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 Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2022 11:25 am
Maybe it was just because he hadn’t been sleeping well on Sessrumnir. Maybe it was because Michael’s bed was the perfect combination of soft and firm.
Maybe it was Michael’s hand on his side.
Whatever it was, Devyn slept well.
He hadn’t dreamt, but he hadn’t needed to; the whole time, he felt like he was soaking in Sessrumnir’s Springs.
And then, he’d woken up hungry.
Very hungry.
He could feel the way his stomach felt like it was just starting to churn, in that familiar way that felt like waves crashing against rocks. Atticus looked so comfortable. Michael’s breathing was so gentle. The sun was up, though.
They’d be waking up soon.
Faster, if his stomach started playing alarm clock.
He crept out of the bed with incredible care, moving slowly and with more effort than he probably should have put into it, given how confident he was that they’d both be waking up soon.
So, he wanted to make it worth their while. Before he left the bedroom, he’d pulled the blankets up to make sure they weren’t too cold without him, and then he made his way to the kitchen.
Coffee, first, because he didn’t know if Michael could start his day without it. The fridge was still very well stocked and he knew that he was hungry, so he’d make a lot. Enough to feed the three–no, four. Soleiyu was in the window, looking impatient.
Devyn would learn that he’d missed a string of text messages announcing Soleiyu’s arrival, but that was forgiven easily enough. It hadn’t started raining yet, and he quietly let the Mauvian in. Michael was probably up; he didn’t think anyone got in or out of the house without Michael getting a notification.
But, that was fine. The coffee was ready first.
Pancakes were easy. Bacon was easier. There were still plenty of fresh berries, he could pretend like he was thinking about healthy eating. He could have made more. Could have made a lot more, but he didn’t want to overwhelm Atticus. Or scare Michael.
Either way, he wanted to do something nice for them and give them something good to wake up to–especially since Soleiyu already seemed ready to get down to business.
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2022 11:36 am
“Morning,” Michael greeted groggily as he shuffled his way into the kitchen towards the smell of coffee, grateful that Devyn thought to make some.
He’d slept well. After a week of being alone with only his thoughts and worries, it was good to be able to finally rest.
“Morning, Soleiyu. Should I just install a cat door to the garage?” he hummed, the corner of his lip twitching in amusement. He’d seen the notification that Soleiyu was there, but since Devyn had no longer been in bed at that point, and he could smell bacon, he assumed Devyn was more than capable of letting the Mauvian in.
He was trying not to get in Devyn’s way as he scooted by him to get to the coffee, so the fact that he briefly reached out to place his hand against Devyn’s hip as he made his way past was just so he could let him know not to take a step backwards. And maybe his hand lingered along the small of Devyn’s back. And maybe he stayed unnecessarily close to Devyn’s side as he worked on pouring some coffee. It didn’t take long for Atticus to follow, looking at everything with wide eyes, not quite able to decide if he believed that he really was safe and welcome there. He knew Devyn would keep him safe, but he would hate to be intruding. Oh, but Michael said he and Elliot had set up the room for him.
Except he needed to spend part of the night with Michael and Devyn because he was afraid of being alone.
His hair was a mess, but he didn’t want to stay alone in the room when he could smell food cooking, and his stomach whined at him. He still clutched to the lion pillow when he made his way into the kitchen, and immediately went over to Soleiyu to scratch behind his ears.
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2022 11:44 am
Devyn seemed completely happy with all of this; he smiled as he flipped the most recent of his pancakes. The bacon was already on a plate and his stack of pancakes was more than enough for them to get started. He had empty plates next to him, ready to load up. “Morning,” he greeted. His hair was tied up and out of his face while he worked on breakfast, and he leaned a little closer to Michael to ask, “How hungry are you?”
He already assumed Atticus was hungry, so he began plating his so he didn’t have to ask.
Soleiyu instinctively pushed into Atticus’ hands, not because he needed to be pet but because he seemed like he wanted to do his part and make sure Atticus was settling in. And, Atticus was so gentle, of course he appreciated it.
He’d huffed at Michael, because he didn’t want to use a cat door. He’d rather have a key, but he could probably figure different ways to get in if he needed to.
“That’s cute,” he nodded to the lion, “Did you sleep well? You look better today.” Even with his enthusiastic bedhead.
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2022 12:26 pm
Michael had been leaning closer to where Devyn was so he could put the coffee back, and maybe purposefully let their temples meet just briefly as he replied, “Probably could eat as much as you.” Actually he doubted that, but as long as Devyn and Atticus were eating, he could make do with whatever was left.
Maybe it was the week away from Devyn that made it easier to give in to offering small gestures of affection. Or maybe it was the more solidified promise that they both needed each other. In whatever capacity that might be. Devyn wasn’t pushing him away. Maybe on Alastor, small gestures like that were normal.
No, Michael knew enough now about Alastor to know everyone seemed to want to stab each other in the back. Which meant Devyn really did trust Michael to let him so casually, and playfully, scratch his fingers along Devyn’s back like he might have done with Princess-- before finally pulling away so he could turn and lean against the counter with his coffee. “Thank you. Elliot and Michael got him for me,” Atticus smiled fondly at Soleiyu, happy to see him again. As strange as it was getting used to magical things, he could honestly say he was happy he knew he could talk to cats. Or at least one.
“I slept well, yes, thank you,” he nodded, even if his cheeks turned a little pink because it hadn’t been until he climbed into bed with Devyn that he really felt like nothing would happen to him.
“Did you have a good night? You must have not had much time to sleep,” he frowned a bit worriedly at the cat. After all, he would have had to go home and then come back, and if he was working on anything he would have had even less time to rest.
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2022 12:36 pm
Devyn laughed softly when Micahel said he could probably eat as much as he could, but he didn’t take it as a challenge. It just meant that Michael was hungry, which was all he needed to know. A shiver ran up his spine when Michael scratched at his back, and he made a noise that might have sounded like a purr. Or, it was just the butter on the pan, but either way, Devyn had obviously liked it.
He’d give Michael an extra piece of bacon for that.
Soleiyu’s tail twitched behind him as he nuzzled into Atticus’ hand again. “Oh, I snuck in a nap or two. I like to keep busy, though. And, I was excited to get back here. I wanted to make sure you knew you had nothing to worry about.”
“Well, except what you’d like to drink,” Devyn said, setting a freshly made plate down at the table. He sat a second plate for Michael across from it. Silverware, butter, and maple syrup followed. “Eat as much as you like, we’ve got more. Do you want orange juice, chocolate milk, water?” He glanced at Michael briefly before returning his attention to Atticus. “Coffee?”
The last of the pancakes were on the pan; he’d be able to join them in just a moment, but he wanted to make sure they were all comfortable and taken care of first.
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2022 12:58 pm
Atticus glanced up at Devyn when he commented about worrying about what to drink. He brushed his fingers through Soleiyu’s fur as he listened to his options, but stared at Devyn, and then Michael, with wide eyes.
“You have chocolate milk?” he gasped, and-- oh, was that normal? He was quickly learning that a lot of things he thought were normal actually weren't. He was also learning that he’d been kept from a lot of normal things, too.
He glanced at the cup of coffee Michael was holding, but didn’t seem too excited by the idea.
“Chocolate milk, please? Thank you, Devyn. This all looks really good.” He had no idea how he was going to eat all of it, but he was going to do his best.
“I’m excited you’re here, too. Oh, um. Would it be okay if-- oh,” he paused and tried backing up as his thoughts got ahead of what he was trying to ask. “For my disguise… do I have to be able to turn it off…? Or… could you keep it? Um, I mean, I don’t know how it works, but. I don’t want to turn it off by accident. Oh! I made a list of things I can tell Elliot to convince him it’s really me, so… I mean I hope it’ll be enough.”
Maybe he was just overthinking things. He was just excited and nervous about everything Soleiyu was doing for him. He didn’t want to be who he’d been. Except for the part that Elliot wanted to be friends with. He hadn’t missed the purr, but he didn’t comment on it. His lip might have twitched a little in amusement, but with Atticus and Soleiyu there, he couldn’t do more without making it obvious that he was, well, kind of teasing Devyn.
They were friends! He couldn’t help himself. And Devyn wasn’t telling him or giving him any other indication that he didn’t appreciate the gestures.
“You can have all the chocolate milk you like, Atticus,” Michael said easily, especially now that he’d already finished about half his first cup. Not that the caffeine had kicked in yet, but it was only a matter of time. He set his mug down while Devyn got everything else ready, and pulled out some glasses for them.
Chocolate milk for Atticus, of course. He brought out the orange juice as well, in case that was Devyn’s preference. Michael knew he was still trying to make sure he got into the best shape possible to take on whatever was plaguing his World, but he was allowed a cheat day if he wanted.
He waited until Devyn was getting ready to sit down, before he settled down at the table. He made sure to make a show of putting butter and syrup on his pancakes so Atticus knew it was okay.
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2022 1:09 pm
It was comfortable. Devyn wasn’t sure how things were all going to work out when things had first begun to unravel, but he didn’t mind this. Chocolate milk, orange juice. It all sounded good, but he decided to have orange juice just in case Atticus was feeling particularly thirsty for chocolate milk.
He smiled at the gratitude but he didn’t think it was all that necessary; it was just a reminder that Atticus had very nice manners. He didn’t have to work to put a show on dressing up his pancakes; he was enthusiastic about it enough without needing to be performative for Atticus to feel comfortable with however he wanted to flavor his.
Soleiyu’s lips had pursed while he considered the question, but now that people were sitting at the table he was much more mindful where he put his paws and tail.
“I suppose I could disable the off button,” Soleiyu mused. “...But you’ll still have to be wearing it for it to have any effect. I have it as a necklace, now. It’s fairly nondescript, but if you’d like, I can change the design a bit. As long as you keep it on a thick chain, it won’t break. And it’s not like it can fall off, unless you’re dangling upside down. I’ll look into something permanent but I can’t promise it. Give me a little time, though. I’ll figure it out.”
Or, he’d do his best. Some things were beyond the scope of science, but there were some magics in the universe that might.
…He just had to figure out how to tap into them.
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2022 1:20 pm
Atticus wasn’t sure why he thought it would be something any different than his pen he used to communicate with Devyn, but he tried not to deflate too much when Soleiyu said it was a necklace, and that he could at least disable the off button -- but he would have to be wearing it.
He appreciated everything Soleiyu was doing for him! He wasn’t trying to be ungrateful! He just couldn’t help but be anxious over the possibility of letting someone find out and then he could end up making things more difficult for everyone.
So Atticus put a smile on his face and nodded graciously, before holding up a piece of bacon for Soleiyu to see if he would want any.
“Thank you. This is more than I could have imagined. I’m just happy I won’t have to stay inside and hide for the rest of my life. Oh, but if that made things easier, then I would!” he promised, because he didn’t want to inconvenience anyone. “Could you make a microchip?” Michael asked as he cut a piece of his own pancake, and then glanced up at Devyn and Soleiyu with a halfhearted shrug. “Just a thought. If he travels anywhere and needs to take off jewelry for security checks... Ah, I hope no one else with disguises has to travel,” he hummed thoughtfully.
Was he already planning trips with the Reids, Devyn, and Devyn’s new-on-paper-son? Maybe. But it was also in case they had to leave for whatever reason for safety.
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2022 1:25 pm
Soleiyu thought Atticus was particularly readable, but he attributed that to his sweet and honest face. If it were just Michael asking, he would have given him a hard time. He didn’t think Atticus would benefit from some banter right now.
“Well, give me a little time,” Soleiyu insisted. “Try not to need to travel for the next week or so while I look into this. I’m a problem solver but sometimes it takes a little bit of time to get to a solution. I’m not going to stop looking, I’ll figure something out. So don’t you worry, Atticus. Or you either, Michael. I suppose I could do a microchip or something, but that’s a little more invasive than I was planning. I’ll figure it out.”
He didn’t want the bacon, but Atticus was offering it and he didn’t want to disappoint him so he took a bite, chewed, and continued, “Besides, you should be relaxing for the next few days. You’re still hurt, I don’t want anything to happen to you. Where are you planning on going, exactly, Michael?”
Soleiyu tilted his head a bit while looking up at Michael.
Devyn hadn’t said anything, but he seemed interested in the answer, too. He might have asked, if his mouth weren’t full of pancakes.
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2022 4:52 pm
Atticus was quick to nod in agreement to give Soleiyu some time, and Michael made sure to pass over the butter and syrup for him to use while he cut pieces of his own to eat.
He hadn’t intended on giving Soleiyu a hard time. Not when he enjoyed challenges so much. Or at least seemed to, given the quick communication devices he’d made for him and Devyn.
“It’s the summer. I usually go to the beach with the Reids,” Michael shrugged. “I have a boat. I like spending time on the water.”
He did cast a sympathetic glance at Devyn, knowing his aversion to water. “There are other things we can do, too. There’s plenty of restaurants with great food. Anyway, I just want to make sure we can plan vacations, or enter places with security checkpoints. There’s some museums that have metal detectors. I would hate to limit his education to places that don’t.”
Maybe he was being a little difficult on purpose. He didn’t have any immediate plans to travel or go to heavier guarded museums, but he did want that opportunity in the future for Atticus. He smiled when Soleiyu took the bite of bacon, and set it down on his plate so he could put some butter and syrup on his pancakes. He’d watched both Michael and Devyn to make sure he wasn’t putting on too much, but they both seemed like they liked a lot-- so he put on a lot as well.
Atticus hadn’t thought about traveling. He listened to Michael and Soleiyu with wide eyes. He didn’t think about traveling. Was that even a possibility? He would have been happy to just visit Jupiter and see Elliot.
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2022 5:10 pm
There was a brief second where Devyn might have looked slightly begrudging at the thought of water, but it was fleeting. It took him only that brief second to decide that if that’s what Michael wanted to do, he wasn’t going to have any complaints about it. He’d rather be with him on a boat than not there at all.
And, anyway. It wasn’t like they were going into caves or anything. Michael wouldn’t do anything that could put the Reids in trouble.
Michael liked it. How often did he indulge and let himself relax? That was enough for him.
“Well,” Soleiyu sighed, visibly exasperated, “I suppose I should give you credit for putting so much thought into it all, at least. But you’re a bright man, Michael. I’m sure you can avoid metal detectors and security check points for the next week or so. But I’m glad you’re thinking about vacations already. With all of this going on, it might be nice for you to get away for a while. At least while some of this calms down.”
“The zoo doesn’t need any of that, does it? Or the aquarium?” Devyn asked, a bit more invested. “When Atticus is feeling well enough, I’d really like to go.”
Best he learn about what could be in the water before they went out on it, especially if the Reids were going to be there.
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2022 5:27 pm
Michael’s lip twitched at the corner in response to Soleiyu’s comments about him being a bright man. He knew he was probably pushing Soleiyu’s buttons with his requests and suggestions, but the Mauvian was being a good sport. Possibly because Atticus was watching all three of them with wide, curious, innocent eyes.
“Alright, I will make sure we avoid metal detectors and security check points for the next week or so,” he couldn’t help but grin, but hid it behind another sip of his coffee.
“We can go to the zoo. Last time I was there they didn’t have metal detectors. Same with the aquarium,” Michael hummed, and then set his mug down because he seemed to remember something and pulled out his phone to set it on the table after checking it.
“I should let the Reids know Atticus is back. They’ve been asking about him. Soleiyu, do you have that necklace ready for him, or did you want to wait?”
He wasn’t trying to rush them, but he knew that Atticus was pretty anxious about his father finding him. The sooner he was disguised, the better. It was overwhelming to hear people talking about doing things specifically for him and his safety. He wasn’t used to it. He didn’t want Soleiyu to waste so much of his time on him, or Michael so much of his money, or Devyn so much of his kindness and patience.
Atticus felt like crying again, but he shoved some more bites of pancake into his mouth to stop himself from thinking about how much he appreciated them.
Of course, bringing up the Reids meant --
“Can Elliot come with us, please?” he asked, wondering if maybe that was too much. He didn’t want to seem as though he had to do everything with Elliot but… he really missed him.
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2022 8:51 pm
“Oh,” Devyn said after a second. “I sort of assumed he’d be there, I forgot to ask. You’ll come too, won’t you, Michael?”
Maybe he was being a little clingy. Or, maybe he’d just already spent so long away on Jupiter, he wanted to make up for it and stick around Michael a little extra. Especially since he didn’t have to work right now! Or all summer, depending on what he decided to do.
“He probably should if he wants to see how convincing my necklace is. Which, by the way, it’s ready, here.” Soleiyu said, and he’d either been hiding it in his fluff or in subspace because as soon as Michael asked about it, it was on the table. He held it between his paws for just a second and seemed like he was doing a last minute tweak, and then he pawed it towards Atticus.
“Go ahead, try it on. When it’s in place, just push the button in the middle. It just needs to sync up to you. I disabled the off button, so just don’t take the necklace off and it should be fine. It’s a sturdy chain, it’s not going to break.”
The necklace itself was something that could easily be worn beneath his shirt, or atop of it; it was a milky white gem in. If it had been anything else, Soleiyu might have made it in his image, but it was important and he wanted Atticus to be safe, so it was just a simple, tasteful little necklace.
That could probably pass through metal detectors or security checkpoints without much issue, but now Michael had him worried, anyway.
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2022 9:07 pm
”You think I’d miss out on seeing your reaction to learning about Earth’s animals? Not a chance,” Michael hummed contentedly behind the coffee mug he was once again sipping at, but he was sure the smile could be heard in his voice.
Michael didn’t think spending time with Devyn was a waste of any moment, and he looked forward to his reactions to things, and learning about his perspective.
“The Reids will always be invited, and I’ll make sure to do what I can to convince them to at least let Elliot come, if they can’t join us themselves.”
Although Michael was tempted to figure out a way to convince them that they had to spend the summer with Elliot and Atticus to help Atticus get used to what a real family was like. Somehow, knowing that both Devyn and Michael supported Elliot coming along wherever they went was a huge relief, and he nodded to let them know he heard them. But if he opened his mouth he wasn’t sure he could stop from crying out of gratitude.
Same with the necklace, which was pretty and perfect and he was both excited and nervous to put it on.
“You promise you’ll help me convince Elliot and the Reids it’s really me, right?” he asked as he carefully picked up the white gem to inspect. He trusted them. They were trying to protect him, and they were already planning on the Reids to be there.
So Atticus took a deep breath and carefully fastened it around his neck, then pushed the button in the middle as instructed.
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2022 9:31 pm
Soleiyu was watching, waiting, and sat with absolute pride as Chad disappeared, leaving only a very similar looking teenager instead. Soleiyu could see shadows of Chad in his face, but maybe it was just because of worried he looked right now.
Devyn had been watching him closely and if he hadn’t been staring at him, he doubted he’d have been able to recognize him. The features were the same but different, and it reminded him of how different Michael and Sessrumnir looked–and how similar.
But, he couldn’t help but smile. As if he wasn’t still smiling from Michael, anyway.
“We promise. You have our full support. And even if Elliot doesn’t trust me, he’ll trust Michael.”
…But Devyn couldn’t imagine that Elliot would need to spend more than a minute with Atticus–even disguised as he was–to recognize his friend.
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