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 Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2022 12:16 pm
Michael had talked to Asher earlier in the day about Devyn dropping by after they got home. He’d given Devyn the address and made sure he knew how to get there. The timing wasn’t perfect; Michael was stuck at school on the day that Soleiyu had finished a few projects they’d asked for, so Devyn had gone over to pick them up and Soleiyu had made a personalized phone app specifically to help make sure Chad was alright.
Devyn didn’t entirely understand technology, so Soleiyu understood that he’d needed to create something nondescript for Chad, and something simple for Devyn.
It had taken him all of three days since Michael and Devyn met with him to plan, create, and perfect everything, and by then he was just as eager to meet with Devyn as Devyn was to meet with him. Michael was at work, and because it was important to keep Chad safe–and because Devyn and Soleiyu had a shared impatience–Devyn had gone alone. It had taken a good part of the afternoon to explain it to him but he was confident that he had a good grasp on all of it.
Soleiyu confirmed that his starseed was still not ready for a promotion, but Devyn didn’t even feel disappointed about that given how hard Soleiyu had worked to help them make sure Chad would be safe.
He’d gone over to the Reid house as soon as he’d finished with Soleiyu.
By the time he arrived, Oliver was sitting at the living room table with Chad. They’d been checking over his homework and making sure he had all his schoolwork finished. Asher had told them early on that they were going to have a visitor and he and Elliot had been in the kitchen getting some snacks.
Oliver smiled when he heard the little rapping and was quick to get up. He patted Chad’s shoulder. “Oh, that’ll be Devyn, then.” They hadn’t specifically said he was coming, but he figured there was no point in keeping it a secret now. “I’ll let him in. You did a really good job, Chad. I’m proud of you. And since you finished the last book we were working on, I’m going to go get a few more while he’s visiting, if that’s all right? I think he’s here to drop something off for you. If you want me to stay I can, Asher says Michael told him he was coming over. I trust them, so–well, here,” he said, and pulled open the door.
“Hi Devyn, hello. Come on in,” he said quickly.
Devyn was happy to oblige, and though he smiled politely at Oliver he seemed a bit more pleased when his eyes landed on Chad.
“Hello,” Devyn greeted. “I’m sorry to interrupt, I won’t be long.”
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Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2022 12:44 pm
School work was hard. It always had been, but Oliver’s help was greatly appreciated, and even though Chad wouldn’t be at the same high school as Elliot, he hoped that maybe they could both go to college together. It was strange to think about going to college when just a couple weeks ago he thought that would be impossible for him. It might still be, but at least now he had more of a chance to get better grades.
He glanced up when Oliver got up, and then immediately perked up more in surprise. He’d wanted to see Devyn and thank him again, but he was being careful about hiding with Elliot after school. He didn’t think he would see him until he snuck out over the weekend.
“Yes, that’s all right. Thank you,” Chad agreed about the books, although he couldn’t help his attention being distracted by Devyn’s visit.
Chad smiled brightly up at Devyn when he saw him and, because he couldn’t help himself, now that he was getting used to the hugs Elliot gave him, he quickly wrapped his arms around Devyn’s waist.
“I didn’t know you were an art major,” Chad chirped in excitement. Oh, right. Chad glanced over to smile at Oliver and shook his head as he smiled. “I’ll be okay,” he promised, because he knew Oliver worried, but if Oliver trusted Michael and therefore Devyn, well, Chad already trusted Devyn, so everything was just fine.
“Thank you for the other day. My arm is a lot better now.”
He also looked overall a little healthier. It probably helped that Elliot was bringing him food, and inviting him over for dinner.
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Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2022 12:52 pm
Oh, right, yeah–he was an art major. He needed to spend some time figuring out what that actually meant. Devyn returned the hug easily–gently, because he didn’t know what bruises were hiding under those clothes, but with enough enthusiasm that he was clearly happy enough to share an embrace.
Oliver lingered for only a few seconds and made sure Devyn knew he was welcome to have a seat, and that Asher was in the kitchen if he needed anything.
Naturally, Asher had filled him in on what had happened Sunday night while he was sleeping, and given everything else that was going on he was pretty sure he could trust Devyn. He wouldn’t be long, anyway. Devyn was still hugging him when Oliver disappeared to grab his books.
Which meant Devyn had a little bit of time to talk to Chad.
“Well, you know. Sometimes you just see a piece of art and know you’re in love, right? I’m head over heels for this artist. Been working with some people to get a few pieces of his up in a gallery, it’s going to be public in a few weeks. If you like art, maybe you can come with me sometime.”
It wasn’t just a friendly offer; he’d have loved to show off Percy’s works any opportunity he got.
“I’m glad your arm’s doing okay. You look good, too. I’ve been worrying, you know. I do that.”
He didn’t look like the sort to worry. He looked confident. He looked like he’d spent time on his makeup today, and he’d braided his hair up. Nothing dramatic. He was just dressed nicely and obviously cared about his appearance.
“I asked a friend if he could help me. So I wanted to bring you something. Just in case you get in trouble, or need anything.”
He pulled out a pen–an absolutely normal looking black pen.
He didn’t want Chad to think he was being silly, so he handed the pen over for inspection. “It’s got a button on the bottom. If you press it once it’ll send an alert to my phone. The pen’s got a GPS in it so I can find you, you just have to keep it on you. If you press the button a second time, it’ll shut off the alert. And, if you hold it down for more than three seconds at a time, it’ll tell me it’s an emergency and I’ll drop everything to get to wherever you are. Just in case you’ve got a monster chasing you. Or someone bothering you. Or if you just need someone there with you for a little while.”
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Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2022 1:17 pm
Oh, Chad absolutely knew how it felt to fall in love with art, although his eyes brightened to hear that Devyn was in love with an artist, and working to get his pieces up in a gallery and--
“He?”
His smile faltered, not because he was sad or angry, but… What kind of bubble had he been forced to live in all his life?
Elliot said there was nothing wrong with people falling in love with whoever they fell in love with. And then there were Elliot’s parents. And now Devyn…
Oh, but that was probably a weird thing to get caught up on, and probably even weirder for his eyes to feel hot as he thought of how --
Actually, he was angry and sad. Because after being convinced for so long that it was a bad thing, he was now meeting people who were wonderful and so kind and caring.
Chad wanted to spend more time looking at how nice Devyn’s hair was, or how he looked like he might be wearing eyeliner (which was absolutely beautiful), or that he was so nice for thinking about him, but of course he got caught up on one word.
“I’m sorry, that’s… that’s not a bad thing,” he promised, hoping Devyn wouldn’t be offended. “I would really like to go with you to see his art.”
As for the pen, he held it carefully in his hands, turning it this way and that, but he bit his lip a little with concern.
“Is it okay to write with? Oh, but I sometimes press buttons without thinking about it… will you be mad if I accidentally do that? I’ll try not to! Thank you, Devyn. And please thank your friend. This was very kind of you. I’m sorry you were worrying.”
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Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2022 1:25 pm
At first, Devyn didn’t even catch the question, and it took him a few seconds more to process what Chad had even been caught up about–and then he had to wonder why he’d insisted it wasn’t a bad thing.
But then, it had been a very long time since he’d had to justify who he loved and why, and now it was just second nature to him. He felt no guilt or shame in any of it.
Nor should he have had to.
He’d have fought anyone who said otherwise. And, he would have won.
“You can write with it. It writes in black normally, and red if you’ve got the alert active. So if you push it on accident, you’ll know if you write with it. I can ask my friend to make another with buttons you can press that won’t set off any alarm, we didn’t think of that. I won’t be mad if you push it on accident, don’t worry about that. Just try not to hold it down unless it’s really an emergency. I’ll break windows and bust through doors if I have to for that one. But just an accidental click,” he shrugged. “We’ll go get a snack or something if I show up. But,” he let Chad continue to hold the pen but he uncapped it pinched the top inch of the pen; he twisted it left, where it clicked quietly. “Did you hear that? If you hear the click, it means anything you write can transmit to my phone. It follows movement and pressure. You just need a flat surface or something to write on. No ink comes out, he says it’s invisible. I get a little message box that pops up and shows me what you’re writing. So if you press a button by accident you can write to me that it was an accident. Or if you need me to read something, or if you want me to meet you somewhere and you’re still on your way or moving. Do you want to try it?”
He was passing over the pen cap and reaching for his phone already so he could show him if he was interested.
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Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2022 6:11 pm
“I’ll be careful not to push it,” Chad promised. His cheeks felt a bit hot as he thought about making Devyn come out of his way for something silly like him accidentally pushing the button. He would just be careful not to hold it down to alert a real emergency.
Knowing that there was this kind of technology available, and to help him was… well, it almost sounded too good to be true. He trusted Devyn, of course. And he was magical, so… Maybe this was a little magical, too?
Carefully, Chad took the pen and used the back of his hand to write ‘hello’, just to see if it would work.
He couldn’t help his curiosity, and glanced over at Devyn’s phone when the message showed up. Chad gasped in surprise at how quickly it worked.
And how much safer he suddenly felt, knowing that someone was going to be able to help him if he needed it.
So much that he couldn’t stop the emotions that were already building, and Chad sniffled quietly as he stared at the pen a bit longer. “Thank you, Devyn. Really, I… don’t know what to say,” he mumbled as he wiped away the tears that tried escaping.
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Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2022 6:36 pm
Devyn’s phone was a new model, and looked like it was a generic store model if not for the heavy duty protective case. He didn’t seem like he spent a lot of time customizing it, or even using his phone, but when he held it up he got a notification–an image that showed Chad writing in real-time. There was a small icon in the bottom right corner of the image–a microphone with a speech bubble. To the top right, an ‘X’.
“You’ve said thank you, I don’t think there needs to be more than that.”
He returned the phone to his pocket and rubbed at Chad’s back in an effort to soothe him. “I’ll pass that gratitude along. I know it’ll be appreciated. My friend likes to make things, and he’s far smarter about all of that than I could ever hope to be. I’m glad he was so eager to help. So just promise me that if you need anything, you’ll let me know. Even if it’s just someone to talk to. Michael and I just want to make sure you’re okay, and if you don’t have a phone or some other way to communicate, I know it can be hard to figure things out sometimes. Especially if you’re scared, or lonely. So don’t think you need to limit using that to if you’re in trouble or need help, okay?”
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Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2022 7:16 pm
He wasn’t used to this, so he didn’t understand how just saying thank you was enough. How could someone -- multiple someones -- show such kindness to him and want nothing in return?
Chad did his best to scrub away the rest of the tears that were trying to escape. He didn’t want Elliot to check on him, only to find out that he was crying. And he felt guilty for crying around Devyn, too.
Since there was nothing else Chad apparently needed to do to show his gratitude, he reached out to wrap his arms around Devyn again.
But after a few moments of hugging him tightly, he tipped his head back and whispered, “Is the pen magic? Or… I mean, should I keep it a secret?” Obviously from people he couldn’t trust, but would he not be able to show Elliot?
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Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2022 7:22 pm
Again, Devyn returned the hug, and when Chad whispered his question Devyn couldn’t help but smile a little.
“It’s a little bit of a secret,” he said, but was quick to add, “It should seem normal to everyone else, though. It’s only connected to my phone right now. Even if someone were to take it apart, they shouldn’t be able to figure out what it’s for. Try to keep it safe, if it gets lost we’ll just have to make you another one. But I don’t want you to need help and not be able to ask for it. It’s pretty durable so it shouldn’t break.”
He rubbed Chad’s back reassuringly. “I don’t think it’s magic. Just high tech. So it shouldn’t be too suspicious. You can tell people you trust, I think. The fewer people who know, the better. But I trust you. Thank you for keeping my secret, too. That one’s the big one.”
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Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2022 7:36 pm
Oh okay, so it wasn’t magic. That was… a little disappointing, but Devyn had magic, so that was fine.
Chad nodded to show him that he understood, and then pulled back a little. He didn’t want to keep Devyn if all he was trying to do was give him the pen.
“Thank you,” he said again, because he couldn’t help it. “I’ll take good care of it. And I’ll let you know if I get into any trouble.”
Or maybe he would just want to send Devyn a message every now and then. That would be okay, wouldn’t it?
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Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2022 7:57 pm
Devyn smiled as he looked at Chad, and briefly looked over his face to make sure he didn’t have any new bruises.
“I’m a bit disappointed I can’t send you any messages through it. But we’ll see if we can’t find some way to do something like that without changing how it looks. I didn’t want to give you anything that could get you in trouble.”
Because, even if he didn’t know exactly what was going on at home, he knew enough.
“I know you’ve got your plans here, I don’t want to intrude on your studies. But I wanted to make sure we could look after you So you know that you’re not on your own. If you need your shirt stitched up, if you need some bandaids, if you need a midnight snack, if you see something weird. If it’s late and you’re scared. The offer’s open for anything, okay? I’ve got a lot of free time, so don’t ever feel bad about it or talk yourself out of it if you think you need something.”
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Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2022 8:06 pm
“That’s okay. I’m happy I got to see you. The pen should be perfect, and… I’ll let you know if I need anything, even if it’s not because I’m in trouble,” he amended his promise. His face felt hot, flustered by the kindness he’d been shown, but he wanted to make sure Devyn knew he was grateful.
“Say hello to Michael for me, please?” Because even if he’d been kind of standoffish (and still might actually be a wolf, even though Devyn said he wasn’t…), he still appreciated Michael’s efforts to help him, too.
“I’ll talk to you later, okay? Thank you Devyn. And your friend.”
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Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2022 8:12 pm
Devyn smiled again and resisted the urge to ruffle Chad’s hair. Instead, he rested his hand on his shoulder and gave him a very light, reassuring squeeze. “I will. Hope we get to see you at the next baseball game. Elliot wasn’t lying when he said the hot dogs are good.”
He did watch Elliot play. He was just also very distracted by the food.
“You tell everyone I said hello, okay? I want to get started on dinner so it’s ready when Michael gets home, but I’ll catch up with everyone some other time. Good luck with your studies, Chad. I’ll see you again soon.”
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