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 Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 7:16 am
It wasn’t uncommon for Nick to power up while Arias was taking care of business; he had to run numbers and get things ready for tomorrow, and he had never minded that Nick had to work out some energy by patrolling. On better nights, Arias finished earlier and they could go out together, but today had been busy and he had a lot of things he had to catch up on. Nick wasn’t out particularly late so he wasn’t worried when he wasn’t yet home.
He’d prepared the bakery for all of his early morning tasks, cleaned up the house, taken a shower--all the normal things he did before bed. It was early enough still that he wasn’t even thinking about bed, but he was thinking about calling Nick just to see what his plans were for the rest of the night.
He hadn’t had to think for long; he heard the door open, in the way that he knew Nick alone did. Maybe it was just because of who Nick was, and maybe it was because it was his subconscious way of reassuring Arias that it wasn’t a robber trying to break in, but it made him smile.
“I hope you had a good night. Are you in the mood for hot chocolate?” he called, “I was just thinking about making some.”
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Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 11:19 am
Nick still had his to-go cup of chocolate milk and grinned, moving to where Arias was. “Hello my love. Hot chocolate sounds great, and um. Do you think you can take a look at this? I ended up getting a nasty bite while out. Saved a kid from being eaten by a youma though…”
He moved to put his cup on the counter and hugged Arias, breathing in the sweet smell of him. “He’s a page! He ended up powering up right behind me. I’ve decided I’m going to mentor him.” Nick pressed a kiss to the male’s temple and held his arm out for inspection.
“His name is Caius, and he’s a Polaris Page! That was pretty damn cool, I’ll tell you that.” He laughed softly and sighed. “...I’m...a bit worried about him. Took him to dinner after the fight and he ate like a human garbage can...I’m half wondering if his parents are abusing him…”
Not that it was his business. Because it wasn’t but…
There was a part of him that wanted it to be.
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Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 11:59 am
Arias paused and hot chocolate was immediately forgotten as he began to worry about whatever bite Nick had. He carefully returned the hug, worried that he was going to accidentally brush against some other injury and hurt him.
Nick had given him a lot to think about but he tried to process it all. Finally, he drew away. “Let me get the first aid kit,” he said, but kept speaking even as he went to pull the one in the kitchen off the fridge. “Okay, let me look at that arm of yours.”
He laid it on the counter and began to look over the injury but seemed surprised that it was already at least a little patched up. “If it hurts too bad, I can get you some medicine. What makes you think he was being abused? --Teenagers eat a lot,” he cautioned, but he suspected Nick knew that, and he was already a little anxious to hear about what made Nick suspect more than just a hungry teenager in the middle of a growth spurt.
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Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 12:07 pm
Nick nodded. “It doesn’t hurt that badly. It bled pretty fantastically. But that’s one of the things, the kid had a first aid kit in his bag, he was out buying soup and seemed super unhappy that it spilled...I offered him a job in the cafe? And like...You know. Jobs and money are things that everyone wants...Carlee was begging us for one...well. Begging you for one if I remember right…”
He took a sip of his chocolate milk and put the straw against Arias’ lips. “But he was like, I don’t want them to have the money...and just...some of the things he said. Like not wanting to be in my debt because I bought him dinner...I don’t know, love. It was just a gut feeling. And maybe I’m just hyper protective since he’s a baby knight who decided to awaken while I was there or maybe it’s just…”
Nick waved his good hand absently. “Fate or something! Maybe he knew me in a past life. Maybe we were friends, we both protect the same…” He snorted and sighed. “...Useless princess after all.”
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Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 12:26 pm
Arias glanced up and laughed softly and took a sip from the straw before he drew away and shook his head. Carefully, he returned to tending the injury and making sure it was properly cleaned and wrapped. “Yeah, well at least you know your Princess was around. I still haven’t met anyone who met the Earth Princess.”
He smiled softly, but it was the patient look he got when he was deep in thought but didn’t want to bother Nick. Honestly, it was easy to see through Arias. He might have been talking about princesses, but he was thinking about this boy.
“You two will have to go up to Polaris and see if you get any memories. But don’t jump that on him, he’s young. Give him some time to adjust.”
He didn’t nag about Nick offering to hire a teenager that he’d only just met, but asked, “When are you going to see him again? That sort of thing isn’t really the sort of topic someone’s just going to open up about. If something is going on, we don’t want to scare him away…”
He chewed on the inside of his cheek. “Especially if he’s a page. Being a teenager is hard enough--being powered, on top of that? He’s going to need a good mentor,” he mused, kissing Nick’s cheek.
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Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 12:36 pm
Nick nodded and sighed. “Princesses are overrated, love. At least if yours isn’t around, maybe she has a good reason to not be and isn’t just...not here. You know?” He flexed his arm slightly when the bandage was on and sighed, resting against the male. “...You’re right. About all of it. I wanted to bring him home to meet you. I told him all about you...but now I guess...I was being a little creepy. I wasn’t trying to. Sometimes it’s so hard to forget the fact that I’m old now…”
Gently, he headbutted Arias’ shoulder and then pressed a kiss to his cheek in return. “...He’ll have three. If Carlee wants to help. I told him about her too. I thought having a friend might be good for her, I have his twitter! He says he doesn’t have a phone...I…”
Nick sighed. “...I really do rush into things without much thought, don’t I? I’m sorry. I just...wanted to protect him. I wanted to just keep him safe, and I have absolutely no idea where that feeling came from.”
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Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 12:59 pm
Arias wrapped his arms around him to hold him gently and smiled softly as he did so. “You’re not old, Love. Just older. I’d still warn you even if we were sixteen, too. I don’t blame you for being compassionate. I’m glad you were there to help him, and feed him, and to be a friend for him.”
He rubbed at his back, just trying to soothe him.
“I don’t blame you for wanting to help. I find that very charming about you. I think it’s sweet that you’re looking after younger Knights. It was hard when I awakened,” he murmured. “I felt like I was grasping at straws. He won’t have to go through that. He’ll have someone looking after him, someone he can trust. Someone to help guide him.”
...He didn’t want anyone to have to enter this war, but at least this kid was going to know what he was getting into and be more ready than the rest of them.
He laughed again though. “I’m sorry, you on Twitter is just so cute. I thought all the kids had phones these days,” he mused, but that was hardly a reason to worry about maltreatment. “Have you started stalking his profile yet, to try and find clues to support this theory of yours?”
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Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 6:22 pm
Nick scoffed and shrugged. “You know I have a twitter. I don’t use it much, but I tried to. A um...few years ago. Now I just make posts about the cafe sometimes for my…” He drew his phone back out and snorted slightly. “...five followers. Hopefully Caius will follow me back and then I’ll have six! Really get this wonderful advertising ball rolling.”
Nick tugged on Arias’ sleeve and gave a soft smile. “I haven’t done any stalking yet. I wanted you to be there. We’re in this together, love. I’m not planning on stalking any kids who I decided to mentor without you snuggling me. Besides. You’re my finance and if this is something that’s going to crop up in our lives more than a few times...you need to be involved, don’t you think?”
It was communication...and he was trying it.
Hopefully he was doing it the right way. At least this new project of his was on their side...at least he was a knight like they were.
Maybe he wouldn’t even end up stabbed.
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Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 6:27 pm
Arias laughed. “Oh, I can’t believe I’m going to stalk some poor kid with you. Go get my laptop and set it up in the living room, we’ll go through it together. I’ll get some hot chocolate ready for us.”
It wasn’t exactly a romantic evening, but he liked any excuse to snuggle up next to Nick on the couch. They could always put on a movie in the background, but he didn’t want anything he had to focus on.
Nick was curious about this kid--and now, so was he. They could talk about maybe making a real Twitter for the bakery; he’d had people nag about it before but Arias really didn’t know much about any of it. Nick was the more charismatic and social of the two of them, and really, Arias was pretty sure he could actually be great for marketing if they could just figure things out.
But--tonight wasn’t a business night. It was a--well, this wasn’t exactly pleasure, but he wasn’t sure what to call it.
Just a nice night, to discuss a new knight.
“Put on your pajamas, too. Get cozy. I want to know everything about this kid you’re taking under your wing.”
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Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 6:48 pm
Nick looked so happy at that and nodded. “As you wish, lover mine.” He pressed a soft kiss to the male’s lips and left his phone on the counter, something he never would have done in the past, padding to their bedroom. He had such a strange, good feeling about all of this.
Like he was finally going with destiny instead of against it. And like he had stumbled on the right path at last.
...And Arias. Oh god, He wanted to get married soon. Maybe a Fall wedding...oh. Yeah. They could talk about that tonight too. And maybe…
Maybe he’d feel brave enough to bring up the fact that he wanted kids. Sometime soon.
But first. Hot chocolate.
...And stalking.
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