Militat Omnis Amans

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                                  Militat Omnis Amans

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      ❀ Genre/Prompt: Fluff/headcanons

      ❀ Pairing: Francis Mulcahy x (Gender Neutral) Reader

      ❀ Word Count: 1,180 words

      ❀ A/N: Been on a René kick as of recently (on top of M*a*s*h and Star Trek) so I thought I’d throw this together for the fun of it. No disrespect to the character or religion, but for fanfic purposes Imma change it up so he’s able to date and all that. We’re just gonna assume that Catholic priests can do all that for the purpose of the fic 👀  Not the best work, but I hope y’all enjoyyyy!!!

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❀ Despite being free to be with and love who he choses, the concept of being with another person in a romantic sense was no easier for francis to understand than it would have been if he couldn't

❀ He wasn’t a womanizer like Hawkeye, a lover boy like Duke, or even a charmer like Painless

❀ Hell, he wasn’t even as good with women as Frank Burns was

❀ And that was saying something

❀ All he was was a nerdy romantic with little confidence in his abilities

❀ That being said, he didn’t realize any of this until he joined the Korean War

❀ More specifically, when he met you during the Korean War

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❀ When the 4077th M*A*S*H was created he was one of the first people added to the staff

❀ Ironically enough, so were you

❀ Being apart of the ‘Support Staff,’ you two were stationed together and even got put on the same transports to move to your new unit

❀ And, given the fact you all are forced together with people you don’t know, introducing yourself to everyone is bound to happen

❀ This idea was both nerve-racking and fun to Francis, but he was hoping that he’d meet someone friendly first

❀ So how lucky do you think he felt when the first person he introduced himself to was you?? 

❀ This meeting, though slightly forced, ended up actually being quite enjoyable

❀ The countless hours it took to go from the States, to Hawai'i, to Korea, etc. provided an adequate amount of time to you both to get to know each other and the life you held before you were drafted

❀ You guys’ experience ended up even better when you learned you were stationed in the same camp

❀ This meant you both had a friend to make the transition easier!!

❀ Something a lot of people did not get

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❀ Francis has to constantly be studying, interpreting, and teaching the Bible, so he is almost always seen with his nose behind his pocket Bible and notebook

❀ So one way that you make him feel involved and appreciate is by always sitting in silence with him as he prays and reads/writes

❀ Some people find it boring, but you find peaceful

❀ He always scoots a little closer to you and occasionally shows you the passages he is reading and tells you what he thinks about them

❀ He does this to spark a conversation, and you appreciate the effort!!

❀ Cause sometimes he gets hyper focused and it’s hard to get his attention

❀ Ironically though, once you get him talking he usually can’t stop

❀ A lot of people think he’s shy and introverted but he’s actually very personable

❀ He is a gemini after all!!

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❀ You don’t like his nickname Dago Red since it’s used as a term of disrespect, but you reluctantly go along with it since he didn't seem bothered by it

❀ Instead of using it you gave him a new nickname

❀ Well, one of many that is

❀ Too many. This man was too precious so of course you can’t just stop at one

❀ In order to be more respectful to his Irish heritage, you dubbed him Acushla/Macushla

❀ His favorites were sweetheart and darling though

❀ They just feel so domestic and wholesome that he can’t help but internally gush over them

❀ In a way, they help him forget that he’s stuck in a vicious and pointless war and puts him in a more stateside mindset

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❀ Life in the war seemed to flash by him, but also drag, ironically, exceedingly slow

❀ And all he and the rest of the camp knew was that they had to do their best to ignore the difficulties the war threw at them and the ones in need

❀ The only issue with this dynamic being the fact that someone has to act as an emotional support when needed

❀ And that person was usually him

❀  Francis definitely has his moment of depression

❀ A depression that leaves him hopeless and distraught

❀ But now, despite the difficulty of the war, his mindset has been vastly improved

❀ Instead of having to rely on himself or vices when he’s at his lowest point, he now has you to lean on 

❀ After being together in the war for so long, you two even developed a sort of sixth sense that immediately lets the other know when they’re needed

❀ Despite it being a weird little aspect of you guys’ dynamic, it proves to be the one saving grace he has when everything becomes too much

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❀ Once you two get into a relationship he swears he’s become the happiest he’ll ever be 

❀ It was the kind of slow burn romance that made him take forever to pick up on the cues you dropped 

❀ He’s very hesitant to enter into a relationship given he doesn’t have much experience, but you help bring out the romantic in him

❀ Which calms his nerves a bit

❀ You two get teased by the rest of the camp since you are too wholesome for the environment, but it’s all lighthearted fun

❀ In reality they’re just jealousy that you guys are able to have a healthy and relationship despite the war raging around you two

❀ Honestly, he’s the sweetest, most innocent lover you’ve had

❀ Which makes his small suave and romantic moves so shocking

❀ He’s a surprisingly good kisser despite his lack of experience though

❀ The reality of kissing is different than what it’s shown to be, but Francis really makes every kiss feel like you’re in a movie

❀ When it comes to getting intimate or doing anything past ‘the point of no return’ you two end up stepping back and forcing yourself to wait

❀ Although he loves you and wants to have a future with you, his faith comes first

❀ Gotta keep this Godly man pure 😩

❀ On the time that you two get off together you usually end up either reading with each other, listening to radio, taking walks, or spending quality time together

❀ But, when the night gets late and the excitement of the day dies down, you both whisper about the various adventures your future together holds and the plans you want to make come alive

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❀ At the end of the day, he’s glad he got drafted

❀ No one willingly wants to go to war and see the endless suffering on both sides but, as a man of God, he knows that everything happens for a reason

❀ To him, you are that reason

❀ You are the part of his life worth suffering for

❀ And now that he knows you reciprocate that feeling, this war just got a fraction better than before