#I really think Druig will get to a point at which he refuses to speak to his father

[softquietsteadylove]

I have this idea for the Parent/Teacher AU!

So Thena and Gilgamesh have been together for quite some while now and spent a lot of time at each others places with Druig. Gilgamesh takes care of Druig like a dad! So one day Druig calls him „mister dad“ on accident and you can decide how they react! Just a sweet, soft moment!

(*whispering* happy belated, Butterfly 🦋❤️)

"Okay, buddy, ready to go?" Gil asked as he packed up his bag, ready to leave with Druig in tow. Thena was getting off work a little early, but she had told Gil that if she wasn't there by pick up time, to simply come meet her at her ongoing shoot.

"Almost!"

Gil shook his head with a grin, fixing the strap of his satchel on his shoulder. He walked over to the reading corner, where Druig was procrastinating (like always). "Don't you wanna go see Mum, pal? We can pick her up from work, and then I'm making spaghetti for dinner."

Druig sighed, closing his book and getting up from his position of lying on the floor. "Okay, Mister Dad."

Gil looked at Druig, who stared right back at him. Gil made sure to keep his face neutral, though. He wanted to see what big feelings Druig might be having over what had just happened, and the last thing he wanted to do was make the kid feel like he'd done something wrong.

Druig hugged the book to his little body, doing his little stomping dance of anxiety. "I-I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Gil was quick to reassure the boy, dropping his bag and kneeling before him. "I'm not mad, Druig."

He looked at Gil, though, as if trying to see if it was a lie and by how much.

"Here," Gil sighed, sitting down completely and settling in for a good talk. "Can we talk about it?"

Druig, recognising the body language of when a calm, safe discussion was about to be had, automatically followed his lead.

"Now," Gil patted his knees, looking at the boy in front of him.

He and Thena had been together a few months already, and were playing things by ear on how to proceed with Druig. They had explained that they were 'special' friends, and that they would be spending some time together. Thena kept a close eye on how Druig was feeling at all times, but he had shown no resistance to any changes in their relationship from his perspective.

Gil was still his teacher, but also spent a lot of time at their house, just not specifically to play with Druig (to his occasional annoyance).

Gil didn't want any pressure to be put on Thena or Druig, though. Kro was technically still Druig's father, no matter how seldom he was in the picture. And Gil was happy with however they chose to include him things as they desired.

"It was an accident," Druig mumbled out, still looking embarrassed as he crossed his legs, poking the part of his sneakers that could light up in the dark. He was getting a little better with his 'a's and 'an's.

"I know, and that's okay," Gil nodded, watching the kid closely. "How did you feel when you said it?"

Druig squirmed a little.

"It's okay to feel embarrassed," Gil said gently, to which Druig nodded. Gil leaned his elbows on his knees, "can you name another feeling?--or something you thought?"

Druig exhaled, unfolding a little bit. Gil couldn't help but smile; he really was the spitting image of Thena, if not in looks then behaviour. "Will Mum be mad?"

Gil gave Druig a smile, "you can ask her. But I don't think she'll be mad. Are you worried she will be?"

Druig looks down at his feet again. "Dad'll be."

That made sense. Not that Druig was worried about what his father would think, but that he was anxious about the temper his father had. Thena had done her best to keep him protected from it, but clearly Druig wasn't ignorant to it.

Gil sighed. This was a delicate situation, and certainly there were going to have to be some discussions about it. But he always felt strongly that he didn't believe in lying to the kids unless it was for a greater good. "How about this?"

Druig perked up.

"We'll tell you mom, and we can talk about how we all feel about it," Gil suggested gently, to which Druig still seemed resistant, "but you don't have to tell your Dad if you don't want to. If we have to tell him, then you can let Mum and me worry about it, okay?"

Druig pursed his lips (also a Thena habit). "What if he yells at 'er?"

Gil drew in a breath, still trying to keep his face neutral. "I promise I won't let him, okay? We can talk about it nicely, like grownups."

"Okay."

Gil tilted his head at Druig's resignation. He didn't seem to feel any better about the situation. "Is there anything else you wanna talk about?"

Druig eyed Gil, coming off as much older than his mere six years. He picked at his shoelaces. "Would it hurt Dad's feelin's?--if I called you Mister Dad?"

Such a sensitive kid. Gil considered what to tell the little old soul. He was glad that he had reservations about hurting others' feelings, even if it was for a father who didn't necessarily deserve his consideration. "Well, I don't know, Druig. It's nice that you don't want to hurt his feelings, though."

Having it phrased back to him actually seemed to make him less inclined to be. He frowned, desperately trying to sort out his young feelings and put them into words. "Is...you're not mad?"

"I'm not mad," Gil smiled.

"Not at me?"

"I'm not mad at you."

"Or Mum?"

"I'm not mad at Mum."

Druig accepted the truths given, filing away the new information.

"Druig," Gil scooted a little closer.

He could have guessed this might arise. He and Thena had no way of spending their time together completely away from Druig's attention. Neither of them had any intention of lying to him, and it wasn't as if Gil was a stranger to Druig before their relationship began, anyway.

He was quickly becoming one of the most prominent presences in Druig's life, alongside Phastos and Ben. Ajak and Thena were already like a co-parenting dream team with how sewn together their kids were.

Kro was probably - understandably - far from Druig's mind when he thought about his family and who comprised it.

"When we're in school, everyone calls me Mister Gil, because those are the rules, right?" Gil proposed, to which Druig nodded. "You call Uncle Phastos Mister Stoss, don't you?"

He nodded again.

"But, when we're at home, or out spending time together," Gil offered a gentle smile, something in his chest aching, "it's okay with me if you want to call me Mister Dad."

Druig, no matter how much he had learned to be hard to read from his mother, was still a 6 year old. And the smile that came over him lit the whole classroom.

Gil felt his chest tighten. Past his degree in child psychology, and his teaching certifications, and his experience as an educator--even past his fondness for Druig as his student, he loved this kid. His attempts to intellectualise his way around the feeling always ended up with him just adoring the sweet little boy who seemed so much like his mother.

Gil blinked as Druig ran over to him, receiving the boy in a hug that was almost alarmingly out of character for him. Druig wasn't affectionate by nature, and only Thena and Makkari were ever on the receiving end of hugs from him.

But Gil ruffled Druig's hair, letting him bury his face in the arm of his sweater.

"Everything okay?"

Gil smiled as Thena knelt down next to them. Druig didn't even look up, immediately moving from Gil's embrace to his mother's. She curled around her son instinctively, cradling him against her and kissing his hair. Gil met her eyes, "we're okay. Talking about some big feelings."

Thena nodded; that meant that they would have plenty more to talk about later. She ruffled Druig's hair, "are you ready to go home, Darling?"

He nodded, rubbing his teary eyes and runny nose all over her nice blouse.

"Okay," she just smiled, letting him make as much of a mess of her as he wanted. She stood, holding Druig to her as Gil picked up his bag and collected Druig's backpack and jacket. "Mister Gil is going to make spaghetti, Darling. Does that sound good?"

"Yes."

At least it was something, and even just the one word was enough to comfort Thena. She looked up at Gil, who leaned in to kiss her cheek. "How was your day?"

"Nothing we couldn't handle," he assured her, his free hand naturally finding the small of her back as they made their way out of the building to his car.

"Mum?"

"Yes, Darling?" Thena looked at Druig, brushing away some tears from his eyes.

"Can Mister Dad read me a story tonight?"

Thena looked up at Gil with wide eyes, but he just nodded. This was what they were going to have to talk about more later. Later, because this was not the time nor the environment in which to try it. She ran her fingers through Druig's hair, "if you like, Darling, of course he can."

"M'kay."

Gil gave Thena a smile and a shrug. He really was fine with it, maybe even further endeared to them. Thena blushed faintly; not only did they have to talk about this as Druig's mother and teacher, but also what it meant in the context of their relationship.

"Mum?"

"Yes, Darling?"

"Is Mister Dad gonna sleepover again?"

Thena's blush doubled, although she buried it against the top of Druig's head. "Let's just get through dinner first, okay, Love?"

#Teach Me to Love AU #for our dear Butterfly #because I missed her birthday at first #and she had this super cute idea #and I think it makes sense #that Gil is like a dad to Druig #certainly more than Kro is and ever was #and I really do think that as Druig gets older #and people are like what's up with your mom's boyfriend? #first of all he's like mind your fucking business #take my mother's name out of your goddamn mouth #but he's like I dunno Gil's...Gil #he's been there for almost as long as he can remember #teenage Druig calls Gil Pops and I will die on this hill #Thena and Gil and Ajak and Phastos and Ben are all a co-parenting A team #and Kro...sometimes calls #I really think Druig will get to a point at which he refuses to speak to his father #don't get me wrong #I'm a child of adoption so blood relations have never meant anything to me #but I am a firm believer in found family