anyway now that i'm normal again deleted scene from the sixmarch fic
“Are you happy with your dad?” Six asks, one day, when March is in the bathroom ostensibly showering. “You feel—safe with him?” Holly looks at him like he’s crazy for a second. Then she tilts her head, and her eyes soften. She knows what he is asking, and probably why he’s asking it; March hasn’t shielded her from the dangers of the world in the slightest. But still, that first expression was all Six needed. He would never have let himself get this comfortable if he had truly thought otherwise, of course, but getting the confirmation is still a relief. “Are you going to beat him up if I say no?” Holly says in lieu of a genuine response, arching an eyebrow at him. She pushes her cereal around her bowl with no real sense of urgency. “Depends on what you’re paying,” Six jokes, and she cracks a grin. She looks down at her bowl, spooning a bite into her mouth, and Six averts his eyes, assuming the conversation has ended. But Holly speaks up again after a moment, voice quieter than he’s used to hearing. “I love my dad,” she says. “And I know he loves me. But sometimes it feels like I’m the only one looking out for him.” Six isn’t proud of his first thought: there could be worse things. He holds his tongue. It’s true, but it’s good that Holly hasn’t heard it. Instead, awkwardly, he says, “Well, I’m here now.” As if on cue, something crashes from inside the bathroom. Through the bullet-pocked walls, Six hears March shout, “Shit!” Holly snorts a laugh. “It’s a full-time job, Mr. Six.” Six climbs to his feet. Tips his head in her direction. I know. But he doesn’t mind it.
