Closure

[wizard_p_i]

Harry was waiting in the kitchen for Jerry. Of course, he tended to wait till the kids were safely home on Demonreach Island anyway, but today--thanks to a memory potion Harry called "Haurvatat wine" which had been labeled with today's date--he now remembered Jerry's arrival and departure from the village as if they had just occurred

Comments

[gentleman_tiger]

"That stuff has a kick like a hammer." John came out of the bedroom, rubbing his temples with the tips of his fore and ring fingers. "Is Jerry home from school yet?"

[wizard_p_i]

"Yeah. Or an army mule. I never did figure out how to keep the memories but lessen the kick. Sorry, John." Harry pinched the bridge of his nose. "And no, he's not back yet, though he should be soon--I already hear the boat. It must be close to halfway across the lake by now."

[gentleman_tiger]

"...Caro sposo, stop mindmelding with the island." John sighed and laid his head against his husband's back. "He'll be confused. Frightened. Possibly upset. Are you ready?"

[wizard_p_i]

"You can tell me to stop mindmelding when I feel his feet hit the beach," Harry said with a smile that barely flickered into existence before vanishing for good. "And no, I'm not ready. But parenting seems to involve a lot of on the job training.

"What about you? Do you feel ready?"

[gentleman_tiger]

Continues

"No," John told his son. "No, we wouldn't have left you-- not even if I didn't believe you, not even if I was suspicious. We would have helped."

[wizard_p_i]

"We'd been there for two years by then," Harry added quietly. "We knew what being stuck in the village was like. If either of us had known what the exit was, we would have texted instructions to the village at large.

"And no way we would have left anyone behind." His voice grew husky. "Least of all our son."

[gentleman_tiger]

"I missed you a great deal," John said. "Neither of us were pleased that you left-- we didn't want you trapped, but you left a hole in our life, even then."

Jerico's eyes dropped.

A young woman bustled into the kitchen. "It's my night to do dinner. Out," she said imperiously. "I have to consult with the cooking muses."

[wizard_p_i]

"I tried not to show it," Harry said, "but it hurt. You felt like my kid from the first moment I met you in the village...and, well, I loved you almost at once. I didn't want to have to say goodbye so soon. I...I was kinda hoping that we could all leave together. Like your Pops says, we didn't want you trapped. But you made a huge difference in a few days, kiddo."

Harry rolled his eyes good-naturedly at Brittany's announcement. "The Kitchen Witch commandeth," he said, sighing dramatically and grabbing as many bottles of beer as he could carry. "Whaddaya think, guys? Living room? Beach?"