X Reader Oneshot Book

[Cuphead|Casino!Mugman x Abandoned Child Reader] Take Care

[A lovely request for the lovely Gryffindor540! My apologies for the time taken to write this, but I sincerely hope you enjoy!]

Written: Saturday, 7th November 2020

"Dad?" Y/n blinked herself awake, shielding her eyes against the yellow light coming in from the hallway. Her father stood -or rather slumped- in the doorway, a half-finished bottle of beer in his hand.

"Y/n..." His words were slurred as he stumbled to sit on the end of her bed, Y/n now sitting with her knees to her chest, blanket tucked tightly under her chin. Her father was an unpredictable man. Not usually dangerous, but the constant smell of alcohol on his breath meant she never knew what to expect. It frightened her. "You know I love you, don't you, baby?" She nodded, eyes never leaving his.

He'd been crying again.

When she was a little kid, barely a year old, her mother had been killed in a head on collision with a semitruck, dead by the time paramedics made it to the scene. Her father had taken up drinking after the funeral, just to take the edge off. Now, he was barely coherent enough to speak to his daughter, who spent most of her days sequestered in the bedroom of their government provided, two-bedroom apartment. Not that the other bedroom was used much, her father spending his time on the couch.

She'd learnt from a young age how to forge his signature, how to get to and from school on her rusty pushbike, how to put in his credit card information so she could go on excursions with her classmates. She could use the oven, make a PB&J, and file his taxes. She was self-sufficient. That didn't mean, however, that she wasn't lonely.

"You look so much like your mother, baby." Once, it had been a complement, her answering smile trying it's best to fill the hole in his heart. Now, he only said it with remorse, a lingering tone of hatred just under the surface.

He knew damn well the crash wasn't her fault. Hell, she'd been asleep in his arms when they got the news. But some bitter, twisted part of him blamed her for them running out of baby food that night, forcing his fiancé into the night to get her some.

"It's your birthday tomorrow, isn't it, baby?" She mumbled a yep and his head moved with the ghost of a nod. "How about we go get some ice-cream?" Her heart stirred with excitement and she gave him a grin. "Perfect. Get some sleep then, baby, and we'll go get ice-cream tomorrow."

"Ok, dad. I love you."

"Love you." She didn't dare take her eyes off him as he shuffled to the door, closing it behind her and trapping her in the dark once more. She held her stuffed platypus close to her chest, rolling onto her side and eventually drifting back to sleep.

The next morning, she stared out into the cloudy day, rain drizzling down her window. Her father hated going out in the rain. Sighing, she collapsed back into her pillow, preparing to go back to sleep when her door cracked open, revealing her father, a yellow raincoat hanging from his arm. "Happy birthday, baby."

Hours later, ice-cream eaten, playground played on, pet store visited, and Y/n finally collapsed on at a bus stop, pulling her hood down as her father sat next to her, drinking from a metal water bottle. She tried her best to ignore the blatant smell of alcohol on his sweater. "Baby, you know I love you, right?"

"Of course, daddy." She replied, swinging her legs.

"I love you so, so much, sweetheart."

"I know."

Silence fell between them, both of them ignoring the tears beginning to fill his eyes. With a heavy sigh, he pulled himself up from the bench, smiling down at his raincoat clad daughter. "I'll be back in a minute, Y/n." A smiling nod from Y/n and he turned away, taking another painful swig as he stumbled from her line of sight, his sobs beginning to echo through the cobbled streets.

Y/n sat patiently for hours, the rain beginning to come down hard around her shelter. Her vacant smile turned to a worried frown, setting her looking for the closest building, in case her father had gotten hurt.

At the top of the hill, the little girl spied a giant building, lights flashing, jazz echoing from its inviting interior. Waiting a few more minutes, she finally hopped off the bench, pulling the hood over her head as she set foot in the pouring rain. Heading for the Devil's Casino.

Shivering and soaking wet, Y/n stumbled into the glowing warmth of the casino, collapsing next to the door. The walk had been longer than she'd expected, her little legs aching as she slid off her raincoat and gumboots, pulling off her drenched knee sock, stuffing them inside her shoes. No one took any notice of the tiny girl in the stripy sweater and part of her preferred it. But she needed to find her dad. She needed to take care of him. So, she wearily pushed herself up from the floor, discarded clothing forgotten as she headed for the friendliest looking entity in the room, a tall man with a mug for a head.

"Excuse me, sir." Y/n politely tried to get his attention.

"What can I get for you-" He cut himself off, taking in her small stature. "Hello there. What do you need, darling?"

"I need to find my dad." She stated bluntly.

"Uh... ok. When did you last see him?"

"He went away about four hours ago, he left me at the bus stop to go to the bathroom. I think he forgot to come back for me." Mugman's heart ached as a tiny sigh escaped her chest.

"Ok, kiddo, I can't leave just yet, but I'll take you home after my shift. Can you wait another hour?" Y/n gave him a determined nod, smiling as poured her a glass of water, sliding it into her outstretched hand.

"This place smells like my dad." Y/n mused, taking a slow sip from her glass. Mugman's hands faltered, barely stopping him from dropping his cloth.

"Like alcohol?"

"Like medicine!" She stuck her tongue out. "He drinks it all the time. That's why I have to take care of him! It makes him sad and tired; he says it helps him not think about Mummy so much."

"Why does he want that?"

"Mumma left when I was just a baby. She went away to heaven and left Daddy behind, and now he's sad all the time. Sometimes he says I look like her, but he always sounds angry when he says that."

"I'm sorry." Her casual shrug hurt him. This was just her life, she didn't know any better, and it hurt him. It made his chest clench, and he placed his rag down. "My brother can finish my shift, I'll take you home now, if you want." She nodded with an almost grim smile, running to don her wet clothing once more, meeting Mugman at the casino's door.

They walked through the cobbled streets, the sun now set, the rain beginning to slow, until they made it to the rickety house on the hill. Y/n automatically pushed through the front door; her father never remembered to lock it. She went from room to room, yelling for her father, receiving no response. In fact, she couldn't even find his stuff. The house, apart from her bedroom, had been stripped bare.

Mugman wandered behind, horror coiling in his gut. The bastard had ditched his kid. Her calls were more frantic now, panicked. "Where's Perry?" She mumbled, dashing for her room, Mugman close on her tail. He watched her tare her bedroom apart, sighing in relief as she pulled out her stuffed platypus from under her bed, breathing in its comforting scent. "Oh, there you are, Perry." Her breathing slowed and she began to put it all together.

"He left me behind." The statement hung in the air; her chest suddenly hollow as tears pooled in her eyes. Mugman was at her side in an instant, holding his arms out, wrapping them around her as she sobbed heavily into his chest.

"I'm sorry." He offered and she shook her head.

"Not your fault..." She muttered, her chest shuddering, even as her tears had dried up.

"This might be too forward, but..." he hesitated. "Would you like to stay with my brother and I?" Y/n lifted her head, puffy eyes staring into his soul.

"You mean it?" He nodded and she started to cry once more. Only this time, they were tears of joy.