Title: Steadying
Author: OpheliacAngel
Characters: Thomas, David
Genres: Family/Hurt/Comfort
Rating: Teen
Summary: He would not willingly put his son in the line of fire; it would be his final mistake in David's eyes.
A/N: Fill for h/c_bingo Round 7 for the prompt 'taking care of somebody'. Set during Underworld: Awakening, this is an expansion of the scene where David dies, before and after Selene revives him. Not gonna lie, these two totally made the movie for me. I'm a sucker for father and son relationships, and especially have a thing for protective fathers. Charles Dance's Thomas was a refreshing contrast to Bill Nighy's Victor, though mainly I'm just addicted to Theo James :)
Thomas paced the length of the shelter, hard-pressed to leave his son behind in the chaos despite warning him to pay heed, that he and the others who were not young and foolish would retreat. While his son's own tender age, Thomas had been just as strong-willed and itching for a fight, but times had changed. Worse, they had been annihilated. David was strong, nonetheless, and while he would not be victorious in his reckless endeavors, he would return.
Whilst often prudent, Thomas would pay no mind to other fates.
The door opened then, and even though the young hybrid girl was pushed first into the room, Thomas could see no one but his son. He tensed considerably at the girl's presence, though when David stepped into the light he relaxed enough to cease his pacing. He stepped forward in near jubilant belief, not stopping even when he noticed the blood his son was covered in, even while his gaze raked over David quickly. The wound was at his neck, flesh torn from his shoulder: gaping, still spilling blood, dark and horrible. Blood was what they lived by, what they swore to, but nothing was more terrible than seeing it leak out of his only son.
"David!"
Thomas rushed forward to support him before he fell, swaying violently as soon as the girl was out of his hold. Olivia stepped forward to grab her, whispering soothing words of nonsense, and she was fortunate Thomas granted her that as angry as he was. "What happened?" Thomas swore, irritated further at David refusing to allow his own father to take much of his weight. David hated vulnerability just as well as he did, but the vampire elder knew upon first glance that his wounds were fatal. Now was not the time to shy away from aid, especially since it would be so short-lived.
"Too many," David replied, blood staining his every word, his every breath. "Selene said to keep her safe."
"Give her to me!"
Thomas could not be blamed: lashing out, raging at the girl who was solely responsible for these events even though he knew they were out of her control. Still, he wouldn't kill her. He would hand her over as a peace offering to preserve the pitiful remainder - it was no question at this point considering the manner of David's return - of his people. He would order the lycans to take the girl and leave them be and would refuse to show any morsel of fear to those beasts, but he would not willingly put his son in the line of fire.
David struggled weakly as Thomas set out with the girl kept securely in his hold, but his strength was fading quickly and he was no match for Thomas, who had handed him over to Olivia for safekeeping.
As far as Thomas was concerned, this was his only choice. He had a responsibility to his people, one that far outweighed a fleeting duty to protect the girl until she fled with that Death Dealer.
David would not live long enough to fault him for this, something he should not have been forced to feel grateful for.
It would be his final mistake in David's eyes.
The vampire elder laid a steadying hand on his son's shoulder; he feared needing the physical contact even more than his son did. Still, despite the lack of privacy with the remainder of the clan hovering in the background, he would not deprive his son of the last vestiges of comfort he would be able to receive.
He and David had their faults throughout David's painfully short existence, though Thomas was proud to say he had never been ashamed of his son. David was everything and more than he had been at his own age: strong, passionate, determined. And that Selene had gotten him killed. Implanted in a world she no longer believed in, tainting his son's mind and ultimately betraying him. Where was she now? How would she pay?
David, stubbornly headstrong, had willingly put himself before Selene and her daughter, but Thomas would not begrudge him that as his only boy lay broken and bleeding beside him, only capable of breathing his last breaths. Each rapid, heaving breath David drew was a further reminder of how Thomas had failed his son, of the remaining years he would have to face without his mother and him. Each breath was a physical stab at his own carefully guarded heart.
Furthermore, David didn't want to look at him as if ashamed, as if too apologetic to say goodbye.
He knew that Thomas loved him; despite their quarrels, that love and pride had never faded. Despite that closely guarded heart, Thomas had never been a cold father. His first priority was David, his second the coven, though he had never forcefully stopped David from going down his own path, which perhaps skewed his priorities. Not enough for him to doubt that David knew.
Which is why his son wouldn't look. As much as he was killing his father.
Thomas' hand was physically to keep David still in his restless and weakening state, yet it was more of a comfort than anything else. To let David know that he would not abandon him, despite the unfortunate fact that their disagreements had led them to this.
And then she entered the room.
"David?"
Dimly aware of what his slightly quivering hands were doing, they closed David's eyelids over brown, unseeing eyes. Thomas could feel his entire body tremble as he gazed down at his son, having gone down another road he could not follow; regardless, he knew that now was scarcely the time to mourn his son.
She was gone, leaving nothing but destruction in her wake.
And his son was dead.
"What are you doing?"
Thomas watched Selene closely as her hand entered her son's now broken chest cavity. He doubted he drew a breath for the length of her procedure, whatever she thought she was doing. And then David gasped and moved, drawing in a breath, his brown eyes opening and finding hers, and Thomas could not move because he dared not believe it.
"David."
As soon as the Death Dealer exited, Thomas immediately strode over to his son and knelt down beside him again, much closer this time. Several feet away he might have maintained the illusion, but inches away from his son he could not deny the deliriously shifting gaze, nor the tremble of his shoulders and faint rippling of his chest as he continued to revive. Thomas pulled down his son's shirt and inched forward as much as he was able, instinctively wishing to soothe his discomfort. David settled fairly quickly from eyes wandering around the room to finding his father, who took his hand, squeezed it and smiled calmly.
"Easy, David," he half-reassured and half-warned. "Recover your strength again before following her."
David's eyes flickered to relate that he had heard and understood. He closed his eyes again and rested as his father's shadow shielded him.
Thomas insisted on David feeding from his own wrist, startlingly realizing he had not offered his blood to his son since David had been a mere boy. He savored the time he believed had been taken from him forever as David fed hungrily yet slowly, his appetite reassuring and stirring a similar hunger in Thomas. David's hands barely held his father's wrist, though it was hardly needed as Thomas kept his arm up of his own volition. The physical contact was good for both of them.
He had moved them to David's room so that they might have some privacy; he realized it was for the best since - despite his recovering strength - David was still severely weakened, eyes closing every few moments only to stubbornly snap open again. Coming back from death had not been an easy feat.
And his son was a hybrid now.
"Будет ли вы отдыхаете? Теперь, когда вы доказали меня неправильно?"
It was hardly David's place to argue, even if he accomplished just that every time his leader and father spoke, yet it was apparent exhaustion that was winning in this moment. David looked up at him through heavily lidded eyes, turning his head to relate that he was full. Thomas pulled his wrist away, absently dragging his sleeve over it.
It was only then that David responded, when Thomas did his fatherly duty and pulled a blanket over him. "Хорошо отец."
Thomas nodded, placed a few blood bags within easy reach in case David woke and was hungry, and quietly exited the room.
David was at full-strength again too soon. Stronger now, Thomas reminded himself.
The words came easier than he thought they would, words that should have been spoken sooner but fit the situation all too well now. After all Thomas had strove to offer his son, this was his best gift. "You have my blessing, David." Inward, he continued to balk, albeit a quieter presence and a thinning weight now. The Death Dealer had given him back his son, and David was happy, strong, had purpose. He knew what he wanted.
"Thank you, Father." He paused in preparing his weapons, eyes turned toward the ground before shifting up to find Thomas'; even then, he seemed oddly hesitant. "I'm sorry you had to…," he cleared his throat, "watch that." The choice of words was graceless at best, though the vampire elder imagined he would not be able to put what happened into words for many laborious years. Thomas had watched his son grow, had watched his son die, and now he would watch as he lived.
Thomas pulled the coat David had taken to wearing over his son's shoulders, straightening it, admiring him clean and bloodless and tall. "I am stronger than you think," he reminded. "Just… maintain enough sense for an aging father."
David's small smile felt painlessly familiar. He gave his promise and retreated thereafter, though Thomas had a strong feeling the Death Dealer would bring his son back to him again.
FIN
A/N 2: Translation of Russian (hopefully, they're right) -
Будет ли вы отдыхаете? Теперь, когда вы доказали меня неправильно? - Will you rest? Now that you have proved me wrong?"
Хорошо отец. - Alright, Father.