Chapter Text
Foster care, Y/N decided, was not fun after a decade. It was a cycle that mirrored that of a clock’s innards. Show up at a foster home, tick , stay in the said home for a few weeks, tock , cause a scene, tick , and end up in the back of a social worker’s car with trash bag luggage, tock . It was something she got used to after the first few times, being pulled away either in the dead of night or early morning, and would usually be in either a group home or another foster home by the time dinner rolled around.
But this family was different, she decided.
For one, she had a phone call with her new foster dad, Phil, while he was on his way to pick her up from the social welfare office in the heart of the city. It was a little uncommon, but nothing too weird, seeing as she’s had foster parents do it before. But what was different was when Phil made the caseworker turn off the speaker, and to hand the phone to Y/N. When the phone was handed to her, the caseworker watched her intently to make sure she didn’t insult the man, Phil personally introduced himself to her, stating how excited he was to have another addition to the house.
Phil had gone on to explain, as he was barreling down the highway, about how all three of his kids were like her, all coming from foster care at various points in their lives. He had three boys, named Techno, Wilbur, and Tommy, all of whom were equally ‘excited’ (she used the term lightly, seems like he was only in it to get money from the state) to have her in the family. He went on by saying he had a room ready for her, that the two of them could go out tomorrow to get stuff for said room, only briefly pausing when Y/N gave some sort of confirmation that she was indeed listening to him.
And now here she was, waiting for the man to eventually arrive, sitting in the golden rays of the dimming sun next to the window. A few people had passed through the office, whether to get papers or to simply chat with the caseworker sitting across from her, but no one paid any attention to the lonely girl in the chair, who was clutching the mouth of the trash bag with her hands. Her feet were bouncing, legs shaking as she thought of ways she would run from Phil’s house, once she eventually got there. Her mind wandered to the possibilities of her living conditions, imagining rat droppings, busted windows, and pee-stained carpets. Phil already had 3 kids, and the conditions of the homes that had more than two kids were usually horrid. So how in the world was Phil approved to foster a fourth kid?
A knock sounded at the door, the caseworker giving a ‘come in’ before the door creaked open. Y/N had just assumed that it was just another assistant coming in to ask for a form, or to chat for a few minutes, but that was interrupted when a man who wasn’t wearing formal clothing entered the room, his body being slightly reflected by the window.
“Sorry about being late, traffic was horrible in the city.” The man replied, standing awkwardly as he closed the door behind him. She had taken to looking at him, observing the green theme he had, and the white and green bucket hat that covered his blonde hair. She squinted her eyes, watching as he shook his hand with the caseworker, and then extended his hand towards me. “I’m Phil, by the way, and I’m assuming you’re Y/N?” He asked, his eyes meeting the girl. She awkwardly extended her arm, grasping his huge hand as she gave a small shake.
“Yes.” She replied bluntly, wanting to get this over with already. Phil surprisingly wasn’t awkward with this interaction, his smile becoming more prominent when she spoke. Guess he was used to the silent treatment. He sat down in the chair next to Y/N, patiently folding his hands as her case file was pulled up on the monitor pointed towards the two of them. The sun was now barely peeking over the buildings, but that didn’t stop Phil’s excited chattering ringing through the cramped office.
Another thing she found odd about the man was his insistence that she be involved in any discussions they had about her. As the caseworker would go over her file, Phil would occasionally look over to her, asking for clarification on a few points. I mean, who better than the person it’s about? She always gave one or two worded answers, annoyance written on her face when they eventually started to cover her “disobedient tendencies”. She scoffed at a particular instance, one where she got 2 weeks probation in the group home after she had a fistfight with a boy her age about a year ago.
“Is there something you’d like to add?” The caseworker asked, her voice holding a slight edge. “Yeah, you gonna mention that the bitch tried to steal my underwear?” Y/N sneered, crossing her arms as she slumped back in her chair. “Were you going to mention that?” Phil asked the social worker, his eyebrows furrowing in anger. Not at Y/N, but the other woman in the room, something Y/N found odd. She had pulled that stunt at one of her fostering meetings, the foster parents’ response being “Well, you must have egged him on!”
She didn’t stay a full week at that home.
Needless to say, the meeting didn’t last long after that. After wrapping up her case file, and handing a copy to Phil, he was standing at the now opened door, waiting for Y/N to exit the room before he did. She grabbed the trash bag, slinging it over her shoulder as she walked out of the room, eyeing a beefy guy with long pink hair that sat in the chair next to the door. Next to him sat a skinny blonde boy, enthusiastically playing a game on his phone. “Boys, this is Y/N, she’ll be staying with us. Y/N, this is Techno and Tommy.” Phil introduced, motioning to each boy as he hounded them out of their seats.
“Hullo.” Techno greeted, standing up as he grabbed his bag that sat at his feet. He easily towered over her and even had a few inches on Phil. He wore sunglasses inside the building, something that Y/N didn’t question too much. Who knows, maybe he had an eye condition? The second boy, Tommy, had already stood up, shoving his phone in his back pocket, about to take off if it weren’t for the glares Techno and Phil gave him. He rolled his eyes, turning towards Y/N.
“What’s up, woman?” He asked, a horrified gasp sounding behind Y/N. Phil sounded tense. “Tommy don’t-” “What’s up bitch baby?” Y/N interrupted, a snort coming from Techno as Tommy’s face proceeded to turn red. “You bitch!” He shouted, receiving a ‘shh!’ from Phil before all four of them piled into the elevator, starting the descent down to the lobby.
Once the group got towards the car, Phil started to make seating arrangements “Tommy, Techno, you two sit in the back seat. Y/N, you can sit in the front with me, how does that sound?” Phil asked, electing to ignore the whining of his youngest, Tommy. “That’s fine, I guess.” She answered, choosing to savor how she wouldn’t have to sit squished in between two rowdy boys. “Here, let me take your bag for you.” Techno offered from her left, already moving towards the bag slung over her shoulder. Her eyes widened, her breathing rapidly increasing.
“NO!” She shouted, jumping back a few steps, her voice echoing through the nearly silent parking lot. Techno slightly recoiled in surprise, not expecting the quiet girl to suddenly shout so loudly. Phil clapped a hand on his shoulder, the smile on his face slightly drooping, but never leaving. “That’s okay Y/N, you can just keep your bag with you upfront.” He reassured, beckoning with his other hand for her to come back near them. She took a few beats, looking in between the welcoming eyes of Phil, and the awkward Pinkette next to him, before eventually deciding that running might not be the best solution.
She bit the inside of her cheek, her cheeks turning a bright red as she mustered up the courage to slink her way towards the group, and she was led to the passenger’s side of the car, the door being graciously opened by Phil. She hauled the bag inside, plopping inside once she was certain it wouldn’t be going anywhere else besides from between her legs, Phil closing the door behind the girl. He jogged over to the driver’s side, hopping in to escape the bitter cold as they all buckled up.
“So, how about dinner?” He asked, receiving whoops from the backseat.
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Dinner was as filling as someone could expect. They stopped at a McDonald’s, all of them opting for burgers, saved for Y/N’s safe choice of Chicken Nuggets. She was surprised when they all opted to park the car and eat right then and then, a definite change from the last few homes she had the pleasure of gracing her presence with. After they had finished their meals, they went and dumped their trash in the garbage bins.
They were now on the highway, coasting down what Y/N could assume as ‘really freaking fast, but not breaking the law’ mph. Phil had told her about thirty minutes back that it would be a long trip back, seeing as they lived in the country, and to get comfortable. Tommy and Techno had taken to playing on their phones in the back, the sounds of pits, and what she could assume to be damage being taken sounding through the air. The radio had some R&B on, a personal favorite of Phil’s she would soon discover.
Between the full stomach, the quiet ambiance, and the heat blasting on her face and ass (heated seats, she had delightfully discovered 15 minutes back), she didn’t notice the way her eyes had slowly started to droop. She was nestled into her seat, hands in her hoodie pockets, eyes turned towards the window, watching the trees rush by, and the occasional car trying to pass them.
Her mind blared warning messages, reminding her that she was in a car with strangers who looked like could easily outrun and outmaneuver her, but she was so tired. The trees turned into a blur of dark hues, the cars becoming shooting stars. Her head slipped on the glass, giving a soft ‘thud’ as she made contact with it. Phil heard the noise, and quickly glanced over, noticing how her eyes were closed, soft exhales coming from her mouth every so often. He smiled, his eyes now focused back on the road, looking occasionally on his sons and his foster daughter.
“You two.” Phil addressed softly, watching how Techno and Tommy looked up from their phones, only Techno noticing the now sleeping girl next to Phil. “Remember what I said about the new family, alright? I think she’s a perfect fit with us, and I would really appreciate it if you two behave while she settles.” Techno and Tommy nodded, a small smile gracing Phil’s face at the confirmation “Yeah Big Man, we won’t be too rowdy!” Tommy adds, brightly smiling at the two before aiming his eyes back down at his phone, Minecraft already unpaused.
It was about another thirty of uneventful driving before Phil pulled up to their house, Techno and Tommy quickly hopping out of the car and slamming the door shut seconds after Phil turned off the engine. Before Phil could scold them for the slams, he saw Y/N quickly stir awake, blinking her eyes in confusion as she took in her new surroundings. “Hey sorry about the slam, Techno and Tommy aren’t exactly the quietest.” He apologized, watching as she rubbed her eyelids wearily.
“ ‘S okay.” She mumbled, unbuckling her seatbelt as she gently pushed open the car door. She grabbed her bag, choosing to throw it over her other shoulder as she and Phil made their way to his house. She followed tentatively behind him, watching his every move. Her eyes scanned the front of the house and the forest that surrounded it, listening to the wind rustling what little leaves remained on the trees. At a particularly hard gust, she shivered, the hands that gripped the bag begging for the warmth the car gave them.
The two stepped into the house, the heat beckoning them inside. “Normally we put our shoes over there, but you can keep your shoes with you.” Phil said as he slipped off his shoes, shoving them next to the pair of sneakers she had seen Tommy wearing earlier. “You probably won’t see Wilbur until the morning, he’s usually out late on Saturdays.” He had motioned for her to step further inside the house, stepping into a living room and sitting on a loveseat. Y/N followed suit, sitting down on the couch adjacent to the love seat, putting the bag on the floor next to her. Phil had long taken off his coat and was now looking at Y/N, a patient look in his eyes. “I figured we could go over some household rules and a tour before going off to bed,” Phil said, waiting for confirmation to continue.
Rules were always a tricky situation. This would be the thing that told Y/N if her stay was going to last a couple of weeks or a couple of months. He would probably put in some normal rules, at least normal for the foster families she’s been to, like no eating outside of meals and no speaking unless spoken to. “Alright, so the first thing I want to get out of the way is that yes you can swear. I know that was a big one with Tommy.” He reminisced, putting his palm in his right hand. “Just no slurs and shit, mate.”
Mate? That was a new one.
“Uh, second is there’s no set bedtime. Everyone just does what they can, I usually go to bed at around 11.” He was looking up now, counting things off with his hands, lost in a list in his mind. It was pretty lax for the most part. She could have food in her room, and could even lock the doors if she so chose.
“Follow me, I’ll show you where all the rooms are.” He had already stood up, back turned as he started towards the kitchen. She grabbed her bag, following as he started motioning towards a door in the kitchen. “That right there’s the pantry, everything is good for everyone unless there’s a sticky note with a name on it.” He had started up the stairs, waiting at the top for her to clamor up. Once she did, she took notice that she was now in a cramped hallway, with no windows in sight. She could work with this.
“And here are all the rooms! My room is down the end of the hall, but I’m sure you could tell from the decorations.” Phil had gestured to a door with “Phil” engraved in it, decorated with little block pigs, bees, and trees. She also noticed there were green feathers glued to it as well. The other doors had similar designs, a name with stickers and nicknacks adorning them, save for one door. It was on the left, just past Techno’s room, and right next to Phil’s. Of course, she was put next to, what she presumed, to be the strongest people in the house.
“I’m sure you guessed that blank door is your room.” Phil had broken her thought chain, squeezing ahead of her to open the door for her, ushering her into the room. “The bathroom is at the end of the hall, the door is usually opened so it’s hard to miss, mate. Tomorrow though we’ll go out and get stuff for your room, how does that sound?” He asked, leaning slightly against the doorframe, watching how Y/N started to spectate her room.
She gave a quiet nod, looking back at the man, who was looking at her with contentment. “If you need anything, you can always knock on my door, or Techno’s; Lord knows he’s up until the wee hours in the morning.” He had crossed the threshold into the room, placing a tentative hand on her shoulder, looking for any negative reaction. She slightly stiffened up, and the hand was immediately removed. “Welcome to the Craft family, Y/N.” He bid goodbye, giving one last smile before exiting the room, closing the door gently behind him. She took a second to stare at the door, observing the wood before turning back to her new room.
It was decently bare. There was a double bed in the corner of the room, neutral-toned sheets and a quilt already folded back, the pillows inviting her to bed. There was a dresser directly across the bed, discovering it was empty and barren when she slid open the drawers. She didn’t bother filling it, choosing to shove the trash bag in the corner. Phil was crazy if he thought she was gonna unpack, or even change into nightclothes. There was a desk a few feet to the left of the dresser, fitted with a lamp, an old office chair, and pencil holders. A window sat on the wall between the bed and the dresser, Y/N finding herself checking to see if it was locked, surprisingly, it wasn’t, opening with a loud squeak, letting in the bitter November air. She quickly closed it, longing for warmth
She sat down on the bed, sinking into a foreign softness, her back relaxing slightly at the reduced tension. Despite how wary she was of the new house and family, she found that her weary mind was teetering between the land of the waking and the sleeping. Y/N swung her feet on the bed after sliding off her sneakers, pulling a pillow down with her as she settled on sleeping half above the covers, her legs being covered by the sheets and quilts. Just a couple of minutes, she reassured herself. A couple of minutes of watching her eyelids, and she’d be back up. She exhaled, and slowly slipped off into her mind.
---
It was too warm for her legs. Shit. She woke with a start, confused about her surroundings, breathing heavily. Tears pricked at her eyes, her breathing labored, hands clamped over her mouth. The quilt had slid down to her stomach- wait, when did she pull it up past her waist? The warmth she felt by her legs started to get cold, and wet , tears starting to leak before she realized what she had done.
She had peed the bed after a nightmare, like a fucking toddler. Phil was going to be fucking pissed at her, the first night in and she had already ruined a fresh pair of sheets, possibly the mattress. She quickly scrambled from the bed, unceremoniously falling on the floor, a loud ‘thump’ ringing through the bedroom. Y/N was full-on crying, little sobs escaping her mouth as she remembered the last time this happened. She had to sleep outside, in the snow when she was 10, and she did not feel like repeating that experience. She could wash the damn sheets but she didn’t know where the laundry room was, or even if they had one. Oh, she was so fucked, so screwed over fuck fuck fuck fuck-
A knock had pierced the air, frantic eyes looking back at the door in horror. “Y/N, are you alright?” Phil had asked from the other side, sleep lacing his voice. She was cross-legged on the floor, nodding her head, not remembering he couldn’t see her. Her hands grasped her arms, holding tightly, finger beds bruising her arms. “Y/N?” Phil had knocked again, slightly opening the door, half expecting to see the teenager curled in her bed, sleeping soundly.
What he got was Y/N sitting on the floor, still in her day clothes, staring at the door horrified. From how she was sitting, Phil could see a wet stain running down her legs, and a quick look at the bed confirmed his suspicions. “Shit.” He muttered, fully stepping into the room. “Wilbur and Techno you can go back to bed, please don’t come out until I say so, okay?” Phil asked, crossing into the threshold of the room, heading straight for the crying girl.
He kneeled in front of Y/N, making sure not to touch her. “Y/N, you’re okay.” Phil had reassured, giving a coaxing smile as he reached out his hand towards her. She stared at the hand, and then back at Phil, eyes jumping back and forth before she decided on what to do. “I fucking pissed the bed though.” She cried, curling more into herself as she stared at the floor, her eyes looking like they would bulge out of her head. “It’s okay though! I’m not going to hurt you! Wilbur did the same thing his first night.” He comforted, his hand finally making contact with her clenched shoulders, a cry arousing from her mouth.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.-” She had started to mumble, slightly rocking back and forth in hopes of providing some comfort to herself. She started to close in on herself, no longer verbally responding to whatever Phil was saying in hopes of comforting her. “I’m going to lift you by the arms now, okay? How about we run you a nice bath?” He asked, only making a move for her underarms after she gave a meek nod. He lifted her, her legs unfolding as she shakily stood up, a nonexistent breeze making her shiver from how cold she was. Phil had started to gently guide her out of the room, taking note of the trash bag in the corner of her room.
Once he had confirmed no one was in the hallway, he led her towards the bathroom, missing the curious eyes from Wilbur’s room that were peeking from the crack of the door. The two were now at the end of the hall, and in the bathroom, where Y/N sat on the toilet seat as Phil started a warm bath for her, dipping his hand in it occasionally to make sure it wasn’t too hot for her. Once it had reached an optimal level, he had stood up, pulling a towel from beneath the sink and placing it over the towel rack next to the tub.
He also placed a washcloth on the edge of the tub, making sure Y/N could see and reach for it properly. “You can use any of the body washes if you so wish. Personally, I’d go for Tommy’s, it smells like Lavender.” He directed, watching as she nodded. He smiled sadly at her, knowing exactly what was going through her mind. “I’ll wash and change the sheets on the bed, you don’t have to worry about that.” He had made his way to the door, about to close it behind him when a voice had stopped him.
“Phil.” Her voice was quiet, but still powerful enough to make Phil whip his head back. She stared at him, not opening her mouth, the words dying on her tongue. Phil understood the message. “Anytime Y/N.” He smiled and closed the door behind him, the heated vapor disappearing from him. What can you say, the man will take what he can get.
By the time Phil had finished changing the sheets, drying the mattress, and quietly sliding a fresh outfit into the bathroom, Y/N had finished her bath. She exited the bathroom, flicking off the lights as she dried her hair with her towel. Feet crept silently down the hall, praying that no one would rouse from their non-existent sleep, naive to the eyes staring at her from the eldest child’s room. She pushed open her door, surprised to see Phil sitting in her desk chair, hands neatly folded as he greeted the girl with open arms. She dumped the now used towel on the dresser, silently sitting on the bed as she watched Phil make his way to her.
No words were exchanged as she slipped into bed, not resisting the hand that gently guided her to lay on the mattress, the same hands that pulled the bedding past her arms and up to her chin. He sunk down on the bed, leaning over to place a hand on her arm as he watched her slowly slip deeper and deeper into unconsciousness. He quietly slipped out of her room, closing the door with a soft click as he made his way back to his bedroom, making a mental note to take care of the sheets in the morning.
It might take some adjusting, but Y/N was definitely going to fit in with the Craft family.