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Given all that had been happening recently, Kellan had been spending most of his time looking after Kaleb and prepping a bit for school. He'd still been reading a number of books and trying to decide exactly what he wanted to study, which seemed more an excuse not to think about other things. But at the moment, he lies on the couch in the livingroom with his head in Vic's lap, just watching something on television and letting his mind wander. One hand squeezes Vic's knee and brushes his thumb in small circles, as he just enjoys being close.
Vic strokes Kellan's hair. He's reading a book about philosophy, but he sets it aside so he can gaze down at his boyfriend. "How are you doing?" he says quietly. While Kellan has been taking care of Kaleb, Vic has been taking care of Kellan. "You've been tired lately." Just mild fretting. Fretting is what he does.
Kellan smiles and he turns and presses a kiss to Vic's knee before resting his head back down and closing his eyes, that smile lingering on his lips. "I'm okay," he reassures gently. "I have a pretty amazing boyfriend who has been taking good care of me." He very deeply appreciates everything that Vic does, and he makes sure to let him know that he is appreciated. He then says, "I'm always tired," with a little shrug of his shoulders, "It's okay." He has so much trouble sleeping. It's easier with Vic there with him, but sometimes he just can't.
"Ooh, should I feel threatened by this guy?" Vic says. He grins, and he keeps stroking Kellan's hair, slowly and soothing. "Do you want me to fatigue you?" he asks. "Tonight, maybe?" It might make Kellan pass out. "I can watch over Kaleb while you get some rest." He smiles faintly. "I can watch over you, too."
Kellan can't keep his eyes open with that gentle stroking of his hair, his eyes shut and his breathing even. Even if he can't sleep, there's something fantasticaly soothing about that touch. "Someone needs to watch over and cake care of you, too," he mumbles. "I'm sorry I've been so wrapped up in making sure that Kaleb's okay." Though he does think about it some and says, "Maybe, tonight, when I try to sleep."
"Oh, I'm okay," Vic says. "I've got you both here at home, and I don't have to wonder where Kaleb is. That's the part that hurt the worst, not knowing where he was." He tucks a lock of hair behind Kellan's hair, and he continues the methodic stroking, pleased with how Kellan's breathing goes even. "Somehow Maximus figured out who my family was," he says. "That's a little worrisome, but he's our friend so I won't let it bug me too much." If only he knew.
There's a little frown that touches his lips when Vic mentions that Max found out who his family was. "I didn't say anything to him about your family… How did he figure it out?" In fact, he'd only spoken of Vic as an individual, never in relation to anyone else but him. He's careful about other people's secrets even if he gives up his own. He then says, "I.. I really like Max. I know… he's done some thing sthat aren't good. But I feel for him, you know? I kind of feel like he's a brother to us.. in a way he can't have with his own brother right now."
"I know you didn't," Vic says. "Neither did Kaleb. He just said out of the blue I had the same, um, dedication and unshaking fixation as the rest of my family. When it came to you and me." He smiles warmly. "Guilty as charged. I wonder if he's talking about my father's devotion to my mother." He presses his lips thin in thought, then he says, "I don't know him all that well, but he seems nice. I don't think he likes me the same way he likes you two, but that's all right."
Kellan nods a little bit and seems perhaps a little puzzled at that statement, but then he nods and says, "Maybe," in regard to Vic's parents. He rolls then, onto his back so that he can look up at Vic, lips quirking a little bit. "Well, I am definnitely dedicated and unshakingly fixated on you. So I guess we're both guilty as charged." Then he says, "I think he has a crush on Kaleb." He lifts his near hand and lightly brushes Vic's chest with the back of his knuckles.
"Oh, I know he does," Vic says. "He mentioned that with Lorna gone it opened up options, and I think he meant himself." He smiles at Kellan, brushes hair from his forehead. "People have been talking about going somewhere and me coming with, but I have to level with you: I have no idea what's going on. I know that Kaleb and Lorna got taken; I was there to help get both of them out. I know Lorna lashed out at Kaleb and he left her. His powers got messed up. I know somehow Maximus has gotten involved with you two, but that's it. I have no idea what we're doing or where we're going or why. I feel like I'm just making pancakes."
Kellan pulls himself up then and turns on the couch, so that he can snuggle up next to Vic and rest his head on his shoulder, taking his hand in his, and twining fingers together. "So, I guess to start from the beginning.. Max met Kaleb and the two of them hit it off but Kaleb ended up dating Lorna because they seemed to already be dating and I picked on him at that dinner and so he decided to actually ask her to date him because he liked her." He then says, "So they went out on a date at a restaurant and they got drugged and dragged off to separate places by some people and this middleman named Pendergast who apparently has contacts with our family as well as maybe the people who did the horrible things to Warren that Kaleb saw when he was in Europe and tried to help him escape…"
Vic wraps his arm around Kellan's shoulder, giving him a cuddle as he gives his hand a squeeze. "I remember meeting Maximus when Kaleb and I went to that island to recover something Maximus needed. I don't remember what. So this Pendergast is a baddy? And he's associated with your family. I take it your parents don't know about any of this."
Kellan sighs a little bit and he says, "We don't know. When Kaleb was in Europe, dad and he had to go and meet with some people, and the people were talking about the mutant problem, and they dragged him into a room and showed him what they were doing to Warren. Kaleb didn't knwo if dad knew they were going to do that, or not. But Kaleb managed to help free Warren so that he could get out, and then faked going along with whatever dad did enough to get out of Europe and come home." He takes a breath and then says, "I don't know how involved our father is if at all.. but it seems like they may be in with these people..and I don't think our parents know we are mutants yet.. but we think that Pendergast might know because he tried to blackmail Kaleb while he had him."
Vic hugs Kellan closer and kisses him. "That's awful, sweetheart," he says. "Hopefully they're innocent in all this and just picked the wrong friends." Not that he sounds overly optimistic, but one has to try. "Having a place at the school we can escape to might not be the worst idea, just in case. All the better that I get to attend with you guys."
Kellan tips his head up to return Vic's kiss gently and he nods a little bit, "I hope that's what it is, that these business associates surprised them with this.. that they aren't involved in it." He rests his head back against Vic's shoulder and nods. "Having a backup place to go is a good idea." Then he continues and says, "So.. these folks took them both and we found Kaleb, and you came with us to get him out.. and we got him back but that stuff they pumped him full of messed up his DNA and made his abilities go wonky. So he can't deal with the sound of everything. So Max offered to help, and has been helping him with some quiet. We got the info that was needed for you guys to go get Lorna and you brought her back.. but she was possessed by something that got in her head.. And when Kaleb heard she was back he wanted to see her. I told him he should wait til they were both better but he wanted to go..
"In his shoes, if it was you, he would've done the same." He holds Kellan's hand, resting his head against his boyfriend's hair. "He said some of what happened with Lorna. That she called him a monster. She's still my aunt and I still love her, but I can't be okay with treating Kaleb like that." He bites his lip, and he says, "Was she still possessed when…?"
Kellan holds Vic's hand as he continues to talk, to try to share everything that he knows so that Vic isn't in the dark. He wants him to know, and in the flurry and chaos of everything going on, there hasn't been a lot of time to talk. He nods his head a little and he says, "When he got there, she was possessed, but he didn't know. She.. tried to come on to him, to get him to sleep with her, and he said no, because she was acting strange and he wanted them to be sure they were both all checked out and okay before having that conversation. She flipped out and she picked up all the equipment in the lab and slammed it down. It triggered a seizure because it was still too soon. He's still too hypersensitive to sound." There's a frown that touches his brow and he shakes his head. "When they got it out of her, and he was sitting outside waiting to go home, she came out and accused him of assaulting her.. and that he liked Malice, who ahd possessed her better, and.. he hadn't done anything to her. Finally he snapped, and he left."
"I didn't know that part," Vic says. He frowns, rubbing his chin. I know she trashed the place, but not the part about… that." He sighs quietly, dismay and disappointment in the sound. "I wish I understood her, but I don't know. I don't know why she'd do that to Kaleb, but why doesn't matter. He needs us. She's got the family to look after her." He nuzzles Kellan's hair and relaxes with another sigh. "Poor Kaleb. No wonder he's a wreck."
"So, yeah, she considers him a monster because she says he did something that he didn't do. He was trying to look out for her, and for him, for both of them… and yeah, it went really badly," Kellan says with a little bit of a sigh. "I don't know if she's just still fucked up from what was don to her, or what, but turning on him wasn't fair. Kaleb doesn't like much of anyone and he's tried to do right by her." He then lifts his head and says, "I know she's your aunt and I don't like.. harbor any ill will to her. I really do hope that she figures out what's going on and straightens things out and things get better for her. I just.. yeah, right now.. Kaleb needs help." He presses a kiss to Vic's shoulder. "So we were thinking about maybe going back to that island that you guys went to.. since I didn't get to see it, and it's quieter, and maybe it would give Kaleb a place to rest away from everything."
"She sounds confused," Vic says. "Which isn't making excuses, just that I can't understand where she would think he's a monster. He's our Kaleb. He really liked her." Vic's voice carries a measure of distress. It kills him that Kaleb got hurt. He gazes at Kellan with those big blue eyes full of emotion. "I hope she figures it out, too. She lost one of the good ones because she treated him like you shouldn't even treat your worst enemy." He nods as he adds, "Kaleb needs our help. She's got support, and I care about her, but she's in good hands. Kaleb needs to be, too. That island might be just the thing. It's got dangers, but we were smart enough to figure them out once, we can do it again."
Kellan nods his head and says, "Maximus took us someplace that Kaleb could rest for a while and it helped, but he can't keep going back there all the time. So maybe someplace that we could all go would be nice, where we could do something that doesn't involve all of this.. stuff that happened for a little while." He grows serious then and says, "Because I'm going to be looking into Pendergast, and the people who hurt Warren, and our father's company, and I'm going to find out who decidd to do this to Kaleb, and to Warren, and then .." He doesn't know what, but it's going to be very serious from the look on his face.
"Then we stop them," Vic says, brooking no argument. Not that he expects one coming from Kellan. He tips Kellan's chin up so their lips are almost touching. Looking him in the eye, he says, "Hey, I'm in this for the long haul, okay? Whatever needs done, even when I don't understand all of it, you tell me to go and I'll go." Then he kisses his boyfriend, sealing the promise thus.
Kellan nods his head in agreement with Vic, looking him in the eyes, his darker blue meeting Vic's pale blue. Then he leans in and he returns that kiss, reaching up to lightly cup his cheek. He lets that kiss linger for some time before he says, "We're both in this for the long haul. You and me, always."
Vic grins, resting his forehead against Kellan's. "When all this is over, you and me are going to have a party, and we're going to invite all our friends. Maybe we'll never be able to get married, or maybe we will, but it won't matter. We're going to celebrate like we could. It'll be, like, a commitment ceremony."
Kellan grins a little bit lopsidedly as he looks into Vic's eyes, then he shifts sliding over Vic's lap so that he can settle onto it. He leans down then and gives him a long, slow kiss, only murmuring once it breaks, "For you, I would do anything. You are my everything, you know that?" He smiles then, bright and brilliant, and steals another kiss.
Vic is generous with the kisses and takes a few back for himself. "I just want you to be happy," he says, "Safe and happy. Whatever life throws at us, just be happy and safe." He pauses, then admits "We can't always be safe though. With what's going on, what's coming, we're going to have to do whatever we can." He wraps both arms around lapped Kellan. "So when we have to go into danger, just try to be safe."
"Me?" Kellan asks with both brows raised. "You are the one who got shot," he points out, though his concern over that has diminished a littel bit now that he knows that Vic can heal — not that he wants him to get shot in the first place. "And chewed on by dogs…" he shakes his head. "Of all of us, I'm the one who is the safest. Biggest bruise I've gotten is to my ego." He leans in then to take another kiss, and then another before he says, "But yes, no matter what happens I will be happy as long as I have you, and I will try to stay as safe as I can."
"I'm a hero baby," Vic says, giving Kellan a squeeze. "We're a tough breed." Then he laughs, unable to keep up the act. "I'll try to stay safe as I can," he says, "but I can't promise I won't run into danger when the cause is just." He strokes Kellan's hair. "Just don't worry too much, okay? I'm not going to go in half-cocked just because I'm tough. And I'll be happy as long as I have you."
"You're my hero, baby," Kellan says with a grin, laughing along with Vic because that laughter is contagious. He returns the squeeze though and rests his brow against Vic's. "You wouldn't be who you are if you didn't try to help when you felt it was needed. I wouldn't ask you not to. But I will always worry about you. Because I love you. But I do believe in you, and that you are tough, and that things are going to be okay."