Poppin' Arms ~ Dorms

[unrepentantAuthor]

Sombra's face contorted into a grimacing scowl that she didn't let Shadow see, though he may have felt her grip on him tighten.

"A gal who promised she trusted us an' then never reached out after somethin' went wrong. A gal we protected from the anger of the townsfolk, who hightailed it once she had what she wanted. A gal we shared a home with fer all of a few nights before she left. A gal we confessed our love fer as we died, only t'not hear from her fer a month. Brisa ain't even gettin' her hopes up fer Cream given how clearly she's into that smug rabbit, an' she can't even conceive of interpretin' the way she feels about Starr that way."

It wasn't even a fully exhaustive list. Goddamnit.

 

[Dragonfree]

Shadow pressed his head into Sombra's shoulder as he listened. "I just want her to be happy."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Sombra put her nose to Shadow's head and kept hold of him.

"We all want each other t'be happy. Shit's always more complicated than that. But you know that. An' speakin' of you... You'll be loved, in time, I'm sure. Y'just gotta meet someone who understands you an' doesn't turn away . . . an' who you don't turn away from neither."

 

[Dragonfree]

Shadow winced. Even knowing what she meant, what stuck was even she says you aren't loved. It had been a while since Dave'd let himself think about romance; there was too much to be done, too many things to make up for, and even then the way Gabriel looked at him since his father took that bullet meant for Dave was probably never going to change.

"You should save that optimism for her," he murmured.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Sombra sought level eye contact with the Shadow-mightyena.

"Some people are better at carin' fer others than themselves. I think you an' I are like that. Don't forget that I wanna see you happy, too."

She pressed her forehead to Shadow's brow.

"I love you, Dad."

 

[Dragonfree]

Shadow squeezed his eyes shut. "I love you too."

He felt another stab of anxiety, that he shouldn't be anyone's father, shouldn't be loved or depended on. But he clung to her words and that comforting touch anyway.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

The Shadow of David Ambrose trembled a little in Sombra's limbs. She kept hold of him, and hoped that perhaps if she held him long enough, he would be less afraid. Less in pain. Didn't he want that for her, in turn? If she held him long enough, maybe she would be less scared and hurt, too.

"I'm gonna be alright, Dad. You'll see. We'll look out fer each other, an' it'll be okay."

She didn't know what kind of okay it'd be. But it'd have them in it, at least for a while.

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