Complex
My resolution to spring clean one room a day while on vacation sort of dissolved due to me staying up until 2am working on a side story to this.
Title: Complex
Chapter: 6
Length: 1599 words
Summary: Hezekiel puts in the effort and gets the perfect day, but that doesn't last.
Master list: lj DW
Hezekiel had agonized over his letter to Penelope. He'd poured his heart out to her, showed her how lost he was without her and begged to be allowed to kiss even the hem of her skirt. Cunobelinus said he just had to keep up the groveling until he believed himself dirt, then she'd give in. Hezekiel wasn't ready for that yet, but it seemed to work for Cunobelinus. They were back in the marriage bed by the second night, although the next week they almost got the boot again.
Hezekiel had asked again about what Cunobelinus had done, when they were in a better mood. They said they'd over-promised and Salathiel had never been able to forgive them for not being that dream demon.
When Hezekiel had repeated that to Salathiel, they'd laughed and dragged Cunobelinus into the bedroom for three days. Hezekiel had been forced to fend for himself. He missed Dal's cooking.
But the letter was written and hand delivered and he'd gotten the response charm when she'd opened it, but then he'd had to wait over a week for her to respond. Now he was finally going to met her.
She wore her hair in a ponytail, cut off jeans and a tank top. She ran hot, she said, and didn't mind the spring chill. She'd run today, but had since showered. She smiled at him. "Hez, how've you been?"
Dal was the one who called him Hez. "Fine. Now that I've seen you."
"How sweet. Take me to lunch."
Hezekiel close a quiet cafe a distance from campus. Penelope picked the most boring thing on the menu. At another time soup and toasted cheese might have been heaven, but it was the only think he knew how to cook and he'd been living on it for more than a month. Salathiel would only cook one night a week. At least Hezekiel had had rich puddings and decadent cakes to eat for dessert. Cunobelinus hadn't abandoned him.
Hezekiel picked the Reuben. Lots of different flavors in it.
"So, Hez, what have you been up to?"
He grinned. "Did you miss me?"
She held her fingers a little apart. "A bit."
He put his hand over his heart and faked a swoon. "Now that's just cold."
Penelope laughed. "I've missed you lots."
"I've missed you too." Cunobelinus said to show vulnerability, but demons weren't vulnerable. Still Penelope sighed, so maybe they were right.
"I think we should start going out again."
Yes!
She pulled something from her pocket. The ring he'd given her. She held it out. He shrank from it. When the ring came back, he'd have no hope left.
"Give this to me again when you know you mean it."
He let her drop it into his hand. "But I mean it now."
"Yeah," she nodded, "but you were wrong before. I don't want to see this ring again until we're ready to get married."
"Marry me now?"
She laughed and closed his fingers over the ring. "Don't lose it. I'm going to want it back, but we should go on real dates first. Get to know each other."
But they did know each other.
"And," she pushed up her glasses. "I was at a wedding a few weeks back and got to talking with some married ladies. They all agreed that waiting for the wedding night for sex is asking to be disappointed. We'll be tired and danced out and on your wedding night you can't stop and try it some other time when it'll work better for you."
Those words obviously meant something to Penelope, but Hezekiel just couldn't grasp them.
"And since I want to be able to back off and try again later with you, if we need to, which we might because I've never even gone out with anyone but you, so we should date with the idea that at some point we'll start having sex."
Sex. Sex Hezekiel could understand. "Whatever you feel is best."
That was also a line from Cunobelinus.
Penelope grinned. "I'm glad you agree. So this Friday, you'll take me out and we'll come back to my place afterward. My roommate's gone this weekend. And if sex happens it happens and if it doesn't you can still spend the night."
"I would be pleased to cuddle with you." Skin to skin was almost as good as sex. He could work with this.
Penelope grinned and kissed him. After lunch they made out in the park. When he finally had to let her go he headed to the library. He had never had sex with a virgin or even anyone who had been a virgin recently. Someone had to know the best way to make sure he got to spend the night afterward.
~~~~~~
Hezekiel whistled as he bounced down the steps of Penelope's dorm. Their date had been great, and the making out afterward fantastic, when the sex part came, she'd gotten shy. He'd then pulled a book and supplies from his bag and they'd read together, trying things as they came to them.
She liked the less vanilla parts best and ended up Cowgirling him. Very good but not what he expected of dear, sweet Penelope. Maybe that's why they needed to get to know each other better. What would have happened if he'd just done what he thought she wanted and she put up with it because she thought that was what he wanted? The might be married for decades and still as unhappy as Hezekiel's parents.
Maybe he should buy them a book of positions for their anniversary.
Hezekiel laughed. Today was wonderful.
Back at his apartment, there was a summons on the door. He pulled it off and a response charm floated away. This wasn't some weird invitation from his parents. It had his full name on it. He didn't even remember all of that without humming the tune Salathiel had taught him. He hummed it twice just to make sure the summons had it correct.
Yep, for him.
This must have something to do with the university. It was being held in the coliseum and officiated by Professor Onesimus. Whatever. He wrote the day and time on his calendar-looked like he was to be a witness-and tossed the summons aside.
Would this be one of those that took him wherever he happened to be and dropped him off where they wanted him? Better not find out. He'd heard stories of demons plucked from showers or orgies or even gardening and dropped in front of the court.
He went back and gave his calendar a note to remember the date a few days ahead, then flopped onto his bed. He hadn't actually hadn't gotten much sleep last night, but he felt better than he had in months.
~~~~~~
Hezekiel woke to pounding on his door. He struggle out of bed. Time to get up anyway and find some dinner.
His parents were at the door. They never came to visit. He rubbed his face. "What brings you here?"
Salathiel held up a summons. They'd been crying. "We need to talk."
Hezekiel let them in. He rubbed his face again. "What's this about?"
His parents were breaking up and they were doing him the courtesy of ruining his perfect day now, rather than tomorrow or at the next family dinner.
Cunobelinus held up a second summons. "We were going to ask. Our say our names and list us as your parents."
"I got one, but it doesn't say anything." He handed it over. His parents scoured it and turned it over. The other side just had his simple name and address. "If you don't know any more than I do, what's got you so upset?"
He sat on the arm of his couch. He was ready for this, whatever it was.
"Cunobelinus and I," Salathiel patted Cunobelinus's hand. "We've been worried about you. We used the summons as an excuse to… to."
"To spy on you." Cunobelinus grinned.
"I wanted to know more about the boy you thought was your Mate." Salathiel swallowed hard. "He wasn't hard to find. We could still smell you on him. Faintly."
Good.
Salathiel rested his face against Cunobelinus's shoulder. Cunobelinus patted his hand and looked at Hezekiel. "He's pregnant and Salathiel just couldn't wait to talk to him. They was so sure they were about to become a grandparent."
Hezekiel would have interrupted if he'd had a voice. Doll was pregnant.
Salathiel sobbed against Cunobelinus's shoulder.
"I was careful with Doll." Hezekiel swallowed hard. "You said I wasn't mature enough to be a parent."
Salathiel sobbed harder.
"He's carrying twins at least, maybe more." Cunobelinus kissed Salathiel's head. "He introduced us to his husband. I'm not sure what animal he was, but I certainly wouldn't want to mess with him when he gets angry. But he was just curious tonight."
"Doll is pregnant? By the idiot?"
"You didn't know?" Salathiel looked up.
"I was taking your advice and leaving him alone."
Cunobelinus nodded. "Best cut the bad out quickly."
Hezekiel wiped his face. "But I still want him every day. Penelope and I are dating again and she keeps the ache at bay, but even when I was laying beside her, it never really went away. I just have ached so long, I can ignore it."
"My son." Salathiel pulled Hezekiel down for a hug. "I'm so sorry we messed you up."
"You're perfect, Salathiel, Cunobelinus. I'm the wreck."
But his parents held him and understood his pain and that was enough for now.
Title: Complex
Chapter: 6
Length: 1599 words
Summary: Hezekiel puts in the effort and gets the perfect day, but that doesn't last.
Master list: lj DW
Hezekiel had agonized over his letter to Penelope. He'd poured his heart out to her, showed her how lost he was without her and begged to be allowed to kiss even the hem of her skirt. Cunobelinus said he just had to keep up the groveling until he believed himself dirt, then she'd give in. Hezekiel wasn't ready for that yet, but it seemed to work for Cunobelinus. They were back in the marriage bed by the second night, although the next week they almost got the boot again.
Hezekiel had asked again about what Cunobelinus had done, when they were in a better mood. They said they'd over-promised and Salathiel had never been able to forgive them for not being that dream demon.
When Hezekiel had repeated that to Salathiel, they'd laughed and dragged Cunobelinus into the bedroom for three days. Hezekiel had been forced to fend for himself. He missed Dal's cooking.
But the letter was written and hand delivered and he'd gotten the response charm when she'd opened it, but then he'd had to wait over a week for her to respond. Now he was finally going to met her.
She wore her hair in a ponytail, cut off jeans and a tank top. She ran hot, she said, and didn't mind the spring chill. She'd run today, but had since showered. She smiled at him. "Hez, how've you been?"
Dal was the one who called him Hez. "Fine. Now that I've seen you."
"How sweet. Take me to lunch."
Hezekiel close a quiet cafe a distance from campus. Penelope picked the most boring thing on the menu. At another time soup and toasted cheese might have been heaven, but it was the only think he knew how to cook and he'd been living on it for more than a month. Salathiel would only cook one night a week. At least Hezekiel had had rich puddings and decadent cakes to eat for dessert. Cunobelinus hadn't abandoned him.
Hezekiel picked the Reuben. Lots of different flavors in it.
"So, Hez, what have you been up to?"
He grinned. "Did you miss me?"
She held her fingers a little apart. "A bit."
He put his hand over his heart and faked a swoon. "Now that's just cold."
Penelope laughed. "I've missed you lots."
"I've missed you too." Cunobelinus said to show vulnerability, but demons weren't vulnerable. Still Penelope sighed, so maybe they were right.
"I think we should start going out again."
Yes!
She pulled something from her pocket. The ring he'd given her. She held it out. He shrank from it. When the ring came back, he'd have no hope left.
"Give this to me again when you know you mean it."
He let her drop it into his hand. "But I mean it now."
"Yeah," she nodded, "but you were wrong before. I don't want to see this ring again until we're ready to get married."
"Marry me now?"
She laughed and closed his fingers over the ring. "Don't lose it. I'm going to want it back, but we should go on real dates first. Get to know each other."
But they did know each other.
"And," she pushed up her glasses. "I was at a wedding a few weeks back and got to talking with some married ladies. They all agreed that waiting for the wedding night for sex is asking to be disappointed. We'll be tired and danced out and on your wedding night you can't stop and try it some other time when it'll work better for you."
Those words obviously meant something to Penelope, but Hezekiel just couldn't grasp them.
"And since I want to be able to back off and try again later with you, if we need to, which we might because I've never even gone out with anyone but you, so we should date with the idea that at some point we'll start having sex."
Sex. Sex Hezekiel could understand. "Whatever you feel is best."
That was also a line from Cunobelinus.
Penelope grinned. "I'm glad you agree. So this Friday, you'll take me out and we'll come back to my place afterward. My roommate's gone this weekend. And if sex happens it happens and if it doesn't you can still spend the night."
"I would be pleased to cuddle with you." Skin to skin was almost as good as sex. He could work with this.
Penelope grinned and kissed him. After lunch they made out in the park. When he finally had to let her go he headed to the library. He had never had sex with a virgin or even anyone who had been a virgin recently. Someone had to know the best way to make sure he got to spend the night afterward.
~~~~~~
Hezekiel whistled as he bounced down the steps of Penelope's dorm. Their date had been great, and the making out afterward fantastic, when the sex part came, she'd gotten shy. He'd then pulled a book and supplies from his bag and they'd read together, trying things as they came to them.
She liked the less vanilla parts best and ended up Cowgirling him. Very good but not what he expected of dear, sweet Penelope. Maybe that's why they needed to get to know each other better. What would have happened if he'd just done what he thought she wanted and she put up with it because she thought that was what he wanted? The might be married for decades and still as unhappy as Hezekiel's parents.
Maybe he should buy them a book of positions for their anniversary.
Hezekiel laughed. Today was wonderful.
Back at his apartment, there was a summons on the door. He pulled it off and a response charm floated away. This wasn't some weird invitation from his parents. It had his full name on it. He didn't even remember all of that without humming the tune Salathiel had taught him. He hummed it twice just to make sure the summons had it correct.
Yep, for him.
This must have something to do with the university. It was being held in the coliseum and officiated by Professor Onesimus. Whatever. He wrote the day and time on his calendar-looked like he was to be a witness-and tossed the summons aside.
Would this be one of those that took him wherever he happened to be and dropped him off where they wanted him? Better not find out. He'd heard stories of demons plucked from showers or orgies or even gardening and dropped in front of the court.
He went back and gave his calendar a note to remember the date a few days ahead, then flopped onto his bed. He hadn't actually hadn't gotten much sleep last night, but he felt better than he had in months.
~~~~~~
Hezekiel woke to pounding on his door. He struggle out of bed. Time to get up anyway and find some dinner.
His parents were at the door. They never came to visit. He rubbed his face. "What brings you here?"
Salathiel held up a summons. They'd been crying. "We need to talk."
Hezekiel let them in. He rubbed his face again. "What's this about?"
His parents were breaking up and they were doing him the courtesy of ruining his perfect day now, rather than tomorrow or at the next family dinner.
Cunobelinus held up a second summons. "We were going to ask. Our say our names and list us as your parents."
"I got one, but it doesn't say anything." He handed it over. His parents scoured it and turned it over. The other side just had his simple name and address. "If you don't know any more than I do, what's got you so upset?"
He sat on the arm of his couch. He was ready for this, whatever it was.
"Cunobelinus and I," Salathiel patted Cunobelinus's hand. "We've been worried about you. We used the summons as an excuse to… to."
"To spy on you." Cunobelinus grinned.
"I wanted to know more about the boy you thought was your Mate." Salathiel swallowed hard. "He wasn't hard to find. We could still smell you on him. Faintly."
Good.
Salathiel rested his face against Cunobelinus's shoulder. Cunobelinus patted his hand and looked at Hezekiel. "He's pregnant and Salathiel just couldn't wait to talk to him. They was so sure they were about to become a grandparent."
Hezekiel would have interrupted if he'd had a voice. Doll was pregnant.
Salathiel sobbed against Cunobelinus's shoulder.
"I was careful with Doll." Hezekiel swallowed hard. "You said I wasn't mature enough to be a parent."
Salathiel sobbed harder.
"He's carrying twins at least, maybe more." Cunobelinus kissed Salathiel's head. "He introduced us to his husband. I'm not sure what animal he was, but I certainly wouldn't want to mess with him when he gets angry. But he was just curious tonight."
"Doll is pregnant? By the idiot?"
"You didn't know?" Salathiel looked up.
"I was taking your advice and leaving him alone."
Cunobelinus nodded. "Best cut the bad out quickly."
Hezekiel wiped his face. "But I still want him every day. Penelope and I are dating again and she keeps the ache at bay, but even when I was laying beside her, it never really went away. I just have ached so long, I can ignore it."
"My son." Salathiel pulled Hezekiel down for a hug. "I'm so sorry we messed you up."
"You're perfect, Salathiel, Cunobelinus. I'm the wreck."
But his parents held him and understood his pain and that was enough for now.