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 Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2023 7:27 am
Brooklyn hesitated and squeezed Atticus tighter. “I know. You don’t have to talk about it. I get it. Not your circumstances exactly, but I get it…and…” She hesitated once again, giving Elliot a look. “Maybe it’s time that we…go inside and drink that cider? I…think I’ve had enough feelings for one day, and maybe we’ll be able to talk about things that aren’t so…so…feeling…y when we’re warm…?”
They shouldn’t have to stay in such a state…it wasn’t good to dwell on what had happened…not to her and not to Atticus. Hell, not to Elliot either.
And the sooner they all got inside, got warmed up and felt better…the sooner they could start making solid plans for the future!
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Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2023 9:04 am
Elliot knew hard it was for Atticus to talk about his past, and he never wanted to press him for more than he was ready to. When he wanted to talk about it, Elliot would always listen. And, he’d always encourage him to feel free and safe to talk about any of it.
Elliot liked to talk, but he thought he was a good listener, too.
He was glad neither of them were being bullied anymore.
Elliot lingered for only a few seconds longer before he released them from the hug. His hand stayed by Atticus’ and he hooked pinkies with him.
“Yeah,” he smiled at Brooklyn. “That sounds good. Let’s go get warmed up. And get something good to eat. And maybe tonight my dad can drive you home if you want to get out of the cold and stay out of trouble.”.
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Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2023 6:34 pm
Atticus clamped his mouth shut when Brooklyn told him he didn’t have to talk about it. Okay then… that was it. He wouldn’t talk about it. He didn’t want to trouble her with anything she didn’t want to know about him, even though she’d gotten upset with them for not telling her things before.
He was trying. He wanted to be open about things, but he didn’t want to be a burden.
Atticus saw the look she gave Elliot, and he lowered his eyes to the ground. He felt a little guilty for using the sleeve of his borrowed sweatshirt to wipe his face, but it was better than nothing. He understood his emotions could get overwhelming, so he just needed to rein everything in.
Maybe he would slip away to curl up in Oliver’s chair in the dark for a couple minutes to calm himself, before rejoining his friends. But he didn’t want to make them feel like he had to get away from them, either.
Elliot was much better with people than he was. Atticus wanted everyone to be happy and healthy, but he often didn’t know what to say or do. Thankfully Elliot did. He kept his pinky around Elliot’s and nodded in agreement to go inside. He spared a quick glance over his shoulder at his house, trying to see if his dads might have been watching from a window. He didn’t want them to worry about where he’d gone, but he hoped they assumed he would just be with Elliot and Brooklyn.
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Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2023 1:49 pm
Brooklyn gave a relieved sigh when Elliot agreed, feeling pleased with herself at reading the situation right and trying to be helpful for once, though, Atticus seemed to droop a little, and she was worried that she had put her foot in it again, and so with a hesitant movement, she gave him another half hug again, not wanting to separate him and Elliot where they were joined at the pinky but…not wanting him to think she was trying to get out of listening either.
“Bad things always seem less bad when you’re warm and have food and something hot to drink. I just don’t want you to have to dwell on them…when it’s cold out, and we’re already…already upset from other things. I’m just saying that I understand and I know it sucks, and I don’t want you to have to talk if you’re not comfortable with it, okay? I wanna know everything but not because you…think I’ll get mad if I don’t. Everyone has their story, and that’s just that.”
Snuggling against the blonde boy for a moment, Brooklyn pressed a kiss to his cheek, and then one to Elliot’s before scooping up the blanket from the bench and wrapping it around herself, running towards the door, eager for food and cider.
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