Chapter Text
Nine months later.
Chance was a mess—his hair disheveled, his clothes rumpled beyond recognition, and dark circles under his eyes like he hadn’t slept in days. But despite all of it? He looked... happy.
The tiny bundle in his arms let out a soft coo as Chance adjusted them against his chest—one hand supporting the baby's head while the other absentmindedly traced their tiny fingers. His expression softened further when they made another noise–something between contentment and sheer exhaustion from someone who had spent most of last night getting up to rock them back to sleep over again after only just having gotten any rest himself first before this whole damn cycle repeated itself once more too soon anyway–
Chance let out a slow breath, shifting the baby against his chest as he looked around at the others. His crew stood around him, all looking a little haggard themselves but still as devoted as ever.
"So…" Chance began, glancing down at the sleeping baby in his arms. "What do you guys think about... making this place our home?"
It was a question they'd discussed on and off for months now—the idea of putting down real roots instead of just drifting from place to place forever–
Guest 1337 blinked, his head tilting slightly as he processed the question. "Wait—are we still crew but not criminals anymore?"
The others exchanged glances—some amused, some confused—before Jane Doe snorted and elbowed Noob in the ribs.
"Bold assumption," she muttered under her breath while Shedletsky rolled his eyes with a smirk–
Shedletsky spoke up, crossing his arms thoughtfully. "I think we should be a crew but... we stop committing crimes since we're now part of Mafioso's Mafia."
Everyone turned to stare at him, including Chance who looked almost surprised by the suggestion for a moment before the corner of his mouth curled faintly.
"Well that certainly simplifies some things," he murmured, bouncing the baby in his arms as they stirred slightly in their sleep.
Noob raised a brow. "You're not... serious about this, right?"
Chance barely had time to finish his sentence before the door slammed open—Mafioso striding in like a damn hurricane, his eyes locked onto them with an intensity that could probably melt steel.
"You're not serious," he said flatly—his voice dangerously low as he took in Chance's agreement and Shedletsky's smirk–
Then? His gaze dropped to the baby being held so carefully against their leader’s chest… and something unreadable flickered across Mafioso’s face before vanishing just as quickly again too soon anyway–
Mafioso moved to Chance's side in an instant—his expression shifting from irritation to concern as his eyes skimmed over the man, pausing to linger on the baby in Chance's arms before flitting back up to his face. His gaze was almost searching, like he was trying to see beneath the surface–
"You're… okay?" he asked carefully. There was a slight waver in his tone that he probably hadn't meant to reveal—especially in front of the entire crew…
Chance let out a soft huff, a flicker of something flashing across his expression like a wince as he registered Mafioso's words. It was true. This was a damn damn mess, one that they had yet to really wrap their heads around fully.
"Yeah… I'm fine," he replied after a moment. "I'm alright, just… tired."
And despite the bravado, he did look exhausted—but still so very, very happy with that little bundle in his arms–
Mafioso let out a low breath, his expression softening as he looked down at the tiny baby in Chance's arms. In spite of himself, something that almost resembled a smile flickered across his face. He'd never really thought about being a parent—hell, he'd never even really wanted kids himself before this whole thing.
"...What are we gonna name them?" He asked quietly, stepping closer to take a better look at the sleeping child–
Chance's expression softened in response, the corners of his mouth curling up as he let out a soft hum. "Beats me," he replied, readjusting the baby in his arms once more. "You have any suggestions?"
He glanced up, meeting Mafioso's gaze with a mixture of both teasing and sincerity as if to say I think you already have an idea–
Mafioso's words hung almost eerily in the air—the entire crew stopping dead in their tracks as they took it all in.
The name, Taph. It was a name that all of them knew all too well—a memory of a friend who had been lost too soon and taken from them in the most painful way possible.
Chance's shoulders rose slightly as he held onto the baby a little more tightly, trying to fight back the wave of emotion that hit him all at once.
"Taph," he murmured. "…I like it.”
Finally finished, I'm gonna write the exact copy of this story but different and this fanfic disappointed me because it felt like I wasn't in the plot