★ Rudo had never known a mother's affection—there had never been a feminine presence in his life. He was raised solely by his adoptive father, and after losing him, he was cast out into the surface world. You, Enjin's girlfriend and a Giver, were on patrol with him when you spotted the boy amidst the rubble. You never expected your feelings for him to grow so strong once you started supervising him.
"Can we keep him?"
"He'll have to join the Cleaners soon. The kid's got talent." Enjin replied, leaning his arms on the balcony railing before bringing the cigarette to his lips.
"No... not like that."
"I'm not following you, woman." he said, raising an eyebrow. "You wanna adopt him, is that it?"
You didn't answer, but somehow, Enjin already knew. He just sighed. "My God."
★ Rudo was mesmerized the first time you ruffled his hair. His eyes widened, and he stood completely still for a moment, his stern expression slowly softening. Rudo closed his eyes and hugged you cautiously, still half-expecting rejection. When you didn't pull away, he stayed there, burying his face in your chest.
"Hey, love, have you seen—" Enjin's voice echoed through the room, but you quickly cut him off, raising a finger to your lips in a silent request. The blond stopped, a small smile forming as he saw Rudo nestled in your arms. "I'll come back later." he whispered before leaving the room.
★ The first time he called you "mom" was an accident. You were tucking him into bed, and he was already half-asleep. The word just slipped out. A heavy silence filled the room, followed by Rudo's deep embarrassment. But you just smiled, stroked his cheek, and said, "It's okay. You can call me that if you want."
He never said it again, and his cheeks still burned with shame whenever he remembered it.
★ Rudo became your "shadow." He didn't just watch you—he internalized a fierce instinct to protect you. On missions, he was always one step ahead, scanning the surroundings even though, as your apprentice, he should've stayed behind. If anyone dared raise their voice at you, Rudo would appear instantly at your side, hurling insults like a rabid dog. He didn't care what others thought of him; all that mattered was defending you.
"Say that about her again and I'll smash every one of your teeth, you bastard!" You held the boy back before he could lunge at the person, watching his arms and short feathers flail wildly. "Let me kill him!"
"Calm down, Rudo. It's alright." You then kissed the top of his head, and he stopped immediately. Rudo fell silent, drawing surprised glances from the others.
★ Rudo was still haunted by nightmares. Some nights, he'd appear silently at your bedroom door, wrapped in a teddy bear blanket, unable to sleep. You never said a word, just made space for him to lie down beside you. Enjin would grumble, cracking his eyes open as Rudo settled between the two of you. He'd raise a sleepy eyebrow, blinking slowly. You'd pull Rudo close, holding him snugly against your chest. Enjin said nothing and went back to sleep, too tired to fight his girlfriend for attention against that brat.
★ Rudo was used to having nothing, so when you gave him simple things—a warm meal, a clean shirt, or something old for him to restore—he'd freeze, unsure how to react. Little by little, you taught him that it was okay to accept kindness. He began treasuring those gifts with almost religious care, like priceless relics.
★ Rudo grew deeply worried whenever you got hurt. If you were attacked in front of him, he'd likely lose his mind and act completely irrationally. Later, in the infirmary, he'd sit in the chair beside your bed, his scarlet eyes filled with anguish and concern. He'd touch your hand, his face full of sorrow.
"Get better soon..." he'd murmur, small tears beginning to burn in the corners of his eyes.
★ Rudo misses you whenever you don't go on missions together. When he returns, he makes sure to tell you everything in detail, every little thing he experienced. He's still learning how to express himself, and for some reason, he finds it easier with you. Maybe it's your patience, or the fact that you never judge him, unlike some of the others. With you, he feels truly safe.
★ Rudo always smiles when you praise him. He gets all flustered, his cheeks tinted with a soft blush. One of his biggest goals was to make friends, and having you as his first friend felt like a huge achievement.
"Will we stay together forever?" he asked, his eyes shining with hope.
"Yes, forever," you replied, laughing softly as you tapped his hands.
Since he fell from the sky, he had never felt so whole. You made him feel welcomed, cherished. And deep in his heart, Rudo hoped to repay your kindness one day.
Can I please request the beast cookies (seperate) reactions to their child being taken care of by their respective ancient hero? Like the before corruption the beast cookies (separately) had a child who died, and when they were released they saw that their child had been reincarnated but place in the care of their respective ancient hero with their child viewing the hero as a parent
☆ Betrayed By My Own Jam — Beasts + Ancients & Child!Reader HCs ☆
Genre: Familial, Light Angst || They/Them pronouns for reader || No warnings needed
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ᯓᡣ𐭩Burning Spice could hardly recognize his doughling when he first saw them again. They weren't as small as he remembered, and their dough no longer resembled his own. But the fire in their eyes, their behavior... it was all too familiar to be a coincidence. And for the first time in many years, The Destroyer didn't know what to do. But he knew who to blame for keeping you from your father
ᯓᡣ𐭩 Golden Cheese did her best to keep you from the truth of your parent. In some way, all the Ancients had known this day would come. You feel connected to Burning Spice just as she does, you're a part of him that no time can erase. But you're also her dearest treasure. And she had no intentions of letting Burning Spice destroy more of what the queen held dear
ᯓᡣ𐭩 Eternal Sugar was caught between two extremes. On one hand, she felt like she couldn't hate her "other half", that she was destined to bring Happiness to her. But on the other, had Hollyberry been keeping you all this time? Were you even the same child she raised back then..? It wouldn't matter soon. In The Garden, you'd be by her side once again. All you had to do was stay. Let the sweetness of joy erase all doubts in your mind
ᯓᡣ𐭩 Hollyberry Cookie, despite understanding the Beast, kept you from her grasp. Hollyberry understood how important family could be, and in the beginning she was happy to let you explore The Garden. But when the sweet illusion faded and the bitter truth became clear, Hollyberry made sure you wouldn't be left behind, even as Eternal Sugar begged for you to stay. It was for your own good, but that didn't make it any easier...
ᯓᡣ𐭩 Mystic Flour had long adapted the ideals that life was as meaningless as it was fleeting. Her heart hardened after her child had been taken from her grasp, yet again losing to the fragility of what she held dear. She could see glimpses of that doughling in you. How cruel were the Witches, to send her a walking image of what she had lost? In the end, was it even worth remembering? She tried to tell herself as much, but flickers of old maternal feelings kept threatening to come back
ᯓᡣ𐭩 Dark Cacao couldn't see what Mystic Flour was feeling, but he didn't need to. That face set in apathy only sought to bring you down with it, and Dark Cacao would make sure that couldn't happen. No matter what she claims or remembers, you're his child. He refuses to lose another, not when he can protect this one
ᯓᡣ𐭩 Shadow Milk always acted as if he'd forgotten all about his child. Yet in the shadows that his true feelings hid, his every memory of them stayed alive. What a lie it was, to think he could hold onto something so fragile as a family. When recognizing you— a Cookie who looked different, yes, but was undoubtedly you, his child— he was filled with nothing but rage. Not only was he losing his plans and power, but he was losing you all over again to that detestable Ancient Cookie
ᯓᡣ𐭩 Pure Vanilla was cautiously optimistic. Maybe seeing you again would inspire Shadow Milk to turn towards forgiveness, and he'd finally allow himself to become a better Cookie. Instead, he was met with a violent rejection and an unsettling pit of guilt. Guilt that he could've risked putting you in harm's way. He reminds you that though he values forgiveness, it has to be earned. At the end of it all, it's up to you. No matter what, he promises to ensure your safety above all
ᯓᡣ𐭩 Silent Salt regretted many things about his corruption, the greatest being all he had lost. The Knights, the Faeries, and his own child. Everything had become obsolete in silence. Once he rose again, he noticed you above all else. Amidst the silence, your voice reached out to him. But he came to realize he couldn't care for you as he once did. He wasn't Salt of Solidarity anymore. Maybe it was better this way, if you were in the hands of another. You shouldn't worry about him anymore
ᯓᡣ𐭩 White Lily admittedly felt sympathetic once she recognized the situation at hand. She couldn't imagine what would happen if she ever lost you, so to think that Silent Salt was experiencing that gave her a sense of pity. You never knew the Beast outside of the glances you could steal, but from then on White Lily would tell you tales of a Commander in black armor
