New Fic: Bearly Standing
Hugh tried not to think about it.
He was an expert at distracting himself whenever it crossed his mind.
Or at least attempting to - he was only sometimes successful. But still, he tried.
Today, that meant he’d been cleaning again. Well, de-cluttering, at any rate.
He and Paul had storage bins stashed in every nook and cranny shared quarters on a starship had to offer.
So he’d tackled the ones in the back of the closet.
At first, it worked. He was busy enough to forget it.
But now, it was right in front of him, and he was failing miserably at distraction, let alone any other type of coping mechanism.
Because right there in front of him, staring out of the holo that had fallen out of the last box, was his nephew, looking up at Paul with wonder in his eyes.
Ricky was there too.
They were all staring out at Hugh from a structure Paul had described as a “blanket fort”. But anyone else would likely have called it a “blanket palace.” That was Paul for you - always with the math and the science, even when the medium was cloth.
It had been a wonderful day. His nephew’s birthday. Hugh remembered once again being surprised by the man who was fast becoming so much more than a boyfriend.
Hugh chuckled as he remembered that the fort had been Paul’s idea.
Just then, Paul’s voice called out from the front room.
“Hugh?”
Hugh cleared his throat awkwardly. “In here,” he answered, starting to put the holo back in the box.
He wasn’t fast enough. Paul came around the corner and saw it.
“What’s that?” he asked, kneeling down beside Hugh on the floor next to the box.
Hugh shrugged. “Nothing.”
Paul gave Hugh a skeptical look and gently took the holo out of his hands.
When he saw what it was, he leaned back against the wall and sighed.
“Oh,” he said.
Hugh snorted. “Yeah. Oh.”
“You okay?”
Hugh shrugged. “As well as I can be, I guess.”
Paul nodded, but didn’t say anything. Neither did Hugh.
But a moment later, Hugh sniffled. Just the once, but that was enough.
Without a word, Paul pulled Hugh into his lap and wrapped him in his arms just as the tears came.
They lasted long enough for Paul’s butt to go numb, but he didn’t move until they’d stopped.
When they did, Hugh sniffled again.
And again, nothing was said, but Paul tucked Hugh into bed a few minutes later. Ricky was curled to Hugh’s chest, and Paul was curled up behind him.
Sleep, when it came, was a mercy.
Breakfast the next day was a quiet affair, the reminder of the loss of their families still fresh.
But by the afternoon, they were smiling again.
And they spent the evening telling Adira about how the fort had come down despite Paul’s best efforts, because even the best blanket structures cannot withstand four six-year-olds on a sugar high.
They still missed their families. This wouldn’t be their last bad night. It wouldn’t be the last time a holo made them cry. Their wounds were deep.
But time - and their new family on Discovery - went a long, long way toward healing them.
He was an expert at distracting himself whenever it crossed his mind.
Or at least attempting to - he was only sometimes successful. But still, he tried.
Today, that meant he’d been cleaning again. Well, de-cluttering, at any rate.
He and Paul had storage bins stashed in every nook and cranny shared quarters on a starship had to offer.
So he’d tackled the ones in the back of the closet.
At first, it worked. He was busy enough to forget it.
But now, it was right in front of him, and he was failing miserably at distraction, let alone any other type of coping mechanism.
Because right there in front of him, staring out of the holo that had fallen out of the last box, was his nephew, looking up at Paul with wonder in his eyes.
Ricky was there too.
They were all staring out at Hugh from a structure Paul had described as a “blanket fort”. But anyone else would likely have called it a “blanket palace.” That was Paul for you - always with the math and the science, even when the medium was cloth.
It had been a wonderful day. His nephew’s birthday. Hugh remembered once again being surprised by the man who was fast becoming so much more than a boyfriend.
Hugh chuckled as he remembered that the fort had been Paul’s idea.
Just then, Paul’s voice called out from the front room.
“Hugh?”
Hugh cleared his throat awkwardly. “In here,” he answered, starting to put the holo back in the box.
He wasn’t fast enough. Paul came around the corner and saw it.
“What’s that?” he asked, kneeling down beside Hugh on the floor next to the box.
Hugh shrugged. “Nothing.”
Paul gave Hugh a skeptical look and gently took the holo out of his hands.
When he saw what it was, he leaned back against the wall and sighed.
“Oh,” he said.
Hugh snorted. “Yeah. Oh.”
“You okay?”
Hugh shrugged. “As well as I can be, I guess.”
Paul nodded, but didn’t say anything. Neither did Hugh.
But a moment later, Hugh sniffled. Just the once, but that was enough.
Without a word, Paul pulled Hugh into his lap and wrapped him in his arms just as the tears came.
They lasted long enough for Paul’s butt to go numb, but he didn’t move until they’d stopped.
When they did, Hugh sniffled again.
And again, nothing was said, but Paul tucked Hugh into bed a few minutes later. Ricky was curled to Hugh’s chest, and Paul was curled up behind him.
Sleep, when it came, was a mercy.
Breakfast the next day was a quiet affair, the reminder of the loss of their families still fresh.
But by the afternoon, they were smiling again.
And they spent the evening telling Adira about how the fort had come down despite Paul’s best efforts, because even the best blanket structures cannot withstand four six-year-olds on a sugar high.
They still missed their families. This wouldn’t be their last bad night. It wouldn’t be the last time a holo made them cry. Their wounds were deep.
But time - and their new family on Discovery - went a long, long way toward healing them.