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rainbowfic2012-01-19 10:16 am
bookblather) wrote in rainbowfic2012-01-19 10:16 am
Fire Opal 17, White Opal 6, Neon 4: Nobody Better
Author: Kat
Title: Nobody Better
Story: In The Heart
Colors: Fire opal 17 (like a hurricane), white opal 6 (wish upon a shooting star), neon 4 (two for the price of one) with Kelly's paint-by-numbers (Including the crying!).
Supplies and Materials: Miniature collection, frame.
Word Count: 900.
Rating: PG.
Summary: Raising twins.
Warnings: None.
Notes: And these are good kids. References Sibling Rivalry and Elegy.
The only thing Aaron ever wanted for his children, ever since he learned of their existence, was happiness. When he knew Clara was pregnant, when he saw them on the sonogram, when they were born, red and screaming, all he knew was that they were his children, and he loved them, and he wanted only the best for them.
That first night in the nursery, watching through the plexiglass as the twins slept in their cribs, he put his hand up against the glass, closed his eyes, and wished as hard as he could.
Let me be a good father.
--
The first night home from the hospital, Molly cried until almost midnight, high-pitched, ear-piercing sobs that carried throughout the house. To Aaron's astonishment, Billy slept through it, his mouth half-open in sleep, his hands curled against his chest.
"Maybe he's deaf," Clara said, bouncing Molly against her shoulder in a futile attempt to calm her. "I wish I was."
But Molly quieted down eventually and hiccuped herself to sleep, her head against her mother's shoulder. They put her to bed, tiptoed to their own room and curled up together, exhausted but pleased.
Aaron was almost asleep when Billy started crying.
--
"I swear to God they have this planned out," Clara said.
Aaron, rocking Molly on his lap, looked over at her with an arched eyebrow. She jerked her chin downwards, at Billy, reclining in her arms and nursing with loud sucking noises. "This," she said. "I put one down and the other one's hungry. They plan it. I swear."
"They might," he said, tickling Molly's stomach. She giggled and grabbed at his fingers. "They're smart kids. And they've definitely got a crying schedule."
"I can't believe I wanted to do this," Clara sighed, and switched Billy to the other breast.
--
Billy wouldn't put his shoes on, and Molly was nowhere to be found.
"No!" Billy shrieked. "No, no, no, NO!"
"Found her!" Clara shouted, from downstairs. "She's... oh, there she goes!"
"NO!" Billy insisted.
Aaron sighed, grabbed his squirming son, and held him with one hand while he fumbled the shoes on with the other. Billy yelled the whole time like he was being slaughtered, but the shoes were on, by God.
Clara met him at the bottom of the stairs with Molly in her arms, both of them disheveled.
He couldn't meet her eyes, for fear he'd start laughing.
--
"I hate Billy," Molly insisted, sitting sullen on her bed, the blunt jaw she'd inherited from him jutting out. "I hate him! This is all his fault."
She was seven, Aaron reminded himself. She was only seven, and she didn't understand what she was saying. "I know that you're angry," he said, and sat down beside her. "Do you understand why you're in trouble?"
She nodded. "I hit Billy."
"Yes," he said. "Are you sorry?"
"No," Molly said, and then, a minute later, "Maybe. But I still hate Billy."
That, he decided, was the best he was going to get.
--
Aaron's email dinged; he swiveled in his chair and double-tapped the computer to bring up the message.
"Oh, shit," he said, loud enough that Clara came into the room.
"What?" she asked, leaning over his shoulder. "What is it?"
He indicated the message. "I just got their report cards. Billy beat Molly out again."
She groaned. "I'll go prepare the bunkers. You think the fireworks are going to be as bad this time around?"
Aaron squinted at the grades. "He beat her in three classes. I think they're going to be worse."
"Batten down the hatches," Clara said, sounding resigned.
--
The twins insisted on walking across the stage together at their elementary school graduation. From chance things that Molly had said, Aaron gathered that some of her friends had been making fun of Billy, and she wanted to make a point. Billy's thoughts on the subject remained in his head, as far as his father knew.
"He's proud of her," Clara said, as they waited in the audience for their children to appear. "He won't say it, but he is."
Aaron nodded. "And she wants to protect him," he said, softly. "I guess we did a good job after all."
--
Billy was valdictorian, Molly fifth in the class, when they graduated from high school. To Aaron's surprise, this did not provoke fireworks, only mutual hugs and shrieks of congratulations.
"They've outgrown it," Clara said, smiling. "I told you they would."
The graduation was mercifully short; Billy gave his speech, the kids got their diplomas, then the hats were in the air and the party began. The twins catapulted straight for their parents, yelling-- look, look at what we did, aren't you proud of us?
"I'm so proud," Aaron told them both, and hugged them. He couldn't manage any other words.
--
Billy went straight to Molly when he got the news.
Not that he was Billy anymore-- he was Will now, had been since high school to everyone but his family. And she was Mari, for the same time, but now...
His sister met him at the door and hugged him tight, her face damp against his neck.
"There wasn't any pain," he told her, right off. "He just went to sleep."
"I'm glad," Molly said, her voice clogged. "I... I'm glad."
"He was the best dad ever," she added, a long time later.
"Nobody could have been better," he said.
Title: Nobody Better
Story: In The Heart
Colors: Fire opal 17 (like a hurricane), white opal 6 (wish upon a shooting star), neon 4 (two for the price of one) with Kelly's paint-by-numbers (Including the crying!).
Supplies and Materials: Miniature collection, frame.
Word Count: 900.
Rating: PG.
Summary: Raising twins.
Warnings: None.
Notes: And these are good kids. References Sibling Rivalry and Elegy.
The only thing Aaron ever wanted for his children, ever since he learned of their existence, was happiness. When he knew Clara was pregnant, when he saw them on the sonogram, when they were born, red and screaming, all he knew was that they were his children, and he loved them, and he wanted only the best for them.
That first night in the nursery, watching through the plexiglass as the twins slept in their cribs, he put his hand up against the glass, closed his eyes, and wished as hard as he could.
Let me be a good father.
--
The first night home from the hospital, Molly cried until almost midnight, high-pitched, ear-piercing sobs that carried throughout the house. To Aaron's astonishment, Billy slept through it, his mouth half-open in sleep, his hands curled against his chest.
"Maybe he's deaf," Clara said, bouncing Molly against her shoulder in a futile attempt to calm her. "I wish I was."
But Molly quieted down eventually and hiccuped herself to sleep, her head against her mother's shoulder. They put her to bed, tiptoed to their own room and curled up together, exhausted but pleased.
Aaron was almost asleep when Billy started crying.
--
"I swear to God they have this planned out," Clara said.
Aaron, rocking Molly on his lap, looked over at her with an arched eyebrow. She jerked her chin downwards, at Billy, reclining in her arms and nursing with loud sucking noises. "This," she said. "I put one down and the other one's hungry. They plan it. I swear."
"They might," he said, tickling Molly's stomach. She giggled and grabbed at his fingers. "They're smart kids. And they've definitely got a crying schedule."
"I can't believe I wanted to do this," Clara sighed, and switched Billy to the other breast.
--
Billy wouldn't put his shoes on, and Molly was nowhere to be found.
"No!" Billy shrieked. "No, no, no, NO!"
"Found her!" Clara shouted, from downstairs. "She's... oh, there she goes!"
"NO!" Billy insisted.
Aaron sighed, grabbed his squirming son, and held him with one hand while he fumbled the shoes on with the other. Billy yelled the whole time like he was being slaughtered, but the shoes were on, by God.
Clara met him at the bottom of the stairs with Molly in her arms, both of them disheveled.
He couldn't meet her eyes, for fear he'd start laughing.
--
"I hate Billy," Molly insisted, sitting sullen on her bed, the blunt jaw she'd inherited from him jutting out. "I hate him! This is all his fault."
She was seven, Aaron reminded himself. She was only seven, and she didn't understand what she was saying. "I know that you're angry," he said, and sat down beside her. "Do you understand why you're in trouble?"
She nodded. "I hit Billy."
"Yes," he said. "Are you sorry?"
"No," Molly said, and then, a minute later, "Maybe. But I still hate Billy."
That, he decided, was the best he was going to get.
--
Aaron's email dinged; he swiveled in his chair and double-tapped the computer to bring up the message.
"Oh, shit," he said, loud enough that Clara came into the room.
"What?" she asked, leaning over his shoulder. "What is it?"
He indicated the message. "I just got their report cards. Billy beat Molly out again."
She groaned. "I'll go prepare the bunkers. You think the fireworks are going to be as bad this time around?"
Aaron squinted at the grades. "He beat her in three classes. I think they're going to be worse."
"Batten down the hatches," Clara said, sounding resigned.
--
The twins insisted on walking across the stage together at their elementary school graduation. From chance things that Molly had said, Aaron gathered that some of her friends had been making fun of Billy, and she wanted to make a point. Billy's thoughts on the subject remained in his head, as far as his father knew.
"He's proud of her," Clara said, as they waited in the audience for their children to appear. "He won't say it, but he is."
Aaron nodded. "And she wants to protect him," he said, softly. "I guess we did a good job after all."
--
Billy was valdictorian, Molly fifth in the class, when they graduated from high school. To Aaron's surprise, this did not provoke fireworks, only mutual hugs and shrieks of congratulations.
"They've outgrown it," Clara said, smiling. "I told you they would."
The graduation was mercifully short; Billy gave his speech, the kids got their diplomas, then the hats were in the air and the party began. The twins catapulted straight for their parents, yelling-- look, look at what we did, aren't you proud of us?
"I'm so proud," Aaron told them both, and hugged them. He couldn't manage any other words.
--
Billy went straight to Molly when he got the news.
Not that he was Billy anymore-- he was Will now, had been since high school to everyone but his family. And she was Mari, for the same time, but now...
His sister met him at the door and hugged him tight, her face damp against his neck.
"There wasn't any pain," he told her, right off. "He just went to sleep."
"I'm glad," Molly said, her voice clogged. "I... I'm glad."
"He was the best dad ever," she added, a long time later.
"Nobody could have been better," he said.
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Thank you!
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But really, it's lovely. Seriously--from the twins seeming to work together as babies to frazzle Aaron and Clara to their rivalry in elementary to mutually supporting each other in high school to turning to each other for support as adults--it all works so beautifully.
Terrific stuff, bb. I am inspired.
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It's a sibling thing, I think, to get closer as you grow up and start realizing that the whole world wants to get you and your sibling, but by God the only one allowed to torment them is you, dammit.
Anyway. Thank you!
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Well done!
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Thank you!
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Billy yelled the whole time like he was being slaughtered, but the shoes were on, by God.
This merits an e-fistbump. PREPARE YOUR MONITOR.
Sweetness and love everywhere. Thank you for posting!
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*FISTBUMPS RIGHT BACK*
You're welcome! And thank you for reading!
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All of this, ALL OF IT, is so adorable. Awesome job!
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Thank you!
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I love that Aaron can't meet Clara's eyes in the one section, and oh my god, the last one. He got it, he was a good father, but his kids there.
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Thank you!
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