Finding Nemo/Finding Dory Human AU Shorts

Hank's Past (Christmas Short 2019 4/5)

Plot Summary: Hank had never been fond of Christmas because of bad memories he's had as a child. What will happen when Oliver tries to lighten his spirits before they have to go to Marlin's Christmas party?

A/N: Hey y'all! This is the first one of these Christmas shorts that I completed! It's not being published  first because I'm publishing these in chronological order but yeah, hope you enjoy this one :3

OCs featured: Oliver, Odette, Owen

It's been almost six months since Hank had met Dory whilst trying to look for her parents in Morro Bay, California. Before then, Hank never thought he'd have anything in life to care about. Especially after his experiences as a kid. All he wanted was to be alone. That was until Dory gave him some of her optimism. It was still hard for Hank to feel compassion for anyone around him, but that was because he wasn't used to someone offering him their friendship. Christmas was right around the corner, and he wasn't as enthusiastic as most would be around this time of year. He was invited to a Christmas party Marlin and Dory were planning at their place. Hank was reluctant to go, but after many cries and pleas from Dory, he finally accepted the invitation. Ever since Dory met Hank, she could not stop seeing him as an older brother, along with Bruce. He thought it was weird at first, but the whole idea of him having a sister oddly enough started to grow on him.

Hank didn't want to admit, but he was kind of happy he have someone who considered him a brother. That's why he'd ultimately agree with whatever Dory asked of him. He secretly wanted people to hangout with, which was something he never got when he was younger. But, a problem Hank seems to suffer from is bottling up his emotions. He tries to hide his real feelings by acting like a jerk. He knew it wasn't right, but it was hard for him to tell how he was really feeling. Again, that was due to his past taking a toll on him.

On days where Hank's past lingers on him, he wishes he had Dory's memory loss. It was something he admitted to her back Morro Bay. He figured no memories, no problems. Hank knew he had to brush those thoughts away right now, for one thing, he might actually start showing his emotions, and two, he didn't want to make anyone feel bad for him. Hank didn't like to see people feel sorry for him. They had bigger things to worry about than the personal life of a depressed alcoholic like him. Plus, he wanted others to remain happy around this time of year. That's something to at least admire about Hank. He seems to care about the happiness for the people around him. That of course sacrifices his own happiness, but at least he felt empathy for others, which was something he struggled with before meeting Dory. It was the night of Marlin & Dory's party, and Hank was chilling on the couch, bottle of alcohol in hand. He was already dressed and ready, waiting for Bailey, Destiny and the otter children.

Right after, Hank, Destiny and Bailey moved in together, they came across these three human/otter children, the oldest being around Nemo's age, and the three ended up adopting them. The oldest was a girl named Odette, the middle child was a boy named Owen and the youngest was another boy named Oliver. After the three were adopted, Hank seemed to grow closest to Oliver, but not by his own intent. The child was the shyest of the three and rarely spoke a word. He always clung onto Hank, much to his annoyance. The more he's know Oliver, the more he felt like he related to him. The kid acted almost like how Hank was when he was his age, he saw a little bit of himself within Oliver. He wanted to give the kid a better life than the one he had as a child. When Oliver finally started to speak, Hank was the first to hear, and the first time Hank openly broke down, it was in front of Oliver. The two oddly enough seemed to feel more comfortable sharing their emotions to each other. Other than Dory, Oliver was the only other person he could talk to. Hank was surprised about that fact too, considering Oliver was only 6. He was pretty mature for his young age. It was probably because of what happened to him and his siblings.