Right Arm! [Finished]

[Dark]

Hadyn had the distinct feeling he'd been backed into a corner, and he had no idea why, but his skin was suddenly crawling. He nodded slowly, not particularly caring for Ezra's expression all of a sudden, and followed even slower. It was probably just nervousness--Ezra seemed to care about his niece quite a bit, and Hadyn never had a clue around kids. But if she was asleep, then he wouldn't have to actively deal with her, and he thought he could probably manage that.

He followed Ezra into the nursery.

It was like a physical blow, and he was surprised that he was still upright when the world stopped spinning. Bile rose up in his throat, and his heart ached. He knew that sleeping face.

Did Ezra know? Suddenly all his comments in the last five minutes made sense, and Hadyn felt sick with the realization.

[Bee]

Hadyn's reaction told him everything he needed to know, and the vague suspicion that he now realized had always lurked in the back of his mind was confirmed. This was Hadyn's kid. He'd left her.

He felt disappointed and bemused, but he also felt a sort of terrible curiosity: he wondered what possibly could have prompted him to do such a thing. Here was someone who had demonstrated that he was willing to help out a stranger; why couldn't he help out his own child? Hadyn might be selfish, but...this was a little beyond the pale. There must have been some kind of extraordinarily good reason. He wanted to hear what it was.

"I love her quite a bit." He looked at Hadyn, not with accusation--just curiously, expectantly. He didn't see any point about hiding it anymore. Hadyn could've guessed that he knew. "Did you?"

[Dark]

Hadyn couldn't meet Ezra's gaze as he choked out his response, "No. No. I--during the pregnancy I--fuck. I got knocked up by my cousin. I couldn't go home. I tried--I tried to take care of it on my own, but--" Nine months, all alone in that apartment. He should have gotten help--he knew that--but he had barely been able to leave the apartment, let alone contemplate talking to anyone about it. And afterwords--what he'd done--why hadn't he just taken her to the fucking orphanage? What had he been thinking? He hadn't.

He realized with a painful shock that he'd been telling Ezra all of this in a painful rush, hiccuping and broken, and slumped in defeat. At least--at least she hadn't--that Senka hadn't--paid for his idiocy.

[Bee]

The high level of emotional awkwardness (Hadyn was putting on quite a display) in the room was something Ezra wasn't completely comfortable with, but he wanted to try to comfort the feline to the best of his ability. He patted him on the shoulder.

It had been inexcusable idiocy. But then, teenagers were often idiots. He had an explanation. Hadyn hadn't been thinking at all, just done the first stupid thing that had popped into his head to rid himself of what he saw as a terrible problem. It didn't excuse anything, but it explained it. The feline at least appeared to regret the decision. If he'd abandoned the kid with no attacks of conscience at all, Ezra might have been forced to feel something uncomfortably close to anger.

But this brought up another issue, the regret.

"Would you...like her back?" The words pained him, and he honestly didn't want to give Senka back to someone who had made such an awful mistake at the very onset, but...this was his child. He wasn't going to keep a parent from his child.

[Dark]

"No," Hadyn choked, scrambling to his feet and out of the nursery, "Are you insane?"

He struggled to reign in his panic, to explain, "I'd just fuck up. I don't deserve her, and..." he took a deep breath, "I--she's more yours than she ever was mine, Ezra. I can see that. I wouldn't--I couldn't take her away from you. You're--you love her." It was obvious, and even if Hadyn felt he was capable of raising a child--which he wasn't, and thought he'd proved that rather spectacularly when he'd been pregnant--he knew Ezra was the better choice. He couldn't begin to contemplate taking her.

"Look...I'm messed up--I know that--I can hardly look after myself. You're the better choice, and we both know I shouldn't be anywhere near her." He felt so tired all of a sudden.

[Bee]

Well, that was that. Ezra felt a rush of relief. He would never be able to give Senka anything expensive and dazzling and shiny, but she would have a good home. He nodded at the feline. He had made a good choice.

"You don't have to see her, if you don't want to." Part of him thought Senka should know her father, but most of him thought it was probably a good idea for Hadyn to stay away until he--got himself straightened out. Little kids didn't need that kind of emotional instability. He had a sinking feeling that Hadyn might be...something of a bad influence, for a while more.

He led Hadyn out of the room and to the small, ratty couch in the living room. "You can still stay the night, if you want. You look exhausted." He rummaged about for a spare blanket, and draped it over the couch.

[Dark]

"Thanks, Ezra," Hadyn muttered, throat sore with stress and remembered grief. He flopped on the couch and pulled the blanket awkwardly over himself. He didn't have the energy to argue; he could barely keep his eyes open.

"I'm--glad you found her," he whispered quietly, awkwardly, and shut off the light.

In the morning, he would go; it would be too awkward to stick around for any length of time considering the circumstances. Maybe--later, much later--he would try visiting. Maybe.

For the time being, though, he needed to focus on setting himself straight and--maybe getting an actual job. He wasn't sure Ezra would accept it, but he knew the guy didn't make a whole lot, and maybe he could help with the expenses of raising a kid--even if it seemed kind of a douche thing to do.

He had a lot to think on.

[carcinoGeneticist]

Dark and Bee receive 1 token each, to be redeemed in Ashwin's Shoppe. This will automatically be added to your recorded totals in the shoppe. Congratulations, and keep up the good RP!