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A seven year old John Chesterton shared the task of setting the table with his father. Unfortunately, a child with a love of games should probably not be given any kind of responsibility which involved sharp objects. And neither should their father.
"Avarst! Ye matey!" Ian Chesterton cried at his son, brandishing a butter knife like a sword.
"Arrrr!!" John replied with one eye closed as though he were wearing an eye patch.
"Submit to me, matey, or I'll gut yer through!"
"NEVAAR!!"
The butter knives clinked once before Barbara managed to catch them at it; "boys!" she called from the doorway into the dining room. "That's quite enough. One of you will literally skin the other and I am not in the mood to drive over to the emergency ward."
Unfortunately, neither boy was paying much attention. To begin with they looked suitably shamed, but all it took was a quick exchange of looks and they lunged at Barbara, who screamed. And then giggled as the tickling fingers of John and Ian found her most ticklish spots. She managed to wriggle away, and ran for the kitchen, the hall and finally the lounge where they tackled her onto the sofa and tickled her until she managed to cry for mercy between fits of laughter.
Now breathing heavy, all three Chestertons sat on the sofa a moment, contemplating who to tickle next when the doorbell rung.
"I'll get it," Barbara said and pushed herself up to walk to the front door. Her hand reflexively went to her hair, double checking that everything was still in place. When she opened the door, flushed in the face from the giggling, hair didn't matter. Even dinner didn't matter. Nor sword fighting, or anything else.
"...Howard," she gasped.
"Avarst! Ye matey!" Ian Chesterton cried at his son, brandishing a butter knife like a sword.
"Arrrr!!" John replied with one eye closed as though he were wearing an eye patch.
"Submit to me, matey, or I'll gut yer through!"
"NEVAAR!!"
The butter knives clinked once before Barbara managed to catch them at it; "boys!" she called from the doorway into the dining room. "That's quite enough. One of you will literally skin the other and I am not in the mood to drive over to the emergency ward."
Unfortunately, neither boy was paying much attention. To begin with they looked suitably shamed, but all it took was a quick exchange of looks and they lunged at Barbara, who screamed. And then giggled as the tickling fingers of John and Ian found her most ticklish spots. She managed to wriggle away, and ran for the kitchen, the hall and finally the lounge where they tackled her onto the sofa and tickled her until she managed to cry for mercy between fits of laughter.
Now breathing heavy, all three Chestertons sat on the sofa a moment, contemplating who to tickle next when the doorbell rung.
"I'll get it," Barbara said and pushed herself up to walk to the front door. Her hand reflexively went to her hair, double checking that everything was still in place. When she opened the door, flushed in the face from the giggling, hair didn't matter. Even dinner didn't matter. Nor sword fighting, or anything else.
"...Howard," she gasped.
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Date: 2013-05-18 06:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-18 08:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-18 10:52 pm (UTC)Since a number of the plates were now licked and ready to be washed, Barbara began to stack the sink. "And you did perfectly fine this evening. Just make sure that you're out of John's sight when you lick thing plates and cutlery, please."
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Date: 2013-05-18 11:05 pm (UTC)"I promise not to eat nothing but candy around him, too."
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Date: 2013-05-18 11:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-18 11:41 pm (UTC)Or maybe it won't. Maybe being around a kid will make it worse, those issues with jealousy and insecurity. He thought he got over them and grew up a few years ago, but they still ping him, sometimes.
"John seems to like the cats, at least."
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Date: 2013-05-18 11:50 pm (UTC)"But, Howard, whatever you decide to do, we'll support you. And you're always welcome here for as long as you want, you know that."
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Date: 2013-05-19 12:03 am (UTC)"I know, I know. I'm just trying to get it all figured out, you know? I started going to another shrink and they diagnosed me as a delusional psychotic when I tried to tell them about most of the stuff that happened."
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Date: 2013-05-19 12:20 am (UTC)"Will you keep seeing them?" she asked, turning back to the sink. Her eyes still stayed upon Howard just incase he thought she wasn't paying attention.
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Date: 2013-05-19 12:27 am (UTC)He takes a clean dish and starts to dry it off. The step-stool he used to use to get to the top shelves is still here, dusty but leaning against the wall. He's touched that they kept it, as if they knew he'd be back eventually. He opens it, hops up and sets the plate away.
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Date: 2013-05-19 12:57 am (UTC)"Have you found anyone to...spend more time with?" she ventured. There was little more Barbara wanted in life than for Howard to be happy. As far as she knew, there hadn't been any women in Howard's life, but maybe someone might just come along and help him in ways that Barbara wouldn't be able to.
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Date: 2013-05-19 01:29 am (UTC)He doesn't even want to touch on his love life.
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Date: 2013-05-19 03:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-19 03:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-29 09:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-29 09:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-02 10:12 am (UTC)"Well, you let us know the moment that changes," she smiled at him and placed another plate into the washing up rack.
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Date: 2013-06-02 03:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-04 07:53 am (UTC)Last time Barbara helped with an event at the school, several mothers stood around comparing their children's accomplishments. She played along for a short while until she realised what she was doing. Since then she'd listened more than spoken. A few mothers, however, were fast becoming her friends in Barbara's eyes.
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Date: 2013-06-04 04:04 pm (UTC)Primary school. Whatever they call it here.
"You know, when I was little, I was the first in my kindergarten to finish reading a whole book." His mom had bragged about it a lot. "I got great grades up until I was like, ten."
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Date: 2013-06-07 10:22 am (UTC)"What happened?" she asked.
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Date: 2013-06-07 05:35 pm (UTC)Howard shrugs. "I started getting beat up a lot for being short and black. I didn't need being a nerd or a teacher's pet on top of it."
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Date: 2013-06-08 11:19 pm (UTC)Speaking of the little terror, John ran suddenly into the kitchen and let out a short scream as he pushed himself between Barbara's legs and the cupboard under the sink. There he pulled Barbara's long skirt around so that his face was hidden and sat very still.
"Have you seen Johnny anywhere?" Ian asked as he entered the kitchen at a more casual pace. "One moment we were playing innocently and then he got up and ran away. I think he ran in here but I can't be sure," he added to Howard.
Barbara rolled her eyes and kept washing up. It was a game they regularly played and Ian's overly innocent tone did nothing to suggest otherwise. "I haven't seen Johnny," she said.
"You haven't?" Ian replied and took a large step over to her. "Well, since he can't be found maybe we should cuddle? Or move house? We could go and live with Nan and play with the chickens every day."
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Date: 2013-06-09 12:02 am (UTC)The idea of joking about leaving John behind doesn't help.
"I'll sleep on the couch, right? I'll uh. I'll go unpack my stuff." He hurriedly escapes the kitchen.
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Date: 2013-06-09 12:16 am (UTC)The next few minutes were filled with John's excited giggles and Ian's deep laugh. Barbara, at some point, was terrorised, for her own cries and giggles could be heard, too. Another moment passed and John left the kitchen. His father had started wiping up and that was too boring.
John saw Howard in the lounge and came over. "Do you like trains?"
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