I just wanna say I love your nonbinary transfem Ziggy so much that now my ass is over here imagining Ziggy accidentally making Rett realize things about his own gender (maybe not that he's transfem but just how little his gender means period and that the lines aren't as rigid as he once possibly thought) and bonding over it 🥺
Oooh boy that actually happens with my headcanon! In my mind I think Rett was probably uncomfortable around queerness when he was a younger man. Not necessarily because he was homophobic or anything, but because he didn’t “Get It”.
I headcanon that GrimCo culture was very CisHet dominated, and the expectation was that you get married, have children, then work as long as possible before you die. I also headcanon (is this canon atp?) that Rett used to be a very sensitive kid and was constantly told to toughen up by his own parents. Rett wasn’t exposed to queer ideas until he actually in-listed, and even then it was through the lens of homophobia. He understood the concept of being queer and refused to introspect that he could be any form of it. He desperately wanted to fit the mold he was poured into and follow the path that was easily laid out for him. Then he met Brock and felt new things he didn’t want to think out. Then Brock Died.
As he got older the discomfort he felt dwindled, especially after he left GrimCo, but it never 100% went away in regard to himself. Being queer was okay for everyone else but not for him. He wasn’t that way.
When Ziggy came out, Rett didn’t know how or what to feel, granted Ziggy came out at the worst time possible (She came out during a shoot out between a bounty LMAO) but once they were back on the Rhapsody, Rett cautiously approached Ziggy about it. After an…awkward conversation, Rett quietly said ‘okay’, and explained how he needed a minute to ‘Process all of this’ and quickly walked away.
It was uncomfortable between Ziggy and Rett for about a week after that. They didn’t talk like they used to, and when they did they never addressed the elephant in the room. When Rett accidentally misgendered Ziggy the whole team would freeze while Rett mumbled and stuttered out a correction. When Ziggy walked in a room, Rett was usually leaving it.
A heavy tension settled on the rhapsody, which concerned the whole crew, but they stayed out of the way. Except for Ko. Ko was PISSED at Rett. Eventually she corned Rett about his behavior being weird and transphobic, much to Rett’s confusion. She yelled at him and explained how nervous Ziggy was about coming out and how Ziggy had waited to come out to Rett last because she was scared that their relationship would change. This deeply disturbed Rett and he was heartbroken. He didn’t consider his that avoidance came across that way. He explained to Ko about what was going on. Ko told him to suck up whatever discomfort he had and be there for Ziggy.
Rett went to Ziggy that night. They sat on Ziggy’s bed together and after a bit of fidgeting Rett apologized. He explained how he grew up, the homophobic rhetoric he was fed, and how when Ziggy came out to him it stirred up feeling he had about himself he was afraid to confront. He told them that his avoidance of her had nothing to do with them being trans, and all to do with how he felt about himself and it was selfish of him to not even consider how difficult it was to tell him. He told her that he loved her no matter what, and he’s so sorry he gave Ziggy any reason to be afraid of him.
When Rett looked up, Ziggy had begun to cry. She then buried herself into Rett’s side while she sobbed. She tearfully explained that she was so scared Rett didn’t love her anymore. Rett wrapped his arms tightly around Ziggy and held her impossibly closer. He quickly told her that could never be true, and he was sorry and ashamed that he ever made her feel that way. Ziggy wailed a promised that they were still the same ol’ Ziggy. Rett sobbed and said she didn’t have to be the same, she could change into whoever she needed to be and Rett wouldn’t love that person any less.
Rett held his daughter for a long time. Until the rhapsody outside began to brighten.
Rett started painting her own nails after that.
Ziggy and Rett didn’t have to talk about it this time. There was a silent understanding between them. But, whenever Ziggy catches a glimpse of their Dads’ nails painted yellow, white, purple and black?
