|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2022 7:13 pm
Chad kept his head down, his shoulders hunched in on himself, as though trying to make himself look smaller than he was. Maybe if he disappeared, it wouldn’t matter any more why he didn’t want to go home.
He glanced over at the couch for a moment as he chewed his lip. He would have liked very much to go back to sitting next to Devyn and watch him work, but…
“I should go home,” he said. He knew he didn’t answer the question-- ah, but he should… it wasn’t polite to just keep ignoring difficult questions. So he shook his head. “I’m okay. I just don’t like it,” he insisted.
What was he going to say? That his dad and dad’s girlfriend were mean to him? They’d just say it was all in his head, anyway. Or any of his injuries was his own fault. Just like that night, getting hurt by that creature. Michael grit his teeth. He was worried about something like this. Maybe Chad was just afraid of what could happen, or maybe he thought he was protecting people who didn’t deserve protection.
“If something is going on at home, we just have to know and we’ll be able to get you away from there,” Michael said, because maybe if Chad knew he would be safe… in theory…
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2022 7:32 pm
Asher was patient, with a knowingness and understanding that came from years of dealing with children. People weren’t perfect. Some of them were horrible. He’d had his fair share of reporting, and his fair share of things he couldn’t do anything about.
But, he’d always tried.
He wasn’t going to give up on Chad and he wasn’t going to put words in his mouth, either.
There were plenty of shitty, abrasive parents who were just nasty to be around. Sometimes parents were doing their best and were just having a hard time getting by. He didn’t expect that was why Chad was being sent to school with a can of corn instead of something edible. He wasn’t sure that Chad wasn’t homeless, to be honest. He talked about not getting along with his father and his girlfriend but he didn’t know where he lived. He had no way to be contacted outside of school. He had bruises and was out in the park late at night.
There were plenty of reasons why Chad might have been secretive about things. Maybe he was afraid he’d get in trouble if he asked for help. Maybe he was afraid he’d be punished if he got someone in trouble.
They hadn’t known him for that long, but Chad seemed like a good kid who tried to take up as little space as possible and be as unimposing and invisible as he could.
He had assumptions. The bruises were really hard to push out of his mind or explain away when you tied it all together.
“If you need to go home, we’ll make sure you get there,” he promised. “But if something’s wrong, you know you can tell us. We care about you. And it’s not a limited time deal or anything, if anything’s wrong now, if anything’s wrong later, it’s all the same. You’ve got me and Oliver, and Michael, and Devyn.”
Who he didn’t know, but the more people Chad could rely on, the better. And he liked art, right? So let them have something in common.
“And Elliot, he’s here for you, too. It sounds like you’ve had a pretty rough night. Pretty rough weekend. I understand if you’re stressed out. We’re not trying to corner you with questions, nobody’s going to get mad at you. But just promise me that you know if something’s wrong and you need help, we’re here for you. We’ll help however we can. We’ll figure this out together. All right?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2022 7:40 pm
His eyes stung, but Chad did his best to blink away the tears before they fell. He wasn’t very successful, but he nodded his head to show he understood. Both Michael and Asher. They were being so kind to him, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to say anything.
It would be worse if they tried to do anything, he knew that. He’d been told that.
“I miss Elliot,” he blubbered quietly, his hands going to his face to hide his eyes, and to attempt to scrub them dry, even when tears kept falling. He knew it was selfish to say that, especially when he had people trying to help him now. But he couldn’t help but miss the person he felt most comfortable with, even though they’d only started getting to know each other over the past week or so. With Elliot, sometimes it felt as though he didn’t even have to say anything and he knew.
Chad knew they were trying to help him, but there wasn’t anything they could really do. He wanted to trust them, but he was also afraid of what might happen to them if he said anything. Michael glanced at Devyn. It was a hopeless gaze. Frustrated and miserable. He hated feeling helpless. He hated not being able to do something. They didn’t know the kid very well, but he still felt protective of him, especially if he was Elliot’s friend. Still, he let Asher talk to Chad, because it seemed as though he was more receptive to him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2022 7:55 pm
Devyn didn’t look hopeless. He was quiet, and his brows were furrowed only slightly as he continued to stitch. He didn’t understand. Maybe a part of his inability to feel helpless was because he didn’t know what Earth protocols dictated.
Or, maybe he was just planning.
His stitchwork was almost complete.
Devyn could have been difficult to read if he’d wanted to be; he had the ability to settle his face into a vague mask. He looked serious without looking aground. Thoughtful, without looking worried.
He tied off a knot and smoothed over the fabric. Content with this work, he pulled the white vial out of his sewing kit, uncapped it, and poured a clear liquid onto the fabric. It saturated quickly, and he began to dab at the blood on the shirt. It rapidly seemed to wipe off, so he continued to diligently work at it so he could be finished as soon as possible.
“Do you want to go visit him? We can wake him up. I can go drop you off at home afterwards if you have to go. I’ll feel better if I know you get there safely, I don’t want you out so late alone.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2022 8:04 pm
He knew he should say no. Elliot was already asleep, and if they woke him up, they would both be exhausted in the morning. Chad always felt exhausted, so that wouldn’t be anything out of the norm for him, but Elliot deserved to sleep.
And yet… He missed Elliot so much that his heart ached. It probably wasn’t normal to feel so deeply for someone, especially since they were new friends. But Elliot was always so kind to him and made him feel like everything really would be okay.
Guiltily, Chad nodded. “Please?” Hopefully Elliot wouldn’t be too upset with him for waking him up.
No… if he was being honest with himself, he already knew that Elliot wouldn’t be upset with him. “You’re good with taking him home?” Michael asked Asher, even if he was already debating whether he and Devyn should follow, just to be safe. He was grateful for Devyn’s ability to handle stress. At least one of them seemed to be holding it together. Michael was still simmering with frustration at the situation, but trying not to let it be obvious.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2022 8:13 pm
Asher smiled at Michael, reassuring but tired. “Yeah, we’ll be fine. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow. I’m glad you two were out when you were.”
It was late already, he didn’t want to keep Chad out any longer than he had to, or keep Michael and Devyn up for any longer than necessary. “Are you done eating, do you want to head over now?”
Devyn had worked his way down the sleeve; apparently cleaning blood out of clothes was a skill he’d mastered because he was hardly even waiting for one patch to dry before moving to the next, and the cloth he was using seemed to make it easy to scrub out any stains.
He was calm. Focused.
Listening to what was being said, and how it was being said, because he didn’t understand the whys behind it. But, if Chad and Asher were going somewhere else tonight, he could talk to Michael tonight.
He wasn’t going to protest, not when Chad seemed so excited to go visit Elliot.
Considering what he’d already gone through that Devyn knew, he wasn’t going to hold it against him for wanting to go visit his friend for a little while.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2022 8:24 pm
Chad nodded eagerly. He did want to see Elliot, even if it was just for a quick hug and then to be on his way. Oh, but first he needed to help clean up what he’d left behind.
He turned so he could make his way over to the couch where Devyn was and the coffee table so he could get his empty plate and glass--
But Michael gently took them both from his hands. “Don’t worry about these,” he said, his voice a little quieter, more resigned. “Say hi to El for me. And if you need anything, stop by any time,” he added, because if Chad knew he had resources, then hopefully he would use them and feel safer.
“Even if I’m not home, just press the button for the doorbell and I can let you in. You’ll be safe here,” he promised. Because if that was all he could do-- it wasn’t enough, he knew. He would have to do more research and find out what else they could do. He hesitated when Michael took the dishes from him, but after a moment of chewing on his lip, he reached out to wrap his arms around his waist for a quick hug.
“Thank you for dinner,” he said as he looked up at him. And then he turned to Devyn, who he found magically removing the blood from his shirt.
“Oh, I should give this back,” he looked down at the one he was wearing. “Thank you for letting me borrow it. I… I shouldn’t go home with new things,” he explained, just in case Devyn’s kindness meant letting Chad borrow the shirt longer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2022 8:31 pm
Devyn looked at Chad from where he was sitting; this time, he smiled. “Oh, too bad. It looks good on you. A few more of Michael’s dinners and you might even fit into it. Why don’t you borrow it for a little while longer, you can leave it at Asher’s house for now. This’ll need a little while to dry,” he said, handing the now clean shirt back. It was still damp but a quick assessment seemed to reveal that he’d managed to scrub out all the blood.
“I’m sure he’ll let you change over there before you head home. And I’ll see you again soon. I do house calls. So if you need anything, I’ll have your back, okay? You do what you have to do. No shame in hiding.”
And if he needed someone to fight for him, Devyn could do that too. He hadn’t lost a fight.
He doubted some Earth bully was going to break his streak.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2022 8:40 pm
For a moment, Chad just looked down at himself, at the oversized shirt he was borrowing. But then he couldn’t stop the giggles as he thought about eating enough to fill it out. And Devyn had such a nice smile. It was easy for him to feel comfortable around him.
“Okay. Thank you,” he agreed, and then reached up to wrap his arms around Devyn in a tight hug. It was Elliot’s doing, of course. The reason why he decided he liked hugs so much. Until Elliot offered to hug him that first time on the swing, it had been quite a while since he’d had one before. It was nice. Or at least it was nice for him. And for a moment he just rested his head on Devyn’s shoulder.
The tears from before had mostly dried, so it was just a quiet sniffle every now and then. He was grateful to all of them. For saving him, and helping him, and knowing that he desperately wanted to see Elliot, despite it being so late.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2022 8:48 pm
The laugh was reassuring, and Devyn couldn’t help the little smile that stayed on his face, too. He returned the hug and rested his hand gently on Chad’s back.
“You’ll be okay,” he promised. And, softer, to make sure Asher didn’t hear and to make sure it was a private whisper, he said, “Take some time to think about what you need. If you need help, I’ll help. I’m not afraid of any monster. You don’t have to be either.”
A little squeeze, because he’d seen some bruises but didn’t know what his back looked like. “Have fun with Elliot. I’ll see you soon, all right? Oh, take these.”
He still had a few snacks in his pockets, so he pulled them out and passed them over. “Just in case you get stuck in the bushes again and need something to pass the time.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2022 9:06 pm
He held on as Devyn whispered to him, and somehow it was a relief to hear his promise. Chad knew that Devyn couldn’t be with him all of the time, but it was nice to know that he was willing to help him.
Chad pulled back and held out his hands for the snacks, and his newly patched and cleaned shirt, and held them gently to his chest as he nodded in agreement.
“I’ll be careful. And I’ll hide if I have to,” he promised in return. And while he would have liked to see what other magical things Devyn could do, Chad knew it was late and if he was going to wake Elliot up, he needed to be fast.
He thanked both Devyn and Michael again, then turned to follow Asher out to the car.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
