Devotion
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A drabble about what Caleb might see, watching Norma and Norman. Incest head.
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Caleb watched them circling each other as dinner was finished, recalling the events prior. Norman had hovered over his mother like a bodyguard after he'd come up from the basement, helping with every step of the process. When dinner was served, Norman had forced him out of his chosen chair to take the coveted place next to Norma. Throughout the evening, Norman was solicitous of her needs, there to assist with every tiny thing, and he thought he recognized the behavior.
It was disconcerting. He'd been the only one he remembered helping Norma this way, but the dynamic between the two was so much more intense, and he thought he knew why. His sister looked upon her youngest son with a expression of complete devotion that she'd never bestowed upon him, and Norman returned a look of reverence and love. They whirled around each other in an undefined dance, and Caleb hated every second of it, remembering the strange night that Norman Bates had confronted him as Norma. He worried his sister was in danger.
After dessert, Caleb tried to be helpful, stacking several plates together and taking them to the kitchen. As he rounded the corner, he paused, hiding behind the edge of the entrance to see what his sister and nephew were doing.
They were standing in front of the stove, pressed together. Norman's hand was squeezing indecently at her backside, his lips pressed into her neck; she was arching into him and laughing in a bright and happy way that he hadn't heard in too long. "Not when people might see," Norma whispered, pressing Norman closer just the same.
"You're irresistible," her son moaned back, holding her close. He looked up, locking eyes with his uncle. Defiant. Challenging.
"Oh," she said quietly, lingering a moment longer, oblivious to their silent interaction. "Later, honey…" They pulled apart, both clearly reluctant, and Caleb moved back so Norma wouldn't see him watching.
After they had separated, Caleb announced himself, placing the dishes in the sink and retreating to the parlor. A sickening stab of betrayal hit him unwanted. Norma hadn't been his in years, had never really been his. He watched them through the night, ignoring the hateful glances Norman gave him. This was what he'd always wanted with Norma, but she'd found it with someone else.
He knew it didn't matter if he told her about he confrontation with Norman; his violence, his danger, his psychosis. She wouldn't care enough to stop what they were doing; or perhaps she would care too much to stop it.
There was nothing he could do to save her, and it killed him.
~fin