A series of free drabbles

[cornerofmadness]

I woke up with Connor begging to tell his tale. These are a chronological series, watching him grow up. All are PG-13 except two NC-17's which are well marked. Here's the series:

Age Five
He wasn’t afraid. Steven kept telling himself that as he leapt into the fray. He didn’t know what the demons were but they had Father surrounded. Steven dodged one of their tails, tipped with rows of thin spikes. Father wasn’t so lucky. One struck his face and he fell.
"Father!"
Steven danced in among the demons. He was too little for them to think a danger. It made it easy, a cut hamstring here then slit their throats. He reached Father’s side, afraid for him.
"I’ll be all right." Holtz reached out and fluffed Steven’s hair. "Thanks to you."

Age Fourteen - NC-17
Steven didn’t know what was happening to his body. The strange hair that sprouted in odd places was a sign of him becoming a man, Father said. Maybe the demon in him was making his body go out of his control, like the rampant flesh he cupped with a fist.
Why did it feel good to do this? The sensations his motions caused made his head swim until something tore through him. Steven stared at the sticky fluids that coated his hand. What was wrong with him? Was he sick? Was he becoming a demon? Frightened, he wept.

Age Late teens
"You’ve grown restless." Holtz scraped a leather free of hair, readying it for tanning.
"I have to get across...to kill him," Steven growled, sharpening their cache of weapons.
"Patience is a virtue, Steven," Holtz admonished.
His son curled his lip. "Haven’t we waited long enough? This place...it’s killing you."
Holtz regarded him sadly, seeing the impetuousness of youth roiling in Steven even before his son tossed aside the whetstone.
"I’m tried of waiting. I know what I have to do, Father."
"What?"
"The sluks know how to get free. They’ll tell me." There was no doubt in Steven’s voice.

Fresh to Earth
Steven leaned down to drink from the big porcelain cistern in their hotel room.
"Steven, no. That’s not for drinking." Father stepped into the room and turned one of the metal knobs on the porcelain bowl with the hole in it. "Here."
Steven cupped his hands, drinking his fill. "The vampire let the men with the exploding tubes hurt him to protect me," he mused, tossing himself on the bed.
"Those are guns, very dangerous," Holtz replied. "Angelus did it to make you trust him."
"An elaborate lie," Steven said.
"Exactly."
Why did Steven doubt that? "I didn’t believe him."

Life with Fred & Gunn
Stupid machine, how did Fred make it work? He wanted to see the moving pictures. His sleep had been too haunted by his fathers’ eyes for him to sleep; Holtz’s dead eyes, staring into nothing; Angelus’ eyes pleading with him for mercy. He couldn’t sleep so he had come downstairs for a distraction but he couldn’t make the machine work.
He thumped it for the third time. "Dumb thing."
Connor looked up hearing light footfalls on the stairs. Fred stared down at him. "Connor, what’s wrong?"
"Can’t sleep, can’t make this work."
Fred smiled softly. "I’ll show you how."

Life with Cordy - NC-17
He brushed Cordy’s breast as she slept. He knew it was wicked but he couldn’t stop himself. His sinful flesh was, hard and hot, poking into her hip. Groaning Connor dragged out of their bed going out the window to sit on the fire escape.
When willing his body to behave didn’t work, Connor freed himself from his pants. As he stroked himself, he remembered Father’s warnings about the wrongness of lust. Was this supposed to happen when a man lay with a woman? Connor thought so but no one had ever explained it. When it was over, he felt shamed.

Life with Jasmine
Watching Jasmine, Connor thought he understood Angel better, understood how it was to love a difficult child. There was something going wrong between him and his daughter, some worm of destruction had crept in.
When he first saw her, he had fallen to his knees to worship her. Now he felt her mind in his, moving him like a puppet but he was slipping from her. He was feeling the peace she granted less and less. His usual unrest had begun to overwhelm her serenity. Did the fault lie with him or with her, knowing she killed and beginning to care.

The Life of Reilly
Connor flipped his cell phone shut. It had taken some doing but his parents were heading out of L.A. Connor breathed deep. Did he dare do this? Angel wanted him gone. Connor understood this sacrifice. The gift of some peaceful memories, the chance to flee the upcoming battle allowed Connor to finally accept his love for his demonic father.
But he couldn’t be the dutiful son. He wouldn’t leave Angel to die, not when he had at last learned to love him. Connor headed for the Hyperion. He’d show them why he was the most feared thing in Quor-Toth.

 

this is cross posted to open_on_sunday  and a_better_lie

Comments

[vampedvixen.livejournal.com]

I missed your drabbles last week. I'm glad you got back to posting again :)

This series was great. It showed the progression of his character so well. I especially like the last one, because that should have happened on the show. I can't believe Joss made him run away like that.. le sigh..

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks (yeah, I was busy driving 1000 miles last sunday).

In my world, once the battle is enjoined Connor DOES show up (since when does he listen to Angel?)

I like your world :)

[vampedvixen.livejournal.com]

I keep thinking that if they ever (it could happen.. maybe.. probably not) make a movie, it'll show that Connor didn't leave after all. I'll keep hoping for that even if it doesn't happen.

Re: I like your world :)

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

same here. I know DB would be interested in a movie (but not a TV movie) so it's still not impossible.