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freakykatTitle: Time Changes
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
freakykat
Character: Holden
Rating: G
Word Count: 735
Summary: Some things never change. Some things do.
Disclaimer: Don't own anyone or anything
Author's Notes: Written forindigo_5 as a prize for winning the Seven Truths/Three Lies meme on my LJ. Prompt was: Holden centric fic - with the boys, or one of the boys or thinking about the boys. Hope you like this, Rachel. ♥ No beta. All mistakes mine. Feedback appreciated.
Time Changes
Holden shifts the truck into park, rolling his shoulder to loosen the tense muscles, and leans his head back against the headrest. No matter the distance or the amount of time that passes, dealing with Lily exhausted him. He still wonders how they got where they were. Two people that meant the world to one another relegated to friendly strangers raising children, different homes, different lives. It’s been too long now to change it.
But he still wonders.
He glances out through the windshield, takes in the fading twilight, the shape of the barn, the fields beyond. He rolls down his window, takes a deep breath - all the smells comforting, easing pain. This was his one constant: his home and his horses.
Maybe he would take a walk, clear his head…
Holden opens his truck door, feet crunching on the fallen leaves from the huge oak trees that lined the driveway. He makes a note to rake them up, start the routine for autumn. Start stocking up for winter. He stops halfway up the path, dimmed light from the house makes him pause. Nobody was home. Or at least they weren’t supposed to be.
Mama had church, Natalie and Ethan were with Lily, Meg was on a date and Maeve had convinced Janet to have a girls night out. He smiles a little. He does that a lot more often these days.
He changes direction, heads toward the house and smiles when he recognizes a familiar car parked out of the way of the drive. He reaches the porch, sheds his jacket and opens the door, stepping into the kitchen.
Head turns at the sound, eyes finding his, smiles. “Hey, Dad.”
Holden grins at that. It wasn’t new anymore. Seven years made a huge difference but he still finds it endearing and he must be getting sentimental because every time he just wants to hug the crap out of the kid for letting himself say it.
“What are you doing here, kiddo?”
This was them now: Dad and kiddo.
Noah waves his hand, soap soaked from cleaning dishes, and shrugs. “I thought I’d drop by. See if I could do anything around here.”
“Uh-huh.”
Another shrug. “I thought maybe I could help with chores or, hey, there’s the barn door that still needs fixing.”
Holden raises an eyebrow. “You’re bored and lonely without Luke around, huh?”
Noah hangs his head. “I am going out of my mind.”
Holden laughs, remembers those moments from his past, thinks about the ones that are waiting for him. He brings his attention back to his son-in-law. “He’ll be back soon.” Luke’s book tour was scheduled to end in a week.
Noah sighs. “Yeah, I know. It’s just - I miss him.”
Holden watches the blush spread from Noah’s neck up to the roots of his hair and snorts. Noah glances back at him, rolls his eyes.
“Shut up, Dad.”
“Face it, kiddo, you’re just a lost cause.”
Noah grins. “I know.”
Holden nods, points at the clock. “It’s getting late.”
“I was going to finish these and head home.”
Holden grabs hold of Noah’s shoulders, ushers him away from the sink, handing him a towel and turns off the water.
“No. We’re going out.”
“Out?”
“Yes. The place that is not inside.”
Noah gives him that look that tells him he is really trying hard not to roll his eyes.
“You’re just on a roll tonight.”
Holden grins, gently pushing Noah to the door. “Everyone else is out. If I let you go home, you’ll just lumber around the place feeling all - what’s the word you kids used all the time - was it emo?”
Noah lets out a bark of a laugh, hiding his face. “Oh my god.”
“You know it’s true. It’s my duty as your father-in-law to make sure my son doesn’t come home to a depressed, starving husband.”
He watches the emotions flicker over Noah’s face. So many years and the kid still didn’t quite believe he was loved. It was in these moments that Holden wishes he’d killed the bastard Colonel.
Noah gives the same shy smile he’d worn since he was a teenager and Holden pats his shoulder. “Come on, kiddo.”
Some things never changed.
“Thanks, Dad.”
Holden grins, ruffles the wavy hair in front of him and follows the lanky figure that heads to his truck.
And some things did.
End.
Author:
freakykatCharacter: Holden
Rating: G
Word Count: 735
Summary: Some things never change. Some things do.
Disclaimer: Don't own anyone or anything
Author's Notes: Written for
indigo_5 as a prize for winning the Seven Truths/Three Lies meme on my LJ. Prompt was: Holden centric fic - with the boys, or one of the boys or thinking about the boys. Hope you like this, Rachel. ♥ No beta. All mistakes mine. Feedback appreciated.Time Changes
Holden shifts the truck into park, rolling his shoulder to loosen the tense muscles, and leans his head back against the headrest. No matter the distance or the amount of time that passes, dealing with Lily exhausted him. He still wonders how they got where they were. Two people that meant the world to one another relegated to friendly strangers raising children, different homes, different lives. It’s been too long now to change it.
But he still wonders.
He glances out through the windshield, takes in the fading twilight, the shape of the barn, the fields beyond. He rolls down his window, takes a deep breath - all the smells comforting, easing pain. This was his one constant: his home and his horses.
Maybe he would take a walk, clear his head…
Holden opens his truck door, feet crunching on the fallen leaves from the huge oak trees that lined the driveway. He makes a note to rake them up, start the routine for autumn. Start stocking up for winter. He stops halfway up the path, dimmed light from the house makes him pause. Nobody was home. Or at least they weren’t supposed to be.
Mama had church, Natalie and Ethan were with Lily, Meg was on a date and Maeve had convinced Janet to have a girls night out. He smiles a little. He does that a lot more often these days.
He changes direction, heads toward the house and smiles when he recognizes a familiar car parked out of the way of the drive. He reaches the porch, sheds his jacket and opens the door, stepping into the kitchen.
Head turns at the sound, eyes finding his, smiles. “Hey, Dad.”
Holden grins at that. It wasn’t new anymore. Seven years made a huge difference but he still finds it endearing and he must be getting sentimental because every time he just wants to hug the crap out of the kid for letting himself say it.
“What are you doing here, kiddo?”
This was them now: Dad and kiddo.
Noah waves his hand, soap soaked from cleaning dishes, and shrugs. “I thought I’d drop by. See if I could do anything around here.”
“Uh-huh.”
Another shrug. “I thought maybe I could help with chores or, hey, there’s the barn door that still needs fixing.”
Holden raises an eyebrow. “You’re bored and lonely without Luke around, huh?”
Noah hangs his head. “I am going out of my mind.”
Holden laughs, remembers those moments from his past, thinks about the ones that are waiting for him. He brings his attention back to his son-in-law. “He’ll be back soon.” Luke’s book tour was scheduled to end in a week.
Noah sighs. “Yeah, I know. It’s just - I miss him.”
Holden watches the blush spread from Noah’s neck up to the roots of his hair and snorts. Noah glances back at him, rolls his eyes.
“Shut up, Dad.”
“Face it, kiddo, you’re just a lost cause.”
Noah grins. “I know.”
Holden nods, points at the clock. “It’s getting late.”
“I was going to finish these and head home.”
Holden grabs hold of Noah’s shoulders, ushers him away from the sink, handing him a towel and turns off the water.
“No. We’re going out.”
“Out?”
“Yes. The place that is not inside.”
Noah gives him that look that tells him he is really trying hard not to roll his eyes.
“You’re just on a roll tonight.”
Holden grins, gently pushing Noah to the door. “Everyone else is out. If I let you go home, you’ll just lumber around the place feeling all - what’s the word you kids used all the time - was it emo?”
Noah lets out a bark of a laugh, hiding his face. “Oh my god.”
“You know it’s true. It’s my duty as your father-in-law to make sure my son doesn’t come home to a depressed, starving husband.”
He watches the emotions flicker over Noah’s face. So many years and the kid still didn’t quite believe he was loved. It was in these moments that Holden wishes he’d killed the bastard Colonel.
Noah gives the same shy smile he’d worn since he was a teenager and Holden pats his shoulder. “Come on, kiddo.”
Some things never changed.
“Thanks, Dad.”
Holden grins, ruffles the wavy hair in front of him and follows the lanky figure that heads to his truck.
And some things did.
End.
