2013-07-12 20:53![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lux_mariko
lux_marikoStory: For Now
Year: 2214
Word Count: 414
Rating: R
Characters: David Stone-Greenberg, Simon
Warnings: References to murder
Notes: David is about thirty-five here.
His hands curled around the styrofoam coffee cup, and he wished he could stare through the lid and watch it swirl. David--his son, dear God, Ruth had had his son--was talking, showing him pictures. Ruth, aging gracefully and still beautiful, and David's wife, Meri, their little girl, another on the way...
"I don't now what you want from me," he said abruptly, cutting off the young man's monologue.
David stopped, and blinked. "I just want..." He hesitated. "You disappeared before Mom even knew she was pregnant. I just want--"
"You want to know why?"
"I--"
"I was taken from your mother," he said, with every effort at keeping his voice steady, "by the same person who took my memories and put me with her. Because I was needed in another life. And why didn't I come back, when I remembered? Tell me, does she know you're here?"
"You didn't let me finish," David said, quietly, when the tirade was over.
"...I can't be the father you deserve," he said. "I'm sorry. I should go." He pushed back from the table. "Thank you for the coffee."
"Wait, please."
David caught his arm, and he flinched. "What?"
"I just want to know you," David said, letting go. "I don't...if you don't want to see Mom, that's your business. And if this...person takes you away again, I'll look for you again."
He blinked at his son, confused. "I killed a man," he said, abruptly. If that didn't make him leave..."Before I knew your mother, I killed a man who had been nothing but kind to me."
David was silent for a long minute. "Was it an accident?"
More than anything, he wanted to say yes. "...I didn't mean it," he whispered.
Another long moment of silence, then David took a deep breath. "You didn't finish your coffee," he said.
And that was all he said.
"You don't...you still...?"
"Whatever happened," David said, carefully, "I'm not the only person with a father who, for whatever reason, took someone's life. I grew up with a father who was a ghost. And you say you didn't mean it, and I believe you. That's enough."
"For now," he said.
David didn't deny it. "For now."
Slowly, he returned to his seat. "...what will you name the new baby?"
David smiled. "We haven't decided yet."
His hands curled around the styrofoam coffee cup again, and he relaxed and let the warmth seep in just a hair.
For now.
Year: 2214
Word Count: 414
Rating: R
Characters: David Stone-Greenberg, Simon
Warnings: References to murder
Notes: David is about thirty-five here.
His hands curled around the styrofoam coffee cup, and he wished he could stare through the lid and watch it swirl. David--his son, dear God, Ruth had had his son--was talking, showing him pictures. Ruth, aging gracefully and still beautiful, and David's wife, Meri, their little girl, another on the way...
"I don't now what you want from me," he said abruptly, cutting off the young man's monologue.
David stopped, and blinked. "I just want..." He hesitated. "You disappeared before Mom even knew she was pregnant. I just want--"
"You want to know why?"
"I--"
"I was taken from your mother," he said, with every effort at keeping his voice steady, "by the same person who took my memories and put me with her. Because I was needed in another life. And why didn't I come back, when I remembered? Tell me, does she know you're here?"
"You didn't let me finish," David said, quietly, when the tirade was over.
"...I can't be the father you deserve," he said. "I'm sorry. I should go." He pushed back from the table. "Thank you for the coffee."
"Wait, please."
David caught his arm, and he flinched. "What?"
"I just want to know you," David said, letting go. "I don't...if you don't want to see Mom, that's your business. And if this...person takes you away again, I'll look for you again."
He blinked at his son, confused. "I killed a man," he said, abruptly. If that didn't make him leave..."Before I knew your mother, I killed a man who had been nothing but kind to me."
David was silent for a long minute. "Was it an accident?"
More than anything, he wanted to say yes. "...I didn't mean it," he whispered.
Another long moment of silence, then David took a deep breath. "You didn't finish your coffee," he said.
And that was all he said.
"You don't...you still...?"
"Whatever happened," David said, carefully, "I'm not the only person with a father who, for whatever reason, took someone's life. I grew up with a father who was a ghost. And you say you didn't mean it, and I believe you. That's enough."
"For now," he said.
David didn't deny it. "For now."
Slowly, he returned to his seat. "...what will you name the new baby?"
David smiled. "We haven't decided yet."
His hands curled around the styrofoam coffee cup again, and he relaxed and let the warmth seep in just a hair.
For now.
