA. Everyone knows Pamela's granola bars that she makes herself are superior to any store-bought crap Karen tries to swill.

Two-Face

COMPLICATED. Harvey thinks it wouldn't be "right" to have a child given his... condition. It's too confusing, they have a history of an abusive father. What if Harv lost control of impulses and hurt them? What if their career put the child in danger? What if-

Harv... actually wouldn't mind. You might not think so, given the temper and other things he has going on. But he's so much passion and an excitement for what you can get out of life. Having a kid sounds like a helluva lot of fun and he knows they could do a good job.

so likely, its going to be a maybe unless you can ease Harvey's mind.

HOWEVER IF THEY DID HAVE A CHILD, Fiercely protective. There is a constant internal battle between sheltering their child from everything... and they need to know how to use a fucking gun.

Harv is the fun dad. If their kid asks for something ridiculous, Harv is fighting to get first word in so there can be no take backs. Fuck yeah, we'll skip school and go to that theme park today. Shut up, Harvey, it's fine- live a little. Will let them have a nip of a really gross bitter alcohol to encourage them not to drink kind of dad.

Harvey is the dad you go to for scraped knees and a listening ear. He'll kiss their boo-boos and ask if they want to turn on their favorite movie. Knowing whose child they are, it's probably legal or a mystery. If their kid also has "My Cousin Vinny" as a favorite, expect Two-Face's partner to suffer in a myriad of quotes at any time.

Their kid would be educated. While they kind of hope the kid goes to law, they'll be supportive whatever it is and they WILL pay for college or a technical school for it. They'll stay up half the night helping their kid study if needed.

Black Mask

He cannot have children due to the after effects of the fire and life saving surgeries after said fire. In some ways, he finds it a relief because his childhood was pretty shit and he thinks he would be the guy to continue the cycle of abuse.

He would consider adoption if his partner was dead set but likely would say no. He "ruins everything he touches." If his partner happened to already have a child, he would take them on in an "uncle" capacity. Hands off, don't want to fuck them up. Definitely spoiling the fuck out of them, though.

Definitely big on them staying out of the life and getting those goals. Supportive of them going to some kind of business. Will do his best to hold his tongue if something else, but likely makes the occasional comment while still passing over money.

If they get out of line and they're an adult, he makes it a thing to remind them he's fucking their mom/dad. Petty, petty shit.

Mr. Freeze

He's not even sure he can have children. He and Nora had been trying before... before she got sick. He's unsure where the problem might have been. Plus, with his suit and all that comes with it...

If you wanted to get into the clinical biology of it- in theory, his sperm should be intact because of freezing, however, you can't just take something that delicate from one environment to another instantly as it would be with "natural" sex. If you wanted biological children with him, it would likely end up with quite a bit of labwork and trying different things.

In truth, if he got to a point where he was willing to move on with another person, he'd most likely be willing to start a family with them. In a perfect world, he always wanted to have a "normal" life, life just got in the way.

As a dad he'd be very loving, if not a little quirky. Others on the outside perspective might view him as a little cold and distant, but he loves in his own way. Always making sure they're bundled up in the winter, that when he gives them kisses, they're already warm under the covers, and that they can't get into any of his more dangerous research.

Definitely a stickler for rules. They can't go into his lab without strict parental supervision, homework is to be done once they get home, etc. Part of it is because rigid structure always helped him growing up, so he tries to lay that down for them. If for some reason that didn't work for them, he would readjust accordingly to the best of his abilities.

honestly, if you left it up to him, he'd plan everything down to the minute, he could absolutely use someone reeling him in a tad. Or a lot.

Ra's al-Ghul

It goes without saying having a child is a gigantic commitment, but somehow Ra's makes it even more intense. So many ceremonies, it feels like it's never ending. He won't deny the process of having his child will be difficult. They lost Talia's mother and he has no intentions of that happening again.

Even if his partner doesn't at all care about inheritance of the proverbial kingdom and all that entails, he makes it very clear any children they have are third in line behind Talia and then Damien. Does it really matter since he doesn't seem to have any plans to let his leadership go at any point? no! But they still need to Know The Rules of the game. It's an ancient family and someday he may no longer have a choice in letting go. Better everything is settled now.

As a parent he is... tough. There's a reason Talia and Damien are Like That. There's softness and affection sprinkled in, but... it's a lot of training from a young age. Being able to recognize different poisons. Fighting. Counter attacks. Weaponry and history education. Loyalty to the family.

There isn't a lot of coddling, to be honest. It isn't a reflection of his love for his child- He needs them to be strong to protect themselves. A lot of his affection comes when they finish the sparring. A kiss to the forehead and nursing any bruises. Perhaps he's getting a little softer in his old age. A joke he laughs at.

Bane

some of this I already touched on here on pregnancy hcs.

He's so insanely attentive to his child when he can be. From the moment his nervousness about his child being too fragile passes, that's his baby. Yes, his partner can and will hold the child, but Bane just as well prefers it's always him. Having them against his chest feeling his heartbeat.

He stresses and wants his child's life to be normal. He missed out on what it meant to BE a child. From a young age, he had to be ready for people to hurt him or even try to kill him for his father's crimes. Bane insists that will NOT be the case for him baby. Always a contingency escape plan if needed but otherwise...

He really does his best to be there in the morning for breakfast with them and to take them to school. Tries (and sometimes intimidates horribly) to socialize with teachers and other parents. Even when he's not juiced up, he's a huge man with a criminal record. But as long as no one holds that against his child, there will be no problems.

If there ARE problems, he takes care of them out of sight. His partner and the child don't need to worry about that. It won't happen again :)

Most likely he'll try to teach them boxing or hand to hand once they get a little older. Nothing as intensive as what he had to go through, but he knows he won't always be around to protect them, as much as that pains him. He constantly lets them win.

[rorywritesjunk]

The stars in their courses will run and bring their hearts earthward to hear her.

Buggy brings his son in to the bakery to get a treat for his birthday. You like decorating cakes. Rating: PG-13ish. Warning: These two are trying their best. Birdie’s got some issues. Buggy’s got some issues. Together they have a subscription. Talk of child abandonment, Buggy doesn’t want to talk. Communication!! Is!! Important!! These two are really trying with that but it doesn't always go well. Both accidentally insult the other but it's okay. Both are sensitive about some things. A/N: Now that Birdie has a name I think of her a lot tbh. I'm having fun with these two just... having lil issues about what they should or shouldn't do. But as I've said, they're trying.

Title comes from “Girl in the Garden” by S.J. Tucker.

Chapter 1 + Chapter 2 + Chapter 3 + Chapter 4 + Chapter 5 + Chapter 6 + Chapter 7

Chapter 7

You regretted sleeping in your room the next morning. Between the uncomfortable mattress and waking up from the little sleep you had to Darby's cries for you, you wanted to cry yourself as you went about the kitchen preparing breakfast, balancing a clingy and sniffing toddler on one hip while poking at the eggs with your other hand. Buggy tried to take the boy back to give you a break but any time he tried Darby would cling tighter, so he gave up, instead taking over cooking breakfast.

Exhaustion was very much a thing you dealt with all day. Putting Darby down for a nap, however, was the easiest part once you said you would take one as well and that the two of you could be in Buggy’s bed. That seemed to be a good idea to him, even if naps were dumb. 

Lunch was simple because it was uncomfortable to be on your feet for very long. Darby wasn't as clingy so he was fine to sit at the table with some crayons and paper while you cooked. Buggy eventually showed up, frowning when he saw the scowl on your face. 

“What did I do now?” He asked, wondering if he forgot to do something to help you out. He was trying, really, but he still had a ship to run. You sighed heavily and closed your eyes, wincing as you shifted your weight from foot to foot.

“Well, you got me pregnant. That's what you did.” You reminded him. “The kid's been moving around and it feels weird, my back hurts, my feet hurt, and you better not get me pregnant again after this kid.”

Buggy smirked at the mention of again because to him, it meant maybe you were warming up to the idea of a relationship with him. He couldn't necessarily promise it wouldn't happen again, but he could at least help you out with this current pregnancy. He walked over and wrapped his arms around you, hugging you from behind as his hands went to your stomach, lifting it up gently. It took you a second to register what was going on, but the relief you felt on your back had you leaning back into him as you let out a sigh of relief.

“Ho-how did you know to do this, Buggy?”

“Read some things.” He shrugged. You tilted your head back to look at him with a frown.

“You read?”

He had every right to look offended by your question and you felt bad, that wasn't necessarily what you meant, so you backpedaled immediately.

“What I meant is, you read up on pregnancy stuff?”

“Yes, as soon as you told me I found some things to read.” He grumbled, keeping his arms around you as he rested his chin on your shoulder. He could have left his arms and walked away, but he enjoyed this closeness. “I wanna make sure you and the little brat are taken care of, y’know?”

“Thanks.” You mumbled as you closed your eyes for a moment. “Can you just do this until the baby is born?”

“Maybe, you gonna sleep in our bed tonight?” He asked cheekily. “I know that mattress of yours is shit. You sleep better in our room. You know it’s going to feel better.”

“D’you have to keep saying ‘our’ room?” You asked with a sigh. “Are you still falling in love with me even when I feel like shit?”

“Considering I'm the reason you look like shit, yes.” He kissed you on the cheek but you turned to glare at him. “What?”

“I said feel like shit, not look like shit, you asshole.” 

“Same thing.” He shrugged, not loosening his hold on you even as you tried to pull away. “Now, now, babe, just relax.”

“You're an asshole.” You sighed. “I need to get lunch finished. And then Darby wants to learn how to bake bread, but he and I are both going to need another nap somewhere between that and dinner. I have too much to do.” You tried again to get away but he kept you from moving. “Buggy-”

“You sit your ass down and I'll finish cooking, okay?” He said as he finally let you go before giving your ass a pinch. You turned and swatted him for that. “What? Babe, I'm capable of making lunch for my kid and you.”

“Fine, make lunch. I need to sit.” You sighed as you started to walk away, but he tugged you back over to him and kissed you on the cheek again. You let him, returning the kiss before you paused and realized what you did. He winked at you as you headed back to the table beside Darby, cooing over his drawings as he happily showed you his artwork. Buggy watched the two of you for a moment before turning his attention back to lunch, managing to stop it from burning.

~

Buggy insisted you take a break for the day. He handled anything Darby needed, which his son was fine with but he wanted you to be involved. The three year old was definitely attached to you, loved calling you Mama, and even when Buggy explained that you were laying down to rest, Darby made sure to go find you anyway, ignoring what his dad just told him. 

He barged into the room, saw you on the bed with your back to the door and hurried over. Buggy caught him by the arm before he could disturb you, but you turned your head to look at them with a frown. 

“I thought I was allowed to rest.” You mumbled as Darby squirmed in Buggy’s arms. You sighed and patted a spot on the mattress in front of you. Buggy plopped the toddler down and Darby crawled over to you. You wrapped your arms around him and kissed his little face all over while he shrieked in surprise before giggling and trying to get away from you. “You are just the cutest, Darby. I love you so much.”

“Really?” Buggy and Darby both asked at the same time. That caught you off guard, so you looked up at Buggy as you hugged Darby. 

“Yea…? I love this little kid, he’s wonderful.” 

“You haven’t known him that long.” Buggy frowned. You rubbed Darby’s back as he snuggled up against you, making himself comfortable. 

“Isn’t that what I said to you when you admitted you were in love with me?” You asked. Buggy shrugged and you reached for him, grabbing his hand and tugging him closer to the bed. He hesitated just for a moment before climbing into bed behind you, one hand going to your stomach while the other went to Darby, stroking the back of his head gently. “You’re slowly growing on me, Buggy.”

“Oh, so my charming personality is winning you over then?” He smirked as he nuzzled your cheek. “How could you not fall in love with me? I am great, you know.”

You chuckled softly and looked down at Darby. “Daddy is silly.”

“He is!” Darby agreed. Buggy huffed and ruffled his son’s hair.

“Don't betray your dad, kid.” He grumbled as Darby just grinned at him. “Turning my kid against me. Mama’s mean.”

“Mhm, and Mama wants a nap.” You told him as you closed your eyes. “We gotta talk about baby stuff at some point, Buggy, but not now.”

“Baby stuff?” Buggy repeated. “What kind of baby stuff?”

“Later.” You yawned as you snuggled Darby some more. He yawned as well and blinked up at you. It wasn't long before you dozed off. Buggy didn't move right away and neither did Darby, with the latter dozing off eventually while Buggy remained awake, hugging you close to him.

~

“What baby stuff?” Buggy asked a few days later at breakfast. You looked up from cutting Darby’s food for him. Buggy was watching you as he ate. “Well?”

“Well, you know, I should see a midwife or doctor at some point. And unless you still have things from when Darby was a newborn, then we'll need things like diapers and clothes.” You explained as you pushed Darby's plate back over to him. The three year old was happy to start eating. “Maybe we need to stop off somewhere for this sort of thing.”

“I… don't have his baby things.” Buggy frowned. “Had to repurpose some of it for new garments as he grew older and wore things out.”

“That's fine! I just need some basics then.” You told him as you started to eat. “I'm not concerned about getting a crib, if you take the lid off my trunk then the baby can sleep in there. I can make it cozy.”

“What?! No, the baby will have a crib!” Buggy looked at you in shock and mild disgust. Why would you want the baby sleeping in something other than a crib? “We can get one on the next island. My baby isn't sleeping in anything other than a crib!”

That seemed to strike a nerve but you just shrugged. “We had to get creative at the orphanage. If you want a crib then you're buying it.”

“Fine!” He snapped back, surprising you and Darby. His son looked between the two of you before reaching out for you, and you pulled him into your lap. Buggy felt bad for startling his son but he was bothered by how casual you were about this. “Look, this isn't the orphanage. My kids get a bed, understand? Darby had a crib and it was rebuilt into the bed he had now, and I'll do the same for this brat. So I'm getting a crib.”

“Okay, Buggy.” You pulled Darby's plate closer to him so he could keep eating. You said nothing as you are, occasionally checking in with Darby to make sure he was okay. Buggy watched the two of you for a bit before he got up and left. You sighed and looked down at Darby. “You okay, sweetheart?”

He nodded and finished eating before leaning into you and making himself comfortable. You wiped his face clean with a napkin and kissed him on the forehead. He beamed up at you and you smiled, touching his cheek gently before tightening your arms around him.

“You're a good boy, Darby. I love you.”

“Love you, Mama.” He snuggled up against you. 

~

“So, should we talk about breakfast?” You asked Buggy as you tucked Darby in for his nap. You knew he was standing in the doorway, you had heard him walk up. He avoided you since breakfast, disappearing into the ship somewhere as he dealt with the crew. You were fine with that, wanting space from him anyways. “Because we probably need to.”

“What's there to talk about?” He muttered as he came over to check on Darby. His son was clutching his stuffed toy as he started falling asleep. “You make this look so easy.”

“Yea, after he cries and fusses and scowls at me, it's super easy.” You chuckled. “Today he glared at me which was a little startling. He looks so much like you when he does that.” You turned and ushered Buggy out of the room, shutting the door behind the two of you. “He called me a mean Mama when I told him it was naptime. It was pretty funny.”

“He called you mean?”

“It’s fine, Buggy. Kids do that.” You assured him. “He didn’t mean it.”

Buggy frowned and crossed his arms. “Still…”

You led him to your shared bedroom and sat down on the bed, looking up at him. He sighed and sat down beside you. You reached over and patted his arm carefully.

“I’m fine with the baby having a crib, I just wanted to make things easier for all of us.” You told him. “But if you’re really in love with me, you can’t get upset with me if I bring up my past. It’s not fair. I turned out fine, okay? And… this kid will be fine, and Darby is fine.”

Buggy nodded and looked down at his feet. He didn’t really want to have a conversation, he wanted to just ignore it and hope it disappeared, but you were right. He couldn’t get upset like that if you mentioned the orphanage. He just kept having thoughts of what if that happened to Darby or to this baby? What if Darby ended up in one because Buggy had been too late, or what if you dropped the baby off because you didn’t want a reminder of him? You told him you would have never done such a thing, but could he believe you? He was in love with you, he knew it. He never met someone like you before, so kind and caring, especially to his son. How could he not?

He rubbed his face and turned to look at you, taking in the sight of you leaning back on one hand while the other rubbed your swollen stomach. Pretty soon you would pop, giving Buggy a new kid to worry about and take care of, and he was nervous to have help this time. He got by okay with Darby. There were mistakes, sure, but Darby was always safe. That’s what mattered to Buggy. 

With a sigh, he leaned forward, letting his head rest against your stomach. You let him get comfortable, running your fingers down his neck and arm slowly, letting him relax against you. Buggy was pretty sure he felt the baby moving, pushing against him as he laid there. It was such a weird feeling to him. He never got to feel that with Darby, but having you onboard meant he got to experience these little things. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly to relax.

“Fuck, I love you.” He mumbled. “So much, babe.”

[topsytervy]

Dad Mob Rafe

Warnings: uhhh swearing, not proofread, probably misspellings cause I wrote this on my phone in the car with my sister.

If you wanna be added to the taglist, just comment a 'I'd like to be on the taglist' and I'll add ya :)

Enjoy:)

Okay so like Dad Mob Rafe

HE DOES NOT HAVE FAVORITES

You'd all have a son and daughter and he'd be so scared of the littlest thing

A thump in their room cause you stubbed your toe, he's there in a flash with his gun

He goes to check on one of them and they're not in bed, he's freaking the fuck out forgetting that they crawled into your bed cause of a nightmare

Zeke would be your daughter's godfather and she has him wrapped around her finger

"Uhhh, heya Zeke. Whatcha got on?" "A dress." "I see that. Why?" "It makes my eyes pop."

Sarah being your sons godmother and taking him shopping

"Are you sure mom and dad said it was okay?" "Yeah. Totally." "The toys I want are kind of expensive." "Eh, it's fine. Your dad can't hate me forever...I think."

You know Rafe is protective as hell of his kids

One time a guy told his son to beat it and Rafe wasn't happy about that

"Mommy, daddy's swearing and yelling again."

You had to go down stairs and telling him to put a 10 in the swear jar cause his swears were so bad

He put in a 20 so he could continue swearing

Him babying his kids well beyond the age of babying

"Dad...im 15. I can cut my own food."

You asked your kids to do the shut up trend thing and Rafe shot them a look

"Don't get your ass grounded now."

He would make sure his kids would know how proud he is of them. No matter what.

"You can't just be decking people honey." "Well, maybe they shouldn't have talked shit about my brother mom." "I saw that kids nose though. Got a great right hook on you. Just like your pops." "Rafe!"

"How'd that test go?" "I got a B." "Thats my boy." "Dad...it's a B." "And it's math. You killed it."

He would NEVER lay a hand on his kids in a threatening way

If he felt himself start to get angry, he'd turn around and count to 10

"Okay. Lets negotiate." "Oh god." "Get your chem or social studies grade up, you can go to the party. Get you chem grade AND social studies grade up, I'll give you money for new clothes to wear to said party. If you get neither up, you're at home studying." "Fine."

Rafe holding his kids at meetings and whispering to them about how boring it is or how someone needs to shut up

"My daddy said that your hair is dumb and you need to shut up."

Okay back to godfather Zeke real quick

He's more protective of your daughter than Rafe which is hard to believe

"So Y/D/N has a date on Saturday." "Yeah, I know. I met (insert pronoun). Real sweet. Real respectful. I approve. (Insert pronoun) brought homemade muffins." "Well, I'm going to go and supervise from a distance." "No you're not." "Im gonna do it, boss. This is my own independent decision." "You better not fuck this up for my daughter or you'll be in a ditch." "Noted."

And godmother Sarah

She's always asking your son on who's the apple of his eye

"So tell me. Any cute people at school." "I guess." "Oop. Tell me. Who's caught your attention?" "There's one person." "Tell me everything."

Okay, now imagine one of your kids having a nightmare when they're like 4 and Rafe laying with them in the little toddler bed

He definitely broke a couple before saying 'fuck it. mattress on the floor so I can comfort my kids without breaking their bed.'

The amount of pictures you have of Rafe asleep with your kids is insane

He'd be so supportive of his kids because he doesn't want his kids to feel like he did growing up

In conclusion, 10/10 father right here

~~~~~~~

Taglist:

@prejudic3 @oleariaux @outerbanx96 @void-sadie @popcrone818

[flohamilton]

Can you do a Steve Harrington and Henderson!reader imagine where the reader and Steve are dating and get into an argument that Dustin overhears and overreacts thinking they're gonna breakup so he makes a plan and they have to explain to him that while they fight, they still love each other?

Fighting

Steve Harrington x Henderson!reader

Warnings: cursing, arguing I guess

Thank you for requesting this! I don’t usually write angsty stuff like this but I’m happy with where this went and I hope you enjoy!!

“Steve how many times do I have to tell you, I have to finish this paper please be quiet!” You snapped at your boyfriend Steve. You were currently attempting to write a paper for your English class. The due date was rapidly approaching and you were not even half way completed. Steve was laying next to you on your bed, trying desperately to get your attention in any way he could

“Y/n, it’s not my fault! I’ve been working all day, I haven’t even seen you, and now that we’re together you aren’t even paying attention to me!” Steve exclaimed, an exasperated look on his face.

“Wow.” You said with a scoff. “First of all, it’s not my fault you take 30 hours a week at the video store. Also it’s not my fault I have work to do. I’m in college now, Steve, but it’s not like you would understand.” You said, regret immediately rushing through you. You knew Steve was really insecure about not going to college. He didn’t think he was smart enough, but you knew he was selling himself short.

“Oh I see,” Steve said, sitting up straight now. “I’m just too dumb for you, aren’t I?”

“Steve that’s not what I said,” You stumbled on your words, “I just meant that you don’t know what it’s like to go to class all day and then come home and do homework for eight more hours.” You said, trying to smooth things over.

“Yeah I definitely wouldn’t understand. I’m just some useless kid who’s too dumb to even get into community college. I don’t even know why you’re with me y/n, my dumbness is probably holding you back.” Steve said with a pout.

“Okay now you’re just being dramatic.” You said rolling you eyes.

“I am not!” Steve exclaimed. “I’m so tired of you shaming me because I’m not doing something with my life. You’re my girlfriend you’re supposed to support me.”

“Oh so I should be supporting your career as a clerk at the damn blockbuster?” You yelled back.

“Yes! But don’t patronize me like this!”

“Steve I really wish you could hear yourself right now. You sound like a toddler!”

“That’s it! I’m going home. Sorry for being such a distraction. You can finish your paper in peace now.” Steve said, getting up from your bed and gathering his things. “Maybe you can find some smart boy to write papers with.” He said, slamming your bedroom door behind him.

You sat in shock at what had just happened. You had never meant to hurt Steve’s feelings, finals were coming up and the due date of you paper was looming over you. Caffeine no longer had an affect on you, and you couldn’t remember the last time you got a good night’s sleep. You weren’t trying to make excuses, but your life was a bit stressful at the moment and Steve pushed one too many buttons.

“Is everything okay?” Your little brother Dustin said, opening your door and coming near your bed.

“I don’t know,” You said sighing and putting your face in your hands.

“Well what happened?” He asked.

“I’m trying to write my paper and Steve was annoying me so I yelled at him. Then he got defensive because he thought I called him stupid and he’s so insecure about his smarts and he got mad and yelled at me and then left. So take that as you will.” You said.

“Shit, y/n I’m sorry,” Dustin said, hugging you tightly.

“It’s okay, Dusty I’ll be fine.”

“No you’re not going to be fine! You and Steve just had a huge argument!”

“Yes, thank you Capitan obvious, but I think we’ll be fine. Now if you don’t mind I really have to finish this paper.” You said, shooing your little brother out of the room. You felt guilty because he cared so much, and yes your blood was still boiling from your fight with Steve, but there is no time for feelings and emotions when you still had to write this paper.

*the next day*

You woke up sometime the next day around 11. It was Saturday and you obviously didn’t have any classes, but you decided to go to to the library to have a quiet place to get your work done.

“Dusty, when mom gets back from the grocery store tell her that I went to the library to study okay?” You asked, peeing into dustin’s bedroom.

“Roger that, sis. Um also have you heard from Steve? I thought he would have stopped over by now."

“Nope haven’t heard of him. I don’t think he’s going to be stopping by anytime soon either, I think we need some time apart for a little while, Dustin.” You said sighing, remembering last nights events. You knew Steve was hurt, but you also knew that he would be over it in a week at most. This wasn’t your first fight and you could never stay mad at each other for too long, you just needed your distance.

“Oh okay, have fun studying,” Dustin said with a sigh.

“Thanks bud, see ya later.” You said gathering your books and heading out the front door.

The library wasn’t very crowded and you found a nice little table and chair in the corner to do your work at. Several hours had passed and you had nearly finished you paper. Just about another page and some finishing touches and you would be good to go.

When you noticed the clock read 5 pm you decided you’d better get home. You mom might start to worry if she didn’t hear from you soon. You gathered your things and exited the library. Heading to your car you pulled your coat tighter around you body, the winter was coming and it was growing increasingly colder by the day.

When you arrived home and stepped through your front door, you noticed that all of the lights were turned off and everything was dark expect your kitchen table which was covered in small candles. There was food on two plates and soft music playing from your stereo in the background. You then noticed your little brother dressed in a suit with his hair slicked back.

“Dustin what is going on?” You asked, setting you stuff down and taking you coat off.

“Y/n you’re right on time, he should be here any minute.”

“Who should be here any minute-“ You asked, but were interrupted by the sound of a knock at your door. You turned to open it, revealing Steve, shivering from the cold.

“Steve what are you doing here?” You asked, pulling him into your house.

“Your brother told me to come over, he said it was real important but he couldn’t explain till I got here.” Steve said, “Are you okay? I thought something was wrong.”

“Yeah I’m fine, Dustin why don’t you explain what’s going on.” You said, looking down at your brother with a scowl.

“Well I heard you fighting last night and I didn’t want you guys to be mad at each other and break up so I planned this dinner for you to make up and not be made at each other anymore. I’m going to be your waiter.”

“Aw Dusty,” You sighed, pulling him into a hug. “That means a lot that you took the time to do this, but Steve and I aren’t going to break up.” You said, looking at Steve who nodded.

“It’s true Dustin, we’re not. I was planning on stopping over anyway to apologize. I had a frustrating day at work yesterday and some stupid guy was being an asshole because we didn’t have the movie he wanted. All I wanted was to spend time with you but I should have known better than to bother you when you were doing homework.” Steve sighed.

“Steve its okay.” You said, hugging him tightly. “I’m sorry too. I was being a bitch and I shouldn’t have said that stuff about you. You’re such hard worker and you should give yourself some credit. I was just frustrated about my paper.”

“It’s okay babe,” Steve said, bending down slightly to kiss you.

“Okay gross, break that shit up!” Dustin said covering his eyes.

“See Dusty, we’re okay.” Steve said.

“You're sure your not going to break up?” Dustin asked again, “Because it made me really sad to hear you guys fight. You’re my two favorite people in the world.”

“No Dustin, I promise were fine. Just because we fight sometimes doesn’t mean we still don’t love each other and want to be together. Fighting is normal, you just have to work through it, right Steve?”  You asked and Steve nodded. You were touched at the thought of your little brother being so concerned about your relationship.

“Okay well I guess I did all this for nothing then,” He said, gesturing to the table and his suit.

“Um I don’t think so,” Steve said, “how about you go get our food ready, since you’re dressed and ready to serve us. Y/n,” Steve asked, turning to you and grabbing your hand, “would you like to join me on this fine date?”

“I would love to.” You said with a giggle, taking Steve’s hand as he lead you to your kitchen table.

“Thank you again for setting this up for us, Dusty, we really appreciate it, don’t we Steve,” You asked looking over at your boyfriend.

“We do. And you better get used to this, Dustin, you’re going to be our waiter forever because I'm not going anywhere.”

Send in your requests!!

[genderfluid-lord-licorice]

comedian voice: you know some people, they get this idea that when you have a kid, you're just gonna love it no matter what. now, i know where they get this idea, this is a common lie. but if you dont love kids, you probably shouldn't have one

cont: children, despite what one might think, do not cease to be annoying when they're yours. do you know what they do cease to be? someone else's problem! now, im not saying i hate kids; i adore kids! theyre great! you know what else is great? giving them back to their parents! i love that. nothing better then spending a handful of hours voluntairily exhausting yourself chasing a kid around, and then getting to go home knowing youre gonna get a full night's rest. Parents dont get that.

jovial continuation: now children, children are expensive. you get a baby, that's a tiny little stranger who now has first rights to all of your time, and it doesn't even pay rent. you get a cat and ignore it for six hours, that's fine, it ignored you first. Can't do THAT with a baby, let me tell you.

cheers cup and sips water: refreshing

back to comedian voice: whenever i think about having kids and i want to know if I'm ready, i just think about bagpipes. if i had a kid, and that kid wanted to learn how to pay the bagpipes, im a pushover! i would encourage it! and then I'd have to sit there for hours while the little hellion was learning and practicing. i would pay for the privledge of that headache! so yeah, I'd say i would do okay with a kid. that's my litmus test. i would do whatever i could to save up thousands of dollars for the lessons and the instrument and the kid would probably lose interest after six months, and i can accept that.

dumb smug smile: see thats the key there. im already an idiot, so i plan to go in knowing ahead of time that my kid is probably gonna be stupid. no no no, don't get upset, you're not me. i want you to think back over the course of your entire life, and try to remember what the dumbest idea you've ever had is. i know most of you likely repressed that, so it's okay if you just come up with several averagely dumb ideas. Now, show of hands, how many of you just thought of hospitalization or lawsuit material? yeah, those of you with your hands down are either boring or LIARS.

dramatic hand waving: for the first four years of a kid's life, that thing is an idiot! you're probably gonna have to stop it from licking electrical outlets, maybe more than once, and the dumb thing wont even be thankful, oh no, it's gonna be mad about it. it'll scream. when i was a toddler, i ate a stinkbug, and that wasnt even the dumbest thing i put in my mouth.

dramtic pause: alright how many of you wanna know what rated dumbest.

post crowd cheering: okay, alright, here's the story, bare with me. you remember learning about photosynthesis? plants make their own food from sunlight, they tell you all about it in kindergarten, or maybe daycare? well, my teacher obviously didn't have children. i know this, because she called the food the plants make sugar. yeah, guess how that went. lucky for me, i didn't actually die, because poison ivy is a bit of a misnomer. the inside of my mouth and throat did react to it though, i went around for three days looking like an annoyed chipmunk.

poofs out cheeks for emphasis: some of the leaves tasted different