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 Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:02 am
Takes place after: The Cost of Living
Only the feeling of being done, like his body had reached its limit and simply refused to go any further. The dislocated shoulder had been reset with practiced efficiency, with steady and sure hands where his own magic had failed him. Ice, a sling, gentle instructions he’d nodded at even though he wasn’t really able to focus on what was being said. His dads had handled his injuries the way they handled everything dangerous and familiar. Carefully, without panic, and a comforting weight that told him he was safe now.
Safe didn’t mean okay.
By the time he slipped out the back door and into Elliot’s house, his arm immobilized and aching dully beneath layers of fabric and ice, the adrenaline had burned itself out completely. What was left behind felt thin and raw and at risk for being torn open.
The living room lights were low. The nest was already there.
Blankets, too many of them. Soft ones, heavy ones, some half-folded, some clearly just dropped wherever they were thrown. Pillows tucked in at odd angles, like they’d been fussed over and rearranged until the shape felt right rather than trying to keep it neat.
Atticus stopped just inside the room. For a second, his throat tightened so hard that he had to swallow and look away.
He crossed over slowly and sank down into the blankets carefully, favoring his injured shoulder, letting himself be cradled by the warmth and fabric instead of magic. His good hand gripped around the edge of one of the blankets, gripping as tightly as he could before he made his fingers relax.
He stared at the far wall without really seeing it.
Amarynthos’s starseed, torn out.
The way Cahir’s voice had sounded when he’d demanded healing, like it was an expectation. Like Ephesus hadn’t just watched his world break apart around him. Like the threat of more death hadn’t been handing in the air.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
His breathing hitched once. Then again. He pressed his forehead lightly into a pillow, careful not to jostle his shoulder, and stayed there, trying very hard not to cry.
He failed. Just a little.
Tears slipped free silently, soaking into the fabric that smelled like laundry soap and something familiar and comforting. Atticus didn’t bother trying to wipe them away. He didn’t have the energy to pretend he was holding it together.
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:03 am
Elliot was still dragging himself around the house. He’d taken a hot shower, not that it had done anything. He was going through the motions, but he wasn’t even sure what they were.
His parents had fussed over him. He let them. Gave them half the truth, because he couldn’t give them a complete lie but he didn’t want to burden them with the truth, either.
They knew him too well to believe him when he said he was fine, but they trusted him enough that they didn’t press. When he said he wanted to sleep in the living room, they’d eagerly helped get all the blankets and pillows, especially when he’d said Atticus was going to be over.
Both of them were in the garage now, he supposed. Or the attic.
He wasn’t sure.
There were more than enough blankets and pillows already, but they probably felt as helpless as he did, so this was all they could do to make his life easier.
Soft things had been taken care of, so now Elliot was just getting the things he wanted to have close to him. Once he was settled in, he wasn’t going to want to get up.
With a handful of electronics and chargers, he made his way back into the living room.
Atticus had beaten him there, somehow. Elliot hadn’t even heard him come in. The back door, the one Atticus always used to come over, was the only one that had been unlocked, and now that Atticus was here, he wanted to secure the house.
That done, he laid everything out on the coffee table and sat down next to him.
“Hey, Atticus,” he said, pulling one of the blankets closer and spreading it across their laps.
“How’s your shoulder?”
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:04 am
Atticus startled a little when Elliot spoke, like he hadn’t quite realized he’d been waiting for him until he was suddenly there. Which was silly, because he’d gone over to Elliot’s house with the very purpose of being with him. He glanced up at Elliot, eyes red and unfocused, before letting his gaze settle in a way that felt deliberate. Like he was actually present.
He gave a small shrug with his good shoulder, careful not to move the injured one. “It’s… fine,” he said softly. Not exactly a lie. Just… not the entire truth. “Hurts. But I’ll be okay. I can fix it once my magic comes back.” He paused, then quieter, almost apologetic. “You don’t have to worry about it.”
He shifted closer instead, closing the small distance between them until his side brushed Elliot’s. Atticus leaned in carefully and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. Soft and lingering for a few seconds longer than necessary. But it was reassurance and comfort that he needed.
His forehead tipped forward until it rested lightly against Elliot’s shoulder, his breath warm through the fabric. For a moment, he just stayed like that, eyes closed, letting the world disappear until it was just the two of them.
“Um…” he whispered after a moment. “When my starseed was gone…” His fingers curled lightly into the blanket between them. “Not when it was taken. Just… between that and putting it back. Not knowing if I was going to be okay…”
He hesitated, throat tightening. “Is that what it felt like for you? With me?”
He drew in a careful breath, not sure if he was making sense, but feeling too overwhelmed to know how to explain any better. So… he added quickly, like he didn’t want the weight of the question to settle too heavily. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
He paused again, then, softer. “Are your parents okay? I mean… I know they are. I just… want to make sure.”
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:04 am
Atticus had given Elliot a lot of thoughts at once, and if he hadn’t been paying such close attention, he might have missed some of them. Atticus had already tucked his face into Elliot’s shoulder, so he carefully wrapped an arm around him.
“Well, first of all, why wouldn’t I worry about your shoulder? You got hurt, of course I want to know what’s going on.”
He wanted to know how tightly he could hold him.
Not very hard, it turned out, but it didn’t deter Elliot from giving whatever comfort he could. He brushed his thumb lightly, up and down Atticus’ arm.
You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to was very polite of Atticus, but Elliot would have moved worlds for him, no matter the cost.
“My parents are okay,” he promised. “They’ll probably be around soon. I didn’t tell them everything, just that we got into a bad fight. I told them I was sore. So they’ll probably want to fuss over you. I’ll tell them to be careful with your arm.”
He wasn’t avoiding the real question, just getting everything else out of the way so he could focus on it.
Sucking in a breath between his teeth, Elliot leaned back against the couch. Soft, worn out. It didn’t offer much support anymore, but the blankets helped, and he sank into it all the same.
He remembered, a long while ago, when they’d only been squires. When he’d held Atticus’s starseed after it was plucked from his chest.
“I think it was probably a little different,” he answered after a moment. “I had your starseed in my hands. I knew I was going to take care of it. I never had to think that anything had actually happened to it.”
Elliot fixed his gaze on the far wall, just to give himself something to glower at while he sifted through old memories.
“I was scared,” he said, because that must have been the same between them.
“I was worried it had been scratched, or that you were hurt. But I didn’t think…”
He couldn’t say it. Or, wouldn’t. He didn’t want to put a name to it.
“I wasn’t sure if it was going to be okay. But I was going to do everything in my power to make it okay. I didn’t really have time to think that it wasn’t going to be.”
Not like Atticus. Who had watched as Cahir stole four starseeds. Who, Elliot had come to understand, had demanded they be eaten. Chewed.
And Atticus had to watch. Atticus had believed–
Elliot drew in a deep, steadying breath, and kissed atop his head.
“I think you might have had it a little harder than I did. But I was really scared for you, Atticus. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:04 am
Atticus went very still as Elliot spoke. Not frozen or stiff, just… like he was afraid to move, because if he did he might break something he didn’t mean to break.
His fingers curled loosely around the blanket, but they relaxed as Elliot kissed his head. He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and shifted just enough to fit more securely against him, careful of his shoulder, trusting Elliot to know where not to hold him.
“I know,” he whispered after a long moment. “I know you’d make it okay.” His voice was soft, but he was keeping it steady only with effort. “You always do.”
He didn’t say I thought you were gone.
He didn’t say I thought your starseed was destroyed.
He didn’t say I thought they were going to kill you… and then come for everyone else.
Instead, he stayed with his forehead against Elliot’s collarbone and let the weight of those thoughts settle in him without being brought into existence with sound.
“I just—...” He stopped himself and swallowed. A faint, apologetic huff of a breath followed, frustrated with his own emotions. “I don’t want you to worry about me right now. You’ve had enough of that. My magic will be back soon enough. This isn’t even the worst I’ve—...”
Atticus paused again, pressing his lips together to keep himself from saying more. He brushed his fingers absently against Elliot’s sleeve, grounding himself with the motion. “I’m here. I’m okay. I promise.”
Even if everything else felt shaky, that was at least true.
He nodded faintly when Elliot mentioned his parents, relief settling quietly in his chest. “I’m glad,” he said. “I was worried about them too.” He paused, and then something almost fond crept into his still soft voice. “They don’t have to fuss. I mean… they probably will. But that’s okay. They’re kind of my parents too. I’ve felt that way almost immediately after meeting them.”
He finally lifted his head just enough to press a soft kiss to Elliot’s jaw, careful and slow, lingering in a way that said everything he couldn’t bring himself to say out loud. Then he rested his head back against him and went quiet again. Not withdrawn or distant, just… exhausted and holding on.
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:05 am
I know that’s not the worst you’ve been through..
Elliot didn’t say it, but it landed on his tongue before fizzling out in silence.
He curled around Atticus, arching just slightly so Atticus’ body melted into his.
“If Devyn and Michael hadn’t gotten to you first, they would be your parents,” Elliot mused. “...But I guess it’s better that they did. Would have made dating you kind of awkward, otherwise.”
His thumb traced small circles on Atticus’ arm but he paused halfway through one and made hearts instead, even if he didn’t think it was noticeable.
“I mean, they’ll be your parents when we get married, so I guess they luck out in the end.”
The evening was heavy enough. He didn’t want to keep digging a deeper hole.
But he didn’t want to pretend like he wasn’t affected by what just happened, even if he was still figuring out how he felt about all of it. Atticus wore his heart on his sleeve.
Elliot wasn’t going to make him feel like he needed to start pocketing it instead.
“...What did you tell your parents? …Do they know about…” His mouth was dry, so when he licked his lips it did nothing. “...the starseeds?”
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:05 am
Atticus’s breath caught a little. Not so much that it was obvious, just a small hitch that might have given away his emotions, but he tried smoothing over by exhaling slowly and deliberately, like he was trying to settle himself instead of reacting to the emotions that bubbled up in his chest. He focused on Elliot instead. On the way Elliot’s fingers moved and drew shapes, on the feel of the fabric of Elliot’s sleeve. Anything to keep him grounded.
“Mm,” he hummed, noncommittal in a very intentional way, and nudged his forehead a little close to the hollow of Elliot’s shoulder. If he stayed like this, tucked away and half hidden, then Elliot wouldn’t see the way the word married had pulled something fragile and terrifying to the surface.
He wanted that. He wanted to be married to Elliot more than he could put into words. He’d been dreaming about it, maybe a little sillily since they’d already been together.
And he was so afraid of how easily it could be taken away.
“I told them there was a fight,” he said quietly after a moment, grateful for the change in topic. His voice was a bit steadier here. It was easier to relay facts instead of thinking of futures they may never get to have. “That I got hurt, but everyone got out. That it looked worse than it ended up being. They didn’t ask too many questions. I think… they could tell I didn’t have the energy to explain. They know I ran out of magic. They know my shoulder was dislocated. Papa fixed it as best he could.” He let out a faint, fond exhale at that. “He said I was lucky. I didn’t argue.”
At the mention of starseeds, Atticus went quiet again, but this time it was more thoughtful than frozen.
“They don’t know about that,” he said softly. “I didn’t lie. I just… didn’t give details.” He tilted his head just a little, cheek brushing Elliot’s collarbone. “I didn’t want them to panic. Or to start locking doors and grounding us for the rest of our lives.”
He paused, lips pressed together as much as his face pressed against Elliot.
“I… didn’t want them to look at you like that,” he added, quieter still. “Like you almost didn’t come back.”
His grip tightened briefly on the blanket, then loosened again before Elliot could decipher it as distress.
“I’ll tell them more later,” Atticus said, gentle but reassuring. “When things… settle.”
He shifted just enough to press another small, careful kiss against Elliot’s jaw. It was there and gone quickly this time, before emotions could catch up with him.
“I’m just glad you’re here,” he breathed.
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:05 am
For a moment, Elliot just held the weight of Atticus’ words. It didn’t feel right to try and quick-talk his way out of this, so he let it linger.
“Definitely a good idea to give a little time before telling them everything,” he admitted. He could imagine the hell they’d raise if–when–they knew. He held no delusions that they’d keep a secret like that for long.
But, for tonight, he appreciated it.
Tilting his head to the side slightly, he both offered his cheek for more kisses, and gave Atticus space to press his face into his neck if he preferred.
“I’m glad I’m here, too. It happened so fast,” he admitted. “Like I saw it coming, but I didn’t.”
His brows narrowed. It wasn’t hard to replay the scene; it had been flashing in his mind almost nonstop since things had slowed down. If he closed his eyes for too long, there was Cahir.
Elliot’s chest ached. He’d have rubbed it, but Atticus would have noticed. Elliot wasn’t even sure it was a pain that could be soothed with gentle touches, so he resisted.
“I can’t really wrap my head around everything. I keep trying to figure out what I could have done differently. What I was supposed to do, what might have changed things. I mean,” he exhaled.
“Maybe things happened the way they were supposed to. Maybe if we’d done anything differently, we wouldn’t have walked out like we did. I’m sorry about your arm. I’m glad you’ll be able to use magic on it tomorrow. Maybe your parents have something else to help it heal faster?” He hoped so, but maybe he wouldn’t have minded if they had an excuse to take it easy for a day or two.
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:07 am
Atticus didn’t answer right away. He stayed pressed against Elliot’s shoulder, eyes fixed somewhere unfocused, like he was listening to something far away instead of the room around them. His breathing was shallow again, careful. Like too much air might give him away and break the dam holding back his emotions.
“I keep thinking about it,” he whispered finally. “When he said it was my fault—...” He paused and drew in a shaky breath. He pressed his forehead more firmly against Elliot’s neck, a quiet apology in the gesture. “I keep thinking… if I just had the USB to give back to him. Or if I hadn’t touched it in the first place. If I hadn’t been so sure I was doing the right thing by letting Sol and Lucy look at it…”
He swallowed, throat working around words he didn’t want to say out loud.
“For a while, I really thought you were gone.” It hurt to say, and his voice wavered despite his effort. “I was still moving, still trying to help, but it felt like… I was just filling space until someone told me what to do next.”
He went quiet again after that, breathing unevenly.
“I don’t think there was a way to make that situation… better,” he said softly, trying to pull himself back from the edge before he said too much on a heavy topic. “I don’t want you thinking you should’ve done something else. I really don’t.”
At the mention of his parents helping him heal faster, Atticus hesitated. “They probably do,” he said. “But I can wait. Once my magic comes back, I can take care of it.” He paused, then quieter, “I need to be able to do something myself.”
He turned his face just enough to press a soft, careful kiss against Elliot’s jaw. It was as hesitant as it was reverent, like he was afraid of asking for too much. Then he settled back against him, holding on as best he could with his shoulder being injured.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, although not specifying for what. “I’m just… really tired.”
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:08 am
“You don’t have to be sorry, Atticus. I’m glad you’re talking to me about this, I don’t want you to bottle it up. But I need you to know–it’s not your fault,” Elliot said firmly. “None of this is. Hey, look at me.” His voice was soft, gentle. He placed his palm against Atticus’ cheek and tipped his head up so he could see into his eyes.
“Atticus.”
Spoken kindly, saturated with love.
“Don’t listen to what he said. Don’t let him get into your head like this. Nobody made him to do anything. He chose to be like this. He’s a monster. This isn’t your fault. You didn’t do the wrong thing. Whatever is on that USB is important to him, so it’s probably dangerous.”
They didn’t know exactly; whatever security he’d used was enough that even the Mauvians were struggling with it.
“You don’t blame Rose for taking the keys, do you? That’s not Julian’s fault for taking the starseeds, is it?”
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:08 am
Atticus tried to hold himself together.
He really did.
But the moment Elliot tipped his head up — when he had to look at him, see him breathing, see his deep, ocean blue eyes, hear his name spoken like that — something inside him finally shattered.
His face crumpled.
A sharp, broken sound escaped as tears flooded his eyes all at once, blurring Elliot’s face until it was just light and color. Atticus shook his head weakly even as he cried.
“I—” His voice cracked completely. He tried again, but it broke just the same. “I thought you were—” He couldn’t finish it. Couldn’t make the words exist.
His breath hitched violently, every inhale making his lungs burn. He pressed his forehead against Elliot’s, clinging with his good hand like letting go might let Elliot float away from him.
“I didn’t even know what it was,” Atticus sobbed, the words tumbling out now that the dam had broken. “How could I? I just thought — maybe it would help. Maybe we could understand what was going on in that basement. I didn’t know it was that important to him.”
Tears spilled freely down his face as he continued.
“And then when he said he wanted it back — when he threatened everyone,” he whispered, guilt twisting into his voice. “I didn’t insist. I didn't try to get it back to return it right away. I just… froze.”
He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head again. He drew in a shaky breath, trembling as he stayed pressed close to Elliot.
“If your starseed—... if you were just… gone,” Atticus choked out a whisper. “I don’t think I would’ve known how to keep living. I don’t think I could’ve survived that. I would’ve given him mine,” he cried softly. “If I’d known that was the cost, I would’ve let him take it. I would’ve done anything if it meant you could keep living.”
Elliot’s words — it’s not your fault — reached him, but he wouldn’t let them comfort him yet.
“I don’t know how to be without you,” he whispered, voice barely audible through the sobs.
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:09 am
“Atticus,” Elliot said, unsurprised by his reaction, but no less eager to reassure him. “Don’t ever do that, please. If–and that’s a big if–anything ever happens to my starseed, I don’t want you to give yours up. I know it would hurt. I know it would be scary. But you have so many people who love you, and care about you.”
He peppered the crown of his head with kisses, tucking Atticus close to him, as if that could shield him from the world and all his fears.
“You didn’t do anything wrong. I’ll say it a thousand times. It wasn’t wrong of you to take the USB. I’m glad you did. I’m glad we have it. Even if we can’t figure out what’s on it. I’m glad we’re doing whatever we can to mess up what he’s working on.”
They didn’t know what the purpose of that basement was, but Elliot knew it was bad.
“We got a few starseeds back from him.” Elliot didn’t want to think about how many had been destroyed before they got there. Cahir had shown no hesitation when it came to pulling theirs. To destroying theirs.
Cahir was numb to the soul-crushing destruction.
That didn’t happen overnight, and not without experience.
“If we don’t stop him, he’ll probably just take more. But if something ever happened to mine, you can’t give up, Atticus. Never give up. I need you to be strong. For me, for everyone. I’m going to do everything I can to stay alive, to keep my starseed. I swear.”
A few more kisses, desperate, reassuring.
“And you have to do everything to keep yours. Whether or not I’m here, okay? You’re not allowed to give up. I don’t ask for a lot, Atticus, do I? But I want you to promise me that much. I want you to never, never, give your starseed up for someone. Especially if I’m not here. I need you to keep living. You’re a healer, Atticus. The best I know.”
He didn’t tilt Atticus’ head up, no matter how badly he wanted to look into his eyes again.
“Someone’s gotta find a way to fix starseeds. No matter how much healing they need. Why couldn’t it be you? If youma can be saved, who says starseeds can’t, too? Atticus, you’re one of the strongest people I know.”
Another kiss.
“You’d have to go on living. You’d have had to survive, and you’d have had to live for me. Your dads would be so upset if they lost both of us, and mine, too. I know you don’t want to have this conversation.” He didn’t, either. “I’m going to do everything in my power to not die, okay? I don’t want you to ever live a life without me, I want to be here with you until the very end. In this life, and the next, and the next, and forever. But if something happens to one of us, to you or me, we’ve gotta keep going. We’ve gotta figure it out. There’s too much magic in the world–the universe–to give up. So no matter how hopeless something sounds, we have to both promise to always do our best. To always keep going.”
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:09 am
Atticus shook in Elliot’s arms, the sobs refusing to slow no matter how hard he tried to breathe through them. He pressed his face to Elliot’s shoulder, tears soaking through fabric.
“I—I know,” he whispered, choking on his voice. “I know it wouldn’t be fair — I don’t want to put that on you.” His breath hitched again. “I just— when I thought you were gone, I kept telling myself I had to keep going. That I didn’t get to stop just because it hurt. And I did. I moved. I tried to help. But it felt like… like I wasn’t really there anymore.”
He swallowed hard, tears continuing despite his obvious frustration with himself.
“And now that you’re here,” Atticus breathed, quieter, almost ashamed, “I don’t know if I could do that again. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to survive losing you again.”
The word fix made him startle a little.
He lifted his head just enough for Elliot to feel the motion, even if Atticus hadn’t met his eyes yet. “Fix starseeds?” he echoed faintly in disbelief as tears continued to fall. “Elliot, I— I don’t even know what that would look like.” He shook his head, helpless. “Wouldn’t it be like… trying to fix shattered glass? Something that’s too changed from what it was to exist like it used to?”
Another sob slipped out, but it was smaller this time, exhausted.
“I cry at everything,” Atticus admitted, both bitter and fragile. “I panic. I break down. People have to think about how I’ll react before they tell me the truth. I know that makes it hard to trust me. I know sometimes it’s easier to leave me out. Part of me is grateful… but another part of me knows it’s my fault.”
He finally lifted his head enough to look at Elliot then, eyes red, swollen, desperate and full of love.
“I don’t feel strong,” he said quietly, speaking carefully through the lingering sobs that hitched his breath. “I don’t feel brave or capable or like someone who should be responsible for important things.” His shoulders slumped as if the weight of the universe had been set on them. “But… if you’re asking me to try—...”
He nodded. Small and reluctant.
“I’ll try,” he whispered. “I promise I’ll try. Even if I don’t think I’m enough. Even if I don’t believe I can do it.” His voice cracked again as he spoke. “I’ll keep going because you asked me to. Because you’re here. Because I love you.”
He leaned back into Elliot’s hold, exhausted, tears still slipping free despite his best efforts.
“I just—... please don’t ever leave me if you can help it,” he whispered, barely audible. “I don’t think my heart knows how to survive in a universe where you don’t exist.”
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:09 am
“Of course it doesn’t,” Elliot said gently. “And I don’t want it to ever have to learn. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you and me make it to the end–the very end–together. I don’t want to die.” Or worse.
His chest ached, painfully.
He didn’t rub it.
“I promise you, I will do anything in my power to make sure we stay together. But if something happens–and that’s such a big if, Atticus–you know I think the world of you, right? I know you have a hard time seeing a lot of the good things I see when I look at you, and that’s okay. I don’t mind telling you.”
Elliot would never get tired of singing Atticus’ praises.
“You don’t have to feel strong to be strong. And you don’t have to feel brave to be brave. And it’s okay if you freeze up sometimes. Or if you cry, or panic. Nobody’s equipped to handle everything. You’re so hard on yourself.”
Atticus deserved such kindness, such softness. Such love.
“If people think about how you’ll react before they tell you something, it’s because they care about you. I don’t think it’s got anything to do with trust. I’d trust you with anything–everything.”
He kept things from Atticus sometimes, sure. But he kept a little bit from everyone.
“It’s not trust, it’s…I don’t know how to explain it.” He could have, better, if he gave himself more time to find the words. Instead, he exhaled. “I wouldn’t send you the same meme I’d send Riker, or your dad. I wouldn’t recommend the same movies to all three of you. I wouldn’t pick the same hangout spot. But I trust you all.”
Elliot wished there was an easier way to reassure Atticus; he knew this was a topic that ate away at him too regularly. Elliot was still trying to find the perfect solution.
“And there’s so much good about you. You know, it means a lot to me that you always try to do your best. Even when it’s hard, or when you don’t know how. Things like that, I really admire about you. Which is why I know, if anything happened to my starseeds, you’d have to be the one to fix it. Maybe it would be like fixing shattered glass–but we went to that glass blowing class. You were good at that! Maybe there’s a way to fix a starseed like that. We won’t know until someone tries.”
He shrugged, knowing he was just guessing. It didn’t matter. He didn’t want Atticus to give up. He wanted him to hold onto his hope.
“And remember–there weren’t Moon Knights before us, that only started in our lifetime. So think about all the other things we’ll figure out how to do. How to fix. I mean, Atticus.”
His voice softened again. He pressed his lips to Atticus’ forehead and kept them there.
“You’re a healer. And an artist. If anyone was going to recraft my starseed, it’d be you. You’d breathe life back into it. Make it more beautiful than ever. If you had to do it, I know you could.”
Another kiss. Elliot held him as close as he could without squeezing him.
“But I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you don’t have to.”
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:10 am
Atticus stayed quiet while Elliot talked.
He didn’t argue. He didn’t interrupt. He just listened, breathing slowly against Elliot’s chest, trying to will his body to calm down. When Elliot mentioned the glass blowing class, a small, surprised sound escaped before he could stop it. It wasn’t exactly a laugh, but more like a soft, shaky breath that turned into one.
“That’s… not really the same,” he said quietly, wiping at his face with the back of his hand. “I mean — maybe… I don’t know.” He shook his head a little and rested his forehead against Elliot again. “I don’t want to have to find out.”
He went quiet after that, letting his shoulders rise and fall with a deeper breath than before. When Elliot said he trusted him, he let himself relax a little more, his fingers still curled into Elliot’s shirt like he needed something solid to hold onto.
“...Okay,” he whispered. But it wasn’t because he felt confident about it, but because Elliot meant it. “If you mean it like that… I’ll believe you.”
He shifted carefully and pressed a soft kiss under Elliot’s jaw. “Thank you,” he added. “For seeing me like that. Even when I don’t.”
There was a small pause. Then, softer and a little shy. “And… thanks for not sending me the same memes you send Riker,” Atticus said as a tiny smile tugged at his lips. “I don’t understand half the sports ones. I just pretend. So… I appreciate that.”
He settled back against Elliot, tired but calmer now, fingers tracing in small, slow hearts against Elliot’s sleeve.
“I don’t want to be brave,” Atticus said quietly. “I just want to stay here with you. Like this.” He let out a shaky breath. “But I believe you when you say you’ll try. And… I’ll try too.”
He curled in closer as much as his shoulder would allow.
“I love you,” he whispered.
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