Echoes
Fandom: The Umbrella Academy Summary: Allison wasn't ever allowed to be just herself, but with the help of her husband she's going to make sure those standards aren't passed onto her daughter. Warnings: Mentions of past child abuse and canonical injuries/deaths Word Count: 676 Ship(s): Viktor Hargreeves/Allison Hargreeves
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A/N: I myself have echolalia, though I don't have an official diagnosis for why I do it. I got it into my head that it would have been sweet for Allison to have it, especially when she was younger before she had to become perfect for public image. I also wanted to write something sweet between Viktor and Allison after everything they go through at the end of Season 03, so this is an AU where she never made the deal with Reginald or killed Harlan and so when the universe got reset it essentially just got put back into a Season 01 world so she had Claire but was still divorced from Patrick. I hope you all enjoy this little ficlet! Stay sissy and bitchy everyone <3
Viktor was splayed out over the couch with his step-daughter sound asleep with her head pressed just over his heart. She had a long day of playing with her kindergarten class and crying when she realized that she wasn’t going to spend as much time with Viktor as she used to, especially with the shared custody Allison and Patrick had. He didn’t mind Claire using him to nap on instead of her bed, even if his arm was pinned between her body and the couch in such a way that he was quickly loosing feeling in his fingers. He had the book he had been working on getting through for the last week and a half perched in the other hand, though he was only half paying attention to it.
He leaned his head backwards as he heard the knob of the front door turning. “Hello, welcome home,” he smiled kindly at his wife as she entered.
“Hello, welcome home,” Allison sing-songed back at him. She gave him a sheepish smile as soon as she realized what she had done.
Before she had the chance to say anything else, Viktor spoke again, “You don’t have to apologize for your echoes, Allie.” He gave his head a small shake so that he wouldn’t wake the napping toddler.
Allison let out a small sigh. She shucked off her shoes and dropped her bag by the door to pick up later as she crossed the space between them. She ran a hand over his short brown hair to remove it from his forehead before she placed a kiss there. “I know, it’s just kind of hard to let them out after so long trying to hide them.”
He gave her a soft look as he shifted just a little bit. Claire woke up on his chest, apparently rousing from the sounds enough that the movement was the last straw. “Mommy?” she questioned, having heard her mother’s voice most recently.
“Good morning, bear,” Allison cooed, giving her daughter an adoring kiss on the cheek.
“Bear, bear, bear,” Claire repeated, her voice going a bit funny like it always did when she echoed. Allison picked her up from the couch and whirled them around in the kitchen while peppering her face with kisses. Claire then gasped, excitement filling her small features. “I already showed Papa but now I have to show you!” she wiggled out of her mother’s arms so that she dropped safely down to the ground and could run off to get her item.
“See? Not being ashamed of your echoes lets Claire know that it’s okay for her to do it,” Viktor stood up from the couch. He whirled his arm around in a half-circle to try and wake the nerve endings back up. “Just like how I stim around her.”
Allison turned so that she was facing her husband. She brushed her hand over the top of his head and then brought their lips together in a sweet kiss. “I’m so glad that you decided to stay with me even after everything I put you through. Your experience with autistic children has been invaluable. I understand her so much more with your help.”
“You just needed a decent coparent,” Viktor said it low enough that Claire wouldn’t be able to hear even if she was in the same room as them. She still loved her father and Patrick tried his best, but Viktor had some very aggressive opinions about his wife’s ex-husband. They had all agreed that none of them would talk ill about the other parents in her presence, though. Claire deserved to grow up in a world where she knew her parents loved her and didn’t have to try and pick sides.
“I needed a healthy relationship too,” she sighed. “We both did.”
“And now we’ve got it. And the cutest little girl,” Viktor beamed. He got up on his tip-toes to give her a quick kiss before he turned to see their daughter returning with the picture she had drawn during her class today.