Always, Us Masterlist (Suchwita Couple) Parts are in chronological order, so even though Suchwita was the first one written, it's not the first in the series! This is the correct order to read in :)
Meet Prima
First Meeting
Suchwita
D-Day Japan Night 1
Telling the boys (fake text)
Wedding Day
Wedding (social media)
High Risk
Already?
More To Come!
(If you would like to request a drabble for this series please feel free!)
Summary: You're triggered into remembering your early days of the end, before you and Henry met.
Pairing: Henry Cavill/Reader
Word Count: 4.2k
Parts: I II III IV
Warnings: M - Post Apocalyptic!AU, Fluff, DDLG, Daddy!Henry, Little!Reader, Daddy Kink, Stuffie, Bonding, Kal Love, Semi-Non-Verbal Communication, Language, Blood, Shotty Medical Care, Memories, Flashbacks, Triggers, Fear, Separation Anxiety, Angst, Abandonment, Abandonment Issues, Assault, Theft, Hurt/Comfort, Self-Doubt, Self-Blame
Inspiration: Not sure what sparked Muse for this. But it’s interesting!
Author’s Note: I hope you enjoy it! Line divider by @FIREFLY-GRAPHICS!
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You watched the gradual tension and distress build in Henry’s body as he searched the shelf along the wall. His shoulders stiffening with each useless item he pushed aside, before he gave up and gripped the shelf divider. His head hung for a moment, a stillness falling over the room that only increased your fear, before you saw Henry push off and storm for the door.
“Daddy.” You croaked out, voice still raw from all your tears and half afraid to make a sound after the incident with the looter.
But Henry didn’t acknowledge you. He didn’t look back at you or even twitch in your direction. He unlocked and yanked the door open, then disappeared into the hallway. Taking the only light source you had, plunging you into darkness. You mewled at the door, your breathing picking up as panic slid in beside your fear; fresh tears, like lava, streamed down your face.
He had left you. He had promised not to, but he had done it anyway.
Not again. You thought with agony.
*Two months after the end*
“Come on, Kitten! You gotta keep up!”
You gasped at the voice of your Daddy and boyfriend of four years. Standing back up from where you were squatting down, picking a pair of dandelions that were growing between the cracks in the sidewalk, you ran back to him, holding the two yellow flowers up to him.
“Looky what I found, Daddy!” You said excitedly, beaming at him.
He looked at the flowers and gave you a soft smile. “They’re cute, Kitten.” He told you, gently patting you on the head.
“Where are we going, Daddy?” You asked, twirling the flowers between your fingers.
“Somewhere farther out of the city, Kitten.” He answered, pulling a map out of his back pocket. “It’s less safe every day in London.”
“Even with the virus all gone?” You inquired, lifting a brow at him.
“It’s not all gone, Princess.” He replied, studying the map. “It’s just having a harder time spreading, with so few people left to infect, is all. But, that’s not what I meant.” He frowned, trying to pinpoint exactly where you were. “I meant, that the people that survived-”
“Like us!” You grinned, giggling.
“Yes.” He sighed, trying to focus. “The people that survived, like us, are becoming very dangerous. So, we need to leave and find somewhere safer, so we don’t get hurt by them and we have a higher chance of survival.”
“Where are we going to be safer?” You asked, a knot of fear and worry in your stomach, even though you knew he would find somewhere.
You trusted your Daddy after all, he would take care of you, like he always did.
“I heard about a colony in Bath that's taking people in. So long as they’re not infected or planning on causing any trouble.” He said, chewing on his lip.
“Is Bath-”
“Kitten, please just let Daddy figure this out first, then I’ll answer all your questions.” He snapped, giving you a stern look.
You gulped and nodded at him, pressing your lips together and turned your attention back to your flowers. Taking a deep breath, he went back to the map, studying it and the area you both were in currently, having traveled half a day from your flat in Central London already. The two of you stood there for ten more minutes before he felt like he knew where he was going.
“All right, Kitten, this way.” He said, taking your hand and hurrying across the street.
“Is it far?” You mumbled, returning to your interrupted question.
“Yes, Kitten. It’s very far.” He answered, biting the corner of his lip. “It’ll take almost two days to walk there.” He explained to you, scanning the street you were going down, making sure no one was lurking about.
“If we don’t get lost.” He added under his breath.
You did indeed get lost, which had only sent your Daddy into a rage. You watched him scream and kick things about, curse everything he could and that came to mind, for nearly twenty minutes before he finally calmed down again. He pulled the map out for the four hundredth time, trying to figure out where he led you both wrong to end up in Farnham, instead of Reading.
While he did that, you had found more dandelions growing around the car he spread the map over the hood of. So, you moved around, picking them, thinking of making a cute flower necklace to cheer him up. Once he was done figuring out the map stuff. You had just squatted down behind the back bumper, to grab one growing between the curb and asphalt, when movement up ahead caught your attention.
“Daddy.” You called out to him, feeling uneasy as three figures appeared at the corner.
“In a minute, Kitten!” He barked back, leaning closer to the map, tracing the route from Farnham to Bath with a sharpie he had nicked from a store.
“Daddy!!” You whined urgently, jumping up as the group turned in your direction.
“Kitten, I said, give me a minute!” He yelled, ensuring the group of three noticed the two of you.
“But Daddy!” You snapped back, sprinting over to him. “People!”
His head shot up and he leaned sideways, looking along the car and down the sidewalk to see them advancing. “Oh fuck!” He gasped, quickly gathering up the map and grabbed your hand, swinging you around and took off in the other direction, pulling you along with him.
“Run, Kitten.” He encouraged you, starting to pant with exertion of the heavy pack on his back.
You pushed yourself to run as fast as you could, not wanting them to catch up with you anymore than your Daddy did.
“Don’t look behind you!” He scolded, catching you turning your head to look back at the three pursuing you. “Just keep running!” He hissed, his face pouring with sweat and breath wheezing in his lungs.
You stumbled over your feet and the uneven pavement, using your grasp on his hand to stay up the best you could, not wanting to fall and halt your progress. The group let out loud whistles, calling out profanities and other things, giving away their unfriendly intent. But you were starting to lag, unable to keep up.
“I can't.” You mewled up at him, sweaty brow pinched.
“Yes, you can.” He said, shifting his grasp to your elbow, pulling you to stand up straight. “Just a little bit more.” He huffed, lungs and throat burning. “Come on, y/n. Please, just try a little harder for me.” He begged, casting a look at you, that begged you to drop out of Little Space and pick it up.
“I'm trying, Beau.” You whimpered back, calling him by his given name, trying to be as Big as you could.
He stared at you for a moment longer, before pulling you around the street corner. His eyes were frantic over all the building fronts and practically dragging you across the road, shoving you into a smashed up barbershop.
“Get down and hide!” He snapped, shoving you behind the register counter, before joining you.
“Beau-” You whispered, curled up on the floor behind him, as he glanced around the side of the counter.
“Hush.” He reprimanded you under his breath, then ducking back as the group ran by.
Beau sat back, turning to rest against the counter and wiped at the sweat still dripping from his face, while working on getting his breath back under control. His head thumped the counter and he cast his eyes to the ceiling, his breathing calmed down and a look of exhaustion washed over his face. You reached out and rested your hand on his shoulder, sliding closer to him, to press a gentle kiss to his cheek.
“They're gone.” You told him, softly.
“They could have caught us.” He snapped, his eyes jerking to you. “They almost would have, if I hadn't pushed you on.” He rebuked you, harshly.
“You wouldn't have even known they were there, until it was too late.” You answered, your brow knitting together. “If I hadn't said something.”
Your voice has a bite to it.
Beau floundered for a moment, before his face hardened and he stood up, turning on his heels and stormed for the door, growling under his breath as he stepped out onto the sidewalk. You watched him for a second and sighed, knowing he was doing his best to take care of both of you and get you to somewhere safe.
“Beau!” You yelled out to him, as he disappeared towards the next store front, and made to follow after him, before you heard the commotion.
The three men that had chased you down the street had doubled back to look for you, catching Beau as he came out of the shop and were only aided in finding him with you yelling out his name. Frightened, you dropped to the floor and hid underneath the counter again, trembling in the fetal position as you listened to them assault and rob him, before running off again.
Thankfully paying no interest in you.
You slowly crawled from underneath the counter to the door of the shop, and pulled yourself up to go outside, finding Beau laying on the sidewalk. They had taken his backpack, which held all of the possessions the two of you had taken from home and acquired from some looting you had done. The only things you had left were the clothes you both had on your back and the few items you had in the Superman backpack you'd taken from a shop just before leaving London, to carry the few Little Space items you decided to take with you and the couple of items Beau had or let you carry.
“Daddy?”
You whimpered at Beau, dropping back into Little Space without meaning to. “Daddy?” You whined, your bottom lip trembling as you inched closer, finding him bloodied and unconscious, but alive.
“Daddy.” You cried, shaking him to try and stir him. “Daddy wake up.”
“All right, Peanut.” Henry sighed looking you in the eyes, and reaching out to cup your cheek. “I need you to be a really brave girl for me.” He said, licking his lips and giving you his bravest expression.
“Can you do that for Daddy?” He asked, caressing your skin with his thumb.
You nodded at him, biting your lip and feeling sick to your stomach over what you knew was going to happen. Henry smiled at you, leaning in to kiss you on the lips for a long moment, before pulling away.
Henry set everything on the cleaned metal tray table, the closed packet containing the purple sutures and needle, and the flush and gel lidocaine syringes, with three bottles of sterile saline and gauze. He broke open a bottle of saline and pulled out the surgical scissors from his pocket, cleaning them, before carefully cutting off the leg of your leggings, giving himself access to your wound without having to pull them completely off, leaving you exposed in your pull up.
Which he was sure he needed to change.
Taking a deep breath in and out, Henry set the scissors down, cleaned his hands, then ripped open the box of gloves, pulling on the black latex with a snap that made you start. He gently touched your wound. It was still bleeding, but thankfully not as badly as it had been when he first found you on the playground. Some of it had congealed and crusted over inside and around the edge. It would have to be cleaned out first, he knew that much.
So, Henry grabbed one of the saline flushes and uncapped it.
Using one hand, he gently spread your wound, giving you a soft and sympathetic look as he did, knowing it hurt, then pushed down the plunger, squirting the clear solution into your gash. You hissed and tensed up, your hand shooting out to grip Henry's arm.
“I know, baby girl.” He cooed, dropping the empty syringe at his feet and grabbed a wad of gauze to dab at your wound, clearing away the blood.
Dropping more gauze to the floor, having dried up your wound the best he could, Henry grabbed the lidocaine next. Pulling out the plug and screwing in the tip, he looked up at you, his brows deeply creased knowing this was going to hurt like hell, when he started pumping it into your wound.
“Where's your nee-nee?” He asked, clicking his tongue at you, referencing your soother.
You reached into your jacket, pulled it out and popped it into your mouth, getting his point for mentioning it. You also grasped Sparkles tighter, readying yourself as best you could for the initial pain of the gel. But you looked forward to the relief it was going to give you. You nodded at Henry, letting him know you were ready, as you could be, and he nodded back at you. He squeezed the gel along your wound, filling it with half the gel in the syringe, before spreading some on his gloved finger and rubbing it around the outside as well, trying to numb as much of the area as possible.
“I'm going to let that sit for a few minutes.” He said, dropping the empty syringe and pulling off his gloves. “Let it soak in as much as possible, before flushing it all out with more saline.” He explained to you.
You nodded at him, suckling your soother and twisting Sparkle's mane around your fingers. Henry looked at your bloody hands and the blood that had been smeared all over your unicorn from your clutching at it and felt his stomach twist. He felt like he failed to protect you, that he allowed himself to get too distracted with what he was doing.
If he hadn't, he would have caught you sneaking off, and prevented the whole matter.
“Here.” He sighed, picking up some gauze and soaking it in saline from the bottle. “Let me see your hands, so I can clean the blood off of them. You've gotten enough of it on Sparkles.” He commented, holding his hands and the soaking gauze out to you.
You glanced down at Sparkles, seeing the brown stains on its white body, before slowly letting it go to rest in your lap. You held out your hands to Henry, allowing him to dab at them, cleaning the blood off.
“I'll wash Sparkles when we get home.” Henry said softly, seeing your eyes go back to the beloved unicorn. “I have some spray that washes blood stains out.” He explained, tossing the filthy gauze aside. “She'll be good as new, before you know it, Peanut.”
“Promise.”
You smiled reluctantly at him, though you believed Henry when he said it, but it quickly vanished. “I'm sorry.” You mumbled around your soother.
Henry drew a deep breath, his shoulders moving with it, before he released it and glanced around, spotting a stool with a couple of the wheels busted off. “I know you're sorry, Peanut.” He answered, pulling the stool over beside you and carefully perched himself on the dusty and split seat.
“I'm sure you're especially sorry now that it's gotten you into this mess.” He said, folding his arms over his chest tightly and motioning to your wound with his head.
You nodded, looking away from him. You were incredibly sorry about how it had turned out.
Beau grunted as he lowered himself to the floor, his broken ribs screaming with every breath and movement he made. You sat down across from him, toying with the excess strap from your backpack. Neither of you had spoken since Beau came back around after getting jumped. You had expected him to lose his temper upon finding out all your stuff had been taken by the three assailants, but he had instead dragged himself up, looked you over, nodded, and started limping up the street.
You looked around the small convenience store he had decided to stop the two of you in for the night, several of its shelves had been knocked over and its merchandise taken or strewn about the floor. The air was growing colder as the sun went down and night closed in. So, you pulled your arms inside of your jacket and huddled up on yourself, to keep warm. The loud growl of your stomach filled the silence, but neither of you moved to find any food that hadn't spoiled to turn it into your pitiful dinner.
“Da-”
“It's late.” He cut you off. “You should go to bed, it's been a long day and tomorrow will only be longer.” He said, casting his eyes around and spotted a utility closet.
Getting to his feet with a loud groan, Beau shuffled over to the closet and yanked open the door, finding it contained a mop bucket and a cart with some cleaning supplies. Pushing them out of the closet, he turned to you and jerked his head inside, confusing you.
“Come on, Kitten. It's safe inside.” He told you, softly. “Trust Daddy.”
Biting your lip, you turned onto your hands and knees and crawled into the closet. Beau moved away for a moment, coming back with two bags of mixed trail mix and sat down, pulling the door closed as he did.
He ripped open one of the bags and handed it over to you. “When you finish it, I want you to lay down and go to sleep.”
“All right.” You mumbled, taking the mix from him, picking around the raisins as you ate it.
When you finally finished eating, you pulled your back pack off and turned onto your side, using it as a pillow, your eyes on Beau, watching him barely eat as he stared at the wall in front of him, barely acknowledging your presence.
“I love you, Daddy.” You whispered, drifting off to sleep.
“Mmhm.” Beau hummed back as your eyes closed.
When you woke the next morning, you found yourself alone in the utility closet, with the door closed. Frowning, you sat up and pulled your backpack on, figuring Beau had just woken up early and hadn't wanted to disturb you yet.
So, you got up and stepped out of the closet, going in search of him.
“Daddy?” You called, weaving through the store, looking around every corner as you made your way to the front. “Daddy!” You yelled out, the crease between your brow deepening, when you didn't receive an answer from him.
You stepped outside, looking up and down the street, a sick feeling in your stomach. “Beau!” You barked, your voice echoing back was your only answer.
He just went looking for supplies. You thought to yourself, going back inside the store, picking through the stock on the floor, finding a candy bar still in its wrapper and reasonable condition, before going towards the drinks at the back, eyeing what was left before chancing a can of Lemon Drop flavored Bang.
“Breakfast of champions.” You quipped to yourself, carrying your meal back outside to sit on the curb and wait for Beau to come back for you.
But, after three days of you staying at the convenience store and sleeping inside the closet, because it was safe, you were forced to acknowledge the fully formed feeling in your stomach.
Beau wasn't coming back.
He had abandoned you at some point that first night or early morning, while you slept. Not even bothering to leave you a note for why or apology. The man that had vowed to take care of you four years before, who doubled up on his vow when the virus hit the city and he decided you both needed to leave, had left you to fend for yourself.
In all reality, you were capable of fending for yourself, you were an adult after all. But that's when you were in an adult mind set. Your issue was you had the horrible issue of regressing far too often. Everyone around you knew it. Whether or not they knew you were a Little or not, they commented on how sometimes you just seemed too distant to care for yourself.
What hurt you the most, was thinking he had left because of what happened to him.
You blame yourself for it.
If you had just shut up and not said a word. If you hadn't called out his name and just followed him quietly out of the barbershop, then those people wouldn't have harmed him, then Daddy wouldn't have left you.
I can do this. You thought to yourself the morning of the fourth day. I can do this. You kept repeating to yourself, while trying to prevent yourself from regressing in your depression of being left high and dry. I have to do this. You sighed, going around the convenience store, grabbing the best food you could carry with you; trail mix, several cans of roasted peanuts, candy bars, a few more cans of Bang and bottles of water, stuffing them into your backpack.
You walked out of the convenience store and took a deep breath. He said, there was a safe place in Bath, you had remembered. Then, that was where you were going to go too, you resolved yourself, setting out. Even though you honestly had no idea where Bath was or if you were going the right way.
But it turned out, it didn't matter, you had found safety elsewhere.
In someone else.
“But, it turned out how it turned out, little one.” Henry told you, pressing his lips together and resting his chin against his chest. “You decided to be naughty and sneak off away from Daddy, to do something I warned you was bad, and it got you hurt.” He stated the facts of the situation.
“And so, we are now here.” He said, motioning to your wound.
“Time out?” You asked, lifting a brow at him.
“I haven't decided if I'm going to punish you.” He confessed, shaking his head and pushing his jaw forward. “Part of me thinks this is more than enough punishment for what you did. You're going to have a pretty little scar from it, that's for sure.”
You let your soother drop out of your mouth, its clip catching it from falling into your lap. “Leave?”
Henry's head went up and his eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, leave?”
Shifting and hissing as you did, you bit your lip and glanced in Henry's direction. “Will you leave me?” You asked, sounding more Big than he had ever heard you.
“Why are you so suddenly afraid I'm going to leave you?” Henry asked, standing back up and moving to your side, his hand resting on your arm, his eyes searching yours, seeing the fear and apprehension in them. “I was only gone for a few minutes, sweetheart.” He cooed at you, cocking his head, in his heartbreak.
You took a deep breath, you had never told Henry about Beau, especially about him abandoning you. “He did.” You muttered, staring down at Sparkles.
Henry narrowed his eyes at you for a moment, before he understood. “That's how you survived.” He said, licking his lips. “You had someone.”
“Mmhm.” You hummed, nodding. “But we got into some trouble, and he left.”
“Was that why you didn't talk for such a long time?” He asked, rubbing your arm and brushing his fingers against your cheek, a little happy that you were finally opening up that little bit of you.
“It was my fault.” You sighed, blinking rapidly. “If I hadn't said anything, they wouldn't have hurt him, and he wouldn't have left.”
Henry got a lump in his throat, before he hugged his arms around you. “Whatever happened, it was his choice to leave. That is no fault of yours, baby.” He purred at you, kissing the top of your head. “He could have stayed afterwards, but for whatever reason he decided not to. You wouldn't have been able to change that.” He sighed, resting his head against yours. “But, as for me,” He pulled away and held your face in his hands, making sure you looked him in the eyes.
“There is absolutely nothing you can do that would make me leave or abandon you. I love you and I'm going to take care of you, forever.” He chuckled softly, smirking. “Even when you've been naughty.”
“You promise?” You whimpered at him, closing your hands around his wrists.
“With everything in my heart and soul, Peanut.” Henry replied, rubbing your cheeks with his thumbs. “If I didn't mean to take care of you, I never would have taken you home that day Kal and I found you.” He said, glancing down at the Bear, who dozed on the floor, at the foot of the table.
Hey lovelies! I want you to know I haven't forgotten or given up on my stories: Salt In Our Wounds, Love at First Sight or Always Us! Things are just so super busy lately and energy is low, so Muse is sadly suffering down the list of things. You'll see them grace the Dashboard again, I swear!!
Rules: in a new post, show the last line you wrote (or drew) and tag as many people as you feel like.
From Always Us: “But for now, I want you to rest.” He said softly, using a couple strips of 3M tape to secure pad of gauze over your wound.
Salt in Our Wounds: “I'd be careful with what you say, Mrs. Moulin.” Remi warned, as she moved for the door. “You never know who you can trust.” He said, eyeing Gus.
Love at First Sight: That's it. He thought, even though more butterflies filled his belly. She's feeling it. She doesn't think this is stupid.
And from the hair brained fic I'm fiddling with: “She'll be perfectly fine and safe, Alpha Cavill. The Metra Chamber is regulated to keep her safe and comfortable. Someone is always with her, monitoring her vitals, the Chamber's operations to ensure she develops exactly as she should be. By your standards and OBC's.”
Your face pinched up even more and you gulped audibly, bottom lip trembling, as you whimpered. You didn't want him yelling at you right now, all you wanted was for Daddy to fix your boo-boo and snuggle you, so the pain went away.
Ive been chipping at the next part of Always Us, and finally checked it and, I didn't realize I'd been chipping at it this long. Lmao. I'm going to have to edit it a little. xD