#foster family au

[griseldabanks]

Let Me Count the Ways ask game

Requested by @bunnyscar

Fandom: FMA (Foster Family AU) Characters: Roy Mustang and Edward Elric Prompt: "I can't believe I'm telling you this."

From the day he and Riza had decided to become foster parents, Roy had known his life would be forever changed. Their daily routines would have been disrupted no matter who they ended up with, but how much more so when the first children to grab their attention were two heavily traumatized boys, one with anger issues and only one leg, the other who didn't say a word and kept on trying to smuggle stray cats inside under his shirt.

It had been three years, and Roy thought he was well prepared for anything Ed and Al decided to throw at him. They'd lived through the night terrors and panic attacks. Al had finally started speaking, though he still tended to clam up around strangers because of the stutter he'd developed. After numerous shouting matches and slammed doors, Ed finally seemed to have mellowed out a bit, though he still turned his heavy metal music up loud when he was annoyed at Roy.

But Al called him 'Dad' now. And though Ed didn't, sometimes he would skip the grousing and griping and send a grin Roy's way that warmed him from head to foot. Maybe those two things meant he was actually doing an okay job at this.

But Ed always loved to keep him on his toes. One afternoon, during their usual game of chess once the day's lessons were over, while Riza took Al to his speech therapist, Ed said, “Hey, um...can I...ask for some advice?”

“Sure,” Roy said. “Move that pawn; my knight is about to take it.”

“What? No, not like that!” He moved the pawn anyway. “It's just...you're, like, married and stuff, right?”

Roy raised an amused eyebrow. “Yes, I am in fact 'married and stuff.'”

Ed shot him a dirty look, but plowed on anyway. “So you, like...you know...you've been on dates before. I mean, you had to have asked Riza out at least once before you got married, yeah?”

Straightening up from his contemplation of the board, Roy eyed the pink tinge of Ed's cheeks and started putting two and two together. “There's someone you're thinking of asking out?”

Ed hunched down in his chair, making himself even smaller than usual. “Knew I should've kept my mouth shut,” he mumbled.

Roy eyed his foster son, trying to suppress a gleeful smirk at the same time as a wave of wistfulness crashed over him. He should have known this day was coming. Ed was fifteen. He was starting to grow up.

“Don't worry, you've come to the right place,” he finally said, moving his bishop across the board. “As you so astutely pointed out, I have been on at least one date and managed not to screw it up long enough for us to get married. Clearly, I know a thing or two.”

Never mind the time Riza had slapped him so hard he saw stars when he got drunk and started flirting with someone else. And they wouldn't get into the crippling guilt that ate away at him for years after they discovered he couldn't give her the children she'd always wanted. Nor the way he pulled away from her in shame, thinking she resented him, while she spent the whole time worrying that he resented her. The important thing was that they'd worked through these issues, and they were still together. That had to count for something.

“So who is it?” he prompted when Ed just sat there, turning one of his captured pawns over and over in his hands.

“Does it matter?”

“Of course it does,” Roy said patiently. “Believe it or not, there's not just some magic formula to make any girl instantly fall in love with you. Every girl is different.” And I'm curious to find out who on earth could have caught the attention of my prickly homeschooled son.

Ed slid down even farther in his chair and stared up at the ceiling over Roy's head. “Ugh, I can't believe I'm telling you this....” He hesitated, his face going redder and redder till it was almost the same shade as his favorite hoodie. Finally, he mumbled, “It's Winry.”

“Ah....” Roy supposed he should have guessed that right away. They'd been friends their whole lives, neighbors for a large chunk of their childhood, and then Winry's grandmother had become the boys' legal guardian after the car crash. They didn't see each other as much now that they lived across the city, especially now that Winry was in high school. But when they'd gone to her tap-dance recital around Christmastime, Ed had gone strangely silent and awkward, barely saying a word to her when they met her after the show.

“There's...her school has a prom in May,” Ed mumbled. “And I...kinda wanna ask her? But like...what if I ask her and she says no? Or she just laughs at me? As if I know how to dance. I'll probably just end up stepping on her foot with this.” He kicked up his prosthetic leg, the one he usually wore around the house that looked nothing like a human appendage.

“Let me clue you in on a little secret,” Roy said, thinking back to his own awkward prom days. “Nobody knows how to dance at those things. Just put your hands on her shoulders and sway a little, and that should be enough. Or you could have her show you a few pointers.”

“That's if she says yes.” Now Ed looked faintly green. He stared up at the ceiling for a minute, then sat up straight and leaned forward almost desperately. “What if this ruins everything? What if I tell her how I feel and she turns me down and then everything's all awful forever and we can never be friends anymore? I don't wanna do that! If she doesn't wanna go out with me, I can't just...never talk to her again! Maybe I should just not say anything and just stay the way we are...but when I'm around her, I just...all I can think about is....” With a growl of frustration, he buried his face in his hands.

Roy tried to remember what it was like to be fifteen, the way a single glance or a single smile from a pretty girl could make all of his insides feel like they were on fire. In many ways, he was grateful for the age gap between him and Riza; three years was nothing to them now, but at the age of fifteen, he'd never even considered dating the scrawny twelve-year-old down the street. None of those complicated feelings had interfered with getting to know her until they were both older and much more mature.

“I think you should tell her,” Roy said. “Winry's a smart girl; it won't take her long to figure it out for herself. If she doesn't suspect already,” he added with a smirk.

“But what if she just laughs at me?” Ed moaned.

“What makes you think she would do that?”

Hunching his shoulders, Ed mumbled, “When we were, like, five...I kinda...asked her to marry me. And....” He took a deep breath, then finished in a rush, “Then she laughed and turned me down because she said she'd never marry anybody who was shorter than her!”

It was a good thing Roy had a good poker face. It was a good thing he'd had occasion to practice it quite often as a father of two teenage boys. Even so, he had to bite the inside of his lip to keep from bursting out laughing at the look on Ed's face.

“Well, say something!” Ed scowled down at his fists clenched on his knees, his face still red as a tomato.

Once he took a deep breath and cleared his throat, Roy dared to speak and found that his voice was level. “So...you're worried she's of the same opinion ten years later?”

Ed sank back into his chair with a defeated sigh, nodding glumly.

Roy laced his fingers together, striving with all his might to keep his voice neutral. “We are just talking about prom here. It's not like you're asking her to marry you. Again.”

With a groan, Ed covered his face in his hands. “I knew I shouldn't have said anything!”

“My point,” Roy persisted, “is that she might see things very differently now. You aren't the same as you used to be, and neither is she. The way I see it, you have two options: ask her, and risk her saying no. Or don't ask, and be okay with the knowledge that somebody else probably will.”

Slowly, Ed straightened up. Roy could practically see the gears whirring in his brain. His eyes blazed at the suggestion that someone might beat him to it, that some other boy would end up dancing with her through the night, maybe earning a kiss at the end....

Ed shot to his feet. “Okay,” he said firmly. “Okay. I'm asking her. I'm...I'm gonna do it!”

He marched out, barely even seeming to see Roy anymore. Roy just smirked fondly after him and put the forgotten chess pieces back into place. They could count this game as a draw.

A minute later, Ed thumped back into the room, looking sheepish. “Uh...I don't know how to ask her.”

“Sit down,” Roy said with a smile. “Let's brainstorm some options.”

[shellyseashell]

descendants au where the core four plus some others are sent to auradon. they all have the same plan (get the other vks off the isle) but go about it in wildly different ways. there is no communication among them. (also they have foster families but that’s besides the point)

mal, being maleficent’s daughter (2014 maleficent) is a protector. and not above cursing people to get her way. she’s staying with mulan and shang, so maybe she learns a less violent way to protect people, but it’s also enforced in her to do what’s right. while she’s encouraged to just try to fit in, she knows from her mother that sometimes you can’t blend in. currently, her plan is to intimidate ben into listening to her. it may or may not be working.

evie is also not above cursing people, though she prefers to charm them first. or manipulate them. staying with snow white doesn’t help at all, surprisingly. though maybe she stops caring about her looks so much. anyway, she’s a healer, so with every chance she gets she’s ranting to whoever will listen about how bad healthcare is on the isle. it may get disgusting sometimes, but hey, it’s working. ben insisted they send better medicine on the next boat.

jay has magic, because jafar was a sorcerer when he was sent to the isle. with the barrier, he may not be at his full potential, but hey, it’s there. now, jafars scepter is in auradon. jafar tells jay to steal it and sure, okay, he’ll do it, if only so his father will feed him should the whole thing not work out and they’re all sent back to the isle. but then he realizes the scepter would give him more power, and jafar is always lamenting that he’ll never be as powerful as he was. so jay decides to steal it to prove he can be that powerful, and with that power he can liberate the isle. also, he’s staying with aladdin and jasmine. aladdin knows exactly what kind of person jay is, because he was him once too. he guesses jays plan within minutes of meeting him. he says nothing, but when jay is inevitably caught, he makes sure he’s not sent back to the isle.

carlos is happy to just not be his mothers servant, but given he’s staying with cinderella, that’s enough for her to fight for other kids to get off the isle.

isidora, my oc, is the daughter of the queen of hearts/red queen, since i base my headcanons off the live action. anyway, she couldn’t careless about auradon. she doesn’t care about the isle much either. this isn’t because she doesn’t want others off the isle — she does — but her mother is having an affair with time himself, so she knows things will happen when they happen. even if that means she has to bully time into helping her. what she does care about is how many places in wonderland could be turned into homes. she doesn’t exactly have much of a gang, but she does know carlos, and through him she has connections with mal, and mal has a lot of connections, as one of the main leaders of the isle (kinda want to call that alliance the triumvirate tbh). her personal goal may be not getting beheaded by her own mother and working the salon, but she has a sister to look out for, and mal may call on her resources one day. also, she’s staying with alice in wonderland, and let’s just say she fits right in.

claudine was invited off the isle, but she was also smuggled off so her father wouldn’t find out. she’s honestly just happy to be away from him, but she’s also part of the lost revenge, and uma is her captain. technically uma’s orders were to not forget about them, but claudine interpreted that as “get us out of here, if you can”. so she gets close to ben, makes sure he knows exactly what happens to vks. as one of the isle kids with the worst home lives, who better to inform him? her foster family, the de chateaupers, support her on the basis of she exists, and if frollo of all people was allowed to raise another kid, who else was?

how do these plots collide? i don’t actually know yet, except that that’s not all that’s going on, and the isle becomes a war ground at some point.

[sapphirebluephoenix]

Some little doodles inspired by @thepiratefish 's post about having an unfinished mini fic about Benny & Champagne raising Mara and Ana.

Lore below because I have a problem, and it's these silly little internet characters.

The setting for this world is basically where the cast of Multiverse Tales all exist in the same world, and this world is kind of like MHA with quirks, except it's actually more like mutants in marvel but pretty much everyone has them.

Benny, at age 20, sees a post in a newspaper seeking a foster home for a little girl until her mother suffering from postnatal depression is out of hospital, or until her father returns to the country. Being the logical person he is, he impulsively goes to the interview, not expecting to get chosen, but later assumes he was the only person to show up, because he does, in fact, get the child.

And, several months later, Cosmara's mother has had a fatal heart attack and her father is AWOL and unreachable, so Benny carrying a child around in those front-backpack kid-carrier things (I'm not a writer, okay? Vocab isn't my strong suit.) becomes a common sight at his uni (or college for americans).

Stuff happens, he adopts her, and instead of the garage we know and love, instead, now he has a child to care for, he starts a general maintenance mechanics garage that just so happens to offer servicing for less-legal vehicles and mechs if you just so happen to have such a thing.

Then, when Mara is 7, Benny meets Champagne, and it all goes downhill from there... or uphill, depending on your view. They get together, eventually move in together and are a happy little family.

And then Ana shows up somehow, idk right now how that works, maybe a similar situation to Mara? Mara's like 11/12 at that point, so maybe she finds a child somewhere? Who knows.

Benny has a low-level healing factor, and has had it since birth (he was premature and it saved his life)

Champagne has low-level resistance which he doesn't even know he has, he just assumes he's powerless.

Mara was born with a dark spot on her right shoulder that gradually spread throughout her life, and whenever she gets angry it grows further and enhances her strength, speed, etc. She eventually learns to control it, but it's kind of like Tokoyami's shadow-bird from MHA.

Ana didn't appear to have any abilities, but when she hit puberty she began to grow scales, her hair turned pink and gills and webbing appeared.

I haven't thought about this more than that, but who knows, maybe I'll add more to this later.

[faggotmox]

Your tag: wheeler is fighting in school and mox is happy about it AKFHSHSHS

Picking him up from the principals office and buys him a milkshake. Discusses how to properly hold your first when you punch so you don't hurt your thumb. Wheeler asks if he needs to apologize to the classmate he fought with and Mox is like "nah that guy's an asshole". That 'guy' is another 8 year old child.

@slapofhonor / @bobatoosweet

Mox slid the milkshake across the plastic counter of the ice scram shop they sat in. It was suspicious to Wheeler that his, well his foster dad was giving him a reward for bloodying another kid's noise. Fights were bad, right? That's what all of Wheeler's foster families told him. Just walk away. Go tell an adult, a teacher. Wheeler tried to but it often got him beat up worse or meaner things said. Then nothing happened to the other kid. Today the biggest bully in class got his nose busted by Wheeler and a black eye to match. Wheeler apparently broke his thumb when he tucked it into his fist.

"You did good defending yourself, kiddo. Seriously. I ain't ever gonna be mad at you for protecting yourself. Even from words. Cool?" Mox said as he plopped a straw in the shake for Wheeler who hesitated before taking it, nor quiet understanding. "Gotta teach you to make a proper fist though, so you don't get hurt next time."

Next time? Wheeler thought. Maybe it was okay to defend himself.

The huge smile on Mox's face made Wheeler smile back though and finally he took a sip of his cookies & cream milkshake. If victory had a taste, Wheeler was sure this would be it. Mox held up his fist, showing Wheeler and pointing. Wheeler held up his none injured hand to show Mox who nodded happily and told him that was perfect. No one told Wheeler he was perfect before.

"Do I need to apologize?" Wheeler asked as they walked out to the truck Mox drove.

"Nah, Hot Wheelz." Mox grinned, ruffling Wheeler's hair. None of Wheeler's foster parents ever had nicknames for him until Mox. "That kid is an asshole."

"Okay." Wheel said quietly before he spoke up again, in a slightly unsure voice. "Max is an asshole, isn't he, Dad?"

There was a pause. Mox looked back at his eight year old foster son in the rear view mirror. A tiny smile on his face. Their first 'Dad' moment. First time Wheeler called anyone Dad actually.

"Sure fuckin' is, kid." Mox winked at his son. "I'm gonna enroll you in martial arts, or boxing or something. How's that sound?"

Wheeler's eyes got huge and he nodded so quick he got dizzy. Even though Max said mean things to him, and Wheeler broke his hand, and he got suspended for hitting Max, even though all that happened Wheeler thought it maybe his best day ever.

[starry-bi-sky]

"Stillborn? No, no, still born." -- DPXDC AU

Based off a comment I saw where Bruce knew about Talia's pregnancy in the earlier comivs, and was ecstatic to be a father. So much so that Talia feared he'd give up being Batman for it, so when she gave birth she put the baby (Damian) on a doorstep and (seemingly) told Bruce that the baby was stillborn.

Instead of Damian, that baby was Danny! Meet Daniel Brown, the 14 year old foster kid whose been living with the Fenton family for the last two years. He's about two years older than Damian.

His last name, "Brown", was a generic surname given to him because the note he came with didn't have one on it. It just had the name "Danyal" on it, but albeit 'Daniel' was the one that had been put into the system for, I'll be totally frank here, racism reasons.

(I looked it up to make sure, and it's generally not permissible for foster parents to change the names of their foster kids even if it's a permanent residency, and for that reason Danny doesn't have the last name "Fenton".)

Danny's got ✨~issues!~✨ He's been through a handful of homes growing up, most of them terrible for a variety of reasons. Which has, as a result, left lasting scars. He's generally a very sweet kid, just very distrustful and jumpy. He's got the signs of a kid suffering from PTSD, and a handful of other issues including attachment and insomnia. His inferiority complex could rival Damian's, and that's going to make for an interesting mutual hatred for when they finally meet.

(something I'll get into later)

He still has the blanket he was found in. It's made of a very high quality material and is a beautiful emerald green with little golden thread accents, it's high quality as a result has Danny clinging onto a desperate hope that his bio family might be out there, and the only reason they gave him up was because of some outside factor. It's been taken a few times in old foster homes, and he's flipped out each time.

While he still calls Jack and Maddie by their names, he likes them well enough. The bar isn't that high though, and while they're some of the better foster parents he's had, "better" doesn't equal "safest". Their laboratory malpractice. Basically, C- Fenton Parents. They're negligent by virtue of being engrossed in their work, but they do care equally about Jazz and Danny. So he doesn't hold it against them that much.

He kinda prefers it that way, their loud affection is overwhelming and Danny doesn't know what to do with their attention, even if he craves it. It's a bit of a complicated situation.

They took in Danny because they genuinely wanted another child, but didn't want a big age gap between them and Jazz. It was actually Jack's idea to foster, and they discussed it with Jazz beforehand. She was all for the idea. Thus, a handful of weeks later, a ton of paperwork, and inspection later, and Daniel Brown entered their household with a trash bag in one hand and eyes like shards of stained glass.

His relationship with Jazz is kinda strained, but that's by virtue of her constant psychoanalyzing and helicoptering. Like with the parents, Danny's overwhelmed by the attention and also just, straight up doesn't like the fact that she's telling him that there's something wrong with him. He knows that, thank you. He pushes her away when she does this.

Other than that though? When Jazz isn't smothering him and is acting like an actual sibling and not a third parent, they're pretty close, and Danny really likes her. They've hung out a few times on their own volition, and Jazz showed him how to take better care of his long hair.

His school situation,, pretty similar to canon with the bullying, albeit with a few more instances of him blowing a fuse and lashing out against his attackers. He's a rather angry kid, but it's quiet. It builds up, piles on top of itself, until eventually, like a volcano, it erupts and burns everyone within radius.

Danny's got a fire core, not an ice core. Phantom's hair is made of white magma; thick and heavy, setting itself on fire when his anger runs hot. When he gets angry, his skin begins to char and split open to reveal pulsating lava underneath, and he crackles and pops like a raging forest fire.

I haven't decided yet on how he meets the batfam -- i've got two ideas but they're both in opposition to each other, and drastically alter how the rest of the plot goes. But I do know that him and Damian hate each other in the beginning. And it has nothing to do with inheritance or "being the blood son" -- although their blood relation absolutely plays the major role in their disdain for each other.

Simply put, they're jealous of each other for the same thing: thinking that the other was wanted.

Damian hates Danny because, unlike Damian, Bruce knew about Danny since conception and wanted him from the moment he heard about him. He had a whole nursery set up, and still does. He never took it down -- just locked the door. Damian was thrust upon Bruce without warning, and he feels like he forced himself into the family. And while on some level Damian knows and understands that Bruce wants him and loves him as much as his other children, that doubt and feeling of inferiority still remains. He looks at Danny and sees him with what Damian always feels he needs reaffirmed.

Meanwhile, Danny hates Damian because he looks at him and sees him with everything Danny's ever wanted. He hates him because Damian grew up knowing both of their parents, with one of them for most of his life, and then moved over to the other. There was never a moment where Damian was (seemingly) left to doubt his place within the family. Damian was raised with the very same woman who left Danny on a doorstep, with no clue to his identity beyond a little green blanket and a note with only a first name. Damian was wanted everywhere, and Danny was wanted nowhere. Damian is Danny's replacement in his eyes.

(It's the little revelation that Damian grew up with their mother that elevates Danny from being quietly envious of Damian to downright despising him. What did Damian do, that Danny didn't? He could live with Damian living with Bruce -- Bruce didn't know Danny was even alive. But him living with their mom? Are you fucking kidding him?)

Damian never outright attacks Danny physically, but it's not like he hides that he didn't like Danny. Meanwhile, Danny, in all his repressive anger, quietly despised him from a distance until finally one wrong snide side-comment has him blowing up and it becomes a screaming match. They're both just enough similar to each other that when they look at each other they really just see a mirror.

They'll work it out together, eventually. But it'll be ugly and cruel and explosive, and they'll start mending the bridge to become brothers in more than just blood relation in the end.

But yeah, stillborn Danny has... a lot going for him.

[miusato]

Loitering after school like they don't have 5 homeworks due tomorrow 🥴🥴🥴

[alien-til-i-stage]

So like, i was thinking right.

we know that guardian urak will like own several human pets for the purpose of training them and sending them off to alien stage with the hopes of them winning. however we also know that the only person who has gotten close to winning is Till.

Meaning that technically, these other kids couldve been considered Till’s siblings in a way.

This next part is fully headcanon BUT WHAT IF LIKE HE WAS ACTUALLY CLOSE TO THEM OR AT LEAST SPENT TIME WITH THEM!!! What if Till had met and spoken with these kids, before watching them die in alien stage, knowing he himself would eventually be put in the same situation.

What if this is just another factor for why Till hates aliens?? like hes long since hated aliens before urak but this could just be even more fuel for his hatred?? siblings he once had were cruelly taken away from him and killed. Since Till wouldve had to be younger he mightve even looked up to these other siblings, JUST TO SEE THEM DIE DO YOU GUYS SEE MY VISION

i know someone would’ve probably mentioned it by now, but its very likely that urak still has other pet humans he trains similarly in case Till loses or if he wants to win again. SO NOT ONLY WOULD TILL HAVE HAD TO SEE HIS OLDER SIBLINGS WHO HE ADMIRED DIE IN ALIEN STAGE BUT WOULD HAVE TO BE BURDENED WITH THE FACT THAT NOW ITS HIS YOUNGER SIBLINGS WHO MIGHT SEE HIM DIE.

and even if he won, that doesn’t guarantee their lives if urak decided to put them in alien stage after winning with Till, which he probably will anyways. MEANING THERES A CHANCE HE ALSO MIGHT SEE HIS YOUNGER SIBLINGS DIE AHHHH

[aftgficrec]

Some fic with andreil kids, i need that to survive

Our most recent ask for this has all of our previous recs. Enjoy! -A

latest ask:

Andreil & kids here

Kevin and his dads by Monsterputt03 [Not Rated, 646 Words, Complete, 2023]

Kevin's life with Andreil as his parents. 

Want by TheBreadWinner [Rated G, 19938 Words, Incomplete, Updated May 2024]

Andrew and Neil are finally in a position without worries. They have a nice home, money, and dream jobs. What more could they want? Their closest friends and family are raising kids and experiencing something Andrew never pictured wanting. Now, in his thirties, he sees families everywhere: in the stands during games, at the park during his runs with Neil, and in the lobby of New York Presbyterian. Andrew knows what he wants, and he wants it with Neil.

tw: implied/referenced child abuse and neglect, tw: implied/referenced torture

you got the heart without the ache. by PatientIsTheNight [Rated G, 2483 Words, Complete, 2024]

[Andrew] cannot kill every abuser in the world, though it would be nice. More importantly, he knows that he cannot allow himself to be visibly angry, or upset - it would give the wrong idea. He isn’t angry at Kylie, after all, and refuses to give her even half of an inkling of that idea. But he is still angry, in the way a wounded animal is. It takes more than he thought it would to keep himself from hiding in corners and lashing out. - Andrew and Neil foster their first kid, and face how hard it is. It’s a kidfic, you know what you’re getting.

tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: implied/referenced child abuse

Whose Your Daddy Series by chaoticas_hell [Not Rated, Collection, Incomplete, Updated June 2024]

Part 1: Whose Your Daddy [47865 Words, Complete] Andrew Joseph Minyard didn't do regrets. But letting Neil in, allowing himself to want, for letting Neil slip through his fingertips- it was the closest he would get to feeling regret. It had been fourteen years since he last saw Neil, since Neil was taken right from under his grasp by his psycho-killer father and lost forever and Andrew had to make peace with that, had to stop expecting Neil to walk through his front door like he had never left. Except, one day, it all but happened. One day, a small kid with horribly cut short platinum blonde hair, striking blue eyes that plagued Andrew's dreams and nightmares, freckles and an achingly familiar horrible fashion sense showed up at his office door with the strangest question. "Are you Andrew Joseph Minyard, yes or no?" The kid asked in a British accent. Andrew could only nod. "Oh good." The kid said, suddenly unsure of themself. "Cause I think you're my dad." What the fuck?

tw: assumed major character death, tw: implied/referenced torture

Part 2: The Before [11385 Words, Incomplete, Updated June 2024] basically a sequel to my fic Whose Your Daddy taking a look at how Neil dealt with single parenthood, how Andrew faired after Neil's faked death, Jo's abysmal childhood, and judgmental family members

tw: assumed major character death, tw: implied/referenced torture, tw: violence, tw: choking, tw: unplanned pregnancy, tw: transphobia, tw: gender dysphoria 

Fragments of Light series by DarkD [Rated G/T, Collection, 2 complete works, Updated Jan 2023]

Part 1: Baby mine [T, 18609 Words, Complete, 2022] Andrew could practically see the image of Neil sleeping on his chest, one of the pairs of shoes he'd bought still lying there in bed with them. Neil looked so peaceful, Andrew couldn't stop looking at him. His hand was right on Neil's belly, he could almost imagine what the girls' heartbeats were like there. Neil had sung a song that night, and Andrew memorized every note because, someday, he would also sing that same song for Neil and his daughters. (They couldn't) be more wanted, they've probably never wanted anything more in their life. “You won't touch any of them again.” Andrew said. His voice was low and his throat hurt. “You're not getting anywhere near my fucking family.”

tw: gun violence, tw: attempted murder, tw: major character injury, tw: blood, tw: unplanned pregnancy, tw: transphobia, tw: self harm, tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: destructive thoughts, tw: vomit

Part 2: My dear Nebula [G, 10086 Words, Complete, 2023] “Andrew, Andrew.” Neil whispered in his ear, the warm air against his skin making him shiver. “It's time for our nebula.” ... Neil then asked what a nebula was and he replied: Nebulae were nurseries for stars. Birth of stars. Birth… “Fuck”

tw: unplanned pregnancy, tw: implied/referenced child abuse, tw: implied/referenced murder

Retired by IKnowWhoYouAre_Damianos [Rated G, 1855 Words, Complete, AFTG Summer Exchange 2022]

Neil turned 35 two months ago and was finally ready to retire. A vacay will be just the right thing for his restless mind.

Neil Loves Dinosaurs series by infernalstars [Rated G/T, 32616 words, 17 Complete Works, Updated 2020]

Part 1 recced here

Part 4: Asking For Help [1501 Words] In which Kevin Day has to shift his perspective on things and he seeks out Neil for help.

tw: ableism, tw: implied/referenced abuse

Part 5: Babysitting and the Conditions of Love [1492 Words] Neil and Andrew babysit for Matt and Dan

tw: transphobia, tw: self harm

Part 6: To Live in Peace [908 Words] Meet Henry!

tw: homophobia, tw: implied/referenced child abuse

Part 7: Nightmare [2149 Words] Andrew bonds with his foster kid. 

tw: graphic nightmares, tw: implied/referenced murder

Part 8: Family [1491 Words] Henry comes home to Neil having a breakdown.

tw: homophobia, tw: ableism

Part 9: Again (Family pt. 2) [2034 Words] in which Neil has a chance to bond with his kid

tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: nonconsensual kissing

Part 10: Again (Family pt. 3) [1604 Words] The Resolution

tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: implied/referenced csa, tw: implied/referenced nonconsensual kissing, tw: implied/referenced nonconsensual drug use

Part 11: Ruby Red [1910 Words] Adopting one kid was always apart of the plan, but another kid...? Unplanned.

Part 12: Second Chances [3329 Words] in which Neil tells Ruby how him and Andrew met

Part 13: Roses and Thorns [1943 Words] Andrew is happy ft. some twinyards, catching up with Kevin and his daughter and a lil snippet of Liam!!

tw: implied/referenced self harm

Part 14: Something Real [3140 Words] How Andrew finds out Neil's Autistic. 

tw: nonconsensual drug use, tw: nonconsensual kissing, tw: implied/referenced child abuse

Part 15: Conditions of Love [2104 Words] A mini series that explores Liam Wilds (Matt and Dans kid), his life and his relationship with Henry Josten-Minyard.

tw: implied/referenced child abuse, tw: transphobia

Part 16: Anniversary [1180 Words]  The anniversary of the death of Neil's mom brings up some unpleasant memories and Andrew bring him to the museum to comfort him.

The Josten-Twinyards hc by @detectivebambam [Tumblr, 2024]

Andreil daughter and the word “please” by @starrycassi [Tumblr fic, 2024]

the monsters having kids with cool uncles andreil hc by @the-inner-musings-of-a-worm [Tumblr, 2024]

Miles Minyard-Josten age 7 fandom fun post by @andrews-jort-loving-pipe-dream [Tumblr, 2020]

Art

Minyard-Josten siblings also here art by @allfortheslay25

Nicky meeting Asher Minyard-Josten comic by @riceballannie

Andreil with Michael art by @dshr-art, hc here

fanart by @bluetheking for ‘Noah Minyard-Josten,’ fic recced here

[griseldabanks]

For Let Me Count the Ways, 15 for any two characters, of which at least one has not yet appeared in the Foster Family AU, please?

Let Me Count the Ways ask game

Fandom: FMA Characters: Riza and Rebecca Catalina Prompt: "What? I meant it as a compliment."

“So?” Rebecca said, pulling her yogurt and fruit parfait closer and digging in. “How's it feel to know you'll be a mom soon?”

Riza focused on pouring the little cup of creamer into her coffee, watching the white swirl through the rich brown. “I don't. Feel like one, I mean.”

“Mmm.” Rebecca swallowed her mouthful of yogurt, gesturing with her spoon. “My sister said the same thing when she had her first. But hey, at least you don't have to go through all the trouble of actually giving birth, right? My sister was in labor for, like, two days.” She shuddered. “I mean, yeah, kids would be nice, but....”

Riza watched the steam swirling up from the surface of her coffee. “Sometimes I can't help but feel...that maybe we've made a mistake.”

Rebecca cocked her head to one side. “How so?”

Swallowing hard, Riza turned her head to look out the window, watching people passing by. Couples walking arm-in-arm, people rushing along on their way somewhere important...a mother walking hand-in-hand with a little girl skipping along the sidewalk, chattering away excitedly about something and gesturing with her free hand.

“They know everything about having a mother...and I don't have the faintest idea. I'm sure I...what if I...they've already been through so much....” She let out a nervous breath, trying to speak past the growing lump in her throat. “If I'm not everything they need...I'll only be making it worse. For everyone.”

“And what makes you think you're not exactly what they need?”

Riza blinked at the unexpectedly soft look in her best friend's eyes. “What?”

Rebecca winked. “Maybe what a couple of unconventional boys need is an unconventional mother.”

Shooting her an unimpressed look, Riza finally took a sip of her coffee. “And here I thought you might actually give me some encouragement.”

“Hey, I meant it as a compliment!”

“Really? Because here I thought you were just calling us all strange.”

With a shrug, Rebecca scooped up the maraschino cherry on top of her parfait and plopped it onto Riza's saucer, like she always did. “Strange doesn't have to be bad.”

Popping the cherry into her mouth, Riza savored its sweetness as she deftly tied the stem into a knot with her tongue, then stuck her tongue out at Rebecca, stem and all.

Rebecca simply took a dignified bite of her parfait.

“Still,” Riza murmured after a moment, as if there had been no interruption in her musings, “this is the situation we face, and I suppose we'll all just have to try our hardest to make the best of things.”

“So, have you met them yet?”

A smile found its way to Riza's face as she nodded, thinking back over the day when they'd all sat down in Mrs. Rockbell's kitchen to discuss the matter. “Edward is so grown-up already. He's just twelve, but he's taken on the responsibility of raising his brother. I think he's of the opinion that they don't need foster parents at all.

“Alphonse is a dear,” she added, remembering the boy's shy smile across the table at her. “He doesn't talk, but he's very kind. And Edward always seems to know what he wants to say. I can tell Alphonse looks up to his brother a lot. I'm glad they get along so well.”

“And Roy?” Rebecca asked.

“What about Roy?”

“Will he get along with the boys? I mean, we already know you're going to rock at being a mom, but....”

Riza took a sip of coffee, wishing she felt as confident about it. “It's going to take a while to adjust, I'm sure. Originally, we were both thinking it would be a baby....”

Rebecca made a sympathetic sound. Their eyes met, and a whole conversation they didn't need to have again passed by in a moment of silence. After letting that silence settle between them, Rebecca lifted the mood with a deftness Riza always envied. “Still, I bet he was relieved that he won't be changing any diapers.”

“Don't tell anyone, but I'm a little relieved myself,” Riza laughed.

“But Roy,” Rebecca reminded her. “Did he hit it off with the boys?”

Riza couldn't suppress a small smile. “If by 'hit it off' you mean he started bickering like he was twelve himself....”

Rebecca gaped at her. “He didn't! What was he trying to do, sabotage everything you've been working for all this time?”

But Riza was still smiling, thinking back to the way Edward had gone from slouching, unimpressed, in his chair to yelling at the top of his lungs and challenging Roy to a Super Smash Bros. match to settle their differences. She remembered the way Alphonse had smiled for the first time, his eyes dancing with glee as he watched them, even as he half-heartedly tugged on Edward's sleeve in a vain attempt at restraining him.

“I don't know what Roy was thinking,” Riza said fondly. “But I think that's what sealed the deal. I think what those boys really wanted to know was whether we could handle what they're really like.”

Rebecca returned to her parfait with a shake of her head. “Yep. You're all perfect for each other.”

[chez-cinnamon]

I know this is a dumb question but like talking about ur real world AU.. does Fionn have a child or a little sibiling (or smth like that)?

And if he does would the WH cast get along with the little fellow?

He has a young niece named Peony (I've shown her on this blog a lot) but he does have a younger brother by 8 years, Aidan Finnigan. He is also Peony's dad....

Or should I say "was".... he was involved in a car crash after all...

[justme315]

New family 1/?

! Warning !

swearing, angst, fear, step-family, g/t family, abuse, mention of abusive giants, gigantophobia, mention of the character being religious, sickness

------------------------------------------

I was fucked.

I'm sorry for using that kinda language but I really was. You see, my whole life has been destroyed by thoese damn giants.

Sorry, I don't think I introduced myself yet, I'm Zack.

Me and my mom were always a team. After my dad has passed away when i was 6 she was the only person important to me. It was basically us two against the whole world.

Something that might also be important for you to understand my story is the fact that we live in a world full of humans (like my and my mom) and giants. Giants are.. humanoid 60-ish feet tall creatures. Easily to say - their dangerous. The government rightfully understood the danger and the fear of us humans and created 'human-only' zones, cities, countries even. There were also a few 'giant-only' zones, but I'm not really sure why. It's not like the giants would fear us. Most of the places thoese enourmous beasts live are simply 'mixed-zones', places where both humans and giants can live. Thank God that me and my mom always lived in a 'human-only' zone. I was always skeptical and yeah, terrified of giants.

My mom was different though. Maybe she was just dumb (sorry for saying that mama) but she just couldn't sense danger. She worked in a company that required her to sometimes travel to 'mixed-zones' or 'mixed-cities'. I was always opposed to that but she.. enjoyed it. She even said that she made some giant "friends". I never believed in their honesty though.

But what changed my life once and for all, had happened when I was just 16. Well, going on 17 already, but yeah, still 16.

I never ever once questioned my mom's romantic life after my dad has passed away. She just.. never acted like she wanted to start a new relationship. And I was very okay with that.

But one unfortunate day, just after she came home from one of her business trips she told me that she has got a boyfriend.

That was weried to know, I mean c'mon, picturing your mom having a crush, dating, falling in love etc. is just.. weried and kinda disgusting if you ask me.

Of course, I questioned her and soon I reaveled her secret.

"Zack, I have been dating him for a little over a year. I was just scared of how you might react. But now, I must tell you since.. he proposed."

That felt like I was stabbed straight into the heart. How could she have kept having a boyfriend a secret from me for so long? Why would she? Being lied to by her felt horrible. I thought we were a team - we always told echother everything. But I guess I was wrong.

Really soon I found out that my mom's boyfriends (and now fiances) name is Andrew, that he was just slightly older than her and had two sons about my age, he was also a widower, and according to my mom, we had much in common.

I really couldn't understand why my mom would keep her boyfriend a secret. Untill she revealed she wanted for us to move in with him and his sons. I mean, she had a lot of planing to do, as she was soon to get married again, so that was kinda understandable. I wasn't opposed to moving into a new home, but changed my mind really quickly when my mom reaveled that our new home would be in a mixed-city. I mean, I was never even in that kind of a city, never even seen a giant in real life and was hella terrified of them! She should've understood me. Before she 'fell in love' she always has.

I asked her a milion times if Andrew and his sons can't just move in with us but she always found some excuse. Once, our house was too small, then his older son didn't want to switch universities, another time Andrew was scared of loosing the job. It was always a stupid excuse. Untill she finally reaveled the truth.

You see, Andrew, my mom's husband-to-be was a giant. And so were his sons.

To say that I was mad and scared was an understatement. I felt lied to. I felt like I was being dragged into something I didn't want to be a part of. I, understandably, questioned the honesty of my moms relationship, which angered her the most. I was angry with my mom for over two weeks after finding out about the size of my soon to be step-family and barely spoke with her. I couldn't be away from her for long though and forgave her, but in my heart I still had plenty of doubts.

My friends didn't help ease my fear. I told my best buddies at school and the stories they have told me only made me more afraid and suspicious of the said Andrew and all giants at that point.

"Don't y'all remember Joseph from middle school? He moved to a mixed-city with his parents. He was stepped on by a giant and died!"

"That's nothing compered to what happened to Amy. A quick death is better than being tortured. She is my cousin. She moved to a mixed-zone because she wanted to go to a better collage. One of her giant male classmates kidnaped her and done horrifying things to her. Once she was found she had missing limbs, many scars.. She was mentally, physically and sexually abused by him for months, untill they found the giant. And he barely got any jail time for that! She's still in mental health hospital!"

"My dads best friend Thomas was freaking eaten alive!"

Yeah, I think 3 stories is enough to give you the idea of how freaking terrified I was of the said 'step-family'. Some might say I am a specist (a person that discriminates based on the species (giant and human)) but I wouldn't agree. I don't really think that a human can be a specist becouse we are in the more vaunurable position. Also, I don't hate giants becouse of their size. I hate and fear them because of how brutal and cruel they are towards humans. Maybe a giantophobe would be a more appropriate term for me.

That day was the worst day in my entire life. And it's really hard to beat the day my dad had passed away.

We sold the house. We were at the airport. All ready to go to a mixed-city, over the wall that the government made.

Mom was all smiley and happy, her nose never leaving her phone.

"Andrew texted me that he and his boys are at their side of the barrier already, waiting for us. They can't wait to meet you!"

Right, didn't I mention that they all knew echother, but me?

"I just can't wait to show you the city and our new home!"

I was standing there quiet. No matter how many times I told my mom that i don't agree with her choice of dating a giant or for the fact that I didn't want to move away into a mixed-city she would always say that I will change my mind once I overcome my fear. Hell, I would.

I held my bag closely, trying to hold onto whatever I have not to lose my composure. I was terrified and angry, sure, but showing thoese giants from the start that they have some power over me, even though it was obvious, wasn't something I would do. At last, if I could hide my emotions.

Just a few minutes before our flight, a flight in the opposite direction landed. I saw all those humans, coming back from the mixed-city, most of them seem, okay. That made me confused and curious. Would it really be all that bad?

Untill I saw a girl, probably my age, on a wheelchair. I mean, there is nothing wrong with disabled people, don't get me wrong, but she was crying so she easily got everyone's attention. A woman run up to her.

"Mom!" The girl sobbed, opening her arms to hug her mother. The woman tried calming the girl down but she just kept crying and screaming "It was just supposed to be a student exchange program!! This scary giant crushed my legs!"

The girls voice echoed in my head. It was different to hear stories of distant people, but to see someone hurt by thoese monsters in front of my own eyes was completely different.

Even my mom lowered her phone and looked at the girl with pity in her eyes. I prayed to the Lord to open her eyes and return home safely with me.

"Poor girl" she signed "That must have been a.. horrible accident".

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Accident?" I looked at my mom angrily, finally letting my emotions out "A giant crushed her legs".

"Honey, I'm sure they didn't mean to.." she looked at me, somewhat shocked at my defensiveness. I shouldn't have expected her to understand. She just simply couldn't sense danger. And that could get both of us killed.

"Her legs were crushed by a giant, mom!" I raised my voice, even so slightly as I couldn't believe how blinded she was by her feelings.

"Zack, calm yourself down" she looked at me more strictly now, as I was getting other peoples attention. I couldn't bare the thought of how stupid this all was. I just wanted to be home. Or anywhere at that point. Anywhere but in a spece where giants were allowed.

"You-" I began to speak.

"The flight 16-399Bhc** is preparing to take off. We ask all the passengers to board the plane within 5 minutes. Thank you and have a good flight" said a voice from the speaker.

"That's our flight!" My mom cheered up and grabbed my arm, pulling me as she ran to the plane.

She was so excited it made me feel like I was gonna puke.

Don't get me wrong, I always loved planes but this time I felt uneasy. My whole body was shaking ever so slightly, I felt like I was about to puke, I swear I heard my heart pumping blood, my head was spinning..

That can easily be called my worst ever flight.

After we landed I need a good 15 minutes in the bathroom to regain my composure.

"Honey, are you alright?" I heard my mom knocking "Are you sick?"

"I'm fine mama, I'll be okay" I mumbled, though I didn't feel like I was going to be okay for at last next few hours. I was also convinced my life was about to end so why bother worrying my mom. But before I cross the barrier of the airport, I didn't have to see or interact with any giants. Maybe me feeling sick was actually a gift from God to give me more time to get ready for what was about to come? As I was almost ready to go I hear my mom speaking:

"Honey, are you sure? I texted Andrew and he and Ethan are worried sick. They can drive us to a hospital"

And then I got sick again at the mention of the giants.

Oh, you might not know who is who. Andrew is my moms 45 year old husband-to-be, but I'm sure I have spoke about him already. Ethan is his older son, he was 21 back then. His younger son - Ryan - was 17.

After, what appeared to me as a minute and to my mom as an hour I finally could exit the bathroom.

My mom rushed me, saying that the boys have been waiting for us long enough. I was feeling less and less okay. I couldn't keep my emotionless demeanor. My eyes felt heavy, my heartbeat fasten as well as my breathing, my legs were shaky and I was not able to say even one word.

As I saw the enourmous glass wall behind which were a ton of giants, I felt like I was going to faint.

Or simply turn around and run.

My mom stopped in her trucks and looked at her phone. After maybe three seconds of reading what I supposed was a message form Andrew she looked into the direction of 3 giant men waiting and her eyes started to freaking sparkle and her smile grew.

She then looked at me and pointed in the direction of thoese giants, who weren't looking at us, thank God.

"That's Andrew! And Ethan and Ryan!" She said with an excited expression.

Andrew was surprisingly the shortest of the group. He had brown hair that were turning grey, a short beard, thick glasses, a blue sweater and more elegant pants. He was overall a handsome middle-aged dude, if it wasn't for the fact he was freaking enormous.

Ethan was talking with him. He had fluffy brown hair and was slightly taller than his dad. He had a few freckles and dimples on his cheeks, his smile was truthfully welcoming. His white hoodie also looked very comfy.

The tallest one was the youngest - Ryan. He had black, short hair, a pierced ear and stylist clothes. If he would have been a human, he looked like one of the popular kids that you always look up to. I really liked the belt he had, same with the rings on his fingers.

All three giants had the same eye color - hazel.

My mom grabbed me again and pulled me into the direction of the glass wall that was the last thing keeping me outside of the reach of giants. She looked so happy to see them that it was hard to recognize her. She only ever smiled at me like that before.

Soon enough, we were close to the exit of my comfort zone. My fear only grew as we were closer to the giants. It was still probably about 20 feet between us and the door when Andrews eyes rested on us. I felt the enourmous gaze and felt like I was stung. Soon both his sons eyes locked on me and my mom. She realized quickly and slowed down with the running. She then waved at them. Andrew and Ethan waved back. Ryan stood there, looking maybe a little conflicted but surely also kinda annoyed.

At that point I could feel the blood boiling in my veins. My heart ached. As well did my head. My legs were shaky. I felt like I couldn't catch my breath correctly.

If you think you're not socially awkward, three giants looking down at you with their enourmous eyes, almost scanning you as if you were an insect would change your mind right away. And if you are socially awkward like me? Well, you would feel as if you were just about to die.

My mom rushed me again, ready to exit the safe space, that only allowed humans. I walked behind her, but I wasn't as excited or as fast. Partly, becouse I wanted to be out of the giants reach for as long as I could and partly becouse I was feeling worse and worse.

To be honest, I don't know what was making me feel bad. Maybe it was all the emotion, fear, anger and all, maybe it was my mental health killing me and shouting at me that danger was close, maybe it was the horrible flight, maybe it was my body being sick. I don't know.

What I do know is, each step I took, the more powerless I felt. My legs felt to weak to hold my bodyweight.

My mom was already by the exit door when she turned around to rush me again. I was maybe 7 feet behind her, still surrounded by the enourmous gazes of those three giants, two of which were smiling. Their smiles made me sick in my stomache, but Ryan who was the only one not smiling made me feel ever worse somehow.

I totally expected my mom to yell at me to hurry up, based on how excited she seem but she just stared at me for a secound with wide worried eyes and then returned to me.

"Are you okay honey? You don't seem too good"

I wanted to answer her but it came out as a soft yelp. I thought I was going to puke again.

Faces of the giants became more serious and worried. I didn't like that expression either, to be honest.

I looked back at mom as she reached out to me and raised her hand to my shoulder for comfort probably.

"Are you scared Zack? Is that it? Because if it is, I assure you, they won't hurt us. Ever." She spoke in a soft, quiet voice. Her expression didn't show anger but she looked more understanding than any other moment of the past few weeks. She spoke with such confidence I could have believed her.

Well, I maybe even would have if I didn't faint.

Because just a moment after she spoke my vision went black and my body felt weak. The last think I remember before fainting were thoese scary gazes and my mom yelling:

"Zack!"

------------------------------

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed the 1st part!

[swiftcast-selene]

baby tsetse fresh from one of his first few hunts! he's about 15 here, two years before the accident that sheared off his horn.

i wanted a mix of grown-up and baby dotharli clothes here to symbolize how he was kind of at a transitional age at this point in his life, so he's in a mix of the big fluffy coats the children of the tribe wear, but paired with the dark blue top and skirt the adults are usually in. he's very bitter about it! he's a grown man now, he doesn't need his comfy clothes anymore! (he does. he's very cold.) since neither of his parents were around, i like to think the rest of the tribe would take turns helping him with his hunting paint, as well as giving him each little pieces of beading to adorn him as a way to include him :)

[bluejaysandblackbats]

A Stone's Throw

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: The night Jason wakes up in the convalescent home, he's accompanied by his favorite nurse (Nurse Kathy). Nurse Kathy follows her instincts and decides to foster him in the nearby city of Blüdhaven. Soon, her partner and roommates become Jason's new family despite hopes that he'll regain his memories.

Chapters: 2/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Original Characters, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Barbara Gordon

Additional Tags: Disabled Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne Doesn't Know Jason Todd is Alive, Angst, Fluff, Found Family, Jason Todd Has a Foster Family AU, Jason Todd Moves to Blüdhaven, Original Asexual Characters, Original Lesbian Characters, Amnesiac Jason Todd, "Missed Him By That Much" Trope, Hurt/Comfort, Resurrected Jason Todd

Chapter Two: To Blüdhaven

Boxes piled high by the front door of Kathy’s apartment usually would’ve made her sad, but these boxes signaled a warmer beginning and not an end. She tightened her scarf as she dusted the mantle and ceiling fan, standing on a stepping stool to complete her task. “You’re in good spirits this morning,” her male roommate smiled. He kissed her cheek and sat at the piano, warming up before playing Raindrops by Clifford Borg. “Moving day is upon us!”

Kathy grinned and stepped down. “Daniel, I made lunch for the movers… Do you think that’s a bit much?” Kathy questioned. 

“Oh no… Everyone makes paper bag lunches for movers,” Daniel teased her. She stuck her tongue out at him. “You’re a doll, Katherine. They’ll love it. You make the most beautiful lunches. If only you’d do it for yourself. What’s on your mind, Mummy?” 

“I won’t be his mother… He probably has a mother out there somewhere,” Kathy mumbled. Daniel walked over and wrapped his arms around her. 

“You’ll be his mother in the meantime… And who knows? He might choose you even after he remembers,” Daniel smiled, “How’s he been?” 

Kathy frowned, freeing herself from his comforting embrace to move boxes from the bedroom to the living room. “He’s always crying when I see him… And my supervisor isn’t there all the time to look out for him. I didn’t want to say anything because—.” 

“You didn’t want to think about it because we can’t speed up the moving date… Katherine… I’m sorry—.” 

“You didn’t know. The move to Blüdhaven should be a good thing, though. Shouldn’t it?” Kathy questioned. 

“You worry too much—.” 

“No, but what if he’s from Gotham and—. Maybe I’ll drive him out every weekend to take him on walks through the city,” said Kathy. Daniel took a large box from her, setting it aside. 

“The house in Blüdhaven is more accessible and much larger than anything we’d get here,” Daniel replied, “And Gotham isn’t the safest place for a kid like him. Blüdhaven isn’t much safer, but hey… Maybe the schools are better.” 

“School! Oh, god, Daniel… I have a meeting with his school tomorrow—.” 

“You rescheduled for Monday… Remember?” Daniel whispered. Kathy relaxed, pressing her forehead into Daniel’s shoulder. 

“Daniel, has anyone ever told you how important you are?” Kathy asked.

“Only from you, which means Lover and I have to talk,” Daniel half-joked. Kathy’s nose crinkled as she closed-eye smiled at him. Daniel kissed her cheek. They lugged the remaining boxes to the truck, and Daniel opened the car door for her. 

“I’m so nervous. Are you nervous?” Kathy questioned. 

Daniel gestured for Kathy to calm down, taking two hands with his palms facing down the length of his chest. “Breathe, Katherine. It’ll be alright soon. Once he’s with us, you’ll be fine. You’ve been that way since we were children,” Daniel questioned. The sun peeked through the clouds as a gust of wind blew past, rustling through the trees. The sky looked yellowish grey, painted by the smoke of the nearby factory. 

“I won’t miss the sulfur smell. I know that,” Daniel whispered. Kathy chuckled and nodded, trying to mask the persisting anxiety that buzzed beneath her skin. She slipped her shaking hands under her legs. “It’ll be nice to have a little fellow around.”

“He’s not so little anymore. I don’t think he’s realized that yet. A lot of time passed while he was comatose. He’s getting his balance back. His glasses have helped a lot,” Kathy replied. 

Daniel glanced at her as he followed the moving truck. Daniel popped a CD in and drummed on the dashboard. “Dodie called last night. I think he’s ready to talk about everything,” Daniel whispered. Kathy tensed. 

“Did we mess up, Daniel?” Kathy asked. 

“No, I think we were good parents… But—. I think it’ll take a while for it to sink in that we lied to protect him. This is a long drive, Katherine… You should call him. Let’s talk to him,” Daniel replied. Kathy nodded and frowned. “Together.” 

Kathy dialed the number, and let it ring twice before Dodie answered. “Hi, Ma,” Dodie mumbled. 

“Are you busy Dodie? I—. Dodie, I’m sorry, honey,” Kathy apologized. 

“Ma, I was mad at both of—. Is Dad there?” Dodie questioned. 

“I’m here, Dodie. Hi, Kiddo,” Daniel answered. 

“Good… Because I kinda owe you guys an apology. I know coming out to me was a big deal. I just—. No matter what was going on, you guys always put me first. I can’t begin to imagine what it was like for either of you. I guess I was upset because I felt like I never got the real Mom and Dad. I don’t know. I—. We all would’ve been different if you guys told me earlier. 

“Maybe—. I—. There’s so much I don’t know. How did I even—? I don’t—. Do I even want to know?” Dodie asked. 

“We were young, and we were curious. We realized almost immediately afterward that we’d mistaken our friendship for romance. We tried to move on, and we decided to keep pretending to be a couple. It seemed easier than coming out… And—.” 

“I told Daniel I was pregnant. We knew what we wanted to do. There was no question. We knew we’d love you… And to this day, you’re a testament to our friendship and how much we do love each other. Nothing has to change, Dodie,” Kathy added. 

“Well… Everything is a little different. Aren’t you guys dating people now?” Dodie questioned. 

“Well… Yes,” Daniel answered. 

“I want to meet them,” Dodie sternly replied. 

“Okay… Well, Walter’s in Blüdhaven. We won’t be there for a few hours but the house is pretty close to yours,” Daniel announced, “If you stop by and tell him who you are, he’ll let you in. I don’t when Sibyl—. Katherine, honey, when is Sibyl coming?”

“Oh… Um, she’s coming tonight. She’s done all the grocery shopping, so I’ll be able to make dinner. Oh! Dodie, sweetheart, can you stay for dinner?” Kathy replied. Dodie made a soft noise. “Dinner. Let’s do dinner. It’ll be good. We can all—. We can talk. You know about the little guy from the hospital? He’s coming home soon.”

“I’ll stay for dinner, Ma. I can’t stay over because I have work tomorrow morning, but I’d—. I’d like that… And I can take the day off with you to pick up the kid if you want me to,” Dodie offered. 

Daniel tapped her arm and nodded. “Oh, Dodie, that’s so sweet. I’d love that. I’m picking him up on Sunday. Can you do Sunday?” Kathy asked. 

“I can do Sunday. And Ma? Dad? I love you no matter what. You’re my parents, and I can’t stay mad at either of you. I want you to be happy if that counts for anything. I’m sorry I blew up when you guys came out,” Dodie apologized. 

“We—.”

“We—.” Kathy laughed and touched Daniel’s arm. 

“We love you, Dodie,” Daniel grinned. Kathy made a soft noise. She unwrapped a sandwich in her lunch box and held it up to Daniel’s mouth. He took a bite. Their intimacies outlasted their sham relationship. Things that were once pretend persisted as a declaration of love transcendent of romance while devoid of attraction. Their intimacy was platonic and unending.

[qprpbj]

foster curtis bros universe where the three of them are long term foster placements with their parents, darry ages out of foster care at 18 obv but ofc continues to live there anyway, then their parents die and darry has to figure out how the hellllll to deal with custody rights and adoption and proving to the government & courts that he’s fit to keep his found-family brothers all together instead of having them both return to foster care idkkk… 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

[babacontainsmultitudes]

*staring wistfully out the window* Can this season please just end with Nicky and Taylor about to go on a road trip together or something... I feel like they deserve that much...