Lt. Thomas Molloy | Parody

~ hands on the back of a char and watches as Daniel opens the box.

“No offense to Louis, but I would rather spend the time with you.”

He doesn’t know Louis. He doesn’t know most of the vampires his nephew knows, but this is in large part because he has kept away from other vampires.

Actually acting like one cares take vulnerability. Vulnerability takes trust. Daniel hasn’t been given a lot of people to truly trust.

“Well, I have been trying to figure this out since 1943. I wouldn’t mind a new perspective. Even if it’s from a newborn baby,” he jokes in turn.

Tom rests his ~

And he can respect that. The happiness.

But . . .

“Happy but not as safe as you’d like to be?”

He notes the unanswered question, too.

Tom lifts her out and carries her over to the corner of the room. He would have to get Dallas out of this place, but right now, he just needs to make sure she is alright.

“Dallas. I’m here. You’re safe.”

~ That gave him a reason not to walk into the sun.

“I told myself that when they were gone . . .”

Tom trails off again. She doesn’t need to hear that.

~ hunger, he wonders how she managed it.

“If anything, I am more impressed by you.”

Even though he had survived this long, Tom doesn’t know that he has it in him to do this.

“My brother had children,” he comments then. “Watching over them — even from afar . . .”

She should understand. ~

Soothed by the sensation of her fingers in his hair, Tom closes his eyes.

“I could never see you as cruel.”

But that is because he knows her and knows she has been selective. Still, Tom did not ask as much about those choices when he was human. Now that he /knows/ what it means to have that ~

Lemme love you, darn-it.

~ walk into the sun.

His family. Her. But she is family, too. Or should have been.

Tom rests his head again, and his arms return to wrapping around her.

“I am not sure how to reconcile this. What I am now. How do /you/ do it?”

Tom lifts his head and wipes away the blood-stained tears that had come to his eyes.

She knows him so well, and she sees his pain.

“It was even in the war.”

But protecting took precedent, and he wanted to protect his home and his family. And his family that remains is why he did not simply ~

~ partying,” he comments, taking a drag on the cigarette. “I meant the vampires. The ones not me. They seem to find you. Or you find them.”

Now, he is beginning to wonder if it is the latter.

~ As in /he/ lights it.

Tom is young compared to many vampires, but he found quickly that his own mind gift was strong. He rarely cares to use it, though that is mostly because he knows /that/ was a gift from his powerful maker. And he would rather forget him.

“I was referring to your . . . ~

“It’s how it works with me.”

His gaze drops to the pack when Daniel offers it. After a pause, he reaches out and grabs a cigarette.

“Bad habit I picked up during the war.”

But they all smoked. It was a way to forget. Or to pretend they were far braver than they were.

He lights the cigarette. ~

~ Maybe he would even force himself to be brave enough to show /her/ that he lives.

But he would start with model trains.

~ meant in earnest. Daniel might be struggling, but Tom never let himself do more than survive.

Just until they are gone, he would tell himself. When the last of his family died, he would walk into the sun and be done with it.

Seems that would not be happening now. Now he has a reason to stay. ~

~ that “family” is a complex thing for Daniel. Maybe because of that, Tom feels responsible for him.

His brother certainly dropped the ball on being a decent parent.

“And maybe you can help me with being an actual vampire,” he jokes.

His smile remains gentle. Even the self-deprecation was ~

He certainly doesn’t need to be embarrassed. The comment about having a set as a child was more of an expression of a fond memory than anything.

“Can I help you with it?”

It would be something for the both of them to do and a way to navigate being in each other’s company. He has known for awhile ~

~ to help his young family member — if Daniel would let him — he would.

So he follows him inside, watching all the while to make sure he is steady.

“I don’t want to see you hurt. That is all.”

“You are my nephew,” he points out, though Daniel seeks yet to have accepted the fact. “It is the only choice.”

He tried not to interfere and kept his vigil from afar even when Daniel could barely keep a roof over his head. Now, though, the vampire has made himself known. If he can do something ~

~ myself.”

The nostalgia of it makes him smile.

“I know suggesting we spend holidays together isn’t the thing, but . . . maybe spending time together in general isn’t a bad idea. I know I could use it.”

~ to his nephew.

“We could do puzzles like the old men we are,” he jokes, but the comment is as self-deprecating towards himself as a tease for Daniel.

And then, he moves towards the unopened train set.

“I used to have one of these as a boy. I was so proud when I managed to set it all up ~

He watches Daniel, entering after him and then exploring the space.

“I managed on my own, too.”

And he hopes the “not well” left unspoken is obvious. Tom hated his own maker, though. He did not crave him.

“I know I’m not ideal, but I could visit. If you want.”

That choice he would leave up ~

Ahh.

Well, as “proper” as Tom is, he’s not naive.

“Are you as safe as you wish to be? Are you happy with how things are?”

He knows his nephew didn’t mean it that way.

“I understand. I just can’t imagine it as a preference. I trust you are safe?”

That’s all that matters.

~ wrong. I don’t want to hurt people, but I know I would if I let myself.”

And so he clings tighter, breathing her in.

~ He is not sure how he will manage. That he doesn’t want her to see how broken he is remains. That he knows the knowledge — or confirmation — of who his maker is would hurt her remains.

“I never saw you as anything less than wonderful,” the man affirms. “But I cannot see myself as anything but ~

It is.

Silently, Tom does as requested. He kicks off his shoes and pokes them in the corner of the coffin.

“I stayed away for a lot of reasons,” he replies, enjoying the gentle comfort of her touch. “None of them had to do with not being with you. I won’t vanish now that you have seen me.” ~

His eyes widen.

“I was in a camp.”

He looks mildly concerned.

“We . . . didn’t do that in my day.”

Well, he didn’t do that in his day. But they definitely didn’t have a TV.

Which involves . . .?