#lkath

[loftyexecutor]

smile

pairing; elsain [arme/knight] rating; t wc; 1190 category; fluff notes; this was supposed to be a secret santa,, but it looks like the project has been scrapped?? or at least i havent heard any updates, so here we are! it was very, interesting writing this piece, in a good way. i hope someone out here can enjoy it as well! happy holidays!

“Arme?”

“Hm?” Arme hums, turning to Knight. The boy, however, isn’t facing him, instead staring out of the window. The city of Hamel is bustling beneath them, punctuated by the far-off, unceasing sound of flowing water.

The setting sun paints his pale, scratched-up face shades of pink and orange. It complements his hair. Makes him look good, Arme thinks. Then again, Elsword somehow manages to look good all the time.

“I’ve been wondering this for a while, but why don’t you smile as much anymore? You used to all the time, and yet now you never do...”

It seems Knight is intentionally not looking at him. Arme’s lips press into a tight live and he looks out as well, eyes roving over the people enjoying their evening, the last few days of celebration of defeating the demon army. ‘Defeating’...

There is no reason to celebrate, as long as even one demon remains. Well… one might be okay, as long as she’s under surveillance.

Still, Arme sighs, searching for the right words. “Elsword, I apologize if I had… let you down somehow. Emotions aren’t… necessary… for my mission.”

“Your mission!” Knight huffs. “Is fighting the demons for your Goddess that important? You’re not a robot like Empress, Arme! It’s not— natural to just ignore your emotions! We did it, you know? We pushed the demons away, and now they’re cornered. So why aren’t you happy? Honestly, out of all of us, I expected you to be the first one.”

Arme is silent for a moment; the tension in the room heightens and heightens. If only Knight was right. But maybe he is like Miss Queen. His purpose and her purpose… aren’t they similar? Neither of them is human. But Elsword doesn’t know that, and it’d be for the best if it stayed like that.

“I am happy, Kight,” he says finally, “I’m proud of you for fighting so valiantly.”

“Then why won’t you show it? None of us can read your mind! If we could, I think Lusa and Noblesse would be pissed off more often!”

“Elsword! Language!”

Knight just pokes his tongue out at him at the words. “You’re not Elsa!”

Arme sighs, “As I said, it’s not very necessary for me. Plus, emotions are very confusing.”

“But you should at least smile! I’m sure the Goddess would like that much more than you just glaring all day long!” Knight states, sounding completely sure of himself. He finally looks at Arme, and his eyes carry that usual fire of his, somehow even stronger now.

Arme ponders it. Emotions are for humans, he has no need for them. Without them, this mission is easier, he doesn’t get swayed by them. Celestials live to fulfill their purpose and his is restoring the El. Nothing less, nothing more.

On the other hand, Elsword, who seems to hold some strange power over him dislikes his lack of them. The Goddess had never forbidden him from experiencing them, though she had told him not to get close to or meddle with the affairs of humans. And he had long since done both. Yet she has never reprimanded him for it. Maybe because she knows how devoted to her greatness he is, but her warmth has never faded and she granted him all the power he has needed thus far to progress in his path.

So maybe it would be alright for him to smile, if that’s what Elsword wants. It’s not like it’ll set him back on his track to upturn his lips when the boy is around. She would tell him if it was bad. She would make sure he knew, like when he’s around demons.

Yes.

“I can smile more, if that’s what you wish,” Arme says finally, after thinking it over.

Knight’s face seems to light up at the words, only to fall into a frown right after. “If I want? The heck’s that supposed to mean? What do you want, then?”

This question’s easy. “The Goddess’ will.”

Knight’s face hardens.

Arme glances away.

“...and your happiness.”

It’s so low, barely a whisper, that Knight thinks he had misheard at first. But no, he wouldn’t have. Even with the festivities going on a few streets down, their room is quiet enough.

Knight can feel his cheeks heating up. Maybe he can blame it on the lighting. “W-Well! It’d make me happy if you showed what you feel more often!”

“Showed?”

“Yeah! Like— Like when we see demons, your face goes real scary and anyone can tell you’re angry.”

“So you… like it when I’m angry?”

“No!” Knight sighs in exasperation, but he doesn’t give up. That’s not like him in the first place. “I don't like it when you’re angry, but I do like when you express yourself!”

“Huh,” Arme wonders. The sun is disappearing behind the tall temple and everything is getting darker. And, admittedly, more intimate. It’s not everyday that Elsword decides to talk about something like this.

“Do you want me to laugh when you say a joke? Tease Mr. Ancient again? Smile when I’m with you?” Arme questions, doing his best to remember… well, emotions. His memory might be great, but accurately categorizing his past behavior is a little (a lot) hard for him.

“If— If that’s what you want to do in those situations!” Knight’s face flushes further and he ducks away, grabbing his sword and cleaning rag. His hands start up the repetitive movement of polishing the blade.

“Well, sometimes jokes are funny. Especially the ones Miss Elf says about Miss Magician and you.”

“She what—” Knight mutters angrily, scrubbing harder.

“And teasing Mr. Ancient is amusing, I suppose. He gets all huffy. And I… do get the urge to smile whenever you’re around.”

Knight’s shoulders hunch, fully tense now. His bangs hide his equally flaming cheeks. It doesn’t seem possible for him to get any redder at this point.

Arme frowns and reaches out to brush the fringe out of Elsword’s face before pressing the back of his hand to the other’s forehead. “Elsword, your face is burning up. Do you have a fever?”

“N-No!” Knight refuses to look at him, instead boring through the floor.

Arme retracts his hand and they lapse into silence again. Knight breaks it after a moment, his voice tentative and unlike anything he’s like on the battlefield.

“Hey, could I get one?”

“Get what?”

“...a smile.”

Arme blinks, but Elsword seems serious and very adamant. Slowly, Arme raises the corners of his lips into what he hopes is a nice smile. Knight mirrors him, though his looks a thousand times prettier than whatever Arme could manage.

“Could you do this more often? A smile suits you,” Knight tells him, the corners of his eyes crinkling when his smile widens even further.

Something in Arme’s chest melts and he finds himself chuckling. “Only because it’s you.”

The Goddess would tell him if he was doing anything wrong, but how could anything this gentle be wrong?

[dustingrayves]

them

[imagines-for-elrios]

Arme Thaumaturgy x Lord Knight

They lowkey started to act like they were in a relationship for long while awhile. Everyone noticed it. Everyone shipped it. Especially Elesis

LK falls in love with the Celestial first, basically being a tomato whenever he’s around Arme

There were times when LK was grumpy and lashed out at random members of the Elgang if they tried to talk to him. Arme made him sit in a corner to re-evaluate his choices for that

LK is stressed as hell and trains himself to death almost all the time, it worries Arme to no end, even though the Celestial is convinced that he has no emotions left, he still cares for the small redhead.

When he sees LK on the verge of passing out from lack of eating and sleep he stops him and convinces him to go to bed. By picking him up and dragging him off to bed, but LK falls asleep in his arms anyways.

After Literally almost everyone in the Elgang bugging the poor boy about his crush on the Celestial he sucks it up and asks him to be his boyfriend.

Surprisingly, Arme accepts almost immediately.

Thank god that Elesis was there because LK fainted immediatley after Arme accepted.

During the time of their Relationship they are almost disgustingly adorable together.

They worry about eachother if the other is gone for too long and if they are together they won’t willingly leave the other alone.

Arme also tried to braid LK’s hair once, it wasn’t the best, but LK kept the braid in his hair for quite some time.

After a year of them being together, the question that they hated the most popped up and wouldn’t stop popping up: “ Have you two had sex yet? “

Their answer is always a stern no. They’re never planning on doing that ever, sorry guys :’D

I hope that you didn’t want all 3 class ships because I couldn’t think of anything else :’DD

but this is my first batch of HCs so please forgive me O great Anon ;v; -Mod Chili

[ao3feed-klance]

Blue eyes & coffee

read it on AO3 at http://bit.ly/2BGy9hl

by Lkath

Estaba lloviendo la primera vez que Keith entró a Altea's coffe.

Estaba lloviendo la primera vez que Keith vio esos ojos azules.

  •Dedicado a LoverBoy en Voltron Amino

Words: 627, Chapters: 1/1, Language: Español

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron)

Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Cuban Lance (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Gay Keith (Voltron), Pining Keith (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Mutual Pining, Pre-Relationship

read it on AO3 at http://bit.ly/2BGy9hl

[ao3feed-voltronlegendarydefender]

Good Boyfriend

read it on the AO3 at Good Boyfriend

by Lkath

Lance se enferma y Keith lo cuida.

Words: 2200, Chapters: 1/1, Language: Español

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron)

Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Mentioned Krolia (Voltron), Gay Keith (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Dorks in Love, Keith (Voltron) is a Good Boyfriend, Sickfic, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Lance (Voltron) is a Mess

read it on the AO3 at Good Boyfriend

[ao3feed-galrakeith]

Warrior

by Lkath

Luego de terminar la guerra, los planetas liberados empezaron a esclavizar a todos los galra posibles; los pura sangre y a los mestizos, no importaba de que edad eran; eran galra y esa era razón suficiente para hacerlo.

La princesa Allura no hizo nada para detener esto, los paladines volvieron a la tierra y el actual emperador no intentaba luchar por la libertad de su gente; estando más interesado en el estudio de la quintaesencia.

Sin embargo, aún había una pequeña esperanza para la raza de los galra:

Volviendo de un autoproclamado exilio estaba un mestizo distinto a los demás, el había sido parte importante en la guerra por el universo y alguna vez paladin del León rojo:

Keith Kogane.

Words: 281, Chapters: 1/?, Language: Español

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: Multi

Characters: Keith (Voltron), Krolia (Voltron), The Blade of Marmora, Galran Soldiers (Voltron), Galaxy Garrison Staff, Iverson (Voltron), Coran (Voltron), Allura (Voltron), Lotor (Voltron), Lotor's Generals (Voltron), Haggar (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Lance's Family (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron), Hunk's Family (Voltron), Pidge | Katie Holt, Pidge | Katie Holt's Family, Matt Holt, Shiro (Voltron), Shiro's Mother (Voltron), Original Galran Character(s), Original Female Character(s), Original Male Character(s), Galrans (Voltron), Nyma (Voltron), Rolo (Voltron), Voltron Paladins, Red Lion (Voltron)

Relationships: Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith & Voltron Paladins, Keith & Red Lion (Voltron), Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Allura/Shiro (Voltron), Keith & Krolia (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Altean Keith (Voltron), Galra Keith (Voltron), Alternate Universe, Galra Empire, Space Pirates, Rebels, Keith and Shiro are Adoptive Siblings, Orphan Keith (Voltron), Top Keith (Voltron), Bottom Lance (Voltron), Minor Violence, Minor Keith/Lance (Voltron), Shapeshifting, Episode: s05e04 Kral Zera, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping

from AO3 works tagged 'Voltron: Legendary Defender' http://archiveofourown.org/works/14405856 via IFTTT

[catodotexe]

gatos gatos gatos !

djaksd muchas gracias :D!

[loftyexecutor]

clean slate (12/?)

Pairing: (eventual) addcest [LPDE] & elsain [LKATh] WC this chapter: 3050 Rating: T+ TWs: (past) abuse AU: modern/single parent Lusa (with his tiny son Arc) + runaway Esper Notes: comfrot comfort comfort comfort cofmort!!!

ao3 mirror

Sunlight streams into the room through the window, rays falling at the perfect angle to be visible, if there was someone to look at it. Birds chirp their usual morning songs, carrying them along from tree to tree.

Esper stirs, yawning as he resurfaces from his slumber. His eyes crack open the barest amount and he watches the patches of light dancing along the wall after shining through the tree crowns outside. His eyes fall closed soon after, though, as he snuggles closer to his blanket. It’s so warm…

He isn’t sure how long he’d been asleep, but it was probably too little or too much, because he feels groggy and still sleepy. That’s why it takes so long for him to place himself; to realize he is absolute not snuggling up to the usual purple comforter, but to Lusa instead. His immediate confusion is replaced by understanding upon but a minute of thinking. The events of yesterday come back to him all at once, like a tidal wave that makes him want to curl up and disappear.

Seeing his father again had been… And to think he’d come to try and take him back! The taste of bile tickles at the back of his throat when he imagines  all that could’ve happened. What if Lusa hadn’t been at home; what if it had just been him? Would his father have pulled out his favorite gun? What if Arc had been alone instead? Knowing how much father hates children, Esper doesn’t even want to entertain that particular scenario.

And what now — now that father knows where he is? Are they ever going to be safe again? It is all too easy to hire people to do as father would like, such as maid chefs, chauffeurs, or kidnappers…

Why would he want Esper back, though? He’d always lamented his uselessness and never let up an opportunity to remind him of it. Everything was always his fault, from an undusted shelf to father’s decline of stocks. No matter how hard he’d try or how much he’d do, it had never been enough.

So shouldn’t he be happy to have Esper out of his hair? He should be enjoying it, so why was he here, months and months later?

Esper doesn’t know. He just doesn’t know.

Almost unconsciously, he nuzzles himself into the crook of Lusa’s neck. Lusa’s still sound asleep, breathing even and almost inaudible. In the silence only broken by the birds outside, Esper’s mind wanders again.

Even with everything bad going on, he feels comfortable at the moment. Lusa is warm and letting him cuddle this close. Maybe (and probably) he’ll change his mind and kick Esper out as soon as he wakes up and finds that he’s still here. That had been why he’d probably offered this arrangement in the first place, to make sure Esper wouldn’t make another attempt at an escapade.

And maybe that's why Esper wants to take advantage of the moment, a little selfishly. Lusa has an arm slung over his stomach, as if he’d held Esper close during the night. Esper takes a moment to imagine what it would be like to feel this every morning, to wake up in someone’s (Lusa’s) arms, held close and safe.

He regrets it almost immediately. He can’t have that, he’ll never have that. This was a one night thing and — oh god, that sounded weird even in his own head! He’ll be lucky if Lusa isn't angry at him. He had made both him and Arme and Knight worry last night, after all.

They might all come to hate him. Lusa had begged him to come back, but even so, he will surely realize letting Esper stay here isn’t wise. Thought that frightens him, he can’t say he would be surprised in the slightest. He’d even be a little grab, maybe. Just maybe.

The last thing he wants is for Lusa or, god forbid, Arc to get hurt like he had been. They don’t deserve that.

Lusa stirs in his sleep, pulling Esper out of his mental spiral like a cold shower. He tenses up, preparing himself for Lusa’s anger, but the other man just squeezes him like a giant plushie and burrows his head further into the pillow. A breath that he didn’t even know he’d been holding escapes Esper.

He watches Lusa’s face, so peaceful when he’s asleep. He’s drawn to the almost invisible smattering of freckles across Lusa’s cheeks and nose, so light and subtle he hadn’t noticed them until this very moment. Then again, he’d never been this close to Lusa’s face before. He feels a sudden urge to touch them, but he refrains, fearful of waking him up. He’s already pushing his luck the longer he stays so close.

Esper gets a little lost in Lusa’s soft breathing that he almost misses the other actually waking.

Lusa’s eyes flutter open and gaze at him, captivating him with a single look. They’re so pink, catching every single ray of sunlight and reflecting it back ten folds. Esper doesn’t even breathe.

Lusa’s lips stretch into a lazy smile, a soft expression that is so usual for him but so different coupled with the wild bedhead he’s sporting right now. His voice is equally soft, and equally unusual. Esper’s used to Lusa sounding a little gruff in the morning, but it has nothing on what he sounds like now.

“G’morning, Es.”

Esper can do nothing but stare in silence and Lusa laughs, squeezing him again, but this time obviously on purpose. It makes Espers cheeks and chest alike bloom with warmth. Honestly, he wouldn’t be opposed to staying like this all day.

Lusa’s eyes soften and he reaches up to brush Esper’s hair out of his face. “Are you feeling better?”

Esper doesn’t have a definitive answer to such a question and he’d feel bad telling the complete truth. He still feels bad, and he probably won’t just stop anytime soon. “I don’t know,” he says finally.

Lusa’s demeanor doesn’t change at all even when he says that. “How about some breakfast? That might help you decide,” he offers, sitting up with a groan and stretching his arms above his head.His joints pop with a satisfying crackle. “Plus it’s time to wake Arc, anyhow.”

Esper nods, but doesn’t move yet, not even as Lusa stands and does a few stretches. He makes it look effortless, but Esper cringes inwardly at the thought of even attempting all of that. Which brings his attention to the fact that he’s still wearing yesterday’s clothes, and they’re very, very sticky now. They need a wash and he needs a shower, stat.

“I’ll wake up Arc. How do you want your eggs? I’ll get ‘em started.”

“Sunny side up, please,” Esper says as he drags himself out of the bed, finally. Lusa disappears downstairs and Esper is left alone, staring at the conjoined bathroom’s door. He can’t find the energy to stand and go to the shower, but he knows he has to. His clothes stink of yesterday’s sweat and misery and his face must be a mess after all the crying he’d done; again.

Eventually he does kick himself into getting up and into the shower. The hot, borderline scalding water feels heavenly on his skin. He’s glad he’s decided to shower as soon as he steps foot into the shower.

He does feel a little better when he gets out, smelling of Lusa’s shampoo and body wash and strategically stealing one of his shirts from the drier pile because he’d forgotten to bring his own spare to change into. And he’s sure as hell not going out into the hall naked, thank you very much. He even looks forward to the promised breakfast; Lusa had been right, maybe some normalcy will calm him.

The house is filled with Arc’s excited chattering when Esper goes down the stairs, a towel slung over his neck and hair all over the place as it dries. Arc is sitting at the table with his new blow pens, vigorously blowing red color onto a picture in front of himself. On a closer look, Esper sees it’s a picture of Knight, and the blow pen had completely ruined half the paper with ink, but Arc looks so proud of himself, red in the face from all the blowing, gasping for breath.

“Es! Morning!” he greets, holding the paper up for Esper to see better. “Look! Look!!”

“Its very pretty, Arc. When it dries, why don’t you find it a place on the fridge museum of art?”

Lusa laughs from where he’s flipping shrips of bacon on a pan, glancing over at the two of them. “You should draw Arme too, so this Knight isn’t lonely,” he suggest — and he doesn’t even have to look to know Arc’s face lit up like a neon sign at midnight, or how facst he dug for another piece of paper to do just that.

Esper sits next to him and watches as Lusa cooks for all of them. He never sends a mean look his way or even looks annoyed at having to do it himself. He een starts humming a song somewhere along the line as he plates the bacon to the already made eggs.

He presents the plates like a waiter at an expensive restaurant, complete with a curtsy and a ‘bon appetite!’ Esper rewards him with a chuckle —it’s more than obvious that Lusa is pleased with it and with himself.

Arc digs into the meal after squirting way too much ketchup onto the edge of the plate and knocking no less than five markers off the table. It feels like a normal morning when his father starts berating him even while picking up the markers instead of his son.

Esper kind of wishes they could all just pretend yesterday didn’t happen.

—————————————————————————————

They can’t — of course not.

Truthfully, Esper likes the fact that Lusa actually talks to him about things, but right now he isn’t ready to face the fact that he had hurt Lusa, or the fact that Asker could’ve hurt so much more than just any of their feelings. But Lusa is hellbent on having the conversation, and calls Esper over to the living room when Arc runs off to draw more, already looking up pictures on his tablet to copy.

Lusa pats a spot next to himself on the couch. Esper reluctantly takes it.

“Well?” Lusa starts, turning the TV on and flipping through the channels. He lands on the cartoon channel and it provides some much needed background noise. “Do you feel a lil better after eating? It’s okay if not, you know.”

Half of Esper wants to say no because he’s still stressed and scared, but the other half has to admit he does feel better than he did before the whole getting-out-of-bed thing. He lands on a simple, “Yeah.”

Lusa nods, looking at him from the side instead of straight on. Esper isn’t sure if it’s intentional, but it makes him less skittish, knowing he isn’t being watched the whole time.

“So… about yesterday, I wanna—”

“I’m sorry,” Esper jumps in, his fingers feeling like they’d pop right off if he stopped interlocking them. “I’m sorry… about scaring you and— and running off with Arc. I didn’t want him to get hurt and I wasn't thinking. I’m sorry.”

“No, no, c’mon, listen to me for a sec, ‘kay? It’s actually me who wants to apologize,” Lusa wraps an arm over Esper’s shoulders and pulls him a little closer, but it’s such a Lusa-esque move — soft and more nudging than anything, and Esper is sure if he shied away at all, Lusa would just let go and not even comment on it. But Esper falls onto his shoulders without any resistance whatsoever, nestling himself and happy to know he’s still accepted there.

“You didn’t do anything,” Esper tells him, looking down at where he’d started picking at the sleeves of his borrowed shirt. Yet another thing Lusa hasn't commented on. Thank god.

“No, I did. I should’ve suspected something was up as soon as he said he’s here because of you!” Lusa looks down as well, watching Esper’s fingers tugging at the black lem of the sleeve. “If I’d known it was your father sooner— I should have known. I shouldn’t’ve let him in.”

“You couldn’t have known.”

“You’re family, you’re got… similar hair and—”

“You also have similar hair to me! Please don’t blame yourself, Lusa. I’m just glad no one got hurt this time.”

“Except him.”

Lusa still sounds so proud of himself when saying it that Esper is reminded of what actually happened. Or what Lusa had claimed happened.

“You really—” He swallows heavily, fighting with the lump in his throat. He remembers what had happened when he had hurt Asker in defense, those few failed attempts at escaping. He never liked stones all that much afterwards. “You really punched him, huh?”

“Broke his nose, Es. I really don’t think he’ll show his face here again.”

Lusa’s managing to stay calm, even proud, but he doesn’t know Asker. Not like Esper does. The dread in his stomach and pumping through his veins is his and his alone.

“He will,” he says softly, because Lusa doesn’t understand, doesn’t know how possessive Asker is of his things, no matter how bad or broken they are. He will come back and he will hurt Lusa like he’d hurt Grace when she had crossed him.

The smell of smoke will forever plague Esper’s nightmares.

“I’m scared he’ll hurt you. He’s rich and he doesn’t know how to stop. He never has.”

“I’m not made of glass, Esper. It’s not like I can’t protect you,” is Lusa’s answer, also so very Lusa-esque. It’s so expected that Esper actually snorts.

“He killed someone, you know.” Lusa’s arm tightens around Esper’s shoulder for a split second before it eases up again. “It’s not worth it to cross him.”

Lusa is silent for a while, staring through the awfully-animated cartoon on the TV rather than actually watching it. “You’re worth it,” he mutters finally.

Esper feels like crying again when the words and their meaning hit him at last, but for once he keeps it inside.

—————————————————————————————

Knight calls him in the evening as he’s making dinner, hellbent on not letting Lusa and Arc eat grossly greasy potato smilies again. He stirs the fry and holds the phone up to his ear.

“Hello, Knight?”

“Esper! I just wanted to check if everything’s okay.”

Knight sounds worried, and from the quick explanation, Esper already knows. Arme hasn't called Lusa all day, otherwise Knight wouldn’t be worried like this.

“I’m sorry for worrying you.”

It feels like all he does is apologize, but what else is new when all he does is screw up? He’d done that all his life, but now he has people that get worried instead of angry and though Lusa is doing his best to explain, he still can’t quite comprehend it, or deal with it.

Apologizing for worrying someone else is immensely different to apologizing just to keep punishment and wrath to a minimum. It feels completely different and makes him feel so exhausted with himself.

“No, it’s okay,” Knight tells him they’re all there to tell him it’s okay until it feels okay again. Until his brain believes them. He hasn’t known that luxury before meeting them. “How are you feeling? What are you doing, anyway— I’m not interrupting, am I?”

Esper shakes his head, catches himself and says, “Not at all, I’m just making dinner. I’m better now. Um… Lusa and Arc have been… way too nice, honestly. If I could ask you, could you thank Arme for me once more?”

Knight’s laugh echoes in Esper’s ears. He takes the pan off the heat and checks the rice, deeming it done as well. The quiet hum of the fire and bubbling juices slowly comes to a halt, leaving him alone in the —very good smelling— kitchen.

“I’ll tell him. It’s good to hear you’re okay. I’d’ve missed you a lot if you left, but the others would have as well. And— you know, if your father ever shows up again, you’re not dealing with him alone.”

Esper wants to interject — really wants to, but Knight seems to have thought this little speech over and he doesn’t even have anything constructive to add, so what is the point?

“Yeah, uh— you still there?”

“Yeah,” Esper mutters, still taken aback by Knight’s unprompted show of affection. God, they all really like him, huh? Like, genuinely, really like him, and not just because of what he does all the time. He doesn’t know why it’s hitting him so hard right now, but he knows he’d just jump off a bridge if Asker were to touch even one hair on anyone’s heads.

“Sorry, just… thinking.” an understatement, he’s most definitely overthinking everything right now.

“No worries! I just kinda realized how embarrassing that sounded, so, well. I just didn’t want you to laugh at me,” Knight says, and then laughs himself.

“I’d never laugh at you,” Esper reassures him, but then his lips curl up and he adds, “Not unless one of your kids dragged you again.”

“Hey! It ain’t my fault they take after Arme!”

Esper laughs then, feeling giddy. He can read his friends and know when teasing will be taken for the joke it is, no repercussions.

“Keep telling yourself that, one day you might even believe it. It’s definitely not because you’re such an easy target, nuh-uh.”

“I’m mailing you a fucking glitter bomb as we speak, you fucker.”

“Don’t forget to include a return address so I can repack it and send it back with a new label.”

Knight groans on the other side of the call and Esper knows he’s won this little back and forth. He calls Lusa and Arc to eat the dinner and lets Knight know exactly what he’d made just to hear him whining over being hungry.

It’s entirely too easy to feel like nothing had ever happened, surprisingly. He’s not sure how long it will last, but he allows himself to hope for a long time.

[dustingrayves]

clean slate (7/?)

previous | next

Pairing: (eventual) addcest [LPDE] & elsain [LKATh] WC this chapter:  Rating: T+ TWs: (past) abuse, talking about it  AU: modern/single parent Lusa (with his tiny son Arc) + runaway Esper Notes: this took a long ass time im sorry but i wanted to make sure it was, soft and reassuring as it should be. this fic is rly close to my heart and writing it is very tiring in a certain way

anyway. esper & lusa talk it out! 

ao3

Lusa had thought Esper would be uncomfortable, but much to his surprise (and elation), he isn’t. Then again, he hadn’t been that uncomfortable around Knight or Arme.

At least the second time around.

Esper had taken to cooking lunch for them all, the biggest pot sitting on the stove, filled with rice. A saucepan rests next to it, thick sauce with pieces of meat slowly cooling down from its boiling point. The scent permeates the whole house; it had lulled Arc downstairs from where he’d been preparing his room for the other boys.

“No, dad! I have to make it into a fort!” Arc had cried in the morning, stubbornly pulling along all the blankets and pillows that weren’t in Lusa’s own bed. As an afterthought, Lusa made him return a set to the guest room. Esper needs somewhere to sleep, too, after all.

The Sieghart-Ishmael family arrives right on time, not that Arme’s punctuality would allow for anything else. They come in like a hurricane, Shea chasing Anpa as soon as they’re out of the car and backing him right into the living room. Arc joins in, siding with Anpa, and soon enough, they tickle Shea back into being nice, the redhead pleading with them to let him go.

Lusa turns to offer Esper an apology, but is stunned to see the man laughing and making his way over as if it were the most natural thing, kneeling down and stopping the boys before Shea’s laughter could turn into tears.

“Great with kids, isn’t he?” Knight says, watching the scene from besides him. Lusa nods absently, his expression softening.

“He’s great in general.”

Knight snorts, casting the taller man a look, but doesn’t bother commenting. He follows Esper’s beckoning and goes over to the kitchen; Arme is right on his tail.

The table in the kitchen is way too small for all of them and soon enough there’s Esper, holding two too many plates. He seems to manage them all, though, setting them onto the coffee table with ease. Knight follows with a bottle of cola and his own plate, Arme with the other plates, and the kids with cutlery.

A heated debate starts between the boys and Esper about which superpower is the best and would win in a fight. In the end Esper convinces them that stopping time would be better than any magic. By the time they conclude this, the food is set out.

“Arc, why didn’t you tell us you have a new dad?” Anpa asks as Arc takes a mouthful — his timing is always impeccable.

“Yeah, Esper’s so cool!” Shea agrees enthusiastically.

Esper almost chokes on his food, coughing loudly to try and clear his windpipe. “I’m not Arc’s dad, guys,” he says, nervously looking at Lusa. He, however, didn’t seem to notice the remark. That, or he’s pretending not to have heard it, though Esper can’t fathom up a reason why he’d do that.

“But you cook and help me with homework,” Arc pipes up, having finally properly chewed and swallowed. “That’s what dads do!”

Esper doesn’t know how to reply to that, and Lusa is of no help whatsoever when he looks over again. In fact, he’s pointedly ignoring everything and switching through the TV channels faster than he can even notice what’s on them. But when he looks closer, Esper notices the prominent blush creeping into his tan cheeks.

“Does that mean Esper and Lusa do stuff like dad and papa?” Shead ponders, barely legible through the food he keeps cramming into his mouth.

“Like kissing and stuff?” supplies Anpa, at which Shea nods.

Esper’s heart skips a beat. Or a bunch of them. “I— I don’t—”

“Okay, that’s enough. You’re not supposed to talk with your mouth full, it’s rude,” Arme interjects, and his look makes Shea shy away in guilt, silently chewing through his next mouthful.

Esper stays silent for the rest of the meal, even when Lusa makes banter with Arme and Knight. The kids don’t seem to notice his detached state, but Lusa sure does, sending him concerned glances.

“What’s for dessert?” Arc whines when everyone but Arme is done with their food, looking at Esper with those big doe eyes. “Is it ice cream? Do we have ice cream, Es? Ice cream, ice cream!”

Anpa and Shea join in, equally as enthusiastic, voices whiny and prolonging the words. “I want ice cream, too!” “Me too, me too!” “Esper, please!”

Who is Esper to say ‘no’ to three matching pairs of pleading eyes? Plus it gives him the excuse to escape the stifling atmosphere in the living room that he couldn’t find on his own.

“I’ll go get you some. Wait here, I’ll be right back,” he says, smiling at the boys. He collects the empty plates and cutlery and retreats into the quieter and safer, less confusing kitchen.

“I want the ice cream!” Arc whines, kicking his feet up where he sits. The couch makes dull thuds as his tiny feet hit it.

“I’ll go help him,” Lusa says finally, pushing himself up and going over to the kitchen.

He finds Esper nervously shifting in front of the counter, three bowls of ice cream neatly arranged on it. But the container hasn’t been put away and Esper’s eyes are glued to it as he tangles and untangles his fingers sporadically, tugging at the hem of his shirt.

“Esper?” Lusa calls out, and immediately winces, because the lanky man quite literally jumps three feet up, shoulders going stiffer than Arme’s work face.

“Ah, Lusa— I—”

“What’s wrong?” Lusa asks, to stop whatever excuse Esper has bubbling up from within him.

“Well, I…” Esper’s shoulders sag and he jerks his head to the ice cream container on the counter. He looks unjustly guilty and Lusa can’t figure out why. “I also… wanted ice cream,” comes out of Esper finally, quiet as ever. “I— Can I?”

So that’s what happened.

Lusa’s stomach makes a very uncomfortable flip at the familiarity of such uncertainty. He steps closer, but tries his best not to be too up in Esper’s personal space.

“Esper,” he says, but the other man keeps his gaze pointedly trained to the floor. “Hey, can I touch you?”

After a moment, Esper gives a hesitant nod.

Lusa’s hand comes to rest on his shoulder, just a gentle pressure. It moves up and his fingers curl around Esper’s chin, only putting slight pressure, and ultimately it’s Esper himself who yields and lifts his chin, looking at Lusa with wide eyes.

“Listen to me, Esper, okay? There’s no— okay, are you listening, listen closely, there’s no circumstance where you couldn’t. You can eat the whole damn thing if you want to,” Lusa tells him, making sure Esper is looking right at him. “You don’t have to ask these things.”

He lets go of Esper’s chin, but he doesn’t move back yet, waiting until Esper says something, until it sinks in, anything. He’s surprised when Esper’s hands come up and wrap around him, giving a small squeeze, but as quick as that, they’re gone; Esper steps back a little, scanning Lusa’s expression for any signs that that had been wrong.

He doesn’t find any.

“I— thank you,” he forces out, feeling like there’s a lump lodged right inside his throat. Lusa’s lips stretch out into a wide smile.

“You can have all the ice cream, but,” he says, moving to the cooking cabinet. “not without sprinkles.”

Esper is bewildered when Lusa produces a colorful box and scatters some (way too much) of the sprinkles onto all four of the bowls. Lusa notes Esper gave himself less ice cream than the kids. Baby steps, he reminds himself. It’s a start.

Lusa pops up back from work while Esper eats dinner and watches something that looks awfully like a cat vine compilation.

“Hey,” he greets, and feels more worried than reassured when Esper hums in return, shoveling the reheated leftovers into his mouth. He doesn't even raise his gaze from the laptop. Lusa sets his bag down and plops himself next to the lankier man. “You’ve been… not yourself since the sleepover. If there’s something bothering you, I wanna talk about it.”

His tone — maybe a little more forceful than he’d intended — makes Esper pause, but he doesn’t tense up or do anything else to indicate he wants to get away from the situation.

“I—” Esper stares down at his plate, fork tapping against the blue plastic. “Sorry, it’s stupid, I just— keep thinking about what he kids said.”

Lusa reaches over and pauses the video with a tap, making sure they aren’t interrupted. “It’s not stupid,” he declares, stretching an arm. “Touch okay?” he makes sure to ask and only when he receives a nod does he put it around Esper’s shoulders. “If it makes you worry, it’s important.”

Esper laughs, though he seems to lose his appetite and sets the half-eaten meal onto the coffee table. “You think I’d make a good father?” he asks out of nowhere.

“Dude, you’d make a great dad! You can deal with kids really well and they like you too!”

Esper’s lips curl into a wistful smile. “Thanks. I… used to think dads were totally different, and I vowed I’d never ever be like him and— oh. I shouldn’t talk about that, huh?”

Lusa’s arm pulls Esper closer, almost unconsciously. “You don’t have to say anything you don’t want to. But if you wanna, I’m all ears for you.”

“He was a really bad father. I mean, I knew it wasn’t really normal, I just— I never realized how not normal it’d been. Not until… I met you. And I— I really don't want to hurt Arc, but he thinks I’m staying and I don’t know how to tell him I’m not without hurting him and being like him—”

“Hey,” Lusa says, stopping Esper as he starts going down a spiral. He doesn’t even realize tears have sprung into his eyes — or that they started rolling down his cheeks — until Lusa moves to wipe them with a thumb. “Do you want to leave?”

“I— I don’t know?” Esper answers, though his inflection warps it into more of a question than anything. “I don’t want to freeload you, I already owe you a lot.”

A flash of uncontrollable rage bolts through Lusa.

Not at Esper, god no, but at the fucker who made this his first thought process.

“You’re not a freeloader, and you don’t owe me shit.” Lusa takes a deep breath to stop himself from growling. Esper looks away, hiding his worried look. “Listen, you staying here? That’s me paying you back. Y’know, for sending you to the hospital?”

“You said it’s a polyclinic—”

“You never had to cook or clean or anything, but you did, and I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable by saying something. I know you feel obliged to, I know that feeling, but I promise you aren’t. Plus it’s not like I’m gonna kick you out, if— if you don’t wanna leave. It’s nice having you about, y’know?”

“Wait—” Esper cuts him off again — the first time that has happened, he thinks — looking at him with a frown. “You— how would you know about this feeling?”

Lusa starts, but laughs. “You told me about yourself, so I’ll tell you too. Arc’s mom, her name’s Sera, and… y’know, she wasn’t the best person. We met at the university, we were in the same course, and I, I idolized her. She was pretty, she was smart and skilled and resourceful. I thought she loved me back, I really did. We worked together, but for her, the work was always a priority. We’d pull allnighters and she’d get me to bring her whatever she needed or wanted. I was more of an errand boy than anything partner-like. And her slaps were legendary. I’m serious, she could send me sprawling halfway across the room with one if I did anything to get between her and her latest creation. I haven’t seen her since Arc was born; she just packed up and left. She never wanted a kid, but she used her pregnancy to wind me around her finger even more.”

“How…?” Esper asks, shakily. His brows are so drawn up that Lusa thinks they might stay like that if he keeps it up longer.

He shrugs. “She’d always go ‘I can’t bend over like this, you do it!’ or saying things like ‘You put the kid in me, but only I can get it out, one way or the other.’ That one was terrifying.”

“Wait, no! I meant… how can you just… talk about it like this?”

Lusa seems perplexed. “It was a long time ago.”

“But that— sounds horrible!” Esper almost cries out, “How can you be… so normal? I’m a— I’m a wreck!”

Lusa pulls the slighter man closer, so close, in fact, that Esper ends up leaning on his shoulder. He doesn’t complain because he appreciates the option to hide his face.

“As I said, it was a long time ago, and I had help. It took years, you’re not supposed to be okay. Whatever happened to you is gonna leave a mark,” Lusa says, carding his fingers through Esper’s short hair.

Esper mumbles something into the fabric of his shirt, but it’s too quiet to make out.

“What was that?” he asks, coaxing Esper to repeat himself.

“I said, do you think I could be like you? Okay?” Esper says, still in a low voice. His expression is utterly begging as he looks up at Lusa.

“Of course, Es,” Lusa answers, doing his best to sound sure of himself. “It takes time, but you’re away from him now. If you want, I can help you. Me and Knight and Arme. They were there for me when I was at my lowest.”

Esper chokes on a sob, “Why would you do that, though?” He sounds like he wants to believe him, but just needs the reassurance.

Lusa offers it with a big grin. “Because you’re my friend.”

Esper’s features melt into an unsure smile, like the liquid relief just flooded through him. “So you make friends by punching people’s lights out?”

“Not all, just the best ones.”

Esper snorts and takes the ensuing silence to play the video again. A cat falls off of the fridge only to land perfectly in a glass bowl. Its face is priceless.

“He was really awful, you know?” Esper mutters. Lusa keeps quiet to let him get whatever he wants off his chest off of his chest. “Made me clean the house every day, screamed if he found one speck of dust. Always wanted everything perfect. It’s all different here,” he says always wistfully. “It’s fun cooking here.”

“You can cook all you want. But I think the pantry needs to restocked for that.”

“I can go shopping tomorrow,” Esper offers immediately.

“How about we all go shopping tomorrow? Believe it or not, Arc actually loves shopping.”

Esper’s eyebrows raise. “I’m surprised.”

“Yeah, he always gets me to buy him a toy.”

“I’m no longer surprised.”

[ao3feed-klance]

Rainy day

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/2O6dxY2

by Lkath

Keith y Lance comparten algo de chocolate caliente durante un día lluvioso

Chocolate, besos y dos tontos enamorados ¿Algo más que pedir?

Words: 798, Chapters: 1/1, Language: Español

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Keith's Wolf (Voltron)

Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Rain, Hot Chocolate, Domestic Fluff, Dorks in Love, Gay Keith (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Lance (Voltron) is a Good Boyfriend, Lance (Voltron) is a Dork, Keith (Voltron) is a Good Boyfriend, Keith (Voltron) is a Dork, I Tried, I'm Bad At Tagging, One Shot, Español | Spanish, Boys Kissing, Kissing

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/2O6dxY2

[ao3feed-voltronlegendarydefender]

Blue eyes & coffee

read it on the AO3 at Blue eyes & coffee

by Lkath

Estaba lloviendo la primera vez que Keith entró a Altea's coffe.

Estaba lloviendo la primera vez que Keith vio esos ojos azules.

  •Dedicado a LoverBoy en Voltron Amino

Words: 627, Chapters: 1/1, Language: Español

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron)

Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Cuban Lance (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Gay Keith (Voltron), Pining Keith (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Mutual Pining, Pre-Relationship

read it on the AO3 at Blue eyes & coffee

[dustingrayves]

clean slate (4/?)

previous | next

Pairing: (eventual) addcest [LPDE] & elsain [LKATh] WC this chapter: 3403 Rating: T+/M TWs: (past) abuse AU: modern/single parent Lusa (with his tiny son Arc) + runaway Esper Notes: esper discovers the joy of cheerios!!!! and goes to the doctor

"Alright, no working today. No doing anything," Lusa says. Esper has to fight himself not to lower his head and start nodding.

It's early, so early the sun hasn't even risen onto the horizon. The small light above the faucet is on, illuminating the counter and almost half the kitchen, the there's Arc's kitty light sitting on the dining table, this time a bright yellow shade, casting shades on the boy's face while he stuffs his face with cereal.

The Cheerios sit to the side, Esper's bowl full and untouched. Lusa is almost done with his own bowl of Chocapic. The morning is quiet, and despite being up so early, Esper hadn't been forced awake. He just... woke up on his own, to find Arc rummaging through his closet for clothes to wear to the kindergarten today.

The boy apologized for waking him out, slinking out with green pants and a pink shirt, a combination that hurt Esper's barely open eyes like no other.

It left Esper stunned, sitting up on the bed as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. When he'd slinked downstairs, Lusa had been pouring milk into the boy's cereal.

Esper didn't even get to open his mouth to offer making breakfast before he'd been ushered to sit down, Lusa asking whether he preferred chocolate or honey cereal.

Esper couldn't remember the last time he'd had cereal, so when Arc told him that Cheerios are definitely better than Chocapic, he'd just nodded and trusted the boy.

Now, forcing himself to shove a spoonful of it into his mouth instead of falling into the usual morning routine of preparing breakfast and moving to his room to not be in the way, he feels so out of place.

"What am I supposed to do all day, then...?" Esper asks while he's chewing around the honey rings. Arc had been right, they are really, really good.

"Rest! Rest up!" Lusa huffs. Esper flinches on instinct, but Lusa doesn't sound angry, so his shoulders droop back soon enough. "I'll close the shop earlier today and take you to Arme. Make sure not to hurt your ankle till then or he'll kill me."

Esper is still confused. How can an order sound so... casual? He nods anyway.

Arc finishes his cereal and Lusa puts his and Arc's bowls into the sink. The boy slinks his drawstring bag over his tiny shoulders. Even adjusted, it still reaches down to his butt, jumping up and down with each of the boy's movements.

"See ya!" Arc says, running off towards the front door to put on his shoes. Lusa follows, but much slower, though.

"I should be back around three, okay? Please don't exert yourself again, seriously," the bigger man says from the doorway, "See ya."

Like father, like son, huh.

Esper wonders how much of his father's quirks he picked up, like Arc with Lusa's speech.

The front door shuts with a squeak, leaving him alone in the dim kitchen. The sun peeks over the horizon, its orange rays strangely warm through the glass for the middle of January.

He slowly chews through the bowl of cereal, not even sure himself how long he sits there in silence. By the time he's done, though, his cereal is a mush and the sun is fully out, shining over him brightly enough that he turns the lights off.

He doesn't know what to do with himself; the house is still clean from yesterday, yet he can still find a number of things to fix and clean properly. He'd never just been left alone without orders of what to do, or supervision so he wouldn't mess up. He's at a loss.

He ends up in the kitchen, on the big black sofa, tentatively switching through the channels on TV.

There's news on, something about a drive by shooting at the Arizona university. Esper doesn't much care for news.

Click.

There's a cooking show, with a man yelling bleeped out profanities that Esper recognizes immediately. Click.

He doesn't even realize his shaky hand had switched the channel until there's a colorful character dancing to a catchy beat taking up the screen. A kids' show.

He leaves it on, curling up on the couch with his head resting on the arm rest.

When he was little, he used to watch these with his mom, but that had been so, so long ago. The characters talking about friendship and helping each other is strangely nostalgic.

Time flies, so quickly he doesn't even notice. He's sure he dozes off here and there, but the shows keep going and he loses track of how many different ones he'd seen.

He's awoken from another nap by a hand on his shoulder, shaking him softly. He's so stunned and bleary from waking up that he doesn't even jump, just blinking up at Lusa's grinning face.

"Wake up, Esper, we need to go to the doc," Lusa says, letting go of Esper's shoulder before his touch becomes too much.

Esper sits up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. There' still the colorful show running on the TV. Lusa doesn't comment on his watching decisions, though, thankfully.

Lusa waits for him by the door while he struggles to put his shoes on. He's still a little doozy, even as they leave the house, Lusa locking it behind them and leading him to his black car.

"Have you been watching TV all day?" Lusa asks after starting the car, peeking sideways as Esper fiddles with his seatbelt.

"Ah- yeah..." Esper mumbles, lowering his gaze when he finally clicks the seat belt.

Lusa doesn't yell at him for wasting the day away, instead he looks positively happy. "Good! Thank you," he says softly, pulling out of the driveway.

Esper picks at his nails, unsure of what to do or say. He'd never been praised for not doing anything. Then again, he hadn't been praised in a long time.

The drive is silent, Esper looking out of the window at the streets they pass. The town is nice, trees lining the streets, nice houses, a giant park filling one of the squares. It's quiet, almost no one around, since most of kids are still in school and people working or shopping.

They stop in front of a tall white building with a green plus sign peeking from the wall, indicating there's a pharmacy inside. This must be the clinic, then.

Lusa parks in one of the reserved seats in front of the building and they get inside, a girl greeting them at the reception desk.

"Hey, Lusa," she says, smiling. "You here to see Arme? He said something about you coming."

"Yeah, we'll go up," Lusa replies, while Esper hides himself behind him, shrinking so he's hidden behind Lusa's larger frame. "Thanks Rena, we won't be too long."

"Mmhm, you know your way, right?"

"Yup!" And with that, Lusa makes his way through the hallways towards an elevator. Esper, startled by his speed, rushes to catch up, almost tripping over himself when the receptionist gives him a smile.

They take the elevator up, Esper frowning as pain shoots up his foot from his near-trip. Everything here is so sterile and white, and somehow, even the chlorine smell is comforting.

Arme's office seems to be on the second floor, down a long hallway lined with soft seats and tiny tables covered in pamphlets and coloring books.

Nobody is there, fortunately, and when Lusa knocks on the heavy wooden door, it opens almost immediately. They're let in, Arme sitting in his seat and typing something onto his computer. He stops when they enter, turning in his chair to face them.

"I almost didn't think you'd come," he says, motioning them inside. "I was going to call you."

Lusa almost seems to pout. "You thought I'd forget? Seriously?"

"One never knows with you," Arme remarks, and then makes a vague come hither motion with his hand. Esper doesn't seem to get it. "Come sit, Esper."

Esper tentatively comes forward and sits on the bed in the middle of the room. He looks around nervously, staying quiet.

Arme and Lusa exchange a look and then the white haired man sits on a chair by the door.

"Well, I'm Arme," Arme says and then motions to his nurse, a short man with red hair falling into his face and a soft smile. The thing that catches Esper's attention, though, is that he's wearing a pink scrubs instead of the normal green ones like Arme is, peeking from underneath his white coat. "And this is Elsword."

The nurse raises a hand to wave, "Feel free to call me Knight."

Esper hums softly, "Yeah, you're the one from Arc's picture."

His remark gets confused blinking. Shaking his head, Arme decides to get on with his job. "Alright, so how's your leg?"

Esper swings his legs over the edge of the bed, frowning as he moves it around. "It's better?'

"Is it really better?" Arme asks, raising his eyebrow.

Esper frowns at his feet for a moment more, and then he shrugs, shoulders tensing as he looks at Arme, his own eyebrows drawing together.

Arme sighs and Knight places a hand onto his shoulder, catching his attention. Arme looks over and Knight gives him a reassuring smile. "Hey," he says, addressing Esper, "What happened to your foot, if you could tell me?"

Esper's jaw clenches and he looks uncertain, peeking over to Lusa. God, this feels awkward. He's scared of saying something wrong.

"Um... I fell on it?"

Knight nods, "How did you fall on it?"

"Uhh... Well, I was running and I tripped over the threshold. It hurt ever since," Esper mumbles, afraid there's something wrong with that.

"When was that?"

Esper stops at this question, blinking as he thinks. "Four? Five, days ago?"

Knight nods again, kneeling down and peering up at the lanky man. "Can I take off your shoe?" he asks, and waits for Esper's tentative nod before he pulls the shoe off as gently as he can. "I'll try moving it around a little, please tell me when it hurts."

Knight takes ahold of Esper's tiny foot, bending it at the ankle and the to the side, stopping immediately when Esper can't help but hiss in pain. "It hurts when you turn it to the side?" he asks, and receives a nod. He stands up again. "It's a little swollen, which isn't good after so long. We will need to go take an x-ray to see if all the bones are alright."

The nurse passes the sneaker back to Esper, who pulls it back on, looking back at Lusa. The man is still sitting there, watching him with a reassuring look. It sends shivers down Esper's spine, and he can't look at it anymore.

"I'll get the papers for the x-ray, could you wait out for three minutes?" Knight asks, though it's more of an order. Esper knows. He stands up, suppressing his wince. Lusa follows suit and they leave the office, sitting down in the seat opposite the door.

Arme sighs when the door clicks closed. "I'm terrible with people like this," he admits, sending Knight a smile. "I can never believe how well you do."

Knight beams at the praise, practically preening. "You said he was super scared of you at first, didn't you? He's not used to this. It's like dealing with kids, you don't wanna scare them." The redhead leans over, pressing a kiss to the doctor's lips. "You're doing great, don't worry, he just needs softness. Can you print the papers? I'll carry them to Niva later."

Arme hums, twisting in his seat to pull up the documents, printing them. "Are you going alone?"

"Yeah, you don't need to come along, I got this," Knight reassures, grabbing the pair of papers and leaving the office with another soft smile for his husband.

Esper jumps in his seat, shoulders hunching together. It's just Knight, he notices, and slowly relaxes as the three of them make their way back down the hallway.

He likes Knight. He's nice, seems like what Esper imagines doctors to be. Plus Arc likes him too, included him in the family picture. That's more than enough for Esper.

They load up into the elevator again, this time going up to the fourth floor. The label above the arch reads Radiology when they step off. Knight leads them to the second door on the right, where another table sits, with... something mounted on it.

"Can you lay down, Esper?" Knight asks and Lusa squeezes Esper's shoulders softly. It's somehow reassuring. Esper lays down. "Okay, turn on your side and I'll get started."

Esper lays on his side and behind him, Knight operates the machine. He tells Esper to move over a few times to get different angles of the ankle. It's over surprisingly fast.

Knight looks over the photos, frowning. He turns the computer monitor towards them. "You talus," he says, pointing at the particular bone, "It got chipped right here, and whenever your joint moves in a particular angle, it causes the pain."

Esper looks like he has no idea what a talus is, but the rest he understands. He's saved the question of 'what now' when Lusa asks it instead.

"So, what will you do to it?"

"A cast should help. It doesn't even have to stay on for long, just a week or two should be enough for the swell to lessen and the tendons and flesh to go back to normal," Knight says, printing out the x-rays. "So, no more pain."

Esper nods numbly, knowing he can't really protest. Knight turns the machine off and then leads the two of them back.

Arme greets them back, already looking at the x-rays that Knight sent him. He prompts Esper to sit on the bed again while Knight says he's going to fill in and hand in the papers.

Arme does his best to act like Knight. It's hard; after all, they're different, and Knight's niceness and personality had been what pulled Arme towards him. He's an orthopedist, he doesn't deal with kids nor with sensitive people like former-school-nurse Knight.

He does his best to be gentle and make small talk when putting the cast on. He sends Lusa to wait outside, and the man follows his order obediently.

"How are you doing?" Arme asks, "Ankle aside, I mean." Esper stays quiet for a while, and then says, "I don't know."

He actually flinches when Arme's bright eyes look up at him and he stops in his work for a moment. Arme sighs, wishing that Knight had been there already. "A bad I don't know? Or just... something different?"

Esper scratches around his nails, pulling tiny strips of skin off. "Well... It's-It's so different here," he admits, looking to the side and out of the window. "I mean, I haven't been hurt- since- since the first day, but... It's so strange... I don't know what I'm doing."

Ah. Arme gets it.

"Have you been hurt before you came here?" He goes back to his work, tucking his fringe away. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Esper seems to hesitate for a moment. "Yeah," he says finally, softly.

"I'm a doctor," Arme says, seemingly out of nowhere, like he hadn't just put a cast on the white haired man's leg. "I help when you get hurt. I'm best with bones, but Knight knows a lot about stuff like that. There's a lot of other good doctors in here, too. Whatever you need, you can come here anytime." It feels weird to assume the role of the one who reassures the patients, but Esper needs it.

Tears seem to gather in Esper's eyes, and he only nods, trying his best to blink them away, lips pursed together to stop himself from whimpering.

"You can cry," Arme says, and that's all Esper seems to need to let go of his floodgates, giant tears rolling down his cheeks while he chokes out a sob. Arme stays close by, grabbing a napkin from the dispenser and rubbing tiny circles onto Esper's back.

There's pounding on the door and it opens after a moment, both Lusa and Knight jumping in, both looking distraught at the sound of crying. Somehow, Lusa even moreso than Knight.

"Are you okay, Esper? What hurts?" Knight asks, jumping forward to inspect the masterfully applied cast.

Esper shakes his head, rubbing the tears out of his eyes frantically and then blowing his nose with the napkin Arme hands him.

Arme looks at Knight as smiles softly, half-tiredly. "It's fine, he just needs to get it out. Nothing's wrong physically anymore," he reassures his husband.

Knight blinks in realization, "Oh. I see."

Lusa is by Esper's side already, hesitant but obviously eager to do... something. Anything he can. He ends up sitting next to him, patting his back almost like Arme had been.

They wait for Esper to calm down, the tension leaving him along with the tears. Arme tries writing out the papers with the limited info on Esper they have.

"How old are you?" Arme asks, turning from the monitor, pushing his glasses further up his nose.

"Twenty two," Esper answers. Knight is a little surprised by how willing he seems with Arme now, but not unpleasantly.

"Alright, your address?"

At this, Esper falters. "Don't have one anymore."

Arme hums thoughtfully. "We can check this out later, when we take the cast off," he says finally. "You will need to get new papers, since you don't have yours, do you?"

Esper shakes his head. That hadn't been too high on his list of priorities when packing, so he didn't grab his very empty wallet. He's kind of regretting it now, since that's just more trouble for Arme and Knight now.

"Don't worry about it," Knight says, as if sensing what path of thought Esper is going down. "There's a ministry just around the block, you can go there whenever during the week."

Esper nods, very obviously relieved by hearing that. With the cast in place, Arme tells them off, making sure to mention they should come in a week, two at most. He says 'they' even though Esper could come alone. The man is much more comfortable with Lusa around, even Arme can see that.

"Thanks, Arme, Knight," Lusa says, offering them a soft, tired smile. He leads Esper out of the office, leaving his friends alone.

Arme sags against his chair, pushing his glasses up and rubbing at his eyes. Knight sighs, sets down the papers onto the desk and drapes himself over Arme's lap.

"You talked to him," he says, doesn't even ask. "You're good at this when you try."

Arme laughs and wraps his arms around Knight's midriff, making sure he wouldn't fall off. "Nowhere near your level," he says, burying his face into the crook of the younger man's neck. "He did say he got hurt before. I tried your approach, I guess."

Knight hums. His own arms come up to rest on Arme's shoulders, resting his head back against Arme's shoulder. "It's a mess with Lusa," he whispers, glancing over to see when their shifts end. "But he's good. If Esper decides to stay here, I think it'll be okay. Even Arc seems to have a good influence on him."

"He's still a kid," Arme mumbles, "I hate thinking what could've happened to him."

"We're not much older. I mean, aside from you. You're an old man."

Arme looks positively offended as Knight sticks his tongue out at him. "How dare you! I'm just five years older."

"Grandpa," Knight teases, earning himself teasing fingers skirting over his sides through his scrubs. "Fuck! Noo-"

"That's what you get," Arme grins, tickling Knight until he's a half-giggling, half-crying mess, and then he wraps his arms around him securely again, pressing a kiss to his neck. "How about we go for a dinner out tonight? The kids can stay at Ref's overnight. I'm sure Lusa asked him to look after Arc too, so they won't be bored at all."

Knight hums, calming down. "Will we finally use the red candles in the top left shelf?"

"How do you know about those?" Arme asks, grumbling, "Those were a surprise."

Knight grins. "Nothing in my house stays a secret from me."

[dustingrayves]

clean slate (1/?)

Pairing: (eventual) addcest [LPDE] & elsain [LKATh] WC this chapter: 2758 Rating: T+/M TWs: abuse/descriptive violence AU: modern/single parent Lusa (with his tiny son Arc) + runaway Esper  Notes: hi im here to ruin EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this is the first multi chaptered thing i decided to actually try and write in a long time!!! its all fleshed out thanks to @lnfi, so it should be much quicker than doing it from scratch! i hope you enjoy the Pain(tm), but dw it will get better!!!! i promise Extra notes: im sorry esper

It is with a pained groan that Esper stirs again, roused by his head hitting the window. Again.

The road seems to be absolutely littered with bumps and holes, and the driver seems absolutely uncaring towards them. Esper rubs at his eyes, shadowed by dark circles, and looks around the bus. Almost everyone is fast asleep, unheeding of the soft jumps of the vehicle. Even the mother and kid in the seat before him are curled around each other, and though the mother seems visibly less comfortable than her kid, they're both deep in the land of dreams, and Esper envies them.

Why can't he curl up and sleep the journey away as well?

He knows the answer, but he feels like blaming it on the bumpy road might help him a little. It doesn't. The reason swims behind his eyelids each time he blinks, aches around his throat and wrists.

It's the road's fault.

Definitely.

It's not the fact that he feels phantom hands squeezing his throat, or harsh yanks on his hair, even when there's nothing, head covered safely with a beanie. It's the road's fault. Not the way each passing car makes his head swivel to look and make sure it's not familiar. It's the road. Not the way most of his upper body aches with bruises, hidden underneath baggy hoodie and yet still so, so tender.

Yeah, definitely the road.

He curls up into a ball on his seat, knees tucked up to his chest and head resting against the window again. The next bump doesn't jolt him, but it does still startle him, making him frown at himself and his apparent sensitivity to something so miniscule.

A car passes by them, Esper's eyes flicking to it automatically. His breath gets stuck in his throat as the lines of light move past them, but then they pass and the car is gone and he breathe out, slumping from where he'd rigidly sat up.

The road is bathed in darkness, the sun long gone, and it turns the window into more of a mirror than anything. Esper gazes at himself, impulsively pulling his hood over his face a little more when he catches sight of the large, blooming purple bruise on the side of his cheek, stark against his pale skin. He hides it even though no one else in the buss is awake.

The rest of the bruises are hidden; beneath his turtleneck, long sleeves or pants. Defiantly frowning at the window and at his own reflection, Esper pulls out the spare jacket from his backpack, carefully folding it into a pillow shape and then wedging it to the space where the seat met the window. He lays on it and it makes the vibrations and jolts a little better.

He's finally kinda dozing off when the bus comes to a slow halt. The flickering lights of a gas stop shine out the window and people slowly awaken, stretching their sore limbs and then clambering out of the vehicle.

The driver is putting up a sign at the front window, to let the passengers know when they're leaving again. Looking at the faded sign and then at his beaten up watch, Esper concludes he has about an hour.

His legs cry in happiness as he stands on them, and he can even ignore the pulsing pain in his left ankle. The crisp night air is chilly, biting at his hands even after he shoves them into the pockets of his jacket. His backpack is haphazardly thrown over his shoulder as he wanders away from the gas station.

They seem to have stopped in a small town. It's quiet, not a single soul in sight. It's only ten PM, according to Esper's beat up watch, but that is pretty late for a town like this. People are probably at homes, getting ready for bed. All the shops are closed, no lights to light the way except the street ones.

Esper's feet drag over the stone-paved sidewalk, the seaside to his left and the row of darkened shops to his left. He stops to ogle at some, spying a clothes store with a mannequin dressed in a warm looking knitted sweater.

Esper hugs his faux leather jacket around himself tighter, mentally scolding himself for leaving his favorite sweater behind, but it's been buried somewhere in the mess of his room and he didn't have the time to grab much more than what he could stuff into his backpack right away.

The price tag says thirty dollars when he squints through the glass, and he recoils, sighing. That's way more than he has, or could even think of spending on a sweater, of all things.

He wanders down the street, watching the calm seashore as the tiny waves lap at the sand, the moon shining down on it all, unobstructed thanks to the lack of clouds.

It's quiet and almost serene; for a moment, he can forget he's running away and pause to enjoy the view for a few minutes. He glances at his watch when he snaps back to himself, trying to burn the rare, nice moment into his memory.

Esper starts making his way back to the gas station, but halfway down the street, he notices someone down by the shore. He frowns, looking at the person.

Upon closer inspection, it appears to be a kid, wandering around, seemingly aimlessly.

A frown still in place, body shivering, Esper carefully slides down the side of the street upon a higher ground, making his way towards the kid. It's freezing, no kid should be running around alone in this weather. Esper notices that the small boy is barefoot as well when he gets closer, much to his horror.

"Hey," he calls out, but the kid doesn't seem to hear him. Running up, Esper crouches in front of the boy, repeating his 'hey' once more. The boy's eyes are closed, and they only flutter open wearily when Esper places a hand onto his shoulder.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Esper asks softly as the boy blinks and looks around.

"I... sleep walked again," the boy mumbles, finally looking at Esper with his big magenta eyes.

"What's your name?" Esper asks, keeping his voice soft, "We need to get you home."

"I'm Arc. Dad is gonna be worried..."

"Okay, Arc. I'm Esper. Don't worry, I'll help you get home. Do you remember the way?"

Arc looks around, fingers fidgeting with the sleeves of his kitty-themed pajamas. Then he slowly shakes his head. Esper can see tears welling up in his eyes. "I've never walked back from the beach on my own..."

"Hey, hey, no need to cry," Esper coos, patting his shoulder and standing up, trying his best to smile. "Let's go to the police station, I'm sure they can call your dad."

Arc sniffles, but he nods. Though when Esper turns to leave, he hesitates, tiny toes digging into the wet, cold sand.

"I'm cold..." he mumbles.

Esper is taking off his jacket before he can even really think about it, wrapping the too big article around Arc. The boy practically swims in it.

"You don't have your shoes," Esper points out, "Your feet must be freezing. Want me to carry you?"

Eagerly, Arc nods, and wraps his arms around Esper's neck when the lanky man leans down and picks him up, placing him at his hip, supporting him with one arm.

The boy isn't necessarily heavy - he's very tiny, after all - but Esper lacks much upper body strength, so it's a feat. He doesn't complain, though, doesn't even peep at the added weight.

"How old are you, Arc?" he asks, setting down the street. He'd noticed the police station when they'd stopped; it was the only place with lights still on, save for the gas station itself.

Arc curls himself against Esper's chest, warm like a water bottle, and hums into the crook of Esper's neck. "Five!" he says, almost proudly.

"Oh? You're going to school next year, huh? You're already such a big boy. Are you excited?"

"Mmhm! Dad promised to buy me a kitty backpack! I can't wait!"

Esper laughs, breath hitching as he steps more weight onto his bad foot, but it doesn't deter his enthusiasm. He can remember when he'd been small, and his mother had fretted over all his school supplies. "You really like kitties, don't you? You have them on your pajamas as well."

Arc hums again, voice bright. "They're the best! I want to have a pet kitty, but dad doesn't want to let me." There's an almost audible pout in the boy's voice.

"I think your dad wants you to be bigger so you can take care of the kitty all by yourself," Esper supplies, the words brightening Arc's eyes until they almost seem to shine on their own, without the moon's help.

"I wanna grow up faster!" Arc says, squeezing his arms around Esper's neck.

"You will, don't worry," Esper says, adjusting his hold on the boy lest he slips down. A voice from behind them catches his attention.

"You fucker!"

Esper doesn't even get to fully turn towards the angry voice before there's stinging pain in his jaw, forcing him to squeeze his eyes closed and cry out in pain. His hold on Arc slips and the boy drops to the ground, although safely.

"The fuck d'you think you're doing with my son, you pedophile?!"

Esper turns, cradling the side of his face as he feels blood bubble up in his mouth. He sees a tall, imposing figure before he's hit again, a steel-like fist driving into his stomach and knocking the wind out of him.

"Get away from Arc!" the man bellows.

Esper crumples to his knees, hugging his midriff in pain only to be kicked, falling to the ground and driving sand into the wound on his face.

"I'm sorry!" he cries, curling up on himself in hopes of appearing smaller. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Dad!" Arc cries in panic as the man kicks Esper again, driving the heel of his sneaker into his stomach.

Bile threatens to surge up Esper's throat as it constricts painfully. He keeps whimpering apologies, unsure of exactly what he's apologizing for, but it's not like that had ever stopped him before.

Arc throws himself at his dad, wrapping himself around his muscled arm and tugging. The man looks down at his son in confusion, and Esper takes the momentary reprieve to pick himself off the ground, tears painting his swollen cheeks and sobs wracking his body.

With another loud 'sorry!' he runs off, backpack forgotten on the ground as he runs away - anywhere far, where the man can't get him, where there's no more pain. The adrenaline pumping through his blood dims the pain in his ankle, but his stomach is making him double over and gasp for breath at the lip of every alley he ducks into.

Finally unable to take it, he crumbles down against a wall, head pounding and fighting back the urge to puke. Everything hurts, and he can't run anymore.

Huddling into himself, he tries to hide behind a dumpster, hoping to god that the man doesn't follow him.

When the lanky man disappears into an alleyway, Lusa kneels down next to Arc, pushing his hair to the side to look and make sure there are no bruises on him.

"Are you okay, Arc?" he asks, cupping the boy's cheek gently.

Arc smacks his hand away, much to his great confusion and, admittedly, hurt.

"How could you, dad?!" the boy cries, tears streaking down his cheeks and an angry sneer on his lips.

Lusa blinks, trying to pull the boy into a hug, but Arc pulls away like he's made of fire.

"It's okay, Arc, the bad man is gone now," Lusa mutters.

"You big meanie, dad! Esper wasn't bad! He was taking me back because I sleep walked again!" the boy cries. "How could you hurt him?! He even gave me his jacket!"

Lusa finally takes notice of the black jacket that almost hides Arc fully, so big that the boy has wrapped it around himself twice. "I- He was going the wrong way to home, I thought he was taking you away," he explains.

"We were going to the police. I don't remember the way home from here..." Arc says, but he still pushes Lusa's hand away when it reaches out to him.

The thought that he fucked up hits Lusa. He'd assumed, and he'd beaten up a kid that was just trying to help out of nowhere.

He pulls out his phone and dials the taxi service, telling them to come asap to the pier.

"Arc, I want you to go home, okay?" he tells his boy when the taxi shows up, a familiar driver waving at him. Though almost everyone is familiar in such a small town. "Don't go to sleep yet, wait for me. I will go find the man, okay?"

Arc looks at him dubiously but follows into the car with Ariel. "Don't hurt Esper anymore, dad!"

"You can pay me next time," Ariel says with a smile unfit for someone on a night shift, but that's just how she is. Lusa thanks her, and then goes to pick up the dirty backpack.

Lusa knows the town like the back of his hand, and systematically looks through the alleys the boy could've gone to. It takes him a long while, but finally, finally he finds him crumpled to the ground next to a dumpster, shivering like a leaf and passed out.

He panics, dropping to his knees and searching for a pulse on the boy's thin neck, even though he's obviously still alive, if the shivering is anything to go by.

He's scared - he'd beaten a kid to the point passing out, for fuck's sake! With shaky hands, he pulls out his phone and dials the only person who he knows can help.

Arme's voice is soft on the other side of the line, slurred a little too, indicating the man had been napping, if not sleeping already. "What is it, Lusa?"

"I- Okay, I- There's-" Lusa stammers, growling at himself for being so distraught. "An emergency, there's a, a boy. Near the pier, I don't know what to do."

Arme seems alert by the word 'emergency'. "Okay, calm down, Lusa. The boy is alive, I take it?" Lusa nods, and then chastises himself because Arme can't see him, idiot!

At his affirmative hum, Arme asks, "Is he responsive?"

"He's- He's passed out."

"Do you know what happened to him?" Arme asks, so used to this that he keeps his cool where Lusa is panicking his head off.

"I- I beat him up," Lusa admits quietly, biting at his bottom lip.

"You what?!" is Arme's immediate exclamation. Then he composes himself and says, "Okay, your house isn't far from there. Take him to your place and I'll come over to check him out."

From the rustling and Knight's voice in the background, Arme is already getting ready when he hangs up.

Lusa doesn't even put the phone away and instead dials the taxi again. Ariel comes within a few minutes, jesting that he should've just gone with Arc in the first place.

Her smile freezes on her face when she notices the limp, bloodied boy in Lusa's hold, but she's smart enough not to ask. She takes them home and Lusa leaves her a big tip, thanking her yet again as he pulls the unconscious boy out of the car and inside.

Arc is standing by the door, opening it for him when he hears him and Ariel talking. His worried gaze keeps falling on Esper.

"Dad! What did you do, dad?!" he cries, tears welling in his eyes anew.

"Shh, love, he's okay. Uncle Arme is coming over to look at him," Lusa promises, moving to the couch. "Could you fetch me one of the towels in the bathroom cabinet, please?"

Arc quite literally sprints to get it, returning with a large black towel that he spreads on the couch as per Lusa's instructions.

Esper is lowered onto it, his lax head falling backwards on the couch arm.

"Uncle Arme will fix him, right?" Arc asks, standing by the couch and draping Esper's jacket over him like a blanket. "He'll make him wake up? Why is he asleep?"

"He'll be fine, Arc, promise," Lusa says, crouching to kiss his son's forehead. Arc lets him, this time.

[loftyexecutor]

clean slate (10/?)

Pairing: (eventual) addcest [LPDE] & elsain [LKATh] WC this chapter: 2600 Rating: T+ TWs: (past) abuse, talking about it, ptsd flashbacks, anxiety attacks AU: modern/single parent Lusa (with his tiny son Arc) + runaway Esper (hah) Notes: shoutout to @bitgaram-mu for flinging themself out of a window after the last chapter rip

ao3 link

“I’m sorry, but it seems you should come back to meet Esper some other time,” Lusa says, holding a hand over the phone so Arc wouldn’t hear him. His adrenaline is spiked so high he feels his arteries will pop one by one.

Asker stands up from the armchair, having not budged at all until now. “Unfortunately, that is not possible. After all, I won’t be returning here, and neither will Esper. That insufferable child needs to be put back in his place.”

Lusa frowns, staring the man down with a mixture of shock and nausea brimming in his stomach. “You should go,” he says, unnaturally level, “Now.”

“Very well, looks like my unchecked tongue resulted in me overstaying my welcome. It’s not like Esper is here anymore, anyway. Now where could that brat have hidden? Surely yours has an idea?”

The phone screen crackles under the force of Lusa’s grip. It’s only one, two steps before he’s close enough to the man to wind his arm back. There’s a sickening crunch as his fist makes contact with the man’s jaw and sends him backwards with sheer power.

“I will not repeat myself,” Lusa mutters, all too ready to send another punch. “Leave.” His breathing is shallow; he sees red when he stares at the primly dressed man, now bleeding from his probably broken nose.This man is the reason why Esper ran away, why Arc is crying into the phone. Esper had call him his father, so that means…

His heart beats frantically, and the more pieces his brain puts together, the less he can think about, save for ‘this man deserves to die’.

“I won’t let you lay a hand on Es ever again,” he hisses. The reason for Esper’s fear is right there before him; Lusa isn’t about to pass up an opportunity to break more than just his nose, especially since best case scenario, it’s never presented to him again.

“Now, now, let’s not get hasty here—”

Too little, too late. Lusa is throwing another punch already, enjoying the pained noise that leaves Asker a little too much. It’s all too easy to yank that crisp collar up and drag the man out of the house.

Arc’s sniffles are still audible through the phone. Lusa needs to get to them yesterday.

He throws Asker to the ground without a shred of mercy. The blood splatter on the cobblestone path is like a trophy. Lusa shouldn’t feel accomplished seeing it there, but to hell with it now, he does.

“If you ever show your face here again… You’ll end up with more than a few punches. Trust me when I say I have no qualms about taking a pathetic life like yours.”

Asker coughs, picking himself up with obvious difficulty. Duly noted, he groans “Don’t know what you see in that stupid child anyhow. He’s about as useless as a broken TV.”

Lusa is kicking out before he can stop himself. Right in the stomach, heel driving into the soft meat there. “Not another word, you asshole!”

Asker is writhing on the ground like the worm he is and Lusa would love to keep watching him, add a few more kicks to the tally, but he’d already wasted more time than he should have.

“I’m coming, Arc, hang in there, okay?” he tells Arc, “I’ll fix everything.”

Maybe he shouldn't’ drive in a state like this, but he doesn’t care much, already peeling off and heading into the town. He’s lucky no police cars patrol that day, because he breaks no less than five traffic rules within the four minutes it takes to get to the correct shop. He even leaves the engine running while scavenging the alleys.

Arc provides half-helpful, half-choked tips that lead Lusa into the correct place.

“Dad!” Arc cries as soon as Lusa rounds the corner, out of breath.

“Oh, thank god,” Lusa sighs, dropping to his knees in front of his family, ignoring the sting of concrete. His heart aches at the sight; Esper is curled up in a corner of the dirty spot, staring down and holding Arc close to his chest like his life depended on it.

Lusa reaches out slowly, so as not to startle Esper, but he doesn’t seem to even notice him.

“Es, c’mon, it’s me,” he cooes, but still nothing. “Gimme Arc, we can’t stay here. Let’s go home.”

He tries to pull Esper’s arms away from Arc and pull them up, and that's when Esper finally reacts, snapping back to himself, though Lusa isn’t sure he’s happy about it now.

Esper jumps up, hugging Arc so he doesn’t fall. “No!” he cries, voice breaking painfully, “I won’t let you hurt Arc!”

“Es, that’s dad!” Arc tells him, but Esper is acting more like a startled rabbit than anything. He even backs up until his back hits the wall, effective trapping himself further in the corner.

“Esper…” Lusa grits his teeth, fighting back tears that threaten to fall from his overflowing eyes. “It’s me, c’mon… I won’t hurt you, I’d never…  I’d never hurt you or Arc… Please, let’s go home now…”

“Home…” Esper echoes, shoulders slumping from their tense position. His eyes gain a panicked glint, brows arching up and scrunching together. “It’s not cleaned… Father will come home, he’ll see… Hurts… Stop it, Im— I’m sorry… Please, I’ll clean it—”

Against better judgement, Lusa listens to his instinct and wraps his arms around both Esper and Arc, holding the shaking man while he bawls, muttering apologies and incoherent descriptions that only further break Lusa’s heart, or what’s left of it right now.

Oh, how he regrets not breaking more than Askers nose!

“Esper, it’s fine… He’s not here anymore. He can’t hurt you, I won’t let him. C’mon now, let’s go back to our home, not his. No cleaning, we’ll order take out and watch a ninja movie, how’s about it?”

Esper sniffles. “Lusa,” he mutters, stopping his rambles as if he just notices who he is with, who is holding him.

“Yeah, it’s me. Let’s get out of here, put Arc down, I’ll hold you.”

Reluctantly, Esper puts Arc down, and the kid runs up to Lusa to hug him, hiding his face in Lusa’s thigh. “Dad, what’s going on?” he asks, clinging to his pant leg. Lusa leans down and scoops him up, perching the kid on his hip as he wraps an arm around Esper’s shoulders.

“That man who was at our house was very, very bad. He hurt Es before,” he tries explaining, watching as Esper stares at him with a pained expression. “Don’t be mad at Esper, Arc, okay? He wanted to keep you safe from that man.”

“Uh-uh… Is the bad man gone now”?

“Yeah, your dad beat him in a fight. He was gonna hurt us all, but I kicked him out!” He looks straight at Esper as he says that, trying to smile reassuringly.

“Is he really gone?” Esper asks, quiet, raspy. All the crying had taken a toll on his voice. “What if he comes back? He knows where you live—”

“Where we live, Es,” Lusa corrects him. He rubs Esper’s upper arm through his shirt. “I won’t let him hurt you again. That’s a promise. A swear.”

Esper nods numbly, leaning into the touch with only slight reluctance. Lusa leads him back to the car and seats Arcin his seat. Esper clambers into the passenger seat in silence. In fact, the whole ride back is silent, not even Arc piping up with the usual banter. The radio is still off from when Lusa turned it down to hear Arc more properly when searching for them.

It’s Asker’s grace that the Sedan is no longer sitting in their driveway when they get home. It’s nowhere to be seen, actually.

Lusa parks and gets up, but when Esper doesn’t move, he circles the car and opens the passenger door for him. “C’mon, Es,” he prompts.

Esper looks up at him, as if snapping out of deep thoughts. He nods, very stiffly, and slowly gets out. His eyes flick back and forth, obviously ready to bolt again. With how he’s acting, Lusa is surprised (though not unpleasantly) he even agreed to that the car ride.

Arc runs inside as soon as Lusa opens the door, rushing down the hall and picking up a plushie from the ground. It’s a dark cat , one that Lusa doesn’t recognize. “Hey, who’s that?” he asks, making sure Esper actually comes inside before he heads to the kitchen with Arc.

“Um, this is Miss Meow,” Arc says, dusting said Miss until she’s clean enough for his standards. “Esper got me her um… earlier.”

“Oh, did he?” Lusa motions for Esper to join them at the dining table. “You should show me all you got at the store!”

Arc wastes no time to launch into a tirade about his new backpack — which he’d been wearing this whole time and would probably need a quick wash, not just dusting — and the super cool blow pens that everyone is gonna be jealous of’. Lusa had thought it’d help take his mind off of what happened, so he didn’t even comment that he said ‘no’ to those same pens a few days prior.

Esper, though… still looks out of it, glancing out of the window every few minutes to check the driveway. Okay, Lusa is being generous, Esper is actually snapping his head around all the time, to the point where Lusa is worried he’ll tear something in his neck or something.

He wants to talk to him about what ha happened, apologize for not knowing — not recognizing the man. He wants to fic today, restart it and prevent it from ever happened. But he doesn’t possess time powers and Esper still looks lost in his own kitchen.

Plus Lusa wants to give him his all when they actually tackle this issue. For now he gives his  all to his son,holding back every single comment about Esper soiling Arc too much r buying him too many things. He’s glad Arc can still be positive, at least.

Wishes Esper would too, but he knows it’s too soon.

—

They order takeout as per Lusa’s suggestion — they being Lusa, if we’re being honest — but when the delivery boy comes, Lusa can see the fatal flaw in his idea.

The doorbell ringing makes Esper almost jump out of his skin. He hides in the kitchen, pressing himself against the wall by the door, hidden from sight. Lusa’s heart aches at the sight and he rushes to answer the door.

The poor guy is so confused when Lusa just hands him thirty bucks and yells to keep the change.

“It’s okay, Es, just the food,” he says, setting the warm containers onto the counter. Esper is still pressed into the wall, dangerously close to tears.

Lusa walks up to him and pauses. “Esper?”

“Yeah?” Esper’s voice wavers and Lusa feels helpless.

“Can I touch you?”

Esper nods, choppy and slow, so Lusa takes a hold of his hand and pulls him to the living room to sit on the couch. He sits close to him, but still far enough so it doesn’t feel claustrophobic.

“Es, I want to talk about what happened before,” he says, and doesn’t hesitate to continue even when Esper curls u. “I want to apologize. If I’d known that’s your father, I— wouldn’t’ve let him in. Hell, I’d punch him sooner.”

“You punched him?” Esper asks, wide eyes staring at Lusa like he’d just grown a second head.

Lusa’s chest fills with pride and he grins at Esper, mimicking punching the air with one hand. “Fuck yeah I did! Twice, and then kicked him some. Prolly broke his nose, too. I would’ve done more, but I wanted to get to you and Arc as soon as I could.”

Esper frowns, hiding a grimace behind a hand. “What did… he do?”

“Oh, he laid there and took it like the scum he is! I told him I’d have no problem getting bloody if he ever showed up again.”

“He’ll… he’ll be back… Even angrier, probably, he’ll… he’ll hurt you and Arc and— and he’ll… drag me back— home—” Esper babbles, tugging at the longer strands of his hair. His eyes stare at nothing and he almost rips the hair out, but Lusa wraps his fingers around his hands, gently pulling them away.

“Hey, I was serious when I told him I’d have no problem getting rid of him I won’t let you get hurt anymore, I swear. You hear? I swear, he’ll never get to you again.”

Esper hiccups a sob and leans onto Lusa (read: falls onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes), shoulders quaking. Lusa wraps an arm around him, enveloping him in a n embrace, holding him as close as humanly possible, warm and safe.

“He knows where I live,” Esper says, and though it’s muffled in the crook of his neck, Lusa has no trouble making it out. “Where you live.”

“And if he shows up again I have the police on speed dial,” Lusa coos back, stroking a hand through Espers hair, massaging the tender scalp.

“How long do you think he’s known…? He must’ve been stalking us! What if he hurts you or— or Arc!”

“I can take care of myself. And Arc is always around us or someone we know.”

Esper doesn’t have a retort to that one, but he can’t stop crying either. Lusa holds him as he wails, staining his shirt with tears. It's not like Lusa minds; it can just get thrown into the laundry later. Esper is more important than a piece of fabric. 

“I’m sorry,” Esper says, still half-muffled.

“Why’re you apologizing?” Lusa asks, also still playing with Esper’s hair in hopes of calming him.

“He could’ve hurt you,” the lankier man answers quietly. “He only wanted me…”

Lusa shushes him immediately. “But he didn’t. And he won’t get you.” He stops carding through Esper’s hair in favor of brushing the tear streaks etched into his cheeks off. “You feel up for some dinner? You’ll feel better with a full belly.”

“Dad? Es? Is everything okay?” Asks, peeking into the living room, small fingers gripping onto the doorframe, only his head visible behind the corner.

Esper pulls away, wiping at his face. He motions Arc over and helps him sit in his lap, trying his best to make a normal smile.

“Sometimes, when something bad happens,” he says, sniffling, “you can’t do anything. Crying helps you feel better, so I had to cry it out. Hugs also help,  and your dad was here to provide. Everything’s fine now, Arc. I’m sorry for scaring you.”

Arc nuzzles into Esper’s chest, squeezing him with all the power of his small five-year-old frame (which is not much). “I’ll hug you too, until you’re all better. Please don’t run away again.”

Esper chuckles, the sound hollow to his own ears. He chuckles, “Of course I won’t,” but his mind is running hundred miles an hour, as if to make up for the time he’d been out of it.

Maybe it’s a bad idea to stay here. Asker could come back at any time… Lusa doesn’t know what he’s capable of, how many shady connections he has. How he always gets what he wants, no matter what. It’s not fair to put Lusa and Arc in danger needlessly.

Esper grins, setting Arc down. “Now, how about that dinner? I don’t know about you, but I’m starving and the food is just sitting there getting cold.”

There’s already a plan in his mind as he plates the Chinese from its boxes. ‘Sorry, Arc,’ he thinks somberly, ‘but it looks like I’ll have to let you down this once.’

[loftyexecutor]

clean slate (11/?)

Pairing: (eventual) addcest [LPDE] & elsain [LKATh] WC this chapter: 3600 Rating: T+ TWs: (past) abuse AU: modern/single parent Lusa (with his tiny son Arc) + runaway Esper (hah) Notes: i wont spoil anything but i feel like this is my favorite chapter so far 

ao3 link

It’s with a heavy heart that Esper shoves a shirt into his backpack and then, after a second’s deliberation, grabs another one, Lusa’s, from where it’s thrown over the laundry basket. He’d never thought he would feel like this one day, throwing essentials into a bag to leave, heart in the pit of his stomach. He’d never thought he’d get attached to a place.

The last time he’d done this, much less peacefully, he’d been full of adrenaline, panic coursing through his very veins. He remembers looking over his shoulder the whole time, watching carefully if his father stirs from his unconsciousness. He doesn’t to that now; doesn’t have to, since he’d hear either Lusa or Arc coming long before they’d see him pushing all the overflowing things further into the bag to zip it up.

He can’t help but wonder if he’ll be missed. Arc had grown attached to him, and Lusa was nice to him, but ultimately, they’d go back to how they were before he’d turned up. Lusa will probably be happier, having his workshop all to himself again, not having to care for Esper’s untimely outbursts.

He resolves to stop thinking about it lest he start crying and wakes someone up with the sound.

He throws the bag over his shoulder and then picks up the note he’d spent an agonizingly long time writing up. He places it onto the dining table for Lusa to find easily in the morning. He would feel bad for leaving without even saying a goodbye, but he can’t exactly do that without Lusa attempting to stop him. He could also go for a hug that he knows Lusa would provide more than happily, but he also can’t have that, even if he feels so, so cold. Suddenly it doesn’t feel like the summer anymore.

Esper shakes his head to clear it and then slips on his shoes. He can’t handle turning around eve once more to look at the house he’d come to call home, a real home as it’s defined in the dictionaries, as opposed to the prison he’d spent his life at before.

He steps onto the dark street with quaking shoulders.

                                                         —

“Heey! Give back my dinosaur!”

“Shea!”

“But da-ad! It’s my turn!”

“That’s my dinosaur!”

“Shea, you lost your dinosaur last week. Give it back to your brother.”

“But da——d!”

“No buts! Give it back and go brush your teeth, both of your. It’s way past your bedtime.”

“...okay…”

Arme sighs, adding ‘get Shea a new toy dinosaur’ to his mental to-do list. He turns to Knight, who is still sitting on the sofa, fiddling with his phone and the strap on it. Arme’s expression melts as he sits by him, enveloping him with an arm.

“You tired?” he asks, bumping into Knight’s head with his.

Knight chuckles and returns the gesture. “A little. I still can’t believe what happened to Lusa today.”

Arme’s answer is a nod. He takes the phone from his husband’s hands and puts it onto the coffee table. The entire conversation is ingrained in his brain just as much as it is in Knight’s.

Knight had called Lusa to ask about going bowling next weekend, but it’d been obvious Lusa was not alright just from his tone of voice. Knight had put him on speaker then, and Arme had found his way into the living room, drawn by their discussion.

Lusa told them what had happened, and then promptly cried soft sobs into the phone. He didn’t want to wake up anyone, but Knight and Arme were lending an ear, he just couldn’t help it.

Knight had assured Lusa he’d personally be of help hiding the body if Asker were to ever show up again. Arme wasn't sure how to feel — because on one hand he completely agreed, but he also kew Knight was completely serious, so on the other hand he wished it wouldn’t come to that.

Finally, they managed to coerce Lusa to get some sleep, but ‘out of sight, out of mind’ never really worked its supposed magic with them.

“We’re a family,” Arme tells Knight, slow and deliberate. “We protect our own. God help those who would try harming Esper.”

Knight grins tiredly and then leans up to place a kiss to Arme’s temple. His lips linger there for a moment, and when they leave, Knight’s entire head rests on Armes shoulder instead. “You always know what to say.”

“Don’t make fun of me—”

“I’m not! I’m not,” Knight defends himself, “I mean it. That was very ice.”

Arme huffs. “You didn’t marry me because of my linguistic abilities or lack thereof.”

“You’re right, I married you for that sweet cheque you bring home every month.”

“Elsword Knight Sieghart-Ishmael, I swear—”

“Dad! Papa! We want a story!” Anpa cries from the upper floor, much to Knight’s elation. He uses the distraction to slip out of Arme’s hold and heads upstairs.

Arme watches with a fond look. He also adds ‘buy Knight something nice from that sweet cheque he brings home every month’ to his to-do list. It’s really getting too long at this point.

It’s not much later that he follow upstairs, stationing himself at the door of their boys’ room like a guard, listening in on every soft word Knight reads from the boys’ favorite storybook. The story of the fearless knight and the crystal of life. Arme knows it by heart, could probably wi a recital , that’s how many times he’d read it already. And Knight alike, probably even a few more times than him.

Still, there is no such thing calming like his husband’s voice piercing the nightly silence, and Arme closes his eyes to enjoy it to the fullest. It’s not like he can’t picture Knight’s smiles and fond looks aimed at their sons with perfection anyway.

He’s almost lulled to sleep himself by the time Knight finishes the story and places kisses on their boys’ heads, doing his best not to wake either of them. He’s smiling sleepily as he leaves the room, the click of the door handle hiding the smack their lips make as they come together.

“Let’s sleep, too,” he whispers, and Arme is nodding along with practiced ease, though he swoops down to get one more kiss beforehand.

Knight is tugging his shirt off before they’re even in the bedroom, sending it flying towards the direction of the bathroom. Arme would laugh if he didn’t feel similarly tired. He starts working his clothes off when Knight pipes up from the dresser, holding their pajamas in his hands with unnatural stiffness.

He’s staring out of the window as if transfixed.

“Is that—” He leans over the dresser, knocking over a — fortunately unlit — candle holder. “Is that Esper?!”

Arme frowns, running over so he can look out the window himself Sure enough, the figure passing their house has Esper’s hair, and is tall enough to pass for him. Arme’s breathing stutters as soon as he notices the bulging backpack on the figure’s back.

It might just be a coincidence, but then again…

There’s no one in the town who resembles Esper, especially not like that. Arme is rushing to get his phone from its charging station on the bedside table.

“We have to call Lusa,” he says, already doing just that. Knight peeks peering out the window, watches the figure go further and further down the street.

“What’s that way—?” Knight asks, but it hits him almost the second the words leave his lips. “The bus stop! Arme, he’s planning to leave!”

Knight’s panicked words only serve to make the dialing tones more terse. “Pick up, pick up, God, make him pick up alread—”

“Hm? Arme?” Lusa slurs from the other side of the line, obviously having been just awoken.

“Lusa, is Esper home?” Arme asks in a rush.

Lusa sounds confused, and Arme can almost see the little crease between his brows. “Wha? He went to bed before me…? Why’re you askin’?”

“Lusa, I need you to go check Esper’s room right the fuck now. Knight, I’m gonna start the car,” Arme instructs, pulling his shirt back on haphazardly.

There’s a distant, “Wow! Language!”

“Did something happen?” Lusa asks, starting to wake up more. Arme isn’t sure whose heavy footsteps he hears; Lusa’s or his own. The automatic light turns on as he steps onto the porch, already clicking the car lock off.

“Fuck!” Lusa hisses into his ear, “He’s not here! It’s a fucking mess, what happened?” He sounds just as panicked as Arme knows he is.

“Knight saw him going down our street a few ago,” he tries explaining. Hes jabbing the key into the ignition and pushing the phone against his shoulder with the side of his face as he peels off the driveway, making a sharper turn than he ever would during daylight. “He had a bag. Knight thinks he’s going to the bus stop.”

“Fuck! What’s he thinking?”

Arme has no answer for that question, but he knows Lusa does. There’s silence for a few blocks and then Lusa breathes heavily into the receiver and says, “I’ll be there in ten minutes. Please, stop him.”

“That’s the plan,” Arme cuts off, Lusa’s voice fading off with the end of the call.

                                                        —

Lusa’s hands tremble as he holds the paper, wrinkling it with the force of his grip. He wishes he could unread something, but alas, he has no such powers or luck.

— Lusa,

I hope you had a good rest. I decided it was too dangerous for me to stay when father knows there this is. I can’t imagine if he’d hurt you or Arc and I can’t risk it. Sorry I left without a word, but I don’t want you to try to stop me. It’s better this way. You’ll be safe if you don’t know where I am. My father is a dangerous man, you’re lucky nothing happened to you yesterday. Please please don’t look for me.

Thank you for everything. I hope I can repay you one say, somehow.

— Esper

Lusa feels like what he’d just read isn’t real, but Arme had made it all too real, and painfully so. He’s grabbing his keys before he can think about it a second longer, running out in nothing but his pajamas and bedheaded hair.

The letter gets shoved into his pocket haphazardly and Lusa wants to forget it exists, but it’s burning a hole through his jeans and soul alike. Nothing save it feels real at the moment; the dark and quiet transforms the town into something unfamiliar, strange.

The drive feels at once endless and over too soon. Lusa’s sneakers drag over the concrete as he half-jogs to the bus stop, breathing out an immediate sigh of relief when he spots a hunched-over figure.

Esper sits on the bench, the lone street lamp that reaches the secluded spot casting long shadows over his figure. Sure enough, there’s a bag on his shoulders. He was really planning on leaving.

Lusa can’t breathe.

“Esper!” he cries, breaking out into a full run and almost tripping himself over a curb.

Esper jerks, turning a wide-eyed face towards him, recoiling almost immediately. Lusa comes to a halt when he reaches him, panting and with equally wide-eyed stare. Esper is holding up his arms in front of his chest as if waiting to be struck down, to defend himself. The implications churn Lusa’s stomach in the very opposite of a good way.

How does he show Esper that he wouldn’t hurt him, never ever again? Each day, each tiny jolt and jerk and careful, fearful glance he beats himself up for contributing to it, wishing there was a way to re-do history and change not only his meeting with Esper, but everything else as well.

He only just notices Arme sitting next to Esper when he leans to look at him closer, frowning like Lusa had done something awful. And, fuck, Lusa doesn’t need him to remind him too; he’s very capable of kicking his brain himself, thank you very much.

He all but collapses at Esper’s feet, reaching out to grab his hands in his, enveloping them and warming the cold skin. He can’t hold back the tears that he didn’t even know he still had after all the ones he’d spent today.

Esper stares down at him, mirroring him with a look of agony that Lusa wishes will never cross his face ever again.

“Please, please, please don’t leave,” Lusa chokes out, back bending down in tandem with the quiet wail that leaves his chapped, bitten-up lips. His forehead comes to rest against Esper’s knees, yet he keeps talking. Esper and Arme hear him clear as day, no matter the mumbles or sobs. “Please, I promise nothing will happen to you anymore, so please, rethink it— I don’t want to lose you, Esper, please…”

Esper weeps — one would think he’d also have no tears left to cry anymore, after a day full of them, but no, his tearducts are as functional as ever and provide the saltiness diligently — and he leans over Lusa, squeezing his hand with his trembling ones. Lusa squeezes back and that simple human contact warms Esper like nothing else could.

“I—” he gasps, sniffling like a whining puppy that had been kicked. His face is a mess of various fluids and he’s thankful for the bad light so the others don’t have to see him like that. “I don’t want to leave…!”

“You don’t have to, you don’t, so please,” Lusa begs, gripping onto Esper like his entire life depends on it.

Maybe it does.

Arme rubs Esper’s back in silence. He knows there’s not much more he can do than he’d already done, or say more than he already had. He’s glad Lusa didn’t have to see Esper when he’d first realized he’d been caught in the act, fighting and begging. Really a sight Arme himself wishes to erase from his memory. He’s not sure how Lusa would have reacted.

Esper shakes between the two of them, trying to stifle his sobs and hiccups. His success is debatable, but it’s not like either of them is going to start the debate.

“I’m sorry,” he says, not without his voice breaking in the middle though, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry—”

“It’s okay,” Lusa echoes back back to each of Esper’s apologies, pulling the man closer, enveloping him in a tight embrace. He doesn’t want to ever let go, ever let Esper slip from his fingers like he’d tried.

They’re pulled out of their thoughts, out of their tears, by the bus coming up to a stop by their little bench, tires screeching too-loud in the night.

Lusa stares at the vehicle and then looks back at Esper, holding him in place with a terrified look. With wide and bloodshot eyes and tear streaks running down his cheeks like rivulets of pain, Esper isn’t sure he’d ever seen Lusa look this scared before. Lusa was strong, he was the one who didn’t cry — today is the first time Esper had ever seen him shed a tear, and what a way to find out.

“Please,” Lusa chokes out, no more than a cut-off whisper that gets stuck halfway up his throat, “I won’t— I can’t make you stay if you don’t want to, but please— please don’t go.”

Esper sobs again, lips wobbling as he grits his teeth and fights not to screw his eyes shut. He almost knocks Lusa backwards with the force he throws himself at him again, clinging like a drowning man to a piece of driftwood. Lusa feels like an anchor, holding him down so he feels real again when everything feels like a bad, bad dream.

“I don’t want to leave,” he confesses again, straight into the fabric of Lusa’s already wrinkled shirt.

“Then don’t! I promise everything will be alright.”

Esper lets himself get lulled by the soft words until the bus drives closes the doors to the vehicle again and speeds off, disappearing into the distance as its tail lights fade out of view.

“Would you like to go home?” Lusa asks, peeking at Arme over the tremble of Esper’s shoulder. They share a look full of nothing but relief, though Arme knows Lusa feels much more of it than him.

Esper nods, choppy, timid. It would’ve gotten unnoticed if he didn’t have his face pressed into the crook of Lusa’s neck and Lusa couldn’t feel even miniscule movements.

“Then let’s go, let’s get some rest.”

                                                        —

“Thank you, Arme,” Lusa says, standing in the doorway. He looks so tired now, with bags under his eyes and unable to even form a real smile.

Arme shakes his head, arms folded not defensively, but pensively. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll Knight everything is fine, he must be worried sick by now.”

“I’m sorry about that.”

“Again, not your fault. Not Esper’s, either. Please go get some rest.”

Lusa nods, staring off into nothing again. “Yeah,” he says finally, when the sound of boiling water and the kettle squeaking reaches his ears. “Be careful on the way home.”

“I will. Good night, Lusa,” Arme tells him. He hesitates for a moment, though, then reaches up and softly claps Lusa’s shoulder. Then he’s heading back to his car.

The clock on the hallway wall reads 3:19 when Lusa closes the door and leans back on it to catch his breath, way past his or Arme’s bedtime on a weekday. They’re all going to be messes tomorrow.

But there’s someone who’s a mess right now who needs attention. Lusa paddles his way to the kitchen to find Esper pouring tea. He’s handed a steaming mug and Esper gives a wide smile to go along with it.

“Here. I thought it might help you sleep. It’s chamomile.”

Lusa puts the mug down onto the table. “Esper,” he says sternly, but not unkindly, “You don’t need to act like nothing happened.”

Esper’s falls off like a leaf in the autumn breeze. He holds his own mug close, fingers wrapped around the colorful ceramic. It’s Lusa’s, the one he keeps, the one that has the terrible cat pun on it.

“I’m sorry,” he says, quiet and gazing down.

“Come on, I wasn’t looking for an apology. I’m not angry at you, okay?”

“Uh-uh,” Esper nods, staring into the moving surface of his tea like it holds the secrets to the universe. He plays with the teabag absently, yanking at the damp string.

“I wanna… talk to you about it again, but not now,” Lusa says. His voice is soft, as gentle as he can make it. “For now, I bet we’re both tired.”

“Yeah.”

“Esper…” Lusa hesitates. Gathering all his courage to ask this, he goes ahead with it, but not until a few tense moments pass. “Would you consider sleeping with me tonight? In my room, I mean— I know, it sounds weird, but I’d just like to make sure you’re here, y’know?”

“Okay,” Esper nods, but Lusa frowns.

“You don’t have to say yes. If you don’t want to, nothing will happen. I won’t get angry.”

“No. No, it’s okay. More than okay— I’d… like to not be alone, actually,” Esper explains, a quiet confession like a giant secret no one was supposed to find out.

Lusa opens his arms and waits for Esper to put his tea away before he hugs him again. The lankier man reciprocates, squeezing Lusa with all his strength.

“Today was… long,” Lusa says as he pulls away, “I promise you everything will be alright. So let’s sleep on it, okay?”

Esper hums, nodding with a small, crooked smile. He can’t wait to sleep, really; is sure he’d pass out as soon as his head hit the pillow. Now that the adrenaline is gone from his system, his limbs feel like lead and head pounds with a headache from all the crying.

They take their teas and sip them slowly, savoring the sweetened taste. Esper makes the best tea, Lusa had decided. And the best food. And the best desserts.

He has the nicest laugh. He’s so funny. He gets scared by horror movies too easily. He gets that wrinkle between his brows when he concentrates too much. He’s skilled with anything he picks up almost immediately.

He’s family. Lusa can’t imagine life without him anymore, just like he can’t imagine life without Arc.

Esper drags himself more than walks up the stairs and Lusa can see just how badly this has affected him. Not that he couldn’t before, but with the storm — hopefully — behind them, it’s time to see what hasn’t gotten flooded. Esper hesitates in the doorway of Lusa’s room until Lusa motions him inside.

It’s okay, he repeats. To himself, to Esper. To the both of them.

They collapse onto the bed, teas forgotten on the bedside table. It should be weird, sharing such a small bed with two of them, but it isn’t. Lusa’s arms come to wind around Esper, to keep him close, almost unconsciously, and Esper kicks away the blanket so they’re not overheating. They’re still wearing their clothes — or, at least Esper is, Lusa had just thrown a shirt on to go along with his sleeping sweatpants. That should also be weird. Possibly uncomfortable. But Esper doesn’t even peep.

Just as he’d predicted, the sweet embrace of sleep takes him into its hold just as easily as  Lusa does, and he snuggles up to both.

[dustingrayves]

clean slate (8/?)

Pairing: (eventual) addcest [LPDE] & elsain [LKATh] WC this chapter: 4266 Rating: T+ TWs: (past) abuse, talking about it, ptsd flashbacks AU: modern/single parent Lusa (with his tiny son Arc) + runaway Esper Notes: it’s been a while, and i feel like i’ve already said this?? but this fic is very dear to my heart so it,,, takes a while,,, ah,,,,

read the previous chapters for a recap!

ao3 mirror

“Hey, Es,” Lusa calls, knocking on the door of what had essentially become his room. The bareness of the guest room has been replaced with Esper’s presence, clothes hanging neatly in the closet, his things organized on the wooden table. Even the white sheets have been replaced, now a pale purple that took a whole day to learn is his favorite color.

“Yeah?” Esper replies, a little muffled behind the door. Lusa takes it as an invitation inside.

“Sorry, just wanted to talk to you alone for a moment,” Lusa explains, closing the door with a soft click. Esper sits up, curious.

“Alone? About what?” he inquires, patting a spot next to himself on the bed.

Lusa takes the invitation and seats himself next to the slighter man, thinking of how to properly word himself.

“Well, I was just thinking about yesterday, and I just wanted to apologize… I realized I didn’t,” he says finally, but it only seems to make Esper even more confused (and nervous, so Lusa hurries to elaborate). “Well, when the kids were over, they kept calling you Arc’s new dad and all and I just wanted to apologize on their behalf. They don’t know better, but I don’t want you to feel like I’m goading you into a relationship or something.”

Esper finally blinks, getting what Lusa means. He giggles. “Don’t apologize for that. I can see why they would think that. Plus I do a lot of ‘dad’ stuff, huh…?”

“You don’t have to, I told you before, you’re not here like a maid.”

Esper’s fingers twiddle with the comforter. “I know. I don’t mind doing them. But, I’m glad for yesterday. It was really nice to… finally talk about it. That sounds strange, doesn’t it?”

“Not at all.”

“But… I’ve been doing some thinking myself, actually. I don’t want to be a leech anymore… My leg’s healed, but I… don’t really have a place to go. Um…”

“No one’s sending you away, Es. You can stay!” Lusa hurries to remind him, but Esper just smiles, one corner of his mouth twisting further up than the other.

“You’re too nice, I know. But I don’t want to be a freeloader anymore.”

“You’re anything but—”

“Arme said you might need help at the shop, and I feel it’d only be fair if I paid you some of the rent.”

This catches Lusa completely off-guard, and it shows in his face, even if the proposition makes him immensely happy. “Are you sure you wanna do that though?” he can’t help but ask.

“Yeah!” Esper says instantly, brows set together in a determined expression. “I mean, if you wouldn’t mind me staying here.”

Lusa snorts. “I already told you I don’t. People’s opinions don’t change that easily. Actually, I’m really happy you want to stay.”

“Why?” Esper looks at him like he had just said something stupid. That look is familiar, but he knows Esper doesn’t mean any harm with it.

“Well, I dunno if you noticed, but you’re really cool. And you can make a mean stew. But you’re mostly cool. The stew is just a bonus.”

“Is that your way of saying you want stew for lunch tomorrow?” Esper snorts, lifting a hand and lighting pounding Lusa’s shoulder. Lusa laughs; Esper pulls it back like he’d been burned, but he doesn’t apologize. Lusa is proud of him.

“Maybe… But hey, building furniture is pretty hard. And heavy. So we can start with something small on Monday, how about it? Though I guarantee you, in a few months you’ll be strong enough to lift me.”

“Is that a promise or an offer?”

Lusa’s eyes twinkle with mischief. “Well, if you can lift me, you have full permission to!”

Esper’s face twists into a cute pout and he pushes the sleeves of his night shirt back. One hand slips under Lusa’s thigh, the other cups his back. And he heaves.

And he fails.

Lusa stays firmly seated on the soft mattress, no matter how hard Esper tries. In fact, he slips and falls forward, sprawling over Lusa’s thighs.

They both laugh heartily, even though Lusa’s cheeks burn with embarrassment. “Give it a few months,” he chuckles.

Esper picks himself up, sitting back. There’s a wide smile on his face, genuine and happy. All of a sudden, Lusa is glad he had come to talk, even if he’d been scared to.

“Hey, how about some cocoa before bed? Arc is already asleep so we can drink as much of it as we want to.”

“You’re a really selfish dad,” Esper laughs, “You’re having bad influence on me.”

“That’s exactly what I’m here for!”

“You hungry? There’s some leftovers in the fridge,” Esper asks, to which Lusa just shakes his head, not even looking up from the video on his tablet. “Well, suit yourself.”

Esper shrugs and stands up to grab some for himself, at least. His plush slippers drag over the carpet languidly, the fridge opening before him so he can take a moment to find the bowl of rice and meat that Lusa had to put on the top shelf thanks to all the yoghurts Arc insisted they buy for him.

Esper grabs it and closes the fridge with his hip, other hand now occupied with a carton of milk for his coffee. Lusa’s too.

He doesn’t catch himself humming a soft, familiar melody as he put the bowl into the microwave and sets water into the kettle, but it fills the kitchen nonetheless.

At least until the microwave beeps and he pulls the bowl out, burning his fingers on the hot edge and letting go of it on instinct. It clatters against the counter and then down onto the floor, rice exploding all over. Sauce flies everywhere; it’s on the floor, on the side of the sounder and even all over Esper’s shirt.

For a long and silent moment it doesn’t register in Esper’s mind. And then the ringing in his ears that he only just notices, is exchanged for an almost worried “What happened, Esper?” from the living room. Except it doesn’t sound as it should (or worse, maybe it does), the voice is deeper, louder, obviously colored by distaste and anger.

Esper stares down at the floor with wide, yet unseeing eyes, blood suddenly thumping in his ears, louder than even the voice. So it should make no sense for him to be able to hear the soft steps coming closer — angry, fast, stompy, he’s really angry today and Esper curls up on himself almost on reflex, his brain immediately supplying a dozen apologies and self-berations that he’ll rat out to try and stave off (or lessen, if his lucky star shines bright today) the inevitable pain.

“Esper!” he calls from the doorway — Esper can’t look at him, he’s angry, looking up at him would amount to talking back and he does not want any more punishment than he’ll be dished when he does everything properly. “Esper,” is repeated and that’s bad, that’s real bad, he hates repeating himself, and Esper’s uttering out, ‘I’m sorry, it’s my fault, I’ll clean it up, I’m sorry, I’m really sorry,’ as fast as his seemingly-numbed tongue allows him to.

His whole body shivers, scrunched up to hide his gangly form into something smaller, less of a target. The floor is spinning in his vision and it’s blurry at the corners, too. Esper can’t figure out why.

He quite literally jumps as he feels a touch on his shoulder, backing into the nearest wall to support himself. He’s sure he’d fall without it, and yet his knees still wobble like fresh jello.

His name is repeated and then followed by more talking, but Esper’s mind seems to slip further away and all he hears is an echo from far away.

He ends up curling by the wall, squeezing his knees close to his chest. His teeth are chattering in his mouth.

Someone is…

Touching him.

He wants to back away, but there’s nowhere to, he’s cornered himself and there’s nowhere to escape anymore.

The touch is gone.

His eyes open wide, blinking forward to see what’s going on. He’s greeted with Lusa’s face, a small, strained smile on his lips.

“Lusa?” Esper tries — he sounds so raspy, his throat is parched.

“Hey,” Lusa replies, at last some of the worry creasing his brow dissipating. “How are you feeling?”

Esper’s gaze lowers again. He bites at his lip. “I— What happened?”

“Beats me,” Lusa shrugs. His hands twitch where they rest on his knee, obviously wanting to touch and hug Esper, but he’s not going to do any of that if there’s a chance of Esper not liking it. “I heard a crash and when I asked you what’s up, you were already… yeah.”

Esper’s eyes go wide. “That’s right…! The food. I’m so sorry, I’ll clean it up, I— I didn’t wanna drop it! I’m terrible, but please please don’t be mad at me!”

Lusa shakes his head vehemently. “Nah, I’ll clean it up. You’re gonna get some food and a nice cup of that good hot cocoa and wind down. You look terrible.”

“But—”

“Esper, no buts, please? It’s okay, it’s just some rice, it’s not a big deal to clean it up. Hey, can I touch you?”

“Yes,” Esper replies immediately. It makes Lusa’s eyes narrow, but not in an angry way.

“You sure? Not just saying that to please me?”

Esper averts his eyes, cheeks flushing with shame. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Would it be fine if I helped you up and maybe wrapped you in a blanket?” Lusa asks again, patiently.

Esper has the distinct thought deep inside that he doesn’t deserve such kindness. “Yeah,” he answers again, because Lusa offered and he can’t think of anything better than making sure Lusa is real and here and this isn’t all just another fabricated dream he’ll wake up from. “Um…”

“Yeah?” Lusa hums, pulling him up by the hand, gently, slowly, making sure he wouldn’t fall down.

Esper swallows heavily, mustering up the courage to keep pushing his luck further and further. “Could I… get a hug? Please? I mean, if you don’t want to that’s fine, I just… sorry.”

“Come here, Es,” Lusa coos, pulling the other close so he can hug him into his chest.

Esper melts into the embrace, shoulders sagging. He feels completely drained and the tears that roll down his cheeks are silent. Lusa holds him gently until he shifts back. Esper’s eyes are rimmed with red and cheeks puffy. Lusa smiles despite himself, a soft, sad upturn of lips.

“Go eat, okay? I’ll be right there. Maybe take a nap, too?” he proposes, and Esper nods numbly.

Lusa heats up another portion for him and even grabs the blanket he promised to drape over the other before cleaning up the mess. He wasn’t lying; it only takes a few minutes of sweeping before the floor is alright again (and before Lusa gets too anxious anyhow).

Esper idly watches some soap opera on the TV, shoving spoonfuls of the food into his mouth with one hand and holding the blanket up with the other.

“How’re you feeling?” Lusa asks, settling down onto the couch as well.

Esper glances at him for a second only before looking away, brows drawing together. “Awful,” he says quietly, “Maybe like I’m gonna puke.”

“Don’t push yourself,” Lusa replies, tone empathic, a little relieved when Esper places the plate and spoon onto the coffee table. “Is there anything you’d like? Anything you think would help you? At all?”

Esper stares through the TVm ignorant to the arguing characters; Lusa turns it down anyhow. “Maybe…” Esper mutters something under his breath, too silent for Lusa to make out.

“Sorry, what was that?”

“I said… maybe… one more hug?” Esper mumbles again, hiding his face in the fold of the blanket.

Lusa can’t help but snort soundlessly through his nose, scooting closer to the other. “As many as you’d like,” he declares, wrapping an arm around Esper. He waits to see any discomfort, and when he doesn’t, he pulls him closer to lean onto a shoulder. Esper nests himself there, spreading the blanket over them both.

“I’m sorry,” Esper says, “about before. I mean…”

“It’s not your fault. I’m not angry at you.”

“You really aren’t?”

“Really really.”

They fall into silence, but then Esper asks, “How are you so good at this? It almost feels like you’re just saying whatever will calm me down.”

Lusa’s brows crease just a little and he holds Esper just a fraction tighter, still conscious. “I mean every word, I hope you can believe it. Maybe not now, but in the future. I know what used to calm me down before.”

“Were you like this?”

“Yeah,” Lusa nods.

“So there is hope for me too…? I want to be normal, too.”

“You are normal, Es, I swear. And you’re already doing better than before. Look, we talked it out, didn’t we?”

“Just because you know how to.”

“That’s what it’s about. Now you know, too.”

“I can’t do anything like that… It’s… it’s weird when it happens, I feel like I’m somewhere else… back home.”

“But reminding you helps, right?”

“Yeah, I guess. You’re too nice to me, Lusa.”

“We went over this. The right amount of nice.”

Esper snorts, almost nuzzling his cheek into Lusa’s shoulder. “The rightestest, then.”

Lusa bursts into mirthful laughter. “Arc has bad influence on you.”

Espe chuckles softly, “Everyone has bad influence on me, apparently.”

"Don't stuff the whole toast into your mouth," Lusa chastises as Arc tries to do just that, failing miserably and getting butter all over his face.

Esper laughs and reaches for a napkin to wipe it off for him. Arc doesn't wait a second to take another bite, grumbling, "I'll manage it someday," as he does.

"Come on, finish it or we'll be late."

"It doesn't matter, dad! The teachers don't care even if we come in the middle of drawing," Arc huffs and Lusa, in turn, flicks him on the forehead.

"Well, they might not mind, but I have to open shop, because if I don't open it, we won't have money and you won't even be able to have toast. Would you like that? Plus I thought you liked the drawing part of the day?" Lusa asks, smiling lopsidedly as Arc shovels the food down faster. "Hey now, make sure to chew and not choke. I don't want you to hurt yourself, that'd be much worse than being late."

"Uh-uh," Arc nods, chewing and swallowing carefully.

"Well," Lusa turns to Esper, with his bowl of cereal, "How are ya feeling? Ready to do some assembling?"

"Yeah!" Esper replies immediately. He swallows another mouthful of over-sweetened, ground-up wheat and smiles warmly. He's not just ready, he's obviously excited.

Part of the excitement is due to work -- he hasn't worked in an actual job, just the housework for father. but Lusa had gone through all the basics with him yesterday. They'd even gone and set up a bank account for him, and Lusa said he'd be paid monthly. Esper insisted on paying rent, so Lusa agreed on taking a hundred, 'and not a cent more'. Well, it'd been at least something, so Esper took it.

They finally finish their breakfast and Esper puts the dishes into the sink, rinsing them and only having a tiny crisis about not having enough time to clean them.

Lusa goads Arc into the car, tossing him his bag with a roll of his eyes when he forgets it in the kitchen. Esper follows, seating himself in the passenger seat and strapping himself in. Mostly because Arc only ever follows the example if they all do it first, Lusa gets in last after making sure to lock the house. They drop off Arc at the kindergarten and then they drive to Lusa’s shop, with half an hour to spare before opening time.

Esper trails after Lusa, who goes straight to the back. Esper lags by a row of carved furniture and intricate trinkets sat in a multitude of shelves.

“You made all these?” he asks curiously, stopping for a moment to ogle a small jewelry box with carved vines snaking around the edges.

“E-yup!” Lusa calls, voice half muffled.

Esper catches up, going through the door labeled ‘storage’. And storage it is, with planks stacked high and towers of boxes, labeled in chicken scrawl reaching almost to the ceiling in some spots.

“That’s amazing… All of them are so pretty…”

“Well, I got pretty good at carving over the years,” Lusa laughs, picking up one of the planks from the stack like it weighs nothing. He carries it out of the storage into the main room, where he sets it down next to the counter with a small thud. There’s a saw machine behind the counter — scratch that, there’s a whole woodwork station there. “Anyway, I  don’t know how familiar you are with assembling furniture, so I’ll run you through it. You won’t have to do any of the heavy stuff or carrying wood or anything… Just, like, screwing stuff together or painting it, or running the register, that kinda stuff.”

“I’ll do anything you put me to,” Esper grins. If he would’ve realized he’s not scared of Lusa ordering him around, he would’ve felt proud of himself.

“Okay, let’s start with a simple box then. Like the ones over there,” Lusa says and points over at the group of jewelry boxes sitting on display. Esper nods. “Forget the plank, that's for a shelf later. But first, we gotta get out of these clothes. I don’t actually know if I have a work shirt that’ll fit you…”

Lusa disappears into the back room again and Esper learns there’s a bathroom and a small kitchen area when he pops his head in to see what’s going on. Lusa had exchanged his t-shirt for a purple one, bearing the wear-and-tear of a woodworker, but nothing too obvious. Lusa might be a bit disorganized something, but he’s a cleanly person (sans his floors, but that’s another story and another carpet to vacuum cereal out of. Esper will never admit he was the one who spilled it at three am).

“Here, try it on? It’s the smallest I’ve got here,” Lusa says, passing the very same-looking shirt over to the other. The tag reads M, a leftover from when one of the college kids from the town over helped out Lusa over the summer last year.

Esper slinks his way to the bathroom and switches the shirts. It’s not as bad as it could be; the shirt is loose on him, but nowhere near as loose as Lusa’s actual clothes would be.

Lusa gives him an appreciative once-over when he pops out again. “I could get you a size smaller if you’d like, but it’ll take at least a week to ship. It’ll probably be too short for you, though…”

“Not, this one’s fine, Lusa,” Esper reassures him. He had actually come to appreciate loose clothing over the past month or so.

“Alright, now that’s we’re suited up, how’s about we go and tackle that box, hm?”

The box turns out okay… Actually, it turns out great, because Lusa guides Esper through it, holding the small pieces in place while he figures out how much force to push the power drill with.

It had only taken a little bit, barely half an hour at most, and Lusa took the box to start carving into the dark wood with his little whittles. Esper watches with enrapturement as small motifs come to life beneath Lusa’s fingers, tiny whittlings falling onto the floor. The whole shop feels like a well-oiled machine. Esper is busied with a plethora of diagrams and instructional manuals on different things.

In no time at all, he manages to assemble a fair few things; a few more boxes, a small cupboard, a shelf and a birdhouse.

They don’t look anywhere close to the masterpieces Lusa had created and meticulously spread all around the shop, but then again, they haven’t been lacquered nor polished, or even carved with intricate embellishments.

A few people stop by over the day and Lusa sounds overly excited as he explains who Esper is when they ask. He’s also very pleased when Esper asks about the customers in return, saying that ‘this is the only shop like this in miles!’ People come from all around to order handmade furniture and buy trinkets, or even bring they battered pieces for repair and refurbishment. Some people even collect his trinkets, like the boxes, that’s why there’s so many designs.

No way in hell could Esper have imagined that Lusa is this skilled or known, but it certainly doesn’t come as a surprise after getting to know him.

He’s just about finished with that shelf Lusa took the very first plank out for when Lusa stands up from his seat, back popping as he stretches languidly, almost like a cat awaking from slumber.

“It’s almost time, Es,” he says, pulling Esper’s attention. “Time to close shop. That shelf looks great, we’ll paint it tomorrow. For now, let’s just sweep and put all the leftover wood into that box over there,” he points to the sturdy box full of scrap wood in the back. “You did tremendously for your first day. Kinda don’t believe you’ve never done this before, to be completely honest.”

“I—” Esper tries to say something, but he fails, face flushing an admittedly cute (at least in Lusa’s humble opinion) shade of pink at the praise.

“I thought we could get some ice cream on the way home. To celebrate or whatever?”

“Oh, that— That sounds lovely!” Esper smiles softly.

“There’s this great ice cream stand a few blocks down, you’ll love it! Let’s pick up Arc and go there.”

“Yeah! Now, where is the broom? I’ll sweep the floors.”

“Nah, I’ve got it.”

“‘Nah’, I’m faster. And I really want the ice cream as soon as possible,” Esper pouts.

Lusa laughs in reply. “You got me. I’ll clean up the wood then,” he says, grabbing the broom to hand to Esper with a matching smile.

It truly is a blessing to have Esper here.

“Arc, it’s already past bedtime,” Esper grumbles, standing in the doorway. “Turn the TV off and go to your room.”

“But, Eeeeeesper,” the boy whines, holding up one of his fairytale books. ”I want a story! And I can’t ready, so can you read it for me?”

“Arc,” Esper scoffs, “Do I look like I know how to read?”

Arc pouts, but he does spring up. Only not to go to his bed, unfortunately. “Then I’ll just ask dad!”

“Does he looks like someone who can read?”

Rambunctious laughter spills from the kitchen, Lusa doubling over the table to clutch at his stomach as he laughs uncontrollably.

“But you’re adults! All adults know how to read! You’ve read to me before!” Arc protests, puffy and huffy as he thrusts the book up at Esper as if that would make him change his mind.

“We forgot last night. It’s a terrible curse that happens when someone wants us adults to read too much.” Esper tries his best to maintain a straight face while Lusa wheezes for breath.

Arc blinks and then almost bursts into tears. “That’s horrible! I’m sorry!”

Esper leans down and pats his head, ruffling his hair. “It’s okay, it always passes, so we can read you stories later.”

Arc sniffles and nods tearily. “Uh-uh! Promise!”

“I promise, Arc. Now, go to bed or you’ll be tired tomorrow.”

Arc nods again and presses a kiss to Esper’s cheek, which Esper returns with a smile. “Goodnight, do your best to remember!”

Arc’s footsteps pitter-patter upstair, leaving Esper to finally crack and burst out with laughter. “Oh my god!”

“I can’t believe you did that,” Lusa mutters, rubbing a hand over his face to wipe the tears. “And I can’t believe it worked!”

“Oh man, I felt so bad midway,” Esper groans. His (and Lusa’s, too) shoulders are still shaking. “I had to get out of it somehow.”

“You damn well did, holy fuck…”

“You’re not mad I bamboozled your kid?”

“Absolutely not, spares me having to read that story about a cat in a glove yet again. Plus it was fucking hilarious.”

Esper grins, fishing for his phone. He finds the right email and turns it around to show Lusa. “Anyway, I wanted to show you this!”

Lusa squints at the screen. It seems to be an email from the bank about a money transfer. The recipient’s account number looks so familiar, he knows for sure it’s his. “Hey, don’t you know I can’t read?”

Esper dissolves into more cackles and the phone finds its way to the edge of the table. “You’re right, how could I forget. But I just wanted to show you. I’m really happy about it—I’m not a freeloader anymore!”

“You never were,” Lusa comments immediately. “But I’m proud of you. You did a great job over the month.”

Esper grins, stretching and heading into the living room. Lusa follows suit, plopping down onto the couch while Esper runs through the channels to find their favorite show.

Warmth blooms in the pit of Esper’s chest as he settles down, leaning halfway onto Lusa. The words keep repeating over and over in his mind and he can’t help the smile that keeps worming its way onto his face.