Work Text:
Reluctantly, he handed over the key.
Even as every part of his body begged him not to, he continued it was for the best wasn’t it? But even he knew lying to himself wasn’t helping anyone.
But he met the dark haired boy’s eyes, a dark hazel almost daring him to say no. Why did he look so hot doing so-
Where did that come from? Elijah thought, staring at his work as he crossed out the last words. It was supposed to be about good overcoming evil, something cliche, something simple. Anything to rid his mind of those thoughts .
But it was another failed attempt and if Elijah was being honest he might just scream. He didn’t though, he just ripped out the page like he had done 5 times earlier. His desk was filled with little papers, little papers filled with failed stories, stories that quickly fell out of line. Just like his life had.
And maybe it was wrong of him, maybe he was the bad guy in this story, but Elijah was sick of this.
That fluttery feeling in his chest when he saw something green, the unfamiliarity of this town, and the fear of rejection all over again.
He wanted to act all calm and chill. He said he was okay with the move. He had been. He was okay with his sister staying back home, and not moving with them. He had been. He was ok with leaving behind a space that had become a second home to him. He had been.
BUT that was before his only solace was taken from him, ripped from underneath his feet, so quickly he hadn’t even realized it had happened.
He was supposed to be safe in his writing. He was supposed to have his writing be an escape from his thoughts. He was supposed to be.
But he wasn't, it was like everything had to become unfamiliar again, all over again. Like all the times he had moved when he was younger. The last time they had moved when he was 10 that was supposed to be the last move. And for a while it had been and then halfway through senior year he was uprooted and moved somewhere else.
“Just write something else.” Elijah whispered to himself, and quickly started to try and imagine a different scenario in hopes that this time it would last.
They couldn't be allowed to fight. He had to think of a way to stop it. And quick, otherwise his friends would die. They didn't realize it but he knew it was dire.
Of course he had conveniently forgotten that when he was in a panic his magic failed to work properly, so as he tried to cast his spell it, the spell reverted itself last second, turning towards a nearby tree. And instead of causing a fire to separate him from the brawl, he had started a forest fire. He was so doomed. “Shit” he whispered to himself as the world turned ablaze.
.
.
.
“The fire rose even higher, the flames suffocating you and your team. What do you do?” Ken said with a smile as he painted the picture for D&D.
Jolie wasn’t too happy at all. “You have got to be kidding me. A FOREST FIRE?! How did a stray spell start a forest fire!?”
Ken gave no answer but shrugged with a mischievous grin.
Timothy just stared, almost as if he was shocked to see that Ken had gone that far. “Damn, Ken. I knew you were crazy but this is next level.”
Ken just smirked, not saying anything though it was clear he was enjoying their reactions. “I bet Elijah would have like this.”
“Who?” The two asked, Jolie out of curiosity, Timothy with a smirk.
Ken froze at that. He hadn’t realized he had voiced his thought, with a nervous giggle he just shrugged as if trying to play it off. “Who?”
He failed. Yes he was a good actor, but lying to his friends was hard. They knew him too well.
Jolie and Timothy shared a look, and then turned to Ken.
Timothy spoke up for them. “Elijah?” He had the most innocent look on his face, as he titled his head as if to act as if he was trying to wrack his brain to see if he knew an ‘Elijah’.
Ken knew that was an act, the glint in Timothy’s eyes spoke for him instead. Ken crossed his arm, to look defiant. “I don’t know what you're talking about.”
Jolie just smiled, grabbing the dice, “Sure Ken. Knowing you, you'll tell us in a few days. You suck at keeping secrets.”
Timothy just laughed at that. “How long do you think it’ll last this time? Wanna place a bet-”
Ken hit Timothy with a pillow. The last thing he needed was his siblings over hearing. “Shhh,” He looked around, to see if his siblings were nearby, knowing them, they would use that as blackmail for years. Hell they would be on their deathbeds and they would bring it up. “He’s a new neighbor, I met him last week.” He turned to glare at Jolie, “when you tried to leave without a goodbye.” He said with narrowed eyes.
Jolie raised her hands in surrender. “You were out for at least ten minutes, besides it was already going late.” She smirked looking at Timothy who had gotten up and was readjusting his glasses. “Though that explains why you were taking so long.”
Timothy caught Jolie’s eye, his face breaking out into a grin. “Sounds really romantic. Y’know meeting him at night when the sun was setting. Must have been a pretty sight.” He smirked at Ken who was blushing slightly. “Or were you too busy admiring him.” Though the way that Timothy had said it was more of a statement rather than a question.
Ken covered his hands with his face. “You guys are the worst,” He mumbled, his words muffled since he was talking through his hands.
The two laughed at that, before turning to Ken with careful looks.
“Do you like him?” Jolie whispered, looking at her friend with a caring look.
Ken sighed at that, moving his hands away from his face, and started to chip off the black nail polish from his nails. It was easier to look at his hands than his friends' faces. “I-” Ken paused, he liked Brenda didn’t he? His mind had no answer to that. “I don’t know.” He whispered, he hated that. The feeling of uncertainty that he was surrounded with right now.
He had been so caught up in his thoughts he hadn’t realized his friends had moved closer. “It’s-It’s not clear.” He paused when he felt a hand pulling his hand away from picking at his cuticles. He hadn’t even realized he was hurting himself, again. “Sorry I-”
Timothy cut him off. “You're ok, why is it bothering you? That your unsure?”
Jolie joined in, as Timothy quietly grabbed his other hand, interlacing their hands together. “Or is it the fact that it's another boy?”
Ken got quite at that, pausing to think. Thought he already knew the answer. “No, I wish it was that simple.”
Jolie frowned at that. “Then what, Ken?”
“I thought I liked Brenda. And I-”
Timothy looked at Ken with a pensive look. “Do you like both of them?”
Ken froze at that question. “Is that even allowed?”
“What do you mean?”
“Is it possible to like two different people at the same time?” Ken sighed. “It feels…Wrong.” He whispered the last part, ashamed at the mere thought.
Jolie spoke up at that. “Why? You can’t control how you feel. Nor who you're attracted to. So why should you feel wrong?”
While Ken knew deep down what Jolie had said was true it was hard to believe it. “Then why does it feel so wrong?”
Timothy spoke up at that. “Ken, because it's…” He sighed as if to come up with the right words. “Anything that’s not the norm we are taught to see wrong. Right?”
Ken nodded at that.
“But it’s not .”
“Tim, is right, you know?” Jolie spoke up softly, the way her voice was when she was reasoning with them. Soft and sweet like honey. “We are taught to hate things that are different. We’ve been taught to demonize anyone who dares to not be the 'norm'.”
“But you know that’s not right. Being different is what makes us who we are. We all have unique experiences that we have experienced ourselves. Sure there are shared experiences but…”
“It’s not the same.” Ken mumbled, catching up with what they meant. He sighed, pulling his hands away from the two, reaching up to ruffle his hair, trying to find anything to fiddle with, to get rid of his nervous energy. “So then maybe? I don’t know, he was really nice, and pretty, I guess.” He mumbled the last part.
Jolie smiled at that, ruffling Ken’s hair. “Yeah?”
Timothy smiled, hugging Ken. “He sounds cool.”
Ken smiled at that, while everything wasn’t magically solved, his friends had definitely helped. “Yeah, he is.”