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Date/Timing: 16 December 2005
Setting: Berlin, Germany
.
„„Manny!““
„Dee!“
Dietrich gathers him close. „Glad you made it. It sounds like everything between here and the coast is shutting down.“
„Lucky me,“ mutters Hermann.
„I know you'd rather be with your friends, but we do what we must, alright?“
Hermann nods against his shoulder.
„Sabine is still banned, by the way, if it helps any.“
„Not really, but thanks for trying.“ Hermann takes a deep breath as they step apart, jams a hand in his pocket, tightens the other around his cane. „What will you do if you want to marry her and Father disapproves?“
Dietrich shrugs. „Marry her without his approval. I'm an adult and I don't need his permission any more.“
Hermann limps—leg stiff from thirteen hours on the train—toward the exit. „So why do you put up with the ban?“
„Because it's easy for me to leave the house and visit her in the city whenever we want to get together—“ Drapes an arm around Hermann's shoulders. „—and because I /have to put up with it in order to see you and Bunny.“
Hermann hums, hunches.
They stroll to the taxi stand, quiet.
„Has something changed, Manny?“
Hermann chews his lip, nods.
„Good or bad?“
„Both. I think.“
„You can still tell me anything.“
„Edan and I are dating.“
Dietrich stops short, squishes Hermann to his chest. „I'm so happy for you!“ Releases him. „From what you've told me, he's a wonderful young man.“
Hermann blushes, puffs up a little.
Dietrich beams. „Karla will be excited to hear this little tidbit.“
„When's she getting in?“
„She's already at the house.“ Resumes the walk to the taxis. „Bunny'll be asleep by the time we get there, though.“
Hermann nods absently.
Dietrich shepherds him into a car, gives the driver Father's address.
The cab pulls into traffic and threads its way through city streets.
„Father won't approve,“ says Hermann quietly.
„No, he won't.“ Dietrich smiles, mischief in his eyes. „So you don't let him know about it.“
Hermann shakes his head.
„I hid Sabine from him for a semester, you know.“ Leans closer. „He /still doesn't know about Johanna, either.“
„Who?“
„My first girlfriend. We went out for nearly a /year.“ Grins. „I'm pretty sure Karla's had more dates than he guesses, too.“
Hermann snorts a laugh.
„So we should be able to keep this from him until you're an adult and don't need to listen to him any longer.“
„I hope so.“
The car purrs to a stop at Father's front gate.
Hermann drags himself out, waits on the pavement for Dietrich to pay and join him.
Dietrich finishes, leads the way through the gate to the front door, unlocks it, and herds Hermann into the foyer.
He drops his bag, hangs his coat in the closet, tucks his mobile in his trouser pocket, and sets to work on his shoes.
„You made it!“ cheers Karla, strolling up.
Hermann shrugs, arranges his shoes on the rug.
„Give me a hug!“
Hermann does, though it's weak.
„Let's get some food in you,“ says Dietrich, freeing him from Karla, towing him toward the kitchen. „You've got to be starving after that trip.“ Parks him in a chair at the table.
Hermann thumbs the mobile awake, checks—
Karla drops in across from him. „Any new pictures for me?“
Hermann shrugs.
„Show her the one of your whole crew,“ prompts Dietrich.
Hermann pokes his way into the photo album, brings up the snapshot Aakash took, slides it over to Karla.
„They're /adorable!“ she squees. „Who is everyone?“
Hermann leans closer, pointing. „This's Vigsai, Rhys, Edan, and I.“ After a beat of internal struggle. „Edan's my boyfriend.“
Karla beams, lunges, hugs Hermann's head—
He squawks and flails.
—releases him, still glowing. „That's so great! He's a real cutie! Congratulations!“
Hermann sits back down, blushing.
„But don't let Father hear—“
„Don't let me hear what?“
Hermann's heart stops.
„Hear what?“ Father steps closer.
Hermann's eyes flick to the mobile, screen still awake on the table.
Father seizes it, scowls, demands, „Who are they?“
„My friends.“
„Is that all?“
„Yes.“
„You're lying.“
„Father, please—“
„Stay out of this, Dietrich.“
Hermann fights his expression to blandness.
„What have you told them?“
„Nothing,“ declares Hermann. „I'm just their classmate.“
„You're still lying to me. What have you told them?“
„Why do you care so much? He doesn't need to tell you everything about his life.“
Father turns his glare on Karla. „Why shouldn't I hear about his friends?“
Karla meets his look with one of equal force. „Because it's none of your business who Hermann's friends are.“
„Keeping him from getting himself killed /is my business as his father.“
„I haven't told—“
„/Quiet.“
Hermann flinches.
„If your secret is safe—for now—what do you need to keep from me?“
„My friends are my concern, Father.“
He scoffs.
Hermann holds firm.
Father reawakens the mobile, studies the picture again.
Hermann waits, heart sinking.
Father tenses when an idea takes shape. „You plan to court the Asian girl?“ His voice drips contempt and he flicks his eyes to Dietrich.
Hermann blushes, regroups. „Her family's been in England since the turn of the last century!“
„Father—“
„I told you to stay out of this, Dietrich,“ he snaps. „Hermann, I forbid you to see her again.“
„She's—she's not—she's just a /friend!“ he protests.
Father's lips curl with disgust. „One of the /boys has caught your fancy?“
Hermann gets a defiant tilt to his chin.
„You will /not be returning to that school. You /clearly cannot be trusted to protect yourself and this family.“
„I—“
„Be /quiet! You will start at my university after the holiday.“
„I /won't.“ Hermann slams to his feet, fists clenched at his sides. „I refuse.“
„You have no choice! You'll bring destruction down on yourself /and us if I let you continue!“
„I will /not stay here. You can't force—“
„I /can and I /will. You are a minor still and you /will obey. You have no choice.“
„There's always a choice.“
„In dreams, perhaps, but not in the real world.“ Turns away. „I'll have someone pack and return your possessions.“
„I'm going back to England!“
Father whirls. „Hermann.“ His voice is low and deadly cold. „I will not allow you to kill yourself and ruin the rest of us. You will stay in my house where I can protect—“
„You've /never 'protected' me!“ Hermann shouts. „You've only ever shielded yourself!“
Father steps so close his chest nearly touches Hermann's. „You have no idea what you're talking about, /child. You don't know the devil with whom your mother bargained to create you—and /I do—and what he can do to you—to /all of us—if your deformity is exposed.“
„It can't be worse than being trapped here with you!“
The words hang, nearly visible, in the air for an eternity.
/CRACK
Hermann's cheek stings from Father's vicious slap.
„Don't /ever speak to me like that again.“
Hermann glares back through eyes pricking at the corners.
„We will discuss your future after you've regained control of yourself.“ Father turns on his heel and goes.
They all watch him: Dietrich pale, Karla grinding her teeth, Hermann with blood turning to ice.
„I don't be-/lieve him,“ hisses Karla.
Hermann collapses into his chair, shaking, gasping for air.
„W-we can find a way to make this work.“ Dietrich places a gentle hand on Hermann's shoulder. „Long-distance—“
Hermann shrugs him off. „I'm not staying here. Not with him. Not when ....“
„Manny, take a moment to—“
Hermann's back on his feet, blood boiling again. „You don't understand! I'm at the top of my class! I finally have /friends! I can't—/won't give that up.“ Glares at Dietrich. „You've always had those things. Now you have Sabine, too.“ Lets his eyes slide to Dietrich's shoulder. „I just want what you have.“
Karla sighs, deep and shaky.
Dietrich runs a hand through his hair. „Let—“ Deep breath. „Let me talk to him before you decide or do /anything, alright?“
„Alright.“
Hermann grabs his mobile and retreats to his room. He shuts his door, perches on his bed, thumbs the mobile awake.
/edan_the_red: Back home!
/edan_the_red: Took an early train cuz no reason to stay
/edan_the_red: Mums makin us look @ old pix
/edan_the_red: Lookit this cool shit
/edan_the_red: *shirt
/edan_the_red: [_IMG_1087.jpg]
/edan_the_red: And this dork
/edan_the_red: [_IMG_1322.jpg]
/edan_the_red: [_IMG_1142.jpg]
/edan_the_red: [_IMG_1084.jpg]
/edan_the_red: [_IMG_0653.jpg]
Hermann lingers over the pictures, then wipes his eyes on his sleeve.
/hermann_g: I'm back.
/hermann_g: Best regards to your family.
Hermann chews his lip—
/hermann_g: Miss you already.
—closes his eyes.
A chime.
/edan_the_red: Miss u too
/edan_the_red: <3
Hermann takes shuddering breath.
/hermann_g: <3
He silences the ringer, tucks the mobile in the drawer in his bedside table. He flops flat on his back and stares blankly at the ceiling.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Berlin (setting)
Category:Hermann
Category:Hermann's POV
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Dietrich
Category:Dietrich (ficlet)
Category:Sabine (mention)
Category:Lars
Category:Lars (ficlet)
Category:Bastien (mention)
Category:Edan
Category:Edan (ficlet)
Category:Karla
Category:Karla (ficlet)
Category:Aakash (mention)
Category:Vigsai (mention)
Category:Rhys (mention)
Category:Dona (mention)
Category:Conversations via SMS
Category:Ficlets with images
Category:CM: Eclipse
2006 12 16
Category:Celestial Mechanics