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 Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2024 5:35 pm
Cassidy, for all his love of talking, was almost stunned to silence when Riker hooked arms with him. His heart skipped a beat and he instantly shifted to walk in step with him. Although, bumping into him had been fun, Cassidy just wasn’t the one carrying all that extra weight.
“Maybe I was up for hours to prep food for you so you would be nice to me,” he said. There was a skip in his step, and he smiled at Riker as he looked from his face, to their arms, and back again.
If he looked a little smug it was just his face.
“And obviously because I needed to make sure I was serving you something worth eating. I couldn’t just serve you bad food. I mean,” he mulled it over. “Well, I suppose I could. I could give you something that didn’t turn out right just to see if you’d tell me whether or not it was good. Would you be honest with me, Riker? If I made something terrible?”
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Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2024 5:36 pm
So he would be nice to him…? Riker’s stomach twisted with guilt, and he kept his eyes on the sidewalk in front of them. He knew he hadn’t exactly been the best person, but he didn’t think that anyone would go out of their way to be nice to him because he’d been mean to them.
“Of course I’d tell you if something you made was terrible,” he scoffed, although he hadn’t really convinced himself. Maybe he would tell Cassidy if he did a bad job. Or maybe he would just pretend that it was okay. It probably depended on what Cassidy’s mood was.
“I’m really not that picky, as long as there’s no coconut… for obvious reasons,” he huffed, and it was true. He would eat a lot if he knew it was safe. What an annoying allergy…
“Sorry you felt like you had to do that,” Riker continued to frown, clearly not okay with Cassidy worrying about being nice to him so he would be nice in return. Riker should have been nice from the start, not just because he was getting something out of it.
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Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2024 5:49 pm
Cassidy laughed again and bumped his elbow into Riker’s side playfully. “Don’t be so serious. We’ve been on the same team for years, you were going to have to warm up to me some time. Anyway, I’m teasing you. You have to be careful, Julian’s rubbing off on you.”
That didn’t seem like such a bad thing, though.
“You’re fun to be around. I mean, sometimes you say mean things, yeah. You have hurt my feelings before. But whatever, so has everyone on the team. Except for Elliot, I guess.” He rolled his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but maybe thought better of it.
Or maybe he just remembered he wasn’t part of the team anymore.
“I didn’t feel like I had to do anything. I wanted to. You don’t have to change, I like when you get sassy. You keep me on your toes. And it’s cute when you get all flustered.” And he couldn’t run away right now, not while under the umbrella, weighed down by two backpacks, with obligations to help Cassidy, with the promise of a very good dinner, and with his arm hooked with Cassidy’s.
“I haven’t always been nice to you either, I guess. I do like to tease you. But I like you, so no hard feelings, okay?” They passed the gate so it was just a few more minutes until they got home. It was cooler already thanks to the rain so he stayed close to Riker. Well, that was his excuse, anyway.
“You’re the interesting one here. What made you feel like you had to say yes when I asked about the shelves?”
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Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2024 5:51 pm
Elliot was mentioned and Riker rolled his eyes. Of course Elliot had never hurt Cassidy’s feelings before. Elliot was a goody two shoes and could do no wrong. Not with his perfect family and perfect life. And being a Knight of the Moon, like, come on.
He didn’t say anything when Cassidy bumped his elbow into his side, nor did he say anything about the team. Especially not about how it was cute when he got flustered!
Okay, maybe he clicked his tongue and scoffed, but he didn’t look at Cassidy, not wanting him to comment on the dark color of his ears.
“I don’t know, I thought you could use the help,” he shrugged, not thinking it was a big deal. Or hoping that Cassidy wouldn’t think it was. “Maybe I just feel guilty about being mean to you and ditching you when you were hurt.”
Well, he probably shouldn’t have said all that, but he was already flustered and not sure what else to say, so he said whatever came to mind.
“Yeah, you do tease me. A lot,” he frowned, glancing back over at Cassidy, but still not letting go of his arm. They would be to Cassidy’s home soon, anyway.
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Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2024 6:10 pm
Cassidy’s smile was still firmly in place, and even if he felt Riker’s eyes on him, he kept his gaze focused on the path ahead. “Well, it’s the only way I can get you to notice me! My house is the one at the end of the road.”
Also the only one without a car in the driveway.
In the daytime it was a nice enough looking house. It was well-kept but there wasn’t anything necessarily personal about it. The HOA was happy but there were no Halloween decorations like on some of the other houses, no decorated mailbox, no lawn ornaments.
Just a house.
The rain was louder behind them and Cassidy was keeping a good pace to try and get home before it had a chance to soak them. The umbrella helped, but if the wind picked up it could still get them wet, and while he could just change, Riker might not have that luxury.
“Did you really ditch me when I was hurt? You said you came by to visit. Just because I was gone doesn’t mean you didn’t try. I was disappointed that I didn’t see you,” he admitted. “But for all I knew, you could have stopped by while I was asleep! You’re right about me needing the help. I guess I could have asked Elliot. But I wanted you.”
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Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2024 6:11 pm
Riker wasn’t sure if it was jealousy that he felt when Cassidy suggested that he could have just asked Elliot, but he didn’t like it. He puffed out his chest some and stood up a little straighter as they walked.
A little faster because of the rain, of course.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s considered ditching,” he frowned some more, but really… it just looked like he was pouting for some of it.
It was noticeable that Cassidy didn’t have any decorations. Other houses did, but…
“I’m surprised you don’t have any, like… fake gravestones out, or big spiders on the house,” he admitted as they approached. “Or… do you not like Halloween?” Oh, that could be a thing, too.
But something he couldn’t quite shake from his thoughts was that Cassidy said he wanted him. Why? He’d been mean to him and certainly wasn’t perfect like Elliot. Well, Elliot already had a boyfriend--
Wait… but that couldn’t be the reason why, could it? Cassidy wasn’t thinking about things like that, was he? Well, whatever the case was, it was enough to darken Riker’s ears a bit more.
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Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2024 6:23 pm
Cassidy was already fishing for his keys as they hurried down the road.
“What? No, I love Halloween. I mean, as much as anyone does. I like the costumes. Are you going trick or treating this year? Mom says I’m too old. And it’s not like I can’t just go buy some candy, I guess but she doesn’t get that the whole point is to hang out with your friends. Dad’s, I don’t know, he’s just been so busy. Mom got all the decorations in the divorce and he keeps himself busy by working. And like, what, am I going to decorate all by myself? I don’t have time for that. It’s boring. Mom and I used to decorate together. But,” he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.
“I don’t even know if anyone’s having a party or anything this year, like is there a point? I guess I’ll stay home and pass out candy.”
He blew a raspberry and shrugged. “If you’re trick or treating, I guess come to my neighborhood. Like, everyone here is excited about it. There are lots of kids so there’ll be lots of candy.”
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Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2024 6:24 pm
“I think Maisie is having a birthday party or something close to Halloween, so that’s kinda like a party I guess. Oh, uh… you don’t know her, but she’s friends with Elliot and Atticus… and Julian too. I want to see if she’s got room for you, too. I’m sure she’ll be fine with it, especially if she gets more presents,” he sighed and shook his head.
He knew he was definitely too old for trick or treating, but he didn’t know what Julian was planning to do. Riker frowned a bit as he thought about it, making sure not to step in any of the puddles that were forming from the rain coming down on them.
“I don’t think I’ll be going but if Julian isn’t doing anything… would you like some company?”
He wasn’t sure why he asked. Maybe because it was sad thinking of Cassidy all alone in his house, handing out candy to kids. If he and Julian were there, at least they’d be able to keep each other company.
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Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2024 6:42 pm
Though Cassidy strained to think about a ‘Maisie’ he couldn’t really envision who she might be. Friends with Atticus and Elliot and Julian–what girls did they know?
“I’d like that,” he said, and while he meant for all of it he realized he should probably clarify.
“You can come over for Halloween, I’d like that. Oh, and Julian, of course. If he doesn’t have plans.” If he did, oh well. It wouldn’t break Cassidy’s heart, there would be other events. He could probably even dig up some old costume remnants if they did.
“Let me know what your friend says, I’d love to crash a party.” Respectfully, of course. He could make friends anywhere he went, and if he already knew a handful of people, all the better.
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