A Balance of Harmonies: A Thousand Pounds
Apr. 28th, 2013 10:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
frogs_of_warI’m exhausted and I haven’t even started the two crazy weeks between now and Mother’s Day. One of our helpers is on vacation for the next three weeks and another leaves the Friday before Mother’s Day and the third is needed as a checker for several of the days, so this years it mostly just going to be me and my manager. We won’t even have anyone to cover our lunches on the Saturday before (which is also prom) since she arrives at 6am and someone (and I’m the only one left) has to stick around until 9pm. That day would be so much nicer with five people in the department.
Title: A Thousand Pounds
Series: A Balance of Harmonies (Three)
Status: Chapter one hundred eighteen of 150?
Genre: m/m romance, drama, city life, businessmen
Rating: R
Content: dragon, art, standing his ground, a good image, family love, interrogation, hopeful faces, enthusiasm, reflection
Length: about 1,300 words
Summary: Kurt feels the love. Emil holds his breath. Peregrine saves the world one child at a time.
Master list
Emil held his breath. Condo was officially complete, save for the art and today Kurt’s dragon was being installed. The dragon was gorgeous. The green color flowed like a river through it, filling in different places depending on the angle it was seen from. The two hearts, one dark pink and one purple-blue, seemed to beat viewed through the ripple of dragon scales.
These men were pros, hired by Mike, who had used them many times and trusted them, but Emil was having a hard time breathing. He clinched his fists as he sat on the platform. Under normal circumstances, he would have left them to their work, but this was Kurt’s art. The first item he’d made for the three of them and practically the first art he’d made in a dozen years. Emil couldn’t turn his eyes away.
The workmen put in the last bolt that held the dragon suspended from the ceiling and then the foreman turned to Emil with a grin. “You can breathe now.”
“Thanks.” Emil blushed. “I’m sorry. I know you do good work.”
“Thank you for saying so. Part of our job is to reassure the owner that we won’t damaged the art or anything else. I guess we failed this time.”
“No. No. I just…” Emil sighed. “He made it for me.”
The foreman grinned and followed his men out the door. They had cleaned up after themselves beautiful. Emil got his laptop and worked on his picture book, smiling up at the dragon from time to time. When Green Dragon got home from work, this little Blue Monkey knew exactly what game he wanted to play.
--
Kurt answered the call from his sister.
“Mom said she sent you an earlier ticket.”
Kurt sighed. “I’m flying on my own ticket.” He was attending Christmas, which should have been enough for his mother. “But you don’t have to tell her that.”
“Can I say you received it?”
“Only to get yourself out of a bind.”
Clara sighed. “I should follow your example and move to the west coast. Only then Mom might follow us.”
She must be really irritated because she normally got on quite well with their mother.
“What if you move to Europe? Didn’t you always want to live in Paris?”
Clara laughed. “You think I could talk my husband into that?”
She could talk Todd into anything. The guy had married her, hadn’t he, after he’d met her mother.
“I just wanted to let you know, I found you a bed, even if you fly in Christmas Eve at midnight and fly out early Boxing Day. My kids really miss you, so you’re going to stay on the Murphy bed in our family room.”
“I am?” Why was he so rarely bothered when Clara made plans for him? If his mother had done the same thing, he’d be climbing the walls.
“Yes. We bought the bed with you in mind. It is extra long and will hold up to a thousand pounds, so even if the guy you’re with is as big as you, you should have no problem. You could even bring a friend and you’d all fit.”
Kurt grinned at that image. “You know I’m coming alone.”
“I know. But I want you to feel that at least one person in this family loves you exactly the way you are. Do you have a second to speak to the kids?”
Kurt did. Clara turned on the speaker phone after the older two argued over who got to talk to Kurt first. As they told him about not seeing him at Thanksgiving and crying and their parents picking out the bed just for him that was a secret from Grandma until Christmas and how much they wanted to see him, he felt the love over the phone lines. Maybe Christmas wouldn’t be all bad after all.
--
Peregrine surveyed the four boys. “You know who stuck the potato in the auditor’s tail pipe.”
“It wasn’t us!”
Peregrine kept his mouth closed until all four were fidgeting. “I didn’t say it was you. What did I say?”
These kids were all new to the shelter. This year they wouldn’t be spending the winter nights out of the wind and rain. Too many children were still on the streets. The smallest boy wore the biggest puppy dog eyes Peregrine had ever seen. “Will we be kicked out?”
“For knowing something? No.”
The tallest kid, who was stick thin even after a month of good food, wrung his hands. “Will he lose his place in line?”
Peregrine patted the kid’s shoulder. “Tell me.”
They all did. They had been trying to find a family, some of them for years, and they’d learn to protect and rely on each other. With winter coming, the kids on the street longer had insisted that the younger ones put their name of the shelter list. The younger ones refused unless they older ones joined them. When the grant from Kurt’s work place came through and the shelter got money to add almost thirty new kids, most of the kids made it in, only the older few hadn’t. When the kids on the outside heard rumors that the shelter might close, leaving all of them back in the cold when they were so close to having warm, safe places to sleep, they had fought back in the only way they knew how.
Peregrine rubbed backs and passed out tissues. His hearts ached for them. “No, no one’s going to lose their place in line. The incident happened at her gym, so it can’t be traced back to us, but please tell them not to get involved. How many more need beds?”
The smallest kid looked at his feet and then up though his eyelashes. “We want to be together.”
Peregrine nodded. “I’m sure you do.”
“But some of us are girls…”
Which meant that they couldn’t all be together at this single gender shelter. But maybe Andre knew something. “I’ll see what I can do.”
He hadn’t seen so many hopeful faces in a while. The smallest one gave him a hug. He patted the kid’s back. He was going to do right by these children, no matter what it took.
--
Emil lay in the middle of the bed as Kurt read Emil’s picture book story to Peregrine. They were coming up with pictures for the book and brainstorming ideas for the covers. Emil felt a boost in his heart. His men weren’t just indulging him, they wanted to do this. He could tell by the way they occasionally forgot, until they’d agreed on something, to ask him what he thought. He still had the final say and they always gave him that, but he liked their ideas. He might even change one scene to fit with their idea for the picture.
He cuddled up against Kurt. Peregrine showed off the sketch of Blue Monkey in Big Tree looking forlornly at the sky. Emil could feel his longing. Emil no longer felt that way himself. Kurt had taught him—and reminded Peregrine—how to fly.
--
Peregrine finished the sky of the first picture book painting. He’d hurt Emil a lot during their time together. The simple story laid it all out in black and white. He needed to be a better boyfriend just like his mom said. He kept telling himself that he was going the best he could, but he knew that was a lie. He relied on Kurt too much. Much too much.
Title: A Thousand Pounds
Series: A Balance of Harmonies (Three)
Status: Chapter one hundred eighteen of 150?
Genre: m/m romance, drama, city life, businessmen
Rating: R
Content: dragon, art, standing his ground, a good image, family love, interrogation, hopeful faces, enthusiasm, reflection
Length: about 1,300 words
Summary: Kurt feels the love. Emil holds his breath. Peregrine saves the world one child at a time.
Master list
Emil held his breath. Condo was officially complete, save for the art and today Kurt’s dragon was being installed. The dragon was gorgeous. The green color flowed like a river through it, filling in different places depending on the angle it was seen from. The two hearts, one dark pink and one purple-blue, seemed to beat viewed through the ripple of dragon scales.
These men were pros, hired by Mike, who had used them many times and trusted them, but Emil was having a hard time breathing. He clinched his fists as he sat on the platform. Under normal circumstances, he would have left them to their work, but this was Kurt’s art. The first item he’d made for the three of them and practically the first art he’d made in a dozen years. Emil couldn’t turn his eyes away.
The workmen put in the last bolt that held the dragon suspended from the ceiling and then the foreman turned to Emil with a grin. “You can breathe now.”
“Thanks.” Emil blushed. “I’m sorry. I know you do good work.”
“Thank you for saying so. Part of our job is to reassure the owner that we won’t damaged the art or anything else. I guess we failed this time.”
“No. No. I just…” Emil sighed. “He made it for me.”
The foreman grinned and followed his men out the door. They had cleaned up after themselves beautiful. Emil got his laptop and worked on his picture book, smiling up at the dragon from time to time. When Green Dragon got home from work, this little Blue Monkey knew exactly what game he wanted to play.
--
Kurt answered the call from his sister.
“Mom said she sent you an earlier ticket.”
Kurt sighed. “I’m flying on my own ticket.” He was attending Christmas, which should have been enough for his mother. “But you don’t have to tell her that.”
“Can I say you received it?”
“Only to get yourself out of a bind.”
Clara sighed. “I should follow your example and move to the west coast. Only then Mom might follow us.”
She must be really irritated because she normally got on quite well with their mother.
“What if you move to Europe? Didn’t you always want to live in Paris?”
Clara laughed. “You think I could talk my husband into that?”
She could talk Todd into anything. The guy had married her, hadn’t he, after he’d met her mother.
“I just wanted to let you know, I found you a bed, even if you fly in Christmas Eve at midnight and fly out early Boxing Day. My kids really miss you, so you’re going to stay on the Murphy bed in our family room.”
“I am?” Why was he so rarely bothered when Clara made plans for him? If his mother had done the same thing, he’d be climbing the walls.
“Yes. We bought the bed with you in mind. It is extra long and will hold up to a thousand pounds, so even if the guy you’re with is as big as you, you should have no problem. You could even bring a friend and you’d all fit.”
Kurt grinned at that image. “You know I’m coming alone.”
“I know. But I want you to feel that at least one person in this family loves you exactly the way you are. Do you have a second to speak to the kids?”
Kurt did. Clara turned on the speaker phone after the older two argued over who got to talk to Kurt first. As they told him about not seeing him at Thanksgiving and crying and their parents picking out the bed just for him that was a secret from Grandma until Christmas and how much they wanted to see him, he felt the love over the phone lines. Maybe Christmas wouldn’t be all bad after all.
--
Peregrine surveyed the four boys. “You know who stuck the potato in the auditor’s tail pipe.”
“It wasn’t us!”
Peregrine kept his mouth closed until all four were fidgeting. “I didn’t say it was you. What did I say?”
These kids were all new to the shelter. This year they wouldn’t be spending the winter nights out of the wind and rain. Too many children were still on the streets. The smallest boy wore the biggest puppy dog eyes Peregrine had ever seen. “Will we be kicked out?”
“For knowing something? No.”
The tallest kid, who was stick thin even after a month of good food, wrung his hands. “Will he lose his place in line?”
Peregrine patted the kid’s shoulder. “Tell me.”
They all did. They had been trying to find a family, some of them for years, and they’d learn to protect and rely on each other. With winter coming, the kids on the street longer had insisted that the younger ones put their name of the shelter list. The younger ones refused unless they older ones joined them. When the grant from Kurt’s work place came through and the shelter got money to add almost thirty new kids, most of the kids made it in, only the older few hadn’t. When the kids on the outside heard rumors that the shelter might close, leaving all of them back in the cold when they were so close to having warm, safe places to sleep, they had fought back in the only way they knew how.
Peregrine rubbed backs and passed out tissues. His hearts ached for them. “No, no one’s going to lose their place in line. The incident happened at her gym, so it can’t be traced back to us, but please tell them not to get involved. How many more need beds?”
The smallest kid looked at his feet and then up though his eyelashes. “We want to be together.”
Peregrine nodded. “I’m sure you do.”
“But some of us are girls…”
Which meant that they couldn’t all be together at this single gender shelter. But maybe Andre knew something. “I’ll see what I can do.”
He hadn’t seen so many hopeful faces in a while. The smallest one gave him a hug. He patted the kid’s back. He was going to do right by these children, no matter what it took.
--
Emil lay in the middle of the bed as Kurt read Emil’s picture book story to Peregrine. They were coming up with pictures for the book and brainstorming ideas for the covers. Emil felt a boost in his heart. His men weren’t just indulging him, they wanted to do this. He could tell by the way they occasionally forgot, until they’d agreed on something, to ask him what he thought. He still had the final say and they always gave him that, but he liked their ideas. He might even change one scene to fit with their idea for the picture.
He cuddled up against Kurt. Peregrine showed off the sketch of Blue Monkey in Big Tree looking forlornly at the sky. Emil could feel his longing. Emil no longer felt that way himself. Kurt had taught him—and reminded Peregrine—how to fly.
--
Peregrine finished the sky of the first picture book painting. He’d hurt Emil a lot during their time together. The simple story laid it all out in black and white. He needed to be a better boyfriend just like his mom said. He kept telling himself that he was going the best he could, but he knew that was a lie. He relied on Kurt too much. Much too much.
