opposite_forces (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
opposite_forces) wrote2011-01-28 12:56 am
opposite_forces) wrote2011-01-28 12:56 am
Hawks and Doves
"Hank, have you considered that maybe you should just talk to her?"
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Ok no laugh..he looks like she just killed his dog. Oh god! Abort abort!
"Oh, this was a bad idea. A mistake. I shouldn't have...I'm sorry I should have called first but I didn't think and then I was here and... I should go."
"Oh, this was a bad idea. A mistake. I shouldn't have...I'm sorry I should have called first but I didn't think and then I was here and... I should go."
"No, no," Hank insists. "It's okay. Come in. Sit down. Can I get you something?" He turns towards the kitchen, forgetting about the chair he just stood up from... and immediately tripping over it, falling to the ground in a less-than-graceful heap.
Still standing there with her thumb hooked toward the door indicating she should leave, Dawn stopped. Hank seemed so anxious to have her stay that she couldn't walk away. Then the trip and fall, she was at his side in a moment, gently, gingerly using her arm to help him up.
Now, at least over this she could laugh, not at him but at the absurdity of it all. "No, I'm fine, but I think you may want to sit down."
Now, at least over this she could laugh, not at him but at the absurdity of it all. "No, I'm fine, but I think you may want to sit down."
About the same time she starts to laugh, he's doing the same, chuckling at how ridiculous everything is.
He lets her help him up, but he focuses instead on her face.
"It's good to see you," he admits.
He lets her help him up, but he focuses instead on her face.
"It's good to see you," he admits.
He takes the bottle. "Perfect. Thanks." He smiles at Holly, honest and straightforward. "So... if we're sharing our powers like this, I suppose we should get to know each other. Tell me a bit about yourself, Holly."
The laughter helped, it made things easier, broke the tension.
"It's really good to see you too, Hank." She looked up, looking for any hint of the other him. But all she saw in those warm eyes was pain and...fear? What did he have to be scared of?
"It's really good to see you too, Hank." She looked up, looking for any hint of the other him. But all she saw in those warm eyes was pain and...fear? What did he have to be scared of?
If she had learned anything in the last year with Dawn, she knew how to anticipate the needs of the fairer sibling, the same rules applied for Don.
"Not too much to say, our parents split when we were young. I stayed in England, Dawn came 'ere. Life happened. I learned to deal." She shrugged and sipped her own less wholesome beverage.
"Not too much to say, our parents split when we were young. I stayed in England, Dawn came 'ere. Life happened. I learned to deal." She shrugged and sipped her own less wholesome beverage.
And when Hawk is afraid, he only knows one response. The smile gives way to an annoyed snarl
"Dammit," he finally swears. "This is fucked up, you know? The last thing I remember is unmasking Monarch and seeing my face there -- but now it turns out that wasn't me. Someone pretending to be me tries to kill you and remake the universe, and I want to give him HELL for that... but that wasn't me, and I don't remember doing it. I know you need space, but dammit... it's like just last week, we were together. Only just last week was years ago now."
He's not mad at her. He'll give her whatever space she needs. But he wanted to get that off his chest first.
"Dammit," he finally swears. "This is fucked up, you know? The last thing I remember is unmasking Monarch and seeing my face there -- but now it turns out that wasn't me. Someone pretending to be me tries to kill you and remake the universe, and I want to give him HELL for that... but that wasn't me, and I don't remember doing it. I know you need space, but dammit... it's like just last week, we were together. Only just last week was years ago now."
He's not mad at her. He'll give her whatever space she needs. But he wanted to get that off his chest first.
"Life has a habit of doing that," Don admits, taking a sip of his water. "How did you reconnect with Dawn?"
"Hey..hey, breathe." Her hands gently cradled his face shushing him as that temper of his rose in a wave she could feel.
"It wasn't you, and deep down I think I knew it couldn't be. But yeah, it was scary and he was a bastard whoever he was. It's going to take time for everyone to come to terms with this, especially you. But you are strong enough to get past this, I know you are, I've seen that strength for years."
Not only did she have a naturally calming effect, bringing order to the chaos of his rage, she knew him. Dawn truly knew Hank, and hold hin him now solidified her certainty that he could never have done the things his impostor did.
"It wasn't you, and deep down I think I knew it couldn't be. But yeah, it was scary and he was a bastard whoever he was. It's going to take time for everyone to come to terms with this, especially you. But you are strong enough to get past this, I know you are, I've seen that strength for years."
Not only did she have a naturally calming effect, bringing order to the chaos of his rage, she knew him. Dawn truly knew Hank, and hold hin him now solidified her certainty that he could never have done the things his impostor did.
His anger cools instantly at her touch. She's always been able to calm him down -- even better than Don was.
"I can live with everyone else thinking I'm a psychopath. I know better," he admits. It's not totally true -- he's pissed that his name was used to cause some incredibly evil acts. But he can live with it if he has to. He's fine if everyone else in the world hates his guts. Everyone... except her.
He looks at her. "But... where does that leave us?"
"I can live with everyone else thinking I'm a psychopath. I know better," he admits. It's not totally true -- he's pissed that his name was used to cause some incredibly evil acts. But he can live with it if he has to. He's fine if everyone else in the world hates his guts. Everyone... except her.
He looks at her. "But... where does that leave us?"
"Our folks didn't exactly keep us in touch, I thought Dawny was dead. When I found out I came lookin' for 'er. S'how I guess I got caught up in this Hawk an Dove thing."
Right to the point, he always was direct. Dawn eased him with a gentle push, setting him down in the chair. Sher herself perched on the arm, her fingertips still stroking down his cheek a moment longer.
"The truth is that I don't know Hank. I'm not sure any other answer I could give you wouldn't be a lie." Truth was not always pretty, but it was truth.
"But I'm willing to talk if you are."
"The truth is that I don't know Hank. I'm not sure any other answer I could give you wouldn't be a lie." Truth was not always pretty, but it was truth.
"But I'm willing to talk if you are."
"You thought she was dead?" he asks, frowning. "Your parents lied about your own sister being alive?"
He lets out a deep breath. It's not the answer he was hoping for, but it's better than he feared.
"I don't know what there is to talk about," he shrugs gruffly.
"I don't know what there is to talk about," he shrugs gruffly.
She shrugged and took another swig of beer.
"Like I said, life happens. But I'm a big girl, I can take it."
"Like I said, life happens. But I'm a big girl, I can take it."
He frowns. "I'm sorry that happened to you," he tells her earnestly.
"How you're doing, what you're doing. How things are going with your brother... how you feel about me."
There was a lot to talk about, the problem might actually be where to start.
There was a lot to talk about, the problem might actually be where to start.
"We all have our crosses ta bear, luv. Not worth the time ta worry 'bout it."
Bravado, he would know that well enough from Hank.
Bravado, he would know that well enough from Hank.
"Well, I've returned to the world after being absent for 6-odd years, to discover that my brother is alive again, which is awesome -- but everyone else seems to think I turned into some evil psychopath who tried to destroy the universe and kill you. I found out our child was actually Hawkman and Hawkgirl's child, and he's now Dr. Fate, somewhere out there in the mystic joojoo realms. I have no memory of anything from the last 6 years, and last I remember, I was with you." He lets out a long sigh, almost done with his rant. "I loved you then... and I love you now. For me... nothing's happened that should have changed that."
He shakes his head ruefully. "You're a lot like Hank," he admits.
"An yer a lot like Dawn. Considering how cute you are that's a bit awkward." Cute yes, like a male version of her sister, also yes. This was limiting the amount of interest she could actually feel for him without feeling weird.
"It's been a long six years, a lot has happened. Granted it wasn't you, but still there will be people who need time to understand."
Her hand took one of his own, fingers weaving between his and holding tightly. "I.. I need time too. And it's not because of you. There is just so much, Don's back, Holly's with me. We've been helping the Titans. I'm dealing with a lot of the same things you are from a different perspective. I've never stopped loving you Hank, but I think taking things slow is the best way to get back to where we were, or better then we were."
Hopefully he would understand, she just couldn't jump back into things blindly. He shouldn't either.
Her hand took one of his own, fingers weaving between his and holding tightly. "I.. I need time too. And it's not because of you. There is just so much, Don's back, Holly's with me. We've been helping the Titans. I'm dealing with a lot of the same things you are from a different perspective. I've never stopped loving you Hank, but I think taking things slow is the best way to get back to where we were, or better then we were."
Hopefully he would understand, she just couldn't jump back into things blindly. He shouldn't either.
"From what I've heard and seen of her... I'll consider that a compliment. Thank you." He smiles at her.
"So... we're taking a step back?" he asks, frustrated. "I guess that's better than, 'let's just be friends...'"
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