Life and Times of a Keyboard Warrior

Man of the house

7

5th of February, 2014

Markus

The barrel of the large Magnum feels cold on the soft flesh under my jaw. I shiver involuntarily. The barrel presses in harder.

"Dad, what the fuck are you doing?" I hear Daria cry indignantly, as she rushes forward to push the gun away from me.

"This thug was in your room, Dare. Luckily I found him before you came home or you might've been attacked." Magnys states, glaring at me with all the hate he could muster. I shudder again.

"Dad, he's not a thug, let Markus go." Daria whines, and grabs at her fathers arms and forces them off me. I gasp as the gun is removes from my neck.

"Wait, you mean you know this bloke?" Magnys asks incredulously, his pistol still pointed at me.

"Dad, don't you remember? I wrote to you about him, a few weeks ago. He's my boyfriend." Daria explains, her arms wrapped around me protectively.

The blood drains from Magnys' face. "Your boyfriend...?" He stutters, trying to comprehend this turn of events. His little girl, all grown up with a boyfriend who's still around after dark? His arms flop limply to his sides, the pistol aimed uselessly at the floorboards. He looks stunned.

"I'm sorry Dare, I'm so sorry..." Magnys mumbles, and he begins to shuffle forward to hug his daughter. The gleaming magnum clatters to the ground, and I feel like the intruder I was thought to be as I watch the Magnys family reunion.

Father and daughter break off the hug, and Magnys turns to me. "I'm sorry son, I didn't realize who you were. I'll be more careful next time, i promise." he says, with his hand outstretched towards me. I slowly take it. The grip is strong and warm.

"I've been away far too long. Daria did send me letters speaking of you, but I never had any way of knowing what you looked like without a picture." Magnys explains as he leans down to pick up the large pistol from the floor. He flicks it around his finger expertly, and holsters it. "I apologize again."

"It's really alright sir, no harm done." I chuckle nervously. My jaw aches.

"Thank you. In any case, I'm glad to have met you, Markus, even if the circumstances were initially dubious." He says, and then turns and disappears into the living room.

"I'm really sorry about that, Markus. He's just really overprotective of me and the rest of my family, plus he hasn't seen us for three years." Daria says to me, looking worried.

"Three years is a long time..." I concede.

"Yeah..." She agrees. "I think he might want you out of the house now."

"Why? I thought he liked me." I quip, grinning despite myself.

"It's not that, he's just very set in his ways and doesn't like visitors after dark." She explains.

"Oh, alright. Go time then." I groan, annoyed at our time together being cut short. We walk to the front door together. As we walk past the door into the living room, I notice Magnys watching me from the chair, his gaze following me. I shudder for the last time that night.

As I open the door, Daria turns me around and kisses me, long and deep. I savor it, and when we break off, I wish that general Magnys had never shown up tonight, cause I woulda gotten more than just a parting kiss.

"Sorry again about my father." Daria says, looking at me for any sign of anger at being thrown out like this. She finds none.

"Dare, it's perfectly fine. Your father just loves his daughter, and I'm getting in the way tonight." I state. "Maybe another night."

As I walk off down the path, I have a brainwave and swings around.

"Dare!" I call out just as she is shutting the door.

"Yeah?" She replies.

"Homework is under the sofa, kinda panicked and hid it there. Sorry." With that, I turn and walk off into the night.