sunday_reveries: Stop Apologizing
[A/N: The Sawyer referenced is a specific Sawyer who has agreed to be part of this storyline. Same with Conway. Everyone else belongs to an AU verse, and should not be considered binding on anyone out in RP land.]
Picture prompt! [I used it more as a jumping off point, but hey.]
Reunion
Drake goes to his father the day after tax season ends. As a child, he'd become some familiar with the ins-and-outs of the time that it seemed only natural for him to wait. He couldn't burden Bobby with his presence, not when their were taxes to file.
It seems sort of ridiculous in hindsight. Drake knows it was just an excuse to give himself time. He knows he's afraid of this meeting, because he knows what questions he'll have to answer.
Bobby surprises him. "Hey, Drake," he says in greeting. There's no hug and no smile, but no wariness either. Drake lifts an eyebrow and Bobby shrugs. "Do you think I don't read your journal? Come on, you couldn't have gotten all your brains from your mom or James. I figured you'd talk to me when you're ready."
It's an oddly mature thing for Bobby to say, and they both know it. Drake is stunned into temporary silence. But it's Drake, so it's only temporary. "Should I apologize?"
"What for? I don't know what happened to you, but I guess it must have something to do with me, because I'm the one you didn't tell."
Drake shrugs. "I haven't found Mother yet either. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure you are my dad."
"Yeah." Bobby gestures to a seat across from his couch. "Alternate universes suck."
"They do."
There's silence for a few moments, but it's companionable. Bobby doesn't offer Drake a drink and Drake doesn't ask for one. Eventually, Bobby says: "Do you want me to be your dad?"
Drake nods. "Yes."
"Then I'm your dad." Bobby frowns. "I missed your birthday, didn't I?"
It surprises Drake again. "You remember my birthday?"
"Uh, sort of? Vaguely." Bobby waves his hand around. "March?"
"Yeah. March twenty-first. I spent the day having sex with Rachel Conway."
"Wow, things I didn't need to know about, thank you."
Drake grins. He feels better when he's in control of a conversation. "Sorry?"
"No you're not. So now you get to tell me about the scar. I did that, didn't I?"
"Yes."
Bobby sighs. "I figured. Because you didn't come talk to me. I thought we couldn't scar. What happened?"
So Drake tells him. He tells Bobby about returning to a world ravaged by the Skrulls. He tells Bobby about the death and destruction, about rising to power in the aftermath, about Restoration and about taking Hellfire from his mother. He tells Bobby about his sister, Grace, and about what really happened to Kate. And he tells Bobby about the night he got his scar.
Eventually, Bobby offers him that drink.
"No thanks."
Now it's Bobby's turn to be surprised. "Okay. So now what? You're here to change things?"
"I think they've changed already."
"So..."
"I'm just here, Dad. That's all. Just to be here."
Bobby doesn't understand, and he doesn't pretend to. But he goes over and hugs Drake all the same, because it seems like the right thing to do.
"I'm going out to California this weekend. Want to come? We could do Disneyland."
"Don't be ridiculous, I'm a grown man."
"So am I, and I love Disney. And I missed your childhood."
"Because it hasn't happened yet. If you want to do things like that, go impregnate someone."
Bobby grins. "It's good to have you back, Drake."
"Yeah." Drake doesn't grin, but his smile is genuine enough. "Yeah."
Picture prompt! [I used it more as a jumping off point, but hey.]
Reunion
Drake goes to his father the day after tax season ends. As a child, he'd become some familiar with the ins-and-outs of the time that it seemed only natural for him to wait. He couldn't burden Bobby with his presence, not when their were taxes to file.
It seems sort of ridiculous in hindsight. Drake knows it was just an excuse to give himself time. He knows he's afraid of this meeting, because he knows what questions he'll have to answer.
Bobby surprises him. "Hey, Drake," he says in greeting. There's no hug and no smile, but no wariness either. Drake lifts an eyebrow and Bobby shrugs. "Do you think I don't read your journal? Come on, you couldn't have gotten all your brains from your mom or James. I figured you'd talk to me when you're ready."
It's an oddly mature thing for Bobby to say, and they both know it. Drake is stunned into temporary silence. But it's Drake, so it's only temporary. "Should I apologize?"
"What for? I don't know what happened to you, but I guess it must have something to do with me, because I'm the one you didn't tell."
Drake shrugs. "I haven't found Mother yet either. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure you are my dad."
"Yeah." Bobby gestures to a seat across from his couch. "Alternate universes suck."
"They do."
There's silence for a few moments, but it's companionable. Bobby doesn't offer Drake a drink and Drake doesn't ask for one. Eventually, Bobby says: "Do you want me to be your dad?"
Drake nods. "Yes."
"Then I'm your dad." Bobby frowns. "I missed your birthday, didn't I?"
It surprises Drake again. "You remember my birthday?"
"Uh, sort of? Vaguely." Bobby waves his hand around. "March?"
"Yeah. March twenty-first. I spent the day having sex with Rachel Conway."
"Wow, things I didn't need to know about, thank you."
Drake grins. He feels better when he's in control of a conversation. "Sorry?"
"No you're not. So now you get to tell me about the scar. I did that, didn't I?"
"Yes."
Bobby sighs. "I figured. Because you didn't come talk to me. I thought we couldn't scar. What happened?"
So Drake tells him. He tells Bobby about returning to a world ravaged by the Skrulls. He tells Bobby about the death and destruction, about rising to power in the aftermath, about Restoration and about taking Hellfire from his mother. He tells Bobby about his sister, Grace, and about what really happened to Kate. And he tells Bobby about the night he got his scar.
Eventually, Bobby offers him that drink.
"No thanks."
Now it's Bobby's turn to be surprised. "Okay. So now what? You're here to change things?"
"I think they've changed already."
"So..."
"I'm just here, Dad. That's all. Just to be here."
Bobby doesn't understand, and he doesn't pretend to. But he goes over and hugs Drake all the same, because it seems like the right thing to do.
"I'm going out to California this weekend. Want to come? We could do Disneyland."
"Don't be ridiculous, I'm a grown man."
"So am I, and I love Disney. And I missed your childhood."
"Because it hasn't happened yet. If you want to do things like that, go impregnate someone."
Bobby grins. "It's good to have you back, Drake."
"Yeah." Drake doesn't grin, but his smile is genuine enough. "Yeah."