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darker_london2010-06-18 02:42 am
suave-thomas.livejournal.com) wrote in darker_london2010-06-18 02:42 am
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The things kids ask (Thomas, James)
It was a complicated question, with an even more complicated answer if he told the truth about things. James had asked him how he had met and fallen in love with Spectre and Mary. And Thomas didn't know exactly how to answer.
The truth was that he had bonded with Mary during a time when both David and Peter were losing touch with themselves, and Mary and Thomas had had to help them through. They had both been dead, both helping someone they loved unconditionally...it stood to reason that they would also help each other through that time. And Thomas had realised, in spending time with her, that he loved far more than just the physical intimacy.
With Spectre, it had simply been a date to get to know each other better, and they had ended up in bed. One date. As friends. And they had slept together, no strings attached. It was meant to be a fling, and both of them had known that going in. Thomas had Mary, though at that point their relationship hadn't been defined. He had had Kat too, in a much less tangible, much more doomed way. And Thomas was dead. Spectre had been his friend. The two of them couldn't be together, they just wanted good, old fashioned, man on man action. And it had been good too. Thomas had had the fling of his life and it had continued, casually, until his dear friend had been raped. Thomas had helped bring Spectre back from that, and he became the only man Spectre was interested in being with; at first because he didn't trust anyone else, and later, because he had fallen in love. And Thomas had fallen too. He had realised he was in love with two people. And thankfully for Thomas, both those people understood. He had leapt in with both feet, and never looked back.
But how did you explain all of that to a four-year-old?
"We met and fell in love," Thomas said softly. He tucked in the covers and he leaned up to kiss James goodnight. They were still saying in Peter's house and James now had his own bed in Spectre and Thomas' room, not five feet from the bed his fathers slept in when not searching for Mary. James always snuck into their bed in the middle of the night, but they at least gave him the chance to sleep on his own.
"Did you fall in love at first sight?" James asked, his large eyes questioning.
Thomas licked his lips and he slowly shook his head. "I...they were my friends first. Like Tommy is your friend. We dated, and our relationships got more serious. We fell in love that way. And then we got married." Simplified. Watered-down. But still true. "I loved them, yes. I was not in love with them at first sight, no." Thomas didn't believe in love at first sight. Love was complicated and built on feelings and knowing a person, not the reaction you had in your pants when seeing someone's face. That was lust, not love. But again, James wouldn't understand that for some time.
"Are you going to find Mummy, Dad?"
"Of course we are," Thomas assured his son. His heart ached for his wife. The things she would be experiencing... He couldn't think of it, or he would lose himself in grief. He had his son back. He had to keep focused. But they would find her. "It's going to be okay, James. You should sleep."
"Will you sleep with me?" James whispered, terrified of the dark after being in Jareth's clutches.
"You know...I was just about to ask you if you would sleep here with me," Thomas smiled down at his son. "I like the company."
James giggled and he wiggled out of the bed his father had just tucked him into. He dashed across the room and cannonballed into his fathers' bed. "GERONIMO!!!"
Thomas stood and he laughed. "Geronimo, indeed." Leap in with both feet.
The truth was that he had bonded with Mary during a time when both David and Peter were losing touch with themselves, and Mary and Thomas had had to help them through. They had both been dead, both helping someone they loved unconditionally...it stood to reason that they would also help each other through that time. And Thomas had realised, in spending time with her, that he loved far more than just the physical intimacy.
With Spectre, it had simply been a date to get to know each other better, and they had ended up in bed. One date. As friends. And they had slept together, no strings attached. It was meant to be a fling, and both of them had known that going in. Thomas had Mary, though at that point their relationship hadn't been defined. He had had Kat too, in a much less tangible, much more doomed way. And Thomas was dead. Spectre had been his friend. The two of them couldn't be together, they just wanted good, old fashioned, man on man action. And it had been good too. Thomas had had the fling of his life and it had continued, casually, until his dear friend had been raped. Thomas had helped bring Spectre back from that, and he became the only man Spectre was interested in being with; at first because he didn't trust anyone else, and later, because he had fallen in love. And Thomas had fallen too. He had realised he was in love with two people. And thankfully for Thomas, both those people understood. He had leapt in with both feet, and never looked back.
But how did you explain all of that to a four-year-old?
"We met and fell in love," Thomas said softly. He tucked in the covers and he leaned up to kiss James goodnight. They were still saying in Peter's house and James now had his own bed in Spectre and Thomas' room, not five feet from the bed his fathers slept in when not searching for Mary. James always snuck into their bed in the middle of the night, but they at least gave him the chance to sleep on his own.
"Did you fall in love at first sight?" James asked, his large eyes questioning.
Thomas licked his lips and he slowly shook his head. "I...they were my friends first. Like Tommy is your friend. We dated, and our relationships got more serious. We fell in love that way. And then we got married." Simplified. Watered-down. But still true. "I loved them, yes. I was not in love with them at first sight, no." Thomas didn't believe in love at first sight. Love was complicated and built on feelings and knowing a person, not the reaction you had in your pants when seeing someone's face. That was lust, not love. But again, James wouldn't understand that for some time.
"Are you going to find Mummy, Dad?"
"Of course we are," Thomas assured his son. His heart ached for his wife. The things she would be experiencing... He couldn't think of it, or he would lose himself in grief. He had his son back. He had to keep focused. But they would find her. "It's going to be okay, James. You should sleep."
"Will you sleep with me?" James whispered, terrified of the dark after being in Jareth's clutches.
"You know...I was just about to ask you if you would sleep here with me," Thomas smiled down at his son. "I like the company."
James giggled and he wiggled out of the bed his father had just tucked him into. He dashed across the room and cannonballed into his fathers' bed. "GERONIMO!!!"
Thomas stood and he laughed. "Geronimo, indeed." Leap in with both feet.