fandomtownies | the perk; sunday afternoon

In exchange for getting his father to leave yesterday, Flick had agreed to meet him in town, in a very public place. And, while blowing him off was tempting, he'd shown up and was sitting there, staring at his father. They sat like that for a long time. Long enough that Flick wondered if they were making the staff uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry to show up so unexpectedly," Henry finally said. "I know you would have preferred Jude."

Flick nodded. He wasn't going to deny that. "That and I just don't get why you're here. What do you want from me?"

Henry sighed and looked down into his cup. "Just...just to talk. I'm not here to ask for forgiveness, Jonathan. I just want you to know that I -- I regret a lot of what happened. I'm not a good man."

"No, you're not." He rubbed his head. A headache had settled in pretty permanently there. "I'm not going to thank you for what you did at the end, Dad. You saved mom but let me think she was dead for years. Why?"

He sighed. "To keep her out of the alumni's hands. Isn't that why you've done what you've done to Frank?"

Trust a dead man to know that. Flick shifted uncomfortably. "That's different."

"Is it?" Henry asked.

"It doesn't matter," Flick snapped. "He's gone I wouldn't have this issue with the alumni if not for you."

Another sigh. "I know that. And I am sorry. Lucian was unstable. He made a mockery of that school."

"That school was a fucking awful place anyway," Flick retorted. "Even before Mandel took it over. Just because the previous headmasters weren't sadistic meant nothing."

"I know, I know," he said, holding up a hand. "That's not what I meant. Lucian deserved what he got. So did I."

Flick breathed roughly. "I'm not forgiving you."

"I'm not asking for it," his father answered. "You were right. That's what I'm here to say, Jonathan."

"Right?" He sat back, laughing ruefully. "About what?"

"About Mandel, about Jude, about me. You have to know that you're not like me," he said quietly. "You're not."

"Got your genes, don't I?" he asked, glowering. "I am like me."

Henry almost smiled, shaking his head slightly. "No, you're not like me. You're like your mother and Jude -- " His voice caught for a moment and Flick scowled, wanting to stop that grief. "Jude's like you."

"Jude's better than anyone," Flick said, voice shaking. "Both of us."

Henry nodded. "I did love him. I loved Frank too."

Flick swallowed. Said nothing.

"I'm paying my penance now, Jonathan," he continued, shaking his head. "I made mistakes."

"To say the least," Flick mumbled. "Good for you, Dad. Congratulations on your new self awareness."

Henry tapped his fingers against the table. "I'm sorry."

To that, Flick merely nodded.

[Open post for Flick or use the Perk as you need!]