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 Posted: Wed May 17, 2023 6:07 pm
The alien man had been settled for now. He was given a way to disguise himself thanks to Soleiyu and given a horde of snack foods and some fresh clothes and shown how to use the shower, and now Sterling was in the kitchen, staring blankly at an empty frying pan, willing some sandwiches to just…just cook.
He glanced at Priam who had just come in and gave a sheepish, worried, unhappy smile.
“Welcome home! We. Hi. How are you? How was work? Did you do good and save lives? I bet you did…you…life saver you!”
Wow. If Sterling had ever thought he was suave, that moment was well past, and instead of trying to continue, he simply turned around and put half a stick of butter into the pan, staring at it and half wondering why it didn’t just start to melt. “I found an alien while out on my walk. I think he tried to rip someone’s throat out or might be a vampire. He’s getting a shower right now, Soleiyu helped out…um. So yeah. That was my day. Missed you.”
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Posted: Wed May 17, 2023 7:35 pm
Priam had hurried home to beat the rain clouds; he’d had a long day and gotten stuck at the clinic and was more than happy to be home.
The dogs hadn’t had a chance to meet the stranger who had arrived–who had been unhappy to power down and to be smuggled inside with a human disguise, but he had been easily placated with the promise of food and warmth. The dogs were downstairs and in a good mood when Priam came in, and though they briefly crowded him, his attention had been on Sterling as soon as he saw that smile.
It wasn’t real, it was worried. Naturally, Priam had immediately started to worry. Even before he’d gotten that very poorly delivered welcoming. He’d lowered his bag and was ready to ask what was wrong before Sterling–thankfully–answered before he could get the words out.
For a second, he just stared. And then, he shook his head and crossed the distance between them.
He placed his hand on Sterling’s lower back reassuringly, kissed his cheek, and turned the stovetop on.
“I missed you too. I’m sorry, did you say he’s a vampire? I notice you don’t have any garlic out. What did Soleiyu say about all of it?”
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Posted: Wed May 17, 2023 7:40 pm
“I said that he might be a vampire? There was definitely blood on his face, and I had thought I was going to save him from the General’s aura I felt nearby but…I think he was doing a damn good job at saving himself? He’s hungry as anything and…he’s. Rude as hell, it.”
Sterling’s cheeks grew warm and he sighed, moving to gently nuzzle Priam before he could get too far away, and then turning to focus on the now melting butter.
“...it was kind of nice. Almost familiar. Made me miss him again but. In a kind of good way this time. Soleiyu said that they’re cropping up. Alien Senshi who are like a thousand years old or something. I said he could stay here, we have Mel’s old room that he can stay in. And it’ll be nice having someone who wants to eat everything in sight. At least. It’ll be nice until I get tired of cooking. I half wonder if he just…didn’t have food.”
The butter was melting, and Sterling swirled the pan before slipping two of the sandwiches into it, letting one side of the bread sop up some butter before flipping them quickly, turning the heat down to low. “...I hope you’re not too upset with me?”
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Posted: Wed May 17, 2023 8:10 pm
Priam didn’t even seem flustered. “I’m not upset.”
It wasn’t that this was Sterling’s house, it was just that he trusted him. If he’d had a great issue with it he could have argued it. He didn’t see the point. He was a doctor, he cared about helping people.
If Soleiyu said this was normal--no matter how strange it actually sounded--he wasn't going to protest. He trusted Sterling's judgement of character, and he knew that he could take care of himself if there was an issue. Was Priam a little anxious? Of course, it was daunting to think that there was someone new living under their roof before he'd ever seen or spoken to him. He didn't like change, and the idea that his schedule and life was going to have to adapt to someone he didn't know was nerve-wracking.
But, he was willing to approach things with an open mind. For now, at least.
"As long as you don't think he's dangerous to you, or the dogs, or me. I don't mind doing what we can to help anyone else. You seem a bit frazzled, though. Were you worried about him or me?"
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Posted: Wed May 17, 2023 8:14 pm
“Um…both, honestly. I’ve never seen an alien before, let alone like…brought one home. And he’s just so hungry. Like he’s showering right now…at least I hope he is. Good god he has hair for days. It’s as bad as a corrupted Senshi but…he’s not. He’s just…blue. And…feral.”
Sterling shook his head. “It’s been such a strange day, and like. I’m not upset. Just overwhelmed. This. Isn’t how I thought going on a patrol would…”
He paused and his face fell, the realization of his other thought coming back to him and he swallowed hard. “...Ah. I forgot. I’m. I think. I think that the general he was messing with was Yu…I think that the Negaverse got him again…I…I mean. It was a guy with long brown hair so I just…I just assumed but…”
His mouth felt dry and Sterling’s eyes suddenly filled with tears. “...It makes sense. It makes way too much sense…”
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Posted: Wed May 17, 2023 9:30 pm
Priam watched him for a moment, and that hit more than anything. “No,” he said after a moment. “I don’t believe that.”
He leaned forward and wrapped his arm around Sterling’s shoulder to draw him into a hug. “You’d feel it in your heart if something happened to him. I’d feel it in mine. I don’t know what’s happened, but I don’t think they got him. He’d have fought tooth and nail against them, you know that. They wouldn’t have taken him alive.”
It wasn’t a better thought to think him dead, but Priam didn’t think that either.
He didn’t know where Yu was, or what had happened, but he had faith. He didn’t think there was some finite end to their time together. He trusted he’d come back. He was still waiting.
He wanted to know what had happened--even more than he wanted to know about this strange Senshi that had wound up on Earth.
Right now, he just wanted to make sure Sterling was okay, though.
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Posted: Thu May 18, 2023 9:23 am
Sterling managed what almost passed for a smile but shrugged. “I didn’t want to believe it but. Nothing else makes sense to me…he wouldn’t have just left. He couldn’t have. Not us. I…” He drew in a breath and shook his head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything…but. I really. I’m sure that it was him. As sure as I’m looking at you now…If it wasn’t? If he just so happens to walk through the front door…well and good but.”
He turned towards the pan and flipped the sandwiches once more. “At least this gives me an answer, and maybe some reason to keep fighting. I’m going to go and bring these to our guest in a few minutes, but I’ll make us some too, if you’d like one. I can put some soup on too, if you’re in the mood. Soup always goes so good with grilled cheese…and maybe I’ll bake…something tonight. Just. Because it’s a special occasion. We have a guest.”
Something with the cherry pie filling he had been saving for a special occasion sounded really nice right about now.
Something flakey and…just. Good.
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Posted: Thu May 18, 2023 12:27 pm
Priam wasn’t sure he could imagine that Yu would be back with the Negaverse. There was a weight in his heart but he wasn’t willing to give up on Yu.
“I’ll keep an eye out when I’m patrolling,” he said after a moment. “To see if I can find anyone that looks like him. If he is out there, we’ll find him.”
He meant that, it was a promise. Even if he didn’t think–didn’t want to think–that Yu could have been drawn into the Chaos again. If he was, they’d get him out. Again.
He rubbed Sterling’s back to try and reassure him. “You can tell me anything, you know that. You don’t have to hold back. I’ll always be here to listen. Is there anything else I should know about him? I’m a little nervous to meet him. Do you want some help making anything? I’m good in the kitchen.”
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Posted: Thu May 18, 2023 12:42 pm
Sterling shook his head but felt his shoulders relax at Priam’s touch. “...All right. I’ll try to hold on to some hope. If I can…but. As for this guy…he’s really…rude. No manners at all, like. Completely uncouth but…maybe with some help he’ll settle down a bit…and you. You know that I’ll never turn down your food. Make what you feel like, I’m sure it’ll all taste good. Right now he’s got a black hole for a stomach…and I’m a little worried that he just didn’t have food for the past thousand years or something…I don’t know. We didn’t talk that much but…I’ll put it on the list of questions that keeps growing in my head.”
Maybe he ought to write them down, honestly but.
With a sigh, Sterling slid the two sandwiches onto a plate and grabbed a bottle of juice from the fridge. “Make us some sandwiches maybe? I’m going down to the beasts den to see what I can find out. I’ll be back soon.”
…And hopefully with all of his limbs intact.
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Posted: Thu May 18, 2023 2:43 pm
Priam offered a tired, kind smile. Sterling was going to put too heavy a burden on his own shoulders, he could see that now. But, a distraction was probably good for him. Even if it was a rude, hungry, vampire-like alien.
He didn’t want him worrying so much that he made himself sick. He knew how much Sterling missed Yu. He hoped, with all of his heart, that whoever he’d seen before wasn’t who he thought, but only time would tell.
The waiting game was difficult. Impossible, sometimes.
A distraction was very welcome.
“Okay, I’ll make something nice. Good luck, Sterling. Be safe. We’ll talk more tonight. But I support you, we’ll figure this all out.”
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