[fic]
((goes someway towards explaining this.))
Finding an appropriate mug had been hard. In the end, Bran had settled for 'World's Best Mum,' and had painted over the 'Mum' with 'Mater.' "Here, Will. For you."
Will had looked confused. "World's best Mater?"
"Yes," Bran said, and waited for Will to get it.
He didn't.
"Mother's Day?" Bran gave him a clue. "You know, the holiday on which people give gifts to the maternally inclined."
"Mother's Day's in March," Will had said, still bemused. "It's been already. I'm sure my Mum will appreciate the thought though," he added hastily so that Bran didn't feel disappointed. "She loves surprises--"
"Does your Mum study Latin, Will?"
Will looked again at the mug. "You got me a mother's day present."
"Because of all the fussing you do," Bran said, feeling oddly defensive. "If you're going to act like a Mum, you may as well face the consequences."
"A mug."
"Yes."
"Bran," Will said carefully. "There's something you should see."
"A tower?"
"Watchtower, really. Though I just wanted a house."
"And you found this?"Bran couldn't get over the house. It had to be centuries old if it were a day, and yet it was begging to be lived in. It was the sort of house you didn't see anywhere -- except apparently the Nexus. No furniture save for the table with the one leg shorter than the others, two miss-matched chairs that had survived an entire generation of Stantons and been slated for well-earned retirement and the box of books Will had brought still unpacked on the floor. "Will, this place is incredible. It's -- and you're sure we're allowed it?"
"I'm sure." Will smiled at that, and if it was wry it was also the first smile he'd shown since Bran had given him the bloody mug and that was something. "I wasn't going to tell you till I'd got the plumbing sorted, but." He waved a hand at the mug, not standing in grand, solitary state above the fireplace.
Bran looked at the mug. "I get you a cup. You get me a house?"
"It's mine too," Will protests. "And it's not for Mother's Day. I just thought --" And Will grimaces. "That, well. Since you've got a PINpoint, we might as well make sure you've some place you can stay while you're here. Just in case."
Bran eyed him. "And you're saying you're not a Mum."
"It's a precaution," Will stressed. "Also. A house. Don't you see? We can visit at weekends, and neither of our parents have to pay extra in train fares."
Bran looked around the house again. It was empty, yes, but they could change that. "I can't believe you actually got us a house. Just like that."
"It is a multi-dimensional Nexus," Will pointed out patiently.
Bran shook his head. "So, Mother's Day is March then, is it?"
Will sat on him.
Finding an appropriate mug had been hard. In the end, Bran had settled for 'World's Best Mum,' and had painted over the 'Mum' with 'Mater.' "Here, Will. For you."
Will had looked confused. "World's best Mater?"
"Yes," Bran said, and waited for Will to get it.
He didn't.
"Mother's Day?" Bran gave him a clue. "You know, the holiday on which people give gifts to the maternally inclined."
"Mother's Day's in March," Will had said, still bemused. "It's been already. I'm sure my Mum will appreciate the thought though," he added hastily so that Bran didn't feel disappointed. "She loves surprises--"
"Does your Mum study Latin, Will?"
Will looked again at the mug. "You got me a mother's day present."
"Because of all the fussing you do," Bran said, feeling oddly defensive. "If you're going to act like a Mum, you may as well face the consequences."
"A mug."
"Yes."
"Bran," Will said carefully. "There's something you should see."
"A tower?"
"Watchtower, really. Though I just wanted a house."
"And you found this?"Bran couldn't get over the house. It had to be centuries old if it were a day, and yet it was begging to be lived in. It was the sort of house you didn't see anywhere -- except apparently the Nexus. No furniture save for the table with the one leg shorter than the others, two miss-matched chairs that had survived an entire generation of Stantons and been slated for well-earned retirement and the box of books Will had brought still unpacked on the floor. "Will, this place is incredible. It's -- and you're sure we're allowed it?"
"I'm sure." Will smiled at that, and if it was wry it was also the first smile he'd shown since Bran had given him the bloody mug and that was something. "I wasn't going to tell you till I'd got the plumbing sorted, but." He waved a hand at the mug, not standing in grand, solitary state above the fireplace.
Bran looked at the mug. "I get you a cup. You get me a house?"
"It's mine too," Will protests. "And it's not for Mother's Day. I just thought --" And Will grimaces. "That, well. Since you've got a PINpoint, we might as well make sure you've some place you can stay while you're here. Just in case."
Bran eyed him. "And you're saying you're not a Mum."
"It's a precaution," Will stressed. "Also. A house. Don't you see? We can visit at weekends, and neither of our parents have to pay extra in train fares."
Bran looked around the house again. It was empty, yes, but they could change that. "I can't believe you actually got us a house. Just like that."
"It is a multi-dimensional Nexus," Will pointed out patiently.
Bran shook his head. "So, Mother's Day is March then, is it?"
Will sat on him.