Bad Example

Date/Timing: 22 December 2005
Setting: Reid family home; Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
.
Edan lies on his bed, starfish-like, face buried in his pillow.
Impact to the back of his head.
""Oi. Beaker.""
Mighty comfy, this pillow.
""Mum wants you downstairs sharpish.""
Yep, /mighty comfy.
""And there's a giant duck rampaging down the lane.""
Could almost sleep like this.
""And there's a comet heading this way.""
Edan scoffs.
""You're killing brain cells with lack of air.""
Maybe that'll help.
Fen-fen prods his shoulder. ""Get up, Danny-boy. Mum's gettin' worried about ye.""
Edan sighs.
""You posted your letter, yea?""
Edan grunts an affirmative.
""Then you've done all you can.""
He whines.
""If he doesn't write back, there's other boys in the sea.""
Edan whines harder.
""Fuck's sake, Beaker, this isn't doing a thing for your attractiveness.""
Not that it matters.
""You're startin' to remind me of Andrew.""
Edan pushes up on his elbows, growls, "I'm /nothin' like that bag of mangy stoats."
Fen-fen pats his head. "'course you're not, but it got you up, ay?"
Edan flops—
Fen-fen grabs hold of his hair—
"/Yeowch! Leggo!"
—holds him upright. "You're /staying up, little brother mine."
"Leggo, please, Fen-fen!"
She releases him.
Edan rubs his scalp. "That was /completely unfair."
"Love and war, yea?"
"Which's this?"
"Both."
Edan scowls.
Fen-fen smiles her sweetest, slides to her feet, drops Edan's mobile on the bed. "Call Swansea. He's been ringin' all morning."
"Thanks," he sighs.
Fen-fen waves her fingers, saunters out, closes the door behind.
Edan scrubs at his face with both hands, heaves a tremendous sigh. He side-eyes the phone, picks it up, pokes Rhys' contact.
""Greetings, Gingersnap.""
"'ey." Edan flops—onto his back this time.
""Was starting to think you'd run away to the Continent.""
"I wish."
""Trouble in paradise?""
Edan whines.
""Don't tell me you've /already broken up.""
"Might as well have."
A longish beat.
""Fine, I'll bite. What happened?""
"His dad decided he didn't want a gay son and won't let him come back. He's fuckin' stuck in Berlin 'til eighteen and the old dickbag's ordered us not to talk."
Rhys grunts. ""Too bad he's not a fellow Scot, ay? Premature age of majority and all that.""
Edan sighs. "Yea, and fuck partnership and parental consent laws, too."
""You're actually thinking about /marrying the kid?""
"What better way to get him back to Britain?"
""Kidnapping? A well-reasoned argument?"" An audible eye roll. ""For Sauron's sake, he's a bloody /child.""
"'s the same age my parents were when they—"
""Which, if I remember your story right, worked out /brilliantly for them.""
"Alright. Bad example," grumbles Edan.
""No kidding."" Rhys huffs. ""Hold up. 'Didn't want a gay son'? Isn't that—""
"Yes," Edan grits out.
Rhys whistles. ""Word of advice: don't take this as a test case for that one, yea? It'll likely only end in tears all 'round.""
Edan sighs, runs a hand through his hair. "I know. I'm keeping 'em separate. It's hard enough dealing with this latest."
""Good plan. One locus of suffering at a time.""
Edan frowns. "What does this have to do with bugs?"
""Why do I bother with you science people?"" sighs Rhys.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Glasgow (setting)
Category:Edan
Category:Edan's POV
Category:Edan (ficlet)
Category:Fenella
Category:Fenella (ficlet)
Category:Rhys
Category:Rhys (ficlet)
Category:Conversations via mobiles
Category:Muppets (reference)
Category:Dona (mention)
Category:Hermann (mention)
Category:Andrew (mention)
Category:Lars (mention)
Category:Lord of the Rings (reference)
Category:Annie (mention)
Category:Torquil (mention)
Category:Kris (mention)
Category:Ficlets with images
2005 12 22
Category:CM: Eclipse
Category:Celestial Mechanics