Chocolate Chip Mint 23, Fudge Ripple 15: Very Simple
Title: Very Simple
Main Story: In the Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Chocolate chip mint 23 (imposing), fudge ripple 15 (confidence), whipped cream (Ivy's sixteen).
Word Count: 1200
Rating: PG.
Summary: Aaron has something to ask his sister.
Notes: Ivy's views on sexuality are not necessarily those of the author. Aaron's views on the cancellation of Firefly most definitely are.
"Hey, Vee." Aaron tugged gently on one of her pigtails. "Can I ask you a question?"
Ivy, who was used to Aaron playing with her hair whenever he felt like it, and who was currently knee-deep in a rather tricky proof for trig, did not look up. "Sure. What?"
He sat down next to her. "How did you come out to Dad and Gail?"
At that, she did look up, sharply, and searched his face. He looked unusually serious, but not unhappy. "Separately. Mom first. They took it pretty well. Why?" When Aaron's expression did not become less serious, she added, "Are you going to play on my team?"
Success-- Aaron laughed. "No, no. I'm not gay." He leaned on the table and looked at her proof. "Actually, I don't think I'm anything at all. That part's wrong."
"The hell it's wrong, I got that out of the back of the book," Ivy said. "What do you mean, you're not anything at all?"
"The book's wrong," Aaron said, solemnly. "His whole conclusion is fallacious."
Ivy gave him her most unimpressed look. "Okay, first of all, my trig textbook was written by a woman. Second of all, quoting Firefly is not going to un-cancel it, no matter how hard you try. Third, I refuse to be distracted. What do you mean, you're not anything at all? Everybody's something."
"Firefly's cancellation was a crime against humanity," Aaron said. "And I'm not. I don't think. Look, I haven't exactly figured this out myself, Vee."
"Oookay," Ivy said, and set her pencil down. "Tips and tricks for coming out, number one. Be sure of what you're coming out about first."
Aaron rolled his eyes at her. "Bite me," he said, perhaps unwisely, because the next thing he said was "Ow!" when Ivy obliged.
"You asked for it," she said, and really, he was being a big baby. She hadn't bitten him that hard. "Now do us all a favor and explain yourself."
"Us all being you and your multiple personalities?" Aaron asked, rubbing at his upper arm, but before she could get annoyed with him he relented. "Have you ever heard of asexuality?"
"Duh," Ivy said. "I get A's in biology, remember? It's a method of reproduction whereby..."
Aaron cut in. "Not that kind of asexuality, Vee."
She frowned, puzzled. "What other kind is there?"
Her brother rubbed a hand through his hair absently, and Ivy frowned harder. Aaron only did that when something was bothering him. "Never mind, Vee, it's not important."
"Like hell it's not," Ivy said. "Aaron, if you don't tell me what's going on I'm gonna stand outside your door and sing show tunes all night."
"You will not," Aaron said. "You'll wake up Summer. I think I'm asexual."
Ivy blinked. "You think you reproduce without sex?"
Aaron looked deeply unimpressed. "That's not what it means, Vee."
"It is so what it means." Ivy knew that this was a big thing, really, especially since Aaron had compared it to her own coming out, but if he was going to be imprecise...
He was rolling his eyes at her. Ivy prepared to be indignant. "In this context," he said, emphasizing his words carefully, "it means someone who feels no sexual desire or attraction."
She thought about that for a while, then said, "But you're not a virgin."
If Aaron had been drinking something, he would probably have spat it right out again. As it was, he only gave her a horrified look. "How the hell do you know that?"
"Lars told me," Ivy said, and when Aaron continued to look horrified, added, "He was very drunk at the time."
"Drunk or not, Lars is a dead man," Aaron said, and shuddered. "God. I can't believe he told you... okay, you know what, let's put that frankly appalling thought aside and never speak of it again."
She grinned. "Anything you say, big brother. So how come you've had sex if you don't want to?"
Aaron shrugged, and tried without complete success to look less horrified. "I don't know, I just... I guess I thought I'd like it if I tried it. I mean, everyone else seemed to be into it, and... I thought it was like bungee jumping or something."
"Bungee jumping?"
He rolled his eyes again. "You know, something you think is terrible until you try it. Anyway, I... tried it, and it was sort of weird and uncomfortable and... Vee, why am I telling this to you again?"
"Because otherwise you'll get Memory at two AM," Ivy said. "So... this really exists? It's not, like, a chemical imbalance or something?"
He shrugged. "Sure. It's a valid sexual orientation. Or lack thereof."
"Okay." She'd take Aaron's word for it. If there was one thing her big brother was good at, it was research. "And you're sure about it?"
"Yes," he said, and then shook his head. "Mostly. I mean, I still... I still like dating people, you know, and I'd like to fall in love with someone and get married and all that. I have to do a little more research and make sure that counts, before I'm really certain."
Which was Aaron all over. She'd count it as a 'yes.' "Then I think you're okay to come out, if that's what you were asking me to begin with," she said. "Though I don't think you have to come out to anyone if it only means you're not going to have sex."
Aaron shrugged. "I want to," he said. "It'll be nice to... not have to worry about it, I guess. Besides, Mom's already nagging me about grandkids. I'd sort of like to nip that in the bud."
"Tell her she can be honorary grandma to my kids."
"I will," he said, and grinned. "I don't think she'll be very reassured, though, since you're a lesbian and all."
Ivy would have said 'bite me' if she hadn't known very well that Aaron would. She settled for scowling at him instead. "Aaron, if you're going to be queer, you have to be nice to other queer people. That means me."
"I'm not sure asexual counts as queer," Aaron said.
"Sure it does," Ivy interrupted. "It's not heterosexuality, therefore it is queer."
He went on as if she hadn't spoken. "And besides, you're my little sister. I'm pretty sure I'm allowed to be mean to you anyway."
"Hell with you, then," Ivy said, not unkindly. It wasn’t like Aaron would ever be actually mean to her. "Anyway. Don't stress, everything'll be fine with Dad and your mom. I'm going to finish my trig homework. You go plan your coming-out party."
Aaron snorted. "Plan Lars's murder, is more like it," he replied, getting up from the table. "Which reminds me, if the police call, I was home all night."
"I will be your alibi," Ivy said absently, checking the step she'd just written down against the textbook's steps. "Just don't expect me to lie on the stand for you. You go to jail for that sort of thing."
"Such a devoted sister you are," Aaron said, and kissed the top of her head. "Thanks for the reassurance, Vee."
"You're welcome," Ivy said, and smiled.
Main Story: In the Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Chocolate chip mint 23 (imposing), fudge ripple 15 (confidence), whipped cream (Ivy's sixteen).
Word Count: 1200
Rating: PG.
Summary: Aaron has something to ask his sister.
Notes: Ivy's views on sexuality are not necessarily those of the author. Aaron's views on the cancellation of Firefly most definitely are.
"Hey, Vee." Aaron tugged gently on one of her pigtails. "Can I ask you a question?"
Ivy, who was used to Aaron playing with her hair whenever he felt like it, and who was currently knee-deep in a rather tricky proof for trig, did not look up. "Sure. What?"
He sat down next to her. "How did you come out to Dad and Gail?"
At that, she did look up, sharply, and searched his face. He looked unusually serious, but not unhappy. "Separately. Mom first. They took it pretty well. Why?" When Aaron's expression did not become less serious, she added, "Are you going to play on my team?"
Success-- Aaron laughed. "No, no. I'm not gay." He leaned on the table and looked at her proof. "Actually, I don't think I'm anything at all. That part's wrong."
"The hell it's wrong, I got that out of the back of the book," Ivy said. "What do you mean, you're not anything at all?"
"The book's wrong," Aaron said, solemnly. "His whole conclusion is fallacious."
Ivy gave him her most unimpressed look. "Okay, first of all, my trig textbook was written by a woman. Second of all, quoting Firefly is not going to un-cancel it, no matter how hard you try. Third, I refuse to be distracted. What do you mean, you're not anything at all? Everybody's something."
"Firefly's cancellation was a crime against humanity," Aaron said. "And I'm not. I don't think. Look, I haven't exactly figured this out myself, Vee."
"Oookay," Ivy said, and set her pencil down. "Tips and tricks for coming out, number one. Be sure of what you're coming out about first."
Aaron rolled his eyes at her. "Bite me," he said, perhaps unwisely, because the next thing he said was "Ow!" when Ivy obliged.
"You asked for it," she said, and really, he was being a big baby. She hadn't bitten him that hard. "Now do us all a favor and explain yourself."
"Us all being you and your multiple personalities?" Aaron asked, rubbing at his upper arm, but before she could get annoyed with him he relented. "Have you ever heard of asexuality?"
"Duh," Ivy said. "I get A's in biology, remember? It's a method of reproduction whereby..."
Aaron cut in. "Not that kind of asexuality, Vee."
She frowned, puzzled. "What other kind is there?"
Her brother rubbed a hand through his hair absently, and Ivy frowned harder. Aaron only did that when something was bothering him. "Never mind, Vee, it's not important."
"Like hell it's not," Ivy said. "Aaron, if you don't tell me what's going on I'm gonna stand outside your door and sing show tunes all night."
"You will not," Aaron said. "You'll wake up Summer. I think I'm asexual."
Ivy blinked. "You think you reproduce without sex?"
Aaron looked deeply unimpressed. "That's not what it means, Vee."
"It is so what it means." Ivy knew that this was a big thing, really, especially since Aaron had compared it to her own coming out, but if he was going to be imprecise...
He was rolling his eyes at her. Ivy prepared to be indignant. "In this context," he said, emphasizing his words carefully, "it means someone who feels no sexual desire or attraction."
She thought about that for a while, then said, "But you're not a virgin."
If Aaron had been drinking something, he would probably have spat it right out again. As it was, he only gave her a horrified look. "How the hell do you know that?"
"Lars told me," Ivy said, and when Aaron continued to look horrified, added, "He was very drunk at the time."
"Drunk or not, Lars is a dead man," Aaron said, and shuddered. "God. I can't believe he told you... okay, you know what, let's put that frankly appalling thought aside and never speak of it again."
She grinned. "Anything you say, big brother. So how come you've had sex if you don't want to?"
Aaron shrugged, and tried without complete success to look less horrified. "I don't know, I just... I guess I thought I'd like it if I tried it. I mean, everyone else seemed to be into it, and... I thought it was like bungee jumping or something."
"Bungee jumping?"
He rolled his eyes again. "You know, something you think is terrible until you try it. Anyway, I... tried it, and it was sort of weird and uncomfortable and... Vee, why am I telling this to you again?"
"Because otherwise you'll get Memory at two AM," Ivy said. "So... this really exists? It's not, like, a chemical imbalance or something?"
He shrugged. "Sure. It's a valid sexual orientation. Or lack thereof."
"Okay." She'd take Aaron's word for it. If there was one thing her big brother was good at, it was research. "And you're sure about it?"
"Yes," he said, and then shook his head. "Mostly. I mean, I still... I still like dating people, you know, and I'd like to fall in love with someone and get married and all that. I have to do a little more research and make sure that counts, before I'm really certain."
Which was Aaron all over. She'd count it as a 'yes.' "Then I think you're okay to come out, if that's what you were asking me to begin with," she said. "Though I don't think you have to come out to anyone if it only means you're not going to have sex."
Aaron shrugged. "I want to," he said. "It'll be nice to... not have to worry about it, I guess. Besides, Mom's already nagging me about grandkids. I'd sort of like to nip that in the bud."
"Tell her she can be honorary grandma to my kids."
"I will," he said, and grinned. "I don't think she'll be very reassured, though, since you're a lesbian and all."
Ivy would have said 'bite me' if she hadn't known very well that Aaron would. She settled for scowling at him instead. "Aaron, if you're going to be queer, you have to be nice to other queer people. That means me."
"I'm not sure asexual counts as queer," Aaron said.
"Sure it does," Ivy interrupted. "It's not heterosexuality, therefore it is queer."
He went on as if she hadn't spoken. "And besides, you're my little sister. I'm pretty sure I'm allowed to be mean to you anyway."
"Hell with you, then," Ivy said, not unkindly. It wasn’t like Aaron would ever be actually mean to her. "Anyway. Don't stress, everything'll be fine with Dad and your mom. I'm going to finish my trig homework. You go plan your coming-out party."
Aaron snorted. "Plan Lars's murder, is more like it," he replied, getting up from the table. "Which reminds me, if the police call, I was home all night."
"I will be your alibi," Ivy said absently, checking the step she'd just written down against the textbook's steps. "Just don't expect me to lie on the stand for you. You go to jail for that sort of thing."
"Such a devoted sister you are," Aaron said, and kissed the top of her head. "Thanks for the reassurance, Vee."
"You're welcome," Ivy said, and smiled.
