Glass and Roses
DISCLAIMER: I do not own JTHM or any of its characters. I do not own Jhonen Vasquez. I do not own anything.
CHAPTER IV
Devi slipped the key in and opened the door. "Tenna? I'm back..." There was a squeak, and Tenna's dark face appeared.
"What did he-" Her voice dropped from her mouth like a stone. "Oh..." She finally struggled to say, "Hi." Johnny nodded at her, but refused to open his mouth to return the greeting.
Tenna looked from Devi to Johnny and back again. "Do you want me to stay?" she asked anxiously.
Devi shook her head. "No...I'll just call you later, okay?" Tenna didn't seem too happy about this information, but she nodded and stepped politely past them, tossing a last glance before jumping into her car and driving off.
"I had her over to watch..." Devi started, but she stopped abruptly. She didn't need to explain anything. "Bryker!" Devi screamed, before turning to Johnny and muttering, "he's got your hate for sleep. Thanks a lot...he's a real joy around 2:35 in the morning." Johnny grinned sheepishly and scratched at the back of his neck.
"BRYKER!" Devi called again, impatience and dread ebbing at her tone.
"Coming, mama!" Johnny froze at the sound of the high-pitched airy voice that floated back down the stairs. There was a steady thunk of a child stomping down the staircase and suddenly Bryker appeared at the foot of it. "What is it?" Bryker asked, stealing a glance at the strange man beside her.
"Bryker...I'd like you to meet Johnny." There was a long pause that was slowly cutting through the air like a knife trying to cut through a coffee can. "He's your father." Silence again clogged their ears. After a brief eternity, Bryker opened his mouth.
"Bub told me you'd look like me." Johnny smiled. Bryker wasn't ashamed of him as a father. He didn't hate him. But then again, Johnny didn't think he knew what he'd done in the past. Devi scowled, never really a fan of conversations concerning Bryker's looks.
Johnny struggled to find some words in his throat. "Er...so, Bryker..." he started, but fell silent again. Bryker shuffled his foot a bit, and then blurted out,
"Do you kill people?"
Johnny went rigid. He did know. Without thinking, the word spilled out of his mouth like water from a faucet. "Yes." Devi twitched slightly, as if she refrained herself from slapping him. Bryker nodded calmly, as if he'd said yes to a question like 'do you like chocolate cream pie?'
Bryker looked at his feet and then up again. "Would you kill me or mommy?" He asked, his voice still even.
Johnny was silent for a moment. "I...I have to go." He grumbled finally, turning towards the door.
Bryker stopped him. "Would you kill me or mommy?" He repeated, slightly louder this time. Johnny turned to face him, his eyes lingering on Devi for a moment.
"No." He answered shortly, before turning back around and disappearing out the front door. Devi looked piercingly at Bryker, who grinned confidently.
"Told you." He shot at Bub, who lay idly on his side near the stairs. Devi watched the door for a moment, thoughts racing through her head like Nascar drivers.
"Nny! Wait!" She screamed, flying to catch up with his long strides. Johnny slowed and finally came to a halt about ten yards from her house. "Johnny..." Devi whispered under her breath, not exactly knowing why she stopped him. "Don't...you don't have to go...you can...you need to bond with your son."
Johnny felt a smile dance on his face. His son. That sounded so perfect. He nodded his head and followed her back inside. Bryker was beaming when they appeared through the door. "I knew it." He sang buoyantly, dancing around the doorway.
Devi rolled her eyes. "Why don't you two...talk. Johnny, you want anything?" She asked, pointing towards the kitchen.
Johnny nodded. "Something to erm...drink would be nice." He responded, sitting on the dirty overstuffed couch next to Bryker, who was bouncing giddily up and down on a puffy cushion. Devi disappeared into the kitchen and Johnny decided to start a conversation. "So, kid. What is it you're interested in?"
Bryker exploded into an extensive reply, describing every detail of everything he'd ever liked. Who knew the background information of a five- year-old would be so complex? Johnny thought to himself as he listened to Bryker's love for books starting in Devi's old bookstore.
"Does Devi still work at Dragon's?" Johnny asked, trying to sound nonchalant about it, but Bryker grinned at him slyly. Johnny knew that smile all too well-he'd used it his whole life. "I'm just curious." He explained, his eyes narrowing.
Bryker nodded. "Uh huh...sure." He grumbled sarcastically before adding, "She's gone back to working there since she quit her art job at Nerve...I wasn't around then-but she does it during the morning when she's not afraid to go outside."
Johnny lowered his head ruefully. "She's afraid to go out at night?"
Bryker nodded again. "Yeah...usually. Tonight was the first time in months...she told me she's gotten better. Before I was born, she said she should stay in all day and night. Ten finally got her to go to this party and that's when..."
Bryker looked suggestively at his father, whose eyes widened. "She told you when you were conceived?"
Instead of asking what 'conceived' meant, Bryker nodded his head again. Johnny's jaw hung loosely as if it were on a hinge. "You're...you're very- erm...literate for a five-year-old, you know?" He finally sputtered.
Bryker snickered. "Mama always said I got it from you. I mean...she never said your name-I don't even know if she wanted me to hear...but her favorite phrase was 'You and your father...'" Bryker tried his best impression of an exasperated Devi, giggling to himself.