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Marcus Brody had loved Henry Jones for a long time.
Looking back on it, he liked to imagine it had been love at first sight, that he had always known how important he would become to him when he first laid eyes on him back in Oxford.
He couldn't quite remember if that was the case, if he had always known, but it was a nice thought.
Even though he had never quite managed to label the feeling further he took some solace in wrapping the events in this almost romantic notion.
No matter what the real beginnings of the friendship had been, Marcus and Henry had become close and he had made Marcus happy. And when Henry had met Anna and later married her Marcus had been genuinely glad for the couple.
He wanted what was best for Henry, after all.
And soon after Marcus himself had married. Elizabeth had been bright and pleasant company. She had eased his loneliness in the time when he had less opportunities to spend time with Henry. And when she had died young Marcus had grieved.
But he would have lied if he said it didn't make things easier to just tell people he was still grieving over his wife. It avoided any awkward questions.
His brief marriage had left him childless, so perhaps that was why he had been drawn to Henry's family.
The first moment he had offered his finger to little Henry Junior and the baby had taken hold of it with an expression of complete concentration Marcus had loved him too.
And he had felt at peace. It was enough to know this was love.
He had watched young Henry, who would soon change his name to Indiana, grow up. And he had wanted to be there, especially after Anna's death. In some of his lonelier moments during the night he sometimes questioned if there had been some perverse desire to replace Anna in some way.
And if what he had felt toward Henry had ever actually been love, but something more twisted.
In the morning those thoughts disappeared with the rising sun.
But if there had been any attempt from his part to replace Anna, he had failed miserably to keep the Jones family together. Henry and Indiana had grown apart, and at this point Marcus was desperately trying to at least keep the lines of communication open.
Neither Henry or Indiana ever asked about their son or father when Marcus met them, but he always made sure to mention how the other one was doing.
Marcus shifted in his seat.
Though maybe it would be best if Henry didn't know about this.
Although maybe he was wrong?
He examined the two young men sitting across him in the small French apartment. Indiana had introduced the French boy, René Belloq, as his friend. They had struck a friendship in Sorbonne university and become room-mates, maybe that was all there was to it. Maybe anything more Marcus was reading into it was due to his own failings.
But the looks the boys had been giving each other- no, Indiana was no longer a boy. He was a young man in his twenties.
But he will always be a boy to me.
The thought that there was anything improper going on between the two boys was ridiculous. Certainly not Indiana, Marcus knew he had had relationships with women.
And surely, not Henry's son. He was, at his core, a good man-
Maybe Indiana picked up on the odd look Marcus had given him, because he sat a bit straighter in his chair.
"I'm enjoying France a lot, the Parisian nightlife is quite something. Not that I have had lot of time for it. I have been busy with my studies, and I have sort of been seeing someone. Claudia, her name is."
It was then that Marcus knew he had been right. He had known Indy since he had been a child, he might have been able to fool others but Marcus recognized the fake smile and the look in Indy's eye. It was the same look he had given Marcus when he had been six and told him he hadn't been sneaking into his father's study. It had been as unconvincing back then.
Indiana. Indiana and René-
Marcus looked at the other boy.
René gave him an odd glance and Marcus wondered if he had caught on.
René turned to look at Indiana. "Ah yes. The wonderful Claudia. A true beauty. I hope I will be invited to the wedding."
Indy smiled. "Don't push your luck."
“Oh we don't know yet if the wedding bells will ring for you two,” René said, a mischievous smile playing on his lips as he gently elbowed Indy. “After all Mademoiselle Claudia has lot of competition, no? All the beautiful Parisiennes?”
Indy looked down, smiling awkwardly. “Yeah. I have had my- My adventures.”
His smile widened, turning into a genuine grin as he looked at René. “Though we should not forget the things south of France has to offer...”
Marcus wondered if they thought they were being subtle.
Or maybe it was just him. If he was uniquely capable of spotting the signs.
Soon after Marcus said his goodbyes and left the two boys to their small apartment. He walked through Paris, hoping that perhaps his suspicions would fade as he got further away.
But instead he found himself thinking back to when he had been that young.
If things had gone differently, back then, if he had given in to his base desires and taken Henry in a kiss, if then these feelings would have grown into something different.
Blossomed into something-
The thought terrified him.
In any case, I'm too old for that now.
He stopped, and turned to look back.
Maybe I should do something. Interfere. Snip it in the bud.
Stop Indiana from making a horrible mistake.
But in the end, he turned back and continued his walk towards the train station.