Heero looked up from the report he was reviewing. His eldest was standing in the office doorway. Ben looked a little fidgety, but then again since he'd turned twelve Heero had ceased being able to follow his wild mood swings, so who knew why that was. He hummed an acknowledgement, waiting.
"There's a movie this evening. Can I go? It's a weekend so it's alright if I'm back by eleven, right?"
Shawn tramped down the corridor, screeching to a stop in the doorway. "Movie? What movie? I wanna go too!"
Heero didn't have to ask Ben what he thought about babysitting his eight year old brat of a brother, and the only way to prevent an eruption was to cut this off at the knee. "No, Shawn. This is Ben's evening out, not his babysitting night." He looked back to his eldest, ignoring the pouts and grumblings. "Where? I'll pick you up."
Ben grinned briefly in relief and then coughed and scratched his neck. "Nah, I can take the bus, I looked it up and the last one is at ten past eleven."
In a bus stop at night? Heero arched a doubtful eyebrow. "If you come back by bus, I want you here at nine. Your call."
"But I'm fourteen!"
"Almost fourteen. Alone. At night. In town."
"I've got my knife if someone tries anything --"
Heero shook his head no, once, gave his son a sober look. "A knife is a short distance weapon. If you're close enough to use it, you're close enough to be grabbed. The only way to guarantee you'd be let go without injury to yourself is to go straight for a killing wound."
Ben deflated.
"Call me. I'll pick you up. Who are you going with?"
"Just uhhm. Some guys."
Shawn burst into snickers, badly smothered by both his hands. He trotted inside the office and inched behind the desk. Heero frowned, recognizing evasive maneuvers when he saw them.
"Benny's got a DAA~ATE~"
-- oh. Heero blinked slowly. He hadn't seen that coming.
He did see his eldest coming at a run to grab his little brother over the desk, though. "Enough," he ordered, frowning. Ben looked back at him, managing to look both wounded and guilty. "Ben, don't grab your brother. Shawn, was that something Ben asked you not to repeat?"
The snickers behind his chair died down and Shawn sighed long and loud. "... Sorry, Ben."
"Mrgh. Whatever." Ben turned on his heel and stomped to the door, shoulders hunched as if that could hide how red his face had gotten.
Ben Maxwell-Yuy, Prospective Mate (1/2)
Heero looked up from the report he was reviewing. His eldest was standing in the office doorway. Ben looked a little fidgety, but then again since he'd turned twelve Heero had ceased being able to follow his wild mood swings, so who knew why that was. He hummed an acknowledgement, waiting.
"There's a movie this evening. Can I go? It's a weekend so it's alright if I'm back by eleven, right?"
Shawn tramped down the corridor, screeching to a stop in the doorway. "Movie? What movie? I wanna go too!"
Heero didn't have to ask Ben what he thought about babysitting his eight year old brat of a brother, and the only way to prevent an eruption was to cut this off at the knee. "No, Shawn. This is Ben's evening out, not his babysitting night." He looked back to his eldest, ignoring the pouts and grumblings. "Where? I'll pick you up."
Ben grinned briefly in relief and then coughed and scratched his neck. "Nah, I can take the bus, I looked it up and the last one is at ten past eleven."
In a bus stop at night? Heero arched a doubtful eyebrow. "If you come back by bus, I want you here at nine. Your call."
"But I'm fourteen!"
"Almost fourteen. Alone. At night. In town."
"I've got my knife if someone tries anything --"
Heero shook his head no, once, gave his son a sober look. "A knife is a short distance weapon. If you're close enough to use it, you're close enough to be grabbed. The only way to guarantee you'd be let go without injury to yourself is to go straight for a killing wound."
Ben deflated.
"Call me. I'll pick you up. Who are you going with?"
"Just uhhm. Some guys."
Shawn burst into snickers, badly smothered by both his hands. He trotted inside the office and inched behind the desk. Heero frowned, recognizing evasive maneuvers when he saw them.
"Benny's got a DAA~ATE~"
-- oh. Heero blinked slowly. He hadn't seen that coming.
He did see his eldest coming at a run to grab his little brother over the desk, though. "Enough," he ordered, frowning. Ben looked back at him, managing to look both wounded and guilty. "Ben, don't grab your brother. Shawn, was that something Ben asked you not to repeat?"
The snickers behind his chair died down and Shawn sighed long and loud. "... Sorry, Ben."
"Mrgh. Whatever." Ben turned on his heel and stomped to the door, shoulders hunched as if that could hide how red his face had gotten.