Growing (Peter, Lydia)

[father-peter.livejournal.com]

Peter nearly fell over when he saw what his daughter was planning to go out in. Lydia walked right by him, humming to herself, and Peter stumbled clumsily, trying to turn himself around. "Lydia!" he croaked. "Stop! Come back here!"

Lydia turned back, her eyes wide. "What's up, Dad?" She asked, her eyebrows meeting her hairline. She was wearing a shirt skirt and a shirt that did not meet the waistline of the skirt. She had stockings on, but they were fishnets, and her shoes were silver.

"Y...you're erm...where are you going?" Peter was not made for having teenage daughters, he decided. He just really wasn't.

"To the movies! Bri and Kismet want to see Harry Potter six. I think Bri has a thing for Daniel Radcliffe, but seriously, whatever because he looks like a hobbit."

Peter blinked, because he understood about 40 percent of what she had just said. "You're going dressed like that?!" His voice came out in a squeak, that sounded halfway terrified. After what he had seen last night, he hadn't thought anything could disturb him so much, but for some reason, this was bothering him. "Lydia-"

"Oh, Dad. Seriously, chill." Lydia smiled at him, because she did love that he was so protective. "Everyone else dresses like this. AND if you say that 'if everyone else threw themselves off the London bridge would you do it too' thing I will scream because that's such a stupid comparison. Dressing like other people and jumping off bridges are so fucking different."

"Lydia, I know you want to fit in and everything, but dressing like that...it's.."

"It's what, Dad?" The good humour slid from Lydia's face, and she crossed her arms. "Are you going to tell me how men are wired a certain way and dressing like this is just inviting trouble? If anything did happen, would you tell me it was my own fault for how I dressed?"

"No!" Peter was quite adamant about that. "Lydia...no. That is never the fault of..." Peter took a deep breath and he let it out slowly. When he was calmer, he raised his hands and he put them on her shoulders. She was growing so quickly now, she came up to his chest. "It shouldn't matter how men are wired. If they get up to that kind of thing, it is always their fault. But it is true that seeing someone dressed in...less...you know, material...it might make them think about things...more. God, I am so bad at this kind of thing." Peter gave her a pleading look.

"Didn't you used to talk about this stuff with your parishioners?" Lydia asked, her good humour back after it's short vacation.

"My parishioners were not my daughter. It's different. Lydia, you look-"

"Like a baby prostitute?" Lydia asked, beaming.

Peter coughed and then he looked at her with slight terror in his eyes. "I was going to say beautiful! My goodness. Lydia, you look beautiful, but you look beautiful in jeans and a t-shirt too."

"Dad, I'm going out. I'm going to wear this. I know you don't like it. I also know it put boys in a tizzy. Maybe that's the point. Another point? A tizzy is all they're going to get from me. Okay? I'm not interested in all that stuff. Not yet. And when I am, it won't happen with Drooly over the road. It'll happen with Dylan."

Peter squeezed his eyes shut and then he peered at her through one of them. "You know...you're a lot like your Aunty Liz..."

"Ah, she taught me well. Maybe I'll grow up to be a lesbian!"

Peter chuckled at that, opening his eyes again. "Whatever you grow up to be, I'll be proud. You're right. You're...bright and strong, I just...you know...feel like heading for my shovel at the thought of grubby, pimply boys oogling you."

Lydia giggled at him. "And maybe I kind of like it when you get all shovely, Dad. I'll see you later, okay? I love you. Dad?"

"Yes, Lydia?"

"Don't change. Not ever." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "I'll say hi to Drooly for you."

"Knee him in the balls while you're at it. And if you need me, call!"

"Yeah, yeah. Bye, Dad!"

The second Lydia walked through the door, Peter turned and mumbled to himself. They grew up way too fast.