The Henry Stickmin Collection AU

Bad Dad

Charles swallowed again, not liking his tone.

"I won't accept that my son chose the Toppats over the government. So..."

He knew he saw tears in Galeforce's eyes now.

"I'm sorry, but you can't... Be my son anymore."

Charles stepped back.

"General... Please..." he whispered. "Don't... Do this..."

"Both of my sons have left me now. And in my heart, you will forever be my little Charlie. But... I can never feel the same about you again."

Charles choked on his tears.

This was all his own fault.

It was all his emotion's fault...

But as much as he tried, he just couldn't pin this against Henry.

Shit...

"General... Please... I'm still the same Charlie you chose..."

"I never thought the Charlie I wanted would stab me in the back when he grew up."

Charlie's sadness turned into rage.

"And I never thought the father I wanted would disown me with no thought about it!" he cried. "I never thought that you could be a bad person to me! I always thought that I finally belonged to someone!"

"And you do. It's just not me."

"General... When you chose me, I thought you were the best guy in the world. I looked up to you... I wanted to be you. I thought you would never hurt me. I guess... I was wrong..."

The General seemed to be getting more upset.

"Maybe you were," he snapped. "Maybe you were always wrong. Maybe I was wrong for choosing you. For wanting you."

Charles was stunned into silence.

But he thought of a contradicting thing to say right after.

"Maybe you were," he retorted. "Maybe you were wrong when you thought you could be a father. Maybe I was wrong for wanting you to be my dad. Maybe I was wrong for being so excited to see you sign the line for me."

"Maybe you were. Maybe you weren't wrong. Maybe you were just dumb. That would explain a lot."

Charles was mad. He was upset. Mad. And he wasn't thinking either.

"Maybe it should've been obvious to you why you have no kids!" he shouted. "Maybe it should've been obvious why Burt and I were so sad we joined the Toppats! Maybe it's because we just had a bad dad!"

It wasn't as if Charlie hadn't meant what he said.

But as soon as the General's face changed, he knew he shouldn't have said anything.

The General opened his mouth to speak, then shook his head and disconnected the call, the TV turning off.

It was silent for a few seconds.

Charles was hyperventilating and tears were streaming down his face, dropping to the metal floor underneath him.

"Charlie!"

Charles knew who it was, and didn't turn to face him.

"Heh! I hope you don't mind a red hat. It matched your headphones."

Henry chuckled quietly.

"Why's the TV off? Charlie..?"

Charles ran into him, arms tightly wrapping around his torso.

"Woah! Charlie, what happened?!"

"The General! He- I- I told him I joined the Toppats and he yelled at me- And he- He said he wouldn't accept both of his sons in the Toppat clan- So I snapped at him! And now- He told me that he didn't want to be my dad anymore- So I told him-"

"Wait, wait! Please, slow down! Please!"

Charles started to sob, and Henry looked distraught and stressed about it.

"Please tell me what happened! You're gonna make me cry!"

So Charles told him what happened.

"A-And... I told him... That he was a bad d-dad... And h-he ended th-the ca- call..."

"Oh, Charlie..."

Henry pulled him closer, arms held against his back.

"Don't feel bad, please. You put him in his place. He deserved every word that left your mouth. You did nothing wrong, honey."

Charles sniffed, not exactly sure what he did was deserved.

"What do you think... Would help you calm down?"

Charles knew Henry was trying to help, and despite everything that was happening, he smiled a bit.

But only for a second.

"I think... I think that I need to think about it."

"Alright." Henry grinned weakly and untangled himself from the ex-pilot.

He began to walk out, on Charlie's order.

"Wait!" Charles called after him.

Henry stopped, turning to him curiously.

"I didn't mean... Alone."

Henry turned a bit pink, coming back in silence.

Charles instinctively clung to his body again.

"This... Helps."

"I'm glad."

Henry curled his hands across Charlie's frame, sheltering him while he cried with his cape.