Family Matters (Samson/Ariel/Markise)

[Samson Callahan Koster]

Samson looked up at his uncle again. "My mum never made me go see him before, so she probably won't now, right?" he said, as though Ariel would have any idea what his mother would decide to do. "But I...should meet him at least once, shouldn't I?" His own decision-making options had, until this point, basically revolved around which books to buy. Past that, most everything had been decided by other people in his family.

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

"I don't know, I wrote my parents off a long time ago, Samson," Ariel said, shrugging. "If you want to meet him, then go meet him. I could come with you." The offer came before Ariel had a chance to really even think about it. He could act as a buffer between the two, maybe, and that would help keep Maverick from winning Samson over and from continuing to really feed into dangerous thoughts.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise blinked and looked from Samson to Ariel with slightly widened eyes. He kept his jaw tight, but he wanted to argue. He wanted to, but he didn't. He could see why Ariel would want to, perhaps to protect Samson from Maverick in a way, or to let the boy see the man's darker side, to let the boy see the differences between them for himself. That didn't mean Markise liked it. He still remembered his last meeting with the man vividly.

[Samson Callahan Koster]

Samson's eyes widened, and brightened for the first time since meeting these guys. "You'd do that?" The other guy was forgotten in his excitement, excitement he hadn't expected to feel when faced with possibly meeting a man who'd never wanted anything to do with him. Then his expression turned wary and concerned again. "What if he hates me?"

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

Ariel shrugged and let his hand shift to briefly squeeze Markise's. It was an odd choice, but there was no taking it back now. "He hates me and I've been living just fine without him. If he hates you then you keep on living the way you have without him, but with gold coming in every now and then," he reasoned. That was a better deal than he'd had.

[Samson Callahan Koster]

"But he's not your dad, he's your brother, and brothers hate each other all the time," Samson said. "Does your dad hate you?" The question was direct and uncensored, not that he would ever see a reason to try to censor it. Ariel was his uncle, and he had been separated from the paternal half of his family all his life, he thought he deserved to know some things.

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

"He got the hell out as soon as Maverick was old enough to be my legal guardian, so he either hates me or is completely apathetic," Ariel said. "My mum left as soon as I was born. Basically, they wanted Maverick, but not me. I know how it is to be abandoned. So if he ends up hating you or anything, you can always write to me." It would be a long trip for any owl, but he didn't want to leave the kid alone.

[Samson Callahan Koster]

Samson hesitated at accepting that offer. He didn't want to be like the people he'd grown up around, but he couldn't just flip a switch and remove all of the negative feelings toward people like Ariel and Markise that had been drilled into him since birth. Eventually, though, he nodded. "Okay, but I don't even know how to get to Diagon Alley, mum says that's where my dad lives."

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

"Why don't you meet us in Hogsmeade tomorrow? We can take you there," Ariel said without considering at first that Markise might not want to go meet his brother again. When the thought occurred to him, his gaze flickered briefly over to Markise. "Or, well, I can, at least." He didn't want to risk something happening if Markise wouldn't be comfortable with the visit.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise's eyes had widened at that we, but he didn't give any verbal argument. Not yet, anyway. When they were alone he could ask what on earth Ariel had been thinking by volunteering him. "I won't come if you'd rather just go with Ariel," he offered Samson. Markise was sure that no matter how straight he dressed, his presence alone would ensure that nothing productive would be said. As much as Markise hated his husband's brother, he wouldn't sabotage what little chance Samson might have for a decent first meeting with his father. Ugh, Markise hoped that Maverick hadn't spawned with anyone else. Poor kids.

[Samson Callahan Koster]

That familiar conflicted, almost confused look crossed Samson's face again as he looked over at Markise. "I...I don't know," he said, afraid of saying the wrong thing and getting another lecture like what Andy had given him. "Maybe? Because it's like...family? But wait, you're family, too, aren't you? I don't know, it's confusing." The guys were married or dating or something, right?

[Markise Sterling]

"It's okay," Markise said. He reached out a comforting hand, touching Samson lightly for just a moment before pulling himself back. "We are family, whatever your father thinks. He doesn't like me." Markise gave a little bit of an eye roll, subtly mocking both Maverick and the obvious reasons for that dislike. "I'd go to support you and Ariel, but I'd stay away if it made things easier for you."

[Samson Callahan Koster]

Samson's eyes flickered toward Ariel, but the guy seemed to be momentarily taking the back seat. "Maybe just us? Like me and him?" But Ariel had mentioned both of them going, maybe he shouldn't say any different. This was complicated, and awkward. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets, pulling the waist of his jeans and his belt against his hips. "I never even thought I'd want to meet him, but then he sent that letter...it's stupid, though, all I ever heard was bad stuff." He shouldn't want to meet the man.

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

"Okay, how's this, this time, just me and you," Ariel said. Just having Markise there might antagonize his brother too much, as much as he wanted his husband to come with him for the support. "Meet me out in Hogsmeade, and we'll apparate over. We'll see what happens. If it turns to sh~ we can leave." And they both could have the rest of the evening to relax and prepare.