Post by Damon Carter on Mar 8, 2016 0:09:42 GMT -5
The conversation from downstairs seemed to subside, and with the creaking of steps, Skylar returned to the bedroom. He returned the smile on her face with one of his own, but before he had a chance to greet her, she announced the news that he already knew and asked for him to give them a moment. It was a totally reasonable request, and one that he would willingly oblige, but it made that fist in his chest tighten. He didn't understand why such a natural instance would bother him. The man had just returned from the dead, it was only natural that he would want to see his child. It left a bad taste in his mouth, but when Skylar asked him to stick around, that fist in his chest loosened its grip and he tried to relax.
"Yeah, no problem," he said. He kept his voice steady, hiding the negativity whirling in his head, and kept the reassuring smile on his face as he passed the baby over to her without missing a beat. The absence of the small weight in his arms stirred something in him, but he reminded himself that it wasn't his child and that he was being unreasonable to feel the way he felt. Rational, sometimes too rational, Damon decided it was best to not put Skylar under any unnecessary stress.
But as he stood and began to walk out of the room, Ricardo entered and demanded to know why Damon was holding the baby. The fist in his chest formed once more, and it wasn't the only one that did. Seeing the man in the flesh grounded their situation in a tense reality, and with the soft coos of the baby in the background, it gave Damon all he needed to imagine what it was like before he was born, with the two travelling together and being together. He didn't know why it irked him so much, and although it put him on edge, he unclenched his fist and took a slow, quiet breath.
He couldn't start a fight with the man now. He understood his feelings to a degree, but more than that, he didn't want to put Skylar or the baby under any more stress than they needed to be. He didn't want to come off like a brute. But Ricardo's words stewed something negative deep within him, and as the terse question echoed in his head, he took a few steps towards the door. He paused just before he passed Ricardo, however, and stood at his side, their shoulders almost touching. Quietly, calmly, he answered his question with stoic eyes and a voice that was cold, yet smooth, like steel sheathed in silk. "Because this motherfucker was here when you weren't."
He knew that it wasn't fair to make that kind of judgment call, because there was probably a reason for why he hadn't been around. But Damon was feeling a little sour, a little hurt, and a little more than confused as to why his words bothered him so much. But he wasn't going to be bullied, even if the other man had his own reasons for feeling irritated, especially in front of Skylar.
With the cards on the table, he continued his trek out of the bedroom, but he didn't go far. He didn't shut the door after himself, deciding that Skylar could decide how much privacy she wanted when it was placed on a scale with her safety. He leaned up against the wall outside of the door frame, his shoulders against the wallpaper, and crossed his arms as he stared out into the house and let them speak.
"Yeah, no problem," he said. He kept his voice steady, hiding the negativity whirling in his head, and kept the reassuring smile on his face as he passed the baby over to her without missing a beat. The absence of the small weight in his arms stirred something in him, but he reminded himself that it wasn't his child and that he was being unreasonable to feel the way he felt. Rational, sometimes too rational, Damon decided it was best to not put Skylar under any unnecessary stress.
But as he stood and began to walk out of the room, Ricardo entered and demanded to know why Damon was holding the baby. The fist in his chest formed once more, and it wasn't the only one that did. Seeing the man in the flesh grounded their situation in a tense reality, and with the soft coos of the baby in the background, it gave Damon all he needed to imagine what it was like before he was born, with the two travelling together and being together. He didn't know why it irked him so much, and although it put him on edge, he unclenched his fist and took a slow, quiet breath.
He couldn't start a fight with the man now. He understood his feelings to a degree, but more than that, he didn't want to put Skylar or the baby under any more stress than they needed to be. He didn't want to come off like a brute. But Ricardo's words stewed something negative deep within him, and as the terse question echoed in his head, he took a few steps towards the door. He paused just before he passed Ricardo, however, and stood at his side, their shoulders almost touching. Quietly, calmly, he answered his question with stoic eyes and a voice that was cold, yet smooth, like steel sheathed in silk. "Because this motherfucker was here when you weren't."
He knew that it wasn't fair to make that kind of judgment call, because there was probably a reason for why he hadn't been around. But Damon was feeling a little sour, a little hurt, and a little more than confused as to why his words bothered him so much. But he wasn't going to be bullied, even if the other man had his own reasons for feeling irritated, especially in front of Skylar.
With the cards on the table, he continued his trek out of the bedroom, but he didn't go far. He didn't shut the door after himself, deciding that Skylar could decide how much privacy she wanted when it was placed on a scale with her safety. He leaned up against the wall outside of the door frame, his shoulders against the wallpaper, and crossed his arms as he stared out into the house and let them speak.