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“Yeah.” Travis’s arms tighten, holding him closer than ever. “Probably.”
Travis’s arms tighten, holding him closer than ever.
“It can wait though,” Carter whispers. “Five more minutes won’t hurt, right?”
“Right.” Travis presses his face to Carter's neck. “Five more minutes.”
They don’t break apart for another two hours. When they do, it’s silent and heartbreaking, neither meeting the other’s eyes, every touch lingering, every breath halting and shaky.
Travis leaves the room first. Carter spends a few minutes in the bathroom, trying to stop the tears that feel never-ending. When he finally has himself under control, he goes to Casey first. He needs his best friend.
The moment Casey opens his bedroom door, Carter is crying again. He explains the situation in fits and starts, with a lot of rambling and second-guessing in between. When he’s all cried out and feeling uncertain about everything, Casey wraps Carter up in his arms and says exactly what Carter had no idea he needed to hear. “I’ll come with you.”
Casey isn’t ready for school yet. He’s not entirely sure he’s ready to leave the safehouse at all, something he admits openly. But he wants to try, and he wants to be there for Carter. When Jake finds out, he shows more emotion than Carter thought the stoic man was capable of. He hurries Casey away to talk, his hands actually shaking at his sides.
The plan changes a little once Jake and Casey come back. They’re going to figure out a way to change the rules so Casey can come back to the safehouse once a week for group therapy and a one-on-one therapy session - he can attend the rest virtually.
They also extend the ‘you can move back anytime you choose’ rule Travis created for Carter so that it covers Casey too. Apparently, they’re going to make them consultants so they technically fall under the operative’s rules for coming and going whenever they want.
They also implement check-ins. Casey or Carter will check-in with Jake, Travis, Maison, or Ace at least once a day, preferably toward the end when they’re settled in for the night. One of the men also needs to be put down on emergency contact forms, if there’s ever an occasion for such things.
Ace bypasses the admissions system at the college and gets Carter enrolled in a class, being incredibly patient with Carter when it takes him over an hour to choose what one he wants. He settles on an introduction to psychology class. Ace prints out a textbook and supplies list for him, then hands him a packet with information on the apartment Ace already got them, a debit card, an ID that has his new name - Carter Samson - and a phone with everyone’s numbers already programmed.
Everyone seems happy for them. Maison looks fucking thrilled.
Travis forces a smile when the topic comes up at dinner. He leaves the meal early, with a plate still half-full of food and three empty bottles of beer. Jake leaves soon after.
Carter and Casey find it hard to smile for the rest of the night.
Together, Carter and Casey only have a single box of belongings, but Jake and Maison still insist on coming along for the move.
Travis considers going too, but he decides against it. He can’t fully trust that he’d be able to leave Carter at the end of it all.
That means he needs to say goodbye before the boy leaves, though. He puts it off as long as he can. It isn’t until he hears Carter tell the others that he’s going to do a final walk-through of his bedroom that Travis realizes it’s now or never. He can feel people watch him as he heads down the hall just a few seconds after Carter. The item in the back pocket of his jeans feels heavier than it actually is, weighing down each step he takes.
His heart pounds in rhythm with his fist as he knocks on Carter’s door. Every second that stretches after is infinite agony.
Don’t beg him to stay, don’t beg him to stay, you can’t fucking keep him, Travis, don’t you dare beg him to stay.
When the door finally opens, Travis’s legs go a little weak. Carter is wearing Travis’s sweatshirt again, something he hadn’t been wearing just a minute earlier. His hair is a mess and his pretty blue eyes are rimmed red. When he fixes his gaze on Travis, he takes in a deep, shuddery breath that’s right on the edge of a sob.
Unsure of what to say - unsure if words even exist for a moment like this - Travis just reaches into his back pocket with a shaking hand. It takes Carter a moment to look away from Travis’s face and down at the item he’s holding out for him. When he finally registers it, a sob breaks loose from his lips.
The boy holds himself up long enough to snatch the moose from Travis’s hand before his legs give out. Travis catches him, not letting him fall to the floor. He holds him close to his chest, gently hushing him. “You’re okay, Carter. You’re going to be okay.”
“Th-thank - thank you,” Carter cries. His hand that’s not holding the moose clings to Travis’s bicep like it’s all that’s keeping him afloat. “I th-thought he was l-lost.”
“Psh.” Travis smiles down at the boy, trying to lighten the mood a bit. “You think I was going to let him get left behind? That little guy has saved both of us a time or two, I think.”
“I still can’t believe you fed me fucking McDonalds after the auction,” Carter half-laughs, half-cries.
Travis chuckles at the memory, relieved they can laugh about it. “Yeah, that was… probably strange.”
“You asked if I wanted dipping sauce.”
“Okay, definitely strange,” Travis admits. He smiles down at the beautiful boy in his arms, every part of him aching as he remembers Carter is about to leave. His smile falters. He gently wipes the tears from Carter’s face, seeing Carter’s smile fall too. He’s probably remembering the same thing. “I’m sorry it took me so long to get him to you. I had to wait for the belongings from the compound to be processed. Even without the government, there’s still a lot of red tape.”
“I’m just glad to have him. Especially with me…”
