Kiddie AU

[sliceitwithwind]

Aya and Dilan had been dating for a bit over a month. During that time, Braig quietly put his affairs in order, so to speak.

Oh, not in the wills and death kind of way, but rather in the way that he broke up with the girlfriends as Dilan did (which raised no eyebrows, that was the way it had always been after all), and in the way that he started, and abandoned, a million different ways to approach the other two. Aya first, he knew that much. Dilan was, after all, polyamourous and more likely to follow the other two just because that was what he'd always done. Aya - Aya was monogamous and it could bring this whole house of cards tumbling down.

A house of cards that Braig had spent the majority of his life building, step by step and moment by moment. He'd known what he wanted since he was eleven years old, from the time that Aya shrieked Lions! in her little girl's voice, and Dilan paffed into the dust behind her.

It just took another twenty years for the two of them to start getting the idea...but...they might not want him.

Oh, Fire and Ice, they might not want him.

Comments

[mitochondriaaya]

She looked over at him and...yep, his hair was bugging her. There was, apparently, nothing for it but to hop up, fetch a brush, and get his ponytail redone. Braig...her Braig...his hair tended to be on the better side of good. "I'll go over there after this." They were used to kids on their door! Even though the kids were less kiddish now.

"Eat too, not just drinking." She'd finish eating when his hair was done okay?

[sliceitwithwind]

He didn't nod, just started eating silently while she did his hair. It felt amazing, but...well. It was hard to let himself relax enough to get the full effect.

[mitochondriaaya]

She got his ponytail pulled tight, then braided it...just in case he decided to tug on it again. JUST IN CASE. She tickled the back of his neck with the braid so he knew it wasn't free flowing, then settled back in her chair. "Thank you," for eating. She worried when he drank without eating!

And possibly for giving her time?

And for telling her at all?

She was kind of giving a blanket thanks right now until she figured things out.

[sliceitwithwind]

He nodded and said, "Thanks." in return.

For listening. For braiding his hair. For not telling him he was sick and running him out of her house and life.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Dork."

WHEN IN DOUBT USE SIMPLE LANGUAGE!

"I'm going to hit you at some point, I'm pretty sure. When I figure things out."

[sliceitwithwind]

"Kinda expecting it." he admitted, "I don't, like, want things to be totally different, you know? Either way. I want more, yeah, but even if you just want me the way we've always been, that's okay too."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Not different...just more." She nearly whispered and took a niiiice big swig of whiskey. It seemed to be her mantra now, since Dilan had said it.

"Hey Braig...the Halloween love triangle thing...that was before the lions right?" Just making sure it wasn't part of the...conspiracy? plot? Um, love, thing.

[sliceitwithwind]

"'Bout seven months." Braig said, looking up in confusion, "Huh?"

[mitochondriaaya]

"Just making sure. The whole town still talks about it you know." Just...making sure. Making sure.

"...still up for a barbeque next week? Either way?"

[sliceitwithwind]

He didn't answer the first bit, instead going, "Sure. Dilan was planning on going out after a deer for it."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Ohhh, fall deer and beach barbeque pits. I don't see anything wrong with that!" So, next week, at least, would be good. Perhaps not awesome, not if people were...odd. But good. "You can stay here, call Dilan over if you like. I'm going to head out after dishes okay?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Nah. I think I'm going to go call Pierce up and challenge him to a couple dozen games of pool."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Pierce totally had plans to play old video games tonight." She was just saying in case there was a counter challenge! "And...don't be too mopey. He'll ask what's bothering you." And if Braig was honest, well, Pierce wasn't going to go tell other cops, but he would get Braig more booze and...

...and last time that happened she'd gotten calls from Buffalo.

[sliceitwithwind]

"Yeah, yeah. I'll wash if you'll dry." It was the ONE chore that Dilan would let him do. Lazy as he was, it rankled to not do anything at all.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Deal. Up dear." She reached across the table to tweak his nose and gathered dishes. "Do not call me from Buffalo. It's hard to coordinate with people there for bail."

[sliceitwithwind]

"I promise not to call you from Buffalo." They'll end up in Toronto, without bus-fare back.

He washed with Dilan-approved thoroughness and then kissed her forehead on the way out to collect Pierce, a lot more alcohol, and maybe a little bit of his self-confidence back.

[mitochondriaaya]

And Aya fretted and tugged his braid and told him to be careful as she locked up and headed down the street. A few blocks to the house she'd mainly grew up in! It was barely nine in the evening, people would certainly still be awake, and the lights said as much...

Nope, no knocking, just walking in, kicking her shoes off and 'Elssssssyyyyyyyyyyyy! HELP!"

[sliceitwithwind]

"I'm in the kitchen, Aya. Is this a chocolate help, or do I need to go get Nevada's old guns?" She was a decent shot! More importantly, though, she was good at backup.

[mitochondriaaya]

"CHOCOLATE! I'm not allowed to shoot Braig!" Just for the record. She made it to the kitchen without really registering the rooms between then found herself sitting at the kitchen table, head down on the polished wood. "I don't know what to do. I'm dating Dilan. And Braig...twenty years! Since I was six!"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Well, no. I prefer my son un-perforated. It's hard enough dealing with Dilan's tendency towards that." Elcy's hands pulled down the store of emergency chocolate and she tossed the small box towards Aya, "Well, yes dear. He finally told you, then."

[mitochondriaaya]

"He's slowing down on the piercings!" Aya exclaimed, just, well, reactionary. The piercings bothered her, so she had to say something reassuring!

Blink.

Catch chocolate.

Blink.

"YES!"

[sliceitwithwind]

"And you are panicking because you're not sure how to deal with it." Elcy continued without missing a beat, "So I have only one question for you."

"Do you want to have sex with my son?"

[mitochondriaaya]

"No. Yes. I DON'T KNOW I HAVE A BOYFRIEND!"

Chocolate. TOTALLY CHOCOLATE TIME.

"I thought, a long time ago...maybe."

[sliceitwithwind]

"Yes, but that boyfriend is Dilan." Elcy went back to the meal she'd been making when Aya got there, "And you know that he adores both of you beyond reason, so that wasn't what I asked. I asked if you wanted to have sex with Braig.

"The boys love you, the boys love each other, you love the boys. The question isn't do you love him, it's just what do you want from him?"

[mitochondriaaya]

"Braig is...Braig." Attractive beyond reason, egotistical to the point of requiring slaps. Braig. "I don't know how to do that! I tried! HOW DO I PICK ONE?!"