Shawn Mendes Imagines

Bleeding?

Request from @heerbhanushali123. I hope I did your idea justice and you enjoy it x

If there was ever a day that Shawn Mendes wished his wife was at home, it was today.

Waking up that morning to sunshine gliding in through the gaps in the closed curtains, Shawn had believed it was a sign of good things to come. Sure, his wife may have been away on a business trip for three days, not due to return until the next, but he still had their beautiful twelve year old daughter, Olivia, asleep in the neighbouring bedroom, and that was a blessing in itself.

Stretching his arms above his head, a yawn escaping his lips, the young father made his way into the kitchen, the promise of coffee awaiting him. It wasn't long after he was settled at the kitchen table with his breakfast before his daughter joined him, a tearful expression on her face.
"Oh honey! What's wrong?" Shawn asks, immediately setting down his phone and beckoning her closer, arms open. Instead of responding straight away, she throws herself at him, sobbing into his shoulder as he wraps his arms protectively around her small frame, pulling her onto his lap.
"Shh, shh, it's okay, sweetheart." He soothes her, gently combing his lithe fingers through her sleep-messed hair, avoiding any knots that could cause her pain. Years of experience have taught him that playing with their hair is the quickest way to get his girls to calm down.

After a few stressful minutes in which Shawn never ceases his combing, Olivia seems to calm down enough to speak, her crying giving way to slight hiccups.
"Can you tell me what's wrong, Liv?" He asks again, his voice soft for fear of setting her off again.
"I tin um ding," she mumbles against his neck.
"I'm sorry, what was that?"
Sighing, as if the weight of the world rests on her young shoulders, she sits up. "I think I'm dying," she repeats, a solemn expression on her face.
Startled, Shawn can only gape at her for a few seconds. That's not what he expected her to say.
"What makes you say that?" He chokes out quickly, seeing the panic growing in her eyes at his lack of response.
"I'm bleeding!" Olivia wails, dropping her head into her dad's shoulder with a thump.

Ah. A thought flashes through Shawn's mind. Y/N warned him this could happen soon.
"Did you hurt yourself?" He asks cautiously, just in case he's wrong.
He feels her shake her head. "I don't think so. My bed is all bloody and my pyjama bottoms are too. And they're my favourite!" She cries, not lifting her head.
So his theory was correct. Damn it. He was kinda hoping it wasn't because he really really wanted his wife to be there when this day came. No such luck.

Taking a deep breath, Shawn mentally runs through everything he knows about periods and what to do when it happens. Usually when Y/N has hers all he has to do is feed her her favourite foods and cuddle her, but this situation is different. This is his daughter getting her first period, terrified out of her wits, with her mother the other side of the country. If there's ever a time she'll need him to stay calm and collected, it's now.

Slowly, he raises Olivia's head off his shoulder so he can look her in the eyes. "Okay, sweetheart, I know this is very scary and probably feels very weird, but there's nothing to worry about. You're not dying."
"I-I'm not?" She hiccups, a slight frown on her face.
"Nope. Do you remember that talk mom and I had with you a few months ago? About growing up?" He waits for her to nod before continuing. "And do you remember the talk you and mom had in your bedroom after, when I went to make dinner?" She nods once again. "Well, what she explained to you... that's what's happening now. This is just another way you're growing up, apart from how tall you're getting of course!" Olivia smiles at that, some worry lifting from her features.
"So... so I got my first period? I thought that hurt?" She asks, tilting her head slightly in thought.
"Yes you did, honey. It doesn't hurt for some girls, but that might change later. If it does, then I know your mom has some very good tricks for helping with that - all of which involve chocolate." He winks, earning a giggle from the now-smiling girl.
"Now, I want you to go into the bathroom and get the things your mom told you about in the cupboard while I clean up your bed. She told you what to do with them, yeah?"
Olivia nods, slipping off her father's knee. "Can I have some chocolate when I come back?"
"Olivia, after breakfast, you can have all the chocolate in the world when you come back. I'm pretty sure there's ice-cream somewhere too." She grins up at him as he kisses the top of her head, before running off to the bathroom.

Shawn slumps down in his seat for a moment, head in his hands. Memories of when Olivia was only born flash through his head like taunts, reminding him that his daughter is growing up more and more everyday. Sighing, he picks up his phone and opens the messaging app, firing off a quick text to Y/N about what's going on.

After a few minutes of her calming him down and promising to call in a while so she can speak to Olivia and explain things in more detail to her, he slips his phone into the pocket of his sweatpants and heads off to change the bedding in his daughter's room, making sure that he throws her pyjamas in the wash with the sheets. He makes a mental note to buy her new ones soon.

*****

That night, after hours of watching Olivia'a favourite movies and television shows, she is asleep against her father's chest, blanket tucked up to her chin. The sight alone makes Shawn's heart swell, comforting him after his earlier fears of her growing up too fast. Empty chocolate wrappers lie opened on the coffee table, their contents long gone, and moonlight has begun to trickle in through the cracks in the blinds. Shawn feels at peace, the events of the day having been hard to navigate but effectively giving him confidence in his ability to parent on his own, though he hopes that he'll never have to do it alone again. Moments like this are better when they're shared, when there's someone to lean on and reminisce past memories with, and to hold at the end of the day when the need to be on full alert has ebbed away and all that remains is the dancing moonlight and heightened emotions.

Y/N is that person for Shawn, he'd known it within ten minutes of meeting her. While the weight of their daughter on his chest was definitely welcome, he knew that he would never be truly content unless he had them both in his arms. The phone call between mother and daughter earlier on in the day was a long one, one that left Olivia feeling calmer and Y/N feeling emotional. Shawn's words of comfort to her after regaining use of the phone were a help in soothing her guilt for not being there, but they both knew that nothing would be right until they were all reunited.

Life moves on whether you want it to or not, and things happen unexpectedly all the time. Today taught Shawn to appreciate every single moment with his family before it's too late, before he's sending his little girl off to college and the only thing to comfort him will be Y/N's arms as they both navigate the loss.

Another valuable lesson Shawn learned today was to always make sure the house is fully stocked up with chocolate, because no matter how cute girls appear to be, they can be ruthless if their sweet tooth isn't sated, especially when they're menstruating. He found that out the hard way a long time ago.

But Shawn knows that he wouldn't give up his life for anything, and will gladly navigate through all the hard times if it means getting to keep it.

- - - - - -

Hey guys! I really need to get a writing schedule because there's literally no pattern to when I update... I'm sorry it took so long.

Remember that REQUESTS ARE OPEN! Please don't request smut though because I do not have the mental equipment to write that 😬

As always, thanks for reading xxx