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 Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2025 6:16 pm
“Cassidy!” Riker tried hissing a whisper at Cassidy’s window. Of course all of the lights were off. He thought about just knocking on the front door, but he didn’t want to startle him or-- well, just in case his dad got home.
He made sure to give Evan a thumbs up before he headed to the backyard, scooping up a couple stones on the way. It wasn’t his fault the phones didn’t work. He would have texted if it did!
Not wanting to spook him too badly, Riker tossed a small rock at Cassidy’s window. He would have gotten closer to knock if there weren’t bushes in the way.
His heart was racing, and he hated that he both knew why and didn’t. Obviously he was excited with anticipation to see Cassidy, but it wasn’t like he hadn’t just seen him. He hadn’t exactly parted ways like he wished he could have. In retrospect, he really should have done more than just left Cassidy there and made sure he could get into his house.
“Hey, it’s me. We’ve got AC.” What a stupid thing to try to bribe him with, but he supposed there were worse things.
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2025 6:17 pm
Cassidy did not immediately come to his window, but there was some sort of movement from the darkness of his room. The window rattled and then creaked open just slightly. Cassidy leaned over the furniture there and had opened it only about halfway, just enough that he could cross his arms on the surface and plant his chin on his wrists.
“Riker, why are you at my window?” he asked, and his voice was a whisper even when it didn’t need to be. “There’s no car in the driveway, you know I’m home alone, right? Are you just creeping through people’s backyards while it’s dark? No, don’t answer that, I’m just kidding.”
He’d heard what Riker said through the glass, because he was being quiet but not that quiet. Which maybe made Cassidy’s whisper a bit more weird, but even in the darkness he was visibly wearing long sleeves. It was a different shirt than before, cream colored and bright in the darkness. Without picking up his head, he lazily rubbed at his face with the oversized sleeve. “What are you doing here?”
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2025 6:17 pm
Riker froze when he saw movement through the dark window, although he was pretty sure his heart was in his throat. And then--
Cassidy was there. Asking him why he was at his window. Asking him what he was doing there. Looking tired, and rubbing his face with his long sleeves, and not nearly as enthusiastic as any other time he’d seen and greeted Riker.
His heart dropped back down to his stomach and he could feel his ears burning.
“I-- uh… would the doorbell even work with the power out?” he struggled with an excuse. Especially when the real reason was more of a-- wasn’t that the kind of thing Cassidy might like? Or maybe it was his own attempt at poorly planned romanticism and tossing rocks at windows, which… he realized was definitely outdated.
“Um… Evan and I were picking up some dinner when the power went out and we decided to stop by to see how you were and, uh, if you’d like to come over to stay with me and Julian tonight. I would have texted but… Are you okay?”
Clearly he wasn’t. There was no bright smile or leaning out of his window or running to the door to greet him. Maybe he really was upset that Reims just… left him there. Ah… what an a*****e he’d been.
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2025 6:18 pm
“Me? I’m fine, I’m not the one who forgot you could knock on a door instead of ringing the doorbell. Are you okay?”
He wasn’t leaning out of the window or enthusiastically trying to find some way to scoop Riker in, or running to the front door, but he was making an effort to put energy into his voice. He probably could have been even more convincing if he’d been on the phone or somewhere Riker couldn’t see his lack of animation.
Even now, Cassidy seemed like he’d angled himself so Riker could only see half of his face, if he was lucky, and it was like he wasn’t yet willing to part from the shadows.
“I’m just kidding. I think it’s cute that you came to check on me. You said you have AC? Mine’s out. I was trying to figure out if I should take my bike to my mom’s to see how she’s doing. My dad should have AC, but he’s at work. Again. He’s probably really busy right now, I bet a lot of people are freaking out. He might not be home anytime soon. I guess I could leave him a note. What did you have for dinner, did you bring me any leftovers?”
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2025 6:18 pm
“I didn’t forget…” he mumbled embarrassedly, but he did his best not to shuffle his feet in protest.
Something was off, and he didn’t like it. Cassidy was talking to him, but… he was just talking. Maybe he was tired, but… Riker had gotten used to how Cassidy acted around him. He knew it was probably an inflated ego talking, but he’d come to expect Cassidy to behave a certain way around him.
“The power went out before we got anything,” he said quietly. “But there’s food back home, and Evan was going to make something since we couldn’t get anything.”
He wanted to apologize. He wanted to tell him how sorry he was for running off as soon as he’d made sure he got home. Riker didn’t want to drop being Reims on him, though. Especially if Cassidy was upset about Reims.
“I don’t like having a bush between us,” he admitted, gesturing vaguely at the distance between them. Cassidy was hesitating, he was hiding, he was wearing long sleeves in the heat with no AC… Riker didn’t want to make assumptions, but it was difficult not to when Cassidy was being so avoidant.
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2025 6:18 pm
“Oh, me either. Sorry you didn’t even get dinner. I won’t offer you any leftovers if Evan’s cooking, I can’t even heat things up for you.”
Slowly, he pushed himself up. “Can you give me just a minute? I just got done washing my face. The front door’s unlocked, come in? The back door’s unlocked too, I think. I was going in and out, don’t scold me for being unsafe. Although I guess now’s a great time to try to rob people, if their power’s out and cells are down? Who are they going to call? I’ll go with you but you have to help me lock up. I need to leave my dad a note. But I’ll probably be back before he is! Haha.”
As he stepped back from the window, he was already visibly fixing up his hair, but he’d half turned away from Riker while he did so, and still seemed to linger in the shadows.
“I won’t take too long, I bet you’re hungry? Poor Evan, is he doing okay? I bet all the street lights are out still? I’m glad you live so close now. What should I bring? I’ll get my stuff together, too. I don’t want you to starve because of me.”
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2025 6:18 pm
Riker was quiet as Cassidy spoke. As Cassidy basically filled the silence. It was a smart strategy that Riker was realizing must have worked well for him. If he kept talking, there was no chance for anyone to pick apart what he said, or what he didn’t say, or what he was avoiding entirely.
But while Cassidy could talk and talk and ask questions and lead the conversation in a way that the attention wasn’t on him any more than he wanted it to be, Riker could… well… not ignore him, but not answer him right away.
He wanted a minute. That was fine, he could have a minute. Riker knew he would probably miss some of Cassidy’s questions and everything he was saying, but he was sure he’d figure it out if it was important.
Riker didn’t stay near the window. He didn’t check the back door, either. Instead, he took off through the backyard and around the house. He saw Evan waiting probably anxiously in the car, but he gave him a wave and a thumbs up before making his way to the front door and--
It was unlocked.
The hair on the back of his neck raised a bit in alarm as he made his way inside and shut the door behind him. He knew Cassidy could handle himself, but with the power out? And having just been on Ganymede? Why was he going in and out that he forgot to lock up and then decided to wash his face?
It didn’t matter, at least not right at that moment. The potential end of the world was certainly something to be unsettled about, but was that it?
Cassidy had asked for a minute. He was probably cutting that minute short, but Cassidy could get angry with him and tell him off if he really needed longer. It would be better than this passive acceptance and nonchalance.
Even in the dark, although aided by the light of his phone, he made his way through Cassidy’s house to his bedroom, seeking him out until he caught sight of him. He knew Cassidy had been hiding, so he would indulge him for a little while longer. Riker tossed his phone onto the bed to illuminate the room a little better, but didn’t give Cassidy a chance to run off before he could wrap his arms around him and pull him into a tight embrace.
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2025 6:19 pm
Cassidy wasn’t startled by Riker’s presence. He didn’t jump when he was there earlier than expected. Maybe, he’d already known that he couldn’t buy much time.
“Oh,” he said, as if this were a pleasant surprise, and he wrapped his arms around him in return. He was quick to tuck his chin onto Riker’s shoulder.
“What’s this? Are you afraid of storms? I’m just kidding. I know you’re not afraid of anything. You went away so fast there, I thought something spooked you. You’re very brave, coming to rescue me like this. I think it’s sweet that you stopped by to check on me.”
Cassidy wasn’t really tense in the hug; he seemed relaxed and happy to be there, but he was rigid in a way that could have meant a hundred things.
None of them implied that he wasn’t happy to have Riker there.
“But you also didn’t answer any of my questions. Are you okay? Don’t make me worry about you.”
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2025 6:19 pm
“Don’t make me worry about you!” Riker huffed as he held Cassidy in his arms, letting him tuck his head on Riker’s shoulder for the moment. Whatever helped him get comfortable.
“Of course I’m afraid of things, don’t be ridiculous,” he grumbled, brushing his fingers absently through Cassidy’s hair. This was how he wanted to greet him before, as Reims. He couldn’t with Cynthus there, watching with wide eyes, and Rose waiting to be told it was okay to go home. He hadn’t wanted to leave Cassidy at his door, making sure he at the very least got inside before running off. Like an idiot.
“I missed you, okay?”
He’d worried about him while he was with the others, fighting a space monster that very nearly destroyed Earth -- if they hadn’t prepared for it. What would happen next time? Would they have enough warning to actually stop something like that again?
“I’m okay,” he promised, and he wished he could tell him that Reims was okay, too. But he knew that would be too much.
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2025 6:20 pm
“Worry about me? What’s to worry about? You’re so silly.” But, Cassidy kept his arms wrapped around Riker’s waist, and spoke gently into his ear. He was not without his usual flippant tone, but there was something a bit more sombre, or at least more real about it. “I missed you, too. And the whole internet’s down, can you believe that? My phone can’t get any service, won’t even connect to wifi. A dark house, all alone, is very lonely. I hope it comes back soon. But I guess I don’t need those things if you’re here to rescue me.”
He might have been able to stay like that for a bit longer, but Cassidy knew that there was too much to keep in mind to let himself take too long here. Evan was waiting outside, after all. And poor Riker was so hungry, maybe starving.
Cassidy smiled again, and laughed into Riker’s neck. He rubbed his back gently, as if to soothe him.
“Are you too hungry? I actually packed a to-go bag, you know. Which was very difficult. But I thought, if anyone was going to save me, it would be Riker. So thank goodness you showed up or I’d have been very embarrassed.”
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2025 6:20 pm
What’s to worry about? Everything Cassidy just said. No internet, no cell service, no power, all alone in a dark house with all the doors unlocked. He hadn’t wanted to leave Cassidy in the first place, and he was grateful that Julian and Evan were understanding.
His ears burned a little, because while he knew Cassidy already had a bag ready, from his trip to Ganymede, Cassidy was still able to explain why he was already prepared, effectively protecting Reims’ secret.
But Cassidy was still talking, still filling the silence. Still filling the void of the unspoken and idle wondering and worrying.
And the heat of Cassidy’s breath as he laughed against his neck--
Riker pulled back from the embrace then. Not to escape Cassidy’s arms, but so he could lift a hand to Cassidy’s cheek, thumb under his jaw to gently direct his face upwards so Riker could catch his lips with his own.
He kissed his lips at first, then his cheek, then jaw, then anywhere he could reach against his face. And then his lips again for good measure.
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2025 6:20 pm
Throughout it all, Cassidy made a few pleased noises, and he certainly didn’t protest the affection, although by now he’d taken great notice of Riker’s silence. Maybe the kissing was his way of combating the silence.
Well, it was okay if he didn’t know what to say. Obviously, Cassidy could keep talking.
“Mm,” he said, just as the last kiss broke. “I am very much enjoying all of this, but I think I’m starting to worry about you a little more. You’re not usually so forward. I’m not complaining! I like it! You can kiss me any time! Do you want some more?” he asked, and since Riker had been so forward, he peppered his face with a few more kisses.
The light from the phone cast enough shadows that it wasn’t easy to see his face, but if he had just been washing his face, that explained why his cheeks were red, and maybe why they still felt a bit damp. The wetness in his eyes was soap, obviously, and he’d make sure Riker knew as much as soon as he wasn’t cloaked in shadows. He looked better now than he did even just a minute ago, and the longer he got to stay in darkness, the better off he’d be.
He cupped Riker’s cheek gently, combing his fingers through his hair with one hand while his other rested on Riker’s hip.
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2025 6:21 pm
Riker knew he was stupid about a lot of things. He didn’t always understand when someone was being nice to him instead of teasing him. He didn’t always understand when someone was teasing him because they liked him. He frequently said things he didn’t mean, or didn’t say things he should have. Or said things he might have meant once upon a time, but didn’t mean now.
Cassidy said he was worried about him. Riker could have told him that he’d been worried about him. That he didn’t know if he’d see him again, although they’d pulled off a surprisingly effective victory against the Calamitous Hollow. He wanted to apologize that he left him, alone in the dark, instead of staying with him or taking him with him to Evan’s or anything other than what actually happened.
“I don’t actually mean for you to not cry around me,” he said after a moment, leaning into Cassidy’s palm. “You know I hide it, too. You said I was allowed to. Same goes for you. I don’t think it’s stupid or uncool or--”
He was trying to think of things Cassidy probably assumed he thought, but he was too distracted by how close Cassidy was, and how nice his lips felt, and how his heart was racing.
“You didn’t jump out of the window to greet me,” he pointed out, just in case Cassidy decided to deny it. “And you hid from me. You never do that.”
Okay, it was also dark and Cassidy had just gone through a probably traumatic experience having to deal with Cynthus and the world maybe being destroyed, so he couldn’t really blame him. But his face was also a little wet still, and he could hear the lingering tears in his voice, as much as he tried to hide it.
“I’m not going to abandon you again. I’m not going to get scared away. You’re stuck with me, whether you like it or not.”
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2025 6:21 pm
There was a brief moment when Riker was speaking where Cassidy seemed to tense, ever so slightly, while he listened. It was short lived, and either without thought or by careful design, he’d relaxed almost immediately afterwards.
And then, softly, Cassidy laughed.
“Well, I like it a lot, actually, so that’s good news for both of us.”
He probably could have kept kissing Riker, but maybe it was good to let him speak, finally. Now that Riker had found his voice. It wasn’t that Cassidy was ashamed of crying, but it was complicated, and he was also very hypocritical because he didn’t want to chase Riker away. He probably got enough tears from Julian, and also probably–definitely–from Atticus.
“It’s cute how much you’ve been paying attention to me. Who could have guessed how clever you were! I can’t believe you’d hide that from me. It’s very charming. How do you know I wasn’t just trying to take it easy on my arm? Opening that window all the time isn’t easy, you know.”
Except, he said it like he was making up excuses. At least he sounded like he was enjoying himself in the process.
Riker had found him out, so Cassidy put less effort into hiding the little bit of nasally-ness in his voice, or the slight sound of stuffiness in his nose. He lessened his grip on Riker only to mop at his face with his sleeve, gently patting it instead of scrubbing.
“It’s just teenage angst, you don’t have to worry. I hate not having my phone. And I hate the dark. I stubbed my toe four times, can you believe it? And I hit my elbow so hard it went numb. It’s all very pathetic. And then I did get soap in my eyes when I washed my face. And I’ve had a headache all day, it’s this stupid storm. How are you, are you okay? Did you get scratched running through bushes or sneaking through backyards, or–what, not getting struck by lightning, I hope? You don’t have any new bruises I should be worrying about, do you? I want to squeeze you!”
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2025 6:22 pm
He felt the way Cassidy tensed, but he didn’t say anything about it. He wasn’t trying to embarrass him, or make him feel like he was being hounded into telling him everything. Riker didn’t want that. He wanted Cassidy to feel comfortable enough to tell him, just as he’d grown comfortable enough to talk to Cassidy. And Julian and Evan. Once upon a time he felt like he could talk to Yvoire about anything… well, except the one thing that ruined whatever friendship they had. He’d even opened up to Elliot more than he’d intended.
So he didn’t think he’d been paying more attention to Cassidy than normal. He didn’t think he was that clever, he just knew what it was like to hide emotions from even the people who did care.
And he was pretty sure Cassidy suspected that from Riker, too. Which was why, when he was asked if he had any new bruises, Riker sighed.
It wasn’t in annoyance, but rather simple resignation. He knew Cassidy would keep worrying. Just like he kept worrying about Cassidy even if he claimed ‘teenage angst’ until he was blue in the face.
He took a step back, out of Cassidy’s arms, but when he did, he reached down to tug at the bottom hem of his shirt. Cassidy had a good reason to suspect Riker was hiding something. It was why he always wore long sleeves, after all. At least until he no longer had to worry about coming home to someone angry and drunk.
Riker tugged at his shirt, pulling it up and over his head, then held out his arms in the dim light of his phone’s flashlight so Cassidy could see for himself. There were scars, sure. But Cassidy had seen all of them before. Any bruises that discolored his skin were a month or more old by this point. The last major ones he had were from the end of February.
He knew, superficially, that he didn’t look bad. He was athletic. Played baseball. Swam. Did cross country. But he’d gotten so used to hiding himself that he was still working on his self confidence when it came to his own body.
“Not even a scratch from the bushes. But you really think I’d still be standing here if I got struck by lightning?” he scoffed and then laughed, lowering his arms to his side after Cassidy had a moment to look at them. “I’m careful, I promise. The sky looks like it’s clearing up, anyway. Hopefully we won’t have to deal with any more storms.”
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