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English
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2023-05-03
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Protection

Summary:

Even after Mr. Svarog is repaired following his fight with Wildfire, Clara can't help but hold onto the fear and worry she felt when she saw Ms. Natasha get ready to deliver what very well could've been the final blow.

Notes:

Fine, if barely anyone else is gonna write these two interacting then I will(there's not enough on this site yet and I want to change that)

(No joke, these two characters specifically are the only reason I started playing the game in the first place, I am very attached to the wholesome found family father and daughter dynamic.)

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Despite how many times she'd handled repairs on the mining bots, Clara only barely had enough strength to tighten each bolt properly, securing any loose plate of metal back were it belonged. Thankfully, she managed, that being much more important to her now than ever before, now that it was Mr. Svarog himself in need of repair.

"There...that should be everything..." she stated, carefully climbing down from her perch on his forearm. "Are you sure you're okay, Mr. Svarog?...If there's anything else that needs fixing, I'll do my best to help."

"Running diagnostic:...all mechanical and electronic components: operational. Databank and backups: undamaged." Clara breathed a sigh of relief, looking him up and down just one more time to get the assurance to stick with her. The remaining dents still concerned her, but as long as he wasn't in any pain, she supposed she could leave them be for now.

The outsiders had broken their promise to keep things peaceful and Mr. Svarog had gotten hurt because of it, but that didn't matter. What did matter was that he was safe now, and that the outsiders finally managed to negotiate with him...thanks to her.

"Are you alright, Clara? You put yourself danger before Wildfire," he asked. "...when I would not have been able to protect you, no less."

"I wasn't the one that needed protecting—" she started, gathering the fabric of her coat in her fists in an attempt to keep the lingering fear from showing in her voice. "I know Ms. Natasha, she would never hurt me...but...she would hurt you..."

"You stepped in front of a loaded gun, Clara. You must have been aware of the risk."

"Maybe I was, but...if I hadn't done anything Ms. Natasha could've—" she couldn't hold back her tears anymore, though she still tried in vain to suppress them. Nothing truly bad had happened, Mr. Svarog was fine, but she couldn't help but imagine what would've happened if she didn't act when she did.

Ms. Bronya had told her to leave, but she couldn't bring herself to do so, merely hidding in the sidelines and watching the battle take place with bated breath and tears welling in her eyes. The outsiders and Wildfire didn't show him any mercy, and all of her fear and worry came to a head when she saw that gun pointed right at him while he was down, while he was unable to defend himself. She knew then that she had to do something.

"...she could've killed you..." she finally managed to say, voice quiet and choked by sobs. Part of her hoped he didn't hear her, then, as he had always told her she didn't have to worry about such things happening to him.

Mr. Svarog stepped forward, kneeling down on the ground and holding an arm out to her, inviting her to hug him. She didn't hesitate to accept it, of course, clinging to him and burying her face into the fabric of his coat as she felt that same arm wrap gently around her.

Clara let herself cry, now, but she also reminded herself to stop and breathe every once in a while. She was glad the outsiders and Wildfire had already left by then, she didn't want them to see her this upset and make them feel guilty for being the cause of it(more so than they already may have, anyway).

"You do not need to worry about me, Clara. I would have been fine," he assured her. It didn't work as well as he probably thought it would, though.

"...they don't see you the way I do, Mr. Svarog...they don't see you as a person..." she stated, tightening her fists around the bunches of fabric already within them. "...you're just a machine to them...you're a threat to them..."

"You tell me not to worry, but..." she forced herself to slow down, some, taking a deep breath and gathering a few more thoughts together before continuing. "...you're always the one protecting me...and to see you get hurt like that, I—"

"...Clara..." Mr. Svarog's voice was usually monotonous, flat, but when he said her name, just then, it was...softer. "I can always be repaired...you can not...do not put yourself in danger for my sake."

"...okay..." she hesitantly agreed with a light nod, forcing herself to relax a bit.

Part of her wanted to keep arguing, but she knew him well enough to know it would get them no where. He'd already made up his mind, and he was nothing if not stubborn, especially in his drive to protect her.

Besides, Mr. Svarog was right. As much as the idea of him getting hurt upset her, she could not shield him the way he so often shielded her.

It was only by bringing out Ms. Natasha's mercy that she made it out of this unscathed; if a more ruthless soul had been holding that gun...she would be dead.

"...I promise..." she whispered, closing her eyes and feeling the very last of the tears fall down her cheek.

Notes:

Please, I am on my hands and knees begging other fanfic writers to write these two interacting, canon does not give me enough content to fuel the found family brainrot and fics I write myself just don't hit the same.

(In a familial way, of course, if I see anyone shipping them I will vomit.)