Ficlet: The Only Thing to Fear is Fear Itself (GH, Robin/Patrick, Lava Verse)
Title: The Only Thing to Fear is Fear Itself
Author: empressearwig
Prompt: 81 - Fear
Pairing/Character(s): Robin/Patrick
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Word Count: 964
Spoilers/Warnings: All part of the Lana!AU.
Summary: “I don’t think I’m going to be very good at this.”
Author's Notes: Written for theechochorus.
Robin woke up alone.
Given that Patrick could be called to the hospital at any time for surgeries and that their daughter had a habit of waking up wanting her father in the middle of the night, she wasn’t entirely surprised by that. But Patrick always left a note on the night stand if he had to go into the hospital (and she normally woke up for his pager), and whenever he was up with Lana, she could normally hear both of them chattering away on the baby monitor, which was silent.
She slipped out of bed and threw on a robe, shivering slightly in the January cold. She walked down the hall to Lana’s nursery, and paused in the doorway.
There stood Patrick, standing silently over her crib, not saying anything, just watching the baby sleep.
Robin walked to his side, putting a hand over his on the crib’s railing.
He jolted slightly and looked sideways at his fiancé. He smiled softly at her, and then looked back down at Lana.
“Is everything okay?” Robin whispered, curling her fingers over and through his.
He flipped his hand over and threaded his fingers through hers. He stared at their joined hands for a moment, then back down at the sleeping baby, and finally back at Robin. He shook his head silently.
Robin raised her free hand to his face, forcing Patrick to look at her. “What’s wrong?”
Taking a last look at Lana, Patrick tugged Robin by their joined hands over to the rocking chair in the corner of the nursery. He sat down and pulled Robin into his lap, wrapping his arms around her tightly.
Robin shifted slightly, and tried to wrap her arms around him, but couldn’t quite manage it. “Patrick, you’re scaring me. What’s wrong?”
He didn’t answer for a moment, and when he did, it was so soft that Robin wasn’t sure she actually heard him correctly. “I don’t think I’m going to be very good at this.”
“What?” Robin tried to get him to look up at her, but he had his face pressed firmly against her back. “Patrick, what do you mean you’re not going to be good at this?”
The answer was a little bit louder this time. “At raising a daughter. Being a parent.” He laughed bitterly. “Being a husband.”
Robin took a deep breath and tried not to panic herself. “Are you saying you want to call off the wedding?” she asked tightly, strain in her voice.
At that, Patrick shifted so Robin could actually see his face, and he slid one hand up to cup her chin, raising her to face him. “No,” he said quietly, but firmly. “I am most definitely not saying that.” He stared straight into her eyes, so that she could see the sincerity of what he was saying.
“Then what are you saying?”
He looked away. “That I’m scared, Robin. I don’t want to fail at this. It’s the most important thing I’ll ever do, and I don’t want to fail.”
“Why would you think you would fail?” Robin tried to get Patrick to look at her, to no avail. Firmly, she said, “Patrick, look at me.”
He did so, and Robin found terror in his eyes. “Why wouldn’t I think I’m going to fail? Robin, every time we’ve gotten close to actually making things work, something has torn us apart. I had a lousy example as to how to be a father and a husband.” He shook his head miserably. “Do you think she’s going to grow up to hate me? I don’t want her to hate me.”
Robin stared at him in shock. “Patrick, she is not going to hate you. There is no chance of that.”
He shook his head, disagreeing.
“Weren’t you the first person she really smiled at, and it wasn’t just gas? Doesn’t she perk up every time she hears your voice? Aren’t you the only one that she’ll let put her down ninety percent of the time?” Robin pressed. “Don’t you think it bugs me that I had to do all the work to get her here, and she clearly likes you better than she likes me?”
The tiniest hint of a smile cracked Patrick’s face.
“Was that a smile I saw?” Robin teased.
Patrick shook his head, trying not to let the smile spread.
“Come on, let me see the dimple,” Robin coaxed.
An actual smile appeared on his face, and he tugged her forward into a hug. They stayed wrapped in each other’s arms for a long time.
Finally, Robin pulled back, and asked, “So, what prompted this little melt down? Shouldn’t the child be the one having those, not the parents?”
Patrick shrugged sheepishly. “Just one of those three o’clock in the morning moments, I guess. Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. But do you think next time, you could try for a more reasonable hour?” Robin teased. “Some of us require beauty sleep.”
“Aw, you know I think you’re beautiful no matter what,” Patrick assured, slapping Robin’s butt lightly to get her to stand.
Robin stood and pulled Patrick to his feet, she crossed to the crib to take a last look at Lana, then headed back to the doorway, pausing to say, “Ah, but I was talking about you.” She sailed out of the room, laughing quietly as she went.
Patrick stared after her in shock, then let out a laugh of his own, not as quiet as he’d meant to. Instantly, Lana started fussing in her crib, and Patrick rushed across the room to soothe her.
As Robin settled back into bed, she heard Patrick talking softly to their daughter and her cooing in response to her father’s voice. She smiled.
Patrick had nothing to be scared of.
Author: empressearwig
Prompt: 81 - Fear
Pairing/Character(s): Robin/Patrick
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Word Count: 964
Spoilers/Warnings: All part of the Lana!AU.
Summary: “I don’t think I’m going to be very good at this.”
Author's Notes: Written for theechochorus.
Robin woke up alone.
Given that Patrick could be called to the hospital at any time for surgeries and that their daughter had a habit of waking up wanting her father in the middle of the night, she wasn’t entirely surprised by that. But Patrick always left a note on the night stand if he had to go into the hospital (and she normally woke up for his pager), and whenever he was up with Lana, she could normally hear both of them chattering away on the baby monitor, which was silent.
She slipped out of bed and threw on a robe, shivering slightly in the January cold. She walked down the hall to Lana’s nursery, and paused in the doorway.
There stood Patrick, standing silently over her crib, not saying anything, just watching the baby sleep.
Robin walked to his side, putting a hand over his on the crib’s railing.
He jolted slightly and looked sideways at his fiancé. He smiled softly at her, and then looked back down at Lana.
“Is everything okay?” Robin whispered, curling her fingers over and through his.
He flipped his hand over and threaded his fingers through hers. He stared at their joined hands for a moment, then back down at the sleeping baby, and finally back at Robin. He shook his head silently.
Robin raised her free hand to his face, forcing Patrick to look at her. “What’s wrong?”
Taking a last look at Lana, Patrick tugged Robin by their joined hands over to the rocking chair in the corner of the nursery. He sat down and pulled Robin into his lap, wrapping his arms around her tightly.
Robin shifted slightly, and tried to wrap her arms around him, but couldn’t quite manage it. “Patrick, you’re scaring me. What’s wrong?”
He didn’t answer for a moment, and when he did, it was so soft that Robin wasn’t sure she actually heard him correctly. “I don’t think I’m going to be very good at this.”
“What?” Robin tried to get him to look up at her, but he had his face pressed firmly against her back. “Patrick, what do you mean you’re not going to be good at this?”
The answer was a little bit louder this time. “At raising a daughter. Being a parent.” He laughed bitterly. “Being a husband.”
Robin took a deep breath and tried not to panic herself. “Are you saying you want to call off the wedding?” she asked tightly, strain in her voice.
At that, Patrick shifted so Robin could actually see his face, and he slid one hand up to cup her chin, raising her to face him. “No,” he said quietly, but firmly. “I am most definitely not saying that.” He stared straight into her eyes, so that she could see the sincerity of what he was saying.
“Then what are you saying?”
He looked away. “That I’m scared, Robin. I don’t want to fail at this. It’s the most important thing I’ll ever do, and I don’t want to fail.”
“Why would you think you would fail?” Robin tried to get Patrick to look at her, to no avail. Firmly, she said, “Patrick, look at me.”
He did so, and Robin found terror in his eyes. “Why wouldn’t I think I’m going to fail? Robin, every time we’ve gotten close to actually making things work, something has torn us apart. I had a lousy example as to how to be a father and a husband.” He shook his head miserably. “Do you think she’s going to grow up to hate me? I don’t want her to hate me.”
Robin stared at him in shock. “Patrick, she is not going to hate you. There is no chance of that.”
He shook his head, disagreeing.
“Weren’t you the first person she really smiled at, and it wasn’t just gas? Doesn’t she perk up every time she hears your voice? Aren’t you the only one that she’ll let put her down ninety percent of the time?” Robin pressed. “Don’t you think it bugs me that I had to do all the work to get her here, and she clearly likes you better than she likes me?”
The tiniest hint of a smile cracked Patrick’s face.
“Was that a smile I saw?” Robin teased.
Patrick shook his head, trying not to let the smile spread.
“Come on, let me see the dimple,” Robin coaxed.
An actual smile appeared on his face, and he tugged her forward into a hug. They stayed wrapped in each other’s arms for a long time.
Finally, Robin pulled back, and asked, “So, what prompted this little melt down? Shouldn’t the child be the one having those, not the parents?”
Patrick shrugged sheepishly. “Just one of those three o’clock in the morning moments, I guess. Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. But do you think next time, you could try for a more reasonable hour?” Robin teased. “Some of us require beauty sleep.”
“Aw, you know I think you’re beautiful no matter what,” Patrick assured, slapping Robin’s butt lightly to get her to stand.
Robin stood and pulled Patrick to his feet, she crossed to the crib to take a last look at Lana, then headed back to the doorway, pausing to say, “Ah, but I was talking about you.” She sailed out of the room, laughing quietly as she went.
Patrick stared after her in shock, then let out a laugh of his own, not as quiet as he’d meant to. Instantly, Lana started fussing in her crib, and Patrick rushed across the room to soothe her.
As Robin settled back into bed, she heard Patrick talking softly to their daughter and her cooing in response to her father’s voice. She smiled.
Patrick had nothing to be scared of.