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 Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 7:12 pm
A look of frantic desperation crossed Priam's face, and in that split second he considered how easy it would be to lose one of them. To lose both of them.
To see them lose each other.
He was too slow to run, but they both seemed so fast. To run away, to run to conclusions.
"Sterling," he said, trying to break through the haze of panic gripping him. "I told you he was afraid. I told you he wouldn't have left if there wasn't a good reason."
He turned to Yu, "Yu, don't go. Please. Just give him a moment. He's overwhelmed."
Yu was trying to get away, and Priam didn't want to let go. He wanted to hold his hand until he calmed down, to tell him it was okay.
"I am begging the both of you. You worked so hard to take care of me, to bring me into this. Don't chase each other away, don't let your feelings get the best of you. Take a moment and breathe, both of you. Talk this out. If something happened to either of you, I don't know how I'd live with myself." He didn't know how they would, either.
"Yu, I want to go hold Sterling. Sterling, I don't want to let go of Yu's hand. You don't have to talk to each other, just sit down and catch your breath and let me hold you, and we'll work through this. Please."
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 7:19 pm
Sterling was trying to fight through the pain in his chest, the haze over his eyes, but the panicked voice of Yu. Of Yu saying that he wanted to leave.
It felt like far, far too much. Numbly, He looked up, hoping he was at least looking in the vague direction of where Yu was standing. Where they both were standing, and shook his head. “...You can’t go...” He said weakly, trying to pull in air, his breathing becoming shallower and more desperate. “...You can’t just leave me again, Yu! You can’t do that to me…please...do you think we care about any history? Do...Do you think we care that...that…”
He swallowed, leaning heavily against the wall now, closing his eyes as though that would help. “...You were asking about the person being thrown off the roof...because it wasn’t you...He...you were being framed the whole time...I...thought you were just being a jerk...I didn’t know it was you! I would never have said such things...Yu…Please...don’t leave me again...I...can’t…”
He let out a broken sob, still trying to get full lungs. “...I can’t handle all of this.”
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 7:32 pm
“N-NO I just….” He was so… lost, the look on Sterling’s face he could swear said go, never come back, but his words, his eyes… the broken tone.. His knees felt like they were going to give out, like all the tired he’d been fighting so hard just hit home again in a tidal wave. He felt so ******** small and helpless. “You mean… everything. That’s why I left, that’s why I had to, and then I hurt you, I didn’t know but god….God I almost KILLED YOU. I …” he stopped trying to pull away, He just didn’t have the strength for it, “None of what you said was wrong. I was just…so… I couldn’t stand the idea of… and he sent letters and….” He couldn’t find words.
I almost killed you, He almost killed Priam because he KNOWS me, You mean so much, I can’t… I can’t see you die because of me. I was a jerk, I was AWFUL. ********…. I couldn’t even do ‘nice’ right, I broke your glasses trying to give you a book on fighting! It’s the ******** story of my life.” He let himself stumble forward a step. “If he sees me here, he’ll kill you, he’ll drain you and light the house on fire or something worse, I don’t know. He just… I didn’t… I broke his family when I left, and he wants to…break mine I think. I don’t know… I just don’t know. Please… I’m sorry, and I love you, I love Priam, and Karone I don’t…I… I care about you too, and Ilya and…. I just, I have to find him. Because he can’t…have you. He isn’t ….allowed to hurt you. He can’t do to you what They did to me then, or anything worse he might have thought of since then.”
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 8:09 pm
Something about all of it felt strange and foreign, and even Priam felt like he was intruding. He had always felt so welcome, like such a part of this, this thing they had. He felt like a third wheel, like he should have moved out of the way and let them talk.
...But if he did, he was so afraid that they'd accidentally push each other away.
Yu wasn't fighting him, so he drew him closer to Sterling, supporting him as much as he guided him. He moved to sit next to Sterling, tugging Yu down with him with a gentle hand that he hoped didn't feel too demanding.
"It's okay," he said again, trying to soothe the both of them. He took Sterling's hand now that he was next to him, stroking the back of it gently. He traced shapes on the back of their hands, light and loving.
"The blinds are closed. No one knows you're here except for Karone, Sterling and I. We'll be safe," he promised. "You'll be safe. We know things now that we didn't know before. We can help you. You're leaving the Negaverse, that's a good step. And we're all powered. All of us. If he picks a fight, we outnumber him," he tried to assure.
"The only thing he has that we don't is a plan. We can fix that. I'm so proud of you two. Of both of you. Just take slow, deep breaths. We have each other. Let's start with that and work on what the next step is."
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Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2021 1:28 pm
Priam brought Yu within reach, and Sterling grasped at him, at both of them, drawing them close. “...Now that we know someone’s after us...we’ll keep on top of it, Yu…” His voice trembled and he tried to press kisses to the male, tried to do something. Anything to just let him know that he had to stay. The contact, the fact that he could feel Yu there, feel his skin under his hands...it was grounding as nothing else was, though tears began to bubble up once again.
“You should have talked to us...if something...I mean...you shouldn’t have just left us, we love you so much...Yu, It’s been awful without you...you could have given us hugs, kept in contact and just...we could have figured it out together…”
He dug his fingers into the shirt that Y was wearing and surged up, trembling slightly, pressing his lips to the male’s and relaxing fully, his other hand still clinging to Priam. “...You can’t leave us, Yu. I’m not going to allow it. You came home, and now you’re going to stay home. If Michael or whatever his name is tries to drain us...he can’t do more than one at a time, and he doesn’t know that you’re here. If he tries to burn the house...I...I don’t know! We’ll...throw him in the oven…” Sterling hesitated and looked up at Yu, hope growing in his eyes. “...Did you see the oven? It came the day after you left...I...I want you to love it, like I love you.”
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Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2021 3:25 pm
Yu’s hand squeezed tighter against Priam’s like somehow he was the grounding sensation here. The kisses bestowed on him, the admonishments somehow unreal. “I thought... “ he said breathlessly. “I thought you’d all... hate me.0 he admitted. “An-and then the threats - and I just- they got to be the craziest places. The reasons he had stayed away felt so big that he couldn’t find the words for it other than… “I …don’t deserve you, any of you. Any of THIS, an-and none of you deserve to be hurt because you got tangled up with me.” He shook his head though, bewildered. “I…I didn’t see the oven.” It seemed, very important though. “I…we can go see the oven?” “… I love you guys too, I love you so much, I just… “ He just wasn’t good enough for them, they HAD to see that, right??
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Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2021 5:14 pm
Priam's lungs burned from a breath he barely registered he'd been holding; he didn't realize how long he'd been holding it until he saw black at the corners of his eyes when he exhaled.
Okay. They were okay.
Let them be happy about an oven, about sharing something like that. Let them forget about all of their troubles, even if only for a moment.
"Yu, none of us deserve to be hurt. We're all trying our best. We deserve each other and that isn't a bad thing. I've told you both, I forgot how to live until I met you. If there are some bumps on the road along the way, that's fine, the ride is worth it. It's not you, it's not me, it's us. All of us."
He pushed himself up on his knees first, carefully, and as he stood he extended himself to both Sterling and Yu to help them up, gently.
As he moved, he kissed Sterling's cheek, and Yu's.
"...I'm so surprised he managed to keep it a secret, Yu. He's been talking about it for weeks. We haven't used it, it just seemed wrong. We need you to break it in. You should know that we haven't been able to use the kitchen once. This house is not a home without you."
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Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 10:17 am
Sterling let out a shaking laugh and shook his head, almost rolling his eyes. “...I don’t...understand how you could have thought we’d hate you, love...and if you did...I don’t know...it would still have been better to talk to us and plead your case, wouldn’t it? We’ve been through way too much s**t together over the past few months to just...to just throw that away…”
He swallowed and as he stood, swayed slightly and wrapped his arm around Yu, wanting to keep him there. “...You’re a goofball...I...just hope that you know that. I don’t care what happened in the past...that’s the past. Mistakes get made when you’re younger, and then you learn from them and heal from them...I…”
Sterling drew away just a little, his face looking far more animated, and his color returning.
“...Sweetheart...you do realize that...my job is going to be helping people to work through the trauma of their pasts, right? To listen without judgment, to help them find healthier ways of coping...my love…” He shook his head and gave a laugh that sounded on the edge of hysteria. “...Sometimes we’re really dumb, I think. Sometimes we’re really, really dumb but…”
Swooping over, he kissed Yu’s lips again, then kissed Priam’s, and then dragged them both to the kitchen. “Yu’s present first, and then, Priam it’s yours. I’ve been waiting too long to see your smiles so...please. Just…”
He gestured to the double oven, his eyes bright. Sterling watched Yu for a reaction, ever so hopeful.
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Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 11:08 am
“You… didn’t…use the kitchen? At all?” He blinked baffled. “B-but…I….” He felt…remarkably dumb at that moment. He’d thought they were edging him out of the kitchen. But they hadn’t touched it at all since he left it seemed…. And a new oven? But…the old one had been perfectly good, hadn’t it? He was absolutely not going to start crying in front of Karone, or…well, in the same house with her. Really… But damn if his eyes didn’t sting. “I…just… when I was younger, when I got out on my own…” He stammered. Everything Sterling said made sense, everything Priam said made sense, everything ILYA said made sense. It was just his ******** head reminding him of…everyone that wasn’t them. “I uh… Guess that… running away because everyone before just, threw me out, wasn’t..an um… Healthy coping mechanism.” He was trying to tease. But it was a confession as well. “I…I had gifts too, I’m sorry…” He added. “I, I figured you’d just find them …and … Ah…I… never … finished anything for…. I…I owe Karone.” He stumbled with them to the kitchen and saw… not one Oven… But two. His jaw dropped and he stumbled. “Y-You…. “ he couldn’t talk. “B…but that’s so… expensive.” He stammered. The blankets and the meat pies seemed, rather inadequate in that moment.
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Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 11:47 am
"It's so practical," Priam countered. He suspected Sterling must have thought it was worth every penny, especially if it made Yu happy after everything that had been going on.
He stroked the back of Yu's hand, a quiet reassurance.
"We didn't go through your things. We'd hoped you'd be back in time to celebrate with us, but that's all right. Tonight's a good night to celebrate, too."
A great night, because he was here, and that was all the reason to celebrate--no matter what had happened before. He kept an eye on Sterling, keen to make sure that he didn't over exert himself.
"I didn't know Karone was going to be here or I would have gotten her something too." Something extra for looking after Yu and helping him where they couldn't. "But. She's a part of this family too, so we'll make sure she gets a good welcome."
...Once they were both out of the Negaverse. Once they were all safe.
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Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 1:35 pm
Karone watched as the three came in, pleased to see Priam and Sterling both holding on to Yu, and even more pleased to see that Yu wasn’t trying to run away again. “You gotta realize, little brother, that people love you, you should ever judge a gift by how much was paid on it! I’m sure that it was purchased with only love, especially with how that seemed to be a big thing Sterling was worried about,”
She hadn’t been...evesdropping, but they hadn’t been…quiet.
“Just to...add in my unwelcome and unwanted two cents, if we can find a cat...a cat on your side.” Karone nodded to Sterling and raised a brow at Priam. “And I’m starting to believe yours too, though you haven’t told me outright. In theory, they should be able to hide Yu’s aura, he could power up here and teleport in and out so that Michael wouldn’t have to know that he was here. It would turn this place into a sanctuary. Besides. I can stay too, I’m...rather strong, as you know, little brother. I can watch over your family. You know I wouldn’t let anything happen to them.”
She heard Priam’s words and fell quiet for a moment, swallowing. “...I’ll watch over our family, then. Plus...I don’t know. It would be nice to live in a house for a little while…”Sterling beamed, pleased at Yu’s reaction, though fell quiet at Karone’s words. ...So, she was another person in the Negaverse...that…
That was okay. He could handle that. And she was...clearly invested in all of this, and the fact that Priam wasn’t upset...well, he wouldn’t be upset either. “I wanted this to be more of a home for you, for us. And you had said that you’d die for a double oven...so I found one for us. Cooking is a passion for you...and I want to encourage your passions, because I love you. With all of my heart. We’re a family.”
His eyes slid to the cups of tea waiting on the counter and he slowly walked over, taking one and taking a sip. “Thanks.” The warmth felt wonderful and calmed him. “Honestly...Karone staying here...sounds like a good idea...and...Priam, we could ask Sol to come and stay...maybe?”
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Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 3:29 pm
“I... at the least I can make up for a little bit by cooking dinner? I... if there are things in the fridge. I don’t think the pies ... uh, I mean they might be toast by now. But I could um ... we’ll probably not tonight but I made one for Ilya and.... yeah. He dragged them both into an enormous hug because if he didn’t he was going to start crying. He needed to ask Karone if she might know the uniform, but a small window of just peace sounded wonderful. He could give them Gifts... and food and for a little while it could just be home.
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Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 3:56 pm
Priam looked, quite briefly, guilty about Karone calling him out. He hadn't seen any harm in not telling her, he didn't know her. But...the more time they spent together, the more this seemed real.
She was going to leave the Negaverse. They both were.
They wanted a new life, a safe life. A better chance of happiness, and safety.
He cleared his throat and nodded a bit, just wrapping an arm around Yu and stroking his back. "The pies are in the freezer. I'm sure they've kept. If you want to try out the stove, I know there are at least a few staples around here." He sucked in a breath and then nodded a bit to Sterling. "I'll text Sol and get him over here. If we're exchanging gifts, I have to go get yours out of my room, Yu."
He didn't draw away, not without permission. Not without knowing that both Sterling and Yu were okay, that he could leave for even just a moment.
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Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 9:01 pm
Karone watched the three hugging and hesitated for a moment, not wanting to interrupt...but...wanting to hug them too. That wasn’t so much to ask for, was it? They were family now. At Priam’s nod that he was also powered, she sighed dramatically and moved over to the three of them, wrapping her arms around them all for a moment and squeezing. “Don’t worry about cooking tonight, Yu. Just relax, be with your boys. Let Big Sister take care of you three for the night, okay? Go to the living room, get your presents, and just...enjoy each other. I’ll find some place that delivers, and tomorrow when you’ve gotten used to being home again...you can make us a great dinner and we’ll be happy and celebrate even more, yeah?”
She pressed her lips to the back of his head and then drew away, though hesitated a moment, and pressed kisses to both Sterling’s forehead and Priam’s. “Don’t feel bad about not getting me anything, I didn't get you two anything either. I...to be honest, I forgot the holidays were even here. I don’t have a calendar...and I don’t really ever leave...ah.” She sighed. “...Work.”
Sterling relaxed with the hug, and hesitated as Karone kissed his forehead and a small smile crossed his face. “I think that sounds like a nice idea...Yu...I’m sorry, but I don’t really want...you out of my arms for the night, if that’s not too selfish...I...missed your food, but I missed your...everything else more.”
He hesitated and tugged at both Yu and Priam. “Let’s let her get the food. Let her take care of us like she said...and we can get the presents. Priam’s should be next since he’s going to his room anyway...it won’t be much of a detour…”
The smile on his face grew then, pleased that he would finally be able to give Priam his surprise. Oh, how he hoped that he liked it.
“This is your home...both of you...I just...want to say that again...okay?”
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2021 7:51 pm
“I… mean…we could heat up a pie too, since I don’t have the… time to do what I wanted to for a Christmas Dinner, and… I’m late.” He said apologetically, “And then at least …it’s cooking for Karone…though, we should invite Ilya over.” He cleared his throat. “For… a few reasons. Uh… I guess he’s on your…side, and stuff. He should probably know you guys are um…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “And I found out he likes meat pies.” He added. “I was, kind of at his house right before I …uh…jumped into the living room. Props to Priam, I thought he was gonna take me out right then and there, but if You’re calling cats and getting gifts I can poke Ilya and get your gifts. They kinda… probably….” He almost said something disparaging about them. Almost. He stopped himself and said instead. “I hope you like them.” It was a start…right? He did pause to give a hard look at Karone. “This doesn't mean you’re escaping a big dinner! It’s happening! And not in that drafty office either! My mattress on the floor is more comfortable than your couch too so… uh… ok we should probably plan sleeping arrangements but…” He stammered to a stop and looked helplessly at the other two. “I…sorry, is that ok? I…I could bunk with…someone.” His ears felt immediately hot since there were guests in the house but…
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