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Leo never wanted to be a father.
It was an unkind thought if he was honest with himself. After all, he was. And it wasn't as if Forrest was an unwanted child, it was just. Complicated. Yes, that was the word for it. Complicated.
Most of Leo's life was complicated. From his birth into the Nohrian royal family, to his childhood. Leo was never quite the normal child, try as he might at first. It was clear from an early age that something about him was different. And it was that he was a he. Leo hadn't paid it much mind growing up at first, but eventually the dresses and the make-up and the etiquette he was meant to wear and embody felt wrong. It felt constraining. Much in his life had felt that way deep down, but this was something he could potentially handle.
Leo came out as trans at a fairly early age. It was both a simple process and a complicated one. His siblings embraced this change easily, although Leo suspected it took Xander longer than his sisters to accept. He once made an awkward joke about Leo coming for the throne now, but Leo dismissed the very idea. Leo had no idea what his mother thought of him being trans, but he knew how his father felt. Or didn't feel. King Garon did not make it a secret his lack of care for his children. Perhaps if his first wife hadn't died, and he didn't lose his second one, then maybe he would have been more of a father, but that wasn't the case. He let Leo do as he pleased, changing his name and taking potions to go through the correct puberty, but he didn't ask questions, didn't check in with the young boy. Leo really only had his siblings and retainers to see him through the harder parts of his transition. For the Kingdom itself, Leo was never quite sure how they felt about it. He never encountered harsh words or attacks due to it, but Leo sat through some rather invasive questions and open stares.
It didn't matter. In the end, Leo grew into a man that he was proud of. And he had most of his family behind him.
Corrin, themselves, was a bright spot. Corrin never took to being a boy or a girl, mixing the two and then rejecting them both outright. It took some time, but Corrin decided that they were genderfluid, moving between one to the other. Having someone in a similar situation helped Leo accept his own. Corrin was always kind and willing to lend an ear. They were a wonderful sibling.
Leo never expressed it as deeply as some of his other siblings, but when Corrin was stolen away and then came back, he was overjoyed. Corrin was a true sibling to him, even if they weren't related by blood. Leo was happy to have a family, but he never thought about having his own.
There was pressure on him, of course, as there was for all the Nohrian siblings, especially Xander. The idea of having a child was a strange one. It would require research and time. Leo wasn't opposed to carrying a child and giving birth, but it wasn't easy to think about. It was even worse when he was pregnant. At times, he would break down crying, only his family, Niles, and Laslow to comfort him. Niles was by his side even more often during those long months. It didn't matter that he was hidden away, allowed time and rest. His body was changing in ways he did not expect. Sometimes he wondered if he made the right choice, if a man would choose to do this, but Leo stood by it. He saw it through until the end.
"It's a boy," he remembered the nursemaid informing him, playing the small child into his arms. He stared down at Forrest as his siblings trickled in, Elise beyond excited about her new nephew. Corrin with a quiet, but steady hand on his shoulder. Laslow and Niles watching from the door. Niles gave a rare genuine smile to him and Leo felt like everything was going to be okay.
At least, that's what Leo thought.
"You haven't visited Forrest in a while."
Leo looked up from the book he was half-reading to see Camilla at his door. He set the book down, knowing that he wasn't going to get much reading done if Camilla was here. His siblings all had their own quirks, and those often meant they could be a lot to deal with; himself included. He also saw, from behind her, Elise peeking out. She gave her brother a smile.
"Did you both come here to talk to me about my daughter?"
"Sort of!" Elise walked into his office, followed by Camilla. "It's just that I was spending time with her the other day, and she mentioned it. She looked sort of sad."
"I know you're not the most affectionate person around, Leo, but you shouldn't ignore your own child."
"I'm not ignoring her," Leo insisted. Camilla's face said that she didn't believe him. She leaned forward, grabbing one of his cheeks and pulling on it.
"Now don't pout. You're a grown man."
Leo swatted Camilla's hand away, scowling. "I am not pouting. If you just came in here to bother me-"
Camilla waved a hand. "No, no. I meant it. I think you should go and see her. Assure her that you aren't ignoring her. What if she thinks she's done something wrong?"
Leo seemed offended by the suggestion. Of course Forrest hadn't. "She's done nothing to earn a cold shoulder. I've just been busy." He glanced down at the book he was reading. Perhaps there was some truth to their accusations, but it wasn't like they were saying. He was just feeling... uneasy about messing things up.
Camilla sighed, running a hand through her hair. She then gave Leo a smile. "Do what you will. But if Forrest likes us better then that's on you." Elise giggled before following Camilla out of the room. They seemed to fall into conversation which faded quickly enough down the hall. Leo sat there thinking about what they said. Had it really been that long since he last saw Forrest? He thought it was recent enough, but perhaps he was wrong about that. Leo's thoughts were interrupted by another entry into his office. He scowled for a brief moment before he realized who it was.
"Are you also here to chastised me for not visiting my daughter that often?"
Niles gave a cheeky smile, shrugging as he walked over to the desk. "I mean I don't really care if you do or not."
Leo didn't believe that at all. Niles might try to pretend he didn't care, but he had been there by Leo's side throughout his pregnancy and Forrest's early days. Of course, there was a reason for that, but Leo was just trying to focus on the current problem.
"I don't want people to think I don't care about her. It's just... I wonder if we're too different to really bond."
"Because she's so girly and you're so... strange?"
Leo frowned. Niles laughed, shaking his head. "I think you have more in common than you might think. She is your daughter after all."
"I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean." That wasn't true. Leo had a lot of ideas about what Niles was saying. He reached out briefly to touch Niles's hand. He stood there, waiting, taking it briefly. "I suppose I should see her. If only to reassure her I'm not avoiding her."
"Prince Leo? Avoiding things? Couldn't be true." Niles squeezed his hand, letting it go. He gave a small mock bow and then followed him out of the room. They chatted more as Leo headed to where he knew his daughter would be. It gave him the confidence he needed.
"Forrest. Can I join you?"
She seemed startled by his voice, so focused on her sewing she hadn't even heard him approach. She turned to look back at her father with a look of surprise and a bit of concerned.
Ah! Father! I'm so sorry... Let me clean this up right away."
The room was a bit of a mess with various fabrics and outfits all around. There were several mannequins already adorned and racks with parts of clothing. It was honestly impressive. Leo wasn't sure if Forrest had created all of these herself, or if some of them were clothes that she bought, but there was an undeniable cute and bright feeling to the room. Forrest, herself, was pink in the face, scrambling to try and hide away what she could. Leo raised a hand.
"There's no need for that. Aren't you still working on that garment?"
Forrest froze where they were, arms filled with dresses and skirts and blouses. Nearby, on a desk, there was a blouse, half embroidered with flowers. Forrest blushed again, setting the clothes down. She seemed almost cautious when Leo waited for her response.
"Yes. It's an important piece I wanted to get finished today." Forrest looked a little sheepish. "I assumed you didn't want to see this. I know you don't approve of me making feminine clothing..."
That wasn't incorrect. There was a lot about Forrest's childhood that made things a bit difficult for Leo. One day, Forrest started to want to wear dresses and grow her hair out. To look feminine. She asked Camilla for make-up lessons. Going shopping with some of the other royal children and the retainers children as well. Elise was always happy to join her too. Leo never said it, but he wondered if Forrest's hair was in a way inspired by his aunt's. It was surprising to Leo, especially once Forrest had taken it upon herself to start making her own clothes, working hard at sewing and designing new pieces. When Forrest admitted one day that she felt more like a girl than she did a boy, Leo didn't know how to respond. It was strange, honestly, to most people how Leo took the news. He was trans himself, and yet he was acting a bit odd about his own daughter's coming out.
It wasn't as if Leo was upset or anything! He wanted Forrest to be her true self, in the way that he was able to. It was simply that he didn't know what to do now. He remembered his own struggles with his transition, and he didn't want Forrest to have to deal with the same. But there was something about the whole situation that left Leo sometimes lost. He didn't know what it meant to be a girl, to become a woman. He never had the chance, and he was happy for that, but it made his relationship with Forrest strained. Leo thought that she might struggle with it too, how opposed they were, even if they were the same in some way. Both moving to the other side, one masculine and one feminine.
Leo never wanted to be a father, but he was now. He had to accept that, and he had to start making a real effort with Forrest.
"That's not true at all. Don't you enjoy making clothes? I know I've objected in the past, but that was very wrong of me. I don't ever intend to dissuade you from following your passions."
This is what Forrest loved. His own father never cared for him, never showed a sign that his transition, his discovery of himself, meant anything to him. Leo didn't want to be his father. Forrest seemed surprised, but there was a smile growing on her face.
"I... I'm so happy to hear you say that."
Forrest's words were soft. She was holding her blouse, staring down at the half design. She really was happy.
"Your sewing skills are most impressive. Perhaps you would consider making something special for me?"
"Really?! I would love to!"
Leo was not sure what he wanted Forrest to make, but there was still time. Leo sat down on a stool as Forrest started to talk about designs and pieces, the things she could make for her father. Together they talked about how she fell in love with sewing and the moments it clicked in their brains that they were trans. In fact, Forrest admitted her love of sewing and gender thoughts came from the same place. When she was young, wearing a dress, and Leo said she was adorable. Leo was glad in some ways that he was able to help his daughter realize these things about herself. He told her that she still was, and he watched her beam.
It was not easy to be a parent and the road here was rough, but Leo was happy that in the end, he was a father and she was his daughter.