POV: You're Robert Robertson's adopted kid {Dispatch x GN! Reader} [13]
Party at Robert and (Y/N's) apartment!
"I mean . . . you know it feels like, for the first time in a long time, I can see a life without Mecha Man. . ." Robert lamented from his spot laying on the apartment floor.
(Y/N) lay next to him, with Beef wagging his tail in between the two. After a long day at work, the two were laying on the floor, chatting.
"Wow. I don't think I've ever heard you say that before," (Y/N) gasped, propping themselves up on an elbow.
"Which I’m sure you'd both appreciate. It’s been nice that we get to spend more time together right?" He continued, making eye contact with (Y/N) as he petted Beef.
"I mean. . . yeah. I missed stuff like family dinners. Stupid action movies on the couch. Just… having you around, old man." They sighed with a smile while giving Beef belly rubs.
"But," (Y/N) continued, "you’ve got a whole team now. People who need you to lead them."
Robert smiled, "The Z-Team might fuck up for a while, but at some point they’re gonna get good. And when that happens, they’ll make a bigger impact than I ever could alone."
"But," he grimaced and continued, "just when I feel like I got a handle on it. . .got it figured out. . . I think about Chase . . and my Dad . . and Shroud . . oh god and your parents. Then I get all fucked up. I'm supposed to be a good dad for you, I promised I would be. But, how can I be that when I can't even get my own shit together? You know?"
(Y/N) couldn't tell if it was the recent accident in the Mechaman suit or the bottle of alcohol the team had brought as a get-well gift, but either way, they were taken aback by how honest Robert was being.
"Hey… Dad?" (Y/N) asked softly as they sat up, catching Robert's attention from his place on the floor.
"You keep talking like you messed everything up. Like all the stuff with your own dad and Shroud means you failed at everything somehow, "(Y/N) swallowed, turning their head to look at him.
"But you didn’t fail me."
Robert's eyes softened.
"You took me in when you didn’t have to. You stayed when things got hard. You tried. . .even when you had no idea what you were doing."
They paused, then continued.
"So yeah… maybe the Z-Team saves the world someday. . . but for what it's worth, you already saved mine."
Robert didn't respond for a moment, and then began to sat up, letting out a quiet breath through his nose.
"That means more to me than anything I could do as Mechaman, you know that right?" He chuckled, wrapping his arms around (Y/N) in a bearhug.
"I spent a long time thinking I was gonna fail you. That eventually you'd figure out I had no idea what the hell I was doing," a small smile crept onto Robert's face as he continued, letting go and facing (Y/N).
"But if I got even part of it right and you turned out okay. . .Then I guess I didn’t do too bad," He nudged, laughed, and gently touched their shoulder with his. (Y/N) smiled back at their dad, feeling a genuine joy at seeing him happy for the first time in a while.
The two stopped their happy moment when they noticed Beef staring at the apartment door.
Suddenly, a red swirling portal appeared and Malevola stepped through. . . holding a lamp?
“Are you decent?” Visi asked as she followed behind her.
Malevola grimaced as she took in her surroundings, "Definitely a house that needs some warmth. . . "
"Yeah, I told him dat the last time I came,” Royd said, stepping through next, “somehow it looks worse now.”
Robert shot upright and quickly stood up.
“I was having a happy moment. . .” he grumbled.
“Yeah, I can see you two. . . on the floor?” Visi snorted, “I was joking when I asked if you were decent.”
Robert blinked, noticing the object in Malevola’s hands, "Why’re you holding a lamp?”
“It’s a housewarming gift for your housewarming party, Robert,” Malevola replied matter-of-factly.
“I told people to bring a lamp or something,” Visi added with a shrug.
“Wait, wait. . .people?” (Y/N) perked up, also standing, "more people are coming here? To our home? . . . Sweet!”
Robert rubbed his face with one hand, "look, I’m really not in a party mood right now. . . ”
Visi slowly looked around the apartment, "This is your apartment?”
She gestured toward (Y/N).
“Dude. This is sad. You don’t even have furniture for your kid. Should've said to bring more than just a lamp."
"Eh. I have a room!" (Y/N) defended their dad.
"Oh wow! You have the bare minimum!" Visi laughed, rolling her eyes and teasing Robert, who groaned in annoyance.
"This is going to be a long night. . . " he mumbled.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------One by one, more members of the Z-Team arrived (including Chase and Blazer) each carrying some kind of different lamp (plus one sofa) like it was an admission fee.
(Y/N) begun to answer the door every time, smiling happily at each friend who arrived.
Until. . . a timid knock came from the door, causing them to open it once more.
“Oh! H-Hi (Y/N)! I-I’m here for the warm house. . .I mean. . . house warming. . .” Waterboy stood in the doorway, nervously fidgeting with the lava lamp clutched in his hands.
(Y/N's) face lit up, "Herm! You came!"
Before he could brace himself, they grabbed him and pulled him into a tight hug, causing Herman to once again freeze.
He hadn’t really seen them much since the incident in the medical room, except during work with the rest of the team, so he hadn't had time to even try and stumble his way into bringing up what happened.
So he stood there, stiff as a board, trying to calculate what he should do.
(Y/N), however, didn't notice his contemplations. Maybe it was the couple beers they’d already had, or maybe it was the warm, chaotic party energy filling the apartment?
Or maybe, they actually liked what happened in the medical room?
“C’mon, Hermy!” they laughed, grabbing his wrist and pulling him inside, "Let's dance! We have pizza too! And drinks!"
Music thumped in the living room where the rest of the team had turned the once-depressing apartment into a chaotic dance floor.
(Y/N) tugged Herman right into the middle of it, and began swaying to the beat.
“You know I-I c-can’t dance!” Herman stammered immediately, turning bright red.
“We already went over this, Herm!” (Y/N) laughed, spinning to face him, "just follow my lead, remember? Last time at the bar was so fun! I've been so excited to dance again!”
"Y-you have?" He paused.
(Y/N) scoffed at him playfully, "Well duh! Last time we kicked ass. . . literally!" They gently tugged him closer, guiding his hands into place like before.
Herman stiffened slightly as the music thumped around them, but began to relax after a few seconds.
“I-I feel like I should warn you,” he said nervously, “I have n-not improved.”
“I think you have,” (Y/N) laughed.
“That s-seems unlikely.”
“You spun me last time,” they reminded him with a smirk.
Herman froze, thinking back, ". . .I did?”
“You did!” they laughed, "and then you kicked ass and saved me from that RedRing guy!
He rubbed the back of his neck, "To be fair, I wasn't sure if that w-was going to work. . . it was mostly l-luck."
“Well, tonight there’s no fight, so relax!” (Y/N) said cheerfully.
Suddenly, a large crash was heard as someone knocked over one of the lamps- a large one Sonar brought.
The bat-hybrid began to yell, "THAT'S AN ANTIQUE, YOU FUCK!"
(Y/N) winced, ". . . Probably no fight.”
Herman let out a small laugh.
They began swaying together to the beat again, slightly clumsy but in sync enough to look intentional.
"H-Hey! Now I know two dances. . ." Herman realized.
"WAIT WHAT'S THE OTHER ONE?" (Y/N) excitedly asked.
"I mean. . . I know how to dance with you," he blushed, "and I . . . I can kinda do the r-robot I guess. . . I guess you could also c-count headbanging if-"
"DO THE ROBOT!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert smiled at the two from across the room, catching the attention of Blazer, who was dancing with him.
“Those two are getting along, huh?” she teased.
Robert snorted, “It’s a bit of a nightmare HR violation… on several levels. . ."
Blazer raised her hands innocently and chuckled, “Hey, my lips are sealed.”
Robert laughed.
She looked back toward the dance floor again, watching Herman awkwardly dance like a robot as (Y/N) giggled at him and tried to join, causing the two to trip. Both of them started laughing again.
“It is nice seeing them happy though,” she admitted, “and honestly. . . I’ve never seen Waterboy this. . . normal? Dry? Less like a leaking faucet?”
Robert chuckled, "Yeah. . ."
For a moment, he just watched them. Herman nervously spun (Y/N) as they bumped into Prism.
“HEY!” Prism laughed, immediately throwing an arm around them, "wait pose! Selfie!"
She yanked her phone out and flipped the camera around.
(Y/N) grinned, leaning in while Herman awkwardly hovered half in the frame like he'd never taken a photo before.
Malevola stepped in beside them.
“Oh! Here, Mel! You hold the phone, you're tall as hell!” Prism handed her the phone.
Malevola calmly adjusted the angle of the phone, lifting it slightly higher like a professional photographer, "Lighting is better from this angle,” she smiled.
Sonar suddenly slid into the frame from the side, "Don’t take it without me!”
Malevola extended one arm and shoved him out of frame without even looking, “No.”
*Snap*
Sonar gasped dramatically, "This is discrimination! This is democracy manifest! What is the charge? Being in a selfie? A succulent team selfie?"
"I have no idea what you just said, dude," Malevola replied.
Before she could lower the phone, two massive arms wrapped around Herman’s shoulders, causing him to squeak out in surprise.
“GROUP PHOTO!” Colm boomed, as Golem tried to fit in behind everyone.
"Oi! You obviously need my sexy ass in this," Flambae, who arrived later than everyone else and punched Robert to feel better, swooped in with a glamorous pose.
"Royd! Old man! Get in this!" Visi, who appeared out of nowhere as usual and posed next to Prism, yelled to Royd and Chase.
Sonar, who was finally let in after enough complaining, grabbed a place next to Malevola, desperately trying to make bunny ears behind her head.
(Y/N), huddled up next to Herman, waved at Blazer and their dad.
"Dad! Blazer! Come on!" They smiled.
Robert blinked.
“What?”
“This is a team photo!” (Y/N) shouted, “You’re the boss!”
Blazer laughed and nudged him with her elbow as she began to walk over and squeeze in, "They’ve got a point, Robert.”
Robert smiled and made his way over, picking up Beef so he could join.
(Y/N) grabbed Robert and yanked him and Beef into the frame beside them, "Come on, old man!"
Robert sighed dramatically but slung an arm around their shoulders anyway, "If this ends up online, I’m firing all of you.”
Malevola raised the phone.
“Everybody say—”
“ROBERT'S A BITCH!" Flambae yelled.
*Snap*
The photo captured absolute chaos. But it was Robert's chaos now. And he wouldn't change it for anything.