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 Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2022 10:13 pm
Devyn’s face split into a grin and the smile reached his eyes. “Why would I tell Peter? This is for us,” he laughed. Quietly! He didn’t want to wake the boys up. If they’d even managed to get to sleep yet.
He wasted no time getting Michael in his arms; he didn’t want to give him the opportunity to change his mind. One arm wrapped around his back, and the other hooked under his knees. Michael had a bit of color to his face, and Devyn thought it was absolutely endearing.
Even if Michael called him ridiculous. He liked his laugh, it was contagious. Devyn had to keep himself quiet so he wouldn’t draw much attention to them. They had to pass by the boy’s room and he was sure Elliot was more of a concern right now than Peter was.
“Oh, this is easy. You fit right into my arms, Michael. Are you comfortable?”
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Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2022 10:32 pm
Michael held onto Devyn, maybe a bit tighter than he needed to. Not because he thought Devyn was going to drop him! He just knew he was heavy and didn’t want Devyn hurting himself!
But then Devyn made it seem like it was so easy to just pick him up--
Which flushed Michael’s face a little darker, because he wasn’t sure if he’d actually been underestimating Devyn all this time. Not that he thought poorly of him, or thought he couldn’t do things! He did! He had a lot of faith and trust and respect for Devyn! Michael knew Devyn was very capable, despite being new to Earth!
He just… hadn’t expected to be carried around and then listen to Devyn joke about how easy to carry him around.
His heart was racing, which was stupid, because he wasn’t afraid of getting hurt. So he just laughed more -- quietly -- because what else was he supposed to do?
“Show off,” Michael muttered under his breath, but he was smiling as he did so. As if he wouldn’t try to carry Devyn around. “You sure I’m not too heavy? But yeah, I’m comfortable,” he said as he brushed some of Devyn’s hair off his shoulder so he didn’t accidentally pull it.
“Can’t say I’m used to being carried. Better be careful or I’ll get used to it and want you to carry me everywhere,” he joked, because he definitely wouldn’t be doing that to Devyn.
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Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2022 10:41 pm
“Would that be such a terrible thing? I think it sounds fun,” he laughed, because Michael was right–he was ridiculous. But, he liked the way Michael held on tighter. He liked to think it was because he liked the closeness and not because he didn’t trust Devyn’s strength.
There was a brief moment where he felt the urge to kiss his forehead–maybe he’d just been picking up Atticus too much. He wasn’t sure Michael would appreciate the gesture in the same way, and Devyn had already pushed his luck by insisting he get to carry Michael. Next time, he might not be able to stop himself, but this time he could.
“You have not even begun to see me show off. I could take off down the street and run around the block with you like this. Has someone told you that you were heavy? You’re feathers in my arms. I hope Atticus and Elliot wake up early to help us with breakfast, you’ll need to eat plenty more if you want to slow me down.”
He wasn’t worried about Michael pulling his hair, but now that he’d moved it, Devyn was reminded of how much he enjoyed it. Rather than any theatrics, he began to carefully maneuver Michael from the kitchen and towards his bedroom. And, if he had to draw him a little closer to make sure he didn’t hit his head on the wall, oh no.
He liked the closeness, anyway. The hardest part about all of it was trying to stifle his laughter as they neared Atticus’ room.
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Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2022 10:55 pm
“Dev, I’m, like, two hundred fifty pounds,” Michael laughed, but he tried keeping his voice down as they passed the boys’ room. “Someone doesn’t have to tell me I’m heavy to know that I am.”
He let out an exasperated sigh, but held on as Devyn carried him. He hoped he wasn’t being awkward about it. His heart kept fluttering wildly, and he was almost concerned that Devyn could feel it.
“Maybe someday you should show off. Plenty of people find that really attractive. You being so strong,” he pointed out, waiting until they got to the door to their room so he could open it for them. Okay, he could turn the knob and then kick it open, like Devyn suggested. Just… gently, so the boys weren’t curious about it.
“Although I’m beginning to see why Atticus likes this so much,” Michael admitted as he tipped his head closer to rest against Devyn’s for at least a few moments. He didn’t want to be too clingy, but Devyn was carrying him.
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Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2022 11:10 pm
Devyn was still stifling laughter with surprising ease, considering how impossible it was to keep the smile off his face. When Michael rested his head against him, Devyn instinctively ran his thumb over his back as he maneuvered into the bedroom.
“I do like showing off,” he admitted, “But it’s only a bit of fun. I don’t much care what most people think of me anymore. Are you sure that’s how much you weigh? I don’t feel it. Oh, but you know? We didn’t turn off the kitchen light, Michael. We should go back and get it, I don’t want the boys to think we should be so wasteful.”
He didn’t care about the light in the kitchen at all, the trip here was just too short. Michael looked too comfortable, he’d only just now really seemed like he relaxed in Devyn’s arms. And, the boys had been quiet and their room was dark.
So, even though they were almost to the bed, he turned around and started back towards the kitchen again.
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Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 6:03 am
“Devyn,” Michael laughed, but held onto him all the same. “Now you’re just coming up with excuses.”
Still, he didn’t wiggle away or try to get down. It took him a while to relax completely, but now that his heart wasn’t in too much danger of bursting out of his chest, it was easier to just enjoy the strange sensation of being carried.
“Percy didn’t protest to this, did he?” he asked without really thinking about it until he’d said it. Devyn had mentioned talking to the boys about Percy before, but Michael hadn’t meant to bring him up. He didn’t mean to unconsciously compare himself to Percy all the time. He wasn’t trying to make Devyn want to replace him. He knew he could never, and Michael wouldn’t let him.
He shrugged in case it was a weird thing to ask. “You just seem really comfortable doing this. I wouldn’t be surprised if he liked it.”
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Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 7:20 am
Of course he was coming up with excuses, how could he not? When was Michael going to let him do this again? He had to get as much out of it while he had the chance. His heart didn’t jump out of his chest when Michael asked about Percy, and he was already smiling as he crept down the hall, past the boys’ room again.
“No, never. He loved it. Truthfully, I did most of my showing off for him. Sometimes I think he’d want to rearrange the furniture in the room just to see me move it. So, of course I made a show of it. I never grew out of that. But no, I don’t think Percy ever protested being in my arms. He was much smaller than you, though. And he held me much tighter. You fit pretty well too, don’t you think?”
He remembered how Percy felt. Remembered his bright laughter, and the way he’d press his cold nose against the warmth of Devyn’s neck. The way he’d squirm, just to keep Devyn’s hands on him. Never to get away, only ever out of playfulness.
Michael seemed much more reserved, but he supposed this was the first time Devyn had ever held him like this. He liked it too much to want it to be the last time, though. He stepped into the kitchen and made his way, maybe unnecessarily slowly, to the light switch.
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Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 9:32 am
“Oh, you should have told me you liked moving furniture. I could have waited until you got back to move everything around for Atticus,” Michael snorted softly in amusement as he absently brushed his fingers through Devyn’s hair down the back of his neck. It wasn’t as though he had anything else he could do while in Devyn’s arms.
And the longer he was being held, the easier it was to get used to. He never thought he would like being held. He was too big, now. Maybe when he was younger, in his teens, he would have been small enough to carry comfortably, but Devyn made it seem like there was no effort at all.
“I don’t want to throw you off balance if I hold you too tightly,” he admitted, but since Devyn made a point of it, he tightened his hold around Devyn’s shoulders.
“Are you sure this isn’t ridiculous to you?” he laughed, maybe too obviously self conscious about his size. His face was still red, and he hoped Devyn wasn’t slowing down because he was getting tired.
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Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 9:45 am
There was something unspoken, something uncertain in the laugh, that made Devyn pause. He caught sight of the color on Michael’s face when he glanced down at him. “No, I don’t think it’s ridiculous. I like it. Do you feel ridiculous? I’m having fun. You won’t throw me off balance, I’m very light on my feet. And an excellent dancer, just in case you were wondering. And I like what you’re doing with my hair.”
He could put Michael down if he felt silly, but…
There wasn’t anyone here to judge them.
And, Devyn was being sincere. Despite the laughter, and the teasing, he was having fun. And, he liked the way Michael felt in his arms.
“Just because you’re strong, and brave, and clever doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the little things. No one has to know but us. And if you want, you can carry me tomorrow and I’ll play with your hair. Nothing ridiculous about it. And if anyone saw, they’d only think how lucky I am. With such a strong, handsome man like you carrying me about. They’d probably even be jealous. Besides, you could use a bit more fun in your life, you work so hard.”
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Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 9:54 am
He hadn’t really thought about what he was doing, but now that Devyn mentioned it, Michael focused a little more on smoothing his hand through his hair while still holding onto him.
Michael pressed his lips together, because if Devyn really was having fun, he didn’t want to do anything to stop him.
“I guess I’m lucky to have you, then,” he said, and even let himself (somewhat anxiously) lean his head down to rest against Devyn’s shoulder. Devyn insisted that he was light on his feet and that he didn’t think Michael was heavy. It was just… strange to be in a position where he was the one being held. It wasn’t a bad thing! He was clearly having trouble getting his mind to work it all out. He’d just assumed that he should never expect it, so Devyn’s insistence was just surprising.
“I could carry you,” he agreed. “But… I don’t mind this. Maybe I just need to get used to it. That is, if you intend to try and carry me again after my complaining. Good thing I have you. I wouldn’t have nearly as much fun without you.”
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Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 10:05 am
“I might not have any fun without you. I know how lucky I am to have you.”
And, because he couldn’t help but show off, he balanced on one foot so he could flip the light off using only his heel. Just to prove to Michael that he didn’t weigh enough to give him a hard time.
“I don’t think any amount of complaining could turn me away from this. I will certainly pursue this again.” He wasn’t doing a good job of getting Michael in bed on time, so he needed to get a move on. And then–before he could think about it, he leaned down and kissed Michael’s forehead. The touch was light, but Devyn wasn’t shy about it. He wanted to reassure him. He wanted to give him tender things.
He wanted Michael to know that he was worth them, that he was worth everything. Even a little silliness.
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Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 10:14 am
Michael snorted again in amusement when Devyn decided to show off by being good with his balance, but anything he thought he could say was momentarily stunned into silence when Devyn kissed his forehead.
It wasn’t the first time either of them had offered a tiny amount of affection in such a way, but Michael was torn between wanting more and wanting to preserve this comfortable calm they had. He could feel his heart fluttering, so to ignore it, he held on tighter to Devyn’s shoulders.
He was lucky to have Devyn. He hadn’t known when they first met how important he would end up being to him. It was more than just a past life connection that kept them together. Devyn once assured him that if he hadn’t had Percy’s starseed, that he would have asked him to help look for and take care of whoever it was that inherited it. He knew better than to just assume that meant Devyn would have picked him over someone else with Percy’s starseed, but it didn’t really matter, did it?
There were things he wanted to say to Devyn. Things he wanted to do to express his affection for him as well, and encouragement, and reassurance, and everything.
But he couldn’t.
Maybe he was a coward, or maybe he just knew better.
“I can’t promise I won’t complain again,” Michael finally managed to say, but his voice sounded quieter than he intended. “Just don’t take me seriously when I do…”
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Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 10:24 am
Devyn laughed quietly and gave him a gentle squeeze in his arms as he began to navigate his way back to the bedroom. He could have kissed his forehead again. “Complain all you like. I’ll know when you mean it. And if you ever feel silly, just know how much I appreciate you humoring me. I spent a long time alone. Before I met you,” he shrugged, and tiptoed past Atticus’ room, “it isn’t an exaggeration to say that I don’t think I had fun for…well, years. Longer than years, but it’s a bit depressing to sift through all of that. I have plenty of memories that are better off buried.”
It wasn’t that they were bad memories, but there was no reason to uproot them. They weren’t important. There were years–decades? Centuries?–where each day was practically no different than the last. Faceless, nameless people, and then the empty spaces where they used to be. Chores, tasks, favors, jobs. Hunting, cleaning, fighting, building. Surviving.
Nothing more.
He had a millennium of memories, and only a small handful from the past few hundred years had survived the test of time.
None of them had been happy.
The happy memories all came from a time when Percy was alive. They were few and far between afterwards, and practically nonexistent once he’d lost everyone he knew.
There were holes in his heart, and despair. For a long, long time.
And then, there were the lies he’d told himself, the fantasy world he’d built to keep himself going.
And then, there was Michael, and Devyn smiled again when he thought about how wonderful he was. He slipped into his bedroom, for real this time, and carried him to the side of the bed. “I’m happy with you, though. And I like holding you, very much. Maybe you’ll let me do it tonight, too? I’m worried I won’t sleep well, otherwise.”
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Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 10:45 am
It wasn’t a lie to say he was enjoying this, despite his expectations, which was mostly just self doubt. Devyn made things easy. His intentions weren’t muddled with politics or hidden favors to ask for in the future.
But Michael wasn’t so naive that he thought these moments would last forever. And there was a part of him that thought Devyn knew that as well. Knew that there was a chance the Chaos on Alastor was all that was keeping him alive and fighting.
They’d been preparing to take on the Chaos, to rid it from Alastor and make it safe again. But no one knew what would happen after that. Would Devyn’s starseed finally decide it was time to rest and be reborn? After all, he’d worked so hard.
Michael looked up at Devyn as he was carried, as though searching for something in his expression -- a hint at what he was feeling beyond what Michael could already feel with the necklace. Did he know everything was coming to an end? Or was he being optimistic about it, like he was about anyone else having survived the Chaos on his world?
“Yeah, if it’s to help you sleep,” Michael agreed, glad he had an excuse to hide behind. He could have kissed Devyn -- easily. But would that even be fair to him…? Probably not. So Michael kept his mouth shut and head down.
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Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 10:56 am
“Oh, it is. I’ve been horrible tonight. Tried to get the boys to bed and wound up telling them stories. Tried to get you to bed, and carried you away from it. Maybe I’m just excited for tomorrow.”
Or nervous about the tomorrows down the road.
He didn’t want to put Michael down, he liked him in his arms, but he supposed he’d been humored enough. For now. And, Michael had agreed to be held while they slept.
Devyn lowered him carefully, like he was some precious treasure to be doted on–he was–and when Michael was flat in the bed, propped up just slightly in the pillows, Devyn smoothed his hair as he rose. He probably could have just crawled over Michael to get to his side of the bed, but he didn’t want to be that ridiculous, so he walked around and took his spot.
He fluffed up his pillows a bit, worked to make him comfortable, and then opened his arm to invite Michael closer. “When I think too much about home, sometimes I dream. I don’t always remember where I am when I wake up. But if I have you in my arms, I’ll know I’m home.”
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