[Milliways]: First Gestures

[smallgayjew]

Posner can't believe that it's actually here. He can't believe he's finally leaving home (with Dakin) and moving out (with Dakin) and starting at Oxford (with Dakin). He's got all his essentials packed into a trunk and a suitcase, and it feels like too little to encompass his life so far, but it also feels appropriate to be starting a new life without any of the encumbrances of the old.

On the platform, he kisses his mum and hugs his dad and shakes his uncle's hand, and he tries not to look at the tears his mum is holding back, and he tries not to let his own fall. It isn't sad, not really. It's only...a bit frightening.

So he kisses his mum once more, and he lets her fix his hair, and he hugs his dad again, and then he takes a deep breath and lugs his trunk and his suitcase and his whole life onto the train and moves to find a seat by the window so he can wave them off they can wave him off.

And he doesn't sing Gracie Fields this time, but he wants to.

Comments

[pushtheboatout]

"I think he's going to follow a very conventional path."

[smallgayjew]

"That seems a waste."

bedtime

[pushtheboatout]

"Why a waste?"

sleep well!

[smallgayjew]

"Because he ought to be off touring the continent and writing fabulous tales of his adventures."

[pushtheboatout]

"Maybe he'll do that, too," says Stuart placidly. He's really not terribly concerned with Scripps's future.

[smallgayjew]

David is, of course, in the way that he's concerned with all their futures.

"In which case we can invite him round to tell us wildly improbable stories from his latest travels."

[pushtheboatout]

"And make him envy us with how blissfully happy we are," says Stuart.

[smallgayjew]

"I'm sure he'll be happy as well," David says, frowning slightly.

[pushtheboatout]

"But not the kind of happy that has someone waiting for him at home."

Stuart looks at him like he's scored a point.

[smallgayjew]

David keeps frowning.

"Perhaps he'll have someone who travels with him."

[pushtheboatout]

"Let's let him worry about that."

[smallgayjew]

"Don't you want to see him happy?"

[pushtheboatout]

"Of course I do. He's my friend too. But I'm much more concerned with us than with him."

[smallgayjew]

David smiles. "But we've got the house and the dog."

[pushtheboatout]

"And he visits us because at home he's got a lot of takeout and some dead houseplants?"

[smallgayjew]

"He visits us because he likes us and enjoys our company."

[pushtheboatout]

"That too," said Stuart. "And he plays with the dog."

[smallgayjew]

"And we find him someone wonderful to travel with."

[pushtheboatout]

"Matchmakers!" Stuart says gleefully.

[smallgayjew]

"Yes!" David answers, grinning. "But we shouldn't tell him."

[pushtheboatout]

"Of course not, because then he'll think we're pushing him. He has to feel like it's his idea. We'll have fabulous parties and invite beautiful--virtuous--women, and we'll steer him to the best one."

[smallgayjew]

"I don't think he's looking for virtuous anymore."

[pushtheboatout]

"Adventurous, then?"

[smallgayjew]

"Yes, adventurous might be the way to go."

[pushtheboatout]

"If he's traveling to exotic locales," Stuart muses, "she might have to be willing to go with him. Unless it's too dangerous. I wonder how that works."