Chapter Text
Gilan’s relationship with his father has been… strained for as long as he could remember. Maybe it started when he became a ranger, or when he first expressed interest in becoming a ranger, maybe when his mom died, maybe when was just starting to become his own person, maybe when he was born.
He didn’t like to dwell on it. Halt had been more of a father to him then David ever had. Halt had done all the things a father should do, taught him how to shave, cut his hair(thankfully not his a saxe knife), gave him advice to get his first boyfriend and comforted him when they inevitably broke up because he was a apprentice ranger and that was “too much” for him.
Halt had then proceeded to give his current boyfriend (who was now his husband according to the Middle Kingdom, however two men could not get married in Aralen so technically they were only married when they went to visit Lewis’s parents once a year) a shovel talk to end shovel talks, but look at Lewis with approval after he talked back and threatened to castrate Halt if he ever hurt Gilan.
He was fairly certain David didn’t even know he liked men, versus Halt who was the first person he told when he finally figured it out and had raised an eyebrow and declared him to be the last person to know.
He looked at the letter on his table, his name clearly written in his fathers handwriting.
He dreaded opening.
The last time they had a conversation it ended in a screaming match. It was almost ten years ago and at his graduation ceremony of all places. Something about how Gilan didn’t love him and that he was forsaking him for Halt. It was true but he hadn’t realized it at the time, and it wasn’t intentional. At least it wasn’t until then.
David had sent a letter two weeks later, unofficially disowning him. It was quite clear the only reason he wasn’t officially disowned was because it would leave
him heirless and because it would be embarrassing for him to disown his only child.
He only really remembers crying into his real dads arms, passing out, and waking up with a terrible headache. He was pretty sure he still had the letter.
Halt had wanted to throw it in the fireplace but Gilan wanted to keep it. He couldn’t place why though. Maybe it was some final proof he was better off within the Ranger Corps where his former father couldn’t touch him, maybe it was so he wouldn’t feel tempted to reconcile with David, because he knew in his heart of hearts he would try.
Before his apprenticeship to Halt, whenever David threatened to disown him he would come crawling back, tail tucked between his legs like a beaten dog.
The only thing Halt beat into him was self respect. (And how to be a Ranger but that wasn’t relevant.)
He debated just pitching it into the roaring fireplace, Halt certainly would have approved and Lewis would have done it himself, but he couldn’t bring himself to.
This was the first time David had willingly reached out to him in a little over ten years. David had stopped writing during his third year and stopped giving any kind of response in his forth. Before that he just had a servant reply for him. That had hurt more than anything he had said or done before.
He opened it.
The first thing he noticed was that it was in David's own handwriting. He began to feel as if he should wait for Lewis to get back from his house call. A family had a child that was sick with some kind of fever and with the turning of the weather into winter, Lewis had decided to come as soon as possible.
He shook off his nerves and read the letter. And properly pitched in the fire.
He didn’t know what he was expecting and it really should have been obvious. The manipulation was subtle, but he was a ranger. He exceed at picking up on
what was not inherently obvious. He partly wanted to send a letter back, congratulating David on writing the most manipulative piece of work he had ever read.
It was filled with bullshit, stuff about how he was getting old and sick, which he knew was false because Crowley was giving him semi-regular updates on him specifically so he couldn’t pull something like this.
He also mentioned being a changed man, that they should put their differences aside and come together as father and son.
Yeah right. The last time David had said that he came back to Halt black and blue.
The most glaring thing was his instance that Gilan stop being a ranger.
The job he had spent five years of his life training for and had met his real family through. His husband, Lewis, his dad, Halt, his brothers, Will and Horace. David was telling him it was a mistake and that his true purpose was to take over as the Kings’ Battlemaster.
A position that many a man would kill for, but had no interest to him. He was just fine working as Whitby’s Ranger until he died or retired with a beard so grey he could already hear Will's new rendition of Greybeard Halt to Greybeard Gil. It was rather catchy.
He fell to the ground with a small sob. He vaguely heard the door open and quickly close.
He felt arms around him and Lewis’s voice trying to comfort him. He just turned his head into Lewis’s chest and began sobbing.
It was a while before he woke up. When he did he had a terrible headache and a strange feeling of déjà vu.
He then remembered why he was laying on his couch and had a pitcher of water on the side table. As he moved to get some of the thankfully ice cold water he heard Lewis start, clearly not realizing Gilan had rejoined the world of the living.
He watched as his lover grabbed the water and helped him take a drink despite his noise of protest. “I’m fine Lew, I don’t need help getting water”.
He then saw the letter he thought he had chucked in the fire on the table.’Well shit’ he thought before he was engulfed in a bear hug by Will. ‘When did he get here?’ he questioned. “Last night. I was planning on surprising you and Lew before Halt, Crowley, and Horace got here, but I guess that was thrown out.” Ah he said that out loud. Oh well.
“You both read the letter I assume?”
“Yep” Will replied, a hint of murder in his voice.
Ah lovely.
“Please don’t start yet another political conflict, Crowley just finished dealing with the last one and I doubt he would appreciate another.”
“No promises.” He sighed, that was probably the best case scenario.
“Why didn’t Horace come with you?”
“He had some work and told be to go ahead”
“Oh”
He got up from the couch and announced that he was going to get changed.
“Without me?” came Lewis’s teasing voice.
“GROSS!!” came Will’s high pitched response.
“If I had to put up with your’s and Horace’s flirting during Celtica, Arrida, and whatever other mission I’m missing, you can put up with me and Lewis’s flirting.”
“It's Lewis and I, dipshit!” Came Will’s gleeful response.
“KILL YOURSELF”