Title: A Matter of Habit
Author: AnnieVH
Summary: Victor and Martin have a conversation after he's introduced to Danny.
Rating: PG
Genre: AU, romance, angsty, family
Characters or Pairing: Victor Fitzgerald, Martin, implied Martin/Danny
Prompts:
from boho_beata : WaT - Martin introduces Danny to his father as more than a friend for the first time.
Warning: slash
Spoilers: none really.
Disclaimer: don't own, just borrow.
Notes: written for an LJ FicBattle.
Victor found his son a few hours later, when the office was empty and the sky outside was already black. Martin was bent over his laptop, typing and looking at files and pages of someone's horible handwrinting. He didn't look up until his father called, "Working late?"
Martin raised his head to find him standing by his desk, holding the suitcase tight and the coat thrown over his right forearm. Rubbed his eyes. "Lost sense of time I guess."
"What are you doing?" Victor asked, not really interested, but just to prevent him from going back to typing and letting him standing alone and quiet in the dark office.
"Finishing my report. Which, due to several twists and witnesses and poorly scrawled statements, is taking me forever."
"Hm" Victor nodded. Stared at the night outside for a moment. Martin turned back to the screen, asking, coldly, "You wanted something?"
"No, just came to say goodbye."
"Hm-hm. Did you like Danny?"
That took his father by surprise and he didn't answer rightaway. Martin looked up again, his eyes filled with sarcasm and coldness. Got you.
Victor, however, took in some air and said, "I didn't come here to spy on you, if that's what you're asking."
"It's not." And turned back to his typing. "You'd rather call Jack or Alex or anyone else to do that."
"It's not like you gave me much on your own."
"I called you." Martin stated with simplicity.
"You called your mother and you asked her to tell me."
"And then I called you and you didn't call me back."
"Can you please stop typing and have a conversation with me?"
Martin let go the keyboard and swirled the chair to face his father. He seemed surprised of how easy it was to get his son's attention.
"So?" Asked Martin.
"I didn't come here to spy on you and your... partner."
Martin hated that word, and so did Victor, but for very different reasons. Martin thought it was too vague, while Victor thought it left too many words implied. Cop partner. Life partner. Bed partner. Though, in his lips, it sounded better than boyfriend.
They let it as it was and Victor went on. "The office is the last place I'd like to meet him socially."
"I know."
"I don't think you do."
"No, I do, I think you're right. That was not the way I wanted you to meet Danny."
Victor blinked and tried to see if Martin was serious. He was. "Then why are you mad?"
"Because when you bumped into us, you looked like you were about to turn the other way and run."
Victor lied, "That's not true."
"Dad, I thought you'd go through a wall of glass not to talk to Danny."
"But I did."
Now Martin smirked. "Yes, those were pleasent five minutes of awkward silence you guys got going on."
Victor tapped his suitcase. Opened his mouth and closed it again, unsure of what to say. Martin sighed. "You really hate this."
Victor worked hard to keep disapproval out of his voice. "I thought it had been a one time thing. I thought you were done with it."
"You thought or you hoped?" Martin asked, coldly.
His father didn't answer. Instead he said, "He seems to be a good man and I understand that you like him. I respect that. I do not think any less of you for that."
Martin raised his voice a bit. "I'd see it better if I saw that you are trying."
"I am trying." Victor snapped, upset. "I know you think I should be feeling wonderfully good about it because we've gone through this once when you were at college, but you spent the past 15 years bringing girls home. I think I'm entitled to ask that you give me some time to get used to it."
Martin nodded, but said nothing, so his father added, "You know I can deal with it. I've done it before." Sounded more like he was reassuring himself, and not Martin.
Not very well, Martin thought, remembering the first night he brought Bobby home, over 15 years ago. His father sat stiff all night and hardly said a word, but at least he tried to smile and tried to be nice. When the relationship was over a few months later, he even tried (though, failled) not to look too relieved.
Out loud, he decided to give the old man a break and said, "I know."
"Good."
"Good."
Victor let no words hang in the air for a moment and shook his arms, as if to prevent his coat from falling on the floor. Martin asked, "So you'll let me know when you're ready to meet Danny?"
"I promise."
"And you promise it won't take long."
"I'll do my best."
Martin nodded and hid his disbelief by saying, "I gotta finish this."
"I gotta get some sleep. My plane leaves early in the morning, so I better go..."
"Okay." And turned again to the laptop. "Have a good flight."
"Thank you. And go home. You don't wanna turn into Jack Malone."
"Will do." Was the authomatic response.
Victor knew he'd spend a couple more hours in the office, but decided not to criticize. Kid had probably taken after him. "I'll tell your mother that you're looking well." And turned to leave.
"I am well." Martin said, behind his back, a little defensive, but still distant.
Victor thought about that as he walked away and decided it was true. And in the end, that was all that mattered.