[FIN] Homeward Bound

[TawnyAngel]

They had just about reached the end of the album when the footsteps approached. Zevran looked up and frowned slightly at the door, now he wondered who that could be! He couldn't begin to guess.

And it was indeed Daniel.

Zevran smiled slightly, shrugged, and gestured to the album in his lap. "Not at all, we were just looking at some pictures. Abel was a cute baby, no?" It was interesting to see Daniel younger in the pictures too, actually smiling happily instead of looking awkward or stiff. Zevran believed that the man meant well but good intentions had never done anyone any good.

It was also interesting because Daniel looked around Abel's age in the pictures or maybe a little younger, maybe his own age in fact. There were definite similarities between Abel and Daniel-then - forgiving the odd hairstyles - and he had to wonder how much like Daniel-now Abel might look in around thirty years. Would he be around to see it?

"I must say you had some fantastic outfits," he added with a little grin, as though they were good friends and Daniel didn't wish he would just disappear.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Ah," Daniel smiled a little, though his gaze remained firmly focused on a random spot on the floor, "he was, yeah." He opted not to comment on the outfits bit.

Abel chuckled at the comment though - he agreed completely, some of the outfits his parents had were hilarious - but other than that he didn't reply himself. Instead he walked past his father so he could sink down onto the bed again beside his love, nice and close and comfortable. The taller blond even slid his arm around Zevran's waist once more.

"Uh." Daniel cleared his throat, his gaze shifting awkwardly as one hand rubbed the back of his neck, "right. Alright," a furrow of his brow hinted at his frustration as he forced his awkwardness to dissipate and for once actually looked at the pair of them, specifically at Zevran, and he gestured vaguely with one hand. "I wanted to-- apologize. I've, ah... I realize I haven't been fair to you. To either of you, that is, but I already apologized to Abel. I've been putting what I've always wanted for my son over what he wants - or has - and that's not right. So, I'm sorry. I, uh... I'm not very good at this sort of thing," he admitted, his prior awkwardness returning a bit as he rubbed the back of his neck with one hand again. "Also I uh, I don't think I can change how I think or feel about... certain things overnight or anything, but I want Abel to be happy, and if he's happy with you, then-- that's all there is to it. His happiness matters more than what I think or feel about stuff. So I guess that means your happiness does too," he added a moment later, looking thoughtful over the sudden revelation and not entirely sure how to feel about it. Positive? Maybe positive. He didn't look too sure yet, but either way he dismissed it with a wave of his hand and a small, tentative smile. "Like I said, I'm not very good at this sort of thing, but again, I'm sorry. You're our guest here, and I don't think we've--I don't think I've made you feel that welcome here. I realize that, and I'm sorry."  

[TawnyAngel]

Zevran wasn't quite sure what he had expected but it hadn't been an awkward apology.

Now he felt awkward too.

Zevran's reaction to awkwardness - at least in the presence of somebody he didn't trust - was to smile and seek eye contact while he tried to decide what the hell to say to all of that. Was it a good apology? He wasn't sure, he hadn't been given a great number of them in the course of his life. Daniel was obviously trying, did that count for something?

"You haven't," he began eventually, wondering even as he spoke if honesty was the best policy. "You were cold, and you were rude. But... I appreciate that you are trying to make it right, and I appreciate that you were thinking of what you thought would make your son happy. He ah..." Zevran paused and looked over at Abel with a faint smile. "He means the world to me, I would do anything to see him safe and make him smile. Nobody has ever been as kind to me as he has been and I mean to repay that kindness, for as long as he will have me." Being as sincere as that in Daniel's presence was extremely difficult - he could feel his cheeks growing hot and his mouth a little dry - but it had felt important to say it. Daniel had thought this might be a fling, a phase, and he had to disprove that.

"So! I am not very good at this sort of thing either." Zevran smiled brightly and looked back over at Daniel again. "But I accept your apology. I hope that we can put this behind us. Perhaps tomorrow we can go and shoot some cans?" Hopefully that had been an acceptable response, the last thing he wanted was to destroy this small piece of progress towards not being considered an unwelcome presence.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

At first Daniel's brow furrowed and he bristled at the honesty, opened his mouth to object--

Then thought better of it and shut it again as he looked off to one side for a moment. A rueful smile crossed his face a moment or two later. "I suppose I-- yeah, I was," he admitted, reaching a hand up to rub at the back of his neck again.

While his father fell quiet and thoughtful at Zevran's sincerity, Abel grinned a rather broad, silly grin and squeezed his boyfriend closer so he could press a soft kiss to his temple. Zev struggled with sincerity sometimes and rarely ever showed it in front of others, so the fact he did so now meant a great deal. In the back of his mind he knew it was only because of how dismissive his father had been, but it still pleased him to no end to hear his love's words.

"And that's what should matter most," Daniel went on with a brief nod of his head, "and that's what does matter most. Parents always want the best for their kids - or they're supposed to, at any rate - and sometimes think they know what's best and their kids don't. And sometimes they think they know what's best and end up putting their foot in their mouth," he went on, his hand still on the back of his neck but now his lips curved into a partially rueful, partially sheepish, self-deprecating smile, "because their kids know much better than they do. We just want our kids to be happy - to be happy and appreciated and loved like they should - and it seems like they are now, so that's all I really need to be happy myself. Anyway," he cleared his throat and waved his hand a bit as if to wave away the awkward sincerity that they clearly both weren't comfortable with. "At least I'm not the only one -- and I hope so too. But yes," he smiled again a little brighter this time and nodded, "we can go out back tomorrow and have some shooting practice for sure, if you want."  

[TawnyAngel]

"Until tomorrow then?" Zevran suggested, his bright smile still in place. "I promise that I will not disappoint. And... Yes. I appreciate Abel far more than I can express." Far more than he could express even in private. Abel loved him. Abel loved him just- just because he was him, because he was funny and terrible and cooked well and... well, whatever else it was Abel liked. He knew there were probably a lot of things but it was hard to think of them himself, he kept coming back to aesthetics and practicalities.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Yeah, tomorrow," Daniel agreed with another nod, "good, that's good. Alright I'll leave you two to," he gestured vaguely with one hand for a moment before he went on, "finish looking at pictures and get to bed. I'll see you in the morning." And with that and a smile - still a little uncertain but hopeful - and once they said their goodnights too, he turned around and departed, shutting the door after him.

Abel smiled and pressed another tender kiss to Zev's temple.  

[TawnyAngel]

When the door closed Zevran relaxed a little, and when the footsteps faded he allowed himself to slump against Abel's side. Suddenly the pain and exhaustion he had forgotten looking through the album of pictures rolled over him in a wave, if he didn't have Abel to hold him up he thought that he would probably either slump back onto the bed or forward onto the floor.

"Well. That... happened." He shook his head and groped for Abel's hand so that he could squeeze it. "I must confess, I was not expecting an apology. I need to work on my response to those."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

The taller blond hadn't expected Zevran to practically melt against his side, and he hastened to firm his grip and wrap his other arm around him to support him. Any alarm he felt he kept quiet for the moment though; he was probably just tired out from the day's events, and expressing sincerity in front of others was always difficult for him to do, Abel knew. "I only expected it because he apologized to me when I was out in the barn.. or at least, I told him he needed to apologize, but I didn't know for sure if he would or not. Sorry I didn't mention it though," he said, frowning a little mostly with a small furrow in his brow.

His expression warmed after a moment or two and he kissed the top of his love's head. "I think your response to that one was perfect. And I'm not just being my biased self on that one," he added with a chuckle.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Ah, don't worry." Zevran smiled crookedly and kissed Abel's cheek, a gesture of affection and thanks for the arms wrapped securely around him. "We were distracted after all, although for once by something innocent. He loves you a lot, it shows in those pictures and what he said.... I suppose that counts for a lot, as does the fact that he did apologise. It seems strange though does it not? That love for somebody, a desire to protect them, can be what hurts them?" Relationships of any kind were complicated apparently, he had thought that they would be simpler between parents and child in a nice family like Abel's but apparently not.

"And thank you," Zevran chuckled and squeezed Abel's fingers, "I will bear that in mind if anyone has occasion to apologise to me again. I am glad it's over with at any rate, and hopefully never to be mentioned again."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Mmh, I suppose that's true," he admitted, though he couldn't help but feel bad that the sudden apology had caught him off-guard somewhat. Well, it was already done and over with, and Zev said not to worry about it, so... he probably needn't worry about it. Shrugging internally, he turned his head to press a kiss to Zevran's forehead. "Yeah, he does... and it is a little strange, yeah, though I've heard of it happening before." But then he gave his love a squeeze and rested his cheek atop Zev's fine blond hair. "You're welcome, and I won't mention it again if you don't want to talk about it." It was important and he was more than glad it had happened, but now that it was over with it didn't exactly need to remain a focal point or anything, and he was content setting it aside if Zevran didn't want to dwell on it much.

---

As promised, after breakfast the next morning Daniel brought up a few rifles and some ammunition for them to practice shooting in the backyard. After lunch Joanna and Abel cleaned up the dishes and leftovers, and then she began making cookies. They didn't take too long to bake, and while the first batch cooled she waved Zevran towards the kitchen table where a bowl, a small whisk and a few ingredients sat. "You've the most important job, dear; making the icing!" She exclaimed, a twinkle in her eye as she smiled brightly at him. "I already set everything out that you'll need, the milk and powdered sugar and everything else, you just need to add a bit of each and mix them until it's a nice thin, almost soupy consistency. We want to drizzle it over the cookies, so it can't be too thick! We don't want it too thin either though, so you can add more milk or more powdered sugar to tweak it either way if you need to. Abel, you can take these and lay them out over the table," she went on, passing her oldest son a handful of sheets of parchment before she went back to transferring the first batch of cookies onto a cooling rack.

Abel accepted the sheets his mother had pressed into his hands with a faintly amused smile, then turned and headed over to the table too, though he paused and leaned in to smooch his boyfriend's cheek on the way there.  

[TawnyAngel]

The pain had subsided a lot the next day but he still felt worse than he had before his chest had been introduced to Alex's elbow. Still, he had felt well enough to go out shooting with Abel and Daniel and nothing terrible had happened so he counted the morning a success. He still didn't trust Daniel but he felt that they had reached a truce, at least for now.

After lunch however he was mercifully freed from the man's awkward company, and obviously given a very important job to do.

Zevran looked up at Joanna as she gave her instructions, a little smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. "Milk? I have never made icing with milk before, I look forward to trying it." She definitely hadn't deliberately given him a job that would allow him to stay sitting down! After shooting earlier however he was a little tired and so more than willing to go along with it. "Do you ever add flavours to your icing?" he asked as he shook some of the sugar into the bowl. "I often use lemon to flavour icing, but clearly that would not mix well with milk."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"No?" Joanna sounded a little surprised. She looked a little surprised too, though Zev wouldn't see that given she had her back to him, still transferring cookies. "What have you made it with before? Mmh, and I always add a splash of vanilla to icing, though not too much or it'll overpower it. That should be on the table too, let me know if it's not though."

As they spoke Abel went about spreading out the parchment sheets over almost the whole table, not including where Zevran's bowl and supplies were.  

[TawnyAngel]

"No!" Zevran replied with a pleased little laugh, differences like this were so interesting to find! "I would use water and my flavouring; lemon juice, rose oil, spices, chocolate perhaps. I have on occasion used a thin syrup in fact, but never milk. I will try anything once however, anyone who knows me will tell you that!" Without further ago Zevran added a splash of milk to the icing sugar and started to mix it to a smooth consistency. "Oh, and yes, the vanilla is here," he added as he worked.

"I wonder what other common things we do differently that we haven't discovered yet? Icing, hot chocolate, oh and creamer." Zevran chuckled and shook his head. "I quite like it but it was a strange experience the first time I had it when I had been expecting milk."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Water?" Joanna balked at the thought and looked over her shoulder at Zevran, her eyebrows raised in her surprise. "You use water to make icing? Really?"

Once he finished with covering the table, Abel reached over to tweak his boyfriend's ear affectionately as he passed by.

"Ah, creamer.. I like milk in my coffee or tea more than creamer, honestly, though there are some good flavors out there. Oh," she gestured to one cooling rack full of cookies, "Abel, be a dear and bring that to the table for me, would you? Thank you," she added when he moved to do so with a content smile and an easy "sure."  

[TawnyAngel]

Joanna's horror was delightful, he couldn't help but cackle at it. "Water!" he repeated. "I cannot imagine using milk, and yet here I am!" As he spoke he mixed in a little more, clearing all the lumps before lifting the fork up to check the consistency; more milk yet was required.

"What else do you find strange about my tastes Abel?" Zevran shot out a moment later, and the smirk he wore indicated that he perhaps hoped to catch his boyfriend a little off guard. "In food I mean, or other such cultural things? I find it strange that your men never get manicures."