Friday, December 25, 2009
((Yes, I know I skipped a part. But we played it in game and it needs to be edited.))

Kevin gave Michael a disapproving look as he stepped out of the teleporter in the bedroom. "You went back to the base, again, didn't you?"

"Just to check and see--"

"We are on vacation."

Michael looked down. "Okay, I'm sorry."

Kevin turned over in bed. Michael climbed into bed next to him. "I won't go back, okay? Not unless they ask me."

"Give me that comm."

Michael took the comm out of his ear and handed it to Kevin.

He tossed it onto the nightstand. "Next time, I'll crush it. Got it?"

Michael nodded.

Kevin reached up and put his arms around Michael, and pulled him down to him. "We're here to enjoy ourselves, to relax. They'll be fine without us."

"I worry..."

"They will be fine without us." Kevin gave him the same steely look that his father gave him. Michael kissed him to try and get him to loosen up. It didn't quite work the way he intended.


Kevin pulled out the case of wine and Michael shut the trunk. Another car was in the driveway, so someone else had arrived at his parents' house. "Whose car is that?" Michael asked.

"Peter's."

Michael opened the screen door to the foyer and then knocked on the door. "Just open it," Kevin said with a smile, and Michael did, allowing Kevin to enter first. They were all crowded in the kitchen/dining room area. Michael saw Peter, talking to his father. Another woman was talking to his mother. If Michael wasn't gay, he would be smitten by her - she had very pretty Mexican looks, with long black hair, a sultry smile, and a stunning hourglass figure. She was nicely dressed, with a short skirt and heels and a soft print blouse that hung gently off her. Michael couldn't help but smile at her.

"Hi," he said, "I'm Michael, Kevin's boyfriend."

She turned to him and gave him that smile. "I'm Jenny."

He shook her hand, and then turned to his mother. "Hi, Tia."

His mother blinked, then laughed. "No, that means 'aunt' in Greek. My name is Lorianne, Lori for short."

Michael blushed. "I'm sorry..."

Lori laughed again and kissed Michael's cheek. "It's all right. I never properly introduced myself, it's my fault." She looked at Jenny. "Want to help me stuff the celery sticks?"

"Okay."

Michael asked, "Where's Sherry?"

"She's in the living room with her toys," she said.

"Okay." Michael left the kitchen and went passed the men milling in the dining room and appreciating the bottles of wine, to the living room with Sherry. She had the TV on and was playing with a set of what looked to him like Barbie dolls.

"Hi there."

She looked up. "Oh, hi, Michael! Look what Santa brought me!" Michael sat on the floor and watched patiently as she took out each toy to show him.

He nodded and made appropriate noises. Then he said, "I have one for you too. I didn't get one for his other nieces and nephews. This'll be our secret, okay?"

She smiled and clapped her hands together. "Okay."

Michael waved his hand and teleported the box from the car into his hand. Her eyes went wide. "Wow!"

He handed it to her. "Go ahead, it's real."

She took the box gingerly and carefully unwrapped it. She pulled out the unicorn. "What does it do?"

Michael tilted his head. "Do?"

"Does it do anything?"

"No, it's a statue."

"Oh." She looked crestfallen. Michael wavered between making it do something or not. He chose the latter. "It's not magic?"

"No, it's real."

"Oh." She looked up at Michael. "It's nice."

"You don't like unicorns?"

"They're okay." She put it back in the box and put it aside.

Michael got up, disappointed as well. "I'll let you play." He went into the other room, just as the back door opened. The men at the table turned to the door, and Jason called, "Hello, Brian."

Brian was bigger than Kevin, with darker hair and more chiseled looks that had been born in a gym. Michael looked from one to the other, and understood why Kevin was beaten up when he was a kid. He smiled to himself, hoping they would have a wrestling match and Kevin would throw his brother across the room.

"Merry Christmas!" he yelled, and set down a box full of wrapped gifts. Michael looked beyond Brian to see a pretty trophy wife standing silently behind him. The two kids already had their coats off and were heading into the living room to the Christmas tree to see what Santa brought. Michael had glanced down at them running past him.

Brian kissed his mother and strode past Michael without even an acknowledgement. Brian shook hands with his brothers. Brian's wife gravitated to the kitchen area. Michael just tucked himself against the stairwell, waiting.

Kevin looked over his shoulder to see Michael standing alone. He beckoned. Michael walked over to him, and Kevin put his arm around his waist. "Brian, meet Michael. Michael, Brian." Michael held his hand out. Brian shook it firmly, as if to show his strength. Michael refused to play that game, but he returned it just as firmly.

"Nice to meet you," Michael said.

"Yeah. You a hero too?"

"I'm a healer."

Brian snorted, and took off his coat. He handed it to his wife, who went upstairs with it. He attacked some flaky pastry appetizers with gusto, talking with his father about work.

The kids returned, "Can we open presents now?"

"We're waiting for Uncle Thomas," said Lori. Kevin introduced Brian's wife as Lynne.

"So what kind of stuff do you do, Uncle Kevin? Daddy said you're a vigilante."

Michael rolled his eyes, and Kevin looked down at the little boy that addressed him. "I save people," he said calmly, though Michael could feel his anger just beneath the surface.

"Don't you kill people?"

Kevin slowly looked up at his brother. "What have you been telling them?"

"Just the truth," he said, eating another pastry.

Kevin advanced two steps, and Michael put a hand on Kevin's arm. Kevin stopped for half a second, and then said coldly, "Let's step outside to discuss this."

Brian grinned. "All right, Kev."

His father cautioned, "Boys--"

But neither of them said anything as they left through the foyer outside. His father went to the door, and Lynne and Michael followed. Kevin's father filled the doorframe, but luckily Michael was taller than he was, so he could see and hear everything.

"I am not a vigilante," Kevin was in the middle of saying.

"You run around killing people who you think are against the law."

"Someone is stealing someone else's purse, what do you expect me to do? Walk away?"

"Everbody else does."

"I'm not everybody else."

"So you kill them instead."

"I don't kill them." Most of the time, Michael filled in.

"Vigilantes kill people."

"I am not. A. Vigilante." Kevin advanced, his hands clenched into fists. Michael put a hand on his father's shoulder and gave him a light push, to try and get past him. His father didn't move.

"What're you gonna do, hit me? You hit like a girl. Always--"

Kevin hauled off and punched Brian right in the face. He fell to the ground, holding his nose. His father yelled, "Kevin!" and finally got out of the doorway. Kevin saw nothing but the man writhing on the ground, and Michael knew his eyes would be blazing red. Michael rushed at Kevin and threw his arms around his shoulders, knowing he couldn't necessarily stop him, but hopefully get him to focus past the red haze that would be clouding his vision.

Kevin easily shrugged Michael off and advanced on Brian. He grabbed him by the front of his shirt and effortlessly lifted him up, holding him a few inches off the ground. "I am not a vigilante," he said clearly and angrily. "I am a hero." Then Kevin unceremoniously dropped him, turned on his heel with military precision, and marched past Michael, his father, and Lynne, to the door. His mother stood there, a look of utter shock on her face, but stepped aside for Kevin to enter.

Michael turned to Brian, who was being ministered to by the trophy wife. Brian pushed her away and struggled up. He thought for a minute to heal him, but then decided against it after that treatment. His father looked at Brian. "You pushed him," he said quietly. "You've been doing it for years."

Brian wiped his bloody nose and stormed into the house. His father then looked at Michael. Michael shrugged, and followed him back into the house.

There was a little bit of commotion when Brian came in looking for a towel. Michael got past everyone and found Kal in the living room, staring at the Christmas tree. Michael walked up to him and put an arm around his shoulders.

"I wanted to kill him," Kevin said quietly.

"But you didn't."

"I'm not going to apologize."

"I don't blame you."

Kevin turned his head and looked at Michael. "You understand."

Michael nodded, and squeezed Kevin's shoulders. Kevin regarded the Christmas tree.

"Kev," said Peter. Michael stepped away, still unsure as to the public displays of affection with the brothers around. Kevin turned around to face Peter. "You used that power you have."

"Yes," Kevin replied.

Peter glared. "You used it to hit your own brother."

Kevin returned the glare. Michael thought to pull the energy out of Kevin like he had done last night, but knew that if he did that, he would be the one rushing at Peter. This was not going well, Michael could see it.

And then, the last straw entered the picture.

"Merry Christmas!" boomed another voice at the door, and Michael groaned. Kevin, already on the edge of flaring into full rage, crossed the line and his aura flared up. Michael didn't know if Peter could see it, but he knew he would be able to feel the tension in the air. Peter glanced back into the other room.

Michael put his hands on Kevin's shoulders. "Breathe, Kevin..."

Kevin took a few deep breaths, as Peter had turned from them and headed into the kitchen. Finally, he advanced slowly to the doorway, Michael following.

Uncle Thomas looked at Brian, still holding a towel to his nose. "What happened to you?"

"Kevin hit me."

Thomas glared at Kevin. Kevin stood with his arms across his chest. "Your faggot boyfriend put you up to it?"

"That's it!" Kevin's aura flared, his eyes flamed red. The entire family stared at him. Michael kept his hands on Kevin's shoulders, trying to leech the anger. It was bottomless this time. Michael kept his eyes closed, knowing if he opened them, they would be on fire, too. He visualized the anger going from him, down into the floor and to the ground.

Kevin then stepped forward, disconnecting himself from Michael. Michael dispersed the last of the energy and opened his eyes. Kevin advanced on his uncle. "Since I've come out, you have always been condescending, and I've had it."

"Kev, don't." Jason stepped in front of him. "Kev, think about it what you're doing."

"I've thought about it, a long time." His eyes blazed and he glared at Thomas. "You insulted me, and insulted my boyfriend. Don't do it again."

"Or what?" snorted Thomas.

Kevin summoned his sword, and stabbed it into the counter top, centimeters away from Thomas' hand. Thomas jumped back, nearly falling over. Kevin then turned to Thomas. No one could see the look Kevin gave him, but it was enough to make him turn white. "Do you understand?"

The sword disappeared at Kevin's touch, though the mark remained in the counter top. He walked past the family, past the table, to the doors to the deck, and then stepped outside. Michael scooted past the chairs and ran outside to him.

Kevin stood against the wooden railing, gripping it so tightly he indented it. "I wanted..."

"I know."

Kevin looked down. Then, suddenly, Michael heard a purr. He turned and saw a silver cat walking across the other side of the railing, heading their way. Michael narrowed his eyes. "Dammit, Raina," he muttered.

"What?" Kevin turned to see the cat. "Raina?"

"That's Raina's cat form," Michael said. He walked over to the cat. "C'mon, Raina, we're doing fine." The cat looked up and mewed. Michael put his hand down and pet the cat. The cat rubbed up against his hand. "Raina..." He fished out his comm from his pocket and put it in his ear. "Jack, are you online?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Jack, where's Raina?"

"In the lab, why?"

"Are you sure?"

Raina's voice came over the comm. "I hear you, what's going on?"

Michael blinked, as the cat purred under his hand. "Uh, nothing. Out." Michael turned to Kevin. Kevin looked at the cat. Michael said, "Can we keep it?"

"Keep it? What're we going to do with it?"

"I need a familiar."

"We'll buy one back home."

"But this one came right up to me."

Kevin shook his head. "If it's still out here when we're done, we can take it home."

"Deal."

0 comments: