Building a House part 10
Title: Building a House part 10: Pillar
Universe: Young Avengers House of M AU
Rating: PG
Summary: William’s finally lost it.
“I,” William sighed, “am in so much trouble.”
“Hm?” Dorrek said, watching the human soldiers round up the last of the Kree rebels. The prince didn’t have the opportunity to answer, as he was set upon by an older human female who immediately took his face in her hands and dabbed at a scratch on his cheek with a tissue.
“What on earth are you doing here?” she demanded, smoothing William’s hair back with a frown.
“He’s with me,” Dorrek said, greeting the woman with his very best Imperial Glare. She turned to the young emperor, and recognition struck Dorrek like a 2x4 to the back of the head.
Princess Wanda glared back at him, lifting her chin haughtily. “William,” she said, turning away from Dorrek, “I feel faint. Escort me back to the palace.”
“Yes, Mother,” William said meekly, holding his arm out for the princess. She took it, and they began to walk away.
“Now wait just a-” Dorrek tried to follow them, only to fall flat on his face when his feet refused to move. He twisted around and saw that the soles of his shoes had been melted to the pavement. “What?”
He looked back to the retreating Lehnsherrs. He saw William duck his head, moving along while Wanda was looking back. He caught a spark of something dangerous in her eye as she turned away.
***
“I won’t allow this,” Wanda announced. “It’s entirely too dangerous!” She paced in front of her father’s desk, punctuating her words with jabs of her finger. “Those soldiers were after the Skrull Emperor, and that boy put William right in the middle of the fight! God only knows who else is out to get him!”
“My dear,” Erik said soothingly, “it’s no different than that ridiculous Human Liberation Front, or any number of people who wish to see us dead.”
“But it is different, Father!”
William looked up at his mother and grandfather from the chair he occupied, as far across the room from them as he could get.
“I don’t want him coming near my son anymore!”
“Wanda, my dear…”
“Isn’t anyone going to ask what I want?” the prince asked softly.
The two adults turned to the boy. “What was that, William?” his mother asked.
The prince took a deep breath, meeting first Wanda’s eyes, then Eriks. “I said,” he repeated in a louder voice, “isn’t anyone going to ask what I want? From the start of this, all everyone’s done is told me what to do. It’s my life, and my future, and yet what I think and what I want doesn’t seem to matter!”
“William-” Wanda said, only to be cut off by her son’s sudden, sharp gesture.
“I’m not done, Mother,” he said, raking his hands through his dark hair. “Just once, I’d like someone to ask me what I want out of this! I want someone to take my feelings into consideration! I’m not some chess piece to be moved around at will!” He launched himself out of the chair, pacing like his mother had been moments before. He turned a glare on his mother and grandfather. “No more,” he said, teleporting out of the room.
***
Dorrek had been brooding in his suite, surrounded by a small army of guards, when William suddenly appeared in his room.
“We need to talk,” the prince announced, ignoring the Skrulls suddenly aiming weapons on him. “Alone.”
Just as suddenly as William had appeared, Dorrek was on the roof of the palace. The dark haired boy was frowning at him, hands stuffed into his pockets. He was still wearing the clothes he’d borrowed from his brother, and he looked both disheveled and angry.
“What in the names of all the Gods-” Dorrek began.
“It’s not nice when people do things to you without asking, is it.” William snarled. Dorrek took a confused step backwards.
“Billy-?”
“You didn’t even bother to ask me what I thought. Like my opinion didn’t even matter. You just went straight to my grandfather and expected me to go along with it!”
“But I-”
“And you act like it’s perfectly alright! Like I can’t make my own decisions!”
“I’m sorry.”
“I-you’re what?”
“I’m sorry.” Dorrek held up both his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I have offended you, and I have gone over your head without considering your wishes, and I am deeply and truly sorry.”
“You can’t be sorry!” William insisted.
“Why not?” the blonde asked, slightly perturbed.
“Because I’m not done yelling at you yet! I had a good rant going!”
“You could keep going,” Dorrek offered. “I’d be happy to listen.”
William stared at him, his nostrils flared and his lips compressed into a thin line. “I can’t,” he finally said. “You made me lose my train of thought.”
“Should I apologize for that, too?” Dorrek asked tentatively.
Universe: Young Avengers House of M AU
Rating: PG
Summary: William’s finally lost it.
“I,” William sighed, “am in so much trouble.”
“Hm?” Dorrek said, watching the human soldiers round up the last of the Kree rebels. The prince didn’t have the opportunity to answer, as he was set upon by an older human female who immediately took his face in her hands and dabbed at a scratch on his cheek with a tissue.
“What on earth are you doing here?” she demanded, smoothing William’s hair back with a frown.
“He’s with me,” Dorrek said, greeting the woman with his very best Imperial Glare. She turned to the young emperor, and recognition struck Dorrek like a 2x4 to the back of the head.
Princess Wanda glared back at him, lifting her chin haughtily. “William,” she said, turning away from Dorrek, “I feel faint. Escort me back to the palace.”
“Yes, Mother,” William said meekly, holding his arm out for the princess. She took it, and they began to walk away.
“Now wait just a-” Dorrek tried to follow them, only to fall flat on his face when his feet refused to move. He twisted around and saw that the soles of his shoes had been melted to the pavement. “What?”
He looked back to the retreating Lehnsherrs. He saw William duck his head, moving along while Wanda was looking back. He caught a spark of something dangerous in her eye as she turned away.
***
“I won’t allow this,” Wanda announced. “It’s entirely too dangerous!” She paced in front of her father’s desk, punctuating her words with jabs of her finger. “Those soldiers were after the Skrull Emperor, and that boy put William right in the middle of the fight! God only knows who else is out to get him!”
“My dear,” Erik said soothingly, “it’s no different than that ridiculous Human Liberation Front, or any number of people who wish to see us dead.”
“But it is different, Father!”
William looked up at his mother and grandfather from the chair he occupied, as far across the room from them as he could get.
“I don’t want him coming near my son anymore!”
“Wanda, my dear…”
“Isn’t anyone going to ask what I want?” the prince asked softly.
The two adults turned to the boy. “What was that, William?” his mother asked.
The prince took a deep breath, meeting first Wanda’s eyes, then Eriks. “I said,” he repeated in a louder voice, “isn’t anyone going to ask what I want? From the start of this, all everyone’s done is told me what to do. It’s my life, and my future, and yet what I think and what I want doesn’t seem to matter!”
“William-” Wanda said, only to be cut off by her son’s sudden, sharp gesture.
“I’m not done, Mother,” he said, raking his hands through his dark hair. “Just once, I’d like someone to ask me what I want out of this! I want someone to take my feelings into consideration! I’m not some chess piece to be moved around at will!” He launched himself out of the chair, pacing like his mother had been moments before. He turned a glare on his mother and grandfather. “No more,” he said, teleporting out of the room.
***
Dorrek had been brooding in his suite, surrounded by a small army of guards, when William suddenly appeared in his room.
“We need to talk,” the prince announced, ignoring the Skrulls suddenly aiming weapons on him. “Alone.”
Just as suddenly as William had appeared, Dorrek was on the roof of the palace. The dark haired boy was frowning at him, hands stuffed into his pockets. He was still wearing the clothes he’d borrowed from his brother, and he looked both disheveled and angry.
“What in the names of all the Gods-” Dorrek began.
“It’s not nice when people do things to you without asking, is it.” William snarled. Dorrek took a confused step backwards.
“Billy-?”
“You didn’t even bother to ask me what I thought. Like my opinion didn’t even matter. You just went straight to my grandfather and expected me to go along with it!”
“But I-”
“And you act like it’s perfectly alright! Like I can’t make my own decisions!”
“I’m sorry.”
“I-you’re what?”
“I’m sorry.” Dorrek held up both his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I have offended you, and I have gone over your head without considering your wishes, and I am deeply and truly sorry.”
“You can’t be sorry!” William insisted.
“Why not?” the blonde asked, slightly perturbed.
“Because I’m not done yelling at you yet! I had a good rant going!”
“You could keep going,” Dorrek offered. “I’d be happy to listen.”
William stared at him, his nostrils flared and his lips compressed into a thin line. “I can’t,” he finally said. “You made me lose my train of thought.”
“Should I apologize for that, too?” Dorrek asked tentatively.