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 Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 9:44 am
Backdated to April 10 Atticus was trying very hard not to mope.
He was not moping. He had pajamas with little flowers on them and soft shorts, and he'd brought a bag with snacks and a book and his sketchbook and three different pencils even though he probably only needed one. He had Julian and Cassidy with him, and that was nice. Really nice, actually.
Even if Elliot wasn't there.
Atticus drew his knees up onto the couch and hugged a pillow against his chest, and tried not to look too tragic.
"I'm glad we're doing this," he said, and looked between Cassidy and Julian with a small smile. "I mean, um… I miss Elliot, but I like being with you, too. Both of you."
He hesitated for a moment, then looked at Julian a little more thoughtfully. Not too much because he didn't want to make him feel like he was being watched.
"And, um… we can figure out sleeping arrangements however everyone is comfortable. I know sleeping somewhere else can feel strange," he admitted, fingers curling into the pillow.
"If you want somewhere quiet, um… maybe you could sleep in Cassidy's room. And Cassidy and I could sleep out here on the couch. Or— I mean, not if that's weird," he added quickly, cheeks warming as he glanced at Cassidy. "I just thought maybe it might be easier if you had a door you could close."
After all, it wasn't often that they could coax Julian out after hours.
He smiled sheepishly, then tucked his chin against the pillow.
"But you don't have to. We can make a blanket nest out here, too. Or watch movies until we're too tired to care about where we sleep."
That sounded good to him. Atticus liked blanket nests, even if he was reminded of Elliot and how he always made the best ones. He liked being close to people he trusted, and Cassidy was warm and charming, and Julian always made him want to be a little gentler with everything.
"So… whatever feels best," he said, softer. "I just want everyone to be comfortable."
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 9:46 am
Julian hadn’t planned on saying yes. Usually, he had an excuse for why he couldn’t spend the night. Cassidy had a counter for all of them this time, and almost seemed pleased with himself at the amount of foresight he’d put into preparing.
He knew all of Julian’s tricks by then.
And Julian wasn’t fighting very hard.
Getting him to agree felt like watching him give up. Cassidy figured he’d probably ‘get sick’ but was very pleasantly surprised when he showed up. While there seemed to be some dark cloud looming over Julian lately, Cassidy was not oblivious to the effort Julian was making to outrun it–or persevere through it.
Cassidy’s hair was tied up in a messy bun, and he was wearing a silky pair of pajamas; predictably, his shorts were short, and the button down top was probably short sleeved, but he was wearing a comfortable, long-sleeved robe. The house was cool, but he’d promised he didn’t turn the temperature down just to make them cuddle with him.
Julian was the opposite; socks and long pants, and whatever top he was wearing was hidden under the oversized sweater Riker had gotten for him months ago. With both Atticus and Cassidy looking at him, he blinked.
“Oh–no, you don’t have to do anything special for me,” he assured. “I’m fine anywhere.”
“Are you sure?” Cassidy asked, tilting his head. “I mean, if you’re fine anywhere, then we can all just cozy up in my bed. We can watch movies in there, too.”
Julian didn’t disagree, but he didn’t seem enthusiastic, either. He kept picking at a loose thread by his ankle and nodded.
And yet, Cassidy caught the familiar sense of dread. It wouldn’t have been the first time the two of them had shared a bed, but Riker had always been between them. Cassidy was not insecure enough to think that Julian had anything against him, so after Julian agreed, he laughed and patted Julian’s knee reassuringly.
“Just kidding. I mean, I wouldn’t be, but my body pillow’s still drying, and I’m afraid I might squeeze you two too much without it. You know I latch on in my sleep. I won’t let go. And I can’t send you home with bruises. Don’t worry, I’ll grab all the pillows and blankets. We can make a nest. Do you and Riker do that, Julian?”
“Um, sometimes,” Julian answered. “We’ve had movie marathons in the living room before.”
“Oh good. My dad’s not coming home tonight, so I’ll grab his pillows, too.” Cassidy pushed himself up. “If either of you change your mind and want to use my bedroom, you’re welcome to it. You two are both way more polite than the guests I usually have. We used to do sleepovers after games sometimes, the place was always trashed. Like seven of us crammed into one bed. Absolutely no personal space.”
Cassidy smoothed out his pajamas. “So I mean it, if the living room isn’t doing it for you, feel free to use my room. But I’m definitely planning on watching movies until I fall asleep out here. And if you decide you want to cuddle,” he smiled sweetly at Atticus, “my arms are open. I just won’t let you go.”
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 9:48 am
Atticus's cheeks warmed, but Cassidy's warning didn't seem to scare him at all.
"That's okay," he said, hugging the pillow a little tighter. "I like cuddling."
Maybe that was obvious. Maybe it was too obvious, because his face warmed a little more, but he smiled anyway. "I sleep better when there's someone next to me."
Usually Elliot, his mind immediately supplied, with a small ache of longing. And Lucien too, sometimes, curled close like he needed to make sure Atticus knew he was safe. But Elliot wasn't there tonight, and Atticus was very determined not to mope about that.
He looked at Julian for a moment, then back to Cassidy, soft and curious.
"A blanket nest sounds nice. And if you squeeze too much, I'll just tell you," he promised, because that was all it took to solve things.
Then, after a moment, something else seemed to occur to him.
"Um… Cassidy?" he asked, tilting his head slightly. "When did you figure out about us?" His fingers fidgeted against the pillow seam. "About… Knights, I mean. Because you mentioned Northpoint to us. And then we went, and Lyon was there, so…"
Atticus wasn't accusing him of anything. If anything, he looked quietly impressed and in awe.
"You must have already known, right? That Julian and I were involved?"
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 9:48 am
“Oh yeah, I clocked you the first time we met. I mean, I might not have if Elliot wasn’t there, but I know you two.” He shrugged. “And I was looking for clues the whole time. Honestly–”
His voice carried as he walked through the house, disappearing down one hallway. “–I was waiting for Riker to tell me before I came clean. It’s not like I was trying to be deceitful or anything. But I figured him out the first night I met Reims, too.”
Cassidy returned, dropping an armful of pillows on the couch. Julian moved like he was going to get up and help, but Cassidy just assured that they could relax. He went back for a second batch, and might even need a third with how full of pillows his bed was, and continued, “Julian, I didn’t figure you out before Northpoint. Riker doesn’t have that many blonde friends he trusts so implicitly, but as soon as I saw how protective of you he was, I knew. He’s so obvious. And I mean, I figured Julian had to know something if Riker was involved. Riker’s not so great at lying and he’d have run out of stories for why he was out so late. And Julian’s smart, he’d have noticed.”
Another mountain of pillows was dropped on the couch, and he looked between the two of them seriously. “Don’t tell him I figured it all out because of him, he’ll convince himself that he’s doing something wrong and totally miss the fact that I noticed because I care about him. Same with you two, I care about both of you. I probably should have told you about me being a Knight before Northpoint, but.”
He slowed briefly, and shrugged. “I did keep dropping hints because I wanted to see who showed up. I knew it was going to be some of you. And I really thought it was just going to be a fun little time to screw around. I might have told you then, if it weren’t for–well, all of that. Anyway, you all would have just worried about me more if you’d known it was me. And you had enough on your plates.”
This time, he disappeared into his father’s room, and came back with a comforter and two more blankets. “You’re not mad at me, are you?”
As if Atticus or Julian even had the capacity for anger. Cassidy pursed his lips in a slight pout in an expression he knew would have melted Riker, or annoyed him, or both. He didn’t have to play these tricks on either of tonight’s guests; he had other ways to manipulate them if he needed.
He just didn’t think either of them were actually upset with him. He just needed to make sure they weren’t upset with themselves, though.
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 9:48 am
Atticus watched Cassidy disappear and reappear with more pillows and blankets, still clinging to the pillow in his lap.
"Oh," he said softly, his cheeks warming again.
He wasn't mad. He didn't think he could be mad at Cassidy for figuring things out, especially when Atticus had wanted to tell him for ages.
"No, I'm not mad," he promised quickly. "I'm really not." He hesitated, then looked down at the pillow, absently picking out a feather that was poking through the fabric. "I actually, um… wanted to tell you. A lot. It was really hard not to."
His voice softened, a little shy and a little guilty. "But some bad things happened, even before Elliot and I became Knights, and I got scared about people finding out who I was. Not you," he added quickly, looking up again. "I don't think you'd be careless. I just didn't know what could happen, or who might find out after that."
There was more to it than that. There always was. But Atticus didn't want to pull out all the old, ugly things from his past and set them in the middle of Cassidy's living room. Not tonight. Maybe not ever. But especially not when Julian was already having such a hard time, and not when they were supposed to be making a blanket nest.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," he said instead, giving Cassidy a small, sheepish smile. "I felt bad about keeping it from you. But I'm glad you know now. And I'm glad we know about you, too."
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 9:49 am
Cassidy propped his elbows on the back of the couch and leaned forward. “You don’t have to apologize for anything. And definitely don’t feel bad. Really, it was basically a game. I thought if I gave enough hints, if I kept asking the right questions,” he shrugged, and for as lazy as his smile looked, it was perfectly genuine. “You guys never slipped up enough for me to call you out on it. But that’s okay, I had to come clean sometime. I’ll miss playing around,” he hummed, but didn’t really seem too upset.
“But I guess I can’t complain. I’m glad we got to be honest. Now you have to include me in your adventures.” Cassidy laughed, good natured as always, and pushed himself up from the couch.
“Anyway, everyone’s entitled to their secrets. Yeah, I’m nosey. Of course I’m going to ask questions. But you’re not going to hurt my feelings for keeping things close to your chest. And if you do tell me stuff, well. You know I’m soft on you two. Your secrets are safe with me. I promised Riker and Elliot I’d look after the both of you. Not that you need it. You two are pretty resilient.”
There were more pillows and blankets that he could have grabbed, but what he had now was satisfactory to start with. He moved to the middle of the room and dragged the coffee table out of the way to make more space for their nest. “Do you ever get tired of that, by the way?”
He pushed the table flush against the entertainment system and instinctively rolled his shoulder, massaging it with his free hand as he took his place by the mountain of bedding. “Getting treated like you’re fragile. I mean, you’re both good sports about it. And you’re both people pleasers. I can’t imagine either of you telling someone to treat you a certain way, or speaking up if you were uncomfortable. But, you know, I love speaking up.” Or confrontation in general. He liked to butt heads and argue—but if it was on behalf of someone else, at least he could masquerade as doing it for a good cause.
Julian, predictably, stayed quiet, but he pushed himself up to help Cassidy make the nest. It happened as Cassidy expected, so he kept his attention on Atticus while Julian listened in.
“You said you had bad things happen before. So I know you’ve been through stuff and lived to tell the tale. But you’re so soft and gentle. Don’t you ever just want to tell someone ‘you know I’m not that delicate, right?’ I mean—Elliot excluded. I know you like when he dotes on you because I know how much he likes to dote on you. And oh my God, he never shuts up about how much he loves you and how wonderful you are. It’s cute. It would be cuter if Riker would say those things about me. I’m working on getting him there. But that doesn’t change the question, I still want to know if you ever get sick of people looking at you like you’re made of glass.”
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 9:49 am
Atticus got up to help with the blankets, smoothing one out carefully while Cassidy talked. He flushed a little at the mention of Elliot, but his smile was soft and quite obviously fond.
"I don't think it's anyone's fault," he said after a moment. "I mean… I know I'm emotional. I cry when I'm sad, or upset, or angry, or happy, or relieved. Sometimes I cry when someone is just really nice to me."
His cheeks warmed a little more, but he kept arranging the blanket to give himself something to do with his hands.
"I don't know if people think I'm fragile, exactly… I think maybe they just don't want to upset me. Or worry me."
He knew it happened a lot. People deciding to choose their words carefully, or make sure they adjust their facial expressions so he wouldn't take it the wrong way. He glanced over at Julian to make sure he was doing okay, then back down at the nest.
"I think I'd rather be upset for a little while than be surprised by something bad later. Or lied to because someone thought I couldn't handle it," he said as he tucked a pillow in place and gave Cassidy a small, sheepish smile.
"I care by worrying. That's how I pay attention. That's how I can be ready if something happens." He hesitated, then looked at Cassidy a little more thoughtfully.
"Is it hard for you? Being treated like you're fragile after your accident?" he asked, his voice softened, careful but sincere.
"I mean, um… I know you'd probably have a good time with Elliot and Riker tonight. And I'm really happy you wanted to be here with me and Julian. But I wondered if it feels strange. Having people worry about what you can do, or what you should do."
He glanced down at the blankets again, smoothing a wrinkle that didn't even really exist.
"I don't like when people think I need to be protected from being myself. So… I was wondering if maybe you felt that way too."
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 9:49 am
Cassidy barked a laugh first, but he was half-turned from Atticus while he shook out a blanket. His smile didn’t move, but it didn’t reach his eyes, and something tightened there, like he needed to lock in. Obviously, he could lie to Julian and Atticus. But he could tell them the truth, too.
“Yeah,” he said simply. Lazily. Like it wasn’t something that grated on him. “That’s part of why I didn’t tell you guys earlier. I mean, you’re all great. But ever since the accident, I get the ‘kiddy gloves’ a lot. And don’t get me wrong, I love being fussed over. But it’s different when people are fawning and worrying about you because they want to take care of you—and when they think you can’t take care of yourself.”
Julian was more careful with the blankets than Cassidy was; he laid things out evenly and organized, but Cassidy was a bit sloppier when it came to making a nest.
“I think people mean well, don’t get me wrong,” Cassidy continued. “But I know my limits. If I need help—real help, I’ll ask. Or I won’t! And if I don’t ask, I don’t want help! I know I’m stubborn. I want to do things by myself. I want people to know that I’m not useless.” He tilted his head, resting his cheek on his shoulder. “And I think sometimes people forget that I’m more the person I’ve always been, and less the one I was in the hospital. So my shoulder’s a little jacked up! The rest of me works just fine.”
He wasn’t mad, but there was a bit of heat in his voice—like this was a thought he had often, and deeply. “This one rotten part of me isn’t more important than everything else. You’d think people would be impressed by how strong I am, but instead I feel like they only notice how ‘weak’ I got.”
Julian silently lay out bedding, but his head was tilted just slightly. He worked diligently, but he was listening—and, thoughtfully, given how slow and meticulous he was with placing the pillows.
Cassidy huffed indignantly—back to some sort of showmanship. A little haughty, a little pouty. “I don’t want pity. I’m stronger than I look. If this house caught on fire right now and both of you broke your legs, I bet you I could carry you both out of here together. And you know?”
He stood up straight, crossed his arms over his chest, and cupped his chin in one hand. He looked between Atticus and Julian, tapping his finger to his cheek.
“I bet you both could do the exact same thing.”
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 9:49 am
Atticus didn't know what to say at first. Cassidy sounded like he was joking by the end, or at least trying to make everything easier for them to respond to, but Atticus could hear the heat underneath. The hurt.
So he abandoned the blanket he'd been smoothing and stepped closer, careful but determined, before wrapping his arms around Cassidy. He rested his head against Cassidy's shoulder — the one he didn't often fuss with.
"There isn't any part of you that's rotten," he said softly, but with absolute certainty. "Not your shoulder. Not any of you." He gave Cassidy a gentle squeeze.
"And I don't think you're useless. Or weak. I think you're really strong. And brave. And funny. And gorgeous," he said, sincere about every word, even as his cheeks flushed a little. He glanced briefly over at Julian, who was still quietly working on the blankets, listening more than he was speaking. Atticus's expression softened a little, because he knew Julian was paying attention even if he wasn't joining in the conversation.
Then he looked back up at Cassidy.
"Maybe they don't think you're made of glass. Maybe they just don't want you, um… 'on the bench' longer than you have to be." Elliot used that phrase sometimes, so he hoped he used it in the right context.
"If someone gets hurt worse because nobody was careful, then they have to sit out longer. And that would be horrible, " he said as he gave Cassidy another small squeeze. "Not because you can't do things, but because you want to do things so much.
His cheeks were still feeling warm, but he didn't pull away yet.
"I think you're still you. I just think people love you and don't want to be the reason something hurts more than it has to."
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 9:50 am
Instinctively, Cassidy wrapped his arm around Atticus to return the hug, and because he was a little taller, and Atticus was so sweet, he kissed atop his head, too. “Elliot’s lucky you only have eyes for him, or I might try to sweep you off your feet,” he hummed. “You’re getting very good with your words, that was nice.”
Julian chewed on the inside of his cheek, and when Cassidy caught his eyes, he nodded. He didn’t hold Cassidy’s eyes for long, but he never did when he was thinking too much about something. He found a boring spot on the ground to lock onto, and he moved slower than usual to give himself time to really pay attention.
It meant something, but Cassidy was still figuring out what.
“But don’t worry too much about me. And don’t let anyone worry too much about me, either. If I ever get hurt, I’ve got you to fix me up,” Cassidy said, patting Atticus’s back gently. “Take me up to Sessrumnir, give me a spa day, work your magic. I’m adaptable. I know my limits. And I know when it’s worth it to push them. And even if I get benched, don’t think I’m out for the count. I’ll find a way to keep myself involved, trust me.”
He might not still be playing on the team, but he still went to every game. He was an active participant from the bleachers—for better or worse, depending on who you were asking. He still got to tag along on some of their outings, or to sit in on practice. He wanted more, always, but not at the cost of his dignity.
Cassidy would not, ever, grovel. He would never let himself be pathetic.
He’d stand on his own two feet, strongly, proudly—too proudly—and pick himself up. Or let Riker carry him, he’d never say no to it, as long as it wasn’t because anyone thought less of him.
“The people who love me are usually very good about that. I know you don’t want to see me hurt,” he sighed, dramatically now, and patted Atticus’s back again. “But if I get hurt, it’s not the end of the world. The people who love me will take care of me. Besides—I did okay as Lyon, didn’t I? And I knew who to go to when I needed to be safe. Julian, your shield saved my a** more than once, and when I got myself hurt, Atticus took care of the rest. So I’m not even worried about those things.”
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 9:50 am
Atticus's cheeks went warm again at the kiss to his head, and even warmer at the teasing, but he didn't pull away right then.
"Elliot is lucky," he hummed softly, but there was a tiny smile tucked into the words.
He glanced over at Julian when Cassidy mentioned his shield, and his expression softened with quiet agreement.
"Julian did really good, too," he said. "I'm always glad when you're with us, Julian."
Then he looked back up at Cassidy, still thoughtful. "And you did great as Lyon. I saw how you fought. You didn't act useless, or weak, or like someone who couldn't take care of himself. You helped keep everyone safe."
Atticus finally stepped back enough to give Cassidy room, but stayed close while he picked up one of the blankets again.
"I guess I was wondering… what was it like when you awakened?" he asked as he smoothed the blanket over the growing nest. "Were you alone? Did anyone explain things to you, or did you have to figure it out by yourself?" His brows drew together a little. "I already knew about things before I awakened. My dads told me about it. And then I had Elliot. I don't know what it would have been like without them."
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 9:50 am
"Oh, I got lucky," he said, like this was simply expected. He wore a small, teasing smile and pulled a few couch cushions off to make things a bit more comfortable for him. He bumped gently against Julian, most certainly on purpose, just to make sure Julian looked up. Naturally, there was an awkward smile on his face, and an apology on his lips, but when he seemed to realize Cassidy had done it on purpose he just held his smile.
"There was a youma. It messed up my ankle a little. I mean, I took care of it--but that's how I ran into Aliez. He took care of me. We're best friends now. Speaking of, I need to check in on him, it's been a while. I didn't actually have someone explain much to me. I mean, I had a lot of questions for him. But I'd hung out with Reims quite a bit before then, too. So I already had a pretty good idea of the basics."
Not everything, but enough to make sense of things.
"Riker's always looking out for me, even when he doesn't realize," Cassidy laughed.
The floor was comfortable, plush and secure. It was cozy--with space to cuddle and enough room to make sure no one felt too crowded.
"After I awakened, I made sure to 'accidentally' run into Reims one night. So I had him to show me the ropes even before he knew it was me. I had all the resources I needed," he promised. "And, even better, I knew it was coming from my friends. So I had a really easy time, honestly. And I'm glad I get to be a Knight! I was starting to feel like the universe was picking on me a bit."
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 9:51 am
Atticus nodded thoughtfully while Cassidy spoke, taking the pieces he was giving him and fitting them together with what he already knew.
"That makes sense," he said softly. "Reims brought you to meet me and Elliot before. And to go to Sessrumnir. So I guess you already knew more than most people would."
He smiled a little at the thought of Riker looking out for Cassidy without even realizing it.
"But awakening is still a lot, even if you know some of the basics. When Elliot and I awakened, um… well, some really bad stuff had just happened… but the Code talked to us. It told us what was happening, and even though my dads told us things before, it was still…"
He paused, trying to find the right word.
"Disorienting, I guess. Not bad, just… a lot."
Atticus smoothed the edge of a blanket, then glanced up at Cassidy with a softer expression. "I'm glad Aliez was there. And Reims, after. I would have felt really bad if you had to figure it all out alone."
He glanced over to Julian for a moment, then back down at their blanket nest, his voice still gentle. "I think being a Knight is good. But it's easier when you have people who understand."
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 9:51 am
“Oh, awakening was a lot,” Cassidy agreed. He might not have had the Code, or some expert Knight there with him, but he had one practically on call, and he’d been slowly learning from the sidelines, too. “The most blindsiding thing was Aliez, though. I’m glad he was there.”
Glad that they’d stayed friends, too. Maybe things with Cahir would have shaken out differently if Aliez hadn’t been so willing to stick around.
“I wouldn’t have been alone no matter what,” Cassidy promised. “Even if I had to weasel my way into the picture.” As if that wasn’t exactly what he’d done with Reims, or with Northpoint. He must have been thinking the same, because his smile was more self-satisfied than usual.
Not obnoxious, not arrogant, but as proud as it was pleased.
There wasn’t much to improve on the nest they’d made. The floor was plush with cushions and pillows and blankets, so he stood there with his hands on his hips and nodded approvingly. “I guess the next thing for me to do is make popcorn. I’ll be cheap this time, just gonna throw a bag in the microwave. I’ll bring drinks, too.”
He already knew what they liked so he didn’t bother asking what they wanted.
Before he left, he tilted his head. “Hey Julian, how did you awaken? I never get to talk to you about stuff like this.”
“Oh, um.” Julian’s head lifted immediately. There was no delay to catch up with the conversation; he’d been quiet, not absent. “Actually, Lysithea was there. Um, so I got a lot of information about the Negaverse and youma and things. So I wasn’t alone either.”
Cassidy seemed to want more, but got more than he expected, so smiled. “Oh, good. You’ll have to tell me the whole story sometime. Atticus, I know some of your stuff. I know Elliot’s house blew up at one point in time.” He’d seen the pictures, and sat through Elliot’s dramatic storytelling more than once. “I’m gonna guess there was more than just ‘gas leak’. Is that related to the ‘bad things’ that happened or do you guys have a whole other layer of ‘bad stuff up’ going on?”
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2026 9:51 am
Atticus froze for just a moment.
"Oh," he said softly, because he probably should have known Cassidy would put those pieces together. His fingers curled into the blanket, then relaxed again.
"There was more to it," he admitted. "It wasn't just a gas leak. And there was… other stuff before that, too."
He hesitated, cheeks warming as he tried to decide how much was too much. Cassidy was asking because he cared. Atticus knew that.
But Julian was already having a hard time. Cassidy was trying to take care of them. This was supposed to be a sleepover, with popcorn and blankets and movies, not a place for Atticus to set old monsters loose for his friends to deal with.
"I wasn't always Atticus," he said, very softly. The words felt heavier than he expected them to. Then he blinked, flustered, and quickly looked toward the kitchen.
"But— um… you were getting popcorn. And drinks. And you already know all that… Or enough of it. I mean, Elliot probably told you some things."
His face went warmer, and he tried for a small smile even as his heart raced. He glanced over at Julian for a moment, then back to Cassidy.
"I'm glad you and Julian both had someone with you. When you awakened, I mean. I know not everyone is that lucky."
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