Simspiration - 4/19/11
I have written a thing! ZOMG. It's too long to post at the comm so it's going here. The prompt: "A boy does not need a father unless he is a good father, but a good father is indispensable." (The Stand)
Warning: THAR BE SPOILERS HERE. Spoilers of logical progression that you've probably guessed, but still spoilers.
***
He loves her more.
It was a thought Saxon had often had over the years, but watching his father pay lavish attention to Cassie-on an afternoon that was supposed to be about Saxon-was making that fact more clear than it had ever been. He crossed his arms. Tristan smiled fondly at Cassie as she perused the dress racks and pointed out things she liked. Saxon couldn’t remember the last time such a smile had been directed at him.
He sighed and turned to a different rack. He would need warm clothes for college, and he figured he might as well see what the store had, since they were there. Maybe there were shirts with music prints on them.
Lifting a black shirt spackled with clefs and bar lines, he inspected it critically and tried to tune out Cassie’s endless blather. It was a nice shirt, but he couldn’t quite see himself wearing black. He put it back and crossed his arms.
“Haven’t you found anything, Saxon?” Tristan called, from the other rack.
“No, I guess I’ll go shopping when I get there.”
“All right, then. I’m going to make Cassie’s purchase and then we’ll go.”
Saxon barely resisted rolling his eyes. “I’ll meet you outside.”
In the fresh air, he was able to remind himself that he didn’t care. He and Tristan just didn’t connect and never had. Saxon, with his love of music and utter disinterest in politics, was not the son Tristan had hoped for. Cassie was more than willing to fill that gap, and she was welcome to it, as far as Saxon was concerned. He hadn’t forgotten the endless arguments of his toddler days or his mother’s constant misery.
But still, his father could at least pretend. At least for today.
Tristan drove them both back to the house as he usually did on Saturdays, but today he got out instead of letting them off at the curb. “I’ll see you next weekend, precious,” he said to Cassie, giving her a kiss on the crown of her head.
“Bye, Daddy,” said Cassie, with a beam and a wiggle of her shopping bag. “Thanks for the new dress!”
She scampered up the walk, and Tristan turned to Saxon. “Son,” he said, “you have a good time at college. Study well and make me proud.”
I will, but not for you, Saxon thought. “Sure thing, Dad. Take care.”
Tristan offered him a hand. Saxon took it, hiding his frown. His father’s handshake was a little too firm, almost like a vice, and when he let go the sudden rush of blood to Saxon’s fingers threw him off guard. Tristan gave him a slight smile, got back in the car, and drove away.
Saxon stared after him for a moment, gently massaging his fingers as he did so.
***
At the house, Cassie had the briefest of smiles and hellos for Elle and bypassed Stuart entirely. Stuart shot a concerned look after her as she raced upstairs to put her new dress away, but he quickly redirected his attention to Saxon. “Good afternoon, Saxon.”
“Hello, sir,” Saxon said politely, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“Did you have a good time with your father?” asked Elle.
He rolled his eyes. “Do I ever? I wish I’d just blown him off and gone out with Donna and Nora.”
She ruffled his hair. “It was good of you to give it one last try, sweetheart. Good news is you’re a legal adult now, and you don’t have to visit him if you don’t want to.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Are the girls coming for dinner?”
“They said they would.”
“All right. I’ll ask Gabriel to set the table.” Elle smiled at him and left. Saxon exhaled, lifting a hand to rub the back of his head and eyeing Stuart as he did so.
“Do you need transportation to the university tomorrow?” his mother’s boyfriend asked. “I would be happy to take you.”
Saxon shook his head. “Thanks but no, I’ve already made arrangements to split a taxi with Grey and Kristin.”
Stuart nodded. “Would you mind if I came with your mother when she visits you there? I should like to see how the university has changed since I was a student there. I imagine it has undergone quite a remodel since the zoning laws have been changed.”
“You went to SPU? I thought you were from Simland.”
“I am. I was in the exchange program.”
Well, that explains a lot, thought Saxon. “So…did you know Mom while she was there?”
Stuart looked surprised. “Why, yes. We were stepping out together for the first three years.”
“That definitely explains a lot. Why didn’t Mom ever tell me that?”
The older man glanced toward the kitchen. “I am not sure. It is possible that she was waiting for you to ask.”
If she was with you, how come she married Dad? Saxon wanted to ask, but he refrained. He didn’t feel as if he knew Stuart well enough, and he wanted to talk to Elle about it first. “Maybe.”
“What do you plan to major in?” Stuart asked, after a tense pause.
“Art, since they don’t have a music program yet. There’s a year based on the performing arts, that’ll be good enough I guess.”
“Perhaps you could change that.”
“Yeah, I’m planning to.”
He smiled. “I have no doubt you will succeed.”
Saxon’s mouth set in a line. He was unsure what to think about that. Of course Stuart would want to get along with him, and he had been trying his hardest since reconnecting with Elle the previous season, but it was still faith, and concern. That was something Tristan had never given him.
He offered his hand. “Thank you, Mr. Legacy. I hope so.”
Warning: THAR BE SPOILERS HERE. Spoilers of logical progression that you've probably guessed, but still spoilers.
***
He loves her more.
It was a thought Saxon had often had over the years, but watching his father pay lavish attention to Cassie-on an afternoon that was supposed to be about Saxon-was making that fact more clear than it had ever been. He crossed his arms. Tristan smiled fondly at Cassie as she perused the dress racks and pointed out things she liked. Saxon couldn’t remember the last time such a smile had been directed at him.
He sighed and turned to a different rack. He would need warm clothes for college, and he figured he might as well see what the store had, since they were there. Maybe there were shirts with music prints on them.
Lifting a black shirt spackled with clefs and bar lines, he inspected it critically and tried to tune out Cassie’s endless blather. It was a nice shirt, but he couldn’t quite see himself wearing black. He put it back and crossed his arms.
“Haven’t you found anything, Saxon?” Tristan called, from the other rack.
“No, I guess I’ll go shopping when I get there.”
“All right, then. I’m going to make Cassie’s purchase and then we’ll go.”
Saxon barely resisted rolling his eyes. “I’ll meet you outside.”
In the fresh air, he was able to remind himself that he didn’t care. He and Tristan just didn’t connect and never had. Saxon, with his love of music and utter disinterest in politics, was not the son Tristan had hoped for. Cassie was more than willing to fill that gap, and she was welcome to it, as far as Saxon was concerned. He hadn’t forgotten the endless arguments of his toddler days or his mother’s constant misery.
But still, his father could at least pretend. At least for today.
Tristan drove them both back to the house as he usually did on Saturdays, but today he got out instead of letting them off at the curb. “I’ll see you next weekend, precious,” he said to Cassie, giving her a kiss on the crown of her head.
“Bye, Daddy,” said Cassie, with a beam and a wiggle of her shopping bag. “Thanks for the new dress!”
She scampered up the walk, and Tristan turned to Saxon. “Son,” he said, “you have a good time at college. Study well and make me proud.”
I will, but not for you, Saxon thought. “Sure thing, Dad. Take care.”
Tristan offered him a hand. Saxon took it, hiding his frown. His father’s handshake was a little too firm, almost like a vice, and when he let go the sudden rush of blood to Saxon’s fingers threw him off guard. Tristan gave him a slight smile, got back in the car, and drove away.
Saxon stared after him for a moment, gently massaging his fingers as he did so.
***
At the house, Cassie had the briefest of smiles and hellos for Elle and bypassed Stuart entirely. Stuart shot a concerned look after her as she raced upstairs to put her new dress away, but he quickly redirected his attention to Saxon. “Good afternoon, Saxon.”
“Hello, sir,” Saxon said politely, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“Did you have a good time with your father?” asked Elle.
He rolled his eyes. “Do I ever? I wish I’d just blown him off and gone out with Donna and Nora.”
She ruffled his hair. “It was good of you to give it one last try, sweetheart. Good news is you’re a legal adult now, and you don’t have to visit him if you don’t want to.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Are the girls coming for dinner?”
“They said they would.”
“All right. I’ll ask Gabriel to set the table.” Elle smiled at him and left. Saxon exhaled, lifting a hand to rub the back of his head and eyeing Stuart as he did so.
“Do you need transportation to the university tomorrow?” his mother’s boyfriend asked. “I would be happy to take you.”
Saxon shook his head. “Thanks but no, I’ve already made arrangements to split a taxi with Grey and Kristin.”
Stuart nodded. “Would you mind if I came with your mother when she visits you there? I should like to see how the university has changed since I was a student there. I imagine it has undergone quite a remodel since the zoning laws have been changed.”
“You went to SPU? I thought you were from Simland.”
“I am. I was in the exchange program.”
Well, that explains a lot, thought Saxon. “So…did you know Mom while she was there?”
Stuart looked surprised. “Why, yes. We were stepping out together for the first three years.”
“That definitely explains a lot. Why didn’t Mom ever tell me that?”
The older man glanced toward the kitchen. “I am not sure. It is possible that she was waiting for you to ask.”
If she was with you, how come she married Dad? Saxon wanted to ask, but he refrained. He didn’t feel as if he knew Stuart well enough, and he wanted to talk to Elle about it first. “Maybe.”
“What do you plan to major in?” Stuart asked, after a tense pause.
“Art, since they don’t have a music program yet. There’s a year based on the performing arts, that’ll be good enough I guess.”
“Perhaps you could change that.”
“Yeah, I’m planning to.”
He smiled. “I have no doubt you will succeed.”
Saxon’s mouth set in a line. He was unsure what to think about that. Of course Stuart would want to get along with him, and he had been trying his hardest since reconnecting with Elle the previous season, but it was still faith, and concern. That was something Tristan had never given him.
He offered his hand. “Thank you, Mr. Legacy. I hope so.”