𝐄𝐌𝐎 𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐓 𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐈 ─ 𝐌𝐂𝐑. 𝐏!𝐀𝐓𝐃. 𝐅𝐎𝐁. 𝐓Ø𝐏.

𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫. (𝐆. 𝐖𝐚𝐲 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫)

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Note: Hi, my loves and welcome to Emo Quartet Imagines: Volume II.

Here's a short, fluffy one shot to start us off.

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"Don't forget the sunscreen, sweetie," you called after Bandit, reaching into your purse to pull out a bottle of lotion and wave it in the air as you beckoned her to come toward you.

She bounded over, skidding to a halt in front of you and standing in perfect military stature, tilting her head up with an expectant look as she waited for you to apply the sunscreen for her.

With a soft laugh, you crouched down so that you were level with her height and proceeded to lather the lotion onto every inch of her exposed skin, rubbing it in thoroughly.

Gerard had booked a vacation to Thailand, just for the three of you, and today was your second day in the beautiful city of Pattaya, situated on the coast of the country. This particular trip was an important one in all of your lives, given that it was your first vacation with Bandit.

You and Gerard had been together for close to a year, and he'd introduced you to his daughter round about six months ago, when your relationship had officially transitioned into the 'serious' phase. The little one had taken a liking to you immediately, much to your and Gerard's delight, and she absolutely adored you.

You didn't get the chance to spend quality time with her too often, given that because of her dad's hectic work schedule, she spent most of her time with her mom, so this vacation was a chance for the two of you to forge a closer bond.

And judging by the way Bandit was currently pinching your cheeks and giggling, you had already started.

~

Leaving the hotel you were staying at, the three of you ventured into the lively streets of the city, leisurely strolling past groups upon groups of street vendors selling various tourist items and street food native to the country of Thailand.

The delicious smell of tropical food wafted through the air, hitting your nostrils and igniting a sudden hunger in your stomachs.

"You guys hungry?" Gerard asked, slightly turning his body to look at you two, laughing as both of you nodded eagerly in response. "Alright, let's see what they have."

With your hand holding Bandit's much tinier one, you swayed over to the nearest food vendor, eyes scanning the chalkboard menu from behind your sunglasses. Both you and your boyfriend opted for a dish called moo ping – pork skewers on a bed of sticky rice – while Bandit went for the kluay tod – deep-fried mini-bananas.

Oh, what a mistake that was.

The rest of the day out in the city went absolutely fine; you visited the beach, made some sandcastles and went for a walk through one of the gorgeous botanical gardens. It was when you were back at the hotel that the problem arose.

It started out with Bandit complaining about a dull pain in her tummy, but it soon escalated to the little one throwing up all of the contents of her stomach.

"Do you think it was the food?" Gerard asked with a worried frown as he brushed the hair out of his daughter's face.

You nodded in confirmation, tucking her into bed as she clamped a hand over her stomach. "I think the bananas were overripe. Probably messed with her digestion."

"Should I run down to the local drug store and get some medicine or something?" he questioned, already moving to grab his jacket and some money.

"Yeah, you can. But I don't think it's wise to feed her anything now; I'll give her a dose in the morning," you answered, gently caressing her cheek and soothing her.

Taking a moment to observe you and how you interacted with Bandit, Gerard felt his heart swell, and he smiled adoringly at the scene in front of him before eventually snapping out of his trance a few moments later and heading for the store.

Almost at the precise moment that the door shut after Gerard, Bandit groaned out in pain and clutched at her stomach tighter.

"Shh, it's okay, sweetie," you cooed, rubbing her cheek with one hand as the other removed her hand from her stomach, replacing it with yours and beginning to rub small circles, "There, that help a little bit?"

She nodded weakly, sniffling softly as she let her eyes droop. She was quiet for a while, as you continued to rub her pain away, and you thought she had drifted off to sleep, but you were shown otherwise when she piped up.

"(Y/N), will you cuddle me to sleep?" she asked timidly, "That's what mom usually does when I'm sick."

Your throat tightened at her request, and you almost started crying from the happy emotions you felt in that moment. But you controlled your urges, and nodded instead.

"Yeah, of course, honey," you whispered, and she scooted over a little bit, allowing room for you to climb in and hold her.

Without even realising it, you too were falling victim to the prowess of sleep and soon enough, both you and Bandit had fallen into a deep slumber. Gerard returned a few minutes later and as he stepped into the room, he felt his heart almost leap out of his chest at the sight in front of him.

He knew right from the moment he met you that he would love you – that was practically a pre-determined thing. What wasn't pre-determined, however, was how long you and him would last; the only factor that could determine that was a beautiful, carefree, little five year old.

Bandit was the most important thing in his life, so it was imperative to your relationship that she approved of you, and that you were good with her. And while he had had no doubt that the two of you would get along well, nothing could've prepared him for just how well.

Despite having only spent time with her on three separate occasions before this trip, you had been able to connect with his daughter in a way that not even he could, and the scene that he was watching before him was only further proof of that fact.

Whenever she got sick while with him, Bandit wouldn't even let Gerard touch her too much. Yet here she was, letting you snuggle her while she slept against your chest.

Gerard shrugged off his jacket and kicked his shoes to the side before walking over to join the two of you. He smiled as he slinked in next to you and in that moment, he was the happiest he'd been since the birth of his daughter, because now he knew for sure – he had found his soulmate.

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Thank you for reading x