One shots- various fandoms

GoW|Crying like the child he is {DONE}

Long before his mother died she had shown him what a hive looked like. It was sunny and warm and Atreus felt like he could breathe for the first time in a while. His mother had explained the process of removing, cleaning, and preparing the wax but Atreus had gotten distracted by a whittled stick he found in his father's belongings.

Faye had sighed, no annoyance present, when she noticed her son's attention elsewhere. She placed a hand on her hip. "Did you go through his things again?"

"...No?"

Faye tries her hardest not to let a laugh out. she uses an excuse of a cough to cover her mouth. "Oh, yeah? It's not mine, so where did it come from?"

Atreus freezes and tries to think of a half-lie so the guilt won't hit as hard. "Uh." So far so good.

His mother raises a red brow, her arms crossed across her chest. "Well?"

"I found it..." Good start, good start. "outside, attached to a felled tree." Well... he's technically telling the truth. He did find it, just not outside, and certainly not on a tree. And Atreus is sure that some time ago the wood was attached to a tree.

"Hm. You got it from our firewood?"

The boy perked up, she believes me!

"Yes, mother." He nods, solemnly. Faye can't keep her giggles in after that. Atreus blushes a deep red when he realizes he's been caught. So much for a half-truth...

The giantess wipes away the small amount of moisture from her eyes. "It'll be fine, as long as you don't break it. Your father won't admit it, but he can be sentimental with items," Maybe not for the right reasons... Faye thinks.

Faye can see the determined look on her son's face when he says, "I'll guard it with my life." His mother pauses, as does her breath.

And Faye's immediate reaction is to shake the boy. Shake him and hope some sense sneaks in. Never risk your life for something so minuscule! She wants to shout, Never risk your safety for your father's past! She wants to bellow. As a mother these are the things that come rushing first, so fast she has to dig her nails into her palm and sink her teeth into her lip to stop the curses from emerging without her say-so.

But, a tiny part of her, the "wife" part of her, the part that has seen her husband at his worst, has never heard something that had made her as proud as she felt then. Her, no, their son. So ready to protect his father's things, so ready to lay his life down for his father... Her first instinct is to chide. Her second is to praise. Finally, someone, other than herself, can show that stubborn god that he is worth more than he will ever know. That he will be loved by his family no matter what has or will happen.

"Alright," she whispers, breaking the silence.

She clears her throat, "Do you know what it is?" His mother gestures toward the wood.

"It is... wood," Atreus says slowly, wondering if his mother wanted him to keep up with the lie.

She chuckled, her eyes crinkling at the sides. "Yes. I assume it is made of wood, but do you know what it is used for?" The boy dramatically whipped his head from side to side. His mother's smile deepened at the same time his did. His mother always had that effect on him.

"It's to play music. It is called a flute."

"Music?"

"Yes. I use music to help you sleep when you feel ill. I sing."

Atreus lets out an "Oh," before looking back down at the flute. He turns it side to side. Then upside down. He sees something carved into the wood. The letter "K". The boy doesn't think much of it. "How do I use it?"

Faye extends her arm out. "Give it here, it gets complicated if you don't know the basics."

Kratos has a stag over his shoulder. He shifts the carcass, for what has to be the tenth time in five minutes, and its long antlers away from his bare skin. The dead animal's horns have already cut at the man's back many times since he started the trek home.

Faye had suggested that her husband should wash off the blood from a hunt before he came inside, so he wouldn't cause unnecessary worry for the boy. No boy wants to know their father is not invincible, she would say. He would shoot back that it wasn't his blood but had agreed once he saw just how much Atreus disliked the color red on his father's skin.

Kratos could see the cabin's fence through the trees. He's close.

Kratos is still a distance away when he hears a child's ear-piercing scream rip through the air. his mind immediately supplies gruesome images of his son hurt, and he begins to run.

The god can hear his feet stomp into the ground, he can vaguely hear his own voice screaming for his son. He yells the boy's name once more while he's a few feet away from the door. If the door were made by anyone but Kratos, the god is sure it would've been ripped off the wall with how much force his wife uses to wrench it open. Kratos stops in his tracks once he sees his boy peek behind his mother, both wide-eyed, and his face is a mix of reds and blues, had he not allowed himself to breathe while he cried? His cheeks were tear-stained and his lip still wobbles.

As soon as his son sees him, Atreus is charging at his father. He is barefoot and wailing at the top of his lungs, not letting Kratos get a word in. Kratos can still feel the sparks of rage tremble through him as he huffs like a bull. He and Atreus make eye contact and finally, the boy seems to calm down. His crying turns to hiccups and he falls to his knees in the grass.

"Father," He whines, "Father." Kratos's own breathing seems to be calming and he looks up at his wife with a questioning glance. Faye seems to still be worried. Her eyes are still wide as she gestured at Kratos's bloody clothes. He glances down and Atreus gets the same idea because Kratos hears the tell-tale hitch in Atreus's breath and curses himself for not being prepared.

"Atreus..." is all Kratos can get out before the hair-raising bawling begins again.

With the help of Faye and her guidance in assuring the boy that No, I could never hate you, you are my son, they finally lied the boy down and sang him to sleep.

"Faye." She hums sleepily in response.

"What was the meaning of that? The boy is not one to throw meaningless tantrums." His wife sighs, she sounds so tired.

"You need to talk to him about it. You cannot chastise him too much; I know it will be hard but he has suffered all day for his mistakes."

"What does that all mean? What has the boy done to upset you both so much?" Faye bites her lips and seems to think.

"It is my fault," she starts as she grabs Kratos's hand and leads them away from their son's bed.

"Nothing is your fault, Faye." He lays his hand atop hers as the fire blazes behind her, lighting her hair to a vibrant orange. Faye purses her lips.

"He went through your things," And Kratos tries to keep breathing steady. He will never get angry with his family in his hands again. "the ones from Greece." She adds, and oh, now he realizes what the boy has done. Kratos's breathing is becoming unsteady again.

"What has he done?" He grinds out, and the knowledge that his child is sleeping not too far from him is still present.

"Kratos, he has already been through enough because of this. He has even offered to make a new one!" Faye rushes out. She isn't scared, not of Kratos. But she is worried. It is not right for a family to feel so many negative emotions about each other. And with Atreus's deep sadness and Kratos's anger, the giant cannot say their feelings are anything but negative.

"I will wake him if you cannot tell me, Faye."

"No, you will not." She responds, holding back her own yells.

"Then, tell me."

"He... has lost something of yours. A wooden flute."

Kratos has felt his heart break many times before but he will admit it has been a while. So to suddenly have the feeling rush back as fast and as violently as it did, there is no doubt in Kratos's mind that if he were alone, he would've wailed.