Drabble: Caesar and Dib
Yeah, I'm too lazy to name this properly. Also because I'm supposed to be working. AT LEAST IT'S DONE NOW.
Dib was always much quieter while he was sleeping. Caesar wondered if it was the only time the boy got some peace. Even then, the peace wasn't complete. The boy still twitched and moved every now and then, unable to still completely, his arms wrapped around Wheatley. The core didn't notice Caesar watching the two of them from his bed.
Caesar was still allowing Dib to sleep on the cot near his bed. The boy wasn't stable enough yet to sleep in his own room the whole night. Soon, yes, but not quite yet. Even with the Dark Aeon gone now, Dib still suffered from sleep disturbances, although they were lessening with time.
The paranormal investigator-to-be was improving in a jerky fashion, responding to sudden moments of insight. He was learning things about others that he should have learned years ago. Caesar wish he had studied child development. Was there a cutoff for learning how to interact with others just like there was in learning language? Dib had learned language just fine--his father seemed to have at least provided for that much. Still, his behavior and his understanding of other people left Caesar wondering just how much Dib's father actually cared about his son. If the man ever showed his face in Nautilus, Caesar would have some very choice words for him.
There were no signs of outright abuse, and for that, Caesar was grateful. However, it was obvious that this was a case of neglect. While Dib seemed fine academically, and actually, the boy was incredibly smart, his emotional development was extremely... limited. The child had said himself that he had no friends back home, and he didn't understand how people could actually like him, much less go out of their way to care for him. Dib's concepts of love, hatred, friendship, and even his emotional self-regulation--all of it was broken. Fixable from what Caesar could see so far, but still broken. (Unlike Ioann, whom Caesar was unsure could even be fixed, and Ioann was a different bundle of issues entirely.) There was so much that Dib needed to learn.
It worried Caesar. Terrified him, actually. It was enough to keep him up at night, sometimes.
Rex didn't like Dib much. Caesar couldn't blame him for it. On the outside, Dib was a selfish brat, and Caesar was more than aware of it. But Rex was still young, and he couldn't see what Caesar did (could Holiday even see it?)--potential. Dib had the potential to be an amazing person, and not just because he was smart. Even if his understanding of love was weak, his ability to love wasn't. He was learning how to show affection. How to express himself better. Growing to show a deeper concern for others beyond "save the world". He was learning how to become personally involved with caring for others instead of just following on the coat tails of those he idolized. It wasn't just "protect the world" for Dib anymore; he was learning the need to protect those he cared about.
Dib stirred in his sleep, and Caesar automatically reached over to smooth his hair. Wheatley already knew what the movement meant and didn't react to it, remaining still in Dib's arms. The boy settled, and Caesar rested his hand on the top of Dib's head for a moment before pulling his hand away. Dib then smiled softly in his sleep, and Caesar found himself returning it with a similarly soft smile.
There was so much that had to be done, but Dib was slowly getting there. Slowly improving. Slowly finding out whom he really was.
Caesar was still worried, but he could feel himself slowly drifting off to sleep again. Somehow, things would be all right. They always were, even if things always changed and were never the same again.
As he finally drifted off, a thought drifted across his consciousness: was this what it meant to be a parent?
Dib was always much quieter while he was sleeping. Caesar wondered if it was the only time the boy got some peace. Even then, the peace wasn't complete. The boy still twitched and moved every now and then, unable to still completely, his arms wrapped around Wheatley. The core didn't notice Caesar watching the two of them from his bed.
Caesar was still allowing Dib to sleep on the cot near his bed. The boy wasn't stable enough yet to sleep in his own room the whole night. Soon, yes, but not quite yet. Even with the Dark Aeon gone now, Dib still suffered from sleep disturbances, although they were lessening with time.
The paranormal investigator-to-be was improving in a jerky fashion, responding to sudden moments of insight. He was learning things about others that he should have learned years ago. Caesar wish he had studied child development. Was there a cutoff for learning how to interact with others just like there was in learning language? Dib had learned language just fine--his father seemed to have at least provided for that much. Still, his behavior and his understanding of other people left Caesar wondering just how much Dib's father actually cared about his son. If the man ever showed his face in Nautilus, Caesar would have some very choice words for him.
There were no signs of outright abuse, and for that, Caesar was grateful. However, it was obvious that this was a case of neglect. While Dib seemed fine academically, and actually, the boy was incredibly smart, his emotional development was extremely... limited. The child had said himself that he had no friends back home, and he didn't understand how people could actually like him, much less go out of their way to care for him. Dib's concepts of love, hatred, friendship, and even his emotional self-regulation--all of it was broken. Fixable from what Caesar could see so far, but still broken. (Unlike Ioann, whom Caesar was unsure could even be fixed, and Ioann was a different bundle of issues entirely.) There was so much that Dib needed to learn.
It worried Caesar. Terrified him, actually. It was enough to keep him up at night, sometimes.
Rex didn't like Dib much. Caesar couldn't blame him for it. On the outside, Dib was a selfish brat, and Caesar was more than aware of it. But Rex was still young, and he couldn't see what Caesar did (could Holiday even see it?)--potential. Dib had the potential to be an amazing person, and not just because he was smart. Even if his understanding of love was weak, his ability to love wasn't. He was learning how to show affection. How to express himself better. Growing to show a deeper concern for others beyond "save the world". He was learning how to become personally involved with caring for others instead of just following on the coat tails of those he idolized. It wasn't just "protect the world" for Dib anymore; he was learning the need to protect those he cared about.
Dib stirred in his sleep, and Caesar automatically reached over to smooth his hair. Wheatley already knew what the movement meant and didn't react to it, remaining still in Dib's arms. The boy settled, and Caesar rested his hand on the top of Dib's head for a moment before pulling his hand away. Dib then smiled softly in his sleep, and Caesar found himself returning it with a similarly soft smile.
There was so much that had to be done, but Dib was slowly getting there. Slowly improving. Slowly finding out whom he really was.
Caesar was still worried, but he could feel himself slowly drifting off to sleep again. Somehow, things would be all right. They always were, even if things always changed and were never the same again.
As he finally drifted off, a thought drifted across his consciousness: was this what it meant to be a parent?