In Every Universe, I Choose You [Random x Reader oneshots]

I'm Glad You're Here [Octavian]

Hello! Could I request reader x Octavian. Reader comes from an abusive household but doesn't talk much about it and one day Octavian saw their sh scars and comforts them. You don't have to do this if you don't want or it makes you uncomfortable <3
I love it :3 I have struggled with SH, but never abuse, so I will be using my own experience with one and do my best to do research and portray the other as best as I can.

Warnings: Discussions of self harm, discussions of abuse(none done by characters in current time), no explicit scenes of abuse written (as in no flashbacks), hurt comfort.

Octavian... couldn't decide how to feel about you. He didn't hate you. But he wasn't... head over heels for you. He always liked how you never really shot him down.

Recently at senate meetings he had noticed how you would flinch when someone would raise their voice unnecessarily, or when someone slammed their hands on a table. How you would apologize when anyone said you were wrong.

But he never asked. He didn't care. That's what he said, he didn't care. Why would he care? You were just... you.

You were typically a happy girl, always helping others and smiling. He didn't understand you. Typically quiet, but always happy to help everyone. Even him.

When everyone overwhelmed you... you went to the augury. There, you would sit under his desk quietly, writing or stitching up some of the stuffed animals he used for sacrifices. But today you were in the temple for another reason.

"Hey um... the campers are gonna go swim in the lake... do you wanna join?" You ask, your voice carrying through the temple.

He turned to look at you, "And why would I want to hang out with everyone else?"

"Oh um... just wanted to invite you. Reyna said not to... but you deserve a break as much as the rest of us."

The soft explanation made him melt. His shoulders slouched for a second, and he sighed.

"Fine. I'll join you. But only you. The others... annoy me."

——

Now that he was thinking about it, he had never seen you in shorts. Not even a short skirt. He had seen you in short sleeved shorts but never in anything less than knee length skirts.

So he was curious to see what your bathing suit would look like.

That question was answered a bit later. You had a wrap over the bottom half of your swimsuit, but a Bikini top on. He looked away red faced, not wanting to stare.

"You okay? You're red... oh right, sunscreen!" You said, grabbing it off your desk.

He sighed as you both walked to the lake. Octavian was pale, but due to having Apollo's blood, he never got sunburnt. So he followed you as you ranted about different kinds of sunscreen and how it sucked that it wasn't good for the lake environments.

The lake was full of demigods screaming and laughing as they pushed each other around and into the lake. He watched you smile, setting your towel down, putting on sunscreen. Then he watched you gently take the wrap off, rubbing sunscreen on your legs and...

That's when he noticed. Lines lighter than your skin linear, all on your thighs. Demigods had scars from fighting monsters... but this was not that. They were in straight lines, stopping a few inches above your knees. He stared, shocked, unable to say what he was thinking. So he said nothing, taking off his shirt a bit insecurely as he stepped into the water with you. It was warm, but refreshing, and clear straight to the bottom, so you could see.

You sigh happily, taking the relief of being relaxed and floating at 100%.

You swim over to Octavian and lay your head on his shoulder, clinging to him.

"What are you doing?" He asks as you swim behind him wrapping yourself around him like a backpack.

"Can't reach the bottom and you're freakishly tall..." you mumble.

He sighs, letting you cling to him. He watched as other splash and jump around, annoyed, forgetting he literally agreed to come here with you. While he disassociates, he remembers the marks on your thighs. Where they what he thought they were? Maybe they were just stretch marks and he had seen them in a bad light or-

"What are you thinking about?"

Your voice interrupted him from his thoughts. He shakes his head, and sees you're now swimming in front of him. He sees the scars on your thighs and looks up immediately.

"...oh."
"Please don't be mad I-i didn't mean to I mean I'm just judging you or anything I-... I've never seen you in something that shows off your thighs I... I'm sorry-"

You shook your head with a gentle smile."It's okay... I'm not upset, promise... Ask away... but maybe later in private... for now..." This was all you said before splashing him in the face with water.

——

It's hours later and you are bathed, in shorts and a tank top, ready to talk if he wants to. You sit on his bed, and he sits on the floor in front of you.

"So..."
"So..."
"What do you want to know?"
"I want to know... what you feel comfortable telling me..."
"Why?"

He stops for a moment and thinks about his answer.

"Because... you're the only tolerable person I like here... and because I care about you."

You smile softly and ask for his hands, taking them and pressing them softly onto your scars.

"...I did these."

The air feels like it's punched out of his lungs with those words, but he keeps his eyes on you, his hands still where you pressed them.

"I... it was a long time ago now. I don't do it anymore. I haven't for a while now... I'm... 6 years clean today... I wasn't a happy kid."

He nodded softly, his thumbs absently moved over your scars. He had only ever seen you with a smile on his face so to imagine you not being happy was hard.

"My birth giver... mother... wasn't a nice person. Wasn't even a good person. She drank... a lot. Probably why she attracted the deity she did to give her me. She hated me. Hated me because she said I ruined her beautiful body... said I was the reason he left... she used to hit me... she said a lot of awful stuff I won't repeat, but... it was torture to live with her... horrible... so I thought-... I thought that if I hurt myself... that maybe-... maybe when she hurt me it wouldn't be as bad."

His breath catches and he looks up at you as he stands up. You expect him to leave, to call you gross, to never speak to you again, but instead... he softly cups your face and with a whisper, voice cracking, he says:

"I'm glad you're here."

It takes you a moment to register what he just said, but your eyes fill with tears at the gentleness and nuzzle your face into his hands.

"You didn't deserve that... no one deserves that. But you... gods not you. Not you, you're too kind and too sweet to deserve anything less than utter adoration... I'm glad you're here," he whispered, holding you softly, icy blue eyes filling with tears.

You'd never seen him so soft and caring, except maybe when you walked into the augury and he had fallen asleep over his work.

"I'm proud of you," he whispers.

"For what?"

"For staying... for getting this far... for being clean for so long. I'm proud of you.... And I'm happy you're here. And I hope your birth giver gets her karma. She's evil," he says with a soft smile.

You giggle, and hold his hand to your face.

"Thank you..."
"I'm serious... really... I'm happy you're here... with me... and that you're-"
"That I'm what?"
"I-I was gonna say mine but-but you're not so that would be really weird if I said that now wouldn't it-"

You kiss his cheek.

"I'd be yours if you asked..."
"W-wait really? I-... then... will you...?"
"I'd love to..."

"I know I keep saying it... but I'm so glad you're here..."