InsaneJournal

Who: Athelstan and Logan Howlett
What: Athelstan shows off his handiwork
When: 2/15
Rating: PG
Status: Complete



Athelstan had been up since five in the morning, but now, he was fairly sure, the house could not get any cleaner. He’d put the finishing touches on the floors, and he’d made absolutely certain that every nut and bolt on the boards in the room he intended for Eli was as tight as could be. He’d even bought a light meter to make certain the room was good and blocked up. And now he was waiting for Eli’s father to arrive. A factor that still terrified him deep down, but he’d learned over time that Logan Howlett actually seemed to respect those who showed no fear far more. Hopefully he’d be on time.

Logan's bike rumbled as he rolled up. He'd worn an imposing leather jacket, jeans and a wife beater, and he looked like he was in a bad mood. Which wasn't really true. Except it was. Maybe he just wasn't happy about the prospect of Eli moving out already. It hadn't even been a year. He knocked when he walked up.

The knock made him jump, but he got it under control before he opened the door. Navi hadn’t left much furniture, but he’d done the best with what he could, and he did have a coat rack near the door.

Athelstan opened the door, offering a small smile, but trying to stay mostly professional. It seemed to work best. “Hello, sir. Thank you for coming.” Normally he’d ask people to take their shoes off, but Eli’s father could bloody well leave them on if he was so inclined. “If you’d like to take off your coat, there’s a rack right there.”

“Hey.” He took his coat off and hung it after stepping inside. The disinfectant and cleaner assaulted his nose as soon as he entered. It made him scrunch up his face.

Oh, hell. “Is something wrong, sir?” Athelstan tried to sound calm, but he wanted this to go well.

“Cleanin’ supplies,” he said, shrugging a shoulder. “Jus’ a bit strong that’s all, kid. Could be worse, trust me.”

“Ah. I see.” He ought to have remembered the man’s extra-sensitive nose. “Well, thank you for coming into the house even more, then.” Athelstan waited until Logan had hung up his coat. “I wanted to show you the place, so you can make certain I’ve done my job in making it safe for Eli.” He didn’t specify anything about moving or staying, just making it safe. That was the first step, after all.

"Just..."Logan trailed off and scowled. The boy didn't really deserve him being grumpy but he couldn't quite help it. The whole situation had him on edge and he didn't know how to deal with it. He never wanted Eli trapped but he didn't want to let her go just yet either.

“I know, sir.” He didn’t go into it - it wasn’t a brilliant idea to put words in this man’s mouth. “All I want to do is show you that she’ll have a place to stay if she does come here for whatever reason. If the sky starts raining hellfire, and it doesn’t eat through the roof, she’ll have a safe room.” He was surprised at his own bravery, being so straightforward, but it was for Eli.

“It’s a good room,” Logan admitted. And a nice house, but he didn’t need to say that out loud. If the man could make the kind of friends willing to let him take over the house, he couldn’t be all that bad. He didn’t have to like it, but that was simply how it was.

“I was able to find some stout oak to board up the windows, with good quarter-twenty bolts,” Athelstan said, gesturing into the bedroom itself. “But I trapped the curtains in behind the wood - that way even the neighbours will simply think it’s an unused room. Even the birds ought not to bother her.”

“Oak is good, strong, but not strong enough to bother her much if she had to beat her way out,” Logan said, nodding his head as he considered that.

“Exactly. God forbid.” Athelstan almost crossed himself, but decided against it in Logan’s presence.

“Quiet in here, too. You gonna install air raid curtains?” For emergencies.

“I hadn’t thought of that, but now I think I will. Thank you for the idea, sir.” Athelstan was being serious; the more precautions he took, the better. “In case the wood cracks or warps, of course I should do that.”

“Or if she needs to move through the house in the daylight. Should give her enough cover for that.” Something that Logan had been thinking about lately. Giving Eli more freedom of movement during the day.

“Yes. And I do also have a basement here if she needs a larger amount of space. I would never want her to feel hemmed in.” Athelstan was surprised by the amount of feeling in his own voice, coughing. “I can’t unfortunately make any really lasting changes - the house belongs to my former employer, not I - but anything cosmetic, I can certainly do. I’m rather handy with a hammer and saw.”

“Might be able to do somethin’ in the back though. It has a pretty big yard, could make a safehouse out there.” It was like Logan was accepting the inevitable!

“Possible, but she’d likely prefer to be somewhere with running water and all that.” Athelstan demurred. “I could simply ask her, of course.”

“I know some people, could make it reinforced an’ with all the amenities,” Logan shrugged a shoulder. “Your digs are pretty sweet, I’ll give you that.”

Athelstan smiled. “The house belongs to Navi. She used to live here, but she and her husband and baby moved north. Apparently this was her grandfather’s place, though, so selling it was out of the question.” He’d been moved, even humbled when Navi asked him to watch it.

He looked out at the yard. “With all due respect, it would seem like wasting the house, if she were out there.”

“Mean you could use it like a safe room. There was a time when my place got firebombed. Sometimes you need a safe place.” Logan shrugged his shoulder. “Just a suggestion.”

Athelstan’s blood ran cold. “Dear God. Really? I mean. Of course really. Just ... how awful.” He’d remembered meeting Eli around the time that she and her parents were living in another house, but he’d never learned why. “Thank God you all made it out alive. That’s certainly something to consider.” Something intimidating and frightening, yes, but it didn’t put him off. It wouldn’t turn him away from Eli.

“Might not happen,but anyone with any relation to me is gonna be in danger, simply how my life works.” Logan shrugged again, as though he were talking about something normal. And for him it kind of was. Painfully normal.

Athelstan looked at him for a long moment before finally saying, “I’m sorry.” Probably not what he wanted to hear, but it was his first honest reaction. He felt bad that someone who was good - and he could tell this was a good man - had to deal with that. “I’m not very good in a fight, I’m afraid. I can’t promise you that I could protect her.” It might make Logan say no, that Eli couldn’t come here, but he had to be honest.

“She’s the one that’ll protect you both. I’d be an idiot to say she’s not capable. But what she needs is emotional support. Someone who has her back even when she’s in her darkest moods.” Because even though Eli put on a brave face, even she sometimes got down about her condition.

“I do my best to help her,” was all Athelstan could say, shrugging. “She’s told me more than once that I ought not to bother with her, but I’ve respectfully told her that it’s my decision who I spend my time with.”

"Good for you," he said with some gruffness though the sentiment seemed to be genuine. "She needs to realize she is worth it."

Hearing that made Athelstan feel absurdly proud. He might have straightened up noticeably. “Yes, sir. She’s worth it. Worth ... everything.” He cleared his throat. He had to act like a man, especially in this man’s presence.

“Yeah.” Logan grunted, then looked up at the ceiling. He kind of figured at some point Athelstan was going to ask Eli to move in with him and he seemed like the kind of man who’d want to try to get her father’s approval. Not that he needed it, Eli would do whatever she damn well wanted to, but he thought that Eli would want the approval too. “Well if you’re gonna ask anything, now’s the time to do it.”

Fair enough. “I would certainly like your acceptance, if not your approval, if Eli decides to move here,” Athelstan began. “But I understand that I may not get it - indeed, I daresay the decision is between yourself and Eli. All I wanted from this visit was to show you what I’ve done, and for you to see that I’ve tried my best to make this a place where Eli can be happy and safe.” He looked the man in the eyes - as terrifying as it might have been. “I would love to have her here, but it’s her decision ultimately - and given how much she loves her parents, I could not find fault with her deciding to remain with you.”

“You’re right, it’s up to her, but if that’s what she wants, then I guess I’ll have to accept it.” He grunted. It was a begrudging acceptance but it was an acceptance which was probably better than could be expected.

Athelstan inwardly froze in surprise - he had not expected that at all - but outwardly, he hoped he stayed calm. “I certainly can’t speak for whatever she wants to do, but I am grateful that you would even consider it.” It meant that he’d somehow earned Logan Howlett’s tolerance, if not his liking. He would take it.

"I figure that she can rip your throat out if you wrong her an' she don't need me to white knight for her," Logan said, growling.

Athelstan decided to take it as a joke, laughing weakly. “Quite right.” Even though he decided to take it as a joke, he knew the man spoke truth. Eli wouldn’t suffer fools.

He tried to breathe. “I won’t take up any more of your time, sir, but you’re welcome to look around the place more if you like.”

“Thanks.” Logan clapped Athelstan on the back with all his strength and gave him the ‘you better do right by her if I have to drag you to the altar by your ear’ look.

Athelstan couldn’t help but whuff in something between surprise and alarm, managing a smile and a weak “Yes, sir” as Logan went by.