Like father, like son [Closed]

[bladeof_loyalty]

Characters: Sun Jian and Sun Ce
Content: What can a father say when he's been out of his son's life for four years? Sun Jian and Sun Ce meet, and there are sure to be many questions.
Setting: Top deck of the Victoria II.
Time: Sunset, shortly after Sun Jian's arrival.
Warnings: Possible angst.

Comments

[conqueror_bofu]

Sun Ce didn't know what to think. Four years of silence--what could have kept Sun Jian from his family for so long? Was it really possible that he was back?

He hadn't imagined in a long time that it was, but Sun Ce found himself nearly running by the time he burst out onto the top deck, his usual, casual manner forgotten as sharp eyes sought out the familiar figure standing off by himself.

His heart couldn't make up its mind whether to race out of control or to stop entirely, but whatever it decided on there, it seemed to have moved down to his stomach. Slowing to a walk, he approached the older man and tried to get a good look at his features before he spoke. After so long, he didn't want there to be any more doubt...

"Hey, old man," he said finally.

[bladeof_loyalty]

Sun Jian hesitated, but only for a fraction of an instant. He turned to face his firstborn, the boy that he'd watched grow into a man. Yes, it was definitely his son. He was a bit more muscular now than Sun Jian had remembered, and slightly taller, too. He still looked just as youthful as ever, so Sun Jian was glad he hadn't robbed him entirely of his youth.

It was a casual greeting, which was not entirely unexpected. He wasn't sure where their conversation would head immediately, but first things first. "Hello, my son," he said, allowing himself a soft smile.

[conqueror_bofu]

It wasn't all that often that Sun Ce was rendered speechless, but it wasn't every day that something like this happened, either...

There was no mistaking it--this was his father, back from the dead, standing before him and smiling like he'd never been gone. How did he even start to react to that? A little part of him wanted to be angry--all those years and he hadn't even contacted Mother to let her know not to grieve? He did have some kind of clue how much everyone had missed him, right?

For the most part, though, more and more of him was being swept up in an overwhelming sense of relief. The father he and his siblings had loved and respected all their lives, who'd been stolen from everyone so soon, restored to them? How could he feel bad about that?

Grinning warmly, he clapped a hand on his father's shoulder. "Welcome back," he said, with an air of slight bewilderment. "Where have you been?"

[bladeof_loyalty]

"Liu Biao did try to kill me that day," Sun Jian answered, looking up at the sky as if to search for the words. "And he nearly succeeded. I was surrounded... cornered. And already injured. I had no choice but to throw myself out of the window and into the street below. When I awoke, I found myself in the home of my old friend, Qiao Xuan. He and his family were taking care of me... apparently, I'd broken nearly every bone in my body. They would not have even recognized me if I had not called for your mother in my sleep."

His eye closed, his head lowering a bit. "Yuan Shao was apparently keeping all of you under close supervision. If he knew that I was still alive, it would have put all of you in grave danger."