The Sun King chuckles, but gently (so as not to dislodge Jenny’s cheek from his stomach). He brushes the teenager’s short-cropped hair from where it floats across her forehead, strands easily stirred in this low gravity.
“We are all fools in love…” Apollo murmurs the quote, not for the first time. He smiles reassuringly at Jenny, before turning his gaze to the sun cresting the curve of the Earth. “…your Daddy and I are no different. We’ll figure it out.”
Still, it’s nice to have his daughter close, to feel her alive and thrumming with her own power next to him. The Sun King has made plenty of mistakes in his life, but at least he managed to do one thing right.
Plucking at Jenny’s hand, Apollo clasps her smaller palm in his own and gives it a squeeze. “…Hey. Want to go ice skating? It’s currently winter in Oz.”
Ew. And with all the maturity of a teenager who grew up before her time, the young brunette emitted soft gagging sounds at the line. Okay, so maybe she didn’t have a Significant Other (nor would she ever want one when she got older; look what a fucking messthose drama queens she called her dads got up to every now and then). But Jenny had enough disappointment coming from a loved one to last her entire hundred-year lifespan. Adding romance to the mix? Hard. Pass.
Even with Apollo’s reassurance that the two men would work things out – and that actually meant something, because no one calmed her concerns any better like Daddy Apollo – still wasn’t something Jenny wanted a part of. Nope. Who needs a boyfriend or girlfriend when you’ve got the Multiverse’s Best Dad by your side right? Always warm, loving, protective—
—determined to embarrass her…
“You just want to see me fall on my butt again.” That said, the memory of six-year-old Most Powerful Child On The Planet clinging onto her father’s arm for dear life was actually pretty funny on hindsight. (How the fuck did anyone find balance on those thin blades over the icy surface of death anyway? She was at least 80% sure Apollo was cheating and using his flight powers. Somehow.)
Still, Jenny could remember the glee, the thrill of finally being able to skate around the pond without his guidance. Shifting her head, she shot him a grin, eyes twinkling. “…I’m down if we can rub it in Dad’s face later that we had fun without him.”
look jenny absolutely had a Bratty phase and you have to give absolute props to apollo for still raising her right that she doesn’t just go nuclear with every temper tantrum
on a more serious note, jenny’s feelings towards midnighter are complex because yes she will always, always love her other father unconditionally (there’s a part of her that actually berates herself for it, because years of feeling abandoned like she meant nothing during such a young stage + pent up resentment has led to her thinking he doesn’t deserves that love). but she also has such low expectations for him, she doesn’t trust him to stay and not break her heart again at some point. she yearns to rebuild that parent-child relationship they once had but also feels compelled to keep him at arm’s length emotionally because of said lack of trust
ok but apollo though
it’s well-established that jenny reveres and looks up to apollo but really, i don’t think i can put into words how. much. jenny. loves this man. consistently having been by her side almost her entire life. he was there to kiss the nightmares away and helped her through her trauma (no seriously, this girl has ptsd from the fractal incident + losing her family as they left/grew apart). they’ve made countless happy memories together and there’s just so much trust jenny has for him that he’s easily the person she lets herself be vulnerable around. the Aloof Teen act doesn’t stay on for long because there’s no reason to guard her heart around her daddy. she knows he won’t let her down.
and that actually adds onto her ever-muddled feelings for midnighter because not only did he hurt her, he also hurt the person she loves the most. that’s two strikes.
on a more serious note, jenny’s feelings towards midnighter are complex because yes she will always, always love her other father unconditionally (there’s a part of her that actually berates herself for it, because years of feeling abandoned like she meant nothing during such a young stage + pent up resentment has led to her thinking he doesn’t deserves that love). but she also has such low expectations for him, she doesn’t trust him to stay and not break her heart again at some point. she yearns to rebuild that parent-child relationship they once had but also feels compelled to keep him at arm’s length emotionally because of said lack of trust
@jennyquantums sent:
“Daddy, why is Dad such a bitch. He’s way too old for this shit.”
Apollo doesn’t immediately open his eyes, reclined comfortably in orbit over the southern continent of Australia. He should probably be more surprised to hear his daughter’s voice. Mostly, the Sun King is just proud.
“Hello, Baby.” He sighs a fond greeting, pale and awash with light. Apollo turns his head and finally looks, a smile on his face, “…try to remember that your father didn’t have much of a childhood. Sometimes, he has to make up for lost time.”
“But it’s sooo cringey.” The Actual Teen
– unlike her other father, whom, despite his behavior, wasn’t one – hovered over to close the gap, resting her head on Apollo’s tummy like a warm pillow. “I’m getting secondhand embarrassment just hearing about the crap he pulled.” More importantly, the Century Baby had learnt by now that even the littlest of slights could build up and snowball into tension. And that was the last thing she wanted from her family.
Seriously, Apollo & Midnighter were no longer allowed to fight in her lifetime, period.
