American Gods Oneshots

The Empress: Telephone Boy - American Gods

Telephone Boy x child!reader, father-child

Telephone Boy wants to be with his kid.

Part of dragon430's Tarot Troop on Tumblr.

TW/CW: God death, crying, sadness.

Word count: 1.8+ K

•

Normal children are scared of the dark. The hidden monsters and impossible ghosts hid within them.

For you, you feared the dark for another reason entirely. You see where there is darkness, there is usually no electricity and where this is no electricity your father cannot see. For that reason, you never trusted the darkness without previously knowing there was light there like in your room. In your room, you knew you were safe. Though your father could not see properly there, he had told you neither could the men who would hurt you. Your room and your house was safe.

The soft, warm glow of a gas lamp flooded part of your room leaving the rest in darkness as someone opened the door. That someone cringed as the old door creaked. He feared that you would wake.

Enveloped by soft blankets, you clutched a stuffed animal along with something else and lay fast asleep. You had sworn to yourself that you'd stay awake the whole night to see your father, but you hadn't been able to keep that. Just like your mother, you were a heavy sleeper. Your father could hold a concrete in your room and the only thing that would be able to wake you up is him.

Telephone Boy closed the door almost all the way before turning to watch your sleeping form.

He smiled at you, pain in his eyes. The young god wished he could have tucked you in with your mother by his side, or maybe have read you a story before M/N pestered him to let you rest, or maybe, just maybe, you and he could just sit in your room and talk for a while. He wished all he could on making something like that happen. Telephone Boy wanted to be your father rather than just a man who was around every once in a while.

He sat on the bed, the mattress sinking beneath him.

A soft black suit jacket lay pressed against your chest. You gripped it hard, nuzzling into it in your sleep. Even as you slept, you yearned for your father in every way a child does.

Telephone Boy smiled softly. Though a sweet moment, he wished you didn't have to cling to his clothes to feel his presence. There was nothing more in the world that he wanted than to be with his family, but he knew it was not possible. As long as he was a god, you and your mother would always be at risk, whether from the planned impulsivity of World or of angry Old Gods who thought they could do damage to him. His heart yearned for you as much as yours yearned for him.

You squeezed the suit jacket tight and curled into yourself. Even as you dreamt, you dreamt of your father holding you.

Telephone Boy gently leant over and kissed your temple, gently rubbing your head. As he pulled away, he silently stared at you with a small smile, his little baby who had stolen his heart right from his chest the moment they were born.

You whined a little and shuffled, your grip on the jacket loosening. A better form of him was right there on your bed and you were beginning to feel it.

His smile grew and he rubbed one of your small cheeks with his thumb.

You whined again as you woke up and drowsily rubbed your eyes. "Daddy?" You asked, voice dried from sleep.

A quiet sigh left him as he looked at you with reverence in his eyes. "Hi," he said softly.

A goofy, sleepy smile spread across your face at your father's gentle words. Though not fully there, you reached clumsily for his hand. He let you take it into your small, soft hands and pull it to your chest. Knowing you were very much safe, you fell back to sleep.