Beðungum (or: Tempus ut lavaretur)
Who: Uther and Chase and Eilonwy and Gwydion. And Old Lace.
What: Bathtime
When: Immediately after the Abstract discovery thread.
Where: The Castle
( Uther regarded his children with some skepticism... )
What: Bathtime
When: Immediately after the Abstract discovery thread.
Where: The Castle
( Uther regarded his children with some skepticism... )
There was something achingly familiar about it it, nevermind the fact that Chase had left California all of a handful of times, nearly every time ending up in New York (present day and not, by his own will and not.) The feeling was one he'd been trying to place since story time began (or at least until he felt comfortable enough to be part of it.) Some nights it felt like a memory of deja vu, all the talk of fidelity and loyalty to king and kingdom.
'Maybe that's because it doesn't all sound like bullshit to you anymore,' Chase thought with a soft smile and a knowing, almost demure look towards Uther near the end of his stories. 'You found the one magnificent bastard on the planet who really fucking means it when he says it.'
A year ago, Chase couldn't imagine looking at Uther as he did now, and it had nothing to do with the young king himself. Power in his time had been something wielded over Chase and the others : power to separate them when they needed each other most, power to threaten, criminalize the family they had built. Those that had tried to use their powers to help them had been thwarted too early on to do any real good: Cloak and Dagger had been willing to hear them out and because of that Chase and the others had come to their aid without thinking when they'd called, on something as flimsy as a promise.
Once, Chase would have called that desperate, but looking at Uther as he smoothed the blankets out around Gwydion's small form he knew better now. That was what power wielded compassionately could do. Power wielded for others, not just yourself. (Though there was a balance to be struck. Try to "do the right thing" long enough and you ended up like The Avengers, there was no perspective anymore.)
"G'night princess." Chase said, smiling down at Elionwy and planting a kiss on her forehead. He waited for Uther at the door. Old Lace tended to stay until the twins were both asleep and then wander back to Chase's room a few doors down. Chase waited a moment to speak as the door was pulled softly over.
"Hey, uh Uther..." the blond began as they made their way down the dim hallway. "I just wanted to say that..." the words were strange and awkward in coming; he'd never imagined himself saying them let alone thinking them. "I mean, I know when I got here I had a hard time buying the whole noblesse oblige thing and I said a lot of really dumb stuff." A hand rubbed the back of a tan neck sheepishly. "That's nothing new for for me, I've always been a pretty massive idiot. But I just couldn't buy someone who'd been... who was still an adult could really believe any of that." The idea of Uther being young and old at the same time was easier to handle these days. Perhaps because Uther himself was handling it.
"But I guess you changed my mind and I--"
'Love you.'
"Whatever happens with the Abstract, I meant what I said. I won't let anything happen to your future if I can help it. It's seriously the least I can do."
A hand reached up to grip Uther's shoulder and Chase leaned in, planting a quick, chaste kiss on Uther's cheek.
"Just uh... try not to worry too much, okay? We'll figure this out."
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"I know," he said. So much there was for two small words to convey, so much appreciation and trust, faith and understanding. It seemed as though the things they had gone through were to be only the beginning, but already they were bound to one another in a way that banished doubt.
"We'll figure it out together."
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