Chapter 31: A Father’s Love
"Your dad...the movie star and millionaire?" Scarlett said, finishing D’s sentence before he could.
D put a hand to his head and rubbed at his temples in a swirling motion. "I though you said you’d forget what you saw in my file."
"Oh please, anyone who knows anything knows who your dad...was." A hurt look flashed on his face for a moment before he stuffed those feelings back down where they belonged. She saw this and wanted to take back her accidental word, but knew she couldn’t.
D let out a sigh...and stood up, making much needed distance between himself and her.
"This was a bad idea, I don’t think I can do this...y’know talk about it."
"Hey, it’s okay. If you don’t want to talk about it that’s alright." She reached her hand out for his shoulder and placed it on him. It wasn’t a gesture out of pity or lust, but one of empathy and understanding.
"No, no I want to talk about it, someone has to know the truth about him. I guess it’ll have to be you." He sat back down next to her, rocking her slightly on his bed.
"Yes, my dad was rather wealthy and he was in a few movies. That was all a front really, you ever heard of Neo the superhero?"
Scarlett’s jaw dropped so fast it seemed like it would unhinge and swallow him whole.
"Umm yeah, if memory serves he’s New-York’s premier superhero, one of the few who’s actually loved by almost everyone. Wait that was your dad?!"
"yeah...was that part not in my file?"
"No, no it was not in your file and I can see why. Do you know how dangerous it is to reveal your parents secret identity here?"
"Oh another super dangerous rule that nobody told me about? Why am I not surprised."
Scarlett rolled her eyes at his taunting as she said, "I’m serious D, if people here know that you’re the son of a famous superhero you’ll be targeted even more."
"Well I guess I’ll have to trust you to keep my secret then Miss Hemlock."
She felt a fire light in her belly as he called her that, a faint licking of flame that went all the way up to her chest. There was a yearning there, a silent want that she had to ignore.
"Your secret is safe with me," she said as she leaned her head onto his wide shoulders. He leaned his head towards her as if on instinct alone. The two shared a quiet moment together before Scarlett moved her head back to its original position and sighed.
"I guess it’s my turn to trauma dump now, yay..."
"You really don’t have to if you don’t want to Scarlett, it’s fine honestly."
She looked at him through a side long glance. She could see the faint, and soft smile on his lips that were there to reassure her. She bit her lip a little and played around with her hands. She always seemed to fidget when she was feeling nervous.
"No, you shared a bit of yourself so I’ll do the same. I come from Ireland, as I’m sure you can tell."
D shook his head vehemently, he had no idea where she was from. He just knew it most likely wasn’t where he was from.
Scarlett squinted at the boy’s ignorance to her place of origin before continuing.
"I’m from a place just outside Dublin called Malahide, A pretty place with a gorgeous castle deep into the territory. My father was employed there as a tour guide when he met my mother."
"Which one did you get your Glow from?"
"My mom sadly...She had come to Malahide to steal from the keep of the castle and seduced my father as a part of the job. Nine months later she drops me off on his door step, a red haired baby in a basket."
D’s eyes scanned the floor as he nodded slowly, piecing together her story and feeling like he already knew where it was going.
"He wasn’t too happy about me showing up, but for some reason he never got rid of me. Always made sure I knew I wasn’t wanted though." She let out a small sigh breaking up her words, D could feel something heavy weighing on her.
"I, I remember when I first started exhibiting signs of my abilities. Wounds healing too fast, the occasional blood spider popping out of my...cuts. When he found out he dragged me in the center of town and told them all I was an abomination, that I was one of them Gilded fellows."
D had heard of how bad the Gilded could be treated in some of the more rural parts of the world. Hell, even in the city it’s like you’re always being watched. Like they’re just waiting for you to slip up so they can ship you off to prison in a box.
"I was scared, I was just a kid and i didn’t know what to do so I created my first real blood golem and it attacked my dad out of instinct to protect me. I ran, I had to steal to survive and I joined a gang...I-I just can’t relive those memories though."
D put a hand on her shoulder, just like she’d done for him.
"You don’t have to share anymore, that was plenty. Now I know what I’m working with." He said in a cheerful tone to hopefully brighten the sullen and sunken look in her eyes.
Behind those eyes there were a myriad of chaotic thoughts flowing and ebbing around the current situation. She tried to calm them with a few deep breaths and finally looked over to D fully.
"If you really need a replacement in the trials that bad, I’ll join you. It’s the least I can do to repay you for me playing a part in bringing you here."
In an instant D wrapped her in a tight embracing hug, holding her close for maybe just a second longer than he should’ve...