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 Posted: Mon May 06, 2024 1:54 pm
Evan had rushed Riker inside and locked up just before the downpour came down harder. He left the blanket and towels in a heap on the floor to deal with later.
Maxim, his dog, was nowhere to be found. A horrible guard dog, he was probably curled up in bed somewhere.
Evan didn’t mind the brief reprieve because it meant that he could get Riker settled in without having to worry about overwhelming him too much. In a few brief minutes he’d gathered some of Zac’s pajamas and showed Riker the bathroom. Evan offered a warm shower if he wanted, and told him when he was done changing they could throw his clothes in the dryer.
He’d changed into his pajamas–warm socks and black sweatpants and a loose grey shirt that was just a little too big on him. He wore a snug long-sleeved black shirt underneath the night shirt.
While Riker was getting comfortable, Evan was flitting about in the kitchen. The television was still on in the living room, but he always liked a little bit of background noise. Some new movie had started playing but he couldn’t even remember what had been on before he left. The kitchen still smelled like bacon and it had come out as perfectly as he’d hoped so he left some out for Riker, all the while gathering a few leftovers to heat up for him, too.
He wasn’t worried about Riker not liking anything; if he didn’t want to eat it, Evan would.
Evan stayed mostly in the kitchen but he also made sure to make just enough noise so Riker would know where he was. He was mindful to be quiet enough not to wake up Zac, but he was also listening to make sure no one else woke up to spook Riker.
Of course, being in the kitchen meant that Maxim did show up. He was laying on the floor mat in front of the sink, stretched out so that it was impossible for Evan to miss him. He watched with sleepy eyes as Evan moved around the room and dropped some food here and there for him.
Maxim might have known there was someone else here but he also knew that it was his job to stay close to Evan, especially when he was acting weird.
A medium sized dog now, Maxim was a pretty mutt that looked mostly like an English Shepherd. He was a myriad of colors—mostly cream, with a symmetrical smattering of blacks and browns across his body. Even as an adult, he had a sweet face and pointed ears that twitched curiously as he listened. His tail was long and sometimes thumped for no reason. Evan was used to stepping over him, and he already had cheese out to bribe him to stay calm when Riker came out.
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Posted: Mon May 06, 2024 2:02 pm
Riker felt a little strange to be in Evan’s home. But he wasn’t uncomfortable. Just a little guarded and not sure if he was going to do something wrong, or if Evan was going to regret inviting him there.
He took Evan up on the offer to shower, because he wasn’t sure when he’d be able to shower again, what with everything going on at home. He pulled on the borrowed pajamas once he was done, and did his best to dry his hair so he wasn’t dripping water everywhere.
He took note of everything. From the type of shampoo, to the wall color, to any decor, to the softness of the towels. The toilet paper was nice. Expensive. Not any of the store brand stuff. Oh, but maybe that was a little too close of attention he was paying.
“It smells really good in here,” he said, keeping his voice low as he peeked into the kitchen. He eyed the dog, but didn’t seem nervous around him, just uncertain. What if Maxim, who supposedly liked everyone, decided he didn’t like him?
“He’s pretty,” he nodded to Maxim, his arms crossed somewhat anxiously over his chest. “Is there anything you need me to do? I can help clean up,” he offered, because he wanted to do something to repay Evan for his kindness.
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Posted: Mon May 06, 2024 2:06 pm
Maxim immediately picked up his head. His ears perked up and he looked at Evan, but when he saw him smile he started wagging and scrambled to his feet.
“He is! And he loves compliments. Here, I got you some cheese,” he said, crossing over to Riker and handing him a few cubes. “Oh, I mean–you can eat them if you want, but for Maxim. He’ll be your best friend afterwards. I have actual food for you.”
He gestured to the plate on the counter that was full of an assortment of mostly fresh food. “I’ve got more. And you don’t have to eat what you don’t want. Tell me what you like, it’s for research purposes. And I can always make you a grilled cheese if you don’t like any of it, I know you’ll eat those.”
Of course, he was going to eat a dirty sandwich to please his brother so Evan already suspected Riker wasn’t going to be honest if he didn’t like it.
It was raining so heavily outside that it sounded like static and even Maxim wasn’t interested in going outside in this weather.
“Try the bacon first, though. I really like it. It’s just caramelized. It’s my new favorite thing. And Maxim’s. We can eat in here, or the dining room table. Or the living room, if you want to see whatever’s on television.”
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Posted: Mon May 06, 2024 2:10 pm
Riker grinned in amusement as he took the cubes of cheese. He held it in his hand, but turned the back of it to Maxim to smell first, before turning and opening his hand with the prize.
He didn’t have any real experience with dogs, but he’d seen some stuff on the television about not doing anything to spook dogs if you want them to like you. And he would really like for Maxim to like him.
“Good boy. You’re so soft, oh, look at your pretty eyes,” he practically gushed, but seemed to realize that he was being silly and straightened back up.
“I don’t mind where we eat. Wherever is more comfortable for you,” he insisted, but took a step closer to pick up a piece of bacon to try. “But I can’t imagine you ever getting tired of being in the kitchen. It’s nice,” he gestured as he munched on the bacon and nodded in approval.
“Your, uh, landlord really won’t mind if I crash here? I don’t want to cause you any trouble.”
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Posted: Mon May 06, 2024 2:12 pm
Riker had to do very little to earn Maxim’s favor; the dog was wagging his tail enthusiastically after next to no time and he pressed his wet nose to the back of his hand eagerly. He was licking his lips in anticipation but as soon as Riker started sweet talking him he got distracted. It took him a minute longer to gobble up the cheese because he kept tapping with his front paws.
Riker moved, and Maxim followed expectantly. He wasn’t after cheese or bacon–mostly–but how could this new friend talk to him in such a pleasant voice and not also sit on the ground and pet every inch of him?
Evan seemed to expect as much of Maxim and leaned down just a bit to scratch behind his ear. The dog was still a little sleepy but he hadn’t stopped wagging the whole time.
“No, he won’t mind. I’ll make a really good breakfast, anyway. Even if he was going to be fussy, as soon as he smells me cooking he’ll forget.” Evan was not very confident about a lot of things, but of this he seemed sure.
“Besides, everyone else gets to bring home whoever they want. Oh–I don’t know if you’ll see them, but a quick heads up–there is a guy, you might see him–his name is Todd. If he has big ears and a tail, please don’t freak out. He’s a Senshi, but he’s not from Earth. He’s really friendly. And there’s a Mauvian. He’s bigger than a normal cat and he’s really good with technology, his name is Soleiyu. There are a couple other people that you might see–um,” he counted on his fingers, “Talia, Tobias, Ahri…But it’s okay! Sorry, I know it’s a lot of people. I’ll introduce you sometime, but probably not tonight. It’s already late. And if you want, we can even get out of here early in the morning so you don’t have to meet a bunch of new people. But–no, the long story short is that you being here isn’t going to give me any trouble. So please just relax and take it easy and don’t worry about anything except if you think you need seconds,” he said, nodding to the plate.
“I can get you a drink, do you want Dr. Pepper? That’s my go-to but we have a lot to pick from. The benefit of a lot of people coming and going. Let’s do the dining room table for right now. Maxim won’t take food off your plate but he will stare at you while you eat sometimes. Especially if he likes you.”
Maxim was staring at Riker already.
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Posted: Mon May 06, 2024 2:12 pm
He couldn’t help but smile down at the sweet dog. He held out the other piece of cheese, and after it had been gobbled down, he reached with both hands to scratch under Maxim’s chin and rub his face and his shoulders and back.
“Wow, that’s a lot more people than I was expecting. Oh, but that’s fine. Thanks. Dr. Pepper I mean,” he confirmed as he continued to rub Maxim’s head and back.
“Is there really a guy who lives where with a tail?” he let out a quiet laugh, but then winced and thought about it for a moment. “I’ve met a Senshi like that before. When there was a big fight at a bank. I mean, not really meet him, but one helped us out for a bit. Oh, but there are probably a lot like that, yeah? My friend’s dad isn’t from Earth, either.”
Oh, but that was probably getting into a lot of stuff Evan wasn’t ready to talk about. He shoved another piece of bacon into his mouth and savored the taste with a sigh.
“This is really good. I’m serious. Almost as good as your French onion soup. Oh, but I like your grilled cheese, too. Do you get a discount on all this cheese you buy? Not that I’m thinking of buying any but I can’t imagine it being cheap. Not when it’s so good.”
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Posted: Mon May 06, 2024 2:31 pm
“I buy in bulk so I get everything for a really good deal. If you’re ever in the market for a hundred pounds of cheese, I’ll hook you up,” Evan snorted. “We’ve got a whole freezer in the garage where I keep my stuff. Not food truck stuff, business things have more regulations. But if I’m buying for the truck, I might as well buy for the house, too. And I can do some inventory swap at the commissary I go to for my business stuff. But that's all probably boring. The point is, I have a lot of cheese here, too. You should come over more often, I like the way you talk about my food.”
Evan was both complicated and simple but he seemed as pleased to have Riker there to taste his food as Maxim was to eat it. The dog had thrived under the attention and tilted his head back so Riker had a good angle to pet. His ears had folded back and his eyes closed, and he even seemed to sigh in relief. Riker was obviously his new best friend.
“Your friend’s dad really isn’t from Earth?” he prompted, because he couldn’t imagine that aliens had been here for that long. “Is he half alien? …Is that rude? I mean, I guess it wouldn’t surprise me if he was.”
Evan had another piece of bacon but he’d set his eyes on some cornbread and was leaning over the sink so he didn’t make a mess, much to Maxim’s disappointment. Evan took two small bites and then one big one and brushed his hands over the sink before he grabbed a cold soda for himself and Riker.
It took him a moment to chew and he chugged more soda than he probably should have right afterwards. Maxim readjusted so he could lay with his back end on Evan’s foot and his front paws on Riker’s.
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Posted: Mon May 06, 2024 2:40 pm
“Yeah, according to him he’s not from Earth. He’s a Senshi, too. But no, my friend isn’t half alien. Adopted. I guess his original family -- if you can call it that -- was really horrible. He ended up getting a new identity from the Code and was adopted. Sounds kinda nice, sometimes,” he hummed as he picked at the plate of food, but soon crouched down to sneak a piece of bacon for Maxim, and to give him pets and squish his cute little face between his hands.
“Yeah, it’s nice having a family who takes care of you,” he grinned as he baby talked to Maxim as he rubbed his head.
“That’s pretty neat how you’ve got everything organized for your food truck and home. I bet everyone who lives here is really spoiled with all the great food they get. I might need to get your opinion on some cheese, though. I asked another friend if he liked cheese and he said yeah, so I guess, uh… what’s the best kind of cheese to gift someone? I was going to make some mac and cheese from the box, since, well--” Since it was something that was apparently a good comfort food, but he felt a little flustered about all of it.
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Posted: Mon May 06, 2024 2:42 pm
There wasn’t really any sneaking food to Maxim, not when he was so expressive. His tail wagged and he looked like he was ready to roll over and have his belly rubbed after the slightest attention, but when bacon was thrown in?
It didn’t matter how sleepy he was, he could wake up for that.
Evan watched Riker as he spoiled Maxim. It was hard to imagine him as any sort of ‘troublesome kid’, but dogs did just bring out the best in everyone. He knew Riker was hard on himself, especially because of some of the things he’d done. He was still just a kid. Evan thought he was a good one.
He should have a family who took care of him, too. It wasn’t as common as everyone made it seem. He hadn’t heard from his parents in years; they’d never even tried to reach out to him. Whether he was alive or dead, it really didn’t seem to matter to them.
Being plucked out of a family that didn’t want you and swept into the arms of someone who did sounded like a dream come true, even with as old as Evan was now. How could he blame Riker for liking the idea, too? Evan could guess some of what he’d been through, but it wasn’t really easy with how secretive Riker was.
There just weren’t enough space aliens falling from the sky looking to start a family.
There wasn’t time to mope, Riker was talking about two of his favorite things–cheese, and macaroni. It was sweet, and Evan couldn’t help but smile knowingly.
“What, you don’t want to use powdered cheese?” The corner of his lip twitched into a smile. “I’ll show you how to pick the best kind. I’ve got everything you need to make some killer mac and cheese. Boxed, or otherwise.”
Evan liked hearing that RIker had at least two friends–or, at least, two people he was comfortable calling friends. “Is it a ‘special’ friend or just a friend you want to do something nice for? Because, depending on how crazy you want to go, I can teach you how to make a totally gourmet meal. Flavor, plating, everything. I saved so much money on dates just by making everything myself. Plus you get to say it was ‘cooked with love’ if you make it.”
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Posted: Tue May 07, 2024 11:11 am
“Special?” Riker blinked in confusion for a moment and then could feel his ears burn. “Oh. Oh! Oh, I mean, well. It’s a guy. So. I mean, that’s not really okay, right? I mean, well, I guess it can be. But, like. Wow, I am not really sure what to say,” he stammered, the heat from his ears moving to his cheeks.
“He’s a friend friend. I mean, he’s really nice and cute, but that’s normal, right? Like, it’s normal for people to think everyone is cute, isn’t it? Like, I’ve got another friend, and he kissed me on my cheek, which was super unexpected, but it was nice because he’s cute too and we do knight stuff together, and, oh, that’s the one who doesn’t know who I am and will probably be pretty mad because I wasn’t really nice to him. But that was before I knew anything about who he was or that I didn’t have to always be mean or that other people actually mattered. But it’s normal for friends to kiss each other on the cheek, right? That’s like… some European thing. It doesn’t mean anything.”
Okay, now he really didn’t know what he was talking about. He was just rambling awkwardly as he rubbed Maxim’s head and back and behind his ears and rubbed his butt.
“I don’t know what to do,” he admitted with a sigh. “I guess uh… just… nice cheese?”
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Posted: Tue May 07, 2024 5:54 pm
Oh, Riker. You poor boy.
“Yeah, that sounds pretty normal,” Evan said, instead of thinking too much about it. Riker looked flustered enough and Evan knew to keep most of his thoughts to himself; he didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable or clam up! Being a teenager was hard. Extra hard when you sounded like you were crushing on at least two of your cute guy friends and either didn’t know or were in denial.
“I think it’s good that you’ve got friends you’re that comfortable around. I kissed my friends a lot in high school.” If you could call them friends. “I did date a few of them though. But kisses mean lots of different things so I wouldn’t worry, there’s nothing wrong with that. You want to do a cheese tasting with me some time? You can come over and use my kitchen and I’ll show you how to make some stuff for you and your friends. I’ve got everything you could need here. I’d share my kitchen with you.”
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Posted: Tue May 07, 2024 6:52 pm
Oh good! It wasn’t weird! Even though he and Yvoire were both guys, it was perfectly normal for one to kiss the other. Even if it was just on the cheek. And even if it made his stomach do weird flip flops. And even if he thought Yvoire was really cute. And Dering was really cute. And Rose was really cute. And Evan was cute too -- for an adult! Oh, but maybe he needed to stop thinking about people being cute because three out of four were guys so that was probably weird in some way.
“Okay, yeah, that sounds good,” he agreed, standing back up so he could sip some more from the drink Evan brought out for him. And hand off another piece of bacon to Maxim.
“I’ll have to double check what everyone likes. And make sure no one is allergic to anything,” he added with a sigh. He really hoped not, because he knew from experience that it sucked.
“Thanks for picking me up, Evan. I didn’t know what I was going to do tonight. Usually it’s fine when it’s not raining but…” he shrugged and took another bite of whatever he could get his hands on from his plate.
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Posted: Tue May 07, 2024 8:02 pm
Maxim was eternally spoiled. He didn’t care about the complexities of the teenage condition. He was getting pet, he was getting bacon. He was living his best life.
Evan had plenty of reason to worry, but he didn’t have to keep his questions under wraps when Riker had opened the door.
“Does this happen a lot? I mean, without the rain.”
He tried his best not to sound worried, and definitely not pitying. Not too eager, either. He had a bite off of his own plate, and a sip of his drink. This was just a casual conversation. Just two friends talking. “What do you usually do when you don’t feel like you can go home?”
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Posted: Tue May 07, 2024 8:13 pm
He was in too good of a mood right now to pick up anything strange from the conversation. It was perfectly casual, and Evan made him feel comfortable talking about things. And Maxim was the bestest boy and took his mind off of anything bad very easily.
“Usually I’m lucky and just go to my Wonder,” he shared, because it made the most sense. “I’ve got a room I cleaned up to crash when I need to. But sometimes it’s difficult, like tonight. I go as often as I can to get things cleaned up there. Even if there’s some creepy blood ritual thing where they were keeping the Code. Yeah, don’t ask. I don’t even want to know, either. But if I can’t get there, I usually find one of those twenty four hour stores to just wander around for a few hours. Or power up and see what’s going on in the city. I can usually get back home super early when, uh… everyone’s asleep and get a couple hours of sleep then. Ah, yeah, sometimes it’s hard to stay awake during class, but oh well, right?”
That was normal high school stuff, though. A lot of kids couldn’t stay awake during classes and it didn’t usually cause problems, except when he was embarrassed by being called out for drifting off.
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Posted: Wed May 08, 2024 6:49 am
Don’t ask? Don’t ask? How was he supposed to hear that and not wonder what on Earth was going on at Riker’s Wonder?
Evan had to bite his tongue to keep it to himself.
“I guess,” he answered, but it was clear that he was actually thinking about what Riker had said. He didn’t need Evan nagging about how important school was. Evan was hypocritical and had been a horrible student, he’d just gotten lucky with this whole food truck thing.
“You have to tell me more about your Wonder sometime, though.” It didn’t have to be tonight, but what. “You and Michel sound like you might have a lot in common. His Wonder’s really weird too. But his Wonder is on Saturn. I’ll have to–he can tell you about it some time. He says it’s not really worth taking visitors unless you like getting scared so.” Evan shook his head and shrugged. “Not a big destination vacation. Meanwhile, my place is full of traps everywhere so I don’t even know what was going on up there. It’s pretty though, you should come some time. I think it’s safe now. If you ever need a place to stay and don’t feel like wandering around or staying up all night or trying to sneak back in, well.”
He looked around the living room. “I mean, it’s not much, but you’d be welcome to crash here. Maxim might try to cuddle with you, and sometimes it does get a little busy, but. You’d be safe here. And you’d be welcome. No questions asked. I mean, I’ll ask questions. But you don’t have to answer them.”
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