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 Posted: Sat Jun 22, 2024 11:20 am
The Moon had taken very little time to clean. Neither Amarynthos nor Ephesus wanted Reims to have to wait for long so they’d made good time. By the time they left, it was spotless–probably cleaner than before any of them had arrived. The only thing missing was from the first aid kit stashed away but Amarynthos made a mental note to replenish whatever they could.
The Code had said nothing but it didn’t feel odd. Usually it was much chattier but it hardly felt like the time to make idle conversation. They’d been brought there for a reason and the Code hadn’t had to say it was for Riker when it was so obvious.
They made it back to Destiny City without any trouble. By stroke of luck, they arrived in the park nearest to Elliot’s house, and though he’d offered to call his parents they decided they could walk back. Riker had humored them enough, Elliot wasn’t going to push his luck and drive him away when they were so close.
Thankfully, he seemed too tired to put up much of a fight.
When they arrived at Elliot’s place, he had no problem stealing the attention from his parents to buy Riker time to get a shower. Elliot pulled out a few clothes for him to borrow, including a large sweater and long pants. Just so he could feel comfortable here.
He hadn’t had to beg his father to make Riker a burger. One look at him and they could tell something had happened. He was too pale. They’d both had him in class before, they knew what Riker was like.
They might not have been Knights but they knew something was wrong.
Of course Riker could spend the night, of course they could make a late dinner, of course they could please not ask him any questions or anything.
In Riker’s absence, Elliot had requested they please just be cool about everything and let him and Atticus handle it.
The Reids trusted their son, and they trusted Atticus. This was ‘just a sleepover’ and ‘everything was fine’. If the boys needed them to pretend, they could, under the sole condition that they promise to tell them as soon as something felt like it was out of hand. Elliot had agreed without protest but assured his parents it was just complicated and Riker just needed a safe place where he could rest for a while.
They could provide that.
Asher had grilled a few burgers despite the late hour and Oliver had torn the kitchen apart to make sure they didn’t have any coconut or coconut-adjacent food.
Elliot had cleaned his room–and taken a break to hold Atticus and kiss him all over and tell him how proud of him he was–and put on a tacky old television show that required no commitment to watch but was goofy enough that it offered a pleasant backdrop.
The four of them were in the kitchen waiting for Riker to be done in the shower–though they’d insisted he could take as long as he wanted. Oliver had done some frantic last minute cleaning once the coconut crisis was averted but Asher seemed relatively unfazed by the sudden change of plans, even if it was getting to be late enough that both he and Oliver should be in bed right now.
They were just going to pretend like everything was normal, like Riker hadn’t shown up looking awkward and withdrawn and pale as a ghost. Elliot was doing the best; he was in the process of explaining the plot of a video game he and Atticus had recently become invested in while they nodded along. The shower had turned off a few minutes ago so Elliot had been listening for the bathroom door to open. When it did, and when he saw Riker, he waved him over. “Hey, come get something to eat.”
He had a half finished burger and pushed a plate in Riker’s direction. “Unless you wanna go in my room, I’ve got everything set up.”
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Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2024 12:02 pm
Riker felt on edge. Exhausted. A bit shaky. Okay, a lot shaky. But that was probably from the blood loss. He was glad that Elliot didn’t push to have his parents come get them from the park. It was bad enough that he was having to rely on his classmates and teachers for help.
Again, the thought crossed his mind to call Evan. But he didn’t want Evan to burst into tears or need to be taken to the hospital for a panic attack.
He tried not to take too long in the shower, but it was difficult to do everything with basically only one arm, especially his non-dominant arm. But he knew he needed to clean up, and he did his best. He was also grateful for the large sweater and long pants. He could hide easier that way.
Except he couldn’t hide when all eyes were on him.
As soon as he stepped into the kitchen, he wished he’d pulled the hood up so he could at least pretend like he wasn’t there, as silly as that seemed. He felt out of place and awkward and ashamed.
“Thanks,” he mumbled as he crossed the kitchen to take a seat. He wasn’t going to make them get up and move for him. It was bad enough that he had to be there in the first place.
“You didn’t have to go through the trouble,” he nodded to the burger, clearly avoiding eye contact with the others. His heart felt like it was going to break out of his chest. Maybe this was a bad idea. Atticus was in a better mood after getting plenty of kisses -- and giving plenty in return -- but was still worried about whatever it was that caused Riker’s injury. To the point where the Code had summoned them to help.
Getting Riker to eat and get some of his strength back was the most important.
It was strange, sitting across the table from Elliot’s teammate. And the guy who teased him and Julian about looking like girls… even though neither of them minded.
But this was also Reims. And they knew him to be protective and kind and maybe a little amped up about things, but that was okay. They needed that enthusiasm. It helped keep them all together.
“Are you thinking about growing out your hair?” Atticus asked, his plate with a half eaten burger as well, although he’d paused to chat. He’d moved his chair up against Elliot’s so he could lean against him. He was tired, but not so much that he needed to go to sleep right away.
“It looks nice,” he explained with a small smile when Riker gave him a strange, embarrassed look.
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Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2024 1:13 pm
“You’ve got one of those faces where you could look good with lots of different hair styles,” Elliot mused. “Maybe even a mohawk.”
Asher snorted at Elliot and Atticus but he seemed infinitely amused. “Making burgers is no trouble. You’ll have to tell me if you need anything with them.” He was cleaning up in the kitchen, nearby enough that he could get them anything they needed but not so much that he was crowding anyone.
“Try the potato bun,” Elliot insisted. “It’s my favorite, it’s better than anything they’ve ever brought us on the team.”
“Do you want chips?” Oliver called from the pantry. He was skimming the ingredients frantically and twice now he’d had Asher check because he wanted to make sure he was reading things correctly. “We have barbeque and regular.”
“Can we have both, please?” Elliot called. Oliver brought them both over without question and Elliot thanked him eagerly.
“What do you want to drink? I should have asked earlier,” Oliver said, flitting over to the fridge now. He was always a little flighty in class but he usually managed to keep himself calm. Every now and then one of the boys would get the bright idea to tease him or harass him until he got flustered but for the most part he had a control on things. “I can get you anything but coffee.”
“Even if we really want coffee?” Elliot asked.
Asher gave him an exasperated look, though it did nothing to hide the fondness he had for his son. The look said ‘stop harassing your father’, but Oliver buckled immediately. “Oh, well I guess I could brew some if you wanted.”
“No,” Asher said before Oliver could spin around. He placed a hand on his arm and gently moved Oliver away from the fridge so he could pull out a can of soda and a bottle of water. Elliot and Atticus both had drinks already so he set both in front of Riker. A soda, because a burger always tasted better with one, and water, because that’s what he really should be drinking.
He’d been around the boys enough while they were having pizza and celebrating a game to know that Riker could drink this brand, and given how quiet he was he figured that Riker probably didn’t want to be put on the spot, even for something as simple as a drink.
Asher knew his son well enough to know he wasn’t acting out–although, he did like to tease his parents. He was just trying to keep things busy and the attention on him so Riker could take it easy and relax a little. Or, at least, not feel like he had everyone focusing on him while he was trying to eat.
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Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2024 1:26 pm
Elliot was friendly in a way that Riker wasn’t sure if he was being serious or if he was making fun of him. He assumed the latter since it would absolutely be what he deserved after everything, but it was still embarrassing when he was the odd one out.
Which only made him feel worse for how he’d treated others in the past. Since becoming a knight, most of that had significantly decreased until he couldn’t even think about purposefully harassing someone to get a rise out of them without it making him feel sick. Not that he didn’t feel sick about doing it before, but now he knew there was a choice in what he did.
Like with Mr. Reid offering him chips and a drink and running around for his benefit, when Riker had absolutely teased him in class before. They didn’t have to be nice to him. And he was grateful that Mr. Reid -- the other Mr. Reid -- chose for him and set the water and soda in front of him.
“Thanks,” he mumbled and reached over to responsibly open the water first. Awkwardly, he used his good arm to reach across and put his burger together, collecting the potato bun as suggested. “It’s okay, dad,” Atticus chirped appreciatively with a smile for Oliver. “If we really want coffee, Papa usually has some in the fridge. Just in case.”
Did Michael have a coffee addiction? Probably. But he supposed it was better than other things he could be addicted to. As long as it didn’t keep him from sleeping, Atticus tried not to be too worried about it. “Please don’t tell anyone I was here,” Riker suddenly requested after slowly chewing and swallowing his first bite of the burger. He felt a little panicked, like even with the pain in his arm, he was still trying to think ahead of what was likely going to happen next.
“I just… don’t want it to get around…”
He could have used a lot of excuses, some being more homophobic than the others. But really, he just didn’t want his mom or brother to know. If anyone talked about it, it was possible word would get back to them.
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Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2024 1:30 pm
Though both Asher and Oliver were doing their best not to be overbearing, of course Riker suddenly had their attention. There were so many red flags–and there had been, for a while, but tonight combined with everything leading up to now just sealed it.
They immediately forgot about sighing at Michael’s coffee addiction and pretended like they weren’t hooked on Riker’s words.
Asher was the closest, and the calmest. Oliver was a little overactive about things but his natural state of worry was to fret until he accomplished enough to consider things fixed–or wear himself out and accept things.
In class, Asher was always easy going. He never got flustered or frustrated, and very rarely did he even have to be stern. He was patient, and fairly good at redirecting whenever issues started to arise. It was different when he was at home and not in a class full of kids, sure, but he practiced the same mindfulness wherever he went.
“No trouble,” he assured again. “If anyone asks, we haven’t seen you.”
And if anyone did ask, they’d just ask Myles to send Jeremy over. Now that Michael had moved them in just down the road there was even less to worry about, and despite the unconventional friendship, he knew that the Fischers would look out for their boys and any of their friends.
Elliot nudged his foot against Atticus’ under the table; there was no hidden message, he just liked having contact with him. To Riker he said, softer, “We’re not big on gossiping here. You can just relax and take it easy for as long as you’re staying, we’re not gonna run out and tell anyone anything.” Elliot arguably had the biggest mouth out of any of them but he was pretty sure he knew when to keep his mouth closed. He knew that Riker had a stack of insecurities, and he knew some of what his family was like. He wasn’t going to do anything to antagonize what already seemed like a really shitty situation.
“I won’t tell anyone on the team that you’ve ever been to my house. And no one from school, either.” His parents were both men. He was dating a guy. He knew Riker was squeamish about things like that but Elliot strongly suspected it was because of his family, not because of him. After all, Reims didn’t have a problem with any of that.
Of course, Elliot wasn’t going to dwell on what could have been a heavy or awkward conversation, even if everyone was doing their best to be distracted or invested elsewhere. So he asked, “Do you want to stay in tomorrow and play video games or something? I mean, if you’ve got somewhere else to be, no pressure. I looked up the weather and it’s supposed to rain all day so it seemed like a good excuse to just chill out.”
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Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2024 1:33 pm
It was difficult for Atticus to not just lift his legs up and drape them over Elliot’s lap, but he was trying to be polite, especially when Riker was there and being awkward. Not that he really blamed him.
Atticus was just glad they convinced him to come back with them to Earth -- and to Elliot’s house -- instead of leaving him on the Moon. Not that he would be alone with the Code there, but it was obvious that the Code didn’t think Riker should have been left by himself, since it called them to help. Or… at least that was what Atticus felt was the case.
He made sure to nibble a bit at his food, and hooked his ankle around Elliot’s instead of being more dramatic.
“It’ll be okay,” he nodded in agreement. They wouldn’t put Riker into a situation he didn’t want to be in. Even though it wasn’t clear what the exact problem was. Riker kept his eyes down, but shrugged to let the others know he was listening. It wasn’t the best way to hold a conversation, but with his arm being as painful as it was, and not knowing what to do after that night, he figured he should just take things as they came.
“I’ve got nowhere else to be,” he mumbled and shrugged once more. He hated himself for that. He should be more vocal about what he wanted to do, and act less like he was dismissing them and their kindness.
“I don’t have to stay, though,” he added after a moment of trying to decide what he wanted to do. He didn’t want to out stay his welcome, for one. And he didn’t want them to judge him more than they probably already were.
“Just tell me when to leave and I’ll go.”
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Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2024 1:37 pm
“Eh? Okay. Well, don’t go. I want you to stay, and we’ll play video games tomorrow,” Elliot said, because he realized pretty quickly that Riker was going to convince himself that he was some sort of burden or that he wasn’t welcome here or that he wasn’t wanted here.
He’d just make the decisions so Riker didn’t have to.
He brushed his ankle against Atticus’ good naturedly so as not to scandalize Riker.
“You boys are welcome to stay over,” Asher said; he was straightening up the kitchen. “We’ll be out for a few hours, we have to run some errands. If you want to have any crazy house parties while we’re gone, just clean up before we get home.”
“Oh, okay. I was thinking like, maybe a pizza or something, I’m not really in the mood for partying.”
Oliver had to take a break from reading over the boxes in the pantry and though he didn’t say as much, it looked like he was trying to figure out what he could make for breakfast tomorrow.
“Yeah, go ahead,” Asher answered; he knew Oliver couldn’t focus on too much at once and he already suspected that the only topic on his mind was worrying about Riker. “I trust you boys, we’ll try to stay out of your hair. Just let us know if you need anything, all right? That includes rides, especially if it’s raining.”
“We’ll figure it out tomorrow. I just want to take it easy. I’m worn out, I just want to hang out with my friends.”
“All right,” Asher said obligingly. “Offer’s still open. Riker, Atticus, of course you’re welcome for as long as you can tolerate us.”
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Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2024 12:39 pm
It wasn’t as though Riker had anywhere to go, especially in the rain. If he went home… what then? He would probably be expected to clean up there, but he might also get in trouble for the mess in the first place.
As if he’d caused it.
His arm throbbed painfully and he realized he’d been leaning too heavily on it. He was feeling fatigued but also too alert to rest. He wasn’t used to letting his guard down, anyway. Especially not when teachers were around.
But he also couldn’t help his curiosity.
“Do you know anything about brigades or headquarters?” he asked after setting his half eaten burger down so he could pick up the water to sip. “The Code mentioned it.”
He knew Elliot’s parents were still there, but he said they knew they were knights, so it was fine, right?Atticus didn’t particularly care about scandalizing Riker when Reims was perfectly okay with things, so when he got up from the table he leaned close to press a kiss against Elliot’s cheek. He wanted to help Oliver and Asher clean up a little. And to also give them hugs in thanks. Especially Oliver, who looked like he needed to sit down and relax a bit.
“The Code did?” Atticus looked over his shoulder to where Riker and Elliot were left at the table. He was busy giving Oliver a good squeeze, but his curiosity was piqued. He shook his head but glanced over at Elliot to see what he thought about it all.
It was almost strange how comfortable Riker seemed to be, talking about Knight stuff when he’d been so determined to keep his identity secret. But maybe that was just something he’d imposed on himself, and not necessarily what was best for him.
Atticus suspected that being with friends and those who cared about him was really the most important. For everyone.
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Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2024 2:18 pm
Oliver, used to Atticus’ gentle affection, immediately accepted and reciprocated the hug. Instantly, he drew in a breath and held it and seemed like Atticus had given him a good reminder to just relax a little and breathe. The boys hadn’t had to expressly say that Riker was a Knight but it was easy to assume given the fact that Elliot had told them they were going to the Moon before he and Atticus left, and then they arrived back here with a friend.
Naturally, they were both interested but were doing their best not to seem like they were too invested. Elliot didn’t really keep many secrets from them but there was a great number of Knightly things that they didn’t know because it wasn’t important.
They trusted Elliot.
And, Elliot trusted Riker.
So, if Riker was comfortable talking about this in front of his parents, so was Elliot.
“Not exactly,” he answered after a thoughtful moment. “I mean, in passing, sure. But Headquarters are headquarters, and Brigades are brigades.” He poured a few more chips onto his plate. “So maybe I don’t know as much as the Code. What did it tell you?”
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Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2024 7:12 pm
Riker shrugged, which annoyed him because he knew he wasn’t doing much in terms of communication but it was almost the only thing he could do with the energy he had left.
“It said it was under the impression we were all in a Brigade together, and that it supposed I would have been at some headquarters instead of where the Code was.”
Although he didn’t mention that the Code also surmised that Riker was afraid that his friends might find out he’d been hurt. Obviously they knew now. Or at least two of them. He didn’t plan on telling them anything more about it, and was grateful that they helped him out, but he hadn’t really wanted them to know about it in the first place.
What if they looked at him and always expected him to be weak or that he couldn’t hold his own in a fight? What if they stopped trusting him to be reliable? What if they didn’t really think he was reliable to begin with and that was why they insisted on taking care of him now?
He grit his teeth, not really sure what else to say, but was annoyed that he felt like he wasn’t saying everything he wanted to.
Maybe if it had been Yvoire or Dering that he’d talked to. Or even Evan. Elliot was fine. And Atticus too, but he didn’t know either of them as well as the others. Cynthus would probably just make fun of him. Rose was always kind and… no, she would know too much. He couldn’t tell her. Atticus kept his arms around Oliver until it seemed as though he was breathing as normally as possible again. He understood what it was like to be so overwhelmed that he couldn’t breathe. Thankfully he hadn’t gotten to that point in a long time. If Elliot wasn’t there to help him work through things, then his parents were.
Even though he took a step away, he still had a hand on Oliver’s back to gently rub it. He knew there was a lot that they didn’t know about Knights, so it was a little surprising that Riker would think to go ahead and start talking about it there, but Atticus really didn’t mind.
“Would you like to be in a Brigade with us?” Atticus asked, tilting his head curiously to the side. It would make sense if they all officially teamed up. They were often together anyway. “I think it could be fun,” he hummed thoughtfully, glancing to Elliot for his opinion.
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Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2024 7:31 pm
Atticus was such a good boy, Oliver didn’t know what he’d have done if he didn’t live next door. Elliot was never allowed to break up with him, he was the perfect son. He pulled Atticus back gently to give him one quick half hug before he smiled and, refreshed, went back to calmly prepping for tomorrow.
“Brigade sounds cooler than ‘team’,” Elliot mused. He leaned back in his chair but he didn’t really have to complete it. “I guess we never talked about it but I already sort of figured we were a team. Any time I’ve got a problem or trouble starts up, I always want to go at it with you guys. Well,” he looked at Riker and shrugged. “You know what I mean, everyone. We’ve got a good group. Everyone has different talents, I think, but we’re all good for each other. And I know we’re all already looking out for each other. I know some Knights that have been around for a while, I can ask them about what a Brigade is technically.”
In case there was some magical code word or secret handshake they needed to learn to access some Headquarters.
“And if the Code already thought we were in a Brigade together, how hard can it be to set one up? I think we should look into it. But if we are going to try and do anything formally, I definitely want us to be on the same team as Riker. Oh, but no pressure or anything. It’s just that I trust you, and if anything happened and Atticus and I got separated, well. I know he’d be safe with you.”
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Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2024 6:16 pm
“Like you two are ever separated,” Riker scoffed, but pressed his lips together into a frown because he wasn’t there to make fun of them, or make them mad at him. In fact, he was only there because they were stubborn and, well…
Okay, he really needed the help. He didn’t think he was going to stay awake for much longer, and he didn’t know what he would have done on the Moon if someone hadn’t helped him with his arm.
“Having another place to go would be nice. If there were Headquarters we could go to, I mean,” he shrugged, and then clicked his tongue because he hadn’t actually meant to. He leaned back in his chair as well and reached up to rub at his shoulder, as if that would stop him from doing the same thing over and over.
He wasn’t sure what his talents were, but he didn’t want any of them getting hurt. He felt guilty for thinking about joining the Negaverse, and hoped it wouldn’t come back to bite him in the a**, or put any of his friends in danger. Atticus smiled back at Oliver, but stepped away as well when it seemed as though he was okay to carry on without so much stress. He didn’t sit back down, but instead went over to where Elliot was leaning back in his chair and gently wrapped his arms around his shoulders and pressed his cheek to the top of Elliot’s head.
He knew Riker might get anxious about them being affectionate, but Atticus couldn’t help it when it came to his family and Elliot. He would hug Riker too, if the other teenager didn’t look like he would be even more weirded out.
“You’re always welcome here,” Atticus reminded, although he felt his cheeks flush a little and glanced up to Asher and Oliver to make sure he wasn’t overstepping. But he couldn’t imagine them ever saying no to helping others, especially their own students or his and Elliot’s friends.
“I mean… or even my house. It’s right behind Elliot’s. It’s safe. Oh! And whenever you stop by, try to remember to power down and up at least a couple blocks away. My Papa can feel auras so he knows when it’s dangerous, but he also doesn’t know if there are others in the Negaverse like him so… just to be safe.”
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Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2024 6:18 pm
Asher made sure Atticus saw his smile so he would know that–yes, of course Riker was welcome here if he ever needed a place to go. He was a friend of Elliot’s and apparently a Knight, too. If he ever needed a little extra help, they’d do whatever they could.
Even if he just needed a break from his mother. How could they blame him? An hour around her and they needed a break.
“That’s true,” Elliot laughed. He and Atticus were rarely separated. “But you know what I mean. I’ll see if I can figure out what the Code was talking about for Headquarters. I want to know, too. Besides, it would be neat if we had a place that we could all meet up or visit. Of course, everyone is welcome on the Moon, but we can’t make trips more than once a week or so. If we’re working on a big project, it’d be great to have an extra place to go work on things. But yeah–what Atticus said. You’re always welcome here. Even if you just need some peace and quiet.”
“We’re good at peace and quiet,” Oliver said from the pantry. He paused and looked at Asher briefly before he went back to organizing it. “Well, most of the time. You haven’t been playing your guitar much.”
“You miss the love ballads?”
“Well.” Oliver’s face turned pink and he pushed himself more into the pantry. “A little,” he answered, quiet probably because he didn’t want to be embarrassing in front of Riker. They’d promised Elliot, after all.
Asher laughed and rubbed Oliver’s back as he walked by. “Riker, ice pack or hot pad? For your shoulder.”
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Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2024 6:53 pm
Riker made a face. First when Atticus was being mushy and hugging Elliot from behind his chair, and then when Mr. and Mr. Reid were talking about love ballads.
He almost missed when Mr. Reid asked if he wanted an ice pack or hot pad.
“What? No, it’s my arm--”
He’d been rubbing his shoulder to keep himself from shrugging. He’d been keeping it quiet that his arm had been injured.
His ears burned and he shrugged again -- damnit!! He shook his head as he grit his teeth. He moved his hand to his face to rub the exhaustion from his eyes.
“Whatever,” he grumbled uselessly. He already knew he was being awkward and helpless. He didn’t want to seem even more useless, despite Elliot saying he’d trust him with his boyfriend.
“You two aren’t going to be making out all night, are you?” he scoffed as he eyed them, and the way Atticus pressed a kiss on the top of Elliot’s head. Atticus blushed, but gave Elliot a little squeeze as though to promise he was okay.
“Ice pack, please,” he requested of Asher for Riker. It would be a good idea to put some ice on his arm to help with the swelling.
“Does it really bother you?” he wondered, although maybe he should have kept his mouth shut. Was he being rude? Atticus chewed on his lip and glanced over at Asher and Oliver, adoring how loving they were to each other. Elliot got a lot of that from them, and he was very lucky that they fell for each other.
“It doesn’t seem to bother you when we’re knights. And you seem to really like talking to Julian and Énna and--” “No,” Riker cut him off defiantly, although his ears were still burning. “Énna can’t stand me. I-- look, I tried okay? I told you he hates me.”
Did he say that? He couldn’t remember. He knew he mentioned Énna not knowing. How he needed to talk to him. Convince him. Beg him for forgiveness.
“Whatever, I don’t care what you do. Just… let me know if you figure anything out about these Headquarters or whatever. So I don’t have to bother anyone,” he grumbled. The less people he bothered when stuff like this happened, the better. At least that way he wouldn’t offend anyone or upset them or say something that they end up hating him for.
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Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2024 7:18 pm
Asher was used to sassy and emotional teenagers; he got to see them every day at school. He wasn’t upset by Riker right now any more than he was when they were at Azure. Less so, actually, because he knew Riker had been through a lot.
Better to have a safe outlet here to process anything he needed. Especially because Elliot and Oliver didn’t seem like they were upset.
They were patient. Compassionate. Understanding.
Asher pulled out an ice pack from the fridge and passed it to Riker without any fanfare.
Elliot had finished most of his food and was cleaning up the table a little bit. “You don’t have to worry, Riker. We’re not supposed to make out after ten PM and Atticus and I are good, rule-following young men who would never disrespect our parents.”
Oliver nodded absentmindedly because he knew this was true, but Asher gave Elliot a bemused, humoring smile.
Elliot was still very good spirited about it and responded with a cheeky grin before he returned his attention to Riker. He knew his friend was uptight but he looked tired and he was probably in a lot of pain. He was putting on a tough guy act but that was just how Riker did things. “We’ll let you know about Headquarters as soon as we figure anything out, promise. You’ll be the first person we tell. But you gotta stop thinking that you’re bothering us. I’m glad we get to hang out some. I mean, it’d be great if it were under better circumstances. But I’m glad you’re here now.”
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