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numb3rsflashficTitle: Past Present Future
Pairing/Characters: Don/Charlie
Rating/Category: NC17 (Default)
Spoilers: UP
Summary: Don and Charlie grieve at their father's deathbed just after he passes
Notes/Warnings: Read the disclaimer on my LJ
"I love you, Dad"
Charlie kissed his father's forehead one last time.
Tears streamed down his face, past his salt and pepper sideburns and into his scraggly gray beard.
As he sat back up, Don pulled him to lean back against his chest, enfolding him in his arms as they both wept silently.
Charlie ran his hands over Don's arms in an attempt to comfort him as well. On one pass, he nudged against Don's controller watch and said quietly, "You should make the call."
"Are you sure?" Don asked.
"We only have 24 hours, so we should get things started as soon as possible."
"But if you want more time..."
"The funeral home will take a while to get here. I'll be fine."
Don pulled his arms away for a moment and touched a button on his wristband.
"Commence funeral preparations sequence."
A chime sounded to confirm his command and Don pulled Charlie back into his arms.
In the stillness of the house, they could hear the computer in the distance as it placed the first of many calls for them, Don's prerecorded voice a soft bit of white noise in the background.
"He's with Mom now," Charlie said, his voice attempting to sound positive, but failing miserably.
"Yeah," Don agreed. "I bet she's missed him all these years."
"I wish he'd remarried, you know? No one should have to spend that many years of their life alone," Charlie said sadly.
"Does it bother you that people think that way about us?"
"No, because I have you," Charlie said simply. He turned back and kissed Don lightly on the lips.
Don looked a little surprised, but returned the kiss with a brief but tender one of his own.
"I know," Charlie said. "Never in front of Dad, but that's in the past now. The future is ours alone."
"I never blamed him for not wanting to see us like this," Don said thoughtfully. "And I never minded showing a little restraint when he was in the room."
"But you wish he could have understood the love we have for each other instead of merely accepting it. Yeah, I feel that way too." Charlie sighed. "Don't get me wrong. I'm glad we came out to him and I'm glad he got over the shock and upset, but he was never happy for us, and I don’t think that had anything to do with us not giving him grandchildren."
"No, it didn't. I think he understood that we'd chosen a very difficult life though and that's not what he wanted for us. No parent wants to see their children suffer."
"I know, but we didn't exactly choose this life, it just happened. We just happened." Charlie pulled Don's arms tighter around him. "What do we do now?" he whispered.
"For the present? Nothing. The computer is making all the arrangements."
"I-I meant..."
"Oh. Well, we only have a short while before the funeral home arrives and I don't know about you, but I'd like to stay here with Dad until they come." Don tried unsuccessfully to choke back a fresh round of tears. "I guess I just don't want him to be alone, you know?"
Charlie held Don close and they let the grief pour out of them in great heaving sobs.
"I promise you, Don," Charlie said, his breath hitching as he struggled to speak. "He's not alone..."
=
Pairing/Characters: Don/Charlie
Rating/Category: NC17 (Default)
Spoilers: UP
Summary: Don and Charlie grieve at their father's deathbed just after he passes
Notes/Warnings: Read the disclaimer on my LJ
"I love you, Dad"
Charlie kissed his father's forehead one last time.
Tears streamed down his face, past his salt and pepper sideburns and into his scraggly gray beard.
As he sat back up, Don pulled him to lean back against his chest, enfolding him in his arms as they both wept silently.
Charlie ran his hands over Don's arms in an attempt to comfort him as well. On one pass, he nudged against Don's controller watch and said quietly, "You should make the call."
"Are you sure?" Don asked.
"We only have 24 hours, so we should get things started as soon as possible."
"But if you want more time..."
"The funeral home will take a while to get here. I'll be fine."
Don pulled his arms away for a moment and touched a button on his wristband.
"Commence funeral preparations sequence."
A chime sounded to confirm his command and Don pulled Charlie back into his arms.
In the stillness of the house, they could hear the computer in the distance as it placed the first of many calls for them, Don's prerecorded voice a soft bit of white noise in the background.
"He's with Mom now," Charlie said, his voice attempting to sound positive, but failing miserably.
"Yeah," Don agreed. "I bet she's missed him all these years."
"I wish he'd remarried, you know? No one should have to spend that many years of their life alone," Charlie said sadly.
"Does it bother you that people think that way about us?"
"No, because I have you," Charlie said simply. He turned back and kissed Don lightly on the lips.
Don looked a little surprised, but returned the kiss with a brief but tender one of his own.
"I know," Charlie said. "Never in front of Dad, but that's in the past now. The future is ours alone."
"I never blamed him for not wanting to see us like this," Don said thoughtfully. "And I never minded showing a little restraint when he was in the room."
"But you wish he could have understood the love we have for each other instead of merely accepting it. Yeah, I feel that way too." Charlie sighed. "Don't get me wrong. I'm glad we came out to him and I'm glad he got over the shock and upset, but he was never happy for us, and I don’t think that had anything to do with us not giving him grandchildren."
"No, it didn't. I think he understood that we'd chosen a very difficult life though and that's not what he wanted for us. No parent wants to see their children suffer."
"I know, but we didn't exactly choose this life, it just happened. We just happened." Charlie pulled Don's arms tighter around him. "What do we do now?" he whispered.
"For the present? Nothing. The computer is making all the arrangements."
"I-I meant..."
"Oh. Well, we only have a short while before the funeral home arrives and I don't know about you, but I'd like to stay here with Dad until they come." Don tried unsuccessfully to choke back a fresh round of tears. "I guess I just don't want him to be alone, you know?"
Charlie held Don close and they let the grief pour out of them in great heaving sobs.
"I promise you, Don," Charlie said, his breath hitching as he struggled to speak. "He's not alone..."
=
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Date: 2006-02-04 05:51 pm (UTC)It's sad and gorgeous and just...wow O.O
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Date: 2006-02-04 11:00 pm (UTC)Thanks,
Emma DeMarais
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Date: 2006-02-06 07:23 pm (UTC)I didn't have the opportunity to read this before now. How moving this was for me. I have been dealing with my grandmother in the stages of passing and it's difficult to watch my parents deal with it. I'm good with it as I made peace with death long ago, my grandmother wants to "shuffle off this mortal coil" and be with her husband.
Death is always a time of reflection though, isn't it? Don and Charlie seem to have come to terms with their dad knowing but not being at peace with their specific/special love. That's good, no guilt after dad's funeral then.
Excellent writing as always. Thank you for sharing your talent with the rest of us.
T
no subject
Date: 2006-02-07 01:26 am (UTC)Death is not an easy topic, but one that's compelling to me.
The loss of a parent, especially to people who've already lost one parent, is always an intense event. Finding any sort of comfort during that time helps, whether it be physical or just thoughts of a better place.
As far as the brothers angle goes, most people choose not to write Alan finding out about the incest, but since this takes place 20 years in the future when Charlie is 50, it's long past the time they would have realized they couldn't keep it from their father any longer and hope to have any sort of life as a couple.
This is a rarity for me - a fic I've written that I really don't want to read again. Parts of it just hit too close to home and I think anyone who has lost a loved one would understand that feeling.
Thanks,
Emma DeMarais