fanfic and original writing by ar (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
witticaster) wrote2008-12-26 10:52 pm
witticaster) wrote2008-12-26 10:52 pm
052
I continue to think that this is teeeerrible, but it's been well-established previously that I have a low fucking opinion of my TCLS fic, so. >> As requested previously, it's why Calla's name is Calla.
She was beautiful, in that new-babies-look-like-aliens kind of way. Their fingers look too long and their heads are shaped like they're getting ready to guest-star on a Coneheads sketch on Saturday Night Live. But she had a little head of dark hair already--I hoped it turned out to be Promise's mink brown rather than my black--and the beginnings of what looked like might be Nik's nose. Poor girl, stuck with Cyrano's beak. Her mouth was perfect, though, and when she yawned, well...if I was the kind of guy whose heart melted at hour-old infants yawning, mine would've.
I felt uncomfortable as hell holding her. After Panos was born, I managed to avoid holding him much until he was big enough that he wouldn't break if I didn't keep his head in exactly the right position. This time around, Niko didn't seem willing to let me avoid touching the baby before she could sit up alone, though. In retrospect, I was surprised Niko didn't play his trump card--that he'd figured out how to hold an infant when he was four and surely I could handle the task now--the first time around.
So there I was, holding the new baby while Niko supervised. Promise was asleep in the other room (a sleep she deserved, considering), and Panos was currently being entertained elsewhere by Robin. Loman had valiantly taken the toddler on a walk after Panos had attempted several times to inspect his little sister by poking her in the face.
"We've decided to name her Calla," Niko offered. I could hear the smile in his voice.
I glanced away from her face and up at her father's. "I thought I told you not to name any kids after me."
"And so I haven't." Nik wasn't really in the habit of smirking too much, but I couldn't describe his expression as anything else right then. He looked proud as hell, and not just because of Calla herself. "Calla lilies are Promise's favourite flower."
"Yeah, and the first syllable's just a coincidence." I was glad that all that nesting of Niko and Promise's had come to something good, yeah, but it wasn't someplace I really belonged. My idea of being domestic was throwing out pizza boxes from two weeks ago. I wanted to be Uncle Cal, but Uncle Cal with an actual child named after me? One of these things just didn't belong.
"Considering the lilies were named before you were..." Niko sat down next to Calla and me, brushing a strand of blond hair behind his ear. "Cal, you're my brother. It's important to me that I honour what family I have."
We sat in silence for a while. "All right," I finally replied, and after a pause, looked over him slyly. "You sure you don't want to call her Cyranette or something? She's gonna have your nose, after all." And if I hadn't been holding his daughter, I think I would've gotten a smack to the back of the head in response.
She was beautiful, in that new-babies-look-like-aliens kind of way. Their fingers look too long and their heads are shaped like they're getting ready to guest-star on a Coneheads sketch on Saturday Night Live. But she had a little head of dark hair already--I hoped it turned out to be Promise's mink brown rather than my black--and the beginnings of what looked like might be Nik's nose. Poor girl, stuck with Cyrano's beak. Her mouth was perfect, though, and when she yawned, well...if I was the kind of guy whose heart melted at hour-old infants yawning, mine would've.
I felt uncomfortable as hell holding her. After Panos was born, I managed to avoid holding him much until he was big enough that he wouldn't break if I didn't keep his head in exactly the right position. This time around, Niko didn't seem willing to let me avoid touching the baby before she could sit up alone, though. In retrospect, I was surprised Niko didn't play his trump card--that he'd figured out how to hold an infant when he was four and surely I could handle the task now--the first time around.
So there I was, holding the new baby while Niko supervised. Promise was asleep in the other room (a sleep she deserved, considering), and Panos was currently being entertained elsewhere by Robin. Loman had valiantly taken the toddler on a walk after Panos had attempted several times to inspect his little sister by poking her in the face.
"We've decided to name her Calla," Niko offered. I could hear the smile in his voice.
I glanced away from her face and up at her father's. "I thought I told you not to name any kids after me."
"And so I haven't." Nik wasn't really in the habit of smirking too much, but I couldn't describe his expression as anything else right then. He looked proud as hell, and not just because of Calla herself. "Calla lilies are Promise's favourite flower."
"Yeah, and the first syllable's just a coincidence." I was glad that all that nesting of Niko and Promise's had come to something good, yeah, but it wasn't someplace I really belonged. My idea of being domestic was throwing out pizza boxes from two weeks ago. I wanted to be Uncle Cal, but Uncle Cal with an actual child named after me? One of these things just didn't belong.
"Considering the lilies were named before you were..." Niko sat down next to Calla and me, brushing a strand of blond hair behind his ear. "Cal, you're my brother. It's important to me that I honour what family I have."
We sat in silence for a while. "All right," I finally replied, and after a pause, looked over him slyly. "You sure you don't want to call her Cyranette or something? She's gonna have your nose, after all." And if I hadn't been holding his daughter, I think I would've gotten a smack to the back of the head in response.