Exerpt

He still kept the curtains grey.

Nicolas had always thought that it was such a drab color. Neither hot or cold. impartial. Sure, there were cool and warm greys out there in all kinds of shades. Come to think of it, Nova’s eyes were a chilling variety. Dancing on the very line between that and a dull blue. Back to the matter at hand, the problem was that his father didn’t choose either cool OR warm grey in the very serious matter of interior decorating, instead settling on the most neutral shade possible. He still kept the curtains grey.

“Nicolas! Aren’t you listening to me?” A voice barked, and Nicolas turned to face him. His father. It took substantial effort to not wrinkle his nose in mild disgust. Looking at his father was never pleasant. In fact, it was one of the few things he disliked. The same shade of fiery vermillion hair. The same pale lemon yellow irises with a ring of fire at their ends. Richard looked exactly like him. Well, more accurately he looked like Richard. “I asked you a question, Nicolas.”

“Ah… did you? I’m sorry, I missed it. What was the question?” He blinked, only half hearted in his effort to maintain his focus on Richard’s irritated face.

“Who is that woman you brought back?”

“Nova. Their name is Nova. I thought they told you that.”

“I know that much, Nicolas. I’m asking why you brought her back.”

“Well you asked me who she is, nothing about why.”

Richard sat back, frustration overwhelming him. “WHY did you bring her back? What is going on with her and you?”

Nicolas looked at him for a moment, then shrugged. “They’re my partner.”

Richard massaged his forehead, trying to ease the knot in his brow. “I know that, but she isn’t a normal person. That’s plain to see. What is the reason for bringing her here?”

Again, Nicolas shrugged. Really, he’d wanted to shoot back at his father with a sassy “why did YOU bring Sofia here?”, but he didn’t. He couldn’t. In some other universe, he was sure that he did. But that was not this universe. So instead he said “Nova said they wanted to meet my family. They’re quite serious about our relationship after all.” Even though he could see in his father’s eyes—eyes that were his too— that he did not believe him one bit, but there was nothing he could say about the answer. It’s not like it wasn’t true. Nova HAD been the one to ask for the trip back here. But Nicolas didn’t think that his father needed to know much else. Just like his father never thought he needed to know much either. He watched the aged man sigh, giving up on any more important questions for him. Instead, he asked “so then, are you serious about her? Is that why you’re bringing her to meet us?”

Now THAT caught him off guard, Nicolas blinking in mild surprise before returning to his neutral expression. He did not smile, did not frown. he wore a mask of grey. “I am. They make me happy. They said they could make me happy.” Richard—on the other hand—scowled quite noticeably, the lines round his mouth appearing prominently. Nicolas couldn’t help but wonder if he’d look like this man if he lived to be his age. No, he wouldn’t. He hoped he wouldn’t. But what was the point of rejecting it? His father’s face was his own. Every bit of it looked like his own. At the very least, his freckles were one difference. And the length of his hair. His father would never grow his hair that long, of that Nicolas was sure. “Fine then. If you say so, I’ll believe you. Nicolas…” Richard paused, seeming to struggle to find the words he wanted to use. Eventually, he could only quietly sigh, shoulders drooped ever so slightly. “I’m glad to see you back home.” Nicolas did not reply to that. He did not share the sentiment. Which is why he stood up and left Richard’s office, much more interested in finding out how Nova was settling in.

[idk, today I am Bored. Very bored. So I decide that instead of drawing as I always do, I’d do a small excerpt of how Nicolas interacts with his father, Richard. The distance … it is palpable]