Family Secret - Idris

[idris-evans.livejournal.com]

Leaving the shoot sight, Idris packed all of the photography stuff he'd brought along into the car that he'd borrowed from his mum and dad. He'd promised to have it home at a reasonable hour, and he would, after dropping his model off where he wanted, and swinging by the uni to bring some of the equipment he'd borrowed back.

By the time he parked the car and walked in the front door, it was still a very acceptable time. He could hear Cedwyn and Cadell talking loudly about something from the moment he walked in past the door. They were almost fifteen now, well into adolescence. Their bickering should have been normal, was normal, but that wasn't what was on Idris' mind when he heard them.

Fifteen was well enough into adolescence that their family needed to have other considerations. In human development classes in high school, he'd heard enough about mothers warning their daughters of oncoming bleeding. In his family, that had thankfully only happened the once, with Jesstin. She hadn't been able to be here tonight, but Idris had promised his parents he would be. This would be it. The last of their family would be finding out the big old 'family secret' tonight.

His mother smiled at him from the couch where she was reading one of her paperback novels. The sounds of the twins' raised voices was normal enough to be almost comforting.

"Where's dad?"

"He'll be home soon. Did you have a good day shooting?" his mother asked him.

"I did," Idris considered. "Everything came together. I should have at least two good rolls out of today."

His mother smiled. She would be interested in seeing the images once they came through, but beyond that, she only shared as much enthusiasm with the art in that her son was very serious about it.

The front door opened and closed again. Idris' mother put her hand on his. "Will you go get the boys?" she asked.

Idris nodded silently, and stood up to do so. When he passed his father coming in the opposite direction, his father smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. Idris felt himself lucky that he came from a family where he knew everyone cared so deeply about one another.

When he went into the twins' bedroom, he found Cadell on the floor with Cedwyn under him, trying desperately to overturn his brother.

"Come on, guys. Parents want you in the living room."

Cadell jumped up first, though Cedwyn got to his feet soon after, giving Cadell a punch on the arm for good measure, before both boys tried to be the first one out of the bedroom. Idris stepped aside to let them have their way.

He was the last of them to return to the living room. Their mother had put her book aside by then, and was looking fondly at her boys, while their father stood beside her, holding her hand.

"Your mother and I have something to tell you boys," their father said, as the twins came to a quick stop, and Idris hung back against the door frame between living room and kitchen.

Cedwyn looked back to Idris. "Does Idris already know?" he asked.

Their father nodded. "Idris already knows. This is a family secret, boys. You mustn't tell anyone at school, do you understand? We told Idris when he was about your age. Do you remember how your mother and I have always told you it is very important to keep secrets to yourself."

Cadell was already nodding his head vigorously, eager to know this precious secret. Cedwyn nodded too.

"This is a very big secret. None of the other boys at your school will be able to do this." This was true. Their father had gone to the high school that the twins attended, and found out there were no other angels attending. "It's not something to be scared of, but it isn't something to show off either."

Their father let go of their mother's hand, and stepped forward towards his fourteen year old sons. She continued to sit back on the couch, watching her husband with adoring eyes. It was very infrequently that she actually got to see the glorious white wings unfurl from him. She made a little sigh, knowing that her expression was open and without trace of fear, should her boys look at her for guidance.

Neither of them did, at first. Cadell's jaw dropped almost to the floor. Cedwyn blinked rapidly, as though such blinking could change the sight before him. When that failed, he was the first of the twins to step forward.

"Can I touch them?" he asked.

Their father nodded. "Of course."

Cadell was still a little way behind his brother. He didn't look away from the wings until Cedwyn's fingers touched them, and he grinned brightly to his twin, and said, "They're real!"

Only then did Cadell move. His eyes touched on his mother's fond eyes, and then he turned around to face Idris. "Can you do this too?" He blinked.

Idris grinned. "I can."

"I've never seen you do it," Cadell replied.

"You've never seen dad do it either," Idris pointed out, waiting long enough to see Cadell's look of acknowledgment that this was true. Cedwyn was still examining the wings attached to their father's back.

"Will it hurt if I pull one out?" Cedwyn was asking.

"Only about as much as if I pull hair out of your head," their father replied.

Cedwyn pulled his hand back self consciously.

"When will I be able to do it?" Cadell asked, turning around to face his parents again now.

"Soon. We're telling you this now so that when it does happen, it isn't too much of a surprise for you." Their father smiled down at Cedwyn, before bringing his wings back into himself again. Cedwyn's eyes widened, and he grinned across at Cadell. "When it does happen," their father added, "Idris and I will be able to make sure that you both know how to control it, to make sure that it doesn't happen in public. It's not something you want, wings coming out in public. People are afraid of what they don't understand."

Cedwyn nodded his head with all the solemnity of a fourteen year old. "And we can ask you any questions about this now?"

"Of course." Their father looked over both of his boys. "Do you have any questions right now?"

Cedwyn bit his lip, then shook his head. Cadell did the same.

"You will." Their father looked to his wife, and she happily lifted her hand for him to take again. Watching them, Idris hoped that he could find that one day, a person he could be so at ease with, who would be so at ease with his family secret.