Ficlet: Heart to Heart
Jun. 4th, 2009 10:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dolevalanTitle: Heart to Heart
Fandom/original: original
Rating: PG
A/N: Another little Willoughby snippet.
The door was closed.
She came in without knocking, as she'd done when they were children. Briskly, she said, "You've been hunting." As it wasn't a question, she didn't pause for a response. "Was it something with your children?"
"No," Nicolas said, harshly. Was that true? It certainly had something to do with one of them. It would, at least. He turned away, moving to pour himself a drink.
"Ah. Amy, then." She sat down on the edge of his setee. He poured her a drink without asking what she'd have. He didn't have to; she'd been drinking more or less the same thing since they were adolescents.
"Among other things," he said, low, raw. He brought her the gin, and sat down with his own vodka, next to her.
"You know," Stella said, more quietly, "she'd probably have you back. If you'd forgive her. If you wanted."
The fierceness in his voice surprised even himself. "I don't want her to. Everything we ever had - everything she ever meant to me. It was all a lie. And she let it happen. Even if it was an accident - she didn't stop it either." He looked her. "I know," he said, in response to something she hadn't even said yet. "But it isn't the same. I know how the darkness effects me, even when I'm not resisting it. At least I can tell the bloody difference. It's... it's in addition to, not substituting."
Quieter, though his twin had never quite mastered being gentle, she said, "You're oversimplifying, Nikolai. You know that."
"Maybe. But it's still true."
Stella took a sip of her gin, then said, "Tell me about your daughter."
"What about her?"
The corner of her mouth twitched in the hint of a smile. "Well. Anyone with eyes can see how you feel about your son. Even if you and Meaghan were to have a permanent falling out, he'd always be a part of your life." She looked at him probingly. "So tell me about your little girl. I've only met her briefly."
He frowned looking away. "Katiya is... beautiful. She'll break hearts, in a year or two. She's..." His voice got quieter. "She's passionate. Got my temper, poor girl. Stubborn as hell." He closed his eyes. "She wants affection. Almost as badly as her mother does, but she's more inclined to touch. Probably because of the wolf half, but..." He trailed off.
Stella said, perceptively, "And yet you're not going to go on seeing her."
He shook his head. "I don't know how I can. Every time I see her..."
"I'm sure she'll understand that," Stella said dryly. "How resentment against her mother will mean that you'll suddenly revoke all your affection. I'm sure if Mother and Father had a falling out -"
"Don't, Stella. Don't even joke about that." Nicolas ran a hand over his face, then stood, moving to the bar to refill his glass. "Look. I'm just going to give myself a little space, that's all. Get my head straight."
Stella stood up and moved to her brother. "Don't lie to yourself, rininski. If you walk away, you'll never come back to her, not really. You may be here, but I know you. You burn your bridges."
"So do you." He reached out to touch her arm.
The room was empty. It always had been. Nicolas finished his drink, grimacing.
He was done talking to phantoms. He extinguished the lamp and left.
Fandom/original: original
Rating: PG
A/N: Another little Willoughby snippet.
The door was closed.
She came in without knocking, as she'd done when they were children. Briskly, she said, "You've been hunting." As it wasn't a question, she didn't pause for a response. "Was it something with your children?"
"No," Nicolas said, harshly. Was that true? It certainly had something to do with one of them. It would, at least. He turned away, moving to pour himself a drink.
"Ah. Amy, then." She sat down on the edge of his setee. He poured her a drink without asking what she'd have. He didn't have to; she'd been drinking more or less the same thing since they were adolescents.
"Among other things," he said, low, raw. He brought her the gin, and sat down with his own vodka, next to her.
"You know," Stella said, more quietly, "she'd probably have you back. If you'd forgive her. If you wanted."
The fierceness in his voice surprised even himself. "I don't want her to. Everything we ever had - everything she ever meant to me. It was all a lie. And she let it happen. Even if it was an accident - she didn't stop it either." He looked her. "I know," he said, in response to something she hadn't even said yet. "But it isn't the same. I know how the darkness effects me, even when I'm not resisting it. At least I can tell the bloody difference. It's... it's in addition to, not substituting."
Quieter, though his twin had never quite mastered being gentle, she said, "You're oversimplifying, Nikolai. You know that."
"Maybe. But it's still true."
Stella took a sip of her gin, then said, "Tell me about your daughter."
"What about her?"
The corner of her mouth twitched in the hint of a smile. "Well. Anyone with eyes can see how you feel about your son. Even if you and Meaghan were to have a permanent falling out, he'd always be a part of your life." She looked at him probingly. "So tell me about your little girl. I've only met her briefly."
He frowned looking away. "Katiya is... beautiful. She'll break hearts, in a year or two. She's..." His voice got quieter. "She's passionate. Got my temper, poor girl. Stubborn as hell." He closed his eyes. "She wants affection. Almost as badly as her mother does, but she's more inclined to touch. Probably because of the wolf half, but..." He trailed off.
Stella said, perceptively, "And yet you're not going to go on seeing her."
He shook his head. "I don't know how I can. Every time I see her..."
"I'm sure she'll understand that," Stella said dryly. "How resentment against her mother will mean that you'll suddenly revoke all your affection. I'm sure if Mother and Father had a falling out -"
"Don't, Stella. Don't even joke about that." Nicolas ran a hand over his face, then stood, moving to the bar to refill his glass. "Look. I'm just going to give myself a little space, that's all. Get my head straight."
Stella stood up and moved to her brother. "Don't lie to yourself, rininski. If you walk away, you'll never come back to her, not really. You may be here, but I know you. You burn your bridges."
"So do you." He reached out to touch her arm.
The room was empty. It always had been. Nicolas finished his drink, grimacing.
He was done talking to phantoms. He extinguished the lamp and left.
