Telling

[Trillian]

She hugged him back, and looked over his shoulder at Vincent, who specially looked away.  He didn't want any meaningful looks given to him while she was embracing her son.  It didn't feel right.  Once Owen pulled away and made a noise about going, Vincent stood up fluidly.  He wondered when he would get a chance to talk to Karen, and knew that he would have to find one, somewhere, and soon.

"Have a nice time," she said automatically.  The surprise on her face after the words came out were enough to amuse Vincent, though ironically.  He thanked her softly and the pair of them left.  Peripherally, as they went out the front door, he saw her going for her tea again.

He strolled with Owen down the front walk to the street and past the huge hydrangea in the neighbouring front yard before he hugged him tightly.

"It's okay, we blindsided her.  Give her time," he said.

[Existentially Odd]

He hitched in a sob just because it had all gone so badly and he loved Vincent so much and he was so confused and being treated tenderly at last.  He clung to the vampire, squeezing him for all he was worth as he pressed his face into the curve of his shoulder, feeling like a child as tears besieged him.  "I didn't... expect... it to h-h-hurt like this," he confessed.  "She knows you, it should've been easy, I dunno' why she's being such a bitch!" he despaired, doing his best not to get snot all over Vincent's clothing.

It occurred to him that he hadn't technically even told Vincent he loved him in an 'in love' kind of way, as the feeling stormed through him so powerfully he felt like it might be radiating from him like a rainbow.

[Trillian]

Vincent, who knew exactly what Karen was thinking and had been unable to say, couldn't do more than stroke Owen's back and make soothing noises.

"I'ts a mother's instinct to be protective of her child, even when he's a man," Vincent explained quietly, still hugging Owen close.  He knew now that even if Karen was terribly against them, Owen would still be his.  It made his spirits soar as well as plummeted them.  He didn't want to lose her, either.  They'd been through so much together.  She didn't deserve to lose Owen this way.  If he could talk to her, explain his side without having to hold back, she might come around and they could all arrive at a natural conclusion.  "She knows how easily someone like me can influence-"

someone like you

"-mortals," he finished, lamely.

[Existentially Odd]

"Yeah, but she's always loved you!  She knows you!  She doesn't need to be protective with you, you've always protected both of us," he grumbled, settling down because of the way Vincent was patting him and speaking from a shared perspective.  "The way she said you angled for this, it's like she believes you took advantage of me!  Like you took me on a holiday just to seduce me, but I could hardly tell her it was my idea - well, I tried, but, ugh, I couldn't really ram that home," he said, calm enough to pull back from Vincent.

Proving his age, he heard what he said and immediately attached a dirtier meaning to the words and laughed, despite himself.  He grinned at Vincent with tears lacing his lashes, swiping the back of his hand beneath his nose.  "I didn't mean that the way it sounded," he admitted cheekily, and giggled again.

[Trillian]

Vincent was nodding, and hadn't made the connection with Owen's unintended double entendre until after he giggled and justified himself.  Vincent at first frowned at him, then gave him a crooked grin, hoping that this meant Owen wouldn't lament his mother's reaction all night.

"Of course you didn't," he said seriously, then the grin returned.  "Did you want to go out and catch a show?"

A show meant a movie, but he figured Owen might request they spend most of their night in Vincent's bed.  The desire to have sex was lost on him for the moment, considering the thoughts about Karen and the quick talking he'd have to perform in order to diffuse that situation.

[Existentially Odd]

Still feeling drained from their encounter with his mother, Owen concurred with a sigh.  "Yes, anything, I don't care as long as I get to eat soon and do something that will help me forget that I have to come back here and maybe get lectured later," he grimaced, grabbing Vincent's hand and cuddling in against him.  A movie would be good, be alone with Vincent would be better but he would take what he could get from now on.  It seemed he might need to learn the art of discretion after all.

[Trillian]

*

IT WAS TWO NIGHTS LATER before Vincent managed to get Karen to himself.  Owen was out on an errand she'd sent him on before she'd called Vincent.  He'd mentally sent to her in the midst of her anger that he'd wanted a moment to speak with her alone, and she'd made a small noise of affirmation.  Now that she was calling him over, he was grateful she respected him enough to hear him out.

They were in the kitchen together, because after answering the door the kettle had whistled and she'd gone to fetch it.  Vincent followed after her and then pondered the intelligence of his idea to follow an angry woman into a room full of sharp objects.  It was a small joke he'd made to himself, for he knew that she'd never attack him in such a way (and knew that such an attack would be futile, in any event), but he couldn't shake the feeling that she wanted to throw a butcher's knife at his head.

She poured herself a tea before putting the kettle back on its stand, and then stared at him expectantly.  He hadn't realised he was supposed to have started talking, so he started now, under her stern gaze.

"I didn't plan on it."

This was apparently the wrong thing to say, because she gestured grandly with her arms and knocked her teacup into the sink where it shattered.

"What the fuck, Vincent?!"

He was caught between being shocked at her language and checking that she hadn't burned or cut herself when she'd knocked the cup down.  She looked at the mess in the sink, and lifted her hand to inspect it.  Vincent looked at it too, glad that she hadn't hurt herself and feeling surreal that a woman facing fifty would swear.  Of course it was a stupid thing to think, because he swore, and he was much older than her.  It was the first time he'd ever heard her utter a profanity, however.

She continued on in a much more sedate fashion, leaning her hip against the bench and folding her arms together.

"You plan everything," she said.  "I didn't even know you liked boys," she added accusingly.  He decided to ignore that comment and responded to the first one.

"You know I've only ever wanted a companion, a friend.  Not necessarily a lover."

"Did I?"

"That's not fair."

"Neither is your taking advantage of a boy who uses you as a-"

"He's not a boy, anymore.  You said so yourself," he interrupted, not wanting Karen to say anything that she would regret and he couldn't forget.  "He's capable of making his own decisions."

"Only when armed with the truth."

He was angry at her now, she was being unreasonable and he could feel resentment burning inside of him at her.  To repeat Owen's complaint; why this? Why was this such a big deal?  They were going to be together forever, surely she could've foreseen that this might've been a possibility?  But of course she didn't, because as she'd stated, she hadn't even known he liked boys.

"Are you going to tell him the truth?" he argued quietly, mirroring her pose without realising as he leant against the counter facing her and folded his arms across his chest.  "Are you going to tell him that we set him up?"

She glanced around herself guiltily, as though worried Owen might walk in at any moment.  Of course Vincent would hear him coming.  They were well and truly alone in the house, and their voices weren't raised.

"That's unnecessary."

"But that's what you're accusing me of.  You're not considering the fact that maybe I love him.  I love him so much that I couldn't deny him."

"You make it sound like..." she looked confused, then, thinking back to what Owen had told her the other night.

"You know I want nothing but the best for him.  You know that I wouldn't make a rash decision.  You know me," he said, and dropped his pose in order to prod himself in the chest with his fingers.  "Do you really believe I would go through all that I have, just for sex?"

She looked like he'd slapped her, as her eyes teared up.

"Oh, Karen," he said, feeling like a bastard because he knew she was smart enough to understand this meant Owen would leave her sooner rather than later.  He stepped forward and embraced her, and for a long moment she stood as she was, awkwardly in his hold, until her arms shifted and moved around him as well.  There hadn't been the same passion, the same anger in her eyes tonight as there had on the night Owen explained the nature of their changed relationship to her.  She had obviously calmed down and reasoned some of the way herself, but Vincent had obviously needed to defend himself, before she could accept it.  She said something that was too muffled for him to make out, even with his superior hearing.  He pulled back and she repeated herself.

"He's going to want to live with you."

"Yes. He's already asked."

Her eyes were red rimmed from fallen tears, but she hadn't sobbed.  Her nose was also red, and she plucked and swiped at his jumper where she'd wet it with tears and snot.  Surprisingly, she didn't say anything, so he thought to repeat himself with the most meaningful part of their conversation.

"I love him, Karen.  More than I imagined I could.  I would do anything for him."

She nodded, but couldn't meet his eyes, so he hugged her again and was relieved.