ownthenights (ownthenights) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2021-07-06 11:57:00 |
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Entry tags: | #june 2018, sebastian, sebastian x theo, theo |
Who: Theo and Bash
When: Early evening, Tuesday, June 12
Where: The marina
Status: Complete
Now that the weather was getting warmer, Theo had been able to more or less move into his mother’s houseboat at the marina. He didn’t need to take much from the house so it was pretty easy to do over the past two days and frankly Theo was more than a little thrilled that he would finally have some privacy. A part of him was pretty sure that his mom was relieved too, given how used she had gotten to the empty house while he had been in college.
Theo had to work at the station that day but when he was clocking out he texted Bash about meeting him at the pier. The nice thing about living there meant he was close to various food establishments so he also offered to pick up some dinner for the both of them.
With Chinese food in hand, Theo arrived home and was grateful for the warm weather. They could eat outside and enjoy the sunset. All that romantic crap that Theo had never really been interested in before. It was easy to feel that stuff with Bash, even if Theo didn’t always outwardly express it. Their relationship still felt a little new to him, despite how long they had been “dating”. The future was uncertain but Theo was determined to enjoy it for however long he could.
While nothing had really changed, Bash suddenly felt older, having dinner with his boyfriend, who had a job, on his boat, where he now lived. It didn’t matter that Theo’s mom owned the boat; having a place of his own, without a parent overseeing his coming and going, felt like a huge step, one that Bash was looking forward to himself. He probably wouldn’t get there until college in the fall, but the prospect of leaving wasn’t as exciting as it had once been, so he tried not to think about it for now. He could enjoy a taste of the freedom Theo had achieved until he had his own.
Bash’s steps slowed as he reached the pier and texted Theo that he’d arrived. It was nice being so close to the water, something he’d found put him at ease when he wasn’t even thinking about it. Or maybe it was just the prospect of spending the evening with Theo, something that always put him in a good mood. His eyes scanned the boats as he waited for his boyfriend to arrive, wondering which one was his. It would probably be smaller than if he’d rented out an apartment, but Bash had already decided he liked the location better, at least for now, when the weather was pleasant.
The privacy was definitely nice and while he did feel a lot of freedom being out of his mother's house, Theo was very aware that this boat belonged to her as well. If she wanted to kick him off of it, she could. But she wouldn't and he knew that much. Eventually Theo would be able to afford a place of his own, but the police station didn't pay all that much so it was slow going. Theo got Bash's text and went outside to stand on the deck, searching down the pier for his boyfriend. He quickly thumbed in a response. second to last boat at the far end. I'll wave my arms like an idiot so you can see me.
Once Bash caught sight of Theo, there was no need for him to be an arm waving idiot, but the gesture made Bash smile. That was his boyfriend, willing to be a bit silly for him. Willing to do a lot more for him than that, to be honest. He knew he should probably be used to it by now, but it still surprised him. “Hey,” he grinned as he climbed onto the boat, stepped up to Theo, and gave him a quick kiss. “This is nice. Wanna give me a tour? How was work?” He knew it was just desk work, mostly filing, but it was still the Point Pleasant Police Department, which meant anything was possible.
"Prepare yourself for the shortest tour in history," Theo said, rubbing Bash's back before leading him down the two steps to where the living area was. He pushed open the door and led Bash inside. It was a comfortable enough space, and probably larger than some of the other boats docked at the marina. It certainly couldn't house an entire family but it was perfect for Theo. The living area had a couch, a small coffee table, a chair and a flat screen television attached to the corner wall. A tiny kitchen was on the right, though Theo hadn't stocked much of it yet. He was living on take out from the nearby eateries. "Work was fine. I've been digitizing files which is some tedious shit, but it's also kind of interesting, reading through some of the cases. A lot of cold case stuff. Some of its sealed, unfortunately. What'd you do today?"
Bash could see almost the entire living space from the doorway, with the exception of the bed, which he assumed to be in the back. It was smaller than a studio apartment, but probably bigger than a college dorm room, and Bash looked forward to spending much of his summer there, with Theo. “The way things are around here, I’d imagine there’s a lot of cases with no explanation. Not one you can write about anyways,” Bash said, coming down into the kitchen and leaning against the counter. “Today I worked out, picked up some job applications, and practiced lighting candles before giving up and going swimming,” he laughed lightly. “Not a very productive day.”
There were more unexplainable cases than what was probably normal in a town like Point Pleasant. Theo was of the mind that there were explanations somewhere, they just weren't explanations cops would want to put in official documents. "Sounds productive enough to me," Theo said. He gestured back outside. "I've got food on the deck. I figured we could eat outside since it's nice out. Where did you get the job applications?" He couldn't see Bash working at a tedious job, but unfortunately, a lot of jobs were tedious. Hopefully it wouldn't be a job where he had unpredictable hours. It would suck to try and coordinate seeing each other all summer.
There was something romantic about eating dinner out on the deck, watching the sunset together, but Bash tried not to think about it. He didn’t want to squash his feelings for Theo, but he also knew how he could be when he allowed himself to get caught up in them. What they had was good, better than he’d ever expected, and he didn’t want to accidentally smother it to death. “Mercy Hospital, Overlook Country Club, Cassidy Construction, the harbor, and the fire station,” Bash said with a little laugh. “I dunno. I’m sure I could get a job at the movie theater, but the thought of serving popcorn for hours on end turns my stomach. And would probably turn me off popcorn forever.”
"Now, see, I'm imagining you in all kinds of different uniforms. Hospital scrubs, dirty jeans and a hard hat... and whatever it is firefighters wear." Theo grinned and waggled his brows. "Or I guess if you worked at the country club, those little white shorts and polos. Serving all the bored housewives in town." He motioned to the bench that outlined the back of the boat. There was a flat table there where Theo had set their food. "I don't blame you for not wanting to work a mundane job. I guess it'd be fun for some people, but you're not going to make a lot of money there either."
Bash hadn’t been thinking at all about the range of uniforms that those jobs possessed; he’d been looking for things that kept him busy on his feet, rather than behind a desk. Now that Theo had mentioned it, all he could think about was Theo helping him strip after a long day of work. “I think firefighters wear the yellow pants with suspenders,” Bash grinned. “And according to every calendar I’ve ever seen, no shirts. But don’t forget the helmet.” He didn’t think he could be a firefighter part time, just for the summer, but it was something to look into. He smiled as he saw the setup Theo had at the back of the boat. There was something charming about it and it gave Bash butterflies for absolutely no reason. “I’m not looking to make a ton. Just enough so that I can take you out sometimes.”
"Why don't you just round robin a bunch of different jobs so you can get the uniform? Then we can take pictures and make our own calendar." Theo chuckled as he reached into the bag to pull out the food. There was a nice breeze coming off the water but thankfully it didn't make it too chilly to eat outside. "And I don't want you to worry about making money to spend on me. Just hanging out with you is enough." He slid Bash's food over to him and handed him a plastic fork. "Besides, I'm not making a ton myself. But I like my job, so that's the important thing." He was well aware that if his mom was making him pay rent on the boat, he wouldn't be able to stay there. Theo was lucky in that aspect.
“If I got all those uniforms and gave you a camera, you really think there’d be anything clean enough for a calendar?” Bash smirked. Obviously, this wasn’t something he was going to pursue, but it was entertaining to think about. He didn’t mind Theo having dirty pictures of him, so long as they didn’t go anywhere else. “What if I want money to spend on you? You shouldn’t have to pay for everything we do,” he said, picking up his food before continuing on. “I dunno. Maybe I got used to always being the one paying when I was dating girls, but I like when we can go out and do things and I don’t have to worry about asking my mom for cash.” He almost never asked his dad if he could help it. “I think you need to like your job, especially if you’re doing it eight hours a day. Are you still thinking you might eventually get a badge?”
Theo shot him a look. "Who said it'd be a clean calendar?" He cocked an eyebrow suggestively, but he was mostly kidding. Though Theo certainly wouldn't have minded if Bash ever wanted him to send him sexy pictures of himself. He unwrapped his fork popped open the lid on his container of food. "I'm not going to say no if you want to spend money on me, I'm just saying, I don't want you to think you have to, or worry about that stuff. Besides, I like spending money on you." Theo smiled at Bash before digging into his food. "I'm hoping to get a badge eventually. But I've got to do the police academy stuff, which means I'll have to drive to Bangor. It's not that bad or anything, just eighteen months, but... that's what I'm hoping to do and if I can complete all that, Barrett's got a job for me. So that's my plan so far."
“So long as it’s not in print,” Bash snickered. If he ever sent naughty pictures to Theo, he suspected it would be far more impulsive, not something so pre-planned that costumes were involved. It amused him to think about though. Maybe if he were drunk and horny… though it was rare that he was alone under those conditions. Most of the time he was already with Theo and pictures were the last thing on his mind. “Well, I appreciate it,” he smiled, laughing a little at their mutual desire to spend money on each other. “I’m never gonna say no to free food.” He took a bite as Theo talked about the steps necessary to getting a badge. It hadn’t occurred to him that the training would be in Bangor, but that made sense, he supposed. They probably liked to train them as a group, not as one-offs in each little town. “Sounds like a good plan. I like the uniform,” he smiled, as if that was reason enough to go into law enforcement. It was more than that, though. Serving the people, protecting them, felt like an honorable cause, especially in a town like Point Pleasant where the odds were stacked against them. “The guns kinda make me nervous,” he admitted. “Have you ever shot one?”
Theo shook his head as he washed down a bite of food with his drink. "Nah, but my mom has one in the house. I mean, if you think about it, how often do you hear gunshots in this town? Or have heard in the news that one of the cops here had to shoot someone. Other than the weird shit that happens, we don't really have a lot of actual crime, you know? Like... run of the mill stuff." He shrugged and set his drink back down. "Think about it. How many fires do we have? If it weren't for the dark, foreboding shit, this would actually be a pretty decent town to live in, you know?"
Bash snorted and gave a little nod of agreement. Theo was right. Point Pleasant would have been quiet and idyllic if not for the weird shit that happened. You didn't have to worry about getting jumped while walking home at night, at least not by anything human. It made him wonder how the cops were able to handle things, or if the best they could do was struggle through the aftermath. "What do they cops do about that stuff? Like, when everyone went missing--did they just process a missing person report and tuck it away until everyone magically came back? And then just close the case? Or do they even know?" He thought his parents had probably contacted the PPPD to let them know that Brianna had returned, but that might not be true for everyone. It wasn't like they could easily explain where they'd been.
"I don't know, man. When so many people go missing, and there's no trace of them? What can you do?" Theo tended to think after awhile the cops started looking for a body. But being born and raised in Point Pleasant, he knew it wasn't that easy. People went missing and came back all the time, even if they couldn't explain where they had been. He took another drink and set his cup down, about to say more. But then he felt that familiar tug in his mind, dragging him out of himself and into the Other World. Before he could even explain to Bash what was happening, he was in a hospital room, where an older woman had passed away. The nurses were unhooking various tubes. They couldn't see Theo. Only the old woman could. There was nothing Theo could do about it now. So he focused on the woman, thankful that she was older and hadn't died from something violent or supernatural. The natural deaths were always so much easier.
“I dunno. You look, you file reports. At some point you start to assume there’s a serial killer or something,” Bash shrugged. The idea would have been terrifying, but reality was probably much worse. “Wouldn’t surprise me at all if there was a clown in our sewers, you know?” Bash paused to take another bite, but then worry pinched his face as his eyes flicked up to Theo. His boyfriend sat still as stone, his expression frozen and his food seemingly forgotten in front of him. His arms hung limp at his side, his eyes glassy and focused inward. “Theo? Babe? You okay?” he asked, reaching out to give him a gentle shake. His first thought was that Theo was lost in his thoughts, but the complete lack of reaction made him realize something was wrong, that Theo wasn’t there at all. His heart rate spiked and he shook Theo’s arm with a little more force. “Theo! Hey! What’s wrong? You okay?” It was a stupid question to ask, but he didn’t know what to do. Don’t panic, he thought, yet he wasn’t sure he could stop himself even if he tried.
Theo didn't respond. Couldn't. He was somewhere else, another realm even. There was nothing he could do until the woman had made her choice to go to the "other side". Theo didn't think it was heaven, but maybe it was something close enough to make people happy. Sometimes they didn't want to go and it was his job to persuade them. Sometimes his mom made him keep them on this plane for her own benefit. But this was an easy thing to do, when they were old and human and willing. Ready. Theo had no idea how much time had passed when he blinked back into consciousness. His vision was blurry for a few more moments until Bash came into view, looking pale and worried. Theo exhaled sharply and reached for his drink to help ease the dryness in his throat. "Sorry," he murmured, once he found his voice again. "I didn't know that was going to happen."
By the time Theo’s consciousness returned, Bash was pale and quiet, not sure what else he could do but wait. He’d considered calling 911, but Theo was breathing, and didn’t look in pain, so he tried to keep himself from being overdramatic. What would he even tell them? My boyfriend has zoned out? As soon as Theo spoke, Bash breathed a sigh of relief, pushing his hands over his face and then up into his hair. “What was that?” he asked, his eyes wide, his face pinched with concern. “It was like—like you were gone.” He’d had the thought that, if he were a better witch, a more practiced one, he might’ve been able to sense something, but his lack of knowledge made him useless. All he’d been able to do was sit there and count down the seconds until he did something more drastic. Fortunately, it hadn’t come to that.
Theo supposed he had been lucky that it hadn't happened yet in the months that he and Bash had been dating. Honestly, people died every day, but Theo had always been called away when he was alone, or with his mom. Now he was living on his own and he knew Bash would be around more frequently, so maybe it was good that this happened now. "Uh..." He squinted a bit, trying to think of the best way to explain what had happened, and what he was. "I guess I was gone. Not physically, just... up here." He tapped a finger against his temple. "I'm sorry, I should've told you earlier, I just wasn't sure the best way to explain it. I'm a... what they call a Reaper? I sort of help people who've died, cross over." Theo grimaced, because saying it out loud sort of made him sound crazy.
A couple of years ago, Bash would’ve thought Theo had lost his mind, but after the year that he’d had anything sounded plausible. It still gave him pause though. He’d thought it was a medical condition, like a mild seizure, not something supernatural in nature, and the term Reaper was completely new to him. “So… someone died and… and your consciousness was just, what? Transported to where they were?” Now he sounded crazy. “What do you do? Tell them to go into the light? What happens if they don’t want to go?” Theo hadn’t been gone terribly long, so maybe it was easy, but he also imagined that some people died horrible deaths and weren’t as keen on letting go.
Theo took another drink as Bash spoke. He wished he had been more prepared for this. He should have been. This could have happened at any time while he was with his boyfriend and maybe Theo took for granted that it hadn't yet. He had gotten comfortable. Bash obviously had a lot of questions so Theo cleared his throat and then managed a faint smile. Some part of him wanted to just curl up on the bench and sleep. It always took a lot out of him physically, which was weird seeing as how his physical body always remained where it was. "Basically, death triggers my consciousness. Not all deaths. I don't know how it works, to be honest. I mean, why I'm chosen for some and not others. But yeah I help them go into the light, or whatever you want to call it. A lot of the time they'll go. But sometimes they don't want to. I can't force them. But if they stay, they're... stuck." Theo grimaced. "They essentially become ghosts. Or poltergeists, depending on how they died."
Bash supposed that made sense. It was what he’d always heard regarding ghosts, that they were souls who didn’t pass on, who stuck around too long. He’d just never gotten the impression there was someone there to help them, but then again, who would know that that was still alive? “Is it hereditary?” he asked, since Theo had to have gotten the name Reaper from somewhere. It conjured to mind a skeletal man in a black hood, carrying a scythe or an expired hourglass, not his boyfriend. Not Theo. “Do you have any warning at all? What happens if you’re driving? Can you stop it? Or stall it?” He’d been lucky that they were just sitting having dinner, but what about all the times when Theo was in the middle of something? People died all the fucking time. It wasn’t like Theo could pencil it in on his calendar.
Theo huffed out a soft laugh at all of Bash's questions. He didn't mind them, obviously. It was just a little overwhelming and he wished he had told Bash about all of this before it actually happened. "I don't think it's hereditary. If it is, I haven't been told. My mom knows about it but she's never told me if someone else in my family does it. I don't have any warning. Well, I mean, I do, but it happens pretty fast. I feel like, a tugging inside of myself. Like you know when someone takes your arm and pulls you somewhere? That's what it feels like. Except it's my whole body, not just my arm. It's only happened once when I've been driving and I went off into a ditch." Theo reached for his water again. "It's kind of why I got kicked out of college. I just couldn't... I don't know, focus on what I needed to focus on when this shit kept happening. And being back here in Point Pleasant, I guess I don't really have to drive a lot. But no... I can't stop or stall it. It just happens. So my career as a daredevil is off the table." He smiled, eager to lighten the mood a little. "I'm not freaking you out, am I?"
“No,” Bash said, smiling despite his concern. “I’m just… worried about you, I guess. It caught me off guard.” He’d seen and heard about much worse things in the last twelve months, but the sight of his boyfriend sitting there, his eyes vacant and body nonrespondent, had scared him in a different way. The fear had been for Theo, for what was happening and his inability to do anything about it. Even knowing, he still worried and wondered if there wasn’t something he could do as a witch, something to help protect him or warn him, except that he knew so little that he was basically useless. He hadn’t even known what a reaper was, let alone a spell to help him. “Do you feel okay? Does it hurt?”
"I'm sorry. I should've told you before now. I just know how weird it sounds. Being a witch seems a lot cooler." He smiled faintly and reached over to take Bash's hand. "But I don't want you to worry about me. I've been doing this for years now and I've been okay. It doesn't hurt. It just kind of leaves me feeling tired and sometimes pretty... I don't know... bruised feeling, I guess? I've kind of learned not to force people if they don't want to go. Sometimes it takes a while, sometimes it doesn't. So if you see this happen again, just be patient, okay?"
“It’s not all water fountains and snowballs,” Bash said with a little smile as he gave Theo’s hand a squeeze. He’d gone easy on what being a witch meant to him, leaving out the worst and highlighting some of the best. It wouldn’t surprise him at all if Theo was doing the same, though he struggled to see the perk of this ability at all. It seemed like a nuisance at best and an actual threat to his life at worst. There was no way he wasn’t going to worry, but he tried not to let it consume him. Theo hadn’t freaked out about him being a witch and he wanted to appear just as chill. “Okay,” he said. “I think I can handle it if you’re with me. I wish I could heal you or… or do something to help.”
Leaning over, Theo brushed a kiss against Bash's lips. "It helps that you're here. And that you know now. I haven't told anyone about it before, mostly because I figured they wouldn't believe me. It means a lot that you know now, and that you're not freaking out about it. I had to always tell people it was some seizure disorder if it happened in public or class or whatever. Just... don't tell anyone, okay?" He trusted Bash completely but he just needed to make sure Bash knew it was a secret. There were things and people out there who would probably want to use him the way his mother did and they would likely be less kind about it.
“Promise,” Bash said, giving Theo’s hand a squeeze. It meant a lot that Theo was willing to tell him, especially considering he’d never told anyone else before. Bash couldn’t imagine not believing him, but he’d experienced more weird in his life than the average person, probably from being a witch. But that also meant he knew there were people out there that might take advantage of what Theo could do. He didn’t know how, but he was sure it was a possibility. “Has it ever been anyone you knew?” he asked, the possibility suddenly occurring to him. He didn’t know the range of Theo’s abilities, but it might have meant that someone in Point Pleasant just died.
Theo released a slow breath as he shook his head. "No. I mean... no one I knew personally. Some people I recognized, you know? But it hasn't been any friends or anything that. I kind of figure eventually one day it will be." He sounded resigned to that fact and he was. 'I honestly don't know much about it other than how to do it now. It's something I obviously want to know more about but... my mom's not entirely forthcoming with the details." He picked up his fork again to mess with some food even though his appetite was gone. "I wouldn't know the first place to start researching something like this, you know?"
“I dunno,” Bash said softly, poking at his food, though far more focused on Theo. “I know some people—other witches—who seem pretty well versed in the supernatural, but… I get not wanting people to know what you are. Maybe if I had access to my family’s book…” But that was a dead end. His father wasn’t going to let him lay hands on it any time soon, and his mother’s… Bash bit his lip, wondering again if that was something to pursue. “There’s gotta be people out there that know something, especially if your mom isn’t like you. You just don’t want to approach the wrong person. I doubt you’re going to find anything on the internet.” Even if there was something real out there, sifting through all the bullshit was next to impossible. He knew that from experience.
Theo laughed. "Can you imagine Googling this shit? I'd probably end up with a thousand search results for that show Supernatural." Not really hungry anymore, Theo set his fork down and sighed, leaning back against his seat. The soft lapping of ocean water against the boat was soothing and his body just wanted to lay down and sleep for a while. It was one of the things he hated about what he could do. It would be amazing if he could find some way to control it, or at least bounce back from it more quickly. "Do you really think another witch in town might know more about this? What's so secretive about your family's book? Have you never seen it before?"
“Trust me, Google is not your friend for things like this,” Bash smiled back at Theo. He was glad he could laugh about it because he knew how frustrating it could be to not know. He’d gotten a lot of answers in the last year, but the fact that information was still held back from him rankled him. “There are people in this town who can exorcise demons,” he said softly. “It wouldn’t surprise me if they knew something.” Except he couldn’t imagine going to Reagan or Caius for anything ever again. They’d saved him, but they’d also taken advantage of his naivety. There was also the little fact that he’d stabbed Caius. Even if it wasn’t entirely him, he’d rather not face the man again. “My family descends from one of the six witches killed for witchcraft. The spells in my family’s book have been passed down and added to for hundreds of years. I’ve seen it once, but my dad keeps it locked up pretty tight. It’s not even in the house. And I don’t even know if my mom’s line has one. I mean, I’m sure they do, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s been lost or buried somewhere.” He’d thought about looking for it on more than one occasion, but suspected he’d need more than just his eyes to find it. He’d need a spell. “Without the book, I’m at the mercy of what my dad thinks I should learn, or what I can figure out on my own. I can’t even see what might be possible.”
His brows furrowed and Theo couldn't help but frown. "That seems... shitty? And maybe dangerous, right? You're an adult, Bash, it should be your choice what you want to know and learn. Do you have to use the book? Are there other ways of learning magic?" Theo supposed he had been lucky growing up, at least in the sense that his mom hadn't been super strict. Only about his ability. Theo knew she loved him but sometimes he felt like a means to her lifestyle more than a son. It was a bizarre feeling and more often than not, he pushed it down and ignored it completely. "What about your mom? If she does have a book... she always seemed a bit more, uh... laid back? Than your dad. No offense." His lips twitched a bit. "Maybe she would help you."
“It is shitty,” Bash mumbled, trying not to pout in front of Theo. His parents made him feel like a child for whining about it, but he still thought they were being unfair about the whole thing. “I don’t have to use the book, but it’s safer than just making stuff up and hoping it works. There’s a higher chance of backlash.” He fiddled with the bracelet on his wrist, the one he could never take off. He doubted he’d ever done anything major, but suspected some of the spells Baron had done possessed enough backlash to kill him without the buffer. “I could talk to my mom,” he nodded as he thought about it. “She might be more open to it now, especially if I go to her first. And even if she doesn’t know where her line’s book is, she might support me finding it.” He suspected she’d put all kinds of rules in place, but that would be better than nothing. “Even if there’s nothing on Reapers in it, there’ll be healing salves and potions. Things that might help you feel better afterwards.” Theo hadn’t said anything, but Bash had noticed how he’d barely touched his dinner now.
Theo was learning there was a lot he didn't know about this town. And witches. But it seemed like Bash still had a lot to learn too, so it made him feel a little bit better about zoning out in front of him. Not many people had seen it first hand, thankfully, and those how had just thought he'd had a seizure or was on drugs. "You should talk to her," Theo suggested, more for Bash's sake than his own. "Maybe she'll feel be more open to you learning more, even on your own, after what she went through herself. Sometimes I wonder if parents realize they won't always be around to protect their kids, you know? I'd rather you be able to do that than worry about me. Although I won't say no to something that can help how shitty this whole things makes me feel when it's over." He smiled. "And I can help you too, hopefully."
Although Theo now knew he was a witch, Bash had been careful not to divulge too much about what that meant and what he’d gone through as a result. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Theo—he did. But it could be overwhelming at times, and he had no desire to revisit some of the most terrifying moments of his life. There were times it still haunted him, but he liked to at least pretend he was past it. Sometimes, though, he wished Theo knew the whole story. It would better explain his hesitancy in asking his mother for anything regarding magic, and why he was so sure she would deny him. But he knew it was better to ask than go behind her back. “You help me just by being here,” Bash said as he gave Theo’s hand a squeeze, then laughed softly at how sappy he sounded. “You wanna go in and lay down? Maybe watch something?” He knew Theo said he wasn’t in pain, but Bash still worried about him.
Theo rubbed his temple with his free hand. "This wasn't exactly the kind of day I had planned for us," he admitted sheepishly. "But... maybe if we chill for awhile, watch a movie or something, the headache and stuff will go away and then we can find something more fun to do. Do you have to be home at any specific time?" Maybe he could convince Bash to stay the night. Theo wasn't sure what his parents would think about that, but the guy was graduated and more or less an adult now, so maybe they wouldn't mind it too much.
“We can try your plan again another night,” Bash told him with a little smile. He’d told himself not to get too wrapped up in Theo, that he’d have to leave him at the end of the summer and that would suck if he let himself get much closer, but damn if he was having a hard time with it. As bitter as he’d been after his breakup with Hunter, he was still a romantic at heart, and a sunset dinner on the deck dredged up all the feelings he’d been trying to subdue. As much as he wanted to deny it, it felt good. Terrifying, but good. “We’ve never talked about it explicitly, but I think my parents are fine with me staying out, so long as they know where I am.” They might not be happy about it, but they hadn’t made any moves to stop him and for that he was grateful.
"That works for me," Theo murmured before leaning over to press a kiss to Bash's lips. "I mean, if you want to stay the night, I won't say no to it." Though he would understand if Bash had to get home at some point. Maybe he could steal Bash away for the night a few times this summer, at least. Already he wanted to make it up to him that he'd ruined this date by... well, zoning out and literally leaving his body in a sense. Fuck, his life was weird. But Bash's life was weird too, and it felt good to have that kind of solidarity when he had been feeling isolated for so long.
“I always want to stay the night,” Bash smiled, laughing softly to mask the truth of the statement. Even when Theo was too worn out to do anything more than cuddle, he’d rather curl up with him than go home to his own bed. He knew he couldn’t do it every night, and he certainly didn’t want to wear out his welcome, but if Theo was offering, then he was staying. “Why don’t you go lay down and I’ll pack this up?” he suggested. “We can always reheat it if you feel better.” He didn’t know how long the recovery time was for Theo, but he wanted to stay there with him. Theo might be used to these things happening to him, but Bash would feel better staying near him until he’d fully recovered.
Theo had always been used to recovering from his "spells" by himself, so it was kind of strange, in a good way, to have someone there with him who knew what was going on. He smiled at Bash and leaned in to kiss him again. "Thank you." It wasn't just the cleaning up. It was the understanding and not being freaked out or wanting to run away. Maybe Theo wasn't hurting anyone, but he had to admit the concept of what he did could come across as creepy to some people. But they could talk about it more later, once Theo could think clearly and have a focused conversation. Right now he wanted to curl up in bed, preferably with Bash, and shut out the rest of the world.