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 Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2024 5:05 pm
Riker smiled in response to Julian, although he was really too modest! He should definitely show off to Cassidy. Although he understood why Julian wouldn’t want to. And if wasn’t really showing off if he wasn’t proud of his scores. Riker thought he was doing well.
He watched as Cassidy handed the tray over to Julian, then moved over to the seat to very carefully lower himself onto it. A faint red colored his ears as he remembered how easy it was to ask if Julian wanted to ride up on his lap, but… he couldn’t do that with Cassidy. That would be too much, probably. And besides, Cassidy wanted to try.
“Okay, so here are the controls,” he explained as he reached down to take out the toy blaster, or whatever they wanted to call it. It was a space game, so it seemed logical. “When the stars show up, you try to shoot them down. The game starts when the chair starts going up. I’ll go up first then send it back down,” he promised. It would give Cassidy a chance to see what it did, anyway.
He was going to offer to take the tray from Julian, but he also didn’t want Julian to think he didn’t think he was capable. So off he went, slowly riding up the stairs and shooting stars on the way up. His score wasn’t nearly as high as it could have been, but he wasn’t really trying to get a high score. He was getting too tired, anyway.
Once at the top and out of the chair, he sent it back down and leaned against the wall while he waited.
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Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2024 5:07 pm
Cassidy clapped enthusiastically once Riker reached the top, which was expected because he was ooh-ing and ahh-ing the whole time Riker played through his round. Julian might have done the same but with his hands full he instead just stood patiently at the bottom of the steps.
He looked up at Riker like he could see how hard it was to hold himself together. He wished he was up there with him so he could at least offer a bit of support.
That would have left Cassidy all alone down here, and while he’d probably be fine, he didn’t want to be rude.
…He didn’t want Riker to pass out and tumble down the stairs either.
Realistically, Julian knew that Riker would probably be fine. He had a better idea of his limits. If he felt really bad, he could just sit down. Julian trusted that he wouldn’t put on a strong front just to look cool in front of Cassidy. It was just easy to worry about Riker because he cared about him.
Julian knew he’d caught Riker’s eye so he just smiled encouragingly.
As Cassidy settled into the chair, just as Riker had, he seemed pleased with how comfortable it was. The instructions were pretty straight forward, so he was starting a game and heading up the stairs only a few seconds after the chair arrived.
“This plays so smooth,” he said, visibly surprised. “Is this custom built or something?”
“Yes,” Julian answered, not because he wanted to but because he knew that getting up and down could wind Riker and he wanted to give him a moment to relax. Julian walked up the stairs just a few steps behind the chair. “One of the family friends is kind of a tech savant. He does a lot of medical research and coding. Um, I wish I could explain it better but it’s really above my level. I don’t really understand it all, I just know that he does things like this all the time.”
Cassidy wasn’t perfect; he wasn’t doing poorly at the game but it was clear by the halfway mark that he wasn’t going to be knocking anyone off the high score board. He didn’t take his eyes off of the stars as he shot at them. His aim and speed were good but he was adjusting to the movement and function of the blaster.
“Really? You guys know such interesting people. Where do you find them all? I mean, I thought ‘food truck guy’ seemed like a cool guy to know, but ‘medical researcher and game coder’ is up there too. Who else do you two know, anyone else who does anything cool?”
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Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2024 5:08 pm
“Don’t look at me,” Riker quietly scoffed when Cassidy asked about the interesting people they knew. “This house is full of people from all backgrounds. I haven’t even met some of them. But I’m pretty sure Zac is a hitman or something.”
It made sense. To him at least. Zac always had an air of complete disregard for everything unless he specifically decided to care. And even then, at any point in time, he could throw up his hands and say he was out.
But Zac had helped make things comfortable for him. And Evan obviously trusted him. In all of Evan’s stories, even though he never specifically said Zac was the one he was talking about, Riker had a strong suspicion that it was.
“Oh, he owns the house, or something. Evan’s friend,” he explained, waiting until the chair was at the top of the stairs before offering a hand to help Cassidy up.
“Not bad. You’ve got a handicap too, though,” he said with a nod to Cassidy’s shoulder. He wasn’t surprised that his score wasn’t off the charts. It was more difficult than it let on.
He made sure he caught Julian’s eye again once he was also at the top, as though to say he was fine, and that it was appreciated that Julian cared about his well being.
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Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2024 5:09 pm
Cassidy readily took Riker’s hand and pulled himself up. “Only a little one,” he protested, but rolled his shoulder anyway. “I did better than I thought I would. I won’t be a sore loser this time, I didn’t beat your high score. Fair and square. But I’ll just have to come over and practice more,” he laughed.
He’d hardly relied on Riker for more than just a little bit of balance; he knew he was hurt and he didn’t want to make anything worse. “Zac’s the one with the highest score? His name’s only on there once, maybe he just got lucky. Unless you really think he’s a hitman?”
“No, I don’t think he is,” Julian said quickly, a little flustered as he took the last few steps to join them at the top of the stairs. Once there, Cassidy took the tray from him. Julian was glad to pass it over, though he wouldn’t say as much, and gently hooked his arm around Riker’s so they would walk linked at the elbow. They weren’t far from the bed, and they were even closer to some of the chairs. He knew Riker could make it on his own, it was just hard for Julian to know he was working so hard.
He was doing a good job, though; if he hadn’t been specifically looking for it, he might have even missed how much strain Riker was under.
“Oh, that’s too bad. That would have been interesting,” Cassidy mused. “Are you just afraid I’ll post it all over social media if I know the truth?”
“No, of course not,” Julian added quickly; for all the time that Cassidy spent online, Julian didn’t.
“Oh, good. I’m great at keeping secrets. Just so you know.”
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Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2024 5:13 pm
Riker might have realized it was a bad idea to hold out his hand to Cassidy, since he was barely standing on his own as it was, but Cassidy seemed more interested in the prospect of holding his hand for a short amount of time than he was using Riker to pull himself up.
He didn’t get a chance to really dwell on it, or what it meant, or what Cassidy’s thought process was. Maybe he really meant it when he said he cared. Even if he thought that Riker would get annoyed by him.
Instead, his attention was pulled to Julian, and he gratefully hooked their arms together.
“Secrets?” Riker snorted, not at all nervously. Except maybe a little. “What kind of secrets do you have? Wait. You’re not supposed to tell. How do we know you’re not just saying you have secrets but you don’t actually have anything?”
Oh, but the more he talked, the weaker his voice sounded. That was embarrassing. He did his best to shuffle his way over to the bed. He knew he should have tried looking cool by just sitting in one of the chairs, but he would be lying if he said he wasn’t looking forward to laying down for a bit.
“Thanks,” he winced as he eased himself onto the bed with Julian’s help. And then sighed and did his best to scoot over to the middle of the bed before patting both sides. “Come on, I can hold the tray,” he offered.
He would also be lying if he said he didn’t like being so close to his friends.
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Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2024 5:15 pm
“What, you don’t trust me?” Cassidy laughed. “I have a ton of secrets. Some really juicy ones, too.” He set the tray in Riker’s lap without any protest and accepted the invitation to sit next to him on the bed without second guessing it. Julian sat on Riker’s other side. Each of them was close enough to rest a knee against one of Riker’s.
Cassidy was the first to take a snack from the tray but paused just before it reached his lips. “Oh, is it okay to eat in bed?”
“It’s okay. If there are any crumbs I’ll just change the sheets and vacuum,” Julian answered. He had no hesitation so he’d already considered his option. A mess was unimportant; Riker being comfortable and relaxing was. He didn’t reach for a snack just yet; instead, he was moving the pillows from the head of the bed to make against the wall. It would be easier for Riker to prop himself up like this, and with the mountain as substantial as it was, he and Cassidy could have joined him. It was a good angle to watch a movie or something, too. If they needed an excuse.
Cassidy ate the cracker sandwich he’d picked up in a single bite. He held his hand under his mouth to make sure nothing spilled but he’d done a good enough job that he hadn’t made a mess. Yet. Only when he swallowed did he speak again. “Your room is really cute, Julian. It’s cozy. Very practical. Very clean. Are they strict here?”
“Oh–no, they’re very nice. I just like it like this.”
“Huh,” Cassidy mused. “Me too. Riker, did you help him set up his room, too? I finally got mine cleaned up a little more but Riker had to help me with my shelves,” he explained, like he didn’t already know that Riker had practically been texting Julian minute by minute updates at the time.
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Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2024 5:15 pm
“Most of it was Julian. I mean, and I guess whoever else helped get furniture up here. Zac remodeled for you moving in, yeah?” he hummed as he leaned his head back for the moment while Julian moved the pillows. He would get comfortable where it was easiest for them all to sit once Julian was ready for them.
For the moment, he was content. And trying to make sure he’d caught his breath from the extra exertion of moving around.
“I did rearrange some of the stars though,” he confessed, a small grin tugging at his lips, although it was clear that he was trying to be nonchalant about it.
It wasn’t anything horrible. There was just a smiley face and a star made out of stars. He could have put some less appropriate images, but didn’t want to traumatize Julian.
“So you’re gonna admit to having juicy secrets and not share? Wow…” he teased, but opened his eyes to make sure he could move when Julian was ready for them.
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Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2024 5:19 pm
Julian worked swiftly to make sure the pillows were fluffed and in place and he sat up right when he finished, ready to help Riker however he could to make sure that he could get comfortable and rest. He smiled but it was the only communication he needed to give to let Riker know everything was ready for him.
He’d nodded when Riker mentioned that Zac did the remodeling so Cassidy was already getting a better idea of who was here and what they had done. Julian hadn’t exactly said that he was adopted or anything but Cassidy knew at least that he’d only recently moved in here.
Questions to ask another day continued to mount.
He looked up at the ceiling and smiled at the face. “Oh, that’s cute. I didn’t even see that high up yet. You’ve got juicy secrets too, don’t you Riker? Maybe one day we can swap. But I can’t lay all my cards on the table so soon! I’m more interesting when I’m mysterious, don’t you think?”
Cassidy laughed, because even if he could give the illusion of being mysterious, he also had a big mouth and overshared constantly–a trait of his that he was keenly aware of.
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Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2024 5:21 pm
“Me? Secrets? No way,” he forced a scoff, but his ears were burning. Maybe he should have just left the topic of secrets alone. But he was curious as to what other secrets Cassidy could know! Sure, he knew about Knights and Wonders and all of that, but could there be more?
Thankfully, he could focus his attention on Julian. He carefully moved the tray a bit so he wouldn’t knock it over as he moved, but the moment he tried putting pressure on his arm he winced and hummed thoughtfully, before holding out his hand for Julian to help him.
“Sorry. Thanks,” he said quietly as he used his legs at least to inch himself to where Julian had everything set up.
And then he sighed.
“How badly do you want to see? I’m limping around and groaning and moaning-- You’re just gonna accept that? I’m surprised, I thought you would have wrestled my shirt off the moment you got here. That’s the most mysterious you’ve been since getting back to the city.”
A tease. His voice was too quiet for it to carry any weight or intent of followthrough if Cassidy teased back. That didn’t stop him from keeping a hold on Julian’s hand, and rubbed his thumb, reassuringly and to express gratitude, over the back of it.
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Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2024 5:29 pm
Julian immediately did what he could to help Riker get comfortable, even placing a hand under the tray to help support him. He tried to be as subtle as possible, and Cassidy was at least making a good effort not to watch.
…Until Riker brought up his injury.
Cassidy’s eyes snapped to Riker and his usual dull, almost bored expression was gone. The smile remained the same but his eyes opened wide. “So bad, Riker! I didn’t want to say anything because I thought it would be in poor taste but it’s killing me. If Julian weren’t here, I might have been under your shirt before you ever made it to that chair!”
Julian’s brows furrowed but he didn’t interrupt; he was there as a buffer if Riker needed one but it was hard to tell if that was necessary when he was the one opening up the doors. Maybe he wanted to show off? Or compare? Cassidy was ready to show pictures of his injuries to anyone who seemed even mildly interested so maybe that was just normal for them.
“Just kidding, Julian. Don’t look so worried,” Cassidy said quickly, but his eyes hadn’t ever left Riker’s face.
“Can I see? Pretty please? Did you take pictures?”
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Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2024 5:32 pm
“No, I didn’t take pictures!” he huffed, but it was obvious he was trying to fight back a grin. He gave Julian’s hand another reassuring squeeze before releasing it, but only so he could very carefully tug at the hem of his shirt, although it was obvious he was struggling to get it off completely, what with his injured shoulder.
He wasn’t exactly self-conscious about his body. He just didn’t really care. Sure, if anyone commented about him, be it good or bad, he would probably get flustered. But other than that, there was nothing wrong with him having his shirt off, right? It was just a little chilly in the house sometimes. But it was chilly outside, so that made sense.
There was significant bruising across his chest and abdomen. Thankfully, Julian had already seen it so it wasn’t a surprise. There was still a palm sized bandage over where the stab wound was, and his shoulder and back had been patched up as well.
“There, happy?”
Maybe he was showing off a little. It was nothing like the scars that Cassidy had, nor was it anything like what Cassidy had survived. Or even what Julian had survived, even if the scars were not physical. But Riker was very aware that he had technically died for a very short time. And had it not been for magic and the thoughtful preparation of Atticus’ dads and even Soleiyu, he might not be there now.
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Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2024 5:32 pm
“No!” Cassidy said, leaning in as if he could see through the bandage if he did so. “I want to see all of it! How long until you change your bandage?” he asked, having made no effort to damper his enthusiasm.
“I’ve never seen a stab wound before! You have to show me before it heals up. I took lots of pictures of myself when I was injured. For science, right? To track how quickly it was healing. Well, and my doctor said I could skip a few visits here and there if I could prove I was healing up.” And, judging by the grin on his face, the fact that he couldn’t help himself had something to do with it too.
“These bruises are rough, Riker!”
Julian was chewing on the inside of his cheek slightly; he pretended to be more interested in the snacks than he was Riker’s bruises. He’d seen his injuries often enough, he didn’t want to gawk. Unwilling to spill crumbs on the bed, he put a whole cracker sandwich in his mouth and chewed as quietly as possible.
Cassidy took the hem of Riker’s shirt and held it up so he could keep looking without burdening Riker to put in the effort for him. “You’re all messed up!” Cassidy continued, voice full of awe and admiration. “If anyone tries to abduct me, I hope you’ll be there to protect me, too. Énna’s lucky, looks like those guys were serious. How long do you think you’re going to be out of school for?”
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Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2024 5:32 pm
“Seriously?” he sputtered and cringed when Cassidy said he wanted to see all of his wounds. He supposed he could peel back the bandage, but he didn’t want to upset Julian. Not that Julian hadn’t already seen everything, but he never really seemed like he was interested in looking, or was trying to avoid looking at them, so Riker didn’t want to gross him out.
With Julian looking away and eating some of the cracker sandwiches, Riker carefully pulled back the bandage and gauze so Cassidy could at least get a peek. He didn’t really have any intention of taking pictures. He was grateful that the internal parts had seemed to have healed well enough, but the outer wound still looked pretty gross. Thankfully, it didn’t seem to be infected.
“Yeah, well… it wasn’t a knife, so that’s why it looks so gross. It was a broken, like… dowel rod or something. The knife got my shoulder but it’s just a cut. Ah, sorry Jules. I can wait until later if this is too much,” he winced, his guilt reaching its limit.
As for how long he’d be out of school, he frowned. He was afraid of when his mom would finally come looking for him. Maybe to protect her guaranteed check until he was eighteen. He couldn’t even legally leave her ‘care’ because she wouldn’t allow it.
“After Halloween,” he said, knowing it was barely a couple weeks, but that was already too long. “Julian has been making sure I got all my homework and classwork. I might need help with some of it. I just get too tired to read through all of the assignments,” he admitted. “I’d really rather not be held back because of this.”
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Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2024 5:33 pm
“Ahh, that’s so gross, Riker!” Cassidy said, but he sounded far too interested to have been disgusted. He was still smiling but managed to pull himself together enough to make sure Julian wasn’t about to throw up on himself or something.
To his credit, Julian hardly even looked uncomfortable. Maybe his brows were furrowed a little more than usual, but he was still smiling–and it was hard for him to look distraught when his cheeks were puffed out from the snack.
Julian quickly held up his hand to cover his mouth and shook his head. “No, it’s okay,” Julian answered, muffled from the food but eager to reassure Riker.
“You won’t be held back,” Cassidy said, because despite Julian’s willingness to let him badger Riker about his injuries, he could see how much it was wearing on both of them. “I’m sure Elliot will invite you over for dinner, there’s two teachers right there willing to give you private tutors. And Mr. Gallo lives right next door, so that’s what–practically fifty percent of your teachers? Plus, you can always come over. I’ll give you private lessons.”
He winked, for good form, and helped himself to one of the snacks Riker had prepared.
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Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2024 5:33 pm
It took all of two seconds after the wink for Riker’s ears, and probably cheeks, to turn red.
Instinctively, he could have told Cassidy to shut up, since he was obviously teasing. Right? He was just teasing with the wink. He could have really meant it when he said he could give private lessons, and Riker would just embarrass himself by thinking he might have meant--
What? Falling asleep on Cassidy’s giant four poster bed? More massages? Well, clearly that was why Riker was flustered.
He looked anywhere but at Cassidy and mumbled something about how Elliot was definitely a nosey enough friend to do that, and took a moment to save himself by shoving a cracker in his mouth as well.
The worst part…? He might have actually been thinking about the next time he could visit Cassidy at his home. And he wasn’t going to admit that it was for reasons other than needing a tutor. Not that he expected anything from it! He was still trying to figure Cassidy out. But he’d given up his afternoon to come over and see him, so…? What did that mean?
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