Happy Places (Alastair, Hope, Johan, Werner, Liz, Emma)

[days-die-young.livejournal.com]

Alastair entered the Kemp Manor, whistling a jaunty tune as he did so. "Gay fathers?!" He called through the house and he stuck his head into the living room to find Liz and Emma laughing on the sofa. "Whoops, wrong gay couple. Hey, guys!"

Liz smiled widely at Alastair, pleased to see him. She was one of her very favourite young men in the world. "Alastair! How are you?"

"Fantastic, and your lovely self?" He asked, entering the room more completely now that there was conversation to be had.

"Pretty well, actually." Liz smiled and Emma waved. "My father is not as wonderful to be around as yours are, but my new shiny half-brother makes up for it. He's a hoot."

"I heard about him! I'd like to meet him sometime."

"I'm sure you'd get along really well. Johan and Werner are upstairs entertaining Hope. Supposedly they're teaching her about Austrian history because her new thing is that she's going to travel the world and learn about all the countries in it, but she keeps giggling at the word 'Weiner' so I'm not entirely sure that Vienna should be one of her stops..."

Alastair laughed loudly and he nodded in understanding. A lot of people giggled when he said he was a Wiener. But that meant person from Vienna in German! "I'm sure I'll find my way." He winked. "Have a wonderful day, Ladies!"

Alastair loped up the stairs, two by two, until he reached the first floor. The hallway was open to the floor below and he smiled down at the painting of Hope that hung on the wall in the entryway on the ground level. From where he stood, he could hear her shreiking with laughter and he grinning, continuing on until he reached the music room.

"Alastair!" Werner cried happily. He didn't stand, as he felt too weak to do so, but he extended his arms to his son and Alastair understood. He walked across the room and he hugged his father tightly.

"Good to see you, Dad."

"Did you come for dinner?" Johan asked, aware that Alastair was still searching for a job and that money was scarce. A good fatherly feed was something he came round for now with startling regularity.

"I did." Alastair nodded, moving to hug Johan as well. He wasn't ashamed of showing up to be fed when he had fathers like Johan and Werner. "Whoa, Johan. Have you lost weight?" Alastair pulled back from his hug. "You're turning into a stick."

"He's worrying it all off." Werner said from behind him.

"Oh hush, I'm fine." Johan smiled, though the expression was slightly tired. "I'll go get us some wine."

"Hey, Hope!" Alastair hugged her as well. "I hear my fathers are telling you all about Vienna."

"You eat things call Weiner Schnitzel there!" Hope said, giggling. "Why don't we have funny named food!?"

"Like spotted dick?" Alastair pointed out fairly, looking incredulous.

"Oh my god, ew." Hope wrinkled her nose up. "Who would eat that?"

From the other side of the room, Werner whistled innocently.

"Dad. Some things you shouldn't even think when I'm in the room." Alastair informed him. "Johan isn't even here so you can gang up on me and break my fragile little mind."

"Ah, there's always later." Werner smiled pleasantly. "Why don't you tell Hope about the Stephan's Dom. I'll listen."

Alastair read between the lines, understanding that his father was too tired to continue speaking. A spark of worry tugged at him, but he pushed it away, knowing this was to be expected. His father still seemed okay most of the time. Alastair wasn't going to lose him today. "You got it." He said brightly, and he started to tell Hope about the tens of thousands of skeletons underneath the streets of Vienna in the catacombs of St Stephen's Cathedral. She listened intently, with an amazed look on her face, and Alastair enjoyed every second of the telling of it. He loved it in this house with these people. It was his happy place.