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 Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 7:21 pm
It hadn’t been Caius’ intention to stop by the bakery Nick had mentioned--at least, not so soon. It was a Saturday, and that meant he had free reign to do as he pleased outside of the house and, given how chaotic everything usually was on the weekends, he was more than happy to escape to the library. He had his tablet with him--the only thing in the world that he absolutely couldn’t live without. There were certainly better computers out there, and certainly better tablets out there, but it gave him everything he needed.
It helped that the tablet fit into the backpack he always carried around with him, and that the bag could fit under his pillow so he always knew where it, and all his treasures, were.
He wasn’t going to risk losing those things--and that meant, he also wasn’t going to risk damaging those things.
He’d been on his way out to get lunch and stretch his legs; the library was wonderful, and he took the ‘no food or drink’ very seriously. He didn’t mind slipping out for an hour or so to get something to silence his stomach.
He did mind the sudden, incredibly drastic shift in the weather.
He thought he had time to get food and go back to the library, where he could have eaten outside and still been protected under an overhang or something, but he sorely misjudged things, and the sky was nearly splitting open before he’d even made it anywhere for food.
It was pure luck--and definitely not fate--that he eyed the A&H Bakery logo just across the street from him.
Of course he’d researched what Nick had told him. Of course he’d looked into every scrap of information he could find to try and make sure he wasn’t being played a fool. Even now, he’d been trying to study more at the library.
The first few drops fell from the sky.
Caius didn’t approach it.
He could hear the downpour, could see it approaching.
He was at the door just before he got hit with a wave of water. Just slightly damp, this was something Caius could live with--especially because his backpack seemed dry. He pulled out of one strap so he could examine the bag over his shoulder and then, satisfied that it was fine, he looked around a little nervously--like he knew he didn’t belong.
He was just here to get out of the rain, he told himself. He had a few dollars, but he wasn’t about to go spend it all on a cupcake or something. He could get a whole meal for what he had in his pocket, probably.
...He wasn’t going to ask for free food. No matter how tempting it was.
Caius hoped if he stayed in the back, away from everyone, he wouldn’t make things awkward--wouldn’t be noticed, wouldn’t be kicked out. He glanced out the window at the torrential downpour he’d just barely escaped and hoped that Nick’s fiance wasn’t horrible enough to kick him out if he didn’t order anything.
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Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2021 2:40 pm
Nick had been working behind the counter when Caius came in, frowning slightly when he saw just how hard the rain was coming down, and pleased that the boy didn’t seem too drenched. He let the boy sit down before he made his way over, a tray with a cup of hot chocolate, a toasted ham and cheese sandwich and a large, still warm chocolate chip cookie on it.
“Compliments of the cafe.” He said, a smile in his voice as he put the tray on the table the boy sat at. “It’s good to see you, Caius. I’m glad you came in when you did, or you seriously might have drowned out there, kid.”
Maybe not...drowned but…
It was a substantial downpour. He might have at least gotten sick. And that wouldn’t have done anyone any good.
“It’s so good to see you.”
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Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2021 3:04 pm
Caius had immediately opened his mouth to protest, to insist that he hadn’t ordered anything, when he realized it was just Nick--who did work here, and who apparently was serious about giving him free food.
He looked visibly embarrassed but it smelled so good, and if it had been any quieter, he was certain that Nick would have hurt his stomach rumble thanks for the offering.
“Oh--yeah,” he said, and mumbled a very quick thanks. “I--it was a fluke that I wound up here, I wasn’t planning on dropping by so soon. When it looked like it was going to rain, I sort of--I saw this place and thought I might drop in. You didn’t have to feed me--are you sure?” he asked, hands hovering because oh my god, he was so hungry and it smelled so good.
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Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2021 5:58 pm
He smiled and pushed the food closer to him in answer, taking a seat across from the boy and nodding. “Of course I’m sure, you’re damp and the food will warm you, the cocoa will help you from getting sick and you’re a growing teenager, as my fiance says, you’ll always be hungry.”
Resting his elbows on the table, Nick watched Caius, his eyes flickering over him, checking for bruises or any sign that he really was being abused or in a bad situation.
“I’m so glad you ended up here. At least you’re among friends and can stay dry and get warmed up. If it was a fluke...I mean. It might not have been! Seems to be more like destiny to me. Our paths keep crossing, don’t you think? He grinned and stretched. “Eat your food, there’s no need to inhale it, kid. I’m going to get some hot chocolate for myself and I’ll be right back. We can chat...I doubt anyone else will come in during this downpour so. No worries about that.
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Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2021 6:11 pm
Caius debated for a moment before he accepted the food, and he did look a little excited to sip at the hot chocolate. Still, he looked a bit flustered--embarrassed, because he was so ready to inhale the sandwich when he caught Nick’s words and stopped himself.
“Sure,” he said, but he was still planning to swallow it whole as soon as Nick wasn’t looking.
Caius was skinny, and he looked like he’d worked very hard to find clothes to fit him given his height combined with that. He was dressed to look nice, in a carefully constructed, fashionably vintage way; there were subtle clues that these were clothes he was making the best of rather than something new. The clothes were worn--in good condition, and stitched in places with such care that no one would have noticed if they weren’t looking for it.
He was in layers, maybe preparing for the rain or just out of habit, and the only obvious signs of harm were some bruising on his hand and knuckles. They were innocent enough injuries, and Caius didn’t seem to be favoring anything but his pride.
The second that Nick turned to get his own drink, Caius picked up the sandwich and had half of it in his mouth.
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Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 1:28 pm
Nick glanced back to the boy and watched the sandwich all but disappear. He gave a soft chuckle and shook his head, making another one for him, and one for himself as well. When the hot chocolate was fixed, he walked back over and put the second sandwich in front of Caius before sitting down and picking up his own. “So! How have you been?”
His eyes were warm and there was no doubt that Nick really cared about the answer, taking a bite of his food as he waited to hear what the boy had to say.
Again, there was that sense of overwhelming joy at the fact that the boy was here. And he just felt a sense of rightness. A sense of belonging.
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Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 1:41 pm
Caius was naturally suspicious about anyone caring, but there was a small part of him that seemed to be slowly getting used to it from Nicolae. He accepted the second sandwich with a soft word of thanks, and at least tried to eat this one slower.
“I just saw you the other day,” he answered warily. “I don’t know that there’s been time for me to be anything other than okay? I haven’t powered up again or anything. And it’s my weekend, so I was getting out of the house for some fresh air. The library doesn’t allow food so I came to get something to eat. I really didn’t mean to come here just to mooch. But. That sandwich was really good. This place is nice.”
He wasn’t saying it just to suck up, he seemed to at least honestly believe as much.
“Um. What about you, how have you been?”
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Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 3:14 pm
Nick gave a small laugh and nodded. “That’s true, but still! Things can happen every day, Cai. And I missed you. Arias and I were looking over your Twitter...it’s really good! You’re really…”
He paused and blinked slowly, an idea occurring to him and a smile beginning to spread across his face. “...You’re really talented...and your Twitter looks fantastic and your art--how...would you like a job running a Twitter for us? Or at least...consulting us into how to...do better than my six followers? And maybe...make graphics for us? I literally just thought of this, and now I can’t get it out of my head, but...you’d be a great marketing manager, I bet! Social Media manager? Whatever you’d want to call it.”
Taking another bite of his sandwich, Nick nodded slowly. “If you’re afraid of your parents getting the money, we can figure something out. Even if it’s getting it on...Visa gift cards or something...or I could make you a paypal…” He knew that he should stop talking, knew that he was most likely overwhelming the poor boy but…
Damn, it sounded like such a good idea!
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Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 3:29 pm
Caius immediately looked nervous when Nick mentioned his art. He practically squirmed, a mixture of nervous and flustered and embarrassed, and it was clear that he really did not talk to anyone about his art.
His face was pink immediately and he looked like a deer in headlights who suddenly couldn’t even look at Nick at all.
It took him seconds to process everything he said, and he was so distracted that he didn’t even try to pick up the sandwich in front of him.
“Um,” he said, and it was the only word for a few seconds, and then he said, “I--Um, thank you, but…”
Where was he even supposed to start?
“They’re not my parents,” he said, because that was a misconception he wasn’t going to maintain, not if Nick was serious about prying into his life. “I just live with them right now. I hardly even know them. Um. I don’t know, I guess I could try? I--”
His head was spinning. “I’m trying to save up. And...I mean, that sounds like--I’m okay with things online,” he said, like he was trying to justify it for himself. He wasn’t totally sure what he was getting himself into, but…
Nick had fed him a few times already, so he supposed it would be fair to help out at least a little. That way he could still pay him back, even if the rest of this was a scam.
“I could try,” he finally decided. “If you wanted to sit down and talk about what you wanted, um. I mean, it wouldn’t hurt to talk, at least, I guess.”
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Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 3:56 pm
Oh.
Nick paused and nodded slowly. “Just live with them...so they’re...what, a foster family, or your parents are...on...vacation or something?”
His mind was whirling again and he nodded slowly. “Yeah. Absolutely. When can you come by again? I’ll run it by Arias, we can have a for real...meeting. Thing. Um. Negotiate terms and all of that.”
He smiled softly and let out a small sigh. “Well...I would really like that. We can have Arias at the meeting, so you can meet him. He and his sister are at their parents today, or else I would have dragged them over to meet you! Normally I would have gone too...but...I’m still kind of terrible with sign language...I’m trying to learn but...I have terrible coordination in trying to make my hands do the right things...his parents are both deaf, so...it makes it a little challenging.”
He was rambling, and he knew it. Quickly, he took another bite of his sandwich simply to shut himself up.
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Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 4:14 pm
Caius blinked as he adjusted to the information and nodded. “And, I assume, someone has to be here to watch your bakery. Um. I don’t know, I’m free tomorrow? I get out of school at five. I could stop on the way back to the house if that worked better.”
He didn’t call it a home because it wasn’t.
He shifted positions in his seat and reluctantly picked up the sandwich, not because he’d lost his appetite but because he seemed a little anxious again. He clearly didn’t like talking about himself and it was with obvious reluctance that he answered, “It’s a state placement. I’ve only been here for a few months. But. That’s how it goes.” He shrugged. “At least I’m still in Destiny City this time. It’s not a big deal,” he said under his breath, like maybe if he said it enough times he’d believe it. He took a large bite of the sandwich, unenthusiastic and as an excuse to not have to answer any more about it.
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Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 5:05 pm
“Tomorrow would be fantastic, Cai. I’ll talk to Arias and we can figure things out…” He finished the last bite of his sandwich and thought through his next words, sipping his drink.
“Is...it a permanent thing? Are you waiting to be adopted...or are you...just removed from your home on a temporary basis?” Nick’s voice was gentle, and a little curious, and almost...a tiny bit…hopeful. “You..we don’t have to talk about it if you’re uncomfortable, I’m sorry for prying...I just want to know that you’re okay. That you’re safe.”
He bit back the other words that he wanted to say...that Caius was important to him. That wasn’t anything that...He would think it a lie, Nick was sure...but. It was quite far from that.
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Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 5:43 pm
Now, Caius sighed heavily, with the indifference and opposition of a cranky teenager. “I’m fine,” he said sharply, quickly. “It’s fine.”
It was a sensitive topic, and Caius handled it like it was his own problem, like he was supposed to be ashamed of circumstances that were never in his control. He bristled and seemed like he was ready to fight about it, ready to get defensive--aggressive, even.
“I’m not waiting to be adopted. I’m waiting to age out,” he answered, as patiently as he could. He still sounded like he was ready to snap. “So. There isn’t a ‘home to go back to’ and there hasn’t been for a long time. I’m staying at this place until they get tired of me and need to make room for someone else, or until they decide they want their room back, or until it’s too expensive, or whatever excuse they want to use. Any other questions?”
He took the last bite of his sandwich a little aggressively, only now he was making eye contact with Nick like he was challenging him to come up with something more intrusive.
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Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 5:58 pm
Nick maintained the eye contact and smiled softly. “Yeah. What would you like to eat tomorrow, Cai? I’ll make something nice, and maybe you can stick around for dinner too.” The boy was only sixteen. It would be another two years before he would age out of the system...and then where would he be? Alone in a world with no way to get anywhere? Hell no.
Not if Nick could help it.
He wasn’t sure what the process for adopting someone from foster care was...but damnit. If Arias agreed...if Arias agreed, he would start working on it on Monday...maybe...doubtfully...but maybe Caius could be theirs by the summer...oh.
The very thought made him feel warm and he gave a soft sigh as he looked at the boy. “Maybe lasagna? That’s always a good hearty meal.”
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Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 6:15 pm
The question was enough to disarm him and all the preparation he’d made to steel himself for something intrusive and uncomfortable melted away.
He looked confused, and visibly relaxed in his seat as the topic moved somewhere else. “Oh. Um. I mean, yeah, I guess. I’ll eat anything, I’m not picky. I like lasagna.”
There was very little that he didn’t like.
He swallowed and slumped into his chair, picking up the cookie uncertainly before he took a little bite.
“...This is good too. Are you sure you want me over? --Are you sure about any of this?” he asked, and just seemed desperate for some sort of let down now before he started to get attached to the idea of meals and a job, and someone to help guide him through this apparent double life he was supposed to be leading.
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