Sweet Love of Mine // [Mace/Ara/Elon]
May 28, 2012 0:14:35 GMT -5
Post by Baby Wessex d9b [earthling] on May 28, 2012 0:14:35 GMT -5
for what it's worth, I have a slow disease that sucked me dry... I always aim to please
but I nearly died
It was time. They'd arrived late the evening before, but still ahead of the train from Twelve. Mace had insisted on bunking with Elon, even though technically he had his own apartment. He spent the night on the strangely undulating sofa, watching his little brother as he slept fitfully. He'd dozed, a little, and it was enough for him. There was a time in his life when he'd managed no more than few hours every night for months on end while he following the cows around the fields. This would be no different, only the time container was much shorter. Painfully short.
They'd both gotten up before dawn, taken turns showering and shaving. Elon had suggested they go to the dining hall as the sky pinked, but Mace had a different idea. He tried not to be offended by Elon's look of surprise as he directed them towards Aranica's apartment. "I want to meet my son," Mace growled as they walked through the morning light streaking through the pristine windows of the center's exterior. Even the dawns felt wrong in the Capitol, the sun too harsh and opulent, not soft and welcoming the way it was in Ten.
Elon said something about understanding, but he didn't. How could he? The likelihood that he'd ever had a child had never been especially high, and it had recently tanked. But he was going to meet and know his nephew, even if that meant they were late, even if that meant Mace got than his usual share of torture from Olive. None of it mattered; he'd known that before, but never quite so viscerally. Family mattered - his brothers, his sisters, Ma, Whicker, and now Ara and Kieran. And maybe someone else, too.
Damn it all, though, if he could just go an hour without thinking of Julian he'd so happy. Relieved. But it was unavoidable, especially here, where he thought of their past conversations, of how he played some small part in getting that boy through the arena. He could do that again. Had to. Mace just had to figure out the right thing to say.
And while he thought about it, he said nothing at all to Elon. The other boy was tired; he could tell by the way he kept rubbing his eyes. It grated on Mace - Elon's total lack of physicality. If it had been anyone else, Mace would have already written him off. He was sure the other mentors and their tributes would have done the same by now, and he was counting on it. If Elon had any chance at all, it would have be that of surprise. He should've been preparing him already, though, and Mace had every intention of putting the Emberstatts and Stromstatts through their paces when he got home.
When he got home. Alone.
He rounded on Elon just a few feet from Aranica's door, gripping the younger boy's shoulders. He never tired of surprising Elon, the way his jaw unhinged, his eyes wide. He'd learned to control the fear a little better lately, and Mace hoped that would help him. Some sort of trainer he'd turned out to be. "You just remember that he's an Emberstatt too. Like us." Mace met his brother's gaze for a moment, straightened his ridiculous polka dot bow tie, and then lifted his fist to the door. His stomach turned over once, and for the first time he allowed himself to actually feel excited about this moment, the moment he would meet his son.
banner credit: jurate
lyrics:placebo for what it's worth
lyrics:placebo for what it's worth