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 Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 11:55 am
He didn’t understand how Devyn could do it, but when he nudged him with his elbow, the tension in Michael’s shoulders eased and he let out a sigh.
“I mean it. I don’t want you going anywhere,” he confessed, figuring that Devyn and Atticus had been standing close enough to hear him talking to Elliot. “I can’t imagine things being difficult between us. Well, I didn’t expect to break things off with Caspian either.”
It was probably weird for him to talk about things like that. Devyn didn’t ask, so he probably wasn’t interested. Not that Michael gave much indication that he wanted to share. In fact, he could recall a time when he was purposefully vague with his answers to Devyn.
Now he couldn’t understand why he’d bothered. Elliot could have picked him out of a hundred people with his eyes closed? Atticus couldn’t help but smile while his cheeks flushed darker. He nodded in response to Elliot’s request though.
“You can see it. I don’t mind,” he promised as he lowered his shirt back down. “I don’t know. Devyn said he’d been stabbed plenty of times. I think Michael was, too. I don’t want anyone stabbed, and I hope this is the only knife wound we’ll see…”
But there was always a chance that those people would show up again.
“Do I look that different? Not bad, I hope. I don’t feel like I look different,” he said, glancing down at himself, and then reached up to fuss over his hair once more. “I mean… is it okay? I like that people don’t have to know who I used to be. Maybe things will be better if I get a second chance at… I don’t know. Everything. It feels a little like I’m cheating, though.”
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 12:03 pm
Though Devyn kept his eyes on the boys for a few seconds longer, when Michael started talking he couldn’t help but look his way and nod. “I’m not going anywhere,” he promised. It didn’t feel like the first time he’d said it and he was sure it wouldn’t be the last.
“I can’t imagine things being difficult, either. But if we ever have a problem, we’ll work it out. I want to make your life easier, not harder.”
…Although, they’d wound up with a child under their care, and that didn’t seem like easier to Devyn. Even if it was the right thing to do. Devyn was still taking it all in, though. They’d make it work. They’d figure it out.
He didn’t hear about Caspian often, but he thought it must have been a very personal, or very sensitive topic for him. He’d talked about it with Elliot and he’d seemed to understand, so Devyn wasn’t going to press it. He only said of it, “If you’re not happy with something, you can tell me. We’ll try something new, or talk it out until we get on the right page. I’m set in my ways about a lot of things, but you’re worth making a few changes for. I’d rather you tell me than keep it bottled up, too. Just, in case you were worried about any of that. If there’s ever a problem, I want a chance to fix it, that’s all. And I’m willing to do whatever that takes.”
Even if Elliot and Atticus weren’t involved.
Although, given how close the two seemed to be and how much they cared about each other, he couldn’t imagine ever wanting to do something to separate the two of them.
Elliot was hovering near Atticus, still worrying and fussing over him, and looking like he wanted to hug him again. “I don’t think it’s cheating. I think you got off to a rough start so this is just the universe trying to make up for some of that bad stuff. I mean,” he gave Atticus a look, “you got stabbed, I think you deserve to catch a break.” He cast a brief look at Devyn and Michael and wondered about all of Devyn’s stabs. What art student got stabbed? Being stabbed with a paint tool didn’t count, but now he was just a little extra suspicious.
…Especially because Michael really seemed to be all buddy-buddy with him. Not that it was a bad thing!
He’d worry about it later, it wasn’t important. Atticus was the only important thing right now.
“You do look really different. I mean, the same things that were great about you before are still great about you, but it’s different, too. I mean, I don’t know how to explain it. I think you looked good before, but you look good now, too. And even if you don’t feel different yet, you might soon! Like, you get to be a whole new person. You can leave everything bad behind. And you only have people who are about you and want you to be happy to worry about, now. And when we go to Azure, everything is going to be different. Both of my dads are there and Michael, and he won’t let anyone bother you. And, I won’t either.”
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 12:11 pm
“I hope you know the same thing goes for you,” Michael said as he stared down at the ground. He didn’t want to meet Devyn’s eye at that moment. He was afraid of what Devyn might see. Afraid that he was thinking too much about things that he shouldn’t, and end up making Devyn regret getting so close.
“I know it’s not easy for you, being here. I know I just put a lot on your shoulders with Atticus. I really do think you’d be his best chance at a normal life. It wasn’t me trying to push that responsibility off on you.”
He’d basically told Devyn adopting Atticus was their only choice. He didn’t want either of them to resent him for it later, although he supposed he wouldn’t blame them if they did. “You think I look good?” Atticus asked bashfully, shifting on his feet a little as Elliot said so many nice things to him. And reminded him that they would be together in school, along with Elliot’s dads and Michael.
“I think you look good. I don’t know if I’ve said it before. I’ve always thought you looked really cute. I mean. I bet you’re going to be really handsome when you grow up. I was looking forward to watching you grow. I just didn’t think I would be able to do it from this close.”
He felt lightheaded, but it wasn’t a bad thing. He was just happy to be with Elliot right now. He could probably look at him and talk to him for days and days and never get tired.
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 12:18 pm
For a brief moment, Devyn thought Michael looked very shy. Maybe nervous. He bumped his elbow with his own again. “I know it goes for me, too. You’re easy to talk to, and easy to get along with. I don’t want to change anything about you.”
Well, maybe how worried he looked right now, but Devyn suspected that it was only because there was something bubbling in his mind.
“You’ve made it easy for me to be here, Michael. This would be a lot harder if I didn’t have you. But I like Earth. I’ll like it more when I’ve got things sorted out on Alastor. I’ve got a lot of work I have to do there, but. Things are different. I’ll see what the damage is when we get all that Chaos taken care of, and we’ll go from there. But I’m not worried. And I’m not leaving. Atticus…”
He looked at him, looked at how happy he seemed to be. How excited he was to be with Elliot. He smiled again, because it definitely didn’t feel like a weight on his shoulders.
“I don’t know if he was going to get the help he needed if we didn’t intervene. It felt the right thing to do. I’m just glad we’re on the same page about it. I was worried I’d be asking too much of you. I mean, it’s not like you’ve just foisted this responsibility onto me to handle all by myself. You’re here. You’ve been helping from the beginning, too. So we’re in this together. And I’m okay with that. I feel good about that.”
Elliot laughed at Atticus’ words, just because they were so honest and sweet. And maybe because it was kinda cute how he shifted on his feet or looked so shy. “Well, I’m going to try to be handsome when I grow up, and as long as I don’t run face-first into some trees or baseballs or anything, I think I’m on the right track. But I’m not worried about that sort of thing, anyway.”
He hadn’t really thought about it, but hearing Atticus say such nice things made him want to hear them more often, and that meant that he couldn’t let him down. “We’re going to have a lot of fun, Atticus. I like your name, too. This means we can go out and do things whenever we want, right? I mean, as long as Devyn and Michael and my parents say it’s okay. But I’m sure they will. Ugh, my parents are going to be so excited. I think they’re on their way, but they move a little slower than I do. But they’re going to be so happy to see you, too.”
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 12:30 pm
“We’ll make sure Alastor is taken care of,” Michael promised. There was no doubt in his mind that they would figure out a way to restore Alastor to how it once was. It would take time and patience, but Michael knew that Devyn was determined, and Michael would stand by his side to see it through as best he could.
He didn’t say it out loud, but the reassurances were enough to give him at least some relief. He knew he should trust Devyn when he said he wasn’t going anywhere. He did trust him. But he was also aware that people changed. They grew. They formed new opinions. He didn’t want Devyn to think that he was obligated to stay if he wanted to leave.
“I don’t think he would either, if we didn’t intervene,” Michael agreed. There was only so much they could do legally, but knowing that Atticus’ life was in danger, knowing that the Negaverse was somehow involved, it was safer for him to get a fresh start. With people who actually cared about him.
“So are you up for it? Being a dad again?” The twitch at the corner of his mouth was proof enough that he was teasing Devyn. Just a little. “You said you wanted a big family at one point. I know I’m not Percy but you’re right that we’re in this together. I’m not going to just leave you or Atticus to fend for yourselves.” Atticus winced a little at the thought of Elliot running into a tree or getting hit with a baseball, and immediately reached out so he could hug him again. He anxiously rubbed at his back and petted his hair, and took a breath so he could pull back again.
“I think you’re fast enough to avoid those things,” he decided, but he still brushed the nonexistent dust off of Elliot’s shoulders, and tugged at his sleeves a little to straighten them. Not because there was anything wrong with them, but because he wanted an excuse to be close without it being weird.
“Do you? I like it, I think. I don’t think I can be like the one in your dad’s book, but I can make it into my own name. Or maybe that’s silly. Atticus DeLunne,” he said thoughtfully, having not tried it out loud until that point. “I think Elliot Reid is a very nice name, too. Do you think your parents will be okay with Devyn adopting me? They did offer. Um… I think it was decided it would be easier to explain a mysterious teenager showing up if I was with Devyn. And it would be kind of weird if we ever wanted to go on a date-- oh!”
Atticus gasped and immediately took a step back so he could throw a hand over his mouth. He knew his face was red. And it wasn’t as though Elliot hadn’t mentioned the possibility of a date before, but! He hadn’t actually meant to say it!
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 12:41 pm
Devyn blinked, suddenly a bit surprised. There was something that wasn’t quite recognition, like maybe it had only just settled in. Being a dad again. It was a sudden, strange, abstract concept that sounded very much different than just looking after Atticus. He’d said he could have his last name, said he’d adopted him, called him his son.
But it was different when it was applied to himself.
“Oh,” he said, and leaned back against the counter. For a few seconds, he was quiet; he looked at Atticus and Elliot, and then he looked back at Michael. “I suppose I’d better be up to it. Truth be told, I wasn’t much of one the first time around. I’d better get it right this time.” He didn’t know what that meant. He couldn’t remember his father. He was just more shadows in his mind.
“Your family’s pretty big. If you share them, maybe we won’t have to bring home a whole houseful of kids.” He already liked his mother well enough; he wondered what Michael had told her of Atticus. “Are you ready to be a dad?”
If he were being honest with himself, Elliot did like the way Atticus fussed over him. In a lot of ways it made him think of his father, and he could imagine Oliver straightening his hair, or smoothing his clothes. It was comfortable, and he couldn’t help but think he understood Asher always looked so happy to let him do it.
It was easy to listen to him talk, and Elliot was so happy that he was here, that this was real. He let him talk without interrupting, but by the end, Elliot just laughed. It was good natured and warm, and obviously only because of Atticus’ reaction and not his words. He wouldn’t make fun of him, he wouldn’t laugh at him. “That’s true!” he agreed. The idea of going on a date didn’t offend him. Didn’t repulse him.
It just wasn’t something he’d thought about. He’d wanted to go out and do things with him when they first met, and he still did. More things, now. He had no doubt that Devyn and Michael would be far more agreeable than–
Well, the man he used to live with.
“I think my parents will be okay with Devyn adopting you, as long as you’re safe and as long as they get partial custody. Which means you’ll still have to come over for dinner sometimes, and spend the night, and do homework with me and study. I like the name Atticus for you. You look so much happier. And Atticus DeLunne sounds very fancy, very sophisticated. You’ll fit right in at Azure, I’m sure.”
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 12:48 pm
“What…?”
Michael heard him, but it took a little while to process what he was saying. At first he thought about laughing, but then he felt a bit flustered because that would imply being Atticus’ dad along with Devyn.
It would make sense. They were living together. They shared a room, a bed. But there was nothing more than friendship between them. Completely platonic. It was Michael’s past life that Devyn was in love with, not Michael.
So why did his heart feel like it was suddenly beating very fast?
“I’d be a horrible dad,” he confessed, once again unable to look Devyn in the eye. He loved working with kids and teenagers -- it was his favorite part of being a teacher. But he was there to be someone who could teach them and they could talk to. He had no idea how to take care of a kid. Elliot wasn’t making fun of him. He wasn’t making faces or telling him it was too much. He was just laughing and smiling and agreeing with him.
Cautiously, Atticus lowered his hand from his mouth, but he paused to feel how warm his cheeks were. Especially when Elliot told him how fancy and sophisticated his name sounded.
He never imagined he would go to Azure, but now that he knew he would be, he was growing increasingly excited about it.
“I would love to come over for dinner and spend the night and do homework and study with you. I think I am happier, too. Oh, I mean, getting stabbed sucks, but I think it was worth it. Do you think your parents will be hard to convince that it’s really me?”
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 12:58 pm
“Well, I suppose we’ll have to be horrible dads together, then. Guarantee that no matter how many mistakes we make, we’re still better than the one he had.”
Not that there was any competition.
Michael couldn’t be a horrible father, probably if he’d tried. “You took care of Peter. You take care of your classrooms. You take care of me. Elliot looks up to you. I think we’ll be okay. And if we need help, we can always call the Reids, I’m sure they’d be willing.” Or they could ask his mother, or his brother, if it came to that.
“We’ll figure it out. I’m not worried.”
The more Atticus spoke, the more Elliot brightened. “Well, don’t get stabbed again, no matter how worth it you think it was. But I really am glad that you’ve–I mean, Atticus, this is so cool! You have a whole neat disguise! I don’t understand it, but I like it. I’ll just tell my parents to close their eyes when they come inside, I’m sure as soon as you hug them, they’ll understand. I know it’s you, and Michael does. That should be enough for them. My dad knows you picked Atticus for your name, he loves it. He said he’s so proud of you. We have an ice cream cake for your birthday, I’m sorry we didn’t get to celebrate. But we’ve been planning a rain check. I don’t know if it was supposed to be a surprise, I don’t really think I could keep secrets from you, anyway. Just so you know.”
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 1:11 pm
Michael didn’t understand how Devyn could be so confident in his abilities when they hadn’t even started being dads yet. Not only that, but he wasn’t convinced that Atticus would even accept him as a parental figure. He wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t. It was probably safer if Devyn called the shots when it came to raising a kid and he would just pay for things.
“Peter was the one taking care of me,” he grumbled a bit morosely as he tightened his arms over his chest. Without Peter, he wasn’t sure where he would be at that moment. Probably not in Destiny City. Which meant he would have never met Devyn, and never would have been able to help Atticus.
But his dad might have still been alive. “You have a cake for me?” Atticus stared with bright eyes. He’d forgotten his birthday already. It wasn’t really a good day, with how things ended up. Everything good in it involving his fa-- that man was just a lie.
“El, I… thank you. That’s really sweet of you. You didn’t have to do anything for me. But I would have liked to spend time with you. I would like to now. Um… if it would be okay, could you stay with me tonight? Or… I mean, I don’t want to invite myself over, but…”
He didn’t think he would be able to sleep on his own for a while. There were too many things that went bump in the night. He needed someone with him. He knew it was really clingy of him, but Elliot didn’t make fun of him for other things. And he thought it was sweet that his dad said he was proud of him. Atticus missed them, and he certainly wouldn’t mind spending some time with them, too.
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 1:18 pm
“Oh.” Devyn considered this for a moment, mulled it over in his head, and then nodded. He uncrossed his arms and placed one hand over Michael’s shoulder before squeezing gently. “Well, no worries, Michael. I’ll just take care of you, too.”
And, because he couldn’t help it, he rubbed his back, too. Michael looked like he was keeping a lot bottled up, and whatever he wasn’t saying, whatever he was just thinking seemed like it was festering in him. Eating him up.
He wondered how sensitive the topic of fatherhood was given how much he was still grieving the loss of his own. He couldn’t let himself feel bad about it, not when his emotions were an open book for Michael and he didn’t want to let the necklace stress him out, so instead of focusing on grief or remorse he focused on how much faith he had in Michael, and how much he cared about him.
Elliot perked up immediately, because Atticus’ honesty was always something he’d be excited for and proud of him for sharing. “Yes, please. I’m sure my parents will say yes, without a doubt. I can stay here, or you can stay there–” he paused, and drew Atticus into a hug so he could speak in a hushed tone, quiet enough that he was sure Devyn and Michael couldn’t hear. “If they say no, let’s just start crying. My dads are total saps and Michael won’t know what to do with tears, so I guarantee he’ll just say yes.”
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 1:25 pm
Michael snorted softly in amusement when Devyn said he would take care of him, too. But he also knew Devyn wasn’t joking. He could feel it in the way he squeezed his shoulder and rubbed his back. Could hear it in his voice.
The tension eased a little again. He could feel the warmth from the necklace, and he leaned slightly closer to Devyn. Not enough that it was obvious but maybe subconsciously.
He didn’t know what to say about Devyn taking care of him. He appreciated his company and everything he had to offer, but he didn’t want to be a burden. So he kept his mouth shut, afraid that his voice wouldn’t stay steady even for a simple thank you. Atticus was happy to hug Elliot again, especially since he also wanted to stay with him. But it was the whisper that had Atticus giggling quietly, and he turned his head to rest it against Elliot’s shoulder as he hugged him.
“Okay, I think I can manage that,” he agreed, even if that was probably a horrible thing to do to them. But surely they would know that they needed to be together.
“Thank you, Elliot. I missed you so much. I’m happy to be with you again.”
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 1:40 pm
Devyn smiled once more and ran his hand up and down Michael’s back a few more times. He thought, perhaps he should just give him one last squeeze and resume his previous position, but instead he just let his hand linger on Michael’s back.
It was comfortable. Easy.
And, maybe Michael could find as much comfort from it as Devyn did.
If he was being honest, he wasn’t sure how he felt when he was considering being an actual father. A protector, sure. Looking after Atticus, sure. Michael was just teasing him; Atticus might not have wanted anything like that, anyway. The important thing was that he was taken care of, and Devyn and Michael were going to make sure of it.
They didn’t need any labels.
Elliot squeezed him again–gently!–and glanced over his shoulder at Devyn and Michael, who were still–
Well, close. Really close. Strangely close.
He watched for a few seconds longer and then turned just slightly to give them a bit of privacy. “I’m happy to be with you, too, Atticus. I’m sorry you got stabbed. But I’m really happy that you’re okay. And I’m really happy that you’re safe now.”
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 3:00 pm
Michael kept his eyes down, arms still over his chest, but his shoulders relaxed a bit more as Devyn stood next to him. He didn’t want to discourage him from standing there, but he didn’t want to move and make it seem like he wanted him to pull away.
It was… strange. He would have to make sure Devyn knew how much he appreciated him later. Somehow. Maybe he would make him something nice for dinner. Atticus glanced over at Michael and Devyn when Elliot did, but his attention was soon back on Elliot because he was all that mattered right then. He lifted his hand to brush some of Elliot’s dark bangs from his face, and then smoothed his shirt again, before hugging him back. He could tell that Elliot was being gentle, which only made him smile.
“I’m happy too.” And it felt like it was the first time in a long time that he really felt relaxed.
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