[Young Ivan] In the Shadow | How to end up in the wrong universe at the best possible moment
For :: silensy
Setting :: Vorkosigan Universe
Birthday Drabble Count :: 23/42 & 24/42
Note :: Just getting up to date on drabbles already posted in various comments/drabble requests posts, so that they are tagged properly. =)
Title :: In the Shadow
Words :: 205
Birthday Drabble Count :: 23/42
Prompts :: In someone's shadow
Ivan stood tall and straight behind Miles, watching the proceedings over the other boy's shoulder with hawk-like intensity. Though Barrayaran society did their best to pretend the hunched-backed child didn't exist, events like this made it impossible for them to follow their usual routine. Miles disarmed them all with determined smiles and unwavering courtesy, and while some sneered openly the second they turned away, a few of the older, wiser members of the elite would sometimes frown and wonder for a brief instant before retreating into the crowd.
Only Cordelia noticed that each time the smaller boy moved, Ivan did as well, meticulously staying within a portion of Miles' shadow every instant of the evening.
He smiled with each whispered suggestion he gave Miles, with each small gesture keeping him firmly behind the other youngster. A ghost of a smile, a secret knowing smile meant only for himself - each and every single time.
Cordelia would have grieved at seeing Ivan start such a game when so young, were it not for the knowledge that the promises Ivan silently made to her son now, Miles would one day repay a thousand fold.
In that respect, she knew, Miles was in every way his mother's child.
Title :: How to end up in the wrong universe at the best possible moment
Words :: 765
Birthday Drabble Count :: 23/42
Prompts :: In someone's shadow
Note :: A Leverage/Young Ivan dimension travel crossover. Man this one was fun to write. :D
"Get back here!" Parker's voice was snappish and waspish and all sorts of bad things that'd have Eliot and Sophie making those faces at her (though Sophie might think about it twice as Parker had made a point of mentioning how wrinkly her face was each time she made that face, ha!). "Stop that! You little-"
"You're not supposed to call small children names, miss!" The little boy's voice was serious and something else Parker had no idea how to identify and he stole another look at her from behind the corner they'd just rounded before he was handily yanked away by his companion, whose annoyed commentary he was completely ignoring in favor of stealing looks at the blonde thief whenever possible.
"I didn't call you anything!" She hadn't had the time, but that was just a detail. So there. "Look, I don't know where you two came from but we need to get you back before the scientists get back from their coffee break and stuff you back in this stupid machine and-" Parker paused, both in speech and motion, head tilting slowly to the side.
Wait. Where had they come from?
~*~
"I think we lost her. Wow, she was scary!"
"Was not!" Ivan's expression shifted from harried to one of suffused delight. "She was pretty!"
"IVAN!"
"She was the prettiest lady I've ever seen!" Ivan nodded firmly to make his point,
"...really?" Parker stared down at the boy, ignoring the airless squawks of dismay they emitted at realizing she was right behind them. Still staring, she slowly crouched down until she was nose to nose with the older of the two boys, somehow aware that she should be the one leading this discussion. But...
"Really pretty, miss!" Smile blossoming, Ivan turned on the charm, knowing only too well how to turn the situation to his and Miles' advantage.
"...Ivan..."
"Shut up, Miles." The boy waiting until she straightened up and then raised a hand to her in greeting, all straight and solemn and looking at her as though she were the prettiest diamond he'd ever seen. Oh.
"This is Miles. He's an uncultured beast. We can pretend we don't know him," he added conspiratorially, ignoring the groan of disgust from the other boy. "I'm Ivan. And you are?"
Then he kissed the back of her hand instead of shaking it. Parker giggle-snorted, then raised her free hand to hide her nose (she didn't care what people thought of her giggle-snorts, dammit). But the boy was still smiling and oh, yeah, diamonds felt like this all right, Parker knew. She'd always wondered but now she knew and maybe the giggle-snorting wasn't so bad after all, Parker decided. Or the little boys. Because Ivan was practically hovering he wanted to stand between her and Miles and it was so obvious he wanted to protect the other boy that it really, really easy for Parker to make her decision.
~*~
"Hi guys! I'm back, the lab's clean. Oh, and this is Ivan! He's cute! And this is Miles, break him and I'll kill you! Can I keep 'em? They're a package deal."
Hardison gaped at the sight of the blonde thief with two moppets clinging to her, one smiling winningly and the other hiding his face against her shoulder with a dark, despairing mutter.
"...Parker..."
"What? You said I should make more friends, right?"
Sophie, aghast, pointed at them all and hoped the children weren't stolen. By Parker.
"Oh god, PARKER!"
"Hi! I'm Ivan! You're really pretty, miss! Are you an actress?"
Horror melted to charmed stupidity in a heartbeat.
"...oh, he's so cute! Why yes, dear, how did you know?"
"He's a lord where he comes from," Parker added helpfully, nodding wisely at her declaration. Ivan shrugged modestly, still smiling in that cute, little boy way.
"Sophie, no! No! Back away from the- OW!"
"This is Nathan. He's an uncultured beast, sweetheart, but we can pretend he's just not here. I'm Sophie! I am delighted to make your acquaint- oh Nathan, look! He has manners! You can learn from the darling child!"
Ivan gave an approving Parker a winning smile as Sophie giggle and blushed while he still held her hand. Nathan gaped. And gaped some more. And sputtered a little bit in indignation, too.
Parker thought her giggle-snorting was far cuter, overall.
From over Parker's shoulder, Miles shared looks of complete dumbfounded disgust with Eliot and Hardison. At least he'd have some adults with some sense who would understand his unending despair at having to put up with Ivan. With women nearby.
God.
Setting :: Vorkosigan Universe
Birthday Drabble Count :: 23/42 & 24/42
Note :: Just getting up to date on drabbles already posted in various comments/drabble requests posts, so that they are tagged properly. =)
Title :: In the Shadow
Words :: 205
Birthday Drabble Count :: 23/42
Prompts :: In someone's shadow
Ivan stood tall and straight behind Miles, watching the proceedings over the other boy's shoulder with hawk-like intensity. Though Barrayaran society did their best to pretend the hunched-backed child didn't exist, events like this made it impossible for them to follow their usual routine. Miles disarmed them all with determined smiles and unwavering courtesy, and while some sneered openly the second they turned away, a few of the older, wiser members of the elite would sometimes frown and wonder for a brief instant before retreating into the crowd.
Only Cordelia noticed that each time the smaller boy moved, Ivan did as well, meticulously staying within a portion of Miles' shadow every instant of the evening.
He smiled with each whispered suggestion he gave Miles, with each small gesture keeping him firmly behind the other youngster. A ghost of a smile, a secret knowing smile meant only for himself - each and every single time.
Cordelia would have grieved at seeing Ivan start such a game when so young, were it not for the knowledge that the promises Ivan silently made to her son now, Miles would one day repay a thousand fold.
In that respect, she knew, Miles was in every way his mother's child.
Title :: How to end up in the wrong universe at the best possible moment
Words :: 765
Birthday Drabble Count :: 23/42
Prompts :: In someone's shadow
Note :: A Leverage/Young Ivan dimension travel crossover. Man this one was fun to write. :D
"Get back here!" Parker's voice was snappish and waspish and all sorts of bad things that'd have Eliot and Sophie making those faces at her (though Sophie might think about it twice as Parker had made a point of mentioning how wrinkly her face was each time she made that face, ha!). "Stop that! You little-"
"You're not supposed to call small children names, miss!" The little boy's voice was serious and something else Parker had no idea how to identify and he stole another look at her from behind the corner they'd just rounded before he was handily yanked away by his companion, whose annoyed commentary he was completely ignoring in favor of stealing looks at the blonde thief whenever possible.
"I didn't call you anything!" She hadn't had the time, but that was just a detail. So there. "Look, I don't know where you two came from but we need to get you back before the scientists get back from their coffee break and stuff you back in this stupid machine and-" Parker paused, both in speech and motion, head tilting slowly to the side.
Wait. Where had they come from?
~*~
"I think we lost her. Wow, she was scary!"
"Was not!" Ivan's expression shifted from harried to one of suffused delight. "She was pretty!"
"IVAN!"
"She was the prettiest lady I've ever seen!" Ivan nodded firmly to make his point,
"...really?" Parker stared down at the boy, ignoring the airless squawks of dismay they emitted at realizing she was right behind them. Still staring, she slowly crouched down until she was nose to nose with the older of the two boys, somehow aware that she should be the one leading this discussion. But...
"Really pretty, miss!" Smile blossoming, Ivan turned on the charm, knowing only too well how to turn the situation to his and Miles' advantage.
"...Ivan..."
"Shut up, Miles." The boy waiting until she straightened up and then raised a hand to her in greeting, all straight and solemn and looking at her as though she were the prettiest diamond he'd ever seen. Oh.
"This is Miles. He's an uncultured beast. We can pretend we don't know him," he added conspiratorially, ignoring the groan of disgust from the other boy. "I'm Ivan. And you are?"
Then he kissed the back of her hand instead of shaking it. Parker giggle-snorted, then raised her free hand to hide her nose (she didn't care what people thought of her giggle-snorts, dammit). But the boy was still smiling and oh, yeah, diamonds felt like this all right, Parker knew. She'd always wondered but now she knew and maybe the giggle-snorting wasn't so bad after all, Parker decided. Or the little boys. Because Ivan was practically hovering he wanted to stand between her and Miles and it was so obvious he wanted to protect the other boy that it really, really easy for Parker to make her decision.
~*~
"Hi guys! I'm back, the lab's clean. Oh, and this is Ivan! He's cute! And this is Miles, break him and I'll kill you! Can I keep 'em? They're a package deal."
Hardison gaped at the sight of the blonde thief with two moppets clinging to her, one smiling winningly and the other hiding his face against her shoulder with a dark, despairing mutter.
"...Parker..."
"What? You said I should make more friends, right?"
Sophie, aghast, pointed at them all and hoped the children weren't stolen. By Parker.
"Oh god, PARKER!"
"Hi! I'm Ivan! You're really pretty, miss! Are you an actress?"
Horror melted to charmed stupidity in a heartbeat.
"...oh, he's so cute! Why yes, dear, how did you know?"
"He's a lord where he comes from," Parker added helpfully, nodding wisely at her declaration. Ivan shrugged modestly, still smiling in that cute, little boy way.
"Sophie, no! No! Back away from the- OW!"
"This is Nathan. He's an uncultured beast, sweetheart, but we can pretend he's just not here. I'm Sophie! I am delighted to make your acquaint- oh Nathan, look! He has manners! You can learn from the darling child!"
Ivan gave an approving Parker a winning smile as Sophie giggle and blushed while he still held her hand. Nathan gaped. And gaped some more. And sputtered a little bit in indignation, too.
Parker thought her giggle-snorting was far cuter, overall.
From over Parker's shoulder, Miles shared looks of complete dumbfounded disgust with Eliot and Hardison. At least he'd have some adults with some sense who would understand his unending despair at having to put up with Ivan. With women nearby.
God.