realmof_themuse : 3.C.1
ooc: Part of my ongoing Future!fic. Parts: 1, 2, 3 4
"How did that naked woman and a unicycle end up in the back of your vehicle?" Kaylee's hazel eyes widened with wonder, and the edges of her mouth raised up in an unconscious smile. Michael was not impressed. Crossing his arms, he rolled his eyes. Even though Will had been around for as long as he could remember -- and didn't his dad just love that -- it didn't mean that he had to play along with half the crap that came out of the other man's mouth. And just because he knew it was true, didn't mean he had to enjoy it. But Kaylee seemed to be enjoying the story, so he bit back his reply and just stood back.
Even though Will acted oblivious to all this, he knew what was going on in Michael's head. He'd been around since the little kid was...well, little and had always enjoyed trying to see if he could stump Michael's telepathy. He did have one thing to say though : thank god for Emma Frost teaching him mental blocks. Some things, little boys should never know. Will extended a hand, motioning for Kaylee to hand him some of the streamers. He'd promised (or been roped in, he wasn't sure) Pepsi he'd help her out by filling in for the long over due decorators and when he'd seen Michael, he'd called the boy over. Boy. He was a man now, but he'd always be a boy to him.
"So. You're his mom. But you're not his mom. And you're with his dad. But you're not with his dad. Am I right?" Will asks, tongue deftly catching any of the melting ice cream as he sits back on the park bench. Sally throws him an angry look, but she's too busy making sure Mikey hasn't injured himself too badly when he fell off the slide. "Come on, Ms. Blevins. You know you want to answer me. Do it.Dooooo it. Do it." She still refuses to answer back, and when Mikey's tears have dried, she puts him back on his feet and watches him totter away. The boy is now 18 months old, and Will has been surprisingly good about not questioning Sally's odd little familial status. Until today. He's bored. Alice is talking to Pepper about some funding for her latest movie, and he doesn't feel like being on his best behaviour. "Come on, Sally. Or do I have to kiss it out of you?"
That elicits the snort he was expecting and he hands her the ice cream cone. She doesn't hesitate to start licking up the sides. It's a hot day out and the coolness is a welcome relief. Doesn't mean she's going to answer him though. "Well fine," he responds finally. "But just so you know, I'm too damn cool to be an Uncle. I'm just going to be Will. Because that's good enough for me." It's his odd way of telling her he accepts it, and she nods gratefully. He never brings the topic up again, never says I told you so at her wedding, and makes sure he's around in case the kid needs to get bailed out of jail without his mom knowing. He's good that way.
Will, even though he was now into his 60s himself, was still the same as he was before. And it was because of that that Michael was wary in bringing Kaylee over. She'd grown up so protected and sheltered, and Will had no filter. He just talked. Much like Jubilee, but while Catherine's mother was good natured about it all, Will said what everyone else was thinking..if everyone else was rude. So he walked Kaylee over, but hovered. Just waiting for something. Anything.
"This is Kaylee, Will. She's a friend of mine. Hex's best friend," he added, just to clarify. He knew Will and Rogue were close (and why, he'd never understand).
Will thought for a moment, trying to place the face and the name. And couldn't. It was happening more and more lately, and he refused to think about it. Instead, he put on a smile and pretended it was normal. "So I have no clue who you are or who your parents are," Will exclaimed, stepping onto the ladder. "I mean, I know Mikey's here. His mom and I, we go way back. Way back. Like I knew her before she was legal way back." He gave a little wink and Kaylee giggled. And he caught Mikey's glare from the corner of his eye. So this is how it goes, he thought to himself.
"That's a long time," Kaylee said, her voice full of innocence. One of the many things Michael liked about her. That, and how she always called him Michael.
"That it is. We've had many an adventure, Ms. Blevins and I," and at that, Michael instantly groaned. He knew what was coming, but still, he closed his eyes and tried to send a message, anything at all, to get Will to shut up. It failed, and Michael wished once more he'd agreed to let Emma teach him all the bad tricks of telepathy. Stupid values. "This one time, we had this cross country road trip and ..." The younger boy tried to tune him out. He'd heard this story so many times, he could repeat it verbatim. Kaylee, on the other hand, was just enthralled and followed the story vividly until the end.
"...so as I was saying, Ms. Blevins and I just stare at this naked woman and the unicycle and, seriously, we're at a loss, and..."
"And I can't believe you're telling this story to young children." Here comes the saviour Michael was praying for, and it appeared in the form of Will's wife, Alice. With her no-nonsense ways, even while being nonsensical herself, Will and her had managed to somehow make their marriage work, the auspicious start excluded. "Next thing you know, you're going to have them watching porn."
"Nothing wrong with that," he quipped back, reaching down to ruffle his wife's hair. "Kids have to learn one way or another, and what better way than in the safety of your own bedroom? Unless, of course, you're into windows and you're sitting on the ledge while jacking off. That seems kind of dangerous."
"It's called a harness, old man. Safety first."
And they just wouldn't stop talking. Michael wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole. He wanted to yell at them, tell them that hey, some people grew up with over protective parents and this wasn't an appropriate line of talking but nope. Besides, he knew better the futility of that. He took some solace in the fact that at least Kaylee looked amused...if not a little bit wary.
she projected into his head, her face staying calm.
, he answered.
She took his advice, and he just watched Will and Alice banter back and forth, effortlessly. When he was younger, he always thought they must have scripts for their conversations. After all, Alice was a successful filmmaker, and Michael could remember going to their apartment in Gotham as a child, and having to wade through the papers strewn everywhere.
Now that he was older though, he could see it for what it was.
Love wasn't the same for everyone, and for them, their words were completely useless. It was the little things. The way she'd look at him adoringly, the way he'd always make sure that she was comfortable. With his parents, it was through touches that he could see their love. It didn't matter if they were mad or happy or whatever -- there was always a touch there somewheres.
He didn't know if what he had with Kaylee was love, but he did know that at least he'd be able to recognize it when it came around.
And he was okay with that....now if only Will would shut up.
"So anyways, this naked woman, turns out she was from a circus, and really, I still want to call bullshit on that but damn, if you'd have seen her ride that unicycle, you'd have believed her story too."
..maybe after the story.
William Beachum
Fracture
1389
"How did that naked woman and a unicycle end up in the back of your vehicle?" Kaylee's hazel eyes widened with wonder, and the edges of her mouth raised up in an unconscious smile. Michael was not impressed. Crossing his arms, he rolled his eyes. Even though Will had been around for as long as he could remember -- and didn't his dad just love that -- it didn't mean that he had to play along with half the crap that came out of the other man's mouth. And just because he knew it was true, didn't mean he had to enjoy it. But Kaylee seemed to be enjoying the story, so he bit back his reply and just stood back.
Even though Will acted oblivious to all this, he knew what was going on in Michael's head. He'd been around since the little kid was...well, little and had always enjoyed trying to see if he could stump Michael's telepathy. He did have one thing to say though : thank god for Emma Frost teaching him mental blocks. Some things, little boys should never know. Will extended a hand, motioning for Kaylee to hand him some of the streamers. He'd promised (or been roped in, he wasn't sure) Pepsi he'd help her out by filling in for the long over due decorators and when he'd seen Michael, he'd called the boy over. Boy. He was a man now, but he'd always be a boy to him.
"So. You're his mom. But you're not his mom. And you're with his dad. But you're not with his dad. Am I right?" Will asks, tongue deftly catching any of the melting ice cream as he sits back on the park bench. Sally throws him an angry look, but she's too busy making sure Mikey hasn't injured himself too badly when he fell off the slide. "Come on, Ms. Blevins. You know you want to answer me. Do it.Dooooo it. Do it." She still refuses to answer back, and when Mikey's tears have dried, she puts him back on his feet and watches him totter away. The boy is now 18 months old, and Will has been surprisingly good about not questioning Sally's odd little familial status. Until today. He's bored. Alice is talking to Pepper about some funding for her latest movie, and he doesn't feel like being on his best behaviour. "Come on, Sally. Or do I have to kiss it out of you?"
That elicits the snort he was expecting and he hands her the ice cream cone. She doesn't hesitate to start licking up the sides. It's a hot day out and the coolness is a welcome relief. Doesn't mean she's going to answer him though. "Well fine," he responds finally. "But just so you know, I'm too damn cool to be an Uncle. I'm just going to be Will. Because that's good enough for me." It's his odd way of telling her he accepts it, and she nods gratefully. He never brings the topic up again, never says I told you so at her wedding, and makes sure he's around in case the kid needs to get bailed out of jail without his mom knowing. He's good that way.
Will, even though he was now into his 60s himself, was still the same as he was before. And it was because of that that Michael was wary in bringing Kaylee over. She'd grown up so protected and sheltered, and Will had no filter. He just talked. Much like Jubilee, but while Catherine's mother was good natured about it all, Will said what everyone else was thinking..if everyone else was rude. So he walked Kaylee over, but hovered. Just waiting for something. Anything.
"This is Kaylee, Will. She's a friend of mine. Hex's best friend," he added, just to clarify. He knew Will and Rogue were close (and why, he'd never understand).
Will thought for a moment, trying to place the face and the name. And couldn't. It was happening more and more lately, and he refused to think about it. Instead, he put on a smile and pretended it was normal. "So I have no clue who you are or who your parents are," Will exclaimed, stepping onto the ladder. "I mean, I know Mikey's here. His mom and I, we go way back. Way back. Like I knew her before she was legal way back." He gave a little wink and Kaylee giggled. And he caught Mikey's glare from the corner of his eye. So this is how it goes, he thought to himself.
"That's a long time," Kaylee said, her voice full of innocence. One of the many things Michael liked about her. That, and how she always called him Michael.
"That it is. We've had many an adventure, Ms. Blevins and I," and at that, Michael instantly groaned. He knew what was coming, but still, he closed his eyes and tried to send a message, anything at all, to get Will to shut up. It failed, and Michael wished once more he'd agreed to let Emma teach him all the bad tricks of telepathy. Stupid values. "This one time, we had this cross country road trip and ..." The younger boy tried to tune him out. He'd heard this story so many times, he could repeat it verbatim. Kaylee, on the other hand, was just enthralled and followed the story vividly until the end.
"...so as I was saying, Ms. Blevins and I just stare at this naked woman and the unicycle and, seriously, we're at a loss, and..."
"And I can't believe you're telling this story to young children." Here comes the saviour Michael was praying for, and it appeared in the form of Will's wife, Alice. With her no-nonsense ways, even while being nonsensical herself, Will and her had managed to somehow make their marriage work, the auspicious start excluded. "Next thing you know, you're going to have them watching porn."
"Nothing wrong with that," he quipped back, reaching down to ruffle his wife's hair. "Kids have to learn one way or another, and what better way than in the safety of your own bedroom? Unless, of course, you're into windows and you're sitting on the ledge while jacking off. That seems kind of dangerous."
"It's called a harness, old man. Safety first."
And they just wouldn't stop talking. Michael wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole. He wanted to yell at them, tell them that hey, some people grew up with over protective parents and this wasn't an appropriate line of talking but nope. Besides, he knew better the futility of that. He took some solace in the fact that at least Kaylee looked amused...if not a little bit wary.
she projected into his head, her face staying calm.
, he answered.
She took his advice, and he just watched Will and Alice banter back and forth, effortlessly. When he was younger, he always thought they must have scripts for their conversations. After all, Alice was a successful filmmaker, and Michael could remember going to their apartment in Gotham as a child, and having to wade through the papers strewn everywhere.
Now that he was older though, he could see it for what it was.
Love wasn't the same for everyone, and for them, their words were completely useless. It was the little things. The way she'd look at him adoringly, the way he'd always make sure that she was comfortable. With his parents, it was through touches that he could see their love. It didn't matter if they were mad or happy or whatever -- there was always a touch there somewheres.
He didn't know if what he had with Kaylee was love, but he did know that at least he'd be able to recognize it when it came around.
And he was okay with that....now if only Will would shut up.
"So anyways, this naked woman, turns out she was from a circus, and really, I still want to call bullshit on that but damn, if you'd have seen her ride that unicycle, you'd have believed her story too."
..maybe after the story.
William Beachum
Fracture
1389