Who: Bash and Theo Where: Theo’s house When: Saturday afternoon, June 9 Status: Completed
Bash knew he needed sleep, but after a night of tossing and turning he’d come to accept that sleep wasn’t going to happen. He’d tried all night, starting with video games, expecting to eventually fall asleep on the couch, and when that didn’t work he watched movies instead. He’d finally resorted to reading The Odyssey, because he loathed the book and it had never failed to put him to sleep when he’d needed to read it for class, but instead he just stared at the pages, his mind wandering until his eyes went glossy. When the sun began to rise, he’d curled up under the covers and tried to clear his mind, but sleep continued to evade him. Plus, he was hungry.
By dawn he’d discovered that he wasn’t the only one to go without a good night’s sleep, but that seemed to make things worse, and by late afternoon he was desperate to get out of his house, even if he wasn’t fit for anything more than laying around. Theo seemed to be in the same boat, which probably meant the whole town was, but at least he might enjoy himself with his boyfriend. He walked down the street in a bit of a daze, already glad that he’d opted not to get behind the wheel for the one block he needed to walk. Bash rang the bell, then leaned against the wall, closing his eyes as he waited for Theo to answer. It would be embarrassing if he fell asleep now, but he didn’t think he was that lucky.
Theo was exhausted. He had been trying to sleep all day, but he simply found himself tossing and turning, frustrated that nothing he did seemed to help at all. Eventually he thought about going for a run just to try and tire his body out some more, but his brain was too foggy to do much of anything. So he spent the day lounging on the couch, watching television and occasionally zoning out, though his brain never quite shut down enough to even let him doze.
The doorbell brought Theo to his feet and he made his way to the door, going through the motion of unlocking the door before pulling it open to see Bash standing there. "Shit, you look tired," Theo said with a faint grin. He stepped back so Bash could come inside. "What's with this insomnia, huh? Even my mom has been having trouble and she takes pills for that crap."
“I am tired,” Bash answered as he stepped inside, stopping to give Theo a little kiss before toeing off his shoes. “I think it’s everyone. My mom and dad were up all night, too. And Phee. We’re all just zombies, wandering around the house, snapping at each other. I had to get out of there.” That didn’t explain what was going on, but Bash didn’t expect an explanation at that point. It felt like one of those things that just happened around there for no good reason. “I’m sure they’ll tell us it’s something in the air. Maybe some weird toxic pollen. Who the hell knows.”
Theo shut the door and slipped his hand into Bash's to lead him back to the living room and the comfortable couch. Maybe snuggling up together would help. If not, at least they would be together. "Toxic pollen sounds about right. It is that time of year." Theo didn't bother stifling his yawn. "Fuck. I wonder how much longer we can do this before we start seeing shit. I keep thinking there's something in the corner of my eye, but when I look, nothing's there. Which I'm sure is just from being tired, but still. You want something to drink?"
“Umm… maybe just some water. I’m avoiding things with caffeine,” Bash said, following Theo as his path diverted towards the kitchen. “I’m not quite to the seeing things stage, but I feel like it’s coming. I get those little floaty lights every time I close my eyes and open them again. But maybe that’s just that my eyes are tired.” He’d stayed up all night before, but never well into the next day. In the past, he’d always had the opportunity to crash sometime between dawn and noon. He was well past that at this point and it didn’t look like relief was coming yet. “I think we’d have to go a lot longer to actually start hallucinating. Like, days. But I dunno.”
"I was hoping some scotch or something would put me to sleep last night, but... no go." He let go of Bash's hand to head into the kitchen. Grabbing two glasses from the cabinet, Theo glanced skeptically at Bash. "We live in Point Pleasant. I'm shocked we're not seeing hallucinations yet already." He filled up the glasses with ice and water from the fridge before offering one of the glasses to Bash. "Want to chill on the couch with me for a bit?" He wanted to ask Bash about the magic stuff from Jules's party, having wanted to wait a few days so they could both recuperate before diving into the deeper shit. Then there had been work and the insomnia and he figured if the whole town was going to turn into sleep deprived zombies, he might as well get to talk to his boyfriend about this stuff before it happened.
“Well, drunk and sleep deprived could be fun,” Bash said with a little snort of amusement. He hadn’t thought to raid his father’s liquor cabinet, but it sounded like a good idea, even if it hadn’t worked. Maybe later they could try again. “That’s true. The hallucinations will start once it gets dark. That’s how it usually works. It’s harder to freak out in the middle of the afternoon.” It was totally possible, as he could attest after having lived through the fog, but most of the scary shit tended to wait until night to come out. Whatever was keeping them up could trigger all kinds of ill effects at any moment, so it was probably good to be on their guard, just in case. Taking the offered glass of water, Bash followed Theo back to the couch, sprawling out on it with him. Maybe cuddling would help him catch some shut eye. Doubtful, but it was worth a try. “Your mom home?”
"I can totally freak out in the afternoon. Maybe you'll get to see it." He gave Bash a teasing grin and set his water down on the coffee table, making sure to use a coaster lest his mom see it and freak out herself. "She went to some conference in Bangor," Theo said. "Don't ask me what it's about, but she went last night. She was supposed to go today but she was grouchy from the lack of sleep. Maybe she thought getting out of this place would somehow cure her." Theo shifted around a bit until he was resting comfortably against Bash. He closed his eyes though he didn't expect to actually fall asleep. His boyfriend was just comfortable. "So... your family can't like... use magic to sleep?"
Bash expected the magic to come up again, he just didn’t know when. It was something he’d worried about the morning after the party, but now that a few days had passed and nothing had changed, he wasn’t as concerned. The question seemed casual, even if it wasn’t, and it was Theo’s laid back attitude that kept Bash’s anxiety from taking over. “I dunno,” he answered. “I wasn’t allowed to practice magic until last fall, and since then I’ve only had a few lessons. My dad might know a spell, but if he does, he didn’t share it with us.” Asshole, he thought, though that wasn’t quite fair. His father might not be in possession of such a spall. But the fact that Bash didn’t know was what bothered him. He didn’t even know what he could know, so much knowledge lost that it felt like he’d never be able to make up for it. “Even if we could, you never know when things like this happen. Depends on which magic is stronger: the power that’s making us stay awake, or the magic we’d use to force sleep.”
"I'd think it wouldn't hurt to test the magic and see," Theo said, though he understood he wasn't a witch and he really had no idea how magic worked. Hell, he barely knew how his thing worked, only that it did. "Why weren't you allowed to practice magic? Your parents aren't like... magic is the Devil's game and all that shit, are they?" That wouldn't make a lot of sense if Bash's dad was a witch too. Theo realized he was probably asking questions that would be better suited when they got some sleep and were better rested, but he couldn't sleep and he wanted to keep talking. Besides, the questions were sort of pouring out of him now and he didn't think Bash minded them at all.
“I mean, I could try, but failing doesn’t always mean the spell’s a dud. I could fuck it up so bad that we could have a sleeping beauty situation on our hands, and if we’re both asleep, you couldn’t kiss me awake,” Bash smiled, teasing, though there was also a chunk of honesty there. Maybe his dad could experiment with magic to get them a bit of rest, but he wasn’t desperate enough to try it himself. As much as he wanted to use magic to his benefit, he didn’t want to be the one making things worse. “My mom believed we were cursed and that using magic would get us killed. And she might’ve been right. I did some things last fall that kinda… kinda snowballed out of control. We’re okay now, but it’s still a touchy subject. I think.” They were allowed to practice magic now, but Bash still felt the weight of what he’d done. He closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling the scent of his boyfriend and the comfort that brought him. Being like this with Theo seemed to make talking about it easier. “They don’t trust me,” he added softly. “And I don’t really blame ‘em.”
With as tired as he was at the moment, a Sleeping Beauty situation didn't sound so bad. Theo listened to Bash, intrigued by the thought of anyone being cursed. The intrigue wasn't an exciting one, but he generally thought curses were for books and movies. Then again, he ought to know better, living in Point Pleasant. "So you tried to practice magic when you weren't allowed to?" he asked. If Theo knew he was a witch and could do magic, he'd be trying to figure it out too. It was insane to think someone wouldn't be curious or want to at least try and see what they could do, curse or not.
“Yeah, pretty much,” Sebastian said with a small sigh. It had seemed so harmless, until it suddenly wasn’t. And yet, he still felt like some of it was a fluke, like the stars had lined up just right to royally screw him over when it should have been nothing. “I wish I knew more, but… there’s no one really left to teach me except my dad. And Phee, who’s getting some instruction where she works. People are pretty private about what they know. Spells are passed down, but not really shared. Maybe someday Phee’ll get my dad’s book and she’ll share it with me, but my guess is that’s years down the road.” His father loved having control too much to let them just browse through it. He’d be more likely to dole out spells as he saw fit, dangling them out there like a prize.
Theo cocked a brow. "No offense to your family but that kinda sounds like horseshit. There's gotta be a witch or two in this town willing to teach you stuff. Stuff your dad won't, anyway. Unless you think that'd get you in trouble, but... you know, you're an adult. You can make your own decisions." That's what Theo thought, anyway. He loved is mom, most of the time, and he was thankful that while she could be difficult from time to time, she mostly left Theo alone until she needed him for something.
“Yeah, it’s bullshit, so that’s exactly what I did,” Bash smiled, amused that his boyfriend would come to the same conclusion. It was nice to feel like his wrong decisions were at least relatable, that he wasn’t completely at fault for seeking out information when it should have been freely given. “Unfortunately... things didn't really work out. I burned that bridge and now... I don't think there's anyone around here that'd teach me. Which fucking sucks." But he wouldn't really blame anyone for turning him away. He'd made a reputation for himself with the coven and it wasn't exactly a flattering one.
"There's got to be someone," Theo murmured, nuzzling his nose against Bash's hair. "There're supposed to be witches all over the damn town, right?" That had been the rumor for years, anyway. He just hadn't known whether or not to believe them. Now he knew better. "I don't know anything about magic, but I'd think not knowing what you're doing would just be dangerous, right? Why don't you want your dad teaching you?" He could understand trying to learn from family being frustrating, but if no one else was there to do it, what else could Bash do? "It seems like you know a lot already if you were able to make a damn water fountain in a pool."
“They’re fuckin’ everywhere,” Bash snickered, appreciating the little touches of affection. On any other day, he was sure he’d have fallen asleep like this, snuggled against Theo, yet his brain refused to shut down, no matter how cozy he was. He sighed as he thought on the question, wishing there was a simple answer to it all, but nothing in his family seemed to be simple. “I wish my dad would teach me. I wish he’d teach me everything. But he won’t. Or he doesn’t. And when he does teach me, I get frustrated, and it just… doesn’t go the way it should.” He was sure his father would have an easier time teaching Phee than himself, but he wasn’t even sure of that because his father had been checked out for months. Maybe lessons would start up again now that his mother had returned, but Bash didn’t know. There’d been a lot going on lately with prom and graduation and magic lessons hadn’t been one of his priorities. “The fountain was different,” he said with a little smile. “It’s water based magic. Water’s my element. I didn’t need my father to teach me that.”
"Is it possible to learn on your own?" Theo asked, closing his eyes even though he knew he wouldn't fall asleep just yet. Or maybe he would, which would be amazing. "Find a book or something? Maybe if you keep practicing with water, everything else will click into place." Theo hadn't had anyone teach him about reaping. He was told what it was, when it began to happen, but everything he had learned about it he had learned himself. Obviously they weren't the same things, but he figured Bash was smart... he could probably teach himself how to do all the cool shit without his dad hovering or trying to control it all.
"Almost every family has a book, but they're not good about sharing 'em," Bash said. It was a shame his mother's line had rejected magic so thoroughly. If they hadn't, they'd have two books in their family, and maybe his mother wouldn't be as stingy as his father. "There has to be a way to learn without one though. The spells came from somewhere. They didn't just materialize out of thin air. So maybe... maybe I just keep practicing." Something had to come out of it eventually. Perhaps he could appeal to the elements, see if they would guide him. It was just an experiment, but it was worth a shot. Sitting up a bit, Bash propped himself up on one elbow and looked up at Theo. "You're taking this really, really well. Like... did you already know about witches?"
Theo chuckled and opened his eyes when Bash moved. "I knew about witches... mostly from, you know, town history. There have always been rumors, you know? And in this town, that kind of stuff has a better chance of being true." He grinned lazily, not entirely ready to reveal his fuckedupness at the moment. That was something that should be explained after he'd had some real sleep and could properly put everything into words that made sense and wouldn't freak Bash out. "I'm also really fucking exhausted, so the less I have to really think about this stuff, the better. Theo cocked a brow curiously. "How'd you think I would take it?"
Maybe living in Point Pleasant really did make anything seem plausible. Bash had grown up knowing what he was, and that anyone could be a witch, but he knew how they were typically portrayed in the media—they were either evil, curse-welding goths or spiritual, crystal-obsessed hippies. He was neither, and the idea of a gay, football playing witch seemed almost comical. But there was a dark side to magic, one that he’d been exposed to recently, and anyone who knew that side had a right to steer clear of witches. “I dunno, but… I know for some people it’s… it’s too much. I guess I didn’t want to risk scaring you off. Kinda like you,” he said with a small, sleepy smile.
Theo cocked a brow. "I'm the son of the Mayor... believe me, it's gotta be a lot for it to be too much for me. You're a witch, which is awesome. You made a badass fountain in a pool and I'm sure there's tons more you can do... or will be able to do once you learn." He reached out to tug Bash back down to lay with him. "You're not gonna scare me off." If anything, Theo knew he ought to worry about scaring Bash off, but he was too tired to worry about anything right now. Maybe later. Maybe later he would tell Bash about his shit. Not now though. Right now he just wanted to curl up next to his boyfriend and let his brain zone out. "You think you can stay tonight? We can order in and watch movies and try to sleep and if we can't sleep, watch more movies."
Bash didn’t know what being the son of the mayor had to do with anything, but he liked Theo’s attitude and was happy to embrace it. Maybe someday he’d be the badass witch he really wanted to be, but until then he’d just have to keep pushing himself. It was a lot easier to do with people like Theo and Greg on his side, encouraging him. Bash kissed Theo before cuddling back against him, closing his eyes in hopes of sleep that refused to come. “I don’t think my parents get a say in it anymore, so yes,” he said with a small smile. Maybe his dad would come banging on Theo’s door, demanding he come home, but he seriously doubted it. “We can do whatever, so long as it’s lazy.”
"I am all for lazy," Theo murmured. At least he wasn't going through all of this alone. He was really hoping Bash's dad wouldn't show up all pissy about it. Theo was so used to his mom not really being a parent that a lot of that overprotective stuff weirded him out. At least when it came to insignificant things like this. Theo tightened his hold on Bash, more than content to just lay there and at least doze if they could. He would take whatever he could get at the moment.