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 Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2022 11:43 am
Takes place October 23, 2022. Being with the Reids was always one of Atticus’ favorite things. They were a wonderful family who loved and cared about each other, and encouraged Elliot in all the ways he needed in order to grow into the amazing young man he already was.
They’d spent the morning looking at art supplies, even buying Atticus a paint set, despite him saying they really didn’t have to! He could buy it with his allowance money Michael had given him for doing chores around the house! And then they’d gone to a pumpkin patch to pick out a few to take home. Atticus had seen things like it on television, but didn’t think there would be a whole field of pumpkins for them to pick through! Or at least the ones that hadn’t already been brought to the storefront for those who didn’t want to trudge around in a field.
He still wasn’t sure what he wanted to be for Halloween, but Elliot had a dragon costume that didn’t quite fit, but the wings and tail might be able to be repurposed, and he could make some horns possibly. It was something he would have to talk to his parents about -- all four of them -- in order to come up with something.
But now was probably one of the most important parts of the day. Making sandwiches for his and Elliot’s secret date.
He waved to Elliot from the backdoor of the house, wanting him to make sure Elliot saw him get inside, before looking around to see if he could find Devyn. But in the meantime, he greeted Michael. “Hi dad!” Okay, that was going to take some getting used to. Michael had already been looking up from where he was reading on the couch, but being called dad was definitely new.
“Have a good time so far today?” he asked, to which Atticus nodded. “Asher sent me a picture of the pumpkins you brought back. I’ll go over and get them in a bit.” He certainly didn’t expect Atticus to be able to carry them.
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Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2022 2:32 pm
Devyn’s idea of sitting still and relaxing was complicated, because everything he wanted to do while he was sitting involved using his hands, and he was supposed to be relaxing that, too. He’d taken advantage of being home alone with Michael and laid against him on the couch for a while, and he’d quietly worked on fixing up an old trinket he’d brought back with him. It had a few loose gems so he was carefully adjusting a few things and cleaning some small pieces.
He left his project in a small box on the coffee table so he wasn’t taking up much room and to make sure it all stayed together, but he was in the kitchen making a snack when Atticus came in. He smiled brightly when Atticus greeted Michael as Dad so enthusiastically.
“They’re impressive! I didn’t know they could get that big. I’ve only seen the ones in the stores, they don’t compare at all.” He’d just finished making three grilled cheese sandwiches, and while he’d been thinking about eating two of them himself, Atticus had good timing if he wanted a snack. He plated one of the sandwiches and brought it over to Michael absentmindedly. “Are you hungry, Atticus? I know you’re here to make lunch, but I’ve just made some. It’s a little brisk out there, you can come stand by the stove if you want to warm up and have some grilled cheese.”
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Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2022 4:52 pm
Since he was inside, Atticus carefully shrugged off the jacket he’d been wearing -- a new one, since he’d given his previous one away without permission. But Michael hadn’t minded and let him pick out a new one. This one was cream colored and the fleece on the outside was fluffy looking, almost like a sheep. But it also had dusty pink lining where the zipper, buttons, and pockets were.
He folded it gently over the back of the couch and then smiled up at Devyn when he brought Michael a sandwich.
“Oh! Thank you, um… Could I maybe eat half of one, please?” he asked, because he didn’t want to be ungrateful and not eat the whole thing! But he was also trying to save room for his lunch with Elliot. But he was also hungry after being out all morning.
“I didn’t know they could get that big, either! I mean, I’ve seen pictures, but never in person. They’re going to be fun to carve, I think!” And Elliot and his parents were so excited about Halloween, that now Atticus was excited too.
Michael had thanked Devyn for the grilled cheese, and Atticus gave him a little wave as he followed Devyn’s suggestion by going into the kitchen to stand near the stove.
“I don’t really know what kind of sandwich to make,” he admitted as he held his hands out over the still warm stovetop to thaw them a little. “And do we have any chocolate? I don’t think the neighbors would like me picking their flowers… We should get more flowers to plant outside,” he decided with a quiet sigh. He didn’t know how he was going to make this date work without flowers or -- oh, he forgot the poetry too. He would have to figure that out before he met up with Elliot.
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Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2022 10:19 pm
Devyn smiled when Atticus asked for half a grilled cheese, and he cut it diagonally and passed it over without any fuss. He laid the other half back in the pan so it could stay warm, just in case Atticus changed his mind, and took a bite of the other one.
“What type of sandwiches do you and Elliot like?” he asked, because making a sandwich seemed like a fairly easy decision. “We have some chocolate.” He didn’t think Atticus was asking for a chocolate sandwich, but now it sounded good, too. And flowers? He knew you could cook with flowers, but he wasn’t sure why Atticus would want them when they had lettuce.
“I don’t know if there are many flowers that will grow when it starts snowing, but if we plant some flowers, I’m sure they’ll blossom nicely in the spring. The Reids like to garden, I’m sure they could help.”
He glanced down at Atticus. “What type of flowers are you looking for?”
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Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2022 10:28 pm
Atticus happily took the sandwich half from Devyn with a smile and thanks, and took the time he needed to take his first bite to think about what sandwich they should try making.
“I think Elliot would like… grilled chicken. Oh, but that’s a lot of work to grill some chicken just for a sandwich. So maybe just some deli meat -- chicken or turkey? If we have any. And, um. I’m not sure what cheese we have, but maybe some of that. And lettuce. And if we have any tomatoes,” he hummed and then paused to take another bite.
“I don’t know what flowers. Just something that… you know… you might, um, give to Michael,” he explained and decided he should stare really hard at the half of the sandwich in the warm pan, just in case it… burned or something. Like his cheeks were.
“We should definitely plant some for spring, though. Maybe we can have one of those butterfly and bee gardens. Do you have butterflies and things like that on Alastor? I saw the fireflies but… those were just lights or… energy, right?”
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Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2022 10:42 pm
Atticus’ face was very red, and while it was maybe the cold…
Devyn was quiet for a moment, because some flowers that he would give to Michael were–
Oh.
“A little garden sounds nice, I know Oliver was talking about doing one. We had many butterflies on Alastor. And bees as big as your head. And fireflies, real ones. Not just my Core showing off. I’ve got paintings of all of them, I’ll show you. We could always cook some of the deli meat. And toast the bread. How long do you two have before you’re planning on heading out? I might be able to pan cook some chicken if we have enough time. Or we could cheat and let someone else do the work. We could order warm subs and go pick them up. There’s a nice little place right across from a flower store, it’ll take us maybe ten minutes to walk to. But if you’re in a hurry I can always pick you up and jog us there.”
His voice was gentle, because he could see that Atticus looked a little flustered and he didn’t want to dig into that.
“They sell poetry cards, too. They’re very nice there, I like to take Claire flowers when we meet up. But then, if that’s too much, we could always go look through my charms, you could make a keychain out of one of my flowers if you wanted.”
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Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2022 10:53 pm
“As big as my head??” Atticus squeaked in awe and amazement, his eyes wide as he stared up at Devyn and tried to imagine bees being that big. “I don’t mind your Core showing off. It was very warm, and I liked being near it a lot,” he admitted. There was something about it that made him feel like he’d been wrapped in a warm, protective hug. Even if that wasn’t the case. He felt safer there than he had anywhere else while Devyn wasn’t around.
“I would very much like to see those paintings,” he decided, but it wasn’t a very hard decision for him to want to see art.
As for the sandwiches… He frowned thoughtfully and took another bite of his grilled cheese. He told Elliot that he was going to make sandwiches with Devyn, but really he just wanted to hang out with Devyn a little and maybe try to get some advice, while also making sure he was okay.
“Maybe… maybe we could order subs,” he said a little guiltily, as if he wasn’t sure he liked the idea of cheating, but if it was across from a flower store… and if they sold poetry cards. Oh. Did that mean Devyn already knew?
Atticus could feel his face warming up some more.
“It’s supposed to be a secret,” he said, barely a whisper. He knew he and Elliot had talked about not letting the adults know, but… if Devyn already knew then there was no point in trying to hide it as much, right? Besides, he might be able to help him more if he knew why he wanted flowers and chocolate and poetry. And yes, it was absolutely because Devyn said that those things were important for a date.
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Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2022 11:00 pm
Devyn smiled at Atticus, rather knowingly, especially for someone who then insisted, “I have no idea what you’re talking about. But if I did know, your secret would be safe with me. Here,” he pulled out his phone and passed it over; it took him a few seconds to pull up an app and select the restaurant he had in mind but he just wanted to make it easy for Atticus. “I’m going to go get my jacket, you order whatever looks good. The fries are good, and they’ve got a nice dipping sauce. It’s better than the bagged chips, and they’ll stay warm and crispy. We’ll bring an insulated bag. I’ll be fast, but no rush. Pick something that looks good.”
He picked up his grilled cheese sandwich and left the room; it was halfway gone by the time he reached Michael. He leaned over the couch so he could kiss the top of Michael’s head, and when that wasn’t good enough, he maneuvered so he could kiss his cheek, too.
“I’m going to run out with Atticus for a minute. Just to pick up some sandwiches, we won’t be gone for long. Do you want me to grab anything while I’m out? Another cup of coffee?”
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Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2022 11:08 pm
Michael’s grilled cheese was already gone by the time Devyn made his way back out into the living room, but the kiss on his head-- and then cheek --was enough to make him frown, and he tilted his head back to look up at Devyn, book temporarily laid on his lap.
“Tease,” he accused him with a look that was unsurprisingly just a pout. “I’m okay, thank you. More caffeine and my heart will probably give out,” he admitted, although he had a feeling that Devyn knew that and he was teasing him.
“Love you. Be safe. I don’t feel anything in range,” he shared, but he had no idea how far he could feel auras, just that he could feel them. And there were no youma in the area. Atticus had held his breath as Devyn told him his secret was safe. Sort of. He acted like he didn’t know, but Atticus was pretty sure he did.
He was careful with Devyn’s phone, and clicked through the options, hoping that he remembered everything that Elliot liked as he picked the toppings. Oh, and he picked something slightly different for himself. That way if Elliot didn’t like something on his, Atticus would just say that they must have gotten mixed up!
Once the subs were selected, and the fries with dipping sauce, Atticus shuffled his way back out to the living room to hand Devyn his phone back, and to grab his jacket. “Be back soon, dad,” he promised, and went over to wrap an arm around Michael’s shoulders to give him a quick squeeze, before stepping back to wait for Devyn.
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Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2022 11:22 pm
This time, Devyn did not insist that he wasn’t teasing. He absolutely was, and his mirth reached his eyes. He was gone for only a few seconds, just enough time to get his jacket, and he tugged it on even as he worked his way into his boots.
He didn’t think he’d ever get tired of hearing Atticus call Michael dad, but he didn’t draw too much attention to it in case Michael was still getting used to it. He pocketed his phone and did a quick check to make sure he had everything he needed before he made his way back to Michael and gave him a real kiss on the lips. “I love you, we’ll be safe. There’s half a sandwich left in the pan if you get hungry. Call me if you get lonely.”
He drew away but couldn’t hide the mirth and affection that lit up his face. He opened the door for Atticus when and put a hand on his back as they slipped out.
When the door was closed behind him he asked, “Did you have fun this morning? I was worried about you last night, but it’s nice to see you smiling. I hoped I’d get to steal you away for a little bit to make sure you were doing okay.”
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Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2022 9:11 am
Atticus tried not to be nosey and kept his eyes down as best he could, even though he was not so secretly pleased that Michael and Devyn were being more open with their affection. None of this subtle touching each other’s shoulders or hands as they passed each other. As if no one knew.
“I did! I got new paints. Once we get our pumpkins carved, I want to do a painting of them. I mean, I know we can just take a picture too, and I will! But I want to try a new style I think,” he said as he smiled up at Devyn.
“Are you really okay?” he asked after a moment as they headed down the driveway and then the sidewalk. It was a crisp, cool day. The leaves were all changing and a breeze was making loose leaves swirl through the air every so often. It was a beautiful day, and Atticus couldn’t help but think of how beautiful it must be on Alastor too.
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Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2022 9:36 am
Devyn’s brows raised with interest and curiosity when Atticus said he wanted to try a new style, and he rubbed his back encouragingly when he said as much. He might have said more on it, but he suspected Atticus might assume he was being evasive if he focused on that.
“I’m really okay,” he promised. He held out his hand–bandaged and bruised, and assured, “This is the worst of it, I promise. I keep trying to do things with it. But it’s healing up nicely, I think. I’ve got some bandages up here,” he tapped at his shoulder–gently, with his bruised hand, “So it’s a little sore, but as long as I’m not doing much, it’s been okay. But it held up when Micahel and I had to go into the cave. I’ve had a lot of bumps and scrapes in my life, though. I’m not worried about it. And I’m not just saying that so you don’t worry about me. I feel good.”
He seemed to appreciate the autumn weather and smiled a bit as the breeze knocked a few leaves from a tree as they passed it. “I feel like a weight’s been lifted off my shoulders. There’s a lot left to do back home, but it doesn’t feel daunting. And now that I know it’s safe, I’m excited that I can bring you up to see it. The hardest part for me right now is taking it easy so I can give myself time to heal. I promised Michael I’d be safe, and I don’t want you to feel like you have to worry about me. So I’m going to try and get better quickly. How about you? I know it was probably really scary up there. But you and Elliot did a wonderful job, I’m so proud of you.”
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Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2022 9:49 am
Atticus nodded to show that he understood, even though he was still worried about Devyn and wanted him better as quickly as possible.
“I didn’t get hurt,” he promised as he looked up at Devyn and -- oh, he should probably be paying attention to where he was walking so he didn’t trip. “Elliot kept me safe. And I think the Core did, too.” And Lucasta and Valhalla and Ganymede, of course, but he didn’t want to say their names out loud.
“It was really scary, though,” he admitted with a frown. “It was so real. He looked like you. He was hurt really bad. And he said everyone else… he couldn’t save them. But he wanted to keep me protected. I don’t know why I thought it might have actually been you, but everyone else had disappeared.”
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Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2022 10:22 am
Devyn nodded. He understood. He thought he’d been prepared for it to mimic Percy, and in a way he was. But it had still fooled him by taking Michael’s form, and his stomach was in knots just thinking about it. Not enough for him to worry--and he certainly didn’t want Michael to think he couldn’t make it down the road before he had to worry.
“I was hoping it wouldn’t reach you down there. But I should have known better. I knew it was headed to the Core. But I knew you’d be safest there, too. It would have had to go through everyone else to reach you, and I knew you were in good company. I didn’t plan for it to separate you. But, that’s what it’s always done. It lures people into the darkness. And you’ve got such a powerful imagination, I don’t doubt that it tried to take advantage of it. I’m sorry, Atticus. I wish I could have done more to protect you.”
He rubbed his back again, still gentle. “I’m glad you weren’t physically hurt, but I’ll still worry about the rest. Nightmares, and bad thoughts, I know they’re a different sort of hurt. Don’t keep them bundled up inside of you, they just get stronger. It’s best to air them out. Sometimes, I don’t think it’s so scary when you’ve had a chance to talk about things. I hope you won’t ever have to deal with something as tricky as that again. I just want to keep you safe, and happy. You’re such a good kid, Atticus. I think the world of you. Is there anything I can do to help make sure something like that doesn’t happen again?”
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Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2022 10:31 am
“It’s gone now,” Atticus said confidently, if not a little quietly for the fears that still bubbled inside him. “And we’ll make sure it’s gone from everywhere else, too.”
There were bound to be many other worlds with Chaos still holding on. And if he and Elliot could get stronger, maybe they would be able to help others, too. Well, he didn’t know if he’d actually been any help for Devyn, but he hoped they’d at least been enough to separate and weaken the Chaos some.
“It’s not your fault, dad. You did everything you could have. Thank you for trusting me and Elliot with something so important. And you do keep me safe and happy, I promise,” he said with a small smile as he looked up at Devyn again.
“I don’t know if you’ll always be able to protect me -- and that’s okay! You can’t always be with me, and I know that. I’m sorry I’ve been really needy, but I’ll be better about that too. But… if you could tell me when you’re hurt? Then I can use my magic to help heal you. That would help, because then I won’t have to worry about you hiding if you are hurt.”
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