WLTGO one shots

Parenting blows

"Daddy!!!" Vesper cries from the living room.

Elliot had been raising Vesper for four years now. And it hadn't been easy.
Managing a farm, a child, and a father isn't the easiest thing to do.
Especially when his sister, Virgo came to stay with her son, Aster.
Aster and Vesper did nothing but fight.

It was exhausting.

He opens the kitchen door.
"Yes, sweetheart?" He says to Vesper.

"Aster hit me!"

"I didn't! She's lying!"

"Yes you did!"

Elliot sighs.
Here we go again he thinks.
He did not have the patience or stamina to deal with this today.
He walks into the living room and kneels down next to the two of them.

"Okay what's happened, from your view Vesper."

Vesper sticks her tongue out at Aster before turning to her father, arms folded.

"I was trying to him to listen to me because he asked about my football training, but he wasn't listening so I tapped his shoulder—"

"No she didn't she pushed my shoulder!"

"Aster." Elliot said firmly. "Wait 'till she's done."

Aster rolls his eyes and pouts.
Elliot turns back to Vesper.
"Then he shoved me and I shoved him back and then he hit my arm."

Elliot looks at Aster.
"Anything to add?"

"I didn't hit her! She shoved me so I shoved her back!"

Elliot sighs.
"Well I can't do anything about it if I wasn't there. Aster don't touch Vesper, Vesper don't touch Aster. Okay?"
He gets up and heads back to the kitchen.

"Told you he wouldn't believe you." Vesper says.

Elliot rolls his eyes and shuts the door.
________________________________

"Uncle Elliot?" Aster opens Elliot bedroom door, rubbing his eyes, holding his glasses.

Elliot closes his laptop.
"Aster it's one in the morning why are you up?"
Aster walks in and stands next to his bed.

"Mummy won't wake up, so I came to you. Vespers put spiders in my pillow again."

A small rise of anger starts in Elliot but he pushes it down. It's not Asters fault.
He sighs.
"Your sure you can't wake your Mum up?"

"She's got headphones in. Can I stay here?"

Elliot stares at Aster.
He couldn't just leave him in a spider full bed, that would be cruel. But he also had Collage essays to write. And his laptop would keep Aster awake.
"What about Grandad?"

"His doors locked." Aster says.

Of course it was. Elliot sighs.
He moves up closer to the wall.
"Come on, get in."

Aster smiles and climbs into his bed and under the duvet and puts his glasses on the bed side table.
Elliot opens his laptop.
"Goodnight." Aster says.
"Night." Elliot smiles.
Vesper was in huge trouble with him in the morning.
________________________________

"Vesper Audrey Hooper!" Elliot yelled up the stairs. "Down stairs now!"

"Elliot, your dads still asleep quiet down." Virgo says, putting Asters toast down in-front of him before sitting next to him.
A bedroom door opened to show the guilty face of Vesper.

"Yeah?" She said, worried.

Elliot raises an eyebrow and folds his arms.
"Down. Now. You know what you've done."

Vesper sat at the breakfast table next to Virgo.
"Vesper why on earth are you still putting spiders in Asters pillow case? Last time I said you won't be going to football for the next month and you seemed to have ignored that. So—"

"Wait no! Sorry!!"

"I don't wanna hear it. You knew it would happen. I'm not taking you next week."

"Please!!" She cried.

Elliot rolls his eyes.
"Do you want to try me Vesper Hooper?"

She sinks into her chair, sulking.
"I hate you." She mutters.

"Hey I heard that." He says walking into the kitchen.
Virgo stands up and follows him in.

"Hey, you didn't have to do that did you?" Virgo says. "That was a little harsh wasn't it?"

"It was perfectly reasonable, she was warned."
Elliot says, taking a Wheetabix box out the cabinet.
Deep down he knew he shouldn't when shouted at her, she was only four after all. But he was right, she had been warned two times before. But last time they were empty threats.

And being a single father for a daughter was hard enough, and when she was stroppy, it wasn't any better.

If only he still got along with the gods...
They'd be a big help right now.
No. He thought. They've interfered with your life enough. The last thing you need is them messing it up even more with your daughter.

But no matter what happens, Elliot Hooper was never going to ask them for help ever again.