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Adaine loved Mordred and she loved Jawbone. She did, really. It was just… hard. She’d spent her whole life- well, really her life past the age of four, when Aelwyn grew out of loving Adaine- without love. Suddenly she had a father who wanted to play catch with her and do her hair and- whatever it was dads did with their kids. Sometimes she just needed to hide. Sometimes she needed to be hurt without comfort, because the comfort was so terrifying.
Adaine finally had a day off, a day off Jawbone also had off, a day off where he said they could make up on missed father-daughter time. Adaine wanted it, she said, even though the week at school had been hard and tiring and she just wanted to sleep, really. She just- she wanted to make Jawbone happy.
It was the night before their father-daughter date or whatever they were called. Jawbone had checked in to make sure she was good, and she still wanted to do it. Still, she had rushed out of that conversation. She was just. So. Tired. Adaine could not wait to get to sleep- trance, she reminded herself. Elves only slept if they were severely unwell or quite young. Most elves tranced nightly by the time they were three or four.
Adaine was still trancing when Jawbone walked into the room. Groggily, she woke up and smiled at him. He filed that smile away because although he couldn’t tell what it was, he knew the smile was different.
“Want me to braid your hair, kiddo?”
She smiled up at him again and nodded her head almost childishly.
“Well, okay then. I’ve never braided hair before though so it might be bad.”
Adaine squinted for a moment, as though concentrating, as she said “That’s okay, I’ve never had my hair braided before either!”
Jawbone felt his heart swell at seeing this wonderful kid that was his, his, and promised that he would never let someone hurt her again. He sat down, legs crossed, and patted at the ground for Adaine to sit in his lap.
Adaine felt herself shrinking at the feeling of Jawbone’s fingers combing through her hair. No, she told herself. She wasn’t allowed to be small. Especially not in front of Jawbone. But having her hair braided, it just felt so childish. And she’d been so tired from the week at school, school with all the big kids and hard work and- NO! She couldn’t slip. She didn’t slip. She was a teenager and an adventurer and a straight-A student. She wasn’t a little kid.
Adaine shrank into Jawbone as he combed through her hair. He’d noticed her acting different all morning, but he didn’t want to upset her by bringing it up. Besides, it was nice to finally get to parent her a little. She was usually so fiercely independent. Still, it became hard to ignore as Adaine seemed to get smaller and smaller, pressing in close to Jawbone.
“You okay, kiddo?” he checked, nervous about what this might mean.
Adaine’s voice came out small and young, in bits and pieces. “Daddy.”
Several things raced through Jawbone’s head at that moment, but none of them were important as he shoved them aside in favor of taking care of his daughter. “That’s right, kiddo. Am I braiding right?”
She nodded up at him and smiled (when had her parents beaten that out of her? Trained that smile away because it was too bright, too happy, too unprofessional.), eyes bright and beaming. He wished Adaine had grown up with someone who fostered this joy.
“‘S per-pur- purfec, Daddy.”
He held her close in his lap. This Adaine, this little one, she would have a dad that loved her.
“What do you want for breakfast, little one?” Jawbone asked, finishing the braid.
Apparently he’d fucked up. The smile fell off Adaine’s face as she curled inward protectively, avoiding his gaze. She shook her head. It was important that she ate, though. Jawbone had been working with her on getting food, but it was obvious she’d long since suppressed her appetite.
“We could have strawberry waffles, or blueberry pancakes,” Jawbone tried. He knew those were her favorites and he’d already been planning on making them with her before… this happened.
Adaine shook her head again. “No brek- breffast-“ she stumbled out.
Jawbone looked at her curiously. “Why’s that, kiddo?” Maybe it wasn’t a good idea. But still, it was important for him to know.
“Didn’ trance,” Adaine stumbled out. “No brekkie if I don’ trance.”
Jawbone shook his head. He had time for anger later. “That’s no good. I made waaay too much waffle batter for just one person!” He hoped the light encouragement would be more effective. “I’m sure nobody would be upset if you just helped me finish off a few.”
Adaine thought about this, sticking her tongue out in concentration (she was so cute. How could her parents have wanted to get rid of such a sweet child). She nodded after a minute, an agreement Jawbone was thankful for. A hungry child was a fussy child.
Jawbone could worry about what happened later. Right now, he was busy being a dad.