Chapter Text
Ren hummed softly as he braided Aimsey's hair back out of her face, and added in the beads of her new school colors. She had her first basketball game coming up since they'd moved to Empires, and he was so honored that she asked him to help her out with doing her hair.
...Granted, it was probably because False had to stay late for a lab, and would just make it before the game started, so Ren was really their only other choice—but he was still happy that they went to him!
He was a little worried that maybe Aimsey was having a hard time adjusting to school or making friends, since they went to him, rather than someone on their team. Moving at their age could be pretty difficult, especially in the social aspect. "Have the other kids on the team been nice to you? Made any friends yet?" he asked, trying to fill the silence as he worked on their hair.
They lit up at the question, bouncing a little on the couch and nearly making Ren lose his grip on their hair. He chuckled, and they let out a soft noise when they realized they shouldn't move, and tried to stay still as they answered, "Yeah! There's this boy named Tubbo, he's really funny. We've been hanging out a bit and he kinda took me into his friend group."
Ren smiled widely and pat them on the shoulder. "Hey! That's great, I'm so happy for you!" He weaved in another bead and braided it into their hair, securing it into place.
"And how are your teachers? Any of them fun, or are the classes tough?" he pushed on, trying to get a sense for how school in general was going.
He hummed as he thought about it, and replied, "Ms. Shubble is really nice, I like her class. She's actually making me interested in science and biology for once, and we always do something fun on Fridays!"
Ren smiled happily, weaving the strands of their hair together neatly as he listened. "That's awesome, dude! I know I could've used a teacher like that when I was your age. False and I had Mr. Minecraft together- oof, he was tough," he rambled about his own experiences. "He was a pretty tough grader, but he did do his best to explain things, I was just… not the best student at that age, heheh," he finished with an awkward little laugh.
"But, when you finally got a good grade, you felt pretty accomplished, cause you knew you earned it," he continued, and put in another bead before he worked on the last bit of hair he needed to braid.
Aimsey softly laughed, and responded, "I remember False liked him a lot, said she liked that his assignments made her think more. Glad I missed out on having his class, though. I would've if I stayed a year longer."
Ren's mouth widened in shock, and he gasped out, "He's still working there?!"
Aimsey nodded like he was crazy for not knowing, and replied, "Yeah- I mean he's talked about retiring for a bit now-"
"He was talking about retiring when I was in his class!" Ren added in, explaining where his shock came from.
Aimsey laughed, and shrugged. "Guess he just likes teaching," she tried to supply a reason for his delayed retirement.
Ren shrugged as well, not sure what else the reason could be. "Still, that's crazy. He's like a hundred years old at this point too!" he pointed out.
"He's in his forties, I thought!" Aimsey shot back incredulously, and Ren couldn't help but laugh at how similar they sounded to False when they said that.
He chuckled, and held the end of her hair together as he reached for an elastic. "He probably is, I'm teasing. Still, he's been at that school forever. I think he doesn't know what to do with himself if he's not there."
He secured their braid with a second elastic, and smiled as he looked over his work. "Unlike you, who is seemingly crushing it at your new school, just like you're gonna crush it at your first game with your new team!" he hyped them up.
He held up a mirror that he brought out from the bathroom, showing them their hairstyle, and he beamed with pride when they smiled cheerfully. Aimsey leaned in to hug him with a big grin, and said, "Thanks, Dad! I'll-"
They both went quiet, and when Aimsey leaned back from the hug a bit, they just stared at each other with wide eyes. Ren expected Aimsey to laugh it off, just as a little slip of the tongue, but instead…
"…I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" they softly apologized, a little in horror. They leaned back from the embrace, their arms coming to anxiously wrap around themself as they averted Ren's gaze.
"Aims, it's okay," Ren tried to comfort her. "It's just a mistake, I know you didn't mean it," he said with a little laugh, trying to raise the frown on her face, only for her to chew on her cheek, holding herself tighter as she avoided looking at him.
He furrowed his brows in concern, and felt his heart sink as he realized that… it wasn't just a mistake. "Aw, kid," he softened, "do you really think of me like that?" He wasn't sure what answer he was hoping for, or which he dreaded more, but then tears filled their eyes, and they ashamedly nodded, and the hypotheticals didn't matter anymore.
"I'm really sorry," they whispered, their voice barely there. "I just- um… you're-" they tried to explain, but were cut off as a sob wracked through their body. Ren waited patiently, just gently setting his hand on their shoulder so they knew he wasn't leaving. He tried not to think too hard about how they calmed down so easily, for just a moment, before their cries picked back up.
They sniffled, and wiped away another tear that spilled down their cheek. "I know my dad's been trying more but- but-" They hiccupped out a sob, and then continued, "you've been there for me so much more than he ever has, and- and-" Their frame shook as they tried to catch their breath, and Ren just did his best to keep them calm, rubbing their back and stopping them from balling up.
Ren's gaze softened. He didn't know how to feel, but he knew Aimsey needed… funnily enough—someone to comfort her. …Like a father.
"Aw, come here, kid," he gently said. He pulled them closer, nearly into his lap, and hugged them around their torso, while they hugged him tightly around the neck and cried into his shoulder. He rubbed their back and let them cry for however long they needed, even as a million little concerns pressed at his mind.
What does this mean? How should I feel? I think this should bother me, but it's kinda sweet? But also I'm not their dad and I don't want them to think I am, and what would False say-
"I-I'm really so-sorry," they choked out, and wiped messily at their eyes. "I didn't- didn't mean to-"
…None of his worries really mattered. Not when Aimsey was still crying and needed some comfort. …Like how a parent puts aside their own feelings so they can be there for their kid—damn, he really hated the Symmetry parents. Aimsey was such a good kid! How could they mess up what should've been such a loving and easy relationship?
"Aims, it's okay. I promise," Ren comforted him. "I'm not mad at you, okay?" Aimsey managed back a small nod, and leaned back as he tried to wipe away his tears. Ren dashed away one that nearly dripped from his chin, and offered a small smile when Aimsey finally lowered his hands, staring at him with red-stained eyes.
Ren really didn't want them to feel bad for it, even if it… wasn't ideal. He wasn't anywhere near ready to be a father, and he knew it was just because of their age difference and Aimsey still being so young that they saw him like they did. He just hoped that someday, they'd see him more like a brother than a father.
"I'm really honored that you like me so much, and that you see me like family," Ren tried to spin it positively. "And I love taking care of you, you're such a great kid," he praised them, hoping it would raise their spirits. "Really, False and I lucked out having someone so great tag along with us…"
He stopped himself when he said his girlfriend's name, and wondered… If Aimsey saw him like a father, did they…
"Aimsey…" he softly said their name, and Aimsey froze with guilt like they already knew what he was going to ask. "Do you… see False more like a mom than a sister?"
Their eyes darted back and forth as they thought of their answer, before they sheepishly nodded. "Sometimes," they admitted with shame. "It's just- she takes care of me, and she's always there for me—and my mom, she's- she's trying more but… I've always trusted Falsie more, so I guess…" they rambled out, before they choked out a dry sob, and heaved out, "I've never had to search for her in the stands of my games, because I know she'll be there! I don't have to wait forever to get picked up from school because I know she'll pick me up! I never worry about going hungry with her- or being made fun of by her- or being belittled like my mom used to do!"
They wiped away the fresh, hot tears streaming down their face as they let out another hiccup, and continued, softer, "I've just… she's always been there for me, like my mom and dad should've been, so I just…" They didn't need to finish the end of their sentence—Ren could put the pieces together for himself. He just nodded with a gentle hum of understanding, before they nervously met Ren's eyes, and begged, "…Please don't tell False."
Ren's heart ached for them—the both of them—all of them. He couldn't ever imagine a world in which False would've left Aimsey behind, but… it would've been nice if there was another choice. Someone who she felt secure with taking care of Aimsey, and who Aimsey could look up to like they looked up to them.
These were just the circumstances they were given, and they were all trying to do their best. That was all they could do.
"I won't say a word," he reassured them, and brought them in for another hug. They let out a sigh of relief, and buried their face in the crook of his neck. Ren held them until their sniffles died down, and their eyes dried of tears. He probably would've held them all night if they didn't have an event to get to shortly.
After a while, Aimsey let out a soft sigh, their breathing finally evened out. "'m really sorry," they whispered, the guilt still eating away at them.
He squeezed them tightly, before they slowly leaned back onto the couch cushion, and tiredly rubbed their eyes. "Nothing to be sorry about," he said with a grin, and wiped away the last few tears still drying on their face. "Now, let's get you down to the school for your game, yeah?"
They let out a sigh of relief, and nodded, letting a small smile grace their lips. He pat their shoulder, and stood up, then offered his hand to them. They stared at him for a moment, before their reservations slowly drifted away, and they smiled as they took it.
He waited around as they gathered up their game-bag and tied their shoelaces tightly, and tucked a few snacks into his own pocket in case they were hungry after the game and couldn't wait until they went out for pizza to celebrate.
He had to laugh at himself a little. He'd never felt so responsible for someone before—hell, he wasn't taking as good of care of himself just a year prior. He supposed he could see why Aimsey felt so safe with him, to the point of seeing their relationship as familial. If Aimsey needed someone like him in their life to look up to and be there for them, then that's what he would do.
Ren sat in his seat contently, watching as Aimsey ran up and down the court, completely focused in on the game that had just started. He understood why they put so much effort into the game—they were clearly passionate about it, and he just loved seeing them in action.
He startled when someone came down the row he was in, but immediately felt relieved when he saw that beautiful head of blonde hair and blue eyes, and felt a new wave of joy wash over him when she sat down next to him in the seat he reserved for her.
"Hey! Sorry I'm late," False apologized, and set her bag down. She glanced over the court, and asked, "Where's Aimsey? What's their new number?"
He grinned, and pointed down to where they were for the moment. "Number six is who we're here for," he happily answered, and leaned in as he put his arm around False's shoulder. He kissed her cheek, and smiled when she rolled her eyes at him.
"Focus on them, not on me," she teased, and her eyes darted around the court as she looked for them once more. She lit up when Aimsey noticed she was here, and gave a big wave before they focused back in on the game.
Ren watched the scene contently, though he went stiff as he played through bits and pieces of his and Aimsey's conversation from earlier. It was a little tragic, he felt—this period of False and Aimsey's relationship where they were more caretaker and the cared for, rather than just being siblings. He almost worried that him being here for them both only made it worse, since he could fill the fatherly position to complement False's motherly one, but he felt better when he reminded himself of how he could be there for Aimsey when False couldn't. They could take turns being responsible and fun, and maybe—he hoped, at least—when Aimsey was older, and didn't need to be watched over so much, they could be on the same level. Back to being siblings, and lifting this weight of responsibility off of their shoulders—False's, especially.
"-Hey, is something wrong?" False softly asked, and set her hand on his lower thigh. "You've been pretty quiet."
He blinked, not realizing he had been so lost in his thoughts. He felt a little guilty when he looked into her eyes, and replied, "I'm okay, Falsie," knowing that he was lying to her face, but… he felt the truth might hurt her more. It was up to Aimsey if they ever wanted to tell her how they felt. He wasn't going to break their trust, especially when he also felt it was best to keep it to themselves. Maybe one day, they could laugh about this, and it'd just be a fond memory from this time in their lives.
Before False could question him any further, his eyes widened when he noticed Aimsey steal the ball from the opposing team, and they ran for their side of the court. They jumped and made their shot, and False and Ren probably annoyed the people around them with how hardly she clapped, and how loudly he whooped when Aimsey waved excitedly at them. In that moment, it all felt so simple.
Despite it all, he'd always be there for Aimsey however they needed him. That was all he needed to do.