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English
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Published:
2019-03-20
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766
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To Family

Summary:

Prompt fill, Spy Kids 3, Grandpa/Toymaker. "There are plenty of reasons Valentin lets Sebastian live. But he's not telling. Valentin loves to lord it over his previous comrade, occasionally commandeering even his wife's bedroom for more informal interrogations and Sebastain wonders why he lets Grandpa do this to him. So Valentin reminds him."

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:

Grandma stands in the kitchen, hands on her hips, face impassive. "Again, Val? This must be the fifth time this month!"

Grandpa rolls up to her, closing the distance between them and takes her hand. "Mother," he begins in his warm rumble, and Grandma knows her cause is lost. She huffs as he continues, "It is not too much to grant me these things. After my entire adult life was co-opted by this man," and he thumps the armrest with his other arm for emphasis, "The man I could have been for you deserves a little... retribution. It gives me so much pleasure to see the Toymaker broken at my hands." More than you know. But he does not say it.

"All right. I'll take the couch." Her face is sour but her eyes glitter, betraying her tone.

"Thank you, Mother." He raises her hand to his lips, kisses it tenderly. "You know I love you."

Stroking his face, she replies, "You know I do." And that is that.

----

Sebastian chose to wear a hat this time, Valentin observes as he enters the room, arms shucking across the wheel runners with more violence than is called for. He has always been proud of the strength in his arms. The younger man is not looking at him.

"Hey," the owner of the room hisses at him. This man has no right to hide his face from me. I /will/ take what I want from him, he thinks. "Look at me." After years of disuse, the attempted venom in the invalid's voice falls flat. It sounds like concern.

"Worried your new plaything's gotten sick, Valentin?" the addressed grumbles. He wears the bass of his voice well on his face, Valentin admits to himself. It suits him.

"No, Sebastian, that is not what I worry at all." He smiles then, and the warmth has deserted his tone. "I know you are in peak health." One gnarled hand slides out to touch. "I keep you there myself." The other man jerks away.

"No shit, you keep me. I am as much a prisoner here as I was in my /cage/. Only here, I cannot /create/." He raises his eyes, burning holes through the other man's skull. "Nothing here brings me joy, Valentin. Is this what you wished for me when you decided to take me for your own?"

Valentin curls his hand back, face falling at being rejected. There is so little his prisoner denies him, these days; and every inch withheld is another inch to covet. His mouth tightens. The Toymaker was always the best at playing games. He wonders for a moment who is the jailer and who is the jailed, in this room that has no locks.

He answers honestly. "No. That is not what I wished for you."

The other man stands up suddenly, extra coats adding shuffling to his otherwise silent pacing - the carpet dulls any sound from his shoes.

"What did you want, Valentin? Did you even think it through?"

"Of course I did," the other man replies acidly - few men still alive today have accused the Shoemaker of acting without thought.

"Did you?" Sebastian asks, something vaguely like panic edging into his tone. "Did you really? Why am I still here, Valentin?"

The elder does not look at him then. "I will not lose you now that I have caught you."

"You forgave me, didn't you? Should not men move on with their lives after mistakes have been atoned for?"

"Ahh," Valentin sighs unhappily, "Once again, Sebastian, you have hit the nail on the head." He rolls himself closer, motions for the other man to sit down on the bed again, which he does, grumpily.

"You, Sebastian, have not atoned for your mistake. I do not believe, yet, that you forgive yourself for it."

The younger of the pair huffs. "Two different sentiments in that statement, Valentin." His eyes burn into the other man's again. "I don't think we have time for more than one tonight."

Valentin smiles in return. "No, we do not. So tell me, Toymaker, which game would you rather we play tonight?"

Something warm blooms low in the prisoner's chest, and it's subtle enough that he doesn't recognize it, at first. "I think atonement should be the order of the night, my accomplice, don't you?" He would bow low if he were standing, but he is not, so Sebastian merely tips his hat in deference.

Rising from it, he doesn't miss the harder glint in his imprisoner's eyes as he answers - "Oh, I do think so, indeed, old friend."

----

Notes:

Written early 2011. Full prompt:

"Toymaker/Grandpa "To family" There are plenty of reasons Valentin lets Sebastian live. But he's not telling.

Valentin loves to lord it over his previous comrade, occassionally commandeering even his wife's bedroom for more informal interrogations and Sebastain wonders why he lets Grandpa do this to him. So Valentin reminds him. Gentle bromance and non-physical sadomasochism, verbal abuse, and make-up sex."

Does not quite get to the make-up sex before I lost their headspace and gave up. Hope it was enjoyable anyway!