Ingall Short Story: Getting Comfortable

Characters:

Ingall, Nico, Garvin, Revan, and Akira. Maya and Sigrid mentioned.

This would take place sometime in the far future :)

*TW… Actually no triggers in this one, enjoy the fluff!*

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The evening was a quiet one, especially taking into consideration who all Ingall was surrounded by. His partners were, historically, very far from quiet.

Today though, a calm contentment had settled in the room they all gathered in. Akira and Garvin were lounging together on one of the beds, Garvin being named the headrest by an only half-awake Akira as they talked in lowered tones, occasionally letting out a laugh. Revan was perched on the edge of the couch, face illuminated by his laptop screen as Nico sat beside him, humming softly as they ran her hands through Ingall's hair, braiding.

Ingall himself sat criss-cross on the floor in front of the couch, listening intently to the music Nico created. His shoulders were relaxed and, despite the mildly chaotic state of the room, no tension was gathering in his chest or head. In fact, he felt… good. Calm.

The realization caught him by surprise. Sure, the room wasn't overwhelmingly messy (Angel was fully aware of the fact that his partners were actively making a point to be cleaner around him, at least to the point where Ingall felt comfortable enough to not be sent into a panicky, OCD driven cleaning episode), but he was also well aware of the fact that, a month ago, the occasional piece of clothing, the slightly crowded desk in the corner, the empty food cartons on the small table, and the fact that the floor had spent a solid 12 hours without being swept would be more than enough to send him over the edge.

Yet, here he was. Completely fine. Totally comfortable and not even slightly bothered by the lingering stench of cigarettes and already eaten food.

As he tried to process this fact, he felt Nico's hand brush the back of his neck quickly followed by a muttered apology and a slightly tense pause as his partner waited for a burst of panic. Ingall waited too, again processing the fact that, a month ago, that minimal, unexpected contact may have warranted a panic attack. But no. Not now. He was fine.

In fact, some part of his brain told him to lean back, to ask for more contact, something he'd hadn't experienced since… well, something he hadn't experienced since May. It was so extremely rare to find someone Ingall actually wanted physical contact with, someone he felt comfortable and safe enough that they could not only just touch him without triggering a panic response, but also that Gall sought out to help prevent those feelings. Someone who he was willing to let all his walls down for and be vulnerable in front of.

Completely unprotected and yet completely safe.

There were only four people total that had ever reached that level. Sigrid, Maya, and Ingall's parents.

After May died, he'd given up hope on ever finding anyone who could offer him that security ever again, and yet, here he was. Surrounded by not just one person who gave him that love and security, but four.

Four amazing people who didn't judge or hate him for just being who he was. Four beautiful people who had done everything to prove how far they'd go to protect and support him. Not because they got sex, money, or power out of it, not because they got control. Because they loved him.

Simple, plain, and something Ingall had never expected. Something he didn't even believe was possible, but here they were.

He didn't even realize he was crying until his hair brushed lightly against his back and Nico's worried face appeared in front of him, watching with empathetic sadness.

The rest of the room had gone silent and still too. Akira and Garvin were both standing, obviously worried but keeping a firm distance to avoid adding further stressors and Revan had set his laptop to the side watching attentively.

Nico smiled slightly when Ingall made eye contact, speaking in a soft and steady tone.

“Hey, Angel. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to touch you. You're safe, I promise, what can we do to help you?”

Calm, calculated, and questioning. Something his partners had learned helped most over time. At least, when Ingall wasn't already in a full spiral.

The fact they knew caused Ingall's heart to twist with renewed and overwhelming emotion. God, he loved them. They were too imperfectly perfect, too amazing to be real.

Not allowing himself to think any further, he reached out and wrapped his arms around Nico, burying his face in their neck and clinging to him. For a moment, Nico seemed to hesitate, confused, and then, letting out a quiet chuckle, she returned the hug, squeezing gently.

“Hey.” Her laughter turned into soft sniffling and then Nico was crying too, rocking them both back and forth in a calming motion.

A moment later, footsteps approached and Akira's face came into Ingall's view, slightly blurred by tears. “‘Sup, Gall?”

“Min' if we join ya, Polaris?” Garvin huffed, voice thick with affectionate amusement.

Ingall nodded quickly, extending a hand as two new sets of arms settled comfortably around him and Nico.

“Aw, come on, Rev! Ya gotta join now!”

There was grumbling as Revan protested Akira's words, only to eventually be tugged into the pile, and, though Ingall couldn't see him, he could practically hear the eye roll and badly hidden smile.

A smile tugged on the corners of his own lips and he closed his eyes, imagining Maya’s bright grin and his brother's gentle eyes. They'd be proud.

Of him, of how far he'd come. And of how far all his partners had come as well.

After all, they were a part of the family now. They had been for a while now, and Angel’s only regret was not telling them sooner.

“Thank you all, I love you. I love you all so much.”

And the words were new too. New, a little scary, but also so perfect and so full of truth.

No matter what, these people would always have his back. So, though he would undoubtedly have bad days, or even bad weeks, and although he knew he wouldn't always be able to stand sitting in a huge hug by his partners, he also knew he wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.

With them, he could handle whatever the world decided to throw his way next. He would make it, and, for the first time since Maya’s death, he could confidently say that, yes, he would make good on his last promise to her.

He would survive, and, more than that, he would be happy about doing so.