Should I do this? Does it matter...?
Apr. 3rd, 2004 06:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lavandarlizard2I suppose not really...
Here it is, anyway. Feel free to ignore.
Part 074d - Oops
“You sure you want to just hang out here?” asked Geoff as he pulled off the highway to park.
Duo shrugged. “Mostly. He’ll come after me. He won’t wait for me to come home.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s not as smothering as it sounds.” He grinned at the young Human. “Heero’s a protective sort of guy; I don’t mind it.”
Geoff shrugged easily; whatever worked for the lovely creature. On the outfall channel, he saw someone stand from their seat on the riprap. “Is that your scary Dragon?”
Duo turned to look, and smiled. “Yep, that’s him. Guess I’d better go. Thanks for breakfast and for letting me do this brain-dump. It really helped.”
“You’re welcome, Duo. Thanks for the information on Elves. Give me a call next time you’re in the area; we’ll have lunch or a beer or something.”
“You bet.” Duo opened the door and slid out of the truck.
Geoff waited as he walked across the dirt strip to meet the man walking across the rocks. Not his business, of course, but he still wanted to make sure that everything would be all right for the Banshee.
<><><><><>
Something clenched in my gut when I saw Duo get out of the truck stopped on the side of the highway. He’d gone somewhere with a stranger… He had trusted someone - a man - he didn’t know. Would he never learn to be wary? Or was I simply too suspicious?
My Banshee, as he frequently reminds me, is not helpless, but he is *my* Banshee, and as such under my protection. I can no more stop being protective, than I can stop breathing.
He came across the parking lot toward me, but the truck didn’t leave. The driver appeared to be watching us. Why? Was he waiting to see if I was really here for Duo? What if I weren’t here? Would he come after my Banshee?
~ Stupid, ~ muttered a voice in my head, the one I frequently argue with. ~ If the guy wanted Duo, he never would have let him out of the truck. Plug your brain back in, Yuy. ~
::Well… Yes, this is true…:: Oh, I really needed to get myself in hand.
And then Duo was stopping a few steps away.
We stared at each other for a few seconds.
“Are you mad?” he asked in a small voice.
I blinked. Mad? At him? Great Dragons…!
“Of course not!” I exclaimed. “I was worried…”
“But you’re not mad?” he persisted.
“No,” I sighed. “Not at all. I’m sorry –“
“Good! Because I’m highly pissed, Yuy!” he exploded.
I blinked. Then blinked again.
Oops.
I wasn’t off the hook after all.
“Why didn’t you tell me you have a kid, Heero? Do you have any idea how humiliating it is for everyone to know but me?! Even fuckin’ Zephyrus knows! A demon knows more about my lover than I do!” He waved his arms around angrily, narrowly missing my nose at one point. Or maybe that was on purpose.
“I’m sorry, Duo! It just…” Somehow, ‘slipped my mind’ did not seem the right thing to say just then. I tried for something a little less truthful, but more to the point. “Duo, I did what my Clan requires; I had a child. We all do it; it’s part of our lives.”
“And the child’s mother?” he growled, far from mollified. “She means nothing to you? You have no feelings for her?”
“Of course, I have feelings for Kohaku!” I returned, stung. We were close friends as well as cousins. I wouldn’t have agreed to have a child with her if she meant nothing to me.
Duo gasped, eyes wide.
I groaned. I had just shoved my foot in my mouth again. Dammit!
“Duo!" I grabbed his arm; thank the Dragons he didn’t try to pull away. “Wyverns are required to produce one child before they are free to- to choose a life mate or not. My mother did so; my grandmother also. We all have to reproduce for the health of the Clan.”
Those purple eyes were clouding up; a thunderstorm was imminent, I could see.
“Kohaku is my cousin! Her father is one of my great-grandfather’s brothers! We both carry strong Dragon genes; it was a good match. Angel, please; I don’t love her, except as a cousin and a good friend!” He still hadn’t tried to pull away. It seemed like a good sign. “I love *you*,” I whispered, trying as hard as I could to put every nuance of truth I could into those words.
“And your son?” he whispered.
I flinched.
“Komori is the only son I will ever have,” I hedged. “I adore him.”
He glared at me. “Then why is he *there* and you’re *here*?! What kind of father walks away from his son?!”
I swallowed, reminding myself that he was from a race with different traditions, and different ways of dealing with their traditions.
“Because that is the way Wyverns are,” I said weakly. “And I suppose that makes me a duty father. Kohaku is not my Chosen; I most certainly am not hers!”
“But what about your *son*? Doesn’t he get a choice?”
Now I was just confused. “Duo, half the children of my Clan are duty children. It’s neither unusual nor shameful.” I tried again to explain. “Duo, it’s been this way for generations. There is no shame to being a duty child. The very idea would appall any Wyvern. We cannot wait to fall in love and Choose to reproduce; many Wyverns never Choose, yet they carry powerful and necessary genes. It’s the way our Clans stay strong.” If he couldn’t understand, couldn’t get past this indignation, I didn’t know what I would do.
“I want to meet him,” Duo said suddenly. “And her. I want to meet her too. I want to see for myself.”
I stared at him. “Duo, do you think I would lie to you?”
He looked at me. “I don’t even want to consider that,” he whispered. “But it’s so… so strange. If I don’t satisfy myself…”
“It’ll eventually destroy any trust you have for me,” I finished with a sigh. He nodded. Groaning, I pulled him to me; he didn’t fight me, just pressed close, laying his head against my shoulder. This would be the time to finish the confession, I decided. I just hoped… Well, I just hoped.
“Duo, angel-my-love…”
“Oh, gods,” he whined, fingers curling into my cloak. “There’s more, isn’t there.”
“Yes…”
“Okay. Tell me so I can be mad all at once, and get over it all at once.”
Get over it? Did that mean I was forgiven, or just that he wasn’t hysterical anymore? No clear answer presented itself; I sighed and laced my fingers together over the small of his back. Even if he got mad again, he wouldn’t be running away.
“Komori is almost four; his sister, my daughter, is six. Tsutsuji’s birthday is in April.”
Nothing happened. No screaming, no anger, no… reaction of any kind.
I tilted my head to look at him. “Duo? Did you hear me?”
He rolled his head on my shoulder to peer at me from one purple eye. “Is that it? A son and a daughter. Clan duty?”
My face was suddenly oddly… warm. “Well, we each had to… And she wasn’t interested in anyone then… I just returned the favor. I guess.” I’d never thought of how it might seem to someone outside the Clan.
Kohaku certainly wasn’t romantically interested in me; we’d practically grown up together. It just happened that we were each in a position to do the other a… a favor at the necessary time…
I tried again. “Um… Would it help if I told you that she has a very persistent suitor from another Clan? His name is Kiba; I’ve met him, and he’s imminently suitable as a Chosen and as a father.” I considered for a moment. “His lineage isn’t as illustrious as mine, of course, but he’s a good, solid male. They’ll make a good team,” I finished hesitantly.
To my surprise, Duo laughed.
“And you claim *I’m* hard to keep up with! Heero, you jerk!”
I stared at him. I’m almost sure that my mouth was hanging open stupidly.
“When do I get to meet them? Will they come for a visit soon?”
“You… You want them to come here?”
“Well, why the hell not?” he laughed. “We’ll be just like the Mundane Humans – daddies for the summer!”
That is what he said. What I heard was, “Heero, I love you madly; I will stay with you forever, and I want to protect your offspring as if they were my own.”
Loosely translated.
“Okay…” The Banshee-coaster had dropped me again. I would never get used to his mood swings.
His arms encircled my waist and he licked my ear. “Let’s go home, Big Lizard. Gods, this means I have three kids to spoil!”
Here it is, anyway. Feel free to ignore.
Part 074d - Oops
“You sure you want to just hang out here?” asked Geoff as he pulled off the highway to park.
Duo shrugged. “Mostly. He’ll come after me. He won’t wait for me to come home.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s not as smothering as it sounds.” He grinned at the young Human. “Heero’s a protective sort of guy; I don’t mind it.”
Geoff shrugged easily; whatever worked for the lovely creature. On the outfall channel, he saw someone stand from their seat on the riprap. “Is that your scary Dragon?”
Duo turned to look, and smiled. “Yep, that’s him. Guess I’d better go. Thanks for breakfast and for letting me do this brain-dump. It really helped.”
“You’re welcome, Duo. Thanks for the information on Elves. Give me a call next time you’re in the area; we’ll have lunch or a beer or something.”
“You bet.” Duo opened the door and slid out of the truck.
Geoff waited as he walked across the dirt strip to meet the man walking across the rocks. Not his business, of course, but he still wanted to make sure that everything would be all right for the Banshee.
<><><><><>
Something clenched in my gut when I saw Duo get out of the truck stopped on the side of the highway. He’d gone somewhere with a stranger… He had trusted someone - a man - he didn’t know. Would he never learn to be wary? Or was I simply too suspicious?
My Banshee, as he frequently reminds me, is not helpless, but he is *my* Banshee, and as such under my protection. I can no more stop being protective, than I can stop breathing.
He came across the parking lot toward me, but the truck didn’t leave. The driver appeared to be watching us. Why? Was he waiting to see if I was really here for Duo? What if I weren’t here? Would he come after my Banshee?
~ Stupid, ~ muttered a voice in my head, the one I frequently argue with. ~ If the guy wanted Duo, he never would have let him out of the truck. Plug your brain back in, Yuy. ~
::Well… Yes, this is true…:: Oh, I really needed to get myself in hand.
And then Duo was stopping a few steps away.
We stared at each other for a few seconds.
“Are you mad?” he asked in a small voice.
I blinked. Mad? At him? Great Dragons…!
“Of course not!” I exclaimed. “I was worried…”
“But you’re not mad?” he persisted.
“No,” I sighed. “Not at all. I’m sorry –“
“Good! Because I’m highly pissed, Yuy!” he exploded.
I blinked. Then blinked again.
Oops.
I wasn’t off the hook after all.
“Why didn’t you tell me you have a kid, Heero? Do you have any idea how humiliating it is for everyone to know but me?! Even fuckin’ Zephyrus knows! A demon knows more about my lover than I do!” He waved his arms around angrily, narrowly missing my nose at one point. Or maybe that was on purpose.
“I’m sorry, Duo! It just…” Somehow, ‘slipped my mind’ did not seem the right thing to say just then. I tried for something a little less truthful, but more to the point. “Duo, I did what my Clan requires; I had a child. We all do it; it’s part of our lives.”
“And the child’s mother?” he growled, far from mollified. “She means nothing to you? You have no feelings for her?”
“Of course, I have feelings for Kohaku!” I returned, stung. We were close friends as well as cousins. I wouldn’t have agreed to have a child with her if she meant nothing to me.
Duo gasped, eyes wide.
I groaned. I had just shoved my foot in my mouth again. Dammit!
“Duo!" I grabbed his arm; thank the Dragons he didn’t try to pull away. “Wyverns are required to produce one child before they are free to- to choose a life mate or not. My mother did so; my grandmother also. We all have to reproduce for the health of the Clan.”
Those purple eyes were clouding up; a thunderstorm was imminent, I could see.
“Kohaku is my cousin! Her father is one of my great-grandfather’s brothers! We both carry strong Dragon genes; it was a good match. Angel, please; I don’t love her, except as a cousin and a good friend!” He still hadn’t tried to pull away. It seemed like a good sign. “I love *you*,” I whispered, trying as hard as I could to put every nuance of truth I could into those words.
“And your son?” he whispered.
I flinched.
“Komori is the only son I will ever have,” I hedged. “I adore him.”
He glared at me. “Then why is he *there* and you’re *here*?! What kind of father walks away from his son?!”
I swallowed, reminding myself that he was from a race with different traditions, and different ways of dealing with their traditions.
“Because that is the way Wyverns are,” I said weakly. “And I suppose that makes me a duty father. Kohaku is not my Chosen; I most certainly am not hers!”
“But what about your *son*? Doesn’t he get a choice?”
Now I was just confused. “Duo, half the children of my Clan are duty children. It’s neither unusual nor shameful.” I tried again to explain. “Duo, it’s been this way for generations. There is no shame to being a duty child. The very idea would appall any Wyvern. We cannot wait to fall in love and Choose to reproduce; many Wyverns never Choose, yet they carry powerful and necessary genes. It’s the way our Clans stay strong.” If he couldn’t understand, couldn’t get past this indignation, I didn’t know what I would do.
“I want to meet him,” Duo said suddenly. “And her. I want to meet her too. I want to see for myself.”
I stared at him. “Duo, do you think I would lie to you?”
He looked at me. “I don’t even want to consider that,” he whispered. “But it’s so… so strange. If I don’t satisfy myself…”
“It’ll eventually destroy any trust you have for me,” I finished with a sigh. He nodded. Groaning, I pulled him to me; he didn’t fight me, just pressed close, laying his head against my shoulder. This would be the time to finish the confession, I decided. I just hoped… Well, I just hoped.
“Duo, angel-my-love…”
“Oh, gods,” he whined, fingers curling into my cloak. “There’s more, isn’t there.”
“Yes…”
“Okay. Tell me so I can be mad all at once, and get over it all at once.”
Get over it? Did that mean I was forgiven, or just that he wasn’t hysterical anymore? No clear answer presented itself; I sighed and laced my fingers together over the small of his back. Even if he got mad again, he wouldn’t be running away.
“Komori is almost four; his sister, my daughter, is six. Tsutsuji’s birthday is in April.”
Nothing happened. No screaming, no anger, no… reaction of any kind.
I tilted my head to look at him. “Duo? Did you hear me?”
He rolled his head on my shoulder to peer at me from one purple eye. “Is that it? A son and a daughter. Clan duty?”
My face was suddenly oddly… warm. “Well, we each had to… And she wasn’t interested in anyone then… I just returned the favor. I guess.” I’d never thought of how it might seem to someone outside the Clan.
Kohaku certainly wasn’t romantically interested in me; we’d practically grown up together. It just happened that we were each in a position to do the other a… a favor at the necessary time…
I tried again. “Um… Would it help if I told you that she has a very persistent suitor from another Clan? His name is Kiba; I’ve met him, and he’s imminently suitable as a Chosen and as a father.” I considered for a moment. “His lineage isn’t as illustrious as mine, of course, but he’s a good, solid male. They’ll make a good team,” I finished hesitantly.
To my surprise, Duo laughed.
“And you claim *I’m* hard to keep up with! Heero, you jerk!”
I stared at him. I’m almost sure that my mouth was hanging open stupidly.
“When do I get to meet them? Will they come for a visit soon?”
“You… You want them to come here?”
“Well, why the hell not?” he laughed. “We’ll be just like the Mundane Humans – daddies for the summer!”
That is what he said. What I heard was, “Heero, I love you madly; I will stay with you forever, and I want to protect your offspring as if they were my own.”
Loosely translated.
“Okay…” The Banshee-coaster had dropped me again. I would never get used to his mood swings.
His arms encircled my waist and he licked my ear. “Let’s go home, Big Lizard. Gods, this means I have three kids to spoil!”
