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 Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2022 9:09 pm
Michael and Soleiyu left, and Chad continued to sleep. He’d already been exhausted, but the extra strain on his body was too much for him to handle. When he did wake up, it was only briefly, and in a lot of pain, and just long enough to take some medicine and fall back asleep.
He didn’t have enough energy to process more than occasionally being placed into hot, soothing water, and kind fingers brushing through his hair as he dozed while the medicine was beginning to work. He didn’t know that Devyn sat by his side the whole time, or that he cried in his sleep. He didn’t know there were people worried about him, or planning their lives around wanting to make sure he would be safe.
Thunder was likely what finally woke him, nearly a day later. But it was thunder like he’d never heard before. It was low and vibrated the bed, but even if he couldn’t hear the full booming might, he could tell it was powerful.
And it didn’t startle him, for whatever reason. Maybe because he’d grown used to it over the hours.
Glowing crystals around the cavern-- room? Was the first thing he saw. They were green and not too bright, but bright enough that he could turn and try to see where he was.
He immediately regretted the attempt to move, because his side throbbed and he whimpered and laid his head back down. It wasn’t as bad as it had been, but it still hurt.
Then he remembered.
A man attacking him. Devyn -- Alastor arriving to help him. There was blood and so much pain.
“Devyn?” he asked weakly, before trying to lift his head and look around again.
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2022 9:21 pm
Mostly, Devyn was alone.
With Chad, but the boy was almost completely unconscious. He’d taken care of him, that part was easy enough. The office was spotless. Organized, cleaned. He’d even scrubbed all the rocks by the pool clean while Chad had slept.
Devyn didn’t sleep much. Back to his old habits, fifteen minutes here and there. He knew he was safe here, but if it wasn’t the thunder, it was the whisper of a noise that made him think Michael might have messaged him, or the rattle of a breath that made him worry Chad was taking a turn for the worst.
Sometimes, he’d talked to Chad while he slept. Nothing important, nothing he’d have been upset for Chad not to hear. Sometimes, he hummed. Anything to fill the silence.
He’d been by Chad’s side for nearly all of it, sans a moment here and there. He was never gone for long enough that something could go wrong. Now was no different; he was sitting in the chair while Chad slept. His head was tilted back and he was thinking about what he might try to make for dinner when he heard the whimper.
He was up and on his feet almost immediately.
“I’m here,” he said, and took Chad’s hand out of habit. He’d powered down, not because he needed to but because the wings weren’t exactly the most comfortable to sit or lay on, and if he wasn’t doing chores he didn’t need the extra energy. He was wearing a different outfit–something of his that he’d fished out of a closet. Something old. Something in remarkably good condition, though; he hadn’t even needed any repairs.
The shirt was a bit louder than something he’d have worn on Earth–with puffy sleeves and intricate embroidery–but no one was here to tell him he looked out of place, and he really didn’t think Chad would mind. Especially not since he was wearing borrowed clothes that weren’t too different.
“Just rest, you’re safe. A little beat up, but you’re healing. What do you need, food? Water? I’ve got everything here. More medicine, too, if anything’s bothering you.”
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2022 9:34 pm
Chad looked up when Devyn took his hand, and maybe he was a little surprised that someone was actually there. He couldn’t remember waking up and having someone so close and wanting to make sure he was okay, other than when he woke up with Elliot next to him, whether from dozing or when he stayed the night.
It then took another moment for Chad to process the idea of not being safe when Devyn was there with him. Of course he was safe. Devyn had protected him so many times already.
“Water, please? There’s medicine?”
Maybe it was stupid of him to think that. Of course there would be medicine if Devyn said there was, but it wasn’t something he had easy access to.
“Thank you. I think… I think I’m feeling better,” he mumbled as he reached down with his free hand to lightly brush his fingers against his side. It was tender, but there was a bandage over what he could tell were stitches.
“What is this place?” He’d wanted to ask, but could never manage enough energy to process the words before.
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2022 9:44 pm
“Sessrumnir,” Devyn answered proudly. “We’re on Jupiter right now. I’m going to lift your head a bit so you can drink, try not to tense your muscles. There’s a straw.”
He had a bottle of water, still cool, and slid the glass straw in before holding it up for Chad. Carefully, he reached behind him to angle him so he could sip it.
“I have pills for pain relief, and some cream I’ve been using. It won’t be time to change the bandages for a little bit, but I’ll get some more of that on when we do–unless it’s really bothering you right now. You can tell me. If it’s not hurting, it’ll be itching. But the itching’s a good sign, that means it’s healing.”
He figured his brief answer of where they were wasn’t enough, so while he raised Chad to make it easier for him to get some water, he continued. “We’re underground right now, in the healing springs. We’ve been soaking on and off. It’s just you and I here right now. You’re going to have to take it easy, but you’re healing up. It’s been about a day so far, I think. You’ve been sleeping through most of it. I’ve gotten you to drink some water and eat a little applesauce, but if you’re feeling up to it, I’d like to get some real food in you.”
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2022 9:51 pm
“Sessrumnir,” Chad repeated. It was like an echo of… something that he didn’t quite understand. Like a long lost memory, even though he was certain he’d never heard the name before.
The thought of being on Jupiter was a little more distracting than a strangely familiar but unknown name, and Chad glanced up at Devyn to make sure he wasn’t trying to make fun of him. But no, he seemed like he was telling him the truth. He’d told him that his favorite Knight, and husband, got his power from Jupiter, after all.
Chad let Devyn help him, but only because he couldn’t do it himself. He wanted to! He wanted to prove that he wasn’t going to be a burden and make things more difficult than they already had been on him. Knowing that they’d been there for a day was… surprising as well.
He sipped at the water through the straw he was given, taking the time to process everything Devyn was telling him. Especially about being underground and at some kind of healing springs. His stomach seemed eager for more than applesauce and gurgled embarrassingly in reply.
“It’s doing a little of both, I think,” Chad admitted, letting his fingers brush over his covered wound again. And then he frowned because if Devyn knew how it would feel if it was healing…
“Does that mean you’ve been stabbed before?” he frowned in distress.
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2022 10:05 pm
“Oh, a good few times, yeah.”
Chad looked so worried, Devyn almost laughed. It made him think of Percy, though, and he didn’t want to upset him–not after he’d been through something so traumatic.
“I’m okay,” he promised. “I still have a few scars but most of them have healed up.”
He set the water down on the nearest flat surface when Chad appeared to be finished for now. He had a collection of snacks on the table and some canned goods he could heat up for them. It seemed like a good idea to start with something simple, so he got a chocolate covered granola bar and unwrapped it.
“Small bites, and chew well. I don’t want you to choke, I’m afraid I’d hurt you trying to get it back up. I can help you sit up if you’d like, we’ve got plenty of pillows I can prop you up with.”
He held the granola bar up first, because he knew what it was like to be hungry immediately. They could focus on nutrition later; Chad wasn’t going to be in a rough state for getting some sugar in him.
“If you need to scratch, just be gentle. Try to just use your fingertips, and only go in one direction. I use the back of my nails, just so I don’t catch anything or scratch myself.”
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Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 5:50 am
If Devyn didn’t immediately promise that he was okay, Chad might have cried at his response for being stabbed a good few times, like it was normal. How could someone just be stabbed and move on like it was nothing?
Or maybe he really needed to figure out a way to not be so pathetic. He could totally handle a stab wound. This was nothing. And to prove it, he made another attempt at pushing himself up to sit. And he only whimpered a little! And only felt like he was going to throw up a little… Okay, maybe he should have taken it a little slower with making himself sit up, but he wanted to help! He didn’t want Devyn to have to do everything.
“Thank you,” he managed to say while also keeping all the water he’d just had inside his stomach, winded by something as simple as sitting up. He nodded to let Devyn know he understood when it came to scratching, but took a small bite of the granola bar before his stomach growled again.
But then something caught his eye. It was Elliot’s sweater at the end of the bed, and he reached for it with little success.
“What’s going to happen now?” he wondered out loud, his eyes already misting a little because he missed Elliot. Maybe that was a little excessive but… he was very important to him.
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Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 6:48 am
“Chad,” Devyn said, not really scolding, but with a tone that was clearly worried about him.
“Please be gentle. I need you to try and use those muscles as little as possible. It’s just you and me up here and if you get hurt or tear the stitches it’s going to take you longer to heal.”
Out of habit, he ran his fingers through Chad’s hair. “It’s just you and I here, you don’t have to prove anything to me. Here,” he passed him the granola bar and grabbed a few more pillows to help prop him up. “You can rest against this.”
And then, because he was reaching for Elliot’s sweater, Devyn stretched so he could hand it to him.
“We’re going to spend some time here so you can heal. We’ll figure out what’s going to happen but right now I need you to put all your energy into getting better. We’re not going to be here forever,” he promised, and he must have known what Chad was thinking because he said, “The faster you heal up, the faster you’ll be able to hug Elliot again.”
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Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 8:27 am
Even though Devyn’s tone wasn’t scolding, Chad still froze when he said his name. And then he frowned and stared down at the sweater that was passed to him, and held it tightly to his chest. The fingers in his hair were comforting, but even that couldn’t stop the heat from misting his eyes.
“I hate that name,” he mumbled into the fabric of Elliot’s sweater, but he sighed because he knew there was nothing he could do about it. He’d been looking for a name, but so far, there was really only one… and he felt guilty for even thinking about using it.
It didn’t matter. There were a lot of things he didn’t like. He didn’t like that his father hated him enough to want to kill him. He didn’t like that everyone kept away from him because he was weird or awkward or smelled bad because he wasn’t allowed to wash his clothes. He hated that his father and his girlfriend tried to starve him by purposefully giving him impossible or incredibly unappetizing things to eat, to the point he was forced to scavenge for food, himself.
He didn’t like that he couldn’t see Elliot. He wanted to hug him and tell him he was sorry. But how was he supposed to do that when his father would probably try to have him killed again?
“I’m sorry you’re stuck taking care of me, Devyn. Thank you. I’ll try to get better fast so you don’t have to worry about me,” he promised as he took another tiny bite of the granola, ignoring the tears that clung to his eyelashes. Maybe if he held still and didn’t blink they would just go away.
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Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 8:34 am
Devyn seemed to immediately bristle, like he had some sixth sense for tears.
“I’m sorry,” he said, and hesitated for a moment because he wasn’t sure if he should try to comfort him in the same way he’d been doing all this time. He didn’t want to do something Chad didn’t want, so he kept his hands to himself, just in case.
“I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s okay that you’re upset.”
He wondered if Chad was still upset with him for what had happened at the park. He wondered if he was in some way responsible. He wondered if it wouldn’t have been better to have someone else up here with him. Maybe he could have begged Soleiyu to stay, or–
Devyn wasn’t self-pitying by any nature, it wasn’t a punishment to worry about the what ifs. He was just worried about–the kid.
He didn’t like the name Chad. Hated it.
“You’re allowed to be, I mean. But I want to do what I can so you feel better. I’m not stuck taking care of you. I wanted to be here. I was really worried. That’s not going to just change. In fact, I’d rather you take a little bit of time to heal so I know that you’re not pushing yourself or just telling me you feel better because you think it’s what I want to hear. We’re friends.” If he still wanted to be. “...And if you don’t want me to call you Chad, is there something you like a little better?”
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Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 9:09 am
Chad shook his head and finally glanced tearfully up at Devyn. “You didn’t make me upset. I upset myself. All the time,” he admitted, before looking away again so he could try to hide the tears. He reached up to scrub them away as he sniffled.
It was hard to like himself or think he was worth the effort when it was clear, more than ever, that the people who were supposed to care about him and take care of him… just wanted him dead.
He knew it wasn’t Devyn’s fault, because all Devyn was doing was trying to help him, but Chad couldn’t help but feel miserable knowing that he’d been right about that gut feeling he’d had for so long. That he wouldn’t grow up.
“Did you really want to be here?” he couldn’t help but ask, glancing up at Devyn again. He wouldn’t have said it if he didn’t mean it right? Of course that made the tears fill his eyes faster. “Thank you. I’m glad you’re here. Yeah, I’m happy we’re friends,” he agreed as he sniffled-- “Ow...” he groaned, because crying was not good for his wound.
“I don’t know. I’ve been trying to find another name to use but… the only thing I really like is Atticus. But… oh, he’s so much better than I ever could be,” he sniffled again. “He’s Mr. Reid’s favorite character in a book he let me borrow. But he’s really smart and strong, and I don’t think I could ever be that.”
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Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 9:16 am
“I really want you to be here,” Devyn promised, and when he thought Chad was a little too forceful wiping his own eyes, he gathered his sleeve and gently wiped at his cheek for him.
“Is it the book we got from your room?” he asked, and stretched so he could pull it closer, too. He didn’t know if it would offer him any comfort to see it, but he placed that on the bed next to him.
“Atticus is a nice name. I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t use it if you like it, too. I don’t think he’s better than you. Nor stronger, nor smarter. You’re still growing up. You can be anything you want to be. I’m sure even the Atticus in your book was a kid at one point in time. He must have had to figure out how he wanted to grow up, too. Is he your favorite character?”
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Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 9:46 am
Chad didn’t pull away when Devyn reached out to wipe at his cheek for him. If anything, he leaned a little closer, as much as his side would allow, to make it easier for him.
Everything Devyn did for him was so kind. Chad was certain he didn’t deserve it.
“Mmm,” he nodded as he looked at the book, his shoulders relaxing a little with relief to see it was there. He was glad he could return it to Oliver at least. Maybe. If he got to see Oliver again.
“I don’t know. I didn’t think I would have the chance to grow up,” he admitted out loud, but quickly shut his mouth and pressed it into a firm line. If only to keep himself from chewing on his lip. “I would want a different last name, too. I… I mean, the Reids offered theirs but…”
And for a moment, Chad could feel the heat rise in his cheeks as he thought about Elliot again. He thought it might be weird to have the same last name as someone he really, really liked.
“But… I don’t know what will happen to me now. I really don’t want to go into foster care. Um… I mean… u-unless I have to go back to my dad, but…”
The thought was clearly distressing and he ended up chewing on his lip anyway.
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Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 9:56 am
“You’re not going back to him,” Devyn said, and this time he was much more careful to make sure his tone stayed gentle. He was angry at Chad’s father, angry at everything he’d gotten away with, but he didn’t want to express any of that to him. He didn’t want him to worry, didn’t want him to think that anger was somehow his fault.
“And you’re not going into foster care. I’ve got some very smart friends who are going to help us figure it out. We’re going to make sure we can keep Elliot and his parents safe, and you, too. My friend, the one who made that pen? He’s back on Earth right now working on something so you can come back and be safe. I don’t know exactly what he’s going to come up with, but he says he’s been able to make people’s appearance change enough to look like someone else. We’ll figure it out. You’re not going to be out there on your own. And you’re not going back to someone who hurts you. I don’t really know how foster care works on Earth, but no one’s going to make you do anything you don’t want to do. We’ve got plenty of time up here, it’ll take a few days until our ride gets back. Unless it’s an emergency, then I can get us back to Destiny City. But that’s emergency only, so if we can hold out, we’re going to try.”
He offered a smile to try and reassure Chad that it really was okay. Everything was going to be okay.
“We’ll have time to figure out names. And what you want to do with your future. It’s not something we have to decide overnight, so you don’t have to stress about any of it, Atticus.”
It felt comfortable to say. He hadn’t judged Chad’s name before, but Atticus was an elegant name, he thought. Sophisticated. Pretty. And more importantly, something he liked.
So, Devyn had wanted to try it out and see if he liked the idea of the name as much as he liked it as his name.
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Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 10:15 am
It was reassuring to know that they didn’t plan on sending him back to his father, or making him get put into a place that he’d been told wouldn’t be kind to him. Maybe it was another lie, but he didn’t want to find out the hard way that it was true.
He supposed he should be more concerned about not being on Earth, but he’d seen those creatures, and that man with the holes in his chest, and the other who had stabbed him. How they both seemed to disappear and reappear. It was strange. It was magic of some kind. So why wouldn’t he believe that he was on a planet far from Earth?
And then Devyn called him Atticus, and he froze. At least for a moment until his cheeks flushed with color and he couldn’t quite stop himself from smiling. He didn’t know if he was good enough for the name, but… he liked it. Much more than his old name.
“That sounds a lot nicer I think,” Atticus said softly, still trying not to smile too much and look silly for doing so. “Thank you, Devyn. You’re right. We’ll figure things out. I trust you.”
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