draft zero, will edit later!
Dec. 8th, 2009 06:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kolfandom: kingdom
characters: Reed, Clover
prompts: 31_days "questions that never breathe" and kingdom100 "odds and ends" (the edited version will resonate with both prompts more, but I've got to take a nap before work shift so posting away!)
He was not expecting Clover to answer the door dressed up within an inch of her life, looking all the world as if she was off to dine in some rich restaurant. It was not a look he'd ever pictured on the girl, and his feet took two halting steps back before he controlled the urge the flee.
"Yo," The now familiar voice came out much the same as it always did, heavy East Coast accent at odds with the burgeoning California ease. "I'd invite you in, but-"
Reed's smile was tight, controlled. It wasn't his business to ask where she was heading or who she was going out with. They might be siblings, but they'd only known each other a few days. He didn't know what the boundaries were and wasn't about to test them. "You have plans, obviously."
"Goin' out for a show." Her careless shrug tugged the shawl off her arm, but she made no move to cover up the now bare limb. An urge pressed itself against his chest and down his arm, but he kept his twitching hand down, refused to tug the errant garment back up. Clover was older than him, could take care of herself. Didn't need a brother to question her fashion sense or scold her against catching cold.
"You should come with. Got a twofer, but Dad can pay for himself."
Reed shifted his feet, not able to look her in the eyes that so closely mirrored his own. "Well, he's your father. I don't want to butt in."
"Freaking hell, Reed, he's your father too." Clover struggled her hand through her long, stringy hair, catching tangles and grunting with frustration he knew was less for her hair and more for him. She considered him, standing there twitching in the deserted hallway, for a long, frustrated moment before she pulled her hand out of her hair and waved it in the air, dismissive.
"I get it, gotta confront him on your own, not with big sis here making things more awkward. Don't want to feel the family's odds and ends. But ya gotta do it soon, Reed. I can't keep stalling." Clover warned.
He swallowed, with great difficulty, before managing a slow nod. "I will, I promise. But he's... my father's down in San Diego right now, probably tossing the ball to my other sister. Your dad... I haven't figured out what he is to me yet, and I don't want to go in there until I do."
Clover brushed a hand against his shoulder, her touch firm but understanding. "It won't get easier, ya know. The longer you wait, the more you'll build up to it in that crazy head of yours."
He patted the hand on his shoulder, his smile honest this time. "Go have a blast. And thanks for not dragging me off with you."
But Clover wasn't finished, her eyes as unyielding as steel. "We'll talk later." She promised, locking up the door and walking away, leaving Reed staring after her, wondering if he'd ever have the strength to walk out there and meet the man who'd contributed to half his genetics.
And knowing deep down that, if it was up to him, he'd never take that step.
characters: Reed, Clover
prompts: 31_days "questions that never breathe" and kingdom100 "odds and ends" (the edited version will resonate with both prompts more, but I've got to take a nap before work shift so posting away!)
He was not expecting Clover to answer the door dressed up within an inch of her life, looking all the world as if she was off to dine in some rich restaurant. It was not a look he'd ever pictured on the girl, and his feet took two halting steps back before he controlled the urge the flee.
"Yo," The now familiar voice came out much the same as it always did, heavy East Coast accent at odds with the burgeoning California ease. "I'd invite you in, but-"
Reed's smile was tight, controlled. It wasn't his business to ask where she was heading or who she was going out with. They might be siblings, but they'd only known each other a few days. He didn't know what the boundaries were and wasn't about to test them. "You have plans, obviously."
"Goin' out for a show." Her careless shrug tugged the shawl off her arm, but she made no move to cover up the now bare limb. An urge pressed itself against his chest and down his arm, but he kept his twitching hand down, refused to tug the errant garment back up. Clover was older than him, could take care of herself. Didn't need a brother to question her fashion sense or scold her against catching cold.
"You should come with. Got a twofer, but Dad can pay for himself."
Reed shifted his feet, not able to look her in the eyes that so closely mirrored his own. "Well, he's your father. I don't want to butt in."
"Freaking hell, Reed, he's your father too." Clover struggled her hand through her long, stringy hair, catching tangles and grunting with frustration he knew was less for her hair and more for him. She considered him, standing there twitching in the deserted hallway, for a long, frustrated moment before she pulled her hand out of her hair and waved it in the air, dismissive.
"I get it, gotta confront him on your own, not with big sis here making things more awkward. Don't want to feel the family's odds and ends. But ya gotta do it soon, Reed. I can't keep stalling." Clover warned.
He swallowed, with great difficulty, before managing a slow nod. "I will, I promise. But he's... my father's down in San Diego right now, probably tossing the ball to my other sister. Your dad... I haven't figured out what he is to me yet, and I don't want to go in there until I do."
Clover brushed a hand against his shoulder, her touch firm but understanding. "It won't get easier, ya know. The longer you wait, the more you'll build up to it in that crazy head of yours."
He patted the hand on his shoulder, his smile honest this time. "Go have a blast. And thanks for not dragging me off with you."
But Clover wasn't finished, her eyes as unyielding as steel. "We'll talk later." She promised, locking up the door and walking away, leaving Reed staring after her, wondering if he'd ever have the strength to walk out there and meet the man who'd contributed to half his genetics.
And knowing deep down that, if it was up to him, he'd never take that step.
