Adopting

Date/Timing: 13 November 2006
Setting: Bastien's school; Berlin, Germany
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Bastien drags himself to his feet as the bell finishes ringing, trudges with the rest of his room toward their physical education class.
Anaïs, plodding from her own exercise session, flashes a smile—
He grins back—
—bumps Bastien's hand with hers—
—slips the tiny folded note into his trouser pocket.
The period—and the football game against Marko's class—zips by, then they all tramp back to the classroom for maths.
Bastien plops into his chair, digs out his maths text, checks the board—review!—controls a happy dance, carefully unfolds the note behind his book.
He picks out the substitutions of Manny's new code, then resets his brain for French and reads.
- Dear Bastien,
In a way I'm glad that my Grandfather isn't the same person as your Father, even if it means we're not family. This way, at least, I don't have to worry about Grandfather sending him Away if your family isn't happy with you. 
If there ever is trouble for you, my parents love and would adopt you, so I suppose I shouldn't worry at all. 
I can't help it, because my heart would break if you left.
Love,
Anaïs -
Bastien chews his lip, reads that last sentence again, his chest tightening down on his lungs and heart. He pulls a clean sheet of the paper Anaïs pre-creased from the pocket in the back of his notebook, picks up his pencil, and slowly encodes his answer.
- Dear Anaïs,
My Opa told me family is who you love, not who you're related to. That means we're family (and me and Father aren't).
Don't worry about me leaving, either. I'm going to stick around if only to spite Father. Someone also has to watch out for Hermann until he can go back to England.
I'd miss you, too, if you went away. -
He frowns at the paper, adds,
- So, please, never leave.
Yours,
Bastien -
With a small sigh, he folds the note, slips it in his pocket, then he braces his chin with his hand and pays half-attention to the rest of the lesson, marking time until he can pass the message to Anaïs on the way to lunch.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Berlin (setting)
Category:Bastien
Category:Bastien's POV
Category:Bastien (ficlet)
Category:Anais
Category:Anais (ficlet)
Category:Lars (mention)
Category:Langlais (mention)
Category:Klaus (mention)
Category:Hermann (mention)
Category:Ficlets with images
2006 11 13