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 Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2023 6:07 am
Atticus could have spent more time looking at himself in the mirror, but he was eager to get back to Elliot. It wasn’t so much that he was vain that he wanted to make sure he didn’t look so scary that Elliot or anyone else would be upset if they looked at him. For now, it felt as though his hair had been awkwardly brushed back and sticking out at weird angles to make sure the bandage stayed in place over the cut across the side of his head.
It had only been several hours since their run in with that flaming General. For most of that time, Atticus had worried to the point of tears and near panic over what was going to happen to Elliot. The burns had been so bad. There had been so much blood, and the smell -- Atticus hoped he could quickly block the memory.
His dads didn’t seem to think Elliot’s condition was life threatening, but they also wanted to stay close to the springs, just in case.
And then, when he was preparing himself to get ready for a very long, uncomfortable night knowing how much pain Elliot was in, Michael and Devyn came back with some strange, magical bone. It had been broken and Elliot was instructed to breathe in the strange smoke that came from it.
When they’d gotten back to Earth, Michael admitted that he had no idea how it was supposed to work, but he felt like it was what they were supposed to do. By some miracle, the wounds that had covered all of Elliot’s back and side and arm seemed to vanish.
Elliot’s parents were informed that they were home and okay, but Atticus pleaded with their parents to let Elliot stay with him that night. He couldn’t imagine being so far away from him after everything they’d been through.
So after quickly washing what he could of his face and brushing his teeth and changing into some comfortable baby blue silk pajamas -- a gift from Devyn, because silk was superior in all worlds, apparently -- Atticus was ready to climb onto the bed with Elliot.
“Are you feeling okay?” he couldn’t help but quietly ask as he sat beside him on the bed, afraid that whatever magic had been used would suddenly… disappear… and Elliot would be in pain again.
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Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2023 6:34 am
Elliot was sore. In mostly one piece, but sore. It felt like he had some sort of sunburn on his back, and he felt an ache that steadily rolled from his back to the tips of his fingers.
And yet, his back looked fine. He’d looked at it when he’d gotten home and it still seemed strange that there was no marking on it. He didn’t need a bandage, even. He’d had to double take several times to make sure it was really fine.
Just sore. He’d half heartedly changed into pajamas, hardly brushed his teeth. He’d done the bare minimum, he was just so tired.
Elliot’s parents had been told they’d gotten a bit roughed up and that they could talk about it more, so of course they’d come over to check on everyone. They’d fussed over Atticus more than Elliot, but how could they not when he was the one who looked worse off?
He’d sort of half watched Atticus while he was getting ready for bed. One eye was closed, smushed into the pillow he was resting on.
“Yeah, I’m feeling okay. I’m so tired, feels like I ran a marathon.” And had to jump through a few rings of fire. “What about you? Do you need an ice pack? Your poor head, Atticus. How are you feeling?”
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Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2023 10:27 am
“I’m okay,” he promised. And it wasn’t necessarily a lie. He was much better than he could have been. He felt worn down and his eyes hurt from crying and his head hurt, but he’d been given plenty of medicine to help with any of the pain. Right now it was just a dull ache. It definitely looked like he was going to be in pain for a little while, though.
Carefully, so as not to disturb Elliot too much, Atticus pulled back the covers so he could climb under them. He adjusted the blankets so Elliot was still covered, but once he was satisfied, he pressed his face against Elliot’s shoulder, and gently laid an arm over him.
He wasn’t going to start crying again! He didn’t want to. Even if he could feel those emotions starting to bubble up again. It was just that he’d been so worried.
Besides, he couldn’t have an ice pack because he wanted to rest against Elliot instead, and an ice pack would just make the bed all wet.
“I don’t want to stop being a Knight,” he said quietly, muffled against Elliot’s arm. He’d said similar things before after other scary situations, like when his starseed had almost been taken. Maybe that made him foolish, but he felt so compelled to be a Knight that he couldn’t imagine giving it up. Even if that meant people would always be trying to hurt them, or worse.
“But if you want to stop, I will, too.” Because if Elliot didn’t feel comfortable being a Knight, it didn’t matter what he thought. They were a team, no matter what.
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Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2023 10:47 am
Though Elliot held his breath when Atticus climbed in bed with him, he wasn’t really worried about Atticus accidentally hurting him. It was a habit at this point, like he was just waiting for his skin to split open and start bubbling or something.
He didn’t want to scare Atticus.
Nothing happened. His back was fine. He was fine.
He even turned to face Atticus and wriggled a little closer to him. He didn’t have to go far, he was already comfortable.
Atticus was always so sweet. Always. Even now he was trying to talk about what happened and what they could do. He was talking about his boundaries. His limits. Figuring out Elliot’s. He couldn’t help but smile.
They were a team, and he supposed Atticus must be thinking the same thing. He wouldn’t have gone out without Atticus and he didn’t think Atticus would have without him. It was just safer that way! They’d promised their parents they would look after each other.
“I don’t want to stop being a Knight, either. Tonight wasn’t even so bad, you know? I mean, it sucked. But. We’re okay. And it was scary. And you still have a big bump on your head! So no matter what, we have to power up so you can use some healing magic on yourself tomorrow, too.”
He was still figuring things out.
Things had been bad earlier. Really bad. But…
He was okay now, for the most part.
“If we have the right supplies, if we know what to expect…we’ll just be more prepared for next time. I feel like we already learned a lot. But, um.” He shifted positions so he could brush his thumb over Atticus’ arm while they laid there. “Is there anything you want to do differently? I mean, I’ve been thinking about it and I keep replaying everything in my head, and…I don’t know what I would have done differently about tonight. Maybe tried to leave earlier, as soon as we got Michael’s message? But…I don’t know. I’ll be okay. I don’t know if we did anything to stop or slow him down, or maybe save someone else who wouldn’t have been so lucky, but…what do you think?”
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Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2023 12:49 pm
Atticus sniffled. He wasn’t crying! He was just thinking. And tired. And worn down. And trying to figure things out. And sometimes that meant his emotions got a little out of control, but he was okay! Especially since they were now home and in bed and everyone was safe.
Elliot was so sweet and thoughtful and Atticus adored him so much. He was already trying to make things better for next time, and Atticus was not going to cry, but he could have.
He frowned a little, trying to think of what they could have done differently.
“Maybe we should go ahead and wear our earrings when we go out? I know we were going to save it for special occasions or when things got really bad, but…”
Being able to hear Elliot tell him everything would be okay… that would be nice.
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Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2023 2:04 pm
Elliot found comfort in the simple contact he and Atticus were sharing now. He moved his thumb slightly to smooth over his arm. He hoped it brought Atticus as much comfort as it brought him.
He knew Atticus wasn’t crying--not that he’d have judged him if he was!--but he still wanted to make sure he was okay. He trusted that Atticus could tell him when he wanted to talk about things, but he still wanted to be supportive to remind him that it was okay to go at his own pace.
“That sounds like a good idea. I think I’d like to spend a little time up on the Moon while we’re wearing them, so we can get used to it. I don’t think I’m very good at keeping all my thoughts to myself–not that I mind if you know!–but I bet it might get a little distracting if you have to hear all of my thoughts and yours if we’re in a dangerous situation. But I think that’s a really good idea. I was thinking real hard about you during all of that. I bet it’s easier to actually be able to talk to you than to try and make you read my mind. Plus, they’re cute earrings. We’ll match.”
That was a good idea–and it was easily achievable, too. It might have been nice to save it for special occasions, but being alive was pretty special.
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Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2023 5:19 am
Being close to Elliot was absolutely a comfort. Unconsciously, he lightly gripped at the fabric of Elliot’s nightshirt, clinging to him as if he was going to disappear, but also not wanting to be annoying. He could feel the way Elliot brushed his thumb against him, and he tried to hold still so he wouldn’t discourage him from continuing.
“Oh, yeah, that’s a good idea, too. We should wear them and get used to them more,” he agreed, even though he was suddenly worried about all of the things he would be sharing with Elliot if he could hear his thoughts.
Oh… oh, maybe that wasn’t a good idea. No. He trusted Elliot, and he would probably be embarrassed, but he hoped Elliot would forgive him. It wasn’t like he had bad thoughts! He just liked to think about how sweet and wonderful Elliot was all the time.
“Just… um. Don’t. I mean. I might think of some embarrassing things, so I’m sorry in advance.”
Like how he thought of Elliot’s eyes whenever he thought of the color blue, or how he liked how soft his hair was, or how he was definitely getting more muscle from baseball and track over the past year, but he was trying not to stare at his arms or legs too much.
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Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2023 6:50 am
Elliot cracked an eye to open just a bit more, and he didn’t fight when his lip twitched into a smile. “Don’t apologize. I bet I’ll think some embarrassing things, too. So it’ll be fair for both of us. And I’ll love you no matter what you think. I hope you won’t judge me for how often I have hypothetical arguments in my head. It’s practice for debate.”
He was sure it wouldn’t be as bad as either of them expected, and if it was–oh well! He trusted Atticus, he cared about him. They were partners. Elliot didn’t really think he had secrets from him, it was mostly just careful wording.
He didn’t want Atticus to find new things to worry about. It never really felt like extra effort to support or encourage him, so Elliot didn’t mind.
“I think it’s still a good suggestion. So we should definitely try that. And I want to know what Devyn can find for us, he said he’s going to go look while we’re at school or something, yeah? I didn’t just dream that? I want to pack a fire extinguisher for sure.”
He was only partly teasing.
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Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2023 9:23 am
“I like listening to you argue,” Atticus admitted, finally picking his head up from resting against Elliot’s arm. But then he made a face like he was uncertain and a little embarrassed. “I mean… for your debates. I always liked going to listen to you. You sound very professional.”
He flexed his fingers a little as he grasped at Elliot’s shirt, and then after a few moments he gently tugged at the fabric, lifting it up some so he could… well… just check to make sure the burns were really gone.
“Sorry, it’s just… that magic was so strange. I’m glad it worked!” he gasped, not wanting Elliot to think that he didn’t want the magic to work! It was just… after all the work they put into trying to fix Elliot up, a single thing made him better. It was a good thing! He wished they had it sooner!
But he just wanted to make sure it was going to last.
“Can, I mean. Can I just see? To make sure?” he tugged awkwardly at Elliot’s shirt as he propped himself up on his elbow, chewing nervously at his lip as he did so. “But we should definitely see what Devyn finds, yes. And I think a fire extinguisher is a good idea.”
He just hoped they’d never have to use it.
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Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2023 9:49 am
Though Elliot tilted his head just slightly, it was out of his own curiosity and not any sort of reluctance to Atticus seeing him. “No, I’m glad it worked, too. You can check.”
He was wearing one of old, worn band shirts he’d acquired from his father, and a pair of shorts that mostly matched. He cared more about the deep pockets. It wasn’t anything that would be difficult to pull up, but he moved just a bit to try and make it a bit easier for Atticus. He didn’t want to move much, but he wanted to know–for real–how his back looked.
“I still like your magic the most. I don’t like that I breathed in some weird bone dust. But I’m glad it worked. I’ll have to thank Sessrumnir the next time we go back.” He didn’t know how Michael had found it, or who had left it there before them, but he was very grateful.
“It feels tight. Like a sunburn, I guess. It feels a little pinched. I’m so tired, though. I feel really burned out. But not the type of burned out that makes you lose something of yourself, you know? Just like, I had a really long day and I don’t have the capacity to feel anything else. But it doesn’t hurt like it did before, so I’m not going to complain. I feel really warm, still. But I keep worrying that this is just some dream and I’m going to wake up and it’s going to start hurting again.”
He wanted to be honest with Atticus. He was optimistic, sure, but he had doubts and fears. Even if he put on a brave face when dealing with them, he still had things he worried about.
Michael and Devyn had seemed more confident that this would stick, but until it did, Elliot was going to expect the worst. He wanted to be prepared for anything.
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Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2023 10:28 am
Atticus nodded as he listened to Elliot explain how he felt, even though he was paying too much attention to figuring out if Elliot was really okay to see if he was looking at him. He gently pushed the fabric of Elliot’s shirt up, and didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath until it was up far enough for him to see.
His heart felt like it was being overworked, but there was at least some relief to see that Elliot’s back looked okay. It looked like there hadn’t been any damage at all. Which was definitely good, just… strange.
Absently, Atticus smoothed his hand over Elliot’s back. He didn’t want to be too rough in case the magic suddenly wore off, but after having his hands covered in blood from the burns…
He bit his lip to stifle a tiny sob. He didn’t want Elliot to worry about him. He was just relieved. Worried that they would wake up and the magic was gone, but still grateful to give Elliot at least some respite.
Just in case, he lifted his hand to make sure there wasn’t any blood on them. There wasn’t.
Atticus brushed his hair over one shoulder and held the length of it out of the way as he leaned down to place a gentle kiss on Elliot’s back. And then pressed his forehead against his back as he finally gave into the tears that were building and cried.
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Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2023 11:00 am
Elliot had started to hold his breath at some point, just because he was worried that Atticus would say that something seemed wrong. He got goosebumps when Atticus brushed his fingers along his back, but–
It didn’t hurt. It tickled. It made him shiver.
It sort of felt nice, but he supposed he would have enjoyed it more if he didn’t feel like his back was already very overstimulated and sensitive.
He was still for a moment. Atticus was quiet, and it took him a good few seconds before he realized that he was crying.
Elliot turned his head just slightly. “Atticus? Come here, come lay next to me. I can’t hold you while you’re up there. It’s okay. We’re okay.”
He knew it was probably just an outlet of emotions after everything he’d been through already, but he still wanted to hold him.
He still wanted Atticus to feel safe. He wanted him to have a way to work through those emotions without having to worry about anything.
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Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2023 11:06 am
It wasn’t that he meant to cry! He was trying to be good. He knew that Elliot worked really hard on making sure he didn’t worry about things. And he wasn’t! He was just relieved and stressed and scared after everything that happened that night. He wanted things to be okay, and Elliot said they were, so they had to be, right?
As requested, Atticus moved so he could lay next to Elliot. Which really just involved flopping over onto his side and making sure Elliot could get an arm around him as Atticus went back to clinging to his shirt.
“We’re okay,” he tried to hold back another sob, but his eyes were already wet and he was feeling stuffy and gross and he didn’t know how Elliot could tolerate him being so weepy all the time, but he appreciated it and was trying to be better!
“I don’t want you to protect me if it means you die,” he quietly sobbed, maybe suddenly, but it was on his mind for a long time. Elliot put himself into so much danger, and a lot of it was to protect him, because he couldn’t fight well on his own.
Obviously Elliot didn’t die, but if Sessrumnir and Alastor hadn’t been so close, there was no telling what could have happened.
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Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2023 11:19 am
“What? I didn’t die, Atticus, I’m right here,” he said, and pulled the other boy closer. He wasn’t particularly comfortable but he was too tired to care. He kept his arms tightly around him but tried to make sure he didn’t bump his head in the process.
“I didn’t even think I was going to die.” The thought genuinely hadn’t crossed through his mind, he hadn’t even considered it was an option. He was too strong to die! Not from a little fire, anyway!
Well, no, that was a gross oversimplification. He just really hadn’t been thinking about it at the time.
“I knew if I got hurt that you’d be able to take care of me, and you did. And I guess Michael and Devyn helped some, but I knew that if I got hurt, you’d be able to put me back together. And you did. And even if we hadn’t had that extra magic that Michael brought, I know you would have taken care of me. I’m not going to die doing this, I have too much to do. I’m not going to leave you, not ever. We’re a team, Atticus! If I get hurt, I’ll get better. Because we have to stick together.”
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Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2023 6:52 am
Atticus just sobbed a little harder as he let himself be held. Of course Elliot wasn’t dead, but they both knew that no matter how hopeful and optimistic they were about the future, it was a very real possibility that they could run into the wrong person at the wrong time.
But Elliot was right in that he would absolutely take care of him, no matter what. He just didn’t want Elliot sacrificing himself to save him. What was he supposed to do without him?
He was trying to keep his crying under control. He didn’t want to keep Elliot up all night after they had both had a rough evening. They needed sleep, and he was exhausted, too.
“Okay,” he mumbled pathetically after another sob, trying to use the back of his hand to wipe his face so he wouldn’t get Elliot all wet from tears.
“I’m sorry. I’m okay,” he hiccupped, and held his breath to make sure he stopped sobbing. It only stopped the noises, but he was still trying to get control of himself again.
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