(no subject)
Title: Snow Angels
Author: ceria_taliesin and westwardlee
Rating: R
Pairing: Gideon/Kingsley
Summary: Gideon and Kingsley are finally caught in the act. By his Mum. Havoc ensues in 59 drabbles.
Disclaimer: Don't you get it yet? They belong to JKR. We don't own their universe and we don't make any money off them. The only thing we do is subvert them to feed our twisted sense of angst interests.
The index of stories
1.
"Have you ever made snow angels?" Kingsley asked, staring out his bedroom window.
"No, what's that?"
"Gideon! I can't believe that. You lie… never mind. Get dressed, we're going outside."
"It's cold outside, Imp."
"That's why I told you to get dressed, Mr Prewett."
*
Gideon looked at the Shacklebolts' yard an hour later, grinning. The once pristine snow was littered with footsteps, crumbled snowballs, angels and lopsided snowmen that Kingsley refused to let Gideon use magic to fix. His face hurt from the cold and laughing so hard.
Kingsley joined him on the steps, "Hot tea?"
"I would love some."
2.
Gideon curled beneath a blanket on the sofa after Kingsley refused his help with the tea. Shivering, he reached for his wand to cast a warming spell as Kingsley walked by him.
Moving Gideon's wand out of reach, Kingsley settled in an oversized chair with two cups of steaming tea.
"Why'd you do that?"
"I'm cold too, come here and we'll warm up together."
Sighing, Gideon nestled into the chair with Kingsley, legs draped across his lap, head on his shoulder, while Kingsley flicked the remaining snow out of Gideon's hair.
They rested silently beneath the blanket, sharing their warmth.
3.
Maura Shacklebolt opened her front door quietly and snuck inside, carrying her purchases. She saw the snowy footprints in the yard and wondered who Kingsley brought home.
Following the laughter, she saw the back of Kingsley, with some redheaded strumpet (at least it wasn't Marlene) wiggling in his lap beneath a blanket. She had specifically told her son not to sit in that chair with any girl - it wasn't meant for two single people - and paused.
She rarely heard Kingsley's uncontrolled laughter around any girl and wondered who she was.
"Stop tickling me, Prewett!"
Gideon?
Shocked, Maura dropped her packages.
4.
The sound of something thumping on the floor made Kingsley's insides churn. He froze for a second, making a grimace of pain. There was someone in the room with them, that was obvious - but who? Hopefully Lucille. He'd be able to convince her that he and Gideon were just horsing around, in a very bloke-ish way.
He was sure it wasn't his father, or he and Gideon would have been hexed already - if they hadn't died before from the thunder of Mac's voice.
He turned around slowly, hoping it was Lucille, hoping it was not-
"Mum?" he croaked.
5.
Gideon closed his eyes, rooted in place with embarrassment. He was lying across Kingsley's lap like some bird, giggling uncontrollably, hands beneath Kingsley's shirt, tickling him. He wasn't sure they could convince Maura it wasn't what it looked like - that they were only friends, but he launched himself off Kingsley as quickly as possible, blanket still draped across his shoulders as he stood up.
He shifted, uncomfortable, embarrassed, then realized that he was hard from Kingsley's wandering hands. Merlin's balls, she's going to kill me.
Gideon adjusted the blanket quickly around his body, praying she didn't notice that as well.
6.
Maura fixed her eyes on Gideon's face, mouth pursed thin. After staring at him for a few seconds, she said coldly, "I trusted you and you've betrayed my trust. Now I need to talk to my son - alone. If you'll excuse us."
Turning to Kingsley, she motioned for him to approach, which he did warily. He wasn't afraid of physical violence - Maura had never believed in corporeal punishment, and, in any event, he towered over her. But he was very afraid of his little wisp of a mother and dreaded having to talk to her.
"Upstairs in your room, Kingsley."
7.
Gideon felt sick to his stomach. He had options; he could Obliviate Maura, he could leave and let Kingsley handle it, he could…
No. He'd known from the beginning this was his fault and that eventually they would learn the truth. If he left, Kingsley faced them alone and that wasn't fair. Gideon instigated it, even if they both pursued it, but Gideon was responsible.
He couldn't walk away before and he wouldn't now. Unsure why leaving wasn't an option, Gideon knew he couldn't articulate the reasoning to Maura even if she asked.
He sat on the sofa and waited.
8.
"We can talk here, Mum," Kingsley risked, emboldened by Gideon's act of staying. He had expected Gideon to take off quickly. Maura was a force to contend with and this wouldn't be pretty at all.
Her eyes flashed in anger, but then she answered, still in a cold voice. "Well, since it does involve both of you…" She walked to the chair the two men had been sitting in, scrutinized it for a second and sat down, arms crossed over her breast.
Kingsley sat on the sofa, on the opposite side of Gideon, looking like two defendants in the Wizengamot.
9.
That surprised Gideon; he didn't know if Maura had expected him to leave, but Kingsley looked surprised he stayed. Gideon had hoped for a few minutes alone to gather his thoughts. He hadn't had nightmares about Mac and Maura finding out, but he was dreading this confrontation. However, he knew it had to happen eventually.
Glancing back and forth between them, Gideon finally chose to watch Maura. She looked furious and Kingsley looked, well, almost afraid. Kingsley's look alone made Gideon glad he stayed. This did involve him and it wouldn't be fair to accuse Kingsley alone for what happened.
10.
After a few minutes of silence, which weighed heavily on Kingsley, Maura asked, barely hiding the anger in her voice, "How long has this been going on?"
Although he was completely terrified, Kingsley thought that, after all, his mother had not seen anything too revealing. Maybe he could avoid answering the question directly and imply that he and Gideon were just wrestling like two blokes.
"What, Mum?"
The words had barely left his mouth before he understood she wasn't fooled. She scowled at him and he squirmed uncomfortably. She turned her face to Gideon, asking him the same question silently.
11.
How specific do you want me to be? "We met at the Arrows game over the summer."
Gideon wanted to avoid the sex before Kingsley's birthday part. That was the only thing he did not want to discuss. He turned toward Kingsley, calmly watching him, hoping to ease his tension if possible, before turning back to look at Maura. She was glaring at him, but Gideon refused to cower. He didn't regret it, and she wouldn't change his mind.
"I assume you are not referring to our friendship. Since the very end of summer is the answer you're looking for."
12.
"So you were just good friends and one day, at the very end of the summer you decided to - what? Experiment?" She looked pointedly at Gideon, then at Kingsley. "Is this what happened?"
Kingsley averted his eyes, looking at the floor. It was a very direct question, and he couldn't make himself lie about it. His mother was a very cunning woman and at that moment he wished she was a little less smart. It was better not to answer. But she, of course, wouldn't let it be.
"Kingsley? I asked you a question. Look at me and answer it."
13.
Gideon was sure Kingsley didn't want to lie to her and that held his tongue. "Basically, yes, that's what happened."
Maura wasn't happy he interrupted and Gideon wished again that they had gone upstairs for this conversation.
"Basically?" she asked, her tone sharp, biting.
"What do you want to know?" Gideon said, her tone rankling him even as he kept his words calm, even. "That I spent the couple months prior to that flirting with your son? We are friends, he took me to Muggle places I've never seen before, we spent most of the time doing things friends do."
14.
"Things friends do?" her voice was laden with sarcasm. "It was called something else when I was younger." She shook her head angrily. "I don't care about the details, but I do care that both of you have taken advantage of the situation and lied to us.
"I understand that you may have wanted to experiment - or whatever. But you, Gideon, pulled a very convincing story about having a girlfriend. I never suspected that it was a cover for your - and Kingsley's - little scheme. Kingsley," she turned sharply to her son, "you understand what you've done, don't you?"
15.
Realizing that he'd left Gideon alone in the defendant's bench, Kingsley mustered whatever courage he had. "I - we - haven't done anything wrong, Mum. I'm an adult."
She glared at him. "Number one, you're an adult now and we haven't established exactly when 'at the very end of the summer' was; number two, adult or underage, you've lied and it's something you know I don't accept. You know very well your father and I wouldn't let you spend the night with him if we knew what was happening. It was sheer deception and I'm both extremely angry and disappointed at you."
16.
The comment about Renee surprised Gideon. He'd never felt guilty for deceiving anyone, yet he could understand how Maura interpreted Renee as such to hide his actions with Kingsley. He could explain to her that neither was a cover but thought she wouldn't appreciate that.
He didn't know how to address her charges; Kingsley was the one who spent time in his flat. Kingsley had pervaded every aspect of Gideon's life, from work to home to entertainment, to everything. Yet telling Maura that made Gideon sound like a bird, and would cause Kingsley to tease him, so he said nothing.
17.
Kingsley couldn't find words to answer his mother's accusations: she was right. He had deceived her and his father. At the same time, it was very important to keep her from finding out that he and Gideon had had sex while he was still a minor. He didn't think his parents would charge Gideon with anything illegal, but it was better not to mention it.
Deciding that attack was the best defense, Kingsley told his mother flippantly, "Why do you care what happened between us, Mum? You are a big advocate for Chambers, so why are you upset at us?"
18.
"Kingsley," Gideon said softly, shaking his head. What worked well enough to distract anyone else wouldn't work with a parent. Even without the same parental support that Kingsley had, Gideon knew that. For a brief moment, he wished he could talk to Fabian, but Gideon knew that his brother would side with Maura.
Either way, Gideon still wanted Fabian nearby. He watched Maura's face turn red as she narrowed her eyes and that hurt worse than her words. Shocked, Gideon realized why it hurt and closed his eyes. If his friendship with the Shacklebolts survived this, he'd be very thankful.
19.
"Kingsley, stop it," she retorted angrily. "You know very well that the issue here is your deception, your lies, not your sexual life. I won't lie and say that I wouldn't prefer to see you with a girlfriend rather than a boyfriend, but that's none of my business. It's your life, and, as you told me, you're an adult. Now," she added pointedly.
He knew what the issue was, but her words bothered him more than he could imagine. To disguise his discomfort, he shouted, "Mum, he's not my boyfriend. Gideon and I are friends, and we're just having fun."
20.
She looked at him enigmatically for a few seconds, then stared at Gideon with the same expression. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but apparently thought differently. "Kingsley, don't try to change the subject. You're a master at manipulation, but you know what you both did was very wrong. You may be an adult now, but you're still a student, living under my roof. You have to obey and respect us. You did neither throughout this summer.
"Gideon, you can leave any time you want. Kingsley, when your father arrives, we'll have a serious talk."
Kingsley paled.
21.
"I wish I could leave - honestly. But I can't, not like this." Gideon wondered what Kingsley would have done if the situation was reversed, then laughed. Kingsley would have escaped a long time ago.
"I understand the reason you're angry has less to do with us and more to do with our deception. I also understand that is for you to discuss as a family, and I'm not family.
"But I helped that deception, and probably encouraged it when I shouldn't have. It's as much my fault as Kingsley's and I can't walk away right now. Don't make me."
22.
Maura looked at him and Gideon wondered what she was thinking. His decision to stay probably told her exactly what they didn't want her to know; it was possible that his leaving would help the situation.
Gideon had known throughout the summer that what they did was wrong, only because Kingsley had been a minor. He never considered they were breaking Mac and Maura's trust.
Gideon took a deep breath, knowing she would likely tell him no, but he needed to talk to Kingsley. He tilted his head to the side, still watching her.
"May I talk to him first?"
23.
Maura could do with a few seconds alone to collect her thoughts; there had been a lot of hidden meanings in the men's actions and words. She knew she'd be giving them the opportunity to make up some sort of story, but she didn't mind. Although she hated lies, she was almost hoping they would make up a tale that would allow her not to tell Mac about what she had found out.
Kingsley had been visibly disturbed when she mentioned his father, but she wouldn't think about keeping such a thing from Mac.
"All right. I'll be right back."
24.
Gideon waited for Maura to give them some privacy and scooted off the sofa. He kneeled against Kingsley's closed knees and wrapped his hands around Kingsley's face, briefly kissing his forehead.
"Before you say anything, listen to me. They love you dearly and I would kill to have a family like that, Imp. But stop arguing with her, alright? Don't tell me you thought we'd never get caught."
Gideon pulled away to look at him, running his thumb across Kingsley's lower lip. "Do you want me to stay or go? Whatever is easier for you is all that matters currently."
25.
"My father will kill me, Gideon. Hex me until tomorrow," Kingsley's hands were trembling. "I have to convince my mother not to tell him anything." He felt Gideon's kiss and his thumb on his lip, but he didn't register everything he said. The sheer idea of facing his father was more than he could handle at that time. He hadn't even imagined ever being caught and now he realized he'd been quite childish in thinking like that. He knew his mother would come home eventually and thought ruefully that, if he'd let Gideon stay on the sofa, they'd be scot-free.
26.
But a few hours before he'd been happily having sex with Gideon in his bed, taking advantage of Maura's shopping trip. Then they'd played like children in the snow - why hadn't Maura arrived then? While they were being silly? She'd have laughed and offered them hot chocolate. Damn bad timing!
He snorted. Santini would probably tell him that he'd wanted to get caught and therefore had been careless subconsciously. Santini! Hopefully his cousin could come over and help control Mac's fury. He'd try to send him a message.
"It doesn't matter if you stay or not, Gideon. I'm dead anyway."
27.
Gideon forced him to meet his eyes, "Kingsley, we have an option. We tell them we're both bi and have played around a little. I'll tell them I've been flirting with the idea of making this a real relationship. Don't panic, they're just words."
As soon as he said them, Gideon realized the words were true, he wouldn't mind a relationship with Kingsley. He ignored his snide little voice that said he was already in one.
"But I don't know what to tell them about the sex. Only Meg and Santini know. We can lie about that - if you'd rather."
28.
"Gideon, my father will kill me whether I tell him I'm bi or gay. And please, don't say anything of the sort. He'll hex you, too. He might be eventually convinced - by my mother - that this is just harmless boyish experimentation. But if you even mention the word 'relationship', he'll flip."
He shook his head and said sadly, "I can't lie to them, especially if my mum asks me directly. I may be able to skirt the issue a bit, but she's very cunning and I'll just have to tell the truth.
"I'm doomed. I wish we'd never started anything."
29.
As soon as he said it, he realized that, among the fabrications, this one stood at the very top of the list. The summer had been glorious and he'd enjoyed it so much more because of Gideon. During the school term he'd counted the days until he could have a few moments with Gideon. He'd come home for Christmas break and rushed to Gideon's flat almost immediately.
But he didn't have time to think about it now. He had to get Santini there before Mac arrived. Maybe his cousin would convince his mother to keep the issue from his father.
30.
Ignoring the twinge he had at Kingsley's last words, Gideon shook his head. Lying never worked and always made the problems worse.
"They're your parents, Imp. I'll say what you want me to say. But I think it's a mistake not being honest and straightforward about it. I'd rather be hexed than lie to them that much. The truth always comes out in the end."
He could tell from Kingsley's expression that his words weren't making any difference. Standing up and walking away, Gideon considered leaving again.
How could he convince…
"What about Santini? Can you call him right now?"
31.
"I was thinking about that. Do you want to go home now and Floo him? Tell him what happened and ask him to come here. With a bit of luck, he may get here before my dad. And, by the way, knowing my father, he'll summon you and Fabian, so you might as well tell your brother about it beforehand.
"Actually, it's a good idea for you to go. Maybe without you here I'll be able to convince my mother not to tell my dad. I'll apologize to her about the deception and she'll be fine, I'm sure," Kingsley added.
32.
"Whatever you want," Gideon said. He reached for Kingsley then aborted the motion, unsure about touching him, leaving the room instead. He walked toward the front door, but changed his mind.
He found Maura in the kitchen and ran a hand through his hair, wondering what he could possibly say as she turned around.
"Kingsley said leave, but I wanted to tell you first… it was never my intent to offend or upset you. It's been a long time since I've had to worry about a parental figure and..." Gideon shrugged his shoulders, unsure what else to say. "I'm sorry."
33.
"Oh, I'm sure neither of you intended anything offensive. I'm surprised you didn't see what you were doing as a blatant case of deception, and that you abused mine and Mac's confidence. But I agree it's better you leave, although I may warn you that Mac may want to have a word or two with you. You are under no obligation to comply, though. In the end this will be a matter between Kingsley, Mac and me."
She turned back to the roast she was preparing and put it in the oven, closing the oven door a little too forcefully.
34.
Leaving the kitchen, Gideon walked to the front door, wondering if talking to Santini would help. He knew how to reach him, but not what to tell him.
Apparating to his flat, he dropped the powder into the fire, "Santini Shacklebolt."
"Can I help you?" Santini said when he finally kneeled in front of his fireplace.
"Santini, it's Gideon. Kingsley asked me to Floo you. There's been some trouble at his house and he wants to know if you can go see him."
"What kind of trouble?"
"Maura caught us - says she's going to tell Mac and Kingsley is upset."
35.
"SHE WHAT?" Santini shouted, jumping up and hitting his head on the fireplace. He sat down again, rubbing it. "She caught you doing what? Please don't tell me you were shagging!"
Gideon shook his head and Santini continued in a very agitated way, "I've got to go there, before Uncle Mac arrives. She can't tell him anything. He'll flay Kingsley alive. My uncle is not gay-friendly, Gideon. Actually, none of my uncles are. My uncle Bruns still wants to find a girlfriend for Chambers, even though he's living with another man. And Uncle Mac's probably the worst of them all."
36.
Gideon had no illusions that Maura would agree. Pacing back and forth, he decided to not involve his brother with this. Fabian didn't need to be there as far as Gideon was concerned.
Unsure what to do, Gideon picked out clean clothes and took a shower, relaxing somewhat in the hot water. If he kept fretting about it, he would worry himself to death. Gideon could do nothing until Mac wanted to yell at him. Assuming Maura told Mac and he would want to talk to Gideon.
If nothing else, Gideon knew Santini or Kingsley would speak to him later.
37.
After Gideon left, Kingsley walked slowly to the kitchen. Maura was chopping vegetables with her wand and he groaned at her brusque movements; she was definitely very upset. "Mum," he said tentatively, "Do you need help?"
"No, thanks, I'm fine," she said without turning around.
He came behind her and kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry, Mum. It won't happen again. I won't see Gideon any more."
Maura sighed deeply, brushing him off her. "I don't think you can promise that, Kingsley. And don't try to sweet talk me. This is something I can't hide from your dad."
38.
Kingsley winced; he had to convince her to keep this from Mac. "Mum, please don't. He'll get all upset and bent out of shape about nothing, really. Gideon and I are good friends, we both like girls and will get married eventually. This is not serious at all - we're just having fun. You know, bloke stuff. We'll never be like Chambers and Nigel, this is nothing like that." He looked at her with a tentative smile. "I know that you worry about me getting a girl in trouble; well, there's no chance of this happening between the two of us."
39.
Maura was about to answer when a loud Crack! indicated that a family member had just arrived: they were the only ones with clearance for it.
Kingsley froze: it could only be his dad. He looked at her imploringly, his hands shaking, when he heard a much younger voice calling out, "Kingsley! Aunt Maura!"
Santini! Thank Merlin for him. Obviously, Gideon had got in touch with him. "In the kitchen," Kingsley shouted, before Maura could send Santini back home.
Santini strode in wordlessly, kissed his aunt and clasped his hand on Kingsley's shoulder, standing side by side with his cousin.
40.
For Maura the message was clear: she was outnumbered by two men who looked - and thought - alike. But this didn't faze her. She was used to being outnumbered by the Shacklebolt men and always put up a good fight.
"Hello Santini. I imagine your presence here isn't due to your desire for English tea. I suppose Gideon called you? Or did you become a Seer suddenly?"
Her sarcasm was her main weapon and the two men squirmed. She bit back a smile, despite the seriousness of the situation. Maura Shacklebolt one, Big Shacklebolts zero. Just the way she liked it.
41.
"He Floo'ed me, yes," Santini answered. There was no purpose in lying to her anyway. "What happened?"
"Didn't he tell you? I went out Christmas shopping and came back a little earlier than I expected, just to find your cousin and him sitting snugly in a chair, with obvious signs of it being more than 'bloke-ish' horsing around. And then I find out this has been going on for a while. All those times Mac and I allowed Kingsley to spend the night with Gideon - well, you can imagine as well as I what they were doing then, don't you?"
42.
Kingsley wished there was a big hole in the ground where he could hide forever. His mother had noticed that he and Gideon had been hard.
"Well, Aunt Maura, I understand you being upset, but there's no harm in experimenting, don't you think?"
"Santini Shacklebolt, you know me very well. Whatever Kingsley does with his private life is his choice. I'm not a hypocrite; I fought for Chambers and if Kingsley's gay, he's gay-"
"I'M NOT GAY, MUM!" Kingsley shouted.
"You're in a gay relationship, Kingsley, and that makes you gay."
'I'M NOT IN A FU- IN A RELATIONSHIP, MUM!"
43.
Maura and Santini exchanged a quick look before she continued, "Anyway, the issue here's the deception. I hate lies and Kingsley knows that. Today, before I went shopping, he asked me if a male friend could come over. I was gone for several hours - you can imagine what happened during that time. In my own house.
"Kingsley knows I don't allow girls here when I'm out, and I certainly wouldn't allow Gideon to be here if I knew what they were doing.
"And I imagine you've known about this for a while? You were also part of this deception, correct?"
44.
Now she had both of them on the defensive and they knew they had lost. "Yes, I knew it, Aunt Maura. I'm bisexual, too, so I understand Kingsley's position."
Her mouth twitched in surprise - she certainly didn't expect that - but otherwise she made no comment.
Santini continued, "I'm as guilty of the deception as they are, and as sorry as they about it. The issue now is, what do we do about it? What do you plan to do? Forbid Kingsley to see Gideon?"
"That would be irrelevant, Santini. It's his life, I can't tell him how to live it."
45.
"So you're fine with his relationship with Gideon?"
"IT'S NOT A RELATIONSHIP!" Kingsley shouted. He was getting tired of reminding people that there was absolutely nothing between him and Gideon.
His mother looked at him strangely before answering, "I'd much rather he married a girl and had babies, but, again, Santini, it's his choice. I'm still sore at being fooled."
Kingsley opened his mouth to say he would get married and have babies one day, but she continued with the devastating words, "Of course, Mac's reaction will be quite another thing."
"You're not telling Uncle Mac, are you?" Santini asked.
46.
She looked at him with a shocked expression. "Of course I am! How can I keep something like this from my husband? From his father? He'll find out eventually and he'll be upset at me if he knew I didn't tell him."
"He won't find out, Mum."
"Kingsley," she sighed, "You and Gideon will make another mistake and your father will find out."
"We won't make another mistake, Mum."
"How can you be so sure?"
"I won't see him again, I told you."
Santini snapped his head in surprise. Maura exchanged another mysterious look with him. "You can’t promise this."
47.
"Of course I can! I promise you I won't see him again and I won't fool around with any other bloke. Please don't tell Dad."
"Kingsley," Santini interrupted, "Are you sure you can keep this promise?"
"Of course I can! I…I didn't have sex with any other bloke this term at school."
Maura covered her forehead with her hand. Kingsley realized he'd let more cats out of the bag. "Mum, sorry about this. I've always liked birds and blokes, but I'm not lying; I didn't fool around with any of the blokes at school."
"That I don't doubt," she answered.
48.
"So please trust me. I will not see Gideon again. I'll Floo him right now and tell him. All right?"
"You're asking me to lie to my husband, you know?"
"Not lie; omit the truth. What he doesn't know won't hurt him."
"Aunt Maura," Santini said, "I hear you: you and Uncle Mac have a very solid relationship, based on trust. But he'll be upset and irrational about it. Kingsley thinks he can stop seeing Gideon. Let him try. If he can't keep his promise, then he will tell Uncle Mac personally. Is this a compromise?"
"And it's Christmas, Mum!"
49.
"I'm against it, but for the sake of a peaceful Christmas season, I'll accept." Kingsley and Santini sighed audibly. "Kingsley, I want you to know, though, that this has nothing to do with your sexuality: I'd be just as adamant about disclosing any deception with your father if it involved a girl. I still have to figure out what I'll do when he finds out."
"He won't find out, Mum. And if he does, it'll be past; he'll only see me with girls from now on."
She shrugged. "All right, then. Let me get back to dinner. You're staying, Santini?"
50.
"Of course, Aunt Maura. Thanks."
"Mum, I'm going to Floo Gideon right now. Wanna come, Santini?"
"No, I think this is something you have to do alone, Kingsley. Besides, I want to chat with my favorite aunt for a while."
"Why don't you pour us a drink, then? And you can help me cook."
"Gladly."
Kingsley resolutely strode to the living-room and threw some powder in the fireplace, calling out, "Gideon's flat." He knelt on the floor, waiting for Gideon to answer. He was sure Gideon would understand and agree with his decision. It had all been for fun anyway.
51.
There was no way around his guilt. Even though Kingsley told him to leave, Gideon felt as though he ran. When he heard the call, he expected Mac or Santini and took a deep breath, calming his nerves. Kneeling, Gideon was surprised to see Kingsley. "Did Santini get there in time?"
"Yeah, Dad's not home."
Kingsley seemed all right. "Don't tell me he convinced Maura not to tell Mac!"
"Yeah, he did."
Amazed, Gideon felt like yelling. He'd only met Santini once, but for him to work a miracle like that… Something else was wrong. Gideon narrowed his eyes.
"How?"
52.
Somehow it had been easier in the kitchen. Now, looking at Gideon in the Floo, Kingsley felt his mouth dry and a sensation that someone was choking him. He shifted uncomfortably and, for a second, considered going back inside to tell his mother that he'd face his father.
His father.
He closed his eyes and saw Mac's angry scowl; he quickly opened them again and blurted out, "I told my mother I won't see you again. This way we know for sure we won't make the same mistake and my father will never know. It's the best way, isn’t it?"
52.
At first, he thought Kingsley was joking, then Gideon thought he misunderstood. He looked away from the fireplace, the words running repeatedly through his head.
"You told your Mum…"
Gideon bit his tongue; there was no reason to listen to the voice screaming inside his head to that he needed to go through the Floo immediately and bat (kiss) some sense into Kingsley.
Instead Gideon sat on his hands, choosing to ignore his wand and the satisfying idea of blowing something up to make himself feel better.
"If you think it's for the best, so be it. But be sure."
53.
"Of course I'm sure. It's the only way, Gideon. I don't want my dad to know, and my mum told me that you and I will make the same mistake again one day and Dad will find out. The only way to avoid it is not to see each other again. I…I told my mum I won’t have sex with blokes any more; from now on it's only girls."
Kingsley couldn't figure out why this had become so difficult. To disguise his discomfort, he rose, saying, "I'd better be going. I…It was fun. Maybe one day we'll be friends again."
54.
Gideon did not answer Kingsley; he just closed the Floo connection and stumbled backwards. He must have been in shock, for he felt numb. Why would such a thing put him in shock?
A small voice in his mind that sounded suspiciously like Fabian was mumbling something but Gideon ruthlessly ignored it. Just like he ignored every other sensation running through his body that he couldn't classify at the moment.
Pain. Hurt. Anger…
Grabbing his broom, he did the first thing he could think of and Apparated to Bodmin Moor.
He spent the next three hours practicing and not thinking.
55.
Kingsley started moving towards the kitchen, but realized he didn't want to see anyone right then. He was feeling strange; part of him wanted to be relieved that he'd got out of a tight spot, but he didn't find satisfaction in it.
At least Gideon had agreed with him. He was sure that Gideon was glad about Mac not knowing. His father would definitely find out that they had had sex while Kingsley was still a minor, and that was an added complication they didn't need.
Santini would undoubtedly want to talk to him, but he didn't feel like it.
***
56.
Santini and Maura followed Kingsley with their eyes as he left the kitchen, then looked at each other. She shook her head. "Santini, you're a trained Psych-Healer; tell me if I'm wrong, but I don’t think Kingsley will be able to keep this promise."
He poured two glasses of wine and they sat down, dinner preparations forgotten. "He'll try, just because he's afraid of Uncle Mac."
"Yes, but eventually he'll understand that he and Gideon were dating."
"And that they care for each other much more than he admits," he said, looking at her out of the corner of his eye.
57.
"I'm not sure about Gideon; I don’t know him well and he doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve, like my son. But Kingsley's definitely fallen for him."
"I think Gideon feels the same, Aunt Maura."
She sighed. "In this case, this is an utter mess. It'll be just a matter of time before Mac finds out."
"Do you think Kingsley will break his promise?"
"Yes, I do. Frankly, it'll depend on Gideon. If he's hurt, maybe he'll move on by the time Kingsley realizes what he's done. After all, they're both very young."
"You think they'll find someone else?"
58.
"Maybe."
"A girl?"
"That's what Kingsley told us, isn't it? Girls only from now on? I don't know how bisexuality works. Can he be happy with a woman? Will he miss being with a man?"
"I think it depends; I know he prefers girls."
"Yet he's been seeing a man… Does this mean that he'll be frustrated sexually?"
"Again, it depends on the person he falls in love with. If it's a girl, he won't." He looked at his aunt askance. "How would you feel if Kingsley falls in love with a bloke?"
She snorted. "He has already, hasn't he?"
.
Author: ceria_taliesin and westwardlee
Rating: R
Pairing: Gideon/Kingsley
Summary: Gideon and Kingsley are finally caught in the act. By his Mum. Havoc ensues in 59 drabbles.
Disclaimer: Don't you get it yet? They belong to JKR. We don't own their universe and we don't make any money off them. The only thing we do is subvert them to feed our twisted sense of angst interests.
The index of stories
1.
"Have you ever made snow angels?" Kingsley asked, staring out his bedroom window.
"No, what's that?"
"Gideon! I can't believe that. You lie… never mind. Get dressed, we're going outside."
"It's cold outside, Imp."
"That's why I told you to get dressed, Mr Prewett."
*
Gideon looked at the Shacklebolts' yard an hour later, grinning. The once pristine snow was littered with footsteps, crumbled snowballs, angels and lopsided snowmen that Kingsley refused to let Gideon use magic to fix. His face hurt from the cold and laughing so hard.
Kingsley joined him on the steps, "Hot tea?"
"I would love some."
2.
Gideon curled beneath a blanket on the sofa after Kingsley refused his help with the tea. Shivering, he reached for his wand to cast a warming spell as Kingsley walked by him.
Moving Gideon's wand out of reach, Kingsley settled in an oversized chair with two cups of steaming tea.
"Why'd you do that?"
"I'm cold too, come here and we'll warm up together."
Sighing, Gideon nestled into the chair with Kingsley, legs draped across his lap, head on his shoulder, while Kingsley flicked the remaining snow out of Gideon's hair.
They rested silently beneath the blanket, sharing their warmth.
3.
Maura Shacklebolt opened her front door quietly and snuck inside, carrying her purchases. She saw the snowy footprints in the yard and wondered who Kingsley brought home.
Following the laughter, she saw the back of Kingsley, with some redheaded strumpet (at least it wasn't Marlene) wiggling in his lap beneath a blanket. She had specifically told her son not to sit in that chair with any girl - it wasn't meant for two single people - and paused.
She rarely heard Kingsley's uncontrolled laughter around any girl and wondered who she was.
"Stop tickling me, Prewett!"
Gideon?
Shocked, Maura dropped her packages.
4.
The sound of something thumping on the floor made Kingsley's insides churn. He froze for a second, making a grimace of pain. There was someone in the room with them, that was obvious - but who? Hopefully Lucille. He'd be able to convince her that he and Gideon were just horsing around, in a very bloke-ish way.
He was sure it wasn't his father, or he and Gideon would have been hexed already - if they hadn't died before from the thunder of Mac's voice.
He turned around slowly, hoping it was Lucille, hoping it was not-
"Mum?" he croaked.
5.
Gideon closed his eyes, rooted in place with embarrassment. He was lying across Kingsley's lap like some bird, giggling uncontrollably, hands beneath Kingsley's shirt, tickling him. He wasn't sure they could convince Maura it wasn't what it looked like - that they were only friends, but he launched himself off Kingsley as quickly as possible, blanket still draped across his shoulders as he stood up.
He shifted, uncomfortable, embarrassed, then realized that he was hard from Kingsley's wandering hands. Merlin's balls, she's going to kill me.
Gideon adjusted the blanket quickly around his body, praying she didn't notice that as well.
6.
Maura fixed her eyes on Gideon's face, mouth pursed thin. After staring at him for a few seconds, she said coldly, "I trusted you and you've betrayed my trust. Now I need to talk to my son - alone. If you'll excuse us."
Turning to Kingsley, she motioned for him to approach, which he did warily. He wasn't afraid of physical violence - Maura had never believed in corporeal punishment, and, in any event, he towered over her. But he was very afraid of his little wisp of a mother and dreaded having to talk to her.
"Upstairs in your room, Kingsley."
7.
Gideon felt sick to his stomach. He had options; he could Obliviate Maura, he could leave and let Kingsley handle it, he could…
No. He'd known from the beginning this was his fault and that eventually they would learn the truth. If he left, Kingsley faced them alone and that wasn't fair. Gideon instigated it, even if they both pursued it, but Gideon was responsible.
He couldn't walk away before and he wouldn't now. Unsure why leaving wasn't an option, Gideon knew he couldn't articulate the reasoning to Maura even if she asked.
He sat on the sofa and waited.
8.
"We can talk here, Mum," Kingsley risked, emboldened by Gideon's act of staying. He had expected Gideon to take off quickly. Maura was a force to contend with and this wouldn't be pretty at all.
Her eyes flashed in anger, but then she answered, still in a cold voice. "Well, since it does involve both of you…" She walked to the chair the two men had been sitting in, scrutinized it for a second and sat down, arms crossed over her breast.
Kingsley sat on the sofa, on the opposite side of Gideon, looking like two defendants in the Wizengamot.
9.
That surprised Gideon; he didn't know if Maura had expected him to leave, but Kingsley looked surprised he stayed. Gideon had hoped for a few minutes alone to gather his thoughts. He hadn't had nightmares about Mac and Maura finding out, but he was dreading this confrontation. However, he knew it had to happen eventually.
Glancing back and forth between them, Gideon finally chose to watch Maura. She looked furious and Kingsley looked, well, almost afraid. Kingsley's look alone made Gideon glad he stayed. This did involve him and it wouldn't be fair to accuse Kingsley alone for what happened.
10.
After a few minutes of silence, which weighed heavily on Kingsley, Maura asked, barely hiding the anger in her voice, "How long has this been going on?"
Although he was completely terrified, Kingsley thought that, after all, his mother had not seen anything too revealing. Maybe he could avoid answering the question directly and imply that he and Gideon were just wrestling like two blokes.
"What, Mum?"
The words had barely left his mouth before he understood she wasn't fooled. She scowled at him and he squirmed uncomfortably. She turned her face to Gideon, asking him the same question silently.
11.
How specific do you want me to be? "We met at the Arrows game over the summer."
Gideon wanted to avoid the sex before Kingsley's birthday part. That was the only thing he did not want to discuss. He turned toward Kingsley, calmly watching him, hoping to ease his tension if possible, before turning back to look at Maura. She was glaring at him, but Gideon refused to cower. He didn't regret it, and she wouldn't change his mind.
"I assume you are not referring to our friendship. Since the very end of summer is the answer you're looking for."
12.
"So you were just good friends and one day, at the very end of the summer you decided to - what? Experiment?" She looked pointedly at Gideon, then at Kingsley. "Is this what happened?"
Kingsley averted his eyes, looking at the floor. It was a very direct question, and he couldn't make himself lie about it. His mother was a very cunning woman and at that moment he wished she was a little less smart. It was better not to answer. But she, of course, wouldn't let it be.
"Kingsley? I asked you a question. Look at me and answer it."
13.
Gideon was sure Kingsley didn't want to lie to her and that held his tongue. "Basically, yes, that's what happened."
Maura wasn't happy he interrupted and Gideon wished again that they had gone upstairs for this conversation.
"Basically?" she asked, her tone sharp, biting.
"What do you want to know?" Gideon said, her tone rankling him even as he kept his words calm, even. "That I spent the couple months prior to that flirting with your son? We are friends, he took me to Muggle places I've never seen before, we spent most of the time doing things friends do."
14.
"Things friends do?" her voice was laden with sarcasm. "It was called something else when I was younger." She shook her head angrily. "I don't care about the details, but I do care that both of you have taken advantage of the situation and lied to us.
"I understand that you may have wanted to experiment - or whatever. But you, Gideon, pulled a very convincing story about having a girlfriend. I never suspected that it was a cover for your - and Kingsley's - little scheme. Kingsley," she turned sharply to her son, "you understand what you've done, don't you?"
15.
Realizing that he'd left Gideon alone in the defendant's bench, Kingsley mustered whatever courage he had. "I - we - haven't done anything wrong, Mum. I'm an adult."
She glared at him. "Number one, you're an adult now and we haven't established exactly when 'at the very end of the summer' was; number two, adult or underage, you've lied and it's something you know I don't accept. You know very well your father and I wouldn't let you spend the night with him if we knew what was happening. It was sheer deception and I'm both extremely angry and disappointed at you."
16.
The comment about Renee surprised Gideon. He'd never felt guilty for deceiving anyone, yet he could understand how Maura interpreted Renee as such to hide his actions with Kingsley. He could explain to her that neither was a cover but thought she wouldn't appreciate that.
He didn't know how to address her charges; Kingsley was the one who spent time in his flat. Kingsley had pervaded every aspect of Gideon's life, from work to home to entertainment, to everything. Yet telling Maura that made Gideon sound like a bird, and would cause Kingsley to tease him, so he said nothing.
17.
Kingsley couldn't find words to answer his mother's accusations: she was right. He had deceived her and his father. At the same time, it was very important to keep her from finding out that he and Gideon had had sex while he was still a minor. He didn't think his parents would charge Gideon with anything illegal, but it was better not to mention it.
Deciding that attack was the best defense, Kingsley told his mother flippantly, "Why do you care what happened between us, Mum? You are a big advocate for Chambers, so why are you upset at us?"
18.
"Kingsley," Gideon said softly, shaking his head. What worked well enough to distract anyone else wouldn't work with a parent. Even without the same parental support that Kingsley had, Gideon knew that. For a brief moment, he wished he could talk to Fabian, but Gideon knew that his brother would side with Maura.
Either way, Gideon still wanted Fabian nearby. He watched Maura's face turn red as she narrowed her eyes and that hurt worse than her words. Shocked, Gideon realized why it hurt and closed his eyes. If his friendship with the Shacklebolts survived this, he'd be very thankful.
19.
"Kingsley, stop it," she retorted angrily. "You know very well that the issue here is your deception, your lies, not your sexual life. I won't lie and say that I wouldn't prefer to see you with a girlfriend rather than a boyfriend, but that's none of my business. It's your life, and, as you told me, you're an adult. Now," she added pointedly.
He knew what the issue was, but her words bothered him more than he could imagine. To disguise his discomfort, he shouted, "Mum, he's not my boyfriend. Gideon and I are friends, and we're just having fun."
20.
She looked at him enigmatically for a few seconds, then stared at Gideon with the same expression. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but apparently thought differently. "Kingsley, don't try to change the subject. You're a master at manipulation, but you know what you both did was very wrong. You may be an adult now, but you're still a student, living under my roof. You have to obey and respect us. You did neither throughout this summer.
"Gideon, you can leave any time you want. Kingsley, when your father arrives, we'll have a serious talk."
Kingsley paled.
21.
"I wish I could leave - honestly. But I can't, not like this." Gideon wondered what Kingsley would have done if the situation was reversed, then laughed. Kingsley would have escaped a long time ago.
"I understand the reason you're angry has less to do with us and more to do with our deception. I also understand that is for you to discuss as a family, and I'm not family.
"But I helped that deception, and probably encouraged it when I shouldn't have. It's as much my fault as Kingsley's and I can't walk away right now. Don't make me."
22.
Maura looked at him and Gideon wondered what she was thinking. His decision to stay probably told her exactly what they didn't want her to know; it was possible that his leaving would help the situation.
Gideon had known throughout the summer that what they did was wrong, only because Kingsley had been a minor. He never considered they were breaking Mac and Maura's trust.
Gideon took a deep breath, knowing she would likely tell him no, but he needed to talk to Kingsley. He tilted his head to the side, still watching her.
"May I talk to him first?"
23.
Maura could do with a few seconds alone to collect her thoughts; there had been a lot of hidden meanings in the men's actions and words. She knew she'd be giving them the opportunity to make up some sort of story, but she didn't mind. Although she hated lies, she was almost hoping they would make up a tale that would allow her not to tell Mac about what she had found out.
Kingsley had been visibly disturbed when she mentioned his father, but she wouldn't think about keeping such a thing from Mac.
"All right. I'll be right back."
24.
Gideon waited for Maura to give them some privacy and scooted off the sofa. He kneeled against Kingsley's closed knees and wrapped his hands around Kingsley's face, briefly kissing his forehead.
"Before you say anything, listen to me. They love you dearly and I would kill to have a family like that, Imp. But stop arguing with her, alright? Don't tell me you thought we'd never get caught."
Gideon pulled away to look at him, running his thumb across Kingsley's lower lip. "Do you want me to stay or go? Whatever is easier for you is all that matters currently."
25.
"My father will kill me, Gideon. Hex me until tomorrow," Kingsley's hands were trembling. "I have to convince my mother not to tell him anything." He felt Gideon's kiss and his thumb on his lip, but he didn't register everything he said. The sheer idea of facing his father was more than he could handle at that time. He hadn't even imagined ever being caught and now he realized he'd been quite childish in thinking like that. He knew his mother would come home eventually and thought ruefully that, if he'd let Gideon stay on the sofa, they'd be scot-free.
26.
But a few hours before he'd been happily having sex with Gideon in his bed, taking advantage of Maura's shopping trip. Then they'd played like children in the snow - why hadn't Maura arrived then? While they were being silly? She'd have laughed and offered them hot chocolate. Damn bad timing!
He snorted. Santini would probably tell him that he'd wanted to get caught and therefore had been careless subconsciously. Santini! Hopefully his cousin could come over and help control Mac's fury. He'd try to send him a message.
"It doesn't matter if you stay or not, Gideon. I'm dead anyway."
27.
Gideon forced him to meet his eyes, "Kingsley, we have an option. We tell them we're both bi and have played around a little. I'll tell them I've been flirting with the idea of making this a real relationship. Don't panic, they're just words."
As soon as he said them, Gideon realized the words were true, he wouldn't mind a relationship with Kingsley. He ignored his snide little voice that said he was already in one.
"But I don't know what to tell them about the sex. Only Meg and Santini know. We can lie about that - if you'd rather."
28.
"Gideon, my father will kill me whether I tell him I'm bi or gay. And please, don't say anything of the sort. He'll hex you, too. He might be eventually convinced - by my mother - that this is just harmless boyish experimentation. But if you even mention the word 'relationship', he'll flip."
He shook his head and said sadly, "I can't lie to them, especially if my mum asks me directly. I may be able to skirt the issue a bit, but she's very cunning and I'll just have to tell the truth.
"I'm doomed. I wish we'd never started anything."
29.
As soon as he said it, he realized that, among the fabrications, this one stood at the very top of the list. The summer had been glorious and he'd enjoyed it so much more because of Gideon. During the school term he'd counted the days until he could have a few moments with Gideon. He'd come home for Christmas break and rushed to Gideon's flat almost immediately.
But he didn't have time to think about it now. He had to get Santini there before Mac arrived. Maybe his cousin would convince his mother to keep the issue from his father.
30.
Ignoring the twinge he had at Kingsley's last words, Gideon shook his head. Lying never worked and always made the problems worse.
"They're your parents, Imp. I'll say what you want me to say. But I think it's a mistake not being honest and straightforward about it. I'd rather be hexed than lie to them that much. The truth always comes out in the end."
He could tell from Kingsley's expression that his words weren't making any difference. Standing up and walking away, Gideon considered leaving again.
How could he convince…
"What about Santini? Can you call him right now?"
31.
"I was thinking about that. Do you want to go home now and Floo him? Tell him what happened and ask him to come here. With a bit of luck, he may get here before my dad. And, by the way, knowing my father, he'll summon you and Fabian, so you might as well tell your brother about it beforehand.
"Actually, it's a good idea for you to go. Maybe without you here I'll be able to convince my mother not to tell my dad. I'll apologize to her about the deception and she'll be fine, I'm sure," Kingsley added.
32.
"Whatever you want," Gideon said. He reached for Kingsley then aborted the motion, unsure about touching him, leaving the room instead. He walked toward the front door, but changed his mind.
He found Maura in the kitchen and ran a hand through his hair, wondering what he could possibly say as she turned around.
"Kingsley said leave, but I wanted to tell you first… it was never my intent to offend or upset you. It's been a long time since I've had to worry about a parental figure and..." Gideon shrugged his shoulders, unsure what else to say. "I'm sorry."
33.
"Oh, I'm sure neither of you intended anything offensive. I'm surprised you didn't see what you were doing as a blatant case of deception, and that you abused mine and Mac's confidence. But I agree it's better you leave, although I may warn you that Mac may want to have a word or two with you. You are under no obligation to comply, though. In the end this will be a matter between Kingsley, Mac and me."
She turned back to the roast she was preparing and put it in the oven, closing the oven door a little too forcefully.
34.
Leaving the kitchen, Gideon walked to the front door, wondering if talking to Santini would help. He knew how to reach him, but not what to tell him.
Apparating to his flat, he dropped the powder into the fire, "Santini Shacklebolt."
"Can I help you?" Santini said when he finally kneeled in front of his fireplace.
"Santini, it's Gideon. Kingsley asked me to Floo you. There's been some trouble at his house and he wants to know if you can go see him."
"What kind of trouble?"
"Maura caught us - says she's going to tell Mac and Kingsley is upset."
35.
"SHE WHAT?" Santini shouted, jumping up and hitting his head on the fireplace. He sat down again, rubbing it. "She caught you doing what? Please don't tell me you were shagging!"
Gideon shook his head and Santini continued in a very agitated way, "I've got to go there, before Uncle Mac arrives. She can't tell him anything. He'll flay Kingsley alive. My uncle is not gay-friendly, Gideon. Actually, none of my uncles are. My uncle Bruns still wants to find a girlfriend for Chambers, even though he's living with another man. And Uncle Mac's probably the worst of them all."
36.
Gideon had no illusions that Maura would agree. Pacing back and forth, he decided to not involve his brother with this. Fabian didn't need to be there as far as Gideon was concerned.
Unsure what to do, Gideon picked out clean clothes and took a shower, relaxing somewhat in the hot water. If he kept fretting about it, he would worry himself to death. Gideon could do nothing until Mac wanted to yell at him. Assuming Maura told Mac and he would want to talk to Gideon.
If nothing else, Gideon knew Santini or Kingsley would speak to him later.
37.
After Gideon left, Kingsley walked slowly to the kitchen. Maura was chopping vegetables with her wand and he groaned at her brusque movements; she was definitely very upset. "Mum," he said tentatively, "Do you need help?"
"No, thanks, I'm fine," she said without turning around.
He came behind her and kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry, Mum. It won't happen again. I won't see Gideon any more."
Maura sighed deeply, brushing him off her. "I don't think you can promise that, Kingsley. And don't try to sweet talk me. This is something I can't hide from your dad."
38.
Kingsley winced; he had to convince her to keep this from Mac. "Mum, please don't. He'll get all upset and bent out of shape about nothing, really. Gideon and I are good friends, we both like girls and will get married eventually. This is not serious at all - we're just having fun. You know, bloke stuff. We'll never be like Chambers and Nigel, this is nothing like that." He looked at her with a tentative smile. "I know that you worry about me getting a girl in trouble; well, there's no chance of this happening between the two of us."
39.
Maura was about to answer when a loud Crack! indicated that a family member had just arrived: they were the only ones with clearance for it.
Kingsley froze: it could only be his dad. He looked at her imploringly, his hands shaking, when he heard a much younger voice calling out, "Kingsley! Aunt Maura!"
Santini! Thank Merlin for him. Obviously, Gideon had got in touch with him. "In the kitchen," Kingsley shouted, before Maura could send Santini back home.
Santini strode in wordlessly, kissed his aunt and clasped his hand on Kingsley's shoulder, standing side by side with his cousin.
40.
For Maura the message was clear: she was outnumbered by two men who looked - and thought - alike. But this didn't faze her. She was used to being outnumbered by the Shacklebolt men and always put up a good fight.
"Hello Santini. I imagine your presence here isn't due to your desire for English tea. I suppose Gideon called you? Or did you become a Seer suddenly?"
Her sarcasm was her main weapon and the two men squirmed. She bit back a smile, despite the seriousness of the situation. Maura Shacklebolt one, Big Shacklebolts zero. Just the way she liked it.
41.
"He Floo'ed me, yes," Santini answered. There was no purpose in lying to her anyway. "What happened?"
"Didn't he tell you? I went out Christmas shopping and came back a little earlier than I expected, just to find your cousin and him sitting snugly in a chair, with obvious signs of it being more than 'bloke-ish' horsing around. And then I find out this has been going on for a while. All those times Mac and I allowed Kingsley to spend the night with Gideon - well, you can imagine as well as I what they were doing then, don't you?"
42.
Kingsley wished there was a big hole in the ground where he could hide forever. His mother had noticed that he and Gideon had been hard.
"Well, Aunt Maura, I understand you being upset, but there's no harm in experimenting, don't you think?"
"Santini Shacklebolt, you know me very well. Whatever Kingsley does with his private life is his choice. I'm not a hypocrite; I fought for Chambers and if Kingsley's gay, he's gay-"
"I'M NOT GAY, MUM!" Kingsley shouted.
"You're in a gay relationship, Kingsley, and that makes you gay."
'I'M NOT IN A FU- IN A RELATIONSHIP, MUM!"
43.
Maura and Santini exchanged a quick look before she continued, "Anyway, the issue here's the deception. I hate lies and Kingsley knows that. Today, before I went shopping, he asked me if a male friend could come over. I was gone for several hours - you can imagine what happened during that time. In my own house.
"Kingsley knows I don't allow girls here when I'm out, and I certainly wouldn't allow Gideon to be here if I knew what they were doing.
"And I imagine you've known about this for a while? You were also part of this deception, correct?"
44.
Now she had both of them on the defensive and they knew they had lost. "Yes, I knew it, Aunt Maura. I'm bisexual, too, so I understand Kingsley's position."
Her mouth twitched in surprise - she certainly didn't expect that - but otherwise she made no comment.
Santini continued, "I'm as guilty of the deception as they are, and as sorry as they about it. The issue now is, what do we do about it? What do you plan to do? Forbid Kingsley to see Gideon?"
"That would be irrelevant, Santini. It's his life, I can't tell him how to live it."
45.
"So you're fine with his relationship with Gideon?"
"IT'S NOT A RELATIONSHIP!" Kingsley shouted. He was getting tired of reminding people that there was absolutely nothing between him and Gideon.
His mother looked at him strangely before answering, "I'd much rather he married a girl and had babies, but, again, Santini, it's his choice. I'm still sore at being fooled."
Kingsley opened his mouth to say he would get married and have babies one day, but she continued with the devastating words, "Of course, Mac's reaction will be quite another thing."
"You're not telling Uncle Mac, are you?" Santini asked.
46.
She looked at him with a shocked expression. "Of course I am! How can I keep something like this from my husband? From his father? He'll find out eventually and he'll be upset at me if he knew I didn't tell him."
"He won't find out, Mum."
"Kingsley," she sighed, "You and Gideon will make another mistake and your father will find out."
"We won't make another mistake, Mum."
"How can you be so sure?"
"I won't see him again, I told you."
Santini snapped his head in surprise. Maura exchanged another mysterious look with him. "You can’t promise this."
47.
"Of course I can! I promise you I won't see him again and I won't fool around with any other bloke. Please don't tell Dad."
"Kingsley," Santini interrupted, "Are you sure you can keep this promise?"
"Of course I can! I…I didn't have sex with any other bloke this term at school."
Maura covered her forehead with her hand. Kingsley realized he'd let more cats out of the bag. "Mum, sorry about this. I've always liked birds and blokes, but I'm not lying; I didn't fool around with any of the blokes at school."
"That I don't doubt," she answered.
48.
"So please trust me. I will not see Gideon again. I'll Floo him right now and tell him. All right?"
"You're asking me to lie to my husband, you know?"
"Not lie; omit the truth. What he doesn't know won't hurt him."
"Aunt Maura," Santini said, "I hear you: you and Uncle Mac have a very solid relationship, based on trust. But he'll be upset and irrational about it. Kingsley thinks he can stop seeing Gideon. Let him try. If he can't keep his promise, then he will tell Uncle Mac personally. Is this a compromise?"
"And it's Christmas, Mum!"
49.
"I'm against it, but for the sake of a peaceful Christmas season, I'll accept." Kingsley and Santini sighed audibly. "Kingsley, I want you to know, though, that this has nothing to do with your sexuality: I'd be just as adamant about disclosing any deception with your father if it involved a girl. I still have to figure out what I'll do when he finds out."
"He won't find out, Mum. And if he does, it'll be past; he'll only see me with girls from now on."
She shrugged. "All right, then. Let me get back to dinner. You're staying, Santini?"
50.
"Of course, Aunt Maura. Thanks."
"Mum, I'm going to Floo Gideon right now. Wanna come, Santini?"
"No, I think this is something you have to do alone, Kingsley. Besides, I want to chat with my favorite aunt for a while."
"Why don't you pour us a drink, then? And you can help me cook."
"Gladly."
Kingsley resolutely strode to the living-room and threw some powder in the fireplace, calling out, "Gideon's flat." He knelt on the floor, waiting for Gideon to answer. He was sure Gideon would understand and agree with his decision. It had all been for fun anyway.
51.
There was no way around his guilt. Even though Kingsley told him to leave, Gideon felt as though he ran. When he heard the call, he expected Mac or Santini and took a deep breath, calming his nerves. Kneeling, Gideon was surprised to see Kingsley. "Did Santini get there in time?"
"Yeah, Dad's not home."
Kingsley seemed all right. "Don't tell me he convinced Maura not to tell Mac!"
"Yeah, he did."
Amazed, Gideon felt like yelling. He'd only met Santini once, but for him to work a miracle like that… Something else was wrong. Gideon narrowed his eyes.
"How?"
52.
Somehow it had been easier in the kitchen. Now, looking at Gideon in the Floo, Kingsley felt his mouth dry and a sensation that someone was choking him. He shifted uncomfortably and, for a second, considered going back inside to tell his mother that he'd face his father.
His father.
He closed his eyes and saw Mac's angry scowl; he quickly opened them again and blurted out, "I told my mother I won't see you again. This way we know for sure we won't make the same mistake and my father will never know. It's the best way, isn’t it?"
52.
At first, he thought Kingsley was joking, then Gideon thought he misunderstood. He looked away from the fireplace, the words running repeatedly through his head.
"You told your Mum…"
Gideon bit his tongue; there was no reason to listen to the voice screaming inside his head to that he needed to go through the Floo immediately and bat (kiss) some sense into Kingsley.
Instead Gideon sat on his hands, choosing to ignore his wand and the satisfying idea of blowing something up to make himself feel better.
"If you think it's for the best, so be it. But be sure."
53.
"Of course I'm sure. It's the only way, Gideon. I don't want my dad to know, and my mum told me that you and I will make the same mistake again one day and Dad will find out. The only way to avoid it is not to see each other again. I…I told my mum I won’t have sex with blokes any more; from now on it's only girls."
Kingsley couldn't figure out why this had become so difficult. To disguise his discomfort, he rose, saying, "I'd better be going. I…It was fun. Maybe one day we'll be friends again."
54.
Gideon did not answer Kingsley; he just closed the Floo connection and stumbled backwards. He must have been in shock, for he felt numb. Why would such a thing put him in shock?
A small voice in his mind that sounded suspiciously like Fabian was mumbling something but Gideon ruthlessly ignored it. Just like he ignored every other sensation running through his body that he couldn't classify at the moment.
Pain. Hurt. Anger…
Grabbing his broom, he did the first thing he could think of and Apparated to Bodmin Moor.
He spent the next three hours practicing and not thinking.
55.
Kingsley started moving towards the kitchen, but realized he didn't want to see anyone right then. He was feeling strange; part of him wanted to be relieved that he'd got out of a tight spot, but he didn't find satisfaction in it.
At least Gideon had agreed with him. He was sure that Gideon was glad about Mac not knowing. His father would definitely find out that they had had sex while Kingsley was still a minor, and that was an added complication they didn't need.
Santini would undoubtedly want to talk to him, but he didn't feel like it.
***
56.
Santini and Maura followed Kingsley with their eyes as he left the kitchen, then looked at each other. She shook her head. "Santini, you're a trained Psych-Healer; tell me if I'm wrong, but I don’t think Kingsley will be able to keep this promise."
He poured two glasses of wine and they sat down, dinner preparations forgotten. "He'll try, just because he's afraid of Uncle Mac."
"Yes, but eventually he'll understand that he and Gideon were dating."
"And that they care for each other much more than he admits," he said, looking at her out of the corner of his eye.
57.
"I'm not sure about Gideon; I don’t know him well and he doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve, like my son. But Kingsley's definitely fallen for him."
"I think Gideon feels the same, Aunt Maura."
She sighed. "In this case, this is an utter mess. It'll be just a matter of time before Mac finds out."
"Do you think Kingsley will break his promise?"
"Yes, I do. Frankly, it'll depend on Gideon. If he's hurt, maybe he'll move on by the time Kingsley realizes what he's done. After all, they're both very young."
"You think they'll find someone else?"
58.
"Maybe."
"A girl?"
"That's what Kingsley told us, isn't it? Girls only from now on? I don't know how bisexuality works. Can he be happy with a woman? Will he miss being with a man?"
"I think it depends; I know he prefers girls."
"Yet he's been seeing a man… Does this mean that he'll be frustrated sexually?"
"Again, it depends on the person he falls in love with. If it's a girl, he won't." He looked at his aunt askance. "How would you feel if Kingsley falls in love with a bloke?"
She snorted. "He has already, hasn't he?"
.