Chapter Text
The precinct had been rebuilt, the team was back together, and Chase was running around as a hero when Blond Blazer wasn’t needed. The team was ecstatic to have Sonar back and Robert had even forgiven him for all the damage he had caused while under Shroud’s thumb. The team joked more and rose through the ranks faster than Robert could believe. With all of them back together and the new high of being seen as equals to the rest of the Superheros employed by SDN, they had finally found their confidence and groove.
Robert had given up the title of Mecha Man for the foreseeable future and was content to sit behind the desk and lead his team to victory. After all the trouble Shroud went through to get the Astral Pulse, Robert decided that it wasn’t worth all the hassle and had locked Mecha Man up for a rainy day, while praying that day never came.
“Hey, bitch. You forget you have a job to do or what?”
That was another thing that had changed with the team's confidence.
“Nope, just thinking about what you should make for dinner.”
Flambae had manned up and admitted that Robert was his type a few days after the final battle against Shroud. Robert was taken back at first, because it was Flambae, but for some reason, the high of Shroud finally being gone, Robert decided to give him a chance and they hit it off.
One date turned into five and soon enough Flambae refused to drop Robert off at his shit apartment one more time, so he moved in. Now he had a loving boyfriend, a house that was actually a home, and good food each night.
“No flirting over the lines, Rob-Bob.” Sonar, that was definitely Sonar.
“I wouldn’t call that flirting, Sonar.” Invisigal.
“Can everyone shut up about my boyfriend, I get it, you’re jealous.” There was his hot head.
“Are they or are you?” Robert responded just as his phone range on his desk. He glanced over and found it to be Blazer. “One sec, guys.”
He pulled off his head set and leaned over the divider to talk to Chase.
“Could you watch my problem children for a minute?”
“Fine, but you better be back quick, fucker. Just ‘cause they saved the day doesn’t mean I have to like the fuckwads.” Chase grumbled as he pulled on his head set.
“Own you one.” Robert chuckled as he picked up his phone and walked to the meeting room for some privacy.
“Blazer, what do I own the pleasure?” Robert answered, grin still on his face.
“Robert, we need you down in medical.” Blazer sounded unsure and the grin melted off or Robert’s face into a frown.
“What’s happening?”
“I think we found your son.”
Robert had never sprinted anywhere so fast in his life. His son was alive, he was here just down the hall. Robert hadn’t told anyone about that night that ended with a mistake and a call about a baby. He hadn’t told anyone about being twenty and a single dad. He hadn’t told anyone the pain of coming back home and finding his son gone and the house ripped apart.
It had been five years since he went missing. Five years.
After his son disappeared Robert fell into alcohol and being Mecha Man, anything to distance himself from, Robert the failure of a father, Robert the man with the missing kid. He searched everywhere for him, only to find no hide or hair. After he went down in the blast the last piece of Robert that had been clinging to his son, finding him alive, broke as well.
The lights were bright as he finally made it to the Med wing of the SDN precinct. Blazer was waiting for him outside of a room with the curtains drawn.
“Is he… Where… Can I…” Robert scrambled for the right words before settling on one, “Please.”
Blazer gave him an up down and a small smile, “Why don’t you right yourself a little and then, I’ll let you in.”
Robert looked down to see his shirt and mess and he could feel how screwed his hair was. He quickly redid his shirt before running a hand through his hair before giving Blazer the most heart-wrenching look she had ever seen. She stepped back and nodded her head before turning and walking away.
Robert turned to face the door and grabbed the handle before taking a deep breath and pushing the door open. He made his way through the curtain before stopping in his tracks.
There, laying on the bed five feet in front of him, was his little boy. His brown hair, the same as his, was longer than it was last time he saw him, and he had definitely grown, but Robert would know his kid anywhere.
He let out a sob and collapsed into the chair next to the end before grabbing his son’s hand, his son was here, and laying his head on top of it. He could tell he was shaking, bad, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.
He raised his head again and ran a hand through his son’s hair before his eyes fluttered and cracked open. Robert froze as he took in his surroundings before his eyes settled on Robert.
“Dad?” Oh, it was his voice, the one he had thought he would never hear again. It was a little deeper, but it was his.
“Hey, LuLu, I missed you buddy.”
His son shot out of bed and threw his arms around him and held him close. Robert returned the hug with just as much force and held on for dear life. He never thought he would get this again, never thought he would hold him again, but here he was. He was never letting him go.
They pulled apart so Robert could study his face, big green eyes that looked like bright spring grass and freckles that dotted his face over the bridge of his nose. The crooked tooth Robert had asked if he wanted to fix, before his kids had nearly tipped over with how hard he shook his head no.
There was no doubt, this was his son, his Luke, his baby.
“Oh my God, I have missed you so much.” Robert pulled him back in, “I searched everywhere for you, but I couldn’t find you and just as I thought you were gone forever…” Robert didn’t finish his sentence, he merely closed his eyes and breathed in. His son was in his arms and the world felt right again.
“I missed you.” His boy, his angel, oh how he missed that voice.
“Me too buddy, me too.” He pulled back once more to get a good look at him. He looked no worse for wear, but Robert wanted to make sure.
“Any pain anywhere, anything feel weird?” Robert looked him over and even spun him around to check his back and sides.
His son giggled, oh the sounds, and leaned away from him, “No dad, I’m good, I’m really good.”
It hit him then just how big his son had gotten. Ten his son was ten, last time he saw him he was five.
Robert pulled him back into a hug and just held on, “I am never letting you go again.”
“Dad, gross, what if I have to go to the bathroom.”“Not even then.”
They both chuckled before Luke pulled away again and laid back down on the bed. Robert grabbed his hand again, unable to stand not touching him in some way, before his son began to speak.
“Tell me what you have been up to, I want to know.” And so Robert did, he told him all about being a hero for a little while, leaving out his less than stellar drinking problem, and how he got hired as a dispatcher, leaving out being blown up. He was about to tell him about Flambae before he caught himself.
“What is it?” Luke asked as he stared into his father’s soul. He always could tell when something was bothering him.
“I met someone, while you were missing.”
Luke lost his smile and got a serious look on his face, is that what Robert always looked like?
“Someone like her?”
Robert pulled back as if he had been slapped, “No never like your mother, never again.” The things that woman had done to him.
“Does she take care of you?”
Robert bit his lip, “It’s a he, actually.” Was there a how to guild on confessing your sexuality to your child, ‘cause he might need that.
“Well, does he?” That was the fastest Robert had ever seen some except that and a small part of him was proud.
“He does, he is very nice, but he can have a temper.” At his son’s frown he hurried to correct himself, “But if he ever messes up he always makes up for it many times over.”
Robert remembered the one time Flambae had been frustrated with the clean up from the Red Ring take over, he had smashed a pot in his anger and Robert had jumped before being skittish for the day. Flambae had apologized by taking him out to his favorite diner, then a nice stroll through the park, and he had never smashed a pit again. In fact if he was frustrated with work he went to the gym before coming home. All of that from one time and Robert hadn’t even said anything.
“Many many many times over.”
Something must have shown on his face because Luke relaxed before asking another question, “Will I be able to meet him?”
Robert opened his mouth before something dawned on him. He had never told Flambae. He lived with Flambae, he dated him, he obviously fucked him, but he could never get past that lump in this throat every time the thought of his son came up.
“I live with him so you will have to, but I never… It’s not like… I just.” A small hand grabbed his.
“It’s okay dad, this was hard on both of us.” His son gave him a soft smile and Robert felt his heart melt and break at the same time. He had really grown up without him.
“Tell me more about him, and your team, they sound fun.”
Robert and Luke spent the next few hours talking about everything Robert could think of.
Flambae walked through the medical wing slowly. Blazer wouldn’t tell him what was happening just that Robert needed him in medical and that he wasn’t hurt or dying. Didn’t stop Flambae from being anxious.
“Oh, and I would wear real clothes.” That was tacked on to the end of their conversation, but Flambae had taken the hint and dressed in a spare black button up and blue jeans that he kept in his locker of things like this.
He turned the corner and saw Robert talking with a child. He had Robert’s hair and even his face shape, but before Flambae could study more the child saw him and stared. Robert caught on and turned to look as well before a look of panic/anxiety/love filled his eyes. He turned back to the child on the bed, said something they nodded to, before he got up and walked out the door and met him outside.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
They both greeted each other before pausing.
“Robert, what is going on?” Flambae grabbed his hand and brought it to his lips to kiss gently and Robert started to shake.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” Tears were pouring down his face.
“For what, Robert, you’re scaring me.” Flambae tried to meet his eyes but Robert wouldn’t let him.
“I never told you. I meant to, I really did, but..”
Flambae kissed him gently and pulled back slowly before resting his forehead against Robert’s.
“Breathe and then tell me what’s going on. I promise I won’t be mad, I just want you to breathe.”
Robert took a labored breath, and another before sighing as his breathing settled.
“Remember the last relationship I told you about?”
Flambae growled slightly before answering, “With that abusive bitch, yes I remember.”
“Well, I didn’t tell you everything.” Robert took a breath and looked Flambae in the eyes, “The reason I didn’t leave was because she was pregnant.” Flambae just stared at him. “With my child.”
His eyes snapped to the child he could see over Robert’s head and found the boy studying him as well. Interesting.
“And that’s him?” A thought occurred, “Did that bitch keep him from you?”
“No!” Robert almost shouted, “Fuck no, I would have never left him with her no he,” Deep breath, “He went missing five years ago ad they found him.”
Robert looked up at Flambae and with tears in his eyes repeated himself, “They found him.”
Flambae looked back at the child and it felt like he was looking at a different version of Robert. He even had the same calculating gaze.
Flambae looked back down at Robert and bumped him with his shoulder. “Then, I should go meet the most important person in your life, shouldn’t I?”
Robert looked up and saw Flambae’s small smile and couldn’t help himself. He kissed him, hard before pulling away.
“Thank you.”
“For you, anything.”
With that Robert grabbed his hand and led him to the door and pushed it open.
“Luke this is…”
“My name’s Chad, little man.” Robert stared at Flambae as he made his way to the other side of the bed, “I want to thank you for being so brave and strong.” Flambae never took his eyes off of the child’s, “Thank you for returning to your dad, I’ve never seen him happier.”
Luke turned to look at Robert and he tried to cover up his tears, but failed spectacularly.
Luke turned back to Flambae, “Neither have I, thank you for taking care of him while I was gone.”
Robert watched as the two of them bonded over their shared love for him. Robert took a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting their voices wash over him. This is what peace felt like.