Fic: Father Knows Best (GH, Matt, Patrick, Lanaverse)
Title: Father Knows Best
Author: empressearwig
Claim: Robin/Patrick
Fandom: General Hospital
Theme: 6 - Father/Son Time
Disclaimer: Any character first appearing on GH does not belong to me.
Matt’s head was buried in the refrigerator.
Patrick walked into the kitchen and sighed. “Matt, what have we told you about that?”
Matt jerked up and hit his head on the top of refrigerator, letting out a muffled curse. He straightened and turned to his father, letting the door fall closed. “Thanks a lot.”
Patrick shrugged. He crossed behind the counter to grab a glass from the drying rack, filling it with water. He watched with amusement as his son rifled through the cupboards. “Something I can help you find?”
Matt frowned. “I don’t know what I want.”
“Ah,” Patrick said, settling himself on a stool behind the counter.
“What are you doing home anyway?” Matt asked, returning to his search.
“Your mom and I have a date tonight.”
This time Matt hit his head on the cabinet door and cursed again.
Patrick raised an eyebrow. “Should I be concerned that you’re going to give yourself a head injury?”
Matt scowled, rubbing his head. “Ha ha, very funny.” He grabbed a box of cereal from the cupboard and tore the lid open, grabbing a handful and stuffing it in his mouth.
“We have bowls, you know.”
Matt shrugged and grabbed another handful.
“What’s wrong?” Patrick asked. He’d thought they were well past the moody teenager phase. If anything Matt had seemed excessively happy these days.
“Nothing,” Matt mumbled.
Patrick narrowed his eyes. “I can sic your mother on you.”
Matt shook his head frantically. “No. Don’t.”
“Well then, why don’t you talk to me?”
“Do I have to?”
Patrick nodded.
Matt made a face. “Fine.” He crossed the kitchen, settling himself on the stool next to Patrick, setting the box of cereal down in front of him.
“So what’s wrong?” Patrick asked again, snagging the cereal and grabbing his own handful.
“I thought you said we had bowls,” Matt observed, taking the box back.
Patrick shrugged. “Talk.”
“Fine,” Matt sighed. “There’s a girl.”
“A girl?” Patrick repeated, a little surprised. Girls weren’t typically Matt’s problem. Matt was a problem for girls.
“Yes, a girl,” Matt snapped. “Do you want to hear this or not?”
Patrick held up his hands. “Shutting up.”
“Good.” Matt scowled again. “Anyway, there’s a girl I like, but she doesn’t want to go out with me.”
“That doesn’t happen often.”
Matt glared.
“Right.” Patrick beat a hast retreat. “Why doesn’t she want to go out with you?”
“She said she doesn’t want to be another notch on my bedpost,” Matt groused. “Can you believe it?”
Patrick stared at his son, and then burst out laughing.
“Hey!” Matt protested. “It’s not funny.”
Patrick nodded, trying to get his laughter under control. “I know, it’s not that.”
“Then what is it?” Matt demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I believe your mother used to say that to me - repeatedly - when we started dating,” Patrick explained.
Matt eyed his father speculatively. “So you really were as much of a dog as everyone says you were?”
“I don’t think there’s a good way for me to answer that question,” Patrick evaded. “But on that topic, all of these notches on your bedpost… no matter what you’re doing, you are careful, right?”
“How could I be your and mom’s kid and not be?” Matt countered. “And don’t think I don’t recognize an attempt to change the subject when I hear one.”
“Point to you.”
They sat in silence for a moment.
“You know, I’m not really that bad,” Matt blurted out suddenly. “I mean, yeah, I go out with a lot of girls, but it’s not like I actually sleep with all of them or anything. I just like to have fun. What’s wrong with that?”
“I’d say the fact that there’s a girl that you actually want to go out with and she won’t is what’s wrong with it.”
Matt scowled. “I don’t like it when you’re right.”
Patrick shrugged. “It has to happen every now and again.”
They lapsed back into silence, except for the sound of them munching on the dry cereal.
“So what should I do?” Matt asked finally, resignation heavy in his voice.
“Well,” Patrick said slowly. “Without knowing the girl, and you’re not going to tell me that, right?” He shot Matt a questioning look.
Matt shook his head.
“Right. So then it comes down to how much you like this girl. If she’s worth it to do whatever it takes to convince her that she’s different.” He eyed his son speculatively. “Is she?”
Matt frowned, but slowly nodded his head. “So what you’re saying is that I have to be her bitch?”
Patrick winced. “Well, I wouldn’t have put it quite like that, but essentially, yes.”
“Maybe I should reconsider whether or not she’s worth it,” Matt muttered.
Patrick stood and clapped Matt on the shoulder. “I wouldn’t. Meeting a girl like that is a good thing. It’ll be good for you. Build character.”
“Shut up.”
Patrick grinned. “And with that, my work here is done.” He turned and walked out of the kitchen, calling back over his shoulder, “Don’t forget you’re on your own for dinner tonight, and Matt, no matter who this girl is, you’re still not allowed to have her over when we’re not home.”
Alone again, Matt scowled at the box of cereal, pushing it to the side. He’d lost his appetite.
No matter what his dad said, no girl was worth this.
No girl.
Author: empressearwig
Claim: Robin/Patrick
Fandom: General Hospital
Theme: 6 - Father/Son Time
Disclaimer: Any character first appearing on GH does not belong to me.
Matt’s head was buried in the refrigerator.
Patrick walked into the kitchen and sighed. “Matt, what have we told you about that?”
Matt jerked up and hit his head on the top of refrigerator, letting out a muffled curse. He straightened and turned to his father, letting the door fall closed. “Thanks a lot.”
Patrick shrugged. He crossed behind the counter to grab a glass from the drying rack, filling it with water. He watched with amusement as his son rifled through the cupboards. “Something I can help you find?”
Matt frowned. “I don’t know what I want.”
“Ah,” Patrick said, settling himself on a stool behind the counter.
“What are you doing home anyway?” Matt asked, returning to his search.
“Your mom and I have a date tonight.”
This time Matt hit his head on the cabinet door and cursed again.
Patrick raised an eyebrow. “Should I be concerned that you’re going to give yourself a head injury?”
Matt scowled, rubbing his head. “Ha ha, very funny.” He grabbed a box of cereal from the cupboard and tore the lid open, grabbing a handful and stuffing it in his mouth.
“We have bowls, you know.”
Matt shrugged and grabbed another handful.
“What’s wrong?” Patrick asked. He’d thought they were well past the moody teenager phase. If anything Matt had seemed excessively happy these days.
“Nothing,” Matt mumbled.
Patrick narrowed his eyes. “I can sic your mother on you.”
Matt shook his head frantically. “No. Don’t.”
“Well then, why don’t you talk to me?”
“Do I have to?”
Patrick nodded.
Matt made a face. “Fine.” He crossed the kitchen, settling himself on the stool next to Patrick, setting the box of cereal down in front of him.
“So what’s wrong?” Patrick asked again, snagging the cereal and grabbing his own handful.
“I thought you said we had bowls,” Matt observed, taking the box back.
Patrick shrugged. “Talk.”
“Fine,” Matt sighed. “There’s a girl.”
“A girl?” Patrick repeated, a little surprised. Girls weren’t typically Matt’s problem. Matt was a problem for girls.
“Yes, a girl,” Matt snapped. “Do you want to hear this or not?”
Patrick held up his hands. “Shutting up.”
“Good.” Matt scowled again. “Anyway, there’s a girl I like, but she doesn’t want to go out with me.”
“That doesn’t happen often.”
Matt glared.
“Right.” Patrick beat a hast retreat. “Why doesn’t she want to go out with you?”
“She said she doesn’t want to be another notch on my bedpost,” Matt groused. “Can you believe it?”
Patrick stared at his son, and then burst out laughing.
“Hey!” Matt protested. “It’s not funny.”
Patrick nodded, trying to get his laughter under control. “I know, it’s not that.”
“Then what is it?” Matt demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I believe your mother used to say that to me - repeatedly - when we started dating,” Patrick explained.
Matt eyed his father speculatively. “So you really were as much of a dog as everyone says you were?”
“I don’t think there’s a good way for me to answer that question,” Patrick evaded. “But on that topic, all of these notches on your bedpost… no matter what you’re doing, you are careful, right?”
“How could I be your and mom’s kid and not be?” Matt countered. “And don’t think I don’t recognize an attempt to change the subject when I hear one.”
“Point to you.”
They sat in silence for a moment.
“You know, I’m not really that bad,” Matt blurted out suddenly. “I mean, yeah, I go out with a lot of girls, but it’s not like I actually sleep with all of them or anything. I just like to have fun. What’s wrong with that?”
“I’d say the fact that there’s a girl that you actually want to go out with and she won’t is what’s wrong with it.”
Matt scowled. “I don’t like it when you’re right.”
Patrick shrugged. “It has to happen every now and again.”
They lapsed back into silence, except for the sound of them munching on the dry cereal.
“So what should I do?” Matt asked finally, resignation heavy in his voice.
“Well,” Patrick said slowly. “Without knowing the girl, and you’re not going to tell me that, right?” He shot Matt a questioning look.
Matt shook his head.
“Right. So then it comes down to how much you like this girl. If she’s worth it to do whatever it takes to convince her that she’s different.” He eyed his son speculatively. “Is she?”
Matt frowned, but slowly nodded his head. “So what you’re saying is that I have to be her bitch?”
Patrick winced. “Well, I wouldn’t have put it quite like that, but essentially, yes.”
“Maybe I should reconsider whether or not she’s worth it,” Matt muttered.
Patrick stood and clapped Matt on the shoulder. “I wouldn’t. Meeting a girl like that is a good thing. It’ll be good for you. Build character.”
“Shut up.”
Patrick grinned. “And with that, my work here is done.” He turned and walked out of the kitchen, calling back over his shoulder, “Don’t forget you’re on your own for dinner tonight, and Matt, no matter who this girl is, you’re still not allowed to have her over when we’re not home.”
Alone again, Matt scowled at the box of cereal, pushing it to the side. He’d lost his appetite.
No matter what his dad said, no girl was worth this.
No girl.