Chapter Text
The sun was already beating down on them as they stepped off of the ship docked in Novyi Zem. It would still be a long ride to get to Colm’s farm, but Wylan was excited to finally be there. Ships always made him queasy, so being back on steady ground was reassuring for his stomach. Jesper was fidgety, full of energy that he couldn’t expel while on the ship, resorting to pacing back and forth on the deck or kissing Wylan senseless inside of their small cabin.
Wylan definitely had not complained about how Jesper decided to calm his always-running mind, not if it resulted in him being kissed hard into the sheets of their tiny shared bed.
But, they were finally docked, surrounded by people and the smell of spiced food and bright colors. Ketterdam was never like this, yes, it was full of people, but it was always drab and dreary, with gray cloudy skies and even grayer buildings. Novyi Zem was different, full of colorful people and colorful places and colorful clothing. Jesper had decided to forgo both his normal Barrel flash and his soft Merchant clothing, instead settling for a linen shirt and comfortable pants. He looked like he belonged here, and at one point in his life, he had.
Wylan was dressed equally as comfortable, dressed in a soft button down shirt with corduroy trousers, braces over his shoulders. Jesper always loved grabbing him by them, pulling him in to press their lips together. Wylan secretly loved it, and purposely kept wearing them even if he didn’t really need to.
Taking a deep breath as he finally stepped off of the dock, Wylan took in all of the sights around them, blinking as Jesper’s face broke out into a wide grin. Wylan was glad he was so excited to be back, but frankly, Wylan was a bit nervous. Yes, he had met Colm Fahey before, but that was under incredibly stressful conditions, with the auction and his father’s wrath and everything else that had crumbled in just a few days.
This time would be different, it would just be the three of them, alone in Jesper’s childhood home. Colm seemed nice enough, caring about his son and his friends. But, Wylan was still worried. He knew well enough that people could put on a face, to be kind and considerate in front of others, but act differently in private. Jesper had never given any indication that his father was like Wylan’s father, but it was still a possibility.
Shaking off his nerves, Wylan reached for Jesper’s hand, intertwining their fingers. The taller man smiled down at him, quickly noting the nervousness on Wylan’s face.
“What’s up, buttercup?” Jesper rhymed, swinging their arms between them as they made their way away from the docks.
“Oh, uh. Nothing. I’m fine,” Wylan looked away, trying and failing to fight the red flush creeping up his neck. They had been together for too long at that point, Jesper knew all of Wylan’s faces to the most minute detail. And Wylan knew his. When he was excited, nervous, hiding it all behind a smirk or a wink. When Jesper was scared, or confident, or twitching so hard at the urge to go running to the tables to gamble away their money. Wylan knew it all, and Jesper knew him.
“Nope,” Jesper responded, popping the p at the end. Wylan looked back up at him with a gaping mouth, surprised at the blatant refusal to accept his excuses. “You’ve been nervous since we spotted land, so there’s obviously something going on in that beautiful brain of yours.” Jesper leaned down and kissed him on the forehead, pulling back to give him a small smile. An invitation to talk, to expel his rambling thoughts.
Jesper liked to ramble out loud, bouncing off the walls and talking a mile a minute. Wylan never complained, never told him to stop, instead he just absorbed it all, all the words and attention and energy. Instead, Wylan’s brain rambled on the inside, his thoughts never ending and full of anxiety. He learned early on to keep it all inside, to hide and make himself small, for his father had never allowed anything else. It was a hard habit to break, but Wylan was working on voicing his thoughts more and more with Jesper.
So, he would talk this time. It wasn’t something he could avoid, as they would be to the farm in mere hours, and Wylan would see Colm again and have to speak to him and live in the same house as him for weeks and weeks until they were due to leave for home again, so he might as well get it all out while it was still just him and Jesper.
“Your father… is he nice?” Wylan left it at that for now, not too inside his own head to miss how Jesper was fiddling with his fingers as they walked. Jesper pulled up short then, making Wylan stop as well before his arm got yanked from their connected hands.
“Wy, you’ve met my Da before.” Jesper’s face looked confused, like he didn’t understand where this was all headed to. Wylan hadn’t seemed outwardly nervous about it when they had planned the trip, just excited to get away for a while and relax with Jesper.
“Yes, but that was different. We almost died, several times, and there was the auction, and Kuwei, and my father trying to kill us and getting my face back… what I’m saying is that there wasn’t much time for all the pleasantries of meeting my boyfriend’s father for the first time,” Wylan took in a deep breath, pulling them to start walking again. Jesper relented, and they were walking, but he didn’t swing their arms anymore.
“So, you’re wondering what my Da is like?” Like Jesper was still trying to figure out why Wylan was asking, why it was so important to know about his father when they were about to see him in just a few hours.
“Yes. Is he nice?” Wylan repeats, not really wanting to reveal why he was asking, to ask what he really wanted to know. Too bad Jesper had already caught on, and finally realized what it was all about. Wylan’s anxiety about his father, if he was good or just good on the outside.
“Oh, Wylan,” Jesper was stopping them again, cupping Wylan’s face between his large ringed hands. Yes, he had switched to more comfortable clothing, but he couldn’t give up his rings, the thick metal bands resting on almost every finger. Wylan enjoyed the way the cool metal pressed against his warm cheeks. “Are you asking if my Da… is like your father?” Jesper winced a little at the wording, not knowing how else to phrase it.
Wylan, looking into the stark grayness of Jesper’s eyes, simply nodded once. Jesper visibly deflated, resting his head on Wylan’s shoulder. Wylan allowed himself to rest his hands on Jesper’s hips, his fingers tangling in the fabric of his flowing shirt lightly.
Pulling himself back up with a hissed breath, Jesper pulled Wylan by the hand and then they were walking again. Jesper returned to swinging their arms between them, his fingers clutching onto Wylan’s just a bit tighter.
“My Da… is kind. Truly. He always wanted the best for me. Both him and my Ma always wanted the best for me. And trust me, I was a right little shit of a kid,” Jesper laughed, continuing when Wylan opened his mouth to retort. “I was, but they still loved me. And after Ma died… Da tried his best. It was hard, with just the two of us, but we managed. Really, Wylan, you have nothing to worry about with my Da, he already loves you as it is,” Jesper smiles down at him again, and Wylan returns a small smile back. It just makes Jesper grin wider. “But I will warn you, he is a bit of a teaser, so try not to let him rile you up too much.”
“Ah, that must be where you got it from, then,” Wylan attempted to joke back, and jolted when Jesper elbowed him in the ribs. They were laughing then, trying to keep themselves from falling over as they made their way down the long road, headed away from the hectic sounds of the port town, letting themselves be surrounded by the gentle sound of grass bending in the breeze.
It was near nightfall by the time they came upon the Fahey farm, a modest home with a stable and barn a distance away, with large jurda fields spanning as far as Wylan could see, the orange of the blossoms stark in the fading sunlight. It seemed to stretch on for forever, and Wylan wondered how Jesper’s father could manage it all by himself.
As they closed the gate behind them and made their way up the long walkway to the front of the house, Wylan tensed slightly as he realized there was a figure waiting for them, seated in a rocking chair on the patio. There was a matching empty chair next to it, with a colorful pillow propped up in the seat.
It was Colm Fahey, of course, his red hair stark against the house siding. He looked relaxed, and happy, which made Wylan feel a bit better. Jesper just squeezed his hand and smiled at him again, and Wylan took a deep breath. He could do this, Colm was a kind man, and wouldn’t see Wylan as a burden as he brought them into his home.
“Da!” Jesper yelled as soon as they were within earshot, and Colm stood from his chair, taking the few steps down to meet them on the dirt pathway.
“Boys!” Colm smiled and opened his arms as Jesper pulled away from Wylan, rushing forward to embrace his father. Jesper was taller than him, pressing his face into the older man’s shoulder as they gripped each other tightly. Wylan stood silently next to them, fiddling with his fingers. The blatant show of parental affection on Jesper was jarring, and Wylan felt a pang of sadness and almost jealousy as he wished he had had that growing up. Well, he had had it, until he turned eight and his father gave up on him.
The two then pulled away from each other, and Wylan could see the glint of tears in both of their eyes. Colm then turned to Wylan, holding his arms open in invitation for a hug as well. Shooting a glance at Jesper, who simply nodded with enthusiasm, Wylan stepped forward into the embrace, wrapping his arms lightly around Colm’s back, jolting when the man pulled him in tighter, resting his cheek on the top of Wylan’s head.
Wylan couldn’t help his tears then, instead just trying to keep his crying quiet so as to not worry the two men beside him. He relaxed into the hug after a few tense moments, never wanting it to end. What he would have given to have had this like Jesper had it. He had another pang in his chest then, before scolding himself for thinking such a thing about the love of his life. It wasn’t either of their faults that Jesper had this man for a father, or that Wylan had had his.
Pulling away shyly, Wylan wrapped his own arms back around himself, his face red with embarrassment as to how much he enjoyed that fatherly hug. Colm didn’t say anything about it, however, instead just raising an eyebrow before ushering them into the house. Jesper took their bags and dropped them off in what Wylan assumed was his childhood bedroom, before returning to them in the small kitchen.
It smelled amazing in there, and Wylan’s stomach rumbled, making all three of them laugh at the sound in the quiet of the house. They made light conversation about the trip from Ketterdam over the round dining room table, Jesper talking mostly, with Wylan interjecting sparingly to add forgotten details. Colm listened diligently, happily looking between both of them as they told their story.
It was almost natural, Jesper falling back into the dynamic he obviously had with his father, and Wylan found himself relaxing as they talked into the night. It was when the sun was far gone that Colm finally stood up from the table, heaving a great sigh.
“Probably best we all head to bed now, I know your travel was long, and you’re probably both exhausted,” Colm stated, starting to extinguish the few lit candles around them. Jesper stood up as well, giving his father another hug. Wylan followed, standing in front of Colm as Jesper inched towards his bedroom, waiting for Wylan to follow so he knew where to go.
“Thank you, sir, for letting us come and visit,” Wylan mumbled, ignoring his reddening cheeks.
“Please, Wylan, call me Colm. Or Da, whichever you prefer,” Colm laughed lightly, and Jesper tensed behind him. He wasn’t sure how Wylan would react to that, and was looking at him over his father’s shoulder for any indication on Wylan’s face that he didn’t like it. Instead, Wylan just smiled, and tried to wipe away the fresh tear escaping the corner of his eye with his sleeve subtly. It didn’t work.
Colm’s face slackened, looking back between Jesper and back at Wylan. He was just trying to joke, and hadn’t realized what he had done wrong, if anything. But obviously, something must be wrong, if the man was crying about the idea of calling him Da.
“Thanks, si– Da. Thanks, Da,” Wylan whispered, letting the grin he’d been fighting cross his face. He could see Jesper grin back at him, and Colm looked relieved, smiling fondly at him from across the kitchen table. Stepping forward, Colm wrapped him up in another hug, and Wylan reciprocated after only a second or two of hesitation.
Colm pulled away and ruffled a hand through Wylan’s curls, stepping back and heading to his own bedroom with one last goodnight. Wylan fell into Jesper’s arms as soon as he got to him, and Jesper wrapped him up, shuffling them over to his bedroom.
Stepping into the small bedroom, Wylan took it all in. A double bed was pressed up into the corner, a small nightstand next to it. There was a bookshelf on the opposite wall, with a desk and chair next to it. The bed was dressed with what looked to be a hand-made quilt, and Wylan wondered who had made it. Jesper’s mother, long ago? Or maybe it was Colm, or maybe someone else entirely.
Falling into bed with a groan, Jesper flipped over and held his arms open for Wylan, who gladly took him up on the offer, falling onto him a bit harshly as he collapsed into the bed. They snuggled in closer, pulling the blankets up around their shoulders. Facing each other, Jesper ran a hand through Wylan’s hair, brushing the curls away from his forehead.
“How are you feeling after all of that?” Jesper asked him quietly, not wanting to break the comfortable air around them by speaking too loudly.
“Conflicted,” Wylan closed his eyes at the soft touch, allowing his own hands to travel and slip under Jesper’s shirt, pressing his fingers into the smooth skin of his abdomen. Smiling at the gasp it pulled from Jesper, Wylan met his eyes again. “But okay. It’s nice to have a Da. Are you sure you’re okay with me calling him that?”
“Of course, Wy. Like I said, he loves you. He wouldn’t have said it if he didn’t mean it.”
“But are you okay with it? Me calling him Da,” Wylan pressed his hand a bit harder into Jesper’s skin, trying to make sure he understood. Jesper was looking at him with pure adoration and fondness then, and Wylan had to close his eyes again before he started crying.
“Yes, Wy. I’m more than okay with you calling him Da. He’s your Da now, too, it's a package deal with being with me,” Jesper teased, leaning in and nosing at Wylan’s cheek. Wylan laughed lightly with him, kissing him sweetly before tucking himself further into Jesper’s chest. There was still that bit of residual anxiety brewing under the surface, but it was something he was used to, that baseline of nervousness that was always with him.
“I’ll gladly take that package,” Wylan mumbled, and Jesper laughed at him, pulling him on top of his chest as he rolled onto his back. Wylan melted into him, letting sleep overtake him as he listened to the light sounds of the house settling, the breeze shaking the few trees that stood close to the window, a mumbled love you passing between them.
He had a wonderful boyfriend, and a Da that actually cared about him, and neither of them despised him for his faults. It was strange, and something he wasn’t sure he’d ever get fully used to, but he would try his hardest to let that love into his heart because he finally felt like he deserved it.