Nicholas clicked his tongue in disappointment.
He'd woken with the gong, deliciously sore and stinging from the night prior, and promptly rolled back into his blankets until the sun was
properly above the tree tops around the school. While the long breaks from school and Haven permitted them the luxury of exploration in a new era, he could do without the breaks from the exquisite delights their Fey and shifter offered. The addition of a moth was certainly appealing, but she seemed inexperienced and Callaghan and Finley were far more suited to aiding fledgling in their early sexual awakenings. Nicholas was well aware his own appetite for carnal delights would turn gentle lovemaking into something better suited for underground cults and clubs.
Nicholas found his footing and went about his morning routine. Washing, brushing, disinfecting, bandaging, and all the other necessities of wash room time. Professor Mikkail was the strangely supportive type and likely wouldn't blink an eye at his attire… Or maybe he wasn't and he'd chastise Nicholas for his lack of presentation. The idea did stir something in him, but he chased that away. He already had plans for the later evening and while a small orgy invigorated him, offering his blood to a vampire would take him the better part of a night and day to fully recuperate. Nicky pulled on a black dress shirt, pants, vest, and coat. The only pop of color was a deep red tie and an antique gold and ruby ring on the middle finger of his right hand that was a gift from some centuries ago. Croan would get the message. Nicky picked a pipe and tucked it away as he set off, a small box of gardening supplies in hand.
Which brought him to now, after a cup of coffee and a short smoke, staring at the once thriving calades now withered, shriveled, and dead. He was certain that he'd left them in the proper condition to handle his absence but clearly something interfered and now he had to start from scratch. He shrugged off his suit jacket, carefully hanging it on a hook at the door, and rolled his sleeves up to his elbow. He grabbed a few of his pots, brought them to the back where a hose lay and a drain, and crouched down to set the pots down, hissing as the stretch exacerbated the claw marks in his hip. It was a much missed pain and Nicholas decided not to linger on the touch he'd missed the touch of the people here. It was strange how easy it was to move on most of the time, but every now and then he found himself yearning for people long buried and he knew that when they had to leave this place, Callaghan and Finley would be two of those.
Marcus's face flashed to mind and it morphed into the strange boy from last night, before their trust when the party favors hit him hardest. Such an innocent seeming thing and the magic… Nicholas frowned as he gently dumped and scrubbed out the pots. How was it possible the boy made that happen when it was clear he could barely rub two brain cells together? The twins hadn't spiked the favors in any unusual way, other than the slight illusions to keep everyone confused about what they were grabbing, but bubbles were… infantile at best and… Nicholas wrinkled his nose in frustration with himself. Mostly for the brief flash of affection he'd felt looking at their old lover's face, but some for allowing himself to entertain the boy at all. Nicholas wouldn't go looking now, but he certainly needed to find him sooner rather than later.
Jake had not slept during the night. After Frankie had helped him find their shared room, he had spent much of his time sitting on the bed he had been assigned to, staring at the other boy. There was a small creature with him, too, watching him as he watched. Social cues were completely lost on him - he didn’t realize that it was strange, and their other roommate, Annika, had not returned to the dorm room either. So he watched, the steady rise and fall of Frankie’s chest soothing, almost charming. He was mesmerized.
But even the strongest of spells had to wane. So Jake had left their room, venturing out in exploration of… he wasn’t quite sure. The conversation he had with Frankie kept replaying in his mind, something which he found odd. He didn’t want to think about it, but it kept coming back. Was that normal? To be unable to get something out of his head? He’d have to ask. He trusted Frankie with these questions. The idea of asking the others… It was strange, his chest seemed to tighten at the very idea. He didn’t understand that either.
The dining hall didn’t interest him - he had no intention of eating anything again, not after that candy. And the libraries, while very pretty, lacked stimulation. Hardly any of the books contained pictures, and the librarian had stared at him the entire time he’d wandered, their eyes narrowed. Had he done something wrong? He didn’t know. No, the place he found himself appreciating the most at Strange Academy was outside, where he could see the sky - he loved the sky! It was so beautiful, with so many twinkling lights - and as time went on, the darkness fell away to a sea of enchanting reds and pinks and purples so pretty he had cried.
It must have been morning as he sat in the courtyard near a small building constructed entirely of glass, filled with so many plants it looked like it could burst - and his body suddenly felt warm. He startled, only to see that the pretty boy from the night before was there, heading inside the glass structure. His hands suddenly felt very cold. His body tensed. But that inner warmth did not fade. He didn’t know what to do. Jake just stared for a moment.
And then, he walked up to the glass house, went inside, and smiled at the boy.
“Hi!!!”Nicholas hadn't bothered to look up at the sound of the greenhouse doors. It wasn't uncommon for a groundskeeper to do their due diligence at this hour - someone had to check on the wider variety here and Barty wasn't paid to do that. So it came as a surprise when a loud voice disturbed his peace and Nicholas swore heavily as he fumbled a pot. It nearly slipped through his fingers, even with his gardening gloves on, but he managed to catch it with the tip of his fingers and set it down carefully. He stood to face the very subject of his last thoughts with a flat look and a cocked brow.
“Is there something you need?” Nicholas asked, stripping off his gloves and placing them on the table next to him. The boy looked chipper, instead of how Nicholas would have expected him to after his bubble fiasco. And, after he'd had some time to remember, Jake technically saved him from being knocked over by Callaghan during his transformation. Still, not a mark or suggestion at any of that.
“You seem well after last night.”Jake hesitated for a moment. He didn’t think he needed anything. He had to consciously resist the urge to try to help the boy with the pot he’d almost broken. The person last night at the bar had warned him about helping the boy, as much as he found himself yearning to do so.
”Nope! I don’t need anything!” At least he could understand him now - he hadn’t been able to last night very much.
”Thanks!” Jake swallowed.
”Unless you didn’t want me to be well?”Nicholas's other brow rose at the reply. He just wandered in here for no reason at all? The boy did seem rather… simple and lost so that very well could be true, but Nicholas was a suspicious person by nature. A boy wearing a dead man's face was a peculiar sort indeed. He picked his gloves back up and pulled them on.
“It is not my business whether you are well or not but as a general rule, it is better to be well. And since you seem to be idle, get a pair of gloves and you'll help me with these.” Nicholas gestured to the small box he'd left near his spot in the greenhouse. This was an excellent opportunity to both feed his curiosity and get a helping hand with the prepping for his new plants.
Jake tilted his head slightly. He could understand the boy now, but he was still confused by him. He wanted him to help with something? And he told him to be well? A smile slowly crept on his face, and Jake nodded, going over to the box and fetching it. Were there gloves inside? Maybe? But he had the feeling the boy wouldn’t like him just opening up the box without asking first, so he just retrieved it for the moment.
”Um, I don’t know your name. I’ve been calling you the pretty boy in my head. Is that okay? Do you have a name? My name’s Jake. Short for Jake. And long for Jake.”Nicholas, crouched down and reaching for the pot again, whipped back to face Jake. For a moment, the Greenhouse fell away and it was 1893 again. It was a stifling hot afternoon and the schoolhouse was a mess after he'd sent the children home while all he wanted to do was lock the doors and go swimming to take the edge off it all. He'd sighed at the sound of the doors opening up, fixed his face into a smile, but before he could turn to greet them, one of his two favorite voices settled into his bones like honey.
“Hey, there pretty boy. Need a hand closing up?”Nicholas snapped out of it.
“Nicholas is fine.” He replied softly like he couldn't quite trust his voice yet, feeling a little raw at a memory he'd drown in drugs and sex for over a century. Distracted as he was, Nicholas simply took the box from Jake and opened it, offering him the pair of spare gloves in there.
“I will endeavor to remember, Jake. Put your gloves on and I will show you how to clean these.”Jake’s face flushed, and the heat rushed to his chest once more. There was something about how soft, how quiet the boy - Nicholas - had become. It made him want to take a thousand dragon’s blows to see that no harm came to him. It took conscious effort to tear his gaze away from Nicholas and to the gloves - there was already a good amount of grime and dirt under his fingernails. Nicholas seemed like he liked to be clean.
Jake put on the gloves, the extra layer of fabric feeling strange at first - his movements ever so slightly constricted.
”Do you like cleaning these things?”“I enjoy gardening.” Nicholas offered, barely turning the hose so just more than a trickle came out.
“It's messier than most of my hobbies, but it's pleasant to nurture something seed to bloom. It takes patience and time and for better or worse, I have time in spades. Grab that brush there, rinse the inside of the smaller pot, and then scrub all the way around. Then rinse again until all the dirt and debris is out.” Nicholas demonstrated step by step.
“If you wouldn't mind indulging my curiosity a moment…” Nicholas paused in his scrubbing and watched Jake closely.
“Why suffer the brunt of Callaghan's transformation for me?”Gardening. Not cleaning. And he liked things that took time. Jake was learning so much! A thought popped into his head, one that he didn’t want to have, but he couldn’t help it.
He likes stepping on people, too. He shuddered slightly, trying his very hardest to think about other things - but the more he tried not to think about the precious night, the more it consumed him. He followed Nicholas’ instructions, taking the brush and the pot, letting the water hit it, and then he started to scrub. The example really helped. He just copied the motions he had seen Nicholas do.
He turned his head as Nicholas asked if he could indulge his curiosity. Jake nodded. He fidgeted slightly under the other boy’s stare.
“It was the right thing to do,” Jake tried, before frowning.
“I’m supposed to protect you.” That didn’t feel completely right still - like there was more that needed to be said.
“I didn’t want to see you hurt.”Nicholas offered a non-committal hum in response and returned to his task. Nicholas couldn't tell if Jake was being honest or still playing dumb; either way, the response made him feel warm and uneasy at the same time. Once upon a time, trust would have come simply with the expectation that Nicholas would have the upper hand if anything were to happen. And it was rare that someone would throw themselves in harm's way for a stranger. Those who did were usually preyed on until they found their grave early, or lived a long sad life with hopes of some sort of eternal reward later. But Nicholas's magic didn't sit at his fingertips now. His reflex to flee around Jake had disappeared within a night and that alarmed the witch more than if it had been. His magic was reliable, safe, and proven. It hadn't ever failed him, even when he asked terrible things about it, and his faith would not be shaken now, even if it seemed curiously quiet.
“To keep those around you safe, so must you be. If Callaghan had been someone other than himself and gone rampaging, what good is a door mat?” Nicholas chastised softly, placing down the pot. Nicholas held.out his hand.
“The next time you find yourself with such chivalrous thoughts, pause a moment and consider my words. Give me your hand.”He put his hand in Nicholas’ without hesitation, just complete innocent trust. With his other hand, he still held the pot he’d been cleaning, the brush tucked inside of it. He didn’t quite understand. Why would he need protecting? He didn’t need it - not like how Nicholas and the others did. He wasn’t fragile like them.
“Can I ask you something then?” he paused for a moment.
“Why did you step on me?” He shivered slightly.
Nicholas thought about it for a moment.
“Beyond the bubbles, my memory fails in some parts. I confess I don't recall what occurred once you were on the floor; I believe my mind was occupied contemplating coupling with a dragon. Our favors hit stronger than expected; my brother's influence no doubt.” The witch sighed. Jake's hand in his felt new and familiar all in one, a tingling sensation where his fingertips met the other's hands. This was a
bad idea - he absolutely should not be alone with Jake because old feelings started stirring and it would be so easy to give in, but he was just keeping them even. That's all this is.
“Does that satiate your curiosity?"He relaxed slightly hearing the explanation. The staff at the bar had been wrong, then. Nicholas hadn’t done this on purpose to hurt him - it had been an accident, a misunderstanding. And there was something to the touch - to the literal sparks he felt on the edge of his fingers. He smiled, before the grin became so large his cheeks started to hurt. And then gently, he rotated their hands, so that way Nicholas’ was on top, and his own on bottom.
“Is there other stuff you wanted to ask me?”There had been, but they seemed unimportant at the moment. Nicholas was not one to deny himself pleasure, but he tempted this urge down anyways. Kissing this man here without knowing what and who he was was a poor decision and there was nothing enough alcohol in his system to ignore that. He stared at their hands.
They looked…
“No. A debt is to be paid.” Nicholas cleared his throat, his voice breaking as he snapped himself out of whatever spell he'd fallen into. Nicholas plucked a flower from one plants, a few leaves from another, and a breeze blew softly. Barty's magic was flashy, fun, and entertaining, designed to be seen and heard and felt. Nicholas's was a quieter thing, turning and redirecting, and his favors no different. Between their hands, he placed the bloom upon a bed of leaves, and cupped between them he breathed. For a moment, nothing happened, until the faintest glimmer of his magic played at the edges and the flower settled, hardened, and dimmed.
“My gratitude for your actions.” Nicholas explained,.dropping Jake's hand and collecting the pots carefully.
“A smaller token, to be sure, useful for something simple. Directions, a meal, help with your studies - call for any of these and I will answer.” Nicholas took the pot from Jake's hand. Time had gotten away from.him and it was closer to class than he'd cared.
Jake stared at the bloom in his hand, and once again he found his eyes watery. No one had ever given him anything before. He hadn’t even known that he could want for something like that. It was so beautiful. He was afraid that if he moved his hand, it would shatter, the petals falling to the ground lifelessly. Almost immediately, he vowed to himself that he would never use this token. He wanted to keep it. He considered for a moment putting it in his room, copying what he had seen Annika and Frankie do with their belongings, but he didn’t want to part from it, either.
“Thank you,” he said softly.
“But you don’t need to pay me to help you.”“A favor was owed and now it is marked. I expect a debt paid when I am owed; I will not tolerate mine own neglected.” Nicholas stood, putting pots back on the table and rolling down his sleeves.. He looked back where Jake was still staring at the flower as he buttoned up his jacket.
“Tis near time for class to begin. Come along so that you will not be tardy.”
Location: Mikkail's Sitting Room
Grimore: N/A
Skills: N/A
Nicholas squinted as he took in his future classroom. Mikkail's sitting room was… vibrant, in clear contrast to even Nicholas's standard attire. He hadn't even crossed the threshold, standing in it with arm still holding the door handle, and seriously considered skipping. Mikkail was one of the few older than him here, but had all.the energy of a toddling child having found their feet and exploring the limits of their freedom. Skipping would likely land him in trouble and trouble meant leaving and they'd just settled in for another year and since it wasn't danger…
Nicholas sighed and fetched a flask from his inside pocket, unscrewed the cap, and took several long swigs before he stashed it, squared his shoulders, and took his steps into the room. His eyes wandered more freely, pausing on the two already in. Strangely, he recognized both. Other students typically remained nameless. In the years they'd been here, he could only name a handful. How strange it was that he would be sharing his class with faves he remembered and names that came easily to the tongue.
“Morning.” Nicholas offered the barest of greetings with the nod of his head, and folded himself into the furthest armchair without hesitation. Seeing Willow reminded him of last night's antics and he felt the faint sting from wounds unhealed that sent a pleasant shiver down his spine.
“Everyone sle…” He trailed off as his attention was caught by the books, clearly of good quality, embossed, and individually named.
Individually namedNicholas quickly flipped his notebook over so the name was safely out of sight.
Member
Morose
Scrawl Banditta
Lucid Dreaming
Kirah
teenangstlife
TokyoPewPew
ImagineTheStars
bleedonme
Simply Not Real
