fic: make our homes on the water
As predicted, I didn't do any actual work yesterday. I watched some tv, shoveled a lot of snow, and thought up this tiny fic. Thanks to this and that GK AU that I scribbled out 6 months ago, I officially wrote 2500 words in 2010. Well played, self.
Title: Make Our Homes on the Water
People: Hawaii 5-0, Chin POV, Gen
Disclaimer: Not mine
A/N: Thanks to algernon_mouse for the usual, i.e. betaing, making it less awkward, letting me talk about this show, indulging all my whims, forgetting to fill out the customs form on my Christmas present before going on vacation thereby ensuring that it sat for a week before getting mailed, etc. Title is from 'Sons & Daughters' by The Decemberists.
Summary: "Chin Ho Kelly, I know you're not trying to teach me about mother-daughter relationships," his aunt replies. "I've been a daughter and now I'm a mother. I think I have a better handle on this than you do."
Chin's taking a break, watching Kono and a couple other hotshots show off, when someone sits on the sand next to him. He looks over and smiles. "Auntie! What are you doing here?" He leans over and presses a kiss against her cheek.
She smiles and holds up a paper bag. "Dropping off lunch for Kono. I don't get to see her as much since she started working. I know she's not taking care of herself, not in that little hole of an apartment with only a hotplate."
Chin laughs, remembering the fight they had when Kono had decided to move out. Her mother had been happy to see her go but the idea of her daughter living in a place that didn't have a proper kitchen had been almost too much for her to bear.
"I'm keeping an eye on her," Chin says. "She mostly stays out of trouble."
Her mother sniffs. "Hmm. If I know Kono, she's starting the trouble half the time."
"Why do you think I joined the squad? Someone had to protect those two haoles from her."
She smiles knowingly. "How are you, Chin Ho? Your mother says you don't call enough."
"I talk to her twice a week!"
"That's not enough."
"I think you're just trying to stir the pot, Auntie. You act innocent but I know Kono got that devil's streak from somewhere."
"Don't sass your elders even if you're right." She kisses him on the cheek again and then pushes herself up off the ground. "Tell Kono that I said hi and to share the cookies."
"You're not gonna stick around and wait for her to finish?"
"She wants to know I'm going to catch her if she falls, Chin, she doesn't want me cramping her style. Right now, I'm just her mother. In a couple of years, she'll need me as a friend and I'll wait then."
"That's not true," Chin protests. "She doesn't think you cramp her style."
"Chin Ho Kelly, I know you're not trying to teach me about mother-daughter relationships," his aunt replies. "I've been a daughter and now I'm a mother. I think I have a better handle on this than you do."
Chin holds up his hands in defeat. "Yes, ma'am. Hell, you probably have a better handle on father-son relationships than I do."
"Damn right I do. You men act like a lion with a thorn in its paw when your ego gets hurt and then there's no talking sense."
Chin thinks about how quickly Steve and Danny can go from friendly bantering to angry shouting when the joking gets too personal. He also thinks about his own father who stood by him out of duty and not necessarily because he believed in Chin. He concedes the discussion after that. "You're not wrong."
"I know. Call your mother." She waves bye and takes off down the beach.
Chin was only 10 when his aunt announced she was pregnant at Sunday dinner and that her husband didn't have room in his life for a baby. He doesn't remember much; just a lot of angry whispered phone conversations between his mom and her other sisters, one massive blowout over whether his aunt should move back in with her parents or continue living in the house that her ex had signed over to her, and his uncles threatening to beat the s.o.b. up when his aunt went into labor at a pig bake and started bawling. In the end, she had stayed on her own, raising Kono in that little house and doing things her way. He knows it wasn't easy on Kono. Chin pulled her out of more scrapes than he cares to remember, but he also knows that she wouldn't change anything about her life.
"Hey," Kono shakes her head and sprays him with water, snapping him out of his thoughts. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing," Chin says. He holds up the bag. "Your mom dropped this off, said you had to share with me."
"Nice!" Kono smiles. She grabs the bag from him and looks inside. "I'll be honest, cuz, I didn't see you make any moves out there that warranted homemade cookies."
Chin wraps his arm around her ankles and pulls her down to the ground. "We'll see about that."
Title: Make Our Homes on the Water
People: Hawaii 5-0, Chin POV, Gen
Disclaimer: Not mine
A/N: Thanks to algernon_mouse for the usual, i.e. betaing, making it less awkward, letting me talk about this show, indulging all my whims, forgetting to fill out the customs form on my Christmas present before going on vacation thereby ensuring that it sat for a week before getting mailed, etc. Title is from 'Sons & Daughters' by The Decemberists.
Summary: "Chin Ho Kelly, I know you're not trying to teach me about mother-daughter relationships," his aunt replies. "I've been a daughter and now I'm a mother. I think I have a better handle on this than you do."
Chin's taking a break, watching Kono and a couple other hotshots show off, when someone sits on the sand next to him. He looks over and smiles. "Auntie! What are you doing here?" He leans over and presses a kiss against her cheek.
She smiles and holds up a paper bag. "Dropping off lunch for Kono. I don't get to see her as much since she started working. I know she's not taking care of herself, not in that little hole of an apartment with only a hotplate."
Chin laughs, remembering the fight they had when Kono had decided to move out. Her mother had been happy to see her go but the idea of her daughter living in a place that didn't have a proper kitchen had been almost too much for her to bear.
"I'm keeping an eye on her," Chin says. "She mostly stays out of trouble."
Her mother sniffs. "Hmm. If I know Kono, she's starting the trouble half the time."
"Why do you think I joined the squad? Someone had to protect those two haoles from her."
She smiles knowingly. "How are you, Chin Ho? Your mother says you don't call enough."
"I talk to her twice a week!"
"That's not enough."
"I think you're just trying to stir the pot, Auntie. You act innocent but I know Kono got that devil's streak from somewhere."
"Don't sass your elders even if you're right." She kisses him on the cheek again and then pushes herself up off the ground. "Tell Kono that I said hi and to share the cookies."
"You're not gonna stick around and wait for her to finish?"
"She wants to know I'm going to catch her if she falls, Chin, she doesn't want me cramping her style. Right now, I'm just her mother. In a couple of years, she'll need me as a friend and I'll wait then."
"That's not true," Chin protests. "She doesn't think you cramp her style."
"Chin Ho Kelly, I know you're not trying to teach me about mother-daughter relationships," his aunt replies. "I've been a daughter and now I'm a mother. I think I have a better handle on this than you do."
Chin holds up his hands in defeat. "Yes, ma'am. Hell, you probably have a better handle on father-son relationships than I do."
"Damn right I do. You men act like a lion with a thorn in its paw when your ego gets hurt and then there's no talking sense."
Chin thinks about how quickly Steve and Danny can go from friendly bantering to angry shouting when the joking gets too personal. He also thinks about his own father who stood by him out of duty and not necessarily because he believed in Chin. He concedes the discussion after that. "You're not wrong."
"I know. Call your mother." She waves bye and takes off down the beach.
Chin was only 10 when his aunt announced she was pregnant at Sunday dinner and that her husband didn't have room in his life for a baby. He doesn't remember much; just a lot of angry whispered phone conversations between his mom and her other sisters, one massive blowout over whether his aunt should move back in with her parents or continue living in the house that her ex had signed over to her, and his uncles threatening to beat the s.o.b. up when his aunt went into labor at a pig bake and started bawling. In the end, she had stayed on her own, raising Kono in that little house and doing things her way. He knows it wasn't easy on Kono. Chin pulled her out of more scrapes than he cares to remember, but he also knows that she wouldn't change anything about her life.
"Hey," Kono shakes her head and sprays him with water, snapping him out of his thoughts. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing," Chin says. He holds up the bag. "Your mom dropped this off, said you had to share with me."
"Nice!" Kono smiles. She grabs the bag from him and looks inside. "I'll be honest, cuz, I didn't see you make any moves out there that warranted homemade cookies."
Chin wraps his arm around her ankles and pulls her down to the ground. "We'll see about that."