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 Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2021 10:14 pm
Caius had been avoiding the bakery ever since they’d officially implemented his ideas. He’d shown Arias and Nick how to run the website, he’d preprogrammed all of the posts on social media and newsletters. He’d worked so hard to make sure that this released without a hitch--mostly because he’d put everything he had on the line.
So far as he could tell, things were going well, but he hadn’t checked. Nick and Arias hadn’t mentioned that anything was going wrong so he hadn’t logged on to see how things were going.
He’d succeeded in avoiding the bakery for a whole week, worried that he’d show up and overhear someone criticizing something, or that they’d tell him all of this was a mistake, or something horrible.
Needless to say, when he got the text message from Nick that they wanted him to stop by, he expected the worst.
Caius went to a private school, funded by a scholarship aimed towards ‘disadvantaged children’ like himself. They dolled it up with a fancy name, but he saw it for what it was: a PR stunt to look better. Nobody wanted him at the school; he was a pity case and everyone there knew it. But, he went because he was supposed to.
The school had long hours and was open all year; it was a glorified babysitting program ‘designed to create opportunities in the real world’ and ‘prepare him for college’. But, he went without complaint, because he was a good kid and didn’t want trouble. He didn’t want to get kicked out or moved. He wanted to keep his head down and do everything he could to prepare to age out in a year.
...Which meant, he was so disappointed when he walked to the bakery from the school, still in his uniform, schoolbag over one arm. He’d gotten out just after five and didn’t even have any time to clean up, really. He usually packed a change of clothes with him so he could go home without feeling pretentious, but his mind had been in the clouds while his stomach was twisting in knots.
He knew he was going to be ‘fired’ from this experiment. He knew they’d be so polite. He knew they’d have to tell him that it just wasn’t working.
He already accepted it. He’d just really hoped something good could come from this.
When Caius entered the bakery, he initially avoided the little display they’d set up--the cute keychains and stickers to market their little animal characters. He couldn’t avoid it for long; he had to look at the counter to see who was around.
There were no animal treats on display. There were no keychains, no stickers.
His heart plummeted. The displays were completely empty. It must have been so bad that they’d taken them down.
He’d been disappointed before, but this already hurt so badly that his heart felt sore. He didn’t see anybody immediately, so he adjusted positions just slightly and shifted the messenger back from his shoulder so he could hold it by the handle in front of him with both hands.
His brows were knitted together and his face had settled into a resigned frown. He had tried to prepare a speech, an apology--briefly, a plea to be given a second chance, but he lost his motivation for that rather quickly.
No, he was here--right on time. He was going to miss this place, and all the treats Nick was always giving him. He was going to miss having a quiet place upstairs to go work on things for them. He was going to miss planning their designs, taking pictures, working with them.
He was going to miss them.
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Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2021 7:52 am
Nick made his way out of the kitchen and beamed when he saw Caius standing there. He looked tired, but very pleased, even more so to see the boy that he had begun to love so much.
He had a plate in his hands, as he normally did when Caius came over, a large piece of lasagna steaming on it, and one of the animal treats, a bunny who’s decoration was messed up just enough to make it unable to be sold...if it had been on purpose...well. Nick wasn’t going to tell anyone.
“Hey Cai! How was school?” He was home. Their son was back again, though he looked unhappy. Almost...almost frightened and Nick paused, tilting his head for a moment and then, putting the dishes on the counter, moving rather swiftly to the blonde’s side and drawing him into his arms. “What’s wrong? Are you okay? You look so unhappy…”
Perhaps a hug wasn’t the best option but...he couldn't stand seeing the boy look like this. It broke his heart.
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Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2021 12:19 pm
Caius glanced up from where he stood and flashed a quick smile, but it was performative at best. He’d come to understand that Nick was just used to expressing himself with physical attention, like hugs, so he allowed it even though he still hadn’t quite warmed up to returning such things.
“I’m fine,” he said, because--that’s what everyone wanted to hear anyway, right?
He adjusted himself just a bit; the smell of lasagna filled the room.
“Did I interrupt dinner? I’m sorry, I can come back later. You said you wanted me to come over. I came as soon as I got out.”
He didn’t apologize for avoiding the bakery for a while, he’d sort of hoped that Nick hadn’t noticed. It wasn’t like it was his fault; Caius had just been worried about failure, and…
Now, he was here to face it.
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Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2021 1:02 pm
Nick utterly beamed at the boy as he drew away, nodding. “Yeah! You must have been busy lately, we’ve missed you terribly. Come on, let’s sit down, I have dinner ready for you! It’s lasagna, I know that you like it. And I messed up the decorating of one of the animal snacks too, so I could make sure you’d get one!”
He grinned and gently shoed the boy over to ‘his’ table in the corner. “It’s been crazy here since that launched, and with the social media things you’ve done, We’ve been selling out almost as quickly as we make the things!”
Scampering over, Nick got the food and put it on the table, waiting for Caius to sit down, and then he ran into the back, getting him a glass of water and a chocolate milk, before taking a seat across from him.
“How was school? Have things gotten super busy? You’re not normally gone for so long anymore!”
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Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2021 1:29 pm
Caius nearly tripped over himself when he heard what Nick said, and he looked at him like he hadn’t quite gotten it right.
Even as he was lead over to ‘his’ table, he found it difficult to sit down. He stood awkwardly by it and clutched his bag tighter. It was only when it was obvious that Nick was waiting for him to sit down that he was able to lower himself into a seat. He tucked his bag safely next to him.
Usually, he was enthusiastic enough to devour the meal almost immediately, but he still didn’t seem like he thought he understood what he’d said.
“Um, it’s school,” he answered uncertainly; he’d mentioned once before that he attended a private school that was open year round, except for a few Holidays. He had less than two weeks off, so it kept him pretty busy. He had mentioned that he wasn’t enthusiastic about school, but he hadn’t ever said how much he hated it. He didn’t want them to think all he did was complain, so he was a good student--he did what he was supposed to, and stayed out of everyone’s way.
“I’m sorry--you said that things are going well?” he asked, and looked back at the empty display like it was obvious that it was doing so poorly they’d taken everything down?
He looked back to Nick, brows knit. “I thought you were telling me to come by to say it was a horrible idea and you were firing me.”
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Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2021 2:02 pm
“School wasn’t ever my favorite part of life either, but, you know...good jobs and all that, whatever whatever.” He smiled warmly, though the smile fell as the boy looked at the empty display case. “Yeah, crazy well. We sold out of the merchandise on the first day and are waiting for more to come in from the printers, and Arias and I are having a hard time keeping the sweets in stock too! Normally they’re sold out by noon, if not earlier.”
The frown only deepened and Nick had to almost physically restrain himself from touching the boy. He wanted to comfort him, reassure him that good lord him being fired wasn’t even something that had ever crossed his mind.
Their minds.
“Caius, no, kid, no! There’s no way we could fire our so--so very good...wonderful you…” He flushed slightly at the almost slip...Caius wasn’t their son yet, the papers were in at least...they were just waiting on approval, waiting on everything, wanting to make sure it was going to be official so the boy didn’t get any false hope.
“We would never fire you. You’ve worked miracles, and even if it had flopped, we would never fire you, Cai.”
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Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2021 3:34 pm
He shifted positions while he processed this and just shrugged a bit, forcing a scoff. “Well that’s a horrible business practice...if I’m not good, you should fire me.”
...But...it was good?
He looked back at the display and--okay, maybe that made sense. But--sold out?
That didn’t make sense.
He shifted in his seat a bit, still feeling strangely nervous. It took a lot of effort to look up from the lasagna and try to make eye contact. “...They really sold out? I haven’t checked the social media,” he admitted, and chewed on the inside of his cheek. “...I don’t know, I got really nervous that it wasn’t going to work out. I’m sorry. I mean--really, you’re not teasing?” he asked, and a little bit of life seemed to come back into him. “Because, that’s a cruel joke, if you are. I won’t laugh.”
…And yet, he wanted to go check their social media and see, but...he was afraid of it actually being a lie.
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Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2021 4:41 pm
“If it wasn’t good, we would just work out a new plan, not fire you. You have amazing ideas, and if this hadn’t panned out, we would have tried again. Arias and I won’t give up on you, Caius. We care about you far too much to ever give up on you.” He fell quiet for a moment and nodded slowly, drawing out his phone and sliding it over, open to their Twitter, which was filled with tweets and mentions and pictures of the merchandise that some people had managed to get, and others wishing they had.
“Your ideas and your art were fantastic, Cai. We wouldn’t lie to you about that. I wouldn’t lie to you about anything, I promise.”
His eyes flickered to the still untouched food and he gave a sad smile. “You really were worried...I’m so sorry that we scared you. We didn’t...want to bother you if you were busy…”
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Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2021 7:27 pm
Okay, the care thing was weird, not because it was unwelcome but because he wasn’t used to it. Even if he knew he cared about Nick and Arias, it was still strange to hear someone say it.
He swallowed as he glanced at the Twitter, and at first he paled, like he expected the worst--and then, very quickly, his cheeks turned pink.
“Oh,” he said, a little dully, but he reached out to scroll through Nick’s phone a little bit.
He swallowed and then laughed, a bit nervously, but there was happiness in it. “Oh. I guess, I should finish setting up the online store, huh? People could pre-order and we could send them out. Or they could order and come pick up when they're back in stock. Give them free shipping and make them come in so they're tempted to buy something sweet once they smell this place...”
He laughed again, this time with a bit more enthusiasm; he scrolled a little quicker. “I didn’t think it was going to be like this. That--I brought my computer, do you want me to work on that now?” he asked, and was already reaching for his computer. “I’m sorry for--I don’t know. I was afraid it was going to do badly. I guess I panicked. I didn’t want to see you guys disappointed in me so I sort of. I mean, yeah, I was busy with school,” he suggested, but it was obviously more than that, he was just scrambling. He was still scrolling, too distracted by the nice things being said to touch the food--even though his stomach growled.
He was still very good at scarfing it down, but he’d gotten a little better at understanding that Nick wasn’t going to just take it. He even smiled and said, “I like this bunny, he’s cute. I think I like this one better than the sample pictures.”
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Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2021 8:35 pm
Nick grinned and gave a little laugh. “If you want to, but you don’t have to work on it now. I wish your home would let you spend the night sometimes. We could have fun working on things together, and I want to teach you how to bake at some point.. I think you’d be good at it.”
And he could make sure the boy got a full barrage of meals to get him through the weekend. It would be so good to know he was truly doing his best for him. At least for now.
When he was theirs, there wasn’t anything he couldn't do for him.
“I’m glad you like him! I made him with you in mind, I thought the lop ears were a good touch. They were cute like you!” He beamed and put his elbows on the table, resting his chin in his hands. “Well. I’m glad to see you eating. And smiling. Everything is fine, Caius. Everything is always going to be fine. We wouldn't fire you, even if it hadn’t been this fantastic, I promise you.”
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Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2021 9:19 pm
Caius didn’t correct Nick that it wasn’t a home, it was just the house he was staying in, but it felt petty because he knew what Nick meant. He just didn’t think of it as ‘home’. Just a roof and four walls.
“I’m going to have to have a talk with Arias then, one of you guys needs to be prepared to fire people who aren’t doing a good job,” he said, and even though he was teasing, he was still smiling a little more. He set his computer on the table and, as it was turning on, picked up his fork so he could take a hefty bite out of the lasagna. He was always polite and courteous, and though he inhaled, as soon as he’d swallowed he thanked Nick again.
“I’m sorry they’re so strict,” he said, even if he knew it wasn’t his fault. He hadn’t ever been a bad kid. He wasn’t perfect, he had problems. Sneaking out some nights was definitely one of them. His defensive attitude was another, but.
“They’d probably thing I was up to something really weird if I asked ‘can I spend the night at my gay adult friends’ place’ and forbid me from seeing you. They know I don’t have friends at school,” he said dismissively, because--yeah, they might have called him dramatic when he said he didn’t have any friends at school, but it was the truth. He gave up trying to make friends and was resigned to just getting through each day.
“I haven’t told them about any of this,” he confessed, glancing again at the empty display before looking back to Nick. “...They’re not bad people, it’s just…”
He didn’t get along with them. He appreciated the bed, but they were strict, and ignorant, and clearly had favorites and he wasn’t one of them. He was sure if they found out he’d been hustling to earn a few extra dollars that they’d find some way to stop him--maybe ground him, or try to take away his tablet or something. Even though it was his, he wouldn’t put it past them to punish him and try to take it.
“I don’t know. They’re not like you and Arias. But then, you guys are different from most people, anyway. I can’t believe you sold out! You must be a good salesman, did Arias leave you at the counter to push them?”
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Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2021 1:42 pm
“I get it, still. You should be with better people. I hat the fact that people can become foster parents just for the money...that’s not fair for the kids who are stuck in the system…” He grinned when the boy finally began eating and looked so pleased by it. Such a stupid little victory, but it always made Nick feel warm inside when he could do something for the boy.
“You still have time though! You never know. Some family might just scoop you up and give you the real home that you deserve…”
Perhaps that was too much, but he gave a small grin. “Yeah. He kept me at the counter a lot, but Carlee did most of the work, she’s a great saleswoman. And she really likes it, plus she’s in the best age group for it and was great at upselling. Though, neither of us had to work very hard. The customers were crazy for all of it. Especially your charms! Those sold like hotcakes. I’m thinking...if you’re up to it, could we make halloween costumes for the mascots? It’s just a thought...but a seasonal thing...it’s just something I was thinking about...we have seasonal treats already, why not ride this success train!”
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Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:07 pm
Caius’ eyes lit up a little and he nodded. “I can do that! I think that sounds cute! I can probably even get that done by tonight. Or tomorrow, the latest. If you had ideas, you could tell me, otherwise I could just try a few different things.”
Oh, he already had so many ideas.
He was itching to draw; he always had his tablet with him, and now that he’d spoken with Nick he was excited again.
He hurried to get another few bites of the lasagna, and his cheeks puffed out while he hurried to devour it. He wiped his face clean afterwards, despite not having made a mess.
“I don’t think anyone’s going to ‘scoop me up,’ so you don’t worry. I just have to make it another year and then I’ll be out.”
Not that something like that was a good thing, and he’d been hiding how nervous the idea made him. He added quickly, “And I’ve got a few hours before curfew so if you don’t mind me hanging out back here, I can do some designs real quick? I can get the online store up too, but I want you to approve it and go over what it means and what options we have. If you want! I mean, while you’re riding the train, might as well hit all the stops, yeah?”
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Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2021 8:18 pm
Nick nodded eagerly. “Of course! I would love if you wanted to work on it now, I’ll get a list of some of the flavors we’re working on if you wanted to add that to the outfits? I don’t know what inspiration you want, but I’ll provide what I can!” He grinned, so happy to see the boy looking more relaxed again. He didn’t want his son to be upset. Didn’t want him to ever have to be upset.
“I’d love to help and be here while you do it, if you’re still hungry let me know and I’ll get you more food.”
Reaching over, he ruffled the boy’s hair, looking so fondly at him. “You wanna come upstairs to your room?” He was back. Everything was going to be okay, just like it always was.
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Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2021 8:52 pm
“Oh! Yeah, please, I want the list, I can definitely try to incorporate the flavors.”
It seemed like the stress and worry had just melted off of him, and now that he had a project to busy himself with, he seemed so much happier. That, and the fact that he wasn’t a failure, at least. He looked over at the empty stand again, and a faint, shy smile appeared on his face.
He didn’t even seem remotely annoyed with Nick messing up his hair, and already focused on his task, he almost just left it all mussed up. But, it was louder down here, and he had missed the comfortable quiet of the upstairs rooms.
“Oh--yeah, though. Okay, I’ll go up there.”
He figured Nick must have mistakenly called it his room--it was the room that he went to visit when he had things to do, but that was fine. Caius didn’t remember the last time he had his actual own room. But, it was nice to know he could go upstairs and breathe.
“Um.”
He packed up his things, already bursting with excitement and enthusiasm. “...I just wanted to say thanks, Nick. Again. For everything. I know you know that I appreciate it all already, but. I just wanted to say it again.”
...Because, maybe next time, it would be a flop. But he was glad Nick gave him the chance and believed in him, anyway.
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