Chapter 14: Heart-Racing
The day wore on into an inky, soaked night as the quiet storm continued to roll over Castanet in long-awaited waves, rinsing away the dust and grime and tension that had been building up for far too long now.
The residents of the Garmon District and Flute Fields watched with the same dropped jaws and disbelieving smiles as those over in Harmonica Town. Garmon Mines in particular rang out with loud whoops from Luke, Bo, and a raincoat-clad Chloe, as they splashed about merrily in the steadily-growing puddles, the amused families watching from inside their warm, dry houses. From the entrance of Garmon Mines proper, a smirking, dirty-blond man teased a shorter, utterly bewildered green-haired woman that he'd told her it was going to rain, the way the sky had been looking.
She promptly swatted at him and told him to put a sock in it, even as he chuckled and slipped an arm around her waist.
On the eastern end of Castanet, two families clustered around the windows of the Horn Ranch farmhouse, their meals forgotten as they stared in utter delight; Chase watched from his bedroom, almost hypnotized, as he lowered his flute and let it hang loosely at his side; and, crossing slowly over the bridge while a conflicting mixture of relief and anxiety bubbled in his stomach, Craig saw the gentle lights glowing from within his house. Through darkening sheets of rain and the brief, soft flashes of lightning in the clouds high above, the form of someone on the front porch was visible, unmoving as she watched him approach.
There would certainly be a lot to talk about, he knew. Hopefully it could wait, leave the moment be for a little while.
And, smack-dab in the center of Castanet, a faintly-smiling Kasey lay in his bed at Dobro Ridge, dead to the world for the night. The light rumble of thunder only shook his house the slightest bit, barely drowning out the sound of Toby's name spilling from his lips in a soft moan. He rolled over and nuzzled deeper into his pillow with a contented sigh, the boy of his dreams happily watching the stormy evening from his own bedroom back in Harmonica Town, head bobbing along to the music filtering out of his earbuds.
The rain hardly let up the following day, only bringing small patches of damp respite that were shortly washed away in another refreshing spray. For the most part, the residents of Castanet found they didn't mind terribly much at all, though the rivers and ocean still remained overall motionless in the downpour, and a few colds were inevitably caught from Wednesday afternoon's celebrations. Luke sneezed and snorted rather wetly, causing a soup-bearing Bo to cringe in disgust, and the Kozlowski sisters sniffled and grunted miserably in their beds while their grandmother fussed around them with hot tea and fluffed pillows. Rainy-day meals were cooked with cheerful hums; couches and beds played host to small groups huddling together to watch movies; books were read with the persistently soothing drumroll across their rooftops serving as a pleasant backdrop; and long phone calls were made between family, friends and lovers alike.
Thursday night, Kasey chatted eagerly with Vanessa about her upcoming piano recital, getting a scoff and a "You come down here and do that" when he teasingly encouraged her to headbang and scream for the audience while she played; over at the Cymbal Blacksmith, a pink-cheeked Owen sat in his bedroom, a dirty little grin on his face as he listened to Kathy's suggestive murmurs slip straight from the receiver to his red-tipped ear, responding with a few whispered, racy comments of his own; and at the Ocarina Inn right above Kathy's own home, Colleen gossiped into her phone about the handsome new stranger staying at the inn, having arrived in town on Phoebe's arm after the young woman had been away for quite some time.
Ruth - who had seen the pair pass through Flute Fields a while before the rain had started on Wednesday - listened from the other end, pitching in her own thoughts on the matter with gleeful interest. Behind her, Craig sighed into his newspaper, rolling his eyes and muttering something under his breath with a small, tight smile.
When Colleen's husband embraced her from behind and began tracing light kisses down the side of her neck, she giggled into the phone that she had to go, Ruth's admonishing "Oh, get a room, you two!" being the last thing she heard from her friend before replacing the receiver in its cradle.
Friday afternoon found a well-rested Kasey staring peacefully out his front window, arms resting on the sill and watching nature continue to take care of his crops for him. They still looked undersized and pale, but he felt a faint sense of pride in seeing them gradually take form. Behind him, a rerun of Lillie's ten-day forecast played, her voice bubbling with joy as she repeated that Castanet's rainfall was expected to continue strong for at least a few more days. Frowning slightly, Kasey couldn't help but think back to Ben's discordant song and frantic state, as well as Wizard's notation that the sage's powers were "unstable, but present."
Aside from the rivers and oceans lacking any sort of current whatsoever, Ben's powers looked like they were manifesting pretty damn well to him, at least. But, he reasoned, compared to a wizard, he was just... Kasey. Therefore, he was most likely missing something.
And we'll figure the rest of that out in time, he reminded himself firmly, the events of Wednesday afternoon looping back through his head. He'd spent all of yesterday cooped up by his lonesome, happily thumbing through a novel as Maya's optimistic advice took root in his mind. After all, he hadn't gotten much of anywhere actively chasing down the leads thus far... and kicking back to relax at home the other day had felt pretty good, particularly on the heels of one of his most restful nights in a while. And another day of relaxation wouldn't necessarily hurt, would it?
Fingers drumming on the sill, Kasey looked back over his shoulder at the green-and-yellow phone sitting on his bedside table, worrying at his lower lip and humming to himself as he thought back to something Renee had told him this past Monday afternoon, when they'd been heading into town together. He had enjoyed himself quite a bit, having everyone over for lunch - even if it was mostly mission-oriented chit-chat. And, perhaps, it was a bit soon...
And maybe he's already got plans tonight, he thought, his mind turning back to Toby's slightly-lopsided, easy smile. Thinking back to his most recent dreams, his stomach wrenched a bit - he wasn't sure he could even look at Toby now without wanting to die of embarrassment... not that anyone but Kasey himself, and perhaps Wizard, would really even know why. At least when he'd started thinking like that about Danny, they'd been dating. And Kasey had had a chance in Hell with him. And Danny hadn't started out in his more intimate thoughts as some other guy entirely. Besides, I already hung out with Toby on Monday. He might think I'm... needy or something.
His heart sped up a bit, and he sucked in a deep breath. It was worth a try anyway, wasn't it? It was just spending time with someone whose presence he enjoyed. He'd done that before. He'd done that before with Toby, at that, and - their first visit to Wizard's aside - he'd pretty much enjoyed himself each time. Even his first night in the clinic, to some bizarre degree. And it certainly wasn't like Toby had to know how Kasey really felt about him, what was on his mind... Especially not when I'm asleep, he thought with a wry smile. And I'm probably out of my goddamn mind for even thinking of doing this... but... nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
The quick walk across his house took what he surmised was roughly half a century, hearing the little beeps in his ear as he dialed, listening to the ringing that seemed to drip into eternity...
Juuuust like ripping off a Band-Aid, Kase.
At the click of someone picking up on the other end, he suppressed a squeak, swallowing hard.
"Shamisen Fishery, this's Ozzie!"
Ozzie's gravelly, peppy voice sent Kasey slumping onto his bed in relief and trying to let out his held breath as quietly as possible. At least he'd have a little more time to mentally prep himself and calm down a bit before speaking with Toby, now.
Wouldn't he?
"...Uhh, anyone there?"
"Oh!" A jolt shocked Kasey back into rigidity, and he cleared his throat. "Uhh, h-hey, Mr. Takomoto. It - it's Kasey, down at Dobro Ridge, sir! How are you?" he added quickly, relaxing a bit once more at Ozzie's cheerful laugh.
"Yo, Kase! Doin' fine, kiddo! Lovin' this weather, if you'd believe that!" He laughed again - more of a raspy, deep cackle, really - and Kasey couldn't help but chuckle along with the sound. It was pretty infectious. "Hey, so what's up, bud? How can I help ya?"
Reach through the phone and slap me for doing this, Kasey thought blankly, trying to steel his nerves even while his swinging legs started up once again. It wasn't like they weren't friends... it was hardly weird, right? Working to at least keep his voice steady, he swallowed hard. "Uhh... is Toby there...?"
"Yep! Hold on a sec, lemme get him-" And, a second later, Kasey heard Ozzie's slightly-muffled, still-boisterous voice: "Yo, Tobaroni! Phone!"
Amused, Kasey smirked and shook his head at the nickname, hearing a bit more of Ozzie's side of the exchange before the man returned to the phone: "Alrighty, bud! He'll be out in a sec - he just got outta the shower."
...Oh.
And in that instant, Kasey was eternally grateful that Ozzie couldn't see his burning face, or the thoughts that had suddenly caused it. Ohhh, boy. "Th-thanks, Mr. Takomoto," he responded with another shaky little laugh, scratching the back of his neck and clearing his throat as he forced the inappropriate images from his mind, and waited. And waited. And...
"Hello?"
Feeling slightly proud that at least he didn't bolt upward and lodge his head in the ceiling at the sound of Toby's gentle, pleasant voice crackling out through the phone, Kasey cracked an unseen, nervous grin, his heart starting to pick up speed again. "Hey, man! It's, uh, it's Kasey," he added, feeling rather stupid for pointing out the obvious - he'd heard Ozzie mention it to Toby just a moment ago...
"Yeah, hey!" Toby responded, sounding pleased. "How are you, Kasey? What's up?"
With a fluttering feeling blossoming in his stomach, Kasey flopped backwards onto his bed, staring up at his ceiling as he spoke: "Ahh... just... putzing around the house." Sounding boring as hell, he thought sourly, even as they shared a quiet chuckle at his remark. Still, he couldn't help but be happy that he'd managed to at least avoid stammering - so far. "So... how's it going over there?"
Toby hummed thoughtfully. "Pretty good. Kind of a slow day here... I think everyone's still enjoying the rain, though." He paused, before amending: "Well... actually, no, I guess not everyone - Candace and Luna are sick now, and I heard from Kathy that Luke is, too. But aside from them..."
Mentally slapping himself, Kasey nodded, rolling over onto his side and staring out of the window to watch the downpour. His heart sank a bit - what had he been thinking? Was he really going to ask Toby to splash out here, all the way from Harmonica Town, in this weather? When a few of the townsfolk had already caught colds from romping about in it? As welcome as the rain had been for everyone, this was probably asking too much. Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumbass... but, you're finishing this. Don't puss out, now. At least get an answer...
Toby went on, his voice breaking into Kasey's thoughts: "So... you're doing okay then?"
Caught off guard, Kasey straightened up a bit, before grimacing. Yes, it was definitely a good thing he was on the phone right now, instead of right there in the fishery, where Toby and his family could watch him acting like a moron. "Yep! Yeah, I was... uhh, just wondering though-" Out the window once more, and he shook his head. "Well... I know it's raining out and all, but, uhh... if... if you're not busy, I mean! If... maybe you'd wanna... hang out tonight? ...At my place...?"
And he turned the mouthpiece of the phone upwards so Toby wouldn't hear him let out his breath in a whoosh, screwing his eyes shut as he waited for the response.
"Really?" At the surprise in Toby's voice, his eyes squeezed shut tighter.
"Y-yeah," he stammered, briefly pulling the mouthpiece back down to respond.
Here it came - after all, it had been kind of a stupid req-
"Oh, sure! That would be nice."
Kasey's eyes popped open at the reply. "R-really?" he echoed into thin air, his voice cracking slightly. Doing a double-take as he noted the mouthpiece sitting rather far from his mouth, he pulled the phone back down again, clearing his throat. "Really?" he repeated, feeling no less like a doofus for having to ask again.
"Yeah, I'd love to! What did you have in mind?"
It was clearly mating season for the now-massive swarm of butterflies in Kasey's stomach, and he could once more feel them multiply exponentially at Toby's positive response, sending his heart rocketing into his throat. How had he ever spoken to Toby like a normal human being before? "Uh! Well-" Wide eyes darting around, he settled on the TV against the far wall, on the other side of the ragged old couch. The TV without a damn VCR or DVD player, but with the local guide sitting atop it. He quickly jogged over to it, leaning against the set and thumbing through it as he spoke, eyes lighting up in relief as they fell on a few weekend marathon line-ups: "Uh, maybe... watching a few movies, or... or something? There's - ahhh, here we go... an adventure movie marathon on..."
A slight shifting sound on the other end - Kasey couldn't help but wonder exactly how Toby positioned himself while talking on the phone with people. "That sounds pretty fun! I love those kinds of movies - I'm in. Did you need me to bring anything?"
Craning his neck in the direction of his kitchen and unable to help the dopey grin spreading across his face, Kasey inwardly pumped his fists and screamed gratitude to the heavens. "Ahh... uhh, I mean - I'd hate to put you out," he answered vaguely, searching his cabinets as quietly as he could. No popcorn. Crap. He sure as hell wasn't having a movie night and asking Toby to bring the most important ingredient himself. Off to Encore General it was, clearly.
"Oh, it's fine - I don't mind. I can bring some drinks, if you'd like... I think we've got beer, juice, some of those hard lemonade things, soda, wine coo-"
"-Ah, soda - soda's fine!" Kasey cut in a bit too quickly before Toby rattled off presumably the contents of the entire fridge, smacking himself on the forehead. "Err, sorry. Ahhh, yeah, the soda'll do." From what Danny and his co-workers at his old job had told him before, not only was he an utterly hopeless lightweight, but he was much less shy than usual when he'd had a few drinks - a blushing Danny in particular had noted after their anniversary that, when drunk, Kasey was "stuck in rutting season." And a surprisingly good singer, having been fairly smashed the night he'd somehow belted out "Pour Some Sugar on Me" - thrusting obscenely against the mic stand, headbanging like he was trying to dislodge his skull from his neck, and inexplicably catching Danny's attention in a positive way for it. Never mind that Danny hadn't exactly been sober himself.
He still got mortified to this day whenever he even thought about it. No way he was drinking around Toby. He'd probably wind up exiled from Castanet somehow.
Toby hummed happily. "Sure thing. Hmm... Uncle Ozzie's been trying to cut back on his sugar intake anyway, so I should be able to bring plenty! Plus, I'm not sure about you, but... ahhh, I'm not much of a beer person anyway," he added sheepishly, once more chuckling with Kasey.
"That's fine. I like beer, but I'm seriously annoying when I drink, anyway," Kasey responded, feeling his cheeks flare up again at Toby's soft laughter. "Thanks for the offer, though, man. Ummm..." He padded back over to his bedside as he continued, checking his alarm clock - quarter to three. Enough time to put on some pants, dart over to Barbara's for the popcorn, and make himself and his house presentable. "Sooo, does, uhh... well, it starts at six..."
"Six sounds great!" Toby agreed readily, warming Kasey's chest to match his face. "I'll see you then!"
And, just as a thrilled Kasey was about to respond:
"Oh, by the way, I almost forgot - who else is coming?"
If Kasey's mind was a vinyl record, Toby's question just sent it screeching to a halt under the needle. Uhh...
"I want to make sure I bring enough for everyone."
Well... fuck. That's actually a pretty great question.
Suppressing a groan, Kasey grit his teeth. Others. Of course. How could he have... "Well," he started slowly, sucking his teeth thoughtfully as the most obvious cluster of faces came to mind, "I was... thinking of asking... Renee, and Anissa, and... uh - Chase - if they wanted to come, too..."
"Yeah, that sounds wonderful! Err, hold on," Toby muttered quickly, causing Kasey to freeze in place. "Gee... I think Chase has to work tonight, actually, after his cooking lesson with Ms. Talbot... but I can ask him for you, though!" he offered, missing Kasey's relieved sigh. "He should be over there soon. I don't mind making a quick stop up."
Kasey nodded rather pointlessly, surprised at how bright his next words sounded: "Oh, sure! Thanks! So... so, I'll call the girls, then," he went on, twisting at the hem of his snug, black A-shirt and trying to stop his foot from tapping rapidly on the floor, "and... and, well, I'll see you guys at six, then!"
"I can't wait! Thanks for inviting us, Kasey. See you then!"
After their goodbyes were said, the phones returned to their respective cradles in their respective homes, and Kasey's heart had slowed down to a rate that was still well above average, he gulped and sat down on his bed, smoothing his long hair back. He felt the dopey grin forming on his lips once again.
"...That wasn't so hard," he mumbled to himself, flopping onto his back with a relieved sigh and letting his stomach continue engaging in its complex acrobatics.
And up he bounced again like a jack-in-the-box, suddenly remembering that he still had two more calls to make. The phone was snatched back from its base and dialed in short order, and Renee's voice greeted him before long, sunny as usual even in the persisting downpour.
"Hey, Renee! ...Doing alright, actually, how about you? ...Cool! Yeah, I know - it's awesome! So... hey, I was just wondering - are you up for another group movie night?"
With Renee and Anissa now on-board as well, and Chase a tentative fifth member of their little group, Kasey found himself somewhat less intimidated when he pushed open the creaky door to Encore General. The jangly old bell announced his presence as water rolled off his blue-and-tan rain jacket, and at the counter, two women looked up: Barbara, and an unfamiliar, friendly-looking younger woman with neatly-combed, jade-green hair curled into a little flip at the nape of her pale neck, and red-rimmed glasses.
"Hey-hey, welcome to the Encore General Store!" Barbara trilled, with a wave just short of manic. "What's a-cookin', Space Kase?"
Flashing a bit of a grin at the nickname, Kasey waved back, pushing the hood of his jacket down and politely nodding to the other woman, who returned the action. "Some popcorn, hopefully! I'm having a couple friends over for movies tonight," he explained, when Barbara crossed her arms and nodded in understanding.
"Sounds like a plan! Me and Simon kicked back and watched us a little Kill Bill last night, ourselves! Well, popcorn's over here-" She swept out from behind the counter and bounced over to the grocery shelves lining the right-hand wall, "-and we've got some candy, too, if you wanna load up! I won't tell the ushers," she added with a little wink and a giggle, making Kasey's grin widen a bit. Behind them, the young woman groaned and shook her head slightly, though she didn't look terribly exasperated.
"Ahhh, thanks - but Renee's got the candy covered. She, Toby, and Anissa are all coming and bringing some stuff," Kasey added quickly, watching Barbara's eyebrows shoot up with brief interest at the mention of Renee. "Maybe Chase, too."
A congratulatory slap on the back from Barbara sent him lurching forward slightly, with a grunt. "Well, look at you go, crawling outta that shell of yours! You go ahead with your bad, friend-making self, bubba! Hey, Pheebs," she added, as the young woman slid her glasses back up her small, upturned nose and stepped out from behind the counter to approach them, "I almost forgot - this here's Kasey, the new farmer! He's been a busy little beaver since he got here!" Phoebe's green eyes lit up with vibrant curiosity at her mother's words. "And this lovely young lady here is my Phoebe," Barbara went on proudly, making a sweeping gesture while her daughter and Kasey shook hands. "She just got back from pokin' around the Valley, and who knows where else!"
"Well, doing excavation," Phoebe elaborated offhandedly, "working at a dig site... it was a lot of fun! We found some pretty amazing artifacts, actually - more than we thought we might. It's great to meet you, Kasey," she added with a small, albeit genuine smile, hands immediately going back into the pockets of her khaki skort. "I've heard quite a lot about you already, and I only got back Wednesday afternoon! You're turning quite a few heads around here!"
With a sheepish chuckle, Kasey stuffed one hand into the pocket of his own jeans, other hand already at the back of his neck. "Ah - err, a-am I, really?"
"Cute little thing, ain't he?" Barbara quipped to Phoebe, shooting her daughter a catlike smirk and causing Kasey to feel a bit embarrassed. "Heh, and I'm not just messin' with you about the cute part - you ain't just turning heads because of that crazy-ass bell stuff, hearing how some of those girls talk about ya!"
Kasey gulped audibly and shot Barbara a crooked smile, shrugging. Admittedly, he had been hit on before by a few girls once he'd left his hellishly awkward, gangly teenage years behind, becoming more toned and fit during his time unloading and stocking - and, for reasons that had eluded him, his gap had suddenly attracted its fair share of positive attention in tandem with that - but he still couldn't help but be a bit puzzled by it all sometimes. "Ahh, ehehehehh... th-that's... that's nice...?"
The shopkeeper tossed her head back and let out a loud cackle. "Hey, we've got some pretty chickies around here, bubba! I'd say that's pretty damn nice! Sheesh," she added, looking at Phoebe, "but listen to you talk about turning heads around town, child! They didn't let 'em keep most of the stuff they found-" Now her cheeky grin was back on Kasey, with Phoebe looking utterly perplexed, "-but wait'll you get a load of what she brought back with her!"
Cheeks going rosy now, Phoebe huffed and shot her mother a cock-eyed glare. "Mom, seriously! You leave Professor Hawke alone! I swear... sorry, Kasey," she added, with another little smile, now looking thoroughly embarrassed. "I told one of the professors-" Here, she stared pointedly at Barbara, devious expression still on the older woman's face, "-what was going on here, and he came back with me to investigate - Calvin Hawke. He's done a lot of field work, so he's really looking forward to checking this place out! He's staying at the inn right now, but I could introduce you later, if you'd like."
Kasey nodded brightly, while Barbara looked as if she wanted to make another smart remark, but thought better of it. "Sure! Thanks, Phoebe! And," he murmured thoughtfully, rubbing his stubbly chin, "Perry's mentioned a lot about you, too... he, well..." He trailed off for a moment, not entirely sure how to phrase his thoughts as Phoebe cocked her head curiously - Kasey certainly wanted to take it easy a bit longer and let his brain rest, but he had been awaiting Phoebe's return for a bit, at the same time. "Well," he finally decided, "he says you know a lot about the lore of this place... legends and history and stuff like that?"
"Well... a bit," Phoebe agreed modestly, shrugging. Her nose and cheeks dusted a light pink again, before she continued speaking: "Professor Hawke's been studying this region for a while, though, so he wants to study the town more in-depth while he's here - but I certainly would enjoy going over some of the local lore sometime, sure!"
"I bet Calvin's gettin' the hands-on experience, though," Barbara cut in with a naughty wink and a playful punch on Phoebe's shoulder - the poor girl was now red and sputtering, seemingly trying to wrestle her tongue back into speaking condition. Kasey couldn't help but sympathize with her, and be slightly reminded of when he'd met Candace - one of the few people in town who seemed to be more socially awkward than he was. Her and Wizard, anyway, and Kasey highly doubted that Wizard really gave a crap.
"Good God, Mom!" Phoebe finally shot out, arms crossed over her tight gray t-shirt. "That's enough of that from you, thank you! Why can't you be a prude like Mrs. Sellers?" she added in a grumble, while her mother let out another whoop of laughter and threw an apology somewhere in the middle. "Geez... rude."
Kasey, for his part, let his deer-in-the-headlights stare dart between the two, unsure of exactly what he should be saying to smooth over the situation - Barbara looked like she was having the time of her life. "Err," he mumbled, catching their attention, "well, I guess I... should pay for my popcorn, and... uhh... get home, tidy up a little..."
"I'm terribly sorry about that," Phoebe sighed, heaving a great sigh and shaking her head. "This woman's absolutely batty sometimes." She and Barbara exchanged wry grins, before looking back at Kasey, Phoebe clucking her tongue and sighing. "I hope you don't let it impact your opinion of me too much."
Barbara simply chortled, patting Phoebe on the shoulder and bounding behind the register to ring up a sheepish Kasey.
A few extra groceries and a pleasant goodbye to the Kern women later - Phoebe again offering to introduce him to Calvin and talk local mythology "sometime" - Kasey splish-splashed his way back to Dobro Ridge with a loaded bag in his arms, feeling as much like a drowned rat as he figured he looked.
Still, he darted anxiously about his house, dusting what didn't need dusting, fluffing the cushions on his hopelessly-lumpy couch, triple-checking the TV guide, and finding all of his dishes clean and accounted for - including the two large bowls he'd snagged at the store. Afterward, he took a shower that was perhaps a bit longer than it needed to be in an effort to soothe his raging nerves, hoping time would just hurry up already and get to six o'clock. Or maybe just freeze until he was ready, that would be fine too.
He wasn't sure which he wanted more, and - as he pulled his hair back into a scruffy little ponytail and slipped on a fresh t-shirt - a distant, easily-noticeable figure outside his front window caught his eye.
Standing out for miles amid the welcome gloom with his orange jacket, Toby was strolling up to Dobro Ridge some fifteen minutes early. A rain-spattered paper bag was hoisted under one arm, and a black umbrella was clutched in his free hand, the usual cheerful serenity on his face - the charming smile that had given him all-too-pleasant dreams the past few nights.
It almost felt wrong, to Kasey, to think of someone as sweet and easygoing as Toby in the ways that he had.
Don't picture him naked. Don't picture him naked. Don't picture him naked. ...Damn it, what the hell did I just-
Kasey stood rooted to the spot for a few moments as Toby drew nearer and nearer, wondering if he'd just imagined the sensation of his ribcage squeezing his lungs like a bony boa constrictor. With a hitched breath, he darted to the door and nearly flung it open in his haste, catching the fisherman off-guard as he halted a few steps from Kasey's mailbox.
"Whoa! ...Ahh, hey, Kasey," he added, his surprised expression quickly switching back to his usual pleasant smile, head inclining in greeting as Kasey ushered him in and helped get the bag from under his arm. "Sorry I'm a bit early," Toby continued, now shaking the rainwater off of his closed umbrella while Kasey set the bag down on the counter. "I was gonna try and make two trips and just clear out all the soda, so I left a little early... but this should actually be enough, right? I forgot until I was halfway here that I actually wanted to leave some for Paolo, anyway." As he spoke, Kasey withdrew four two-liter bottles from the bag with a nervous smile.
"Ahh, well, that's - that's cool! I don't mind - this is plenty, thank you!"
If only his voice would drop back down an octave. He suddenly found himself very aware of how a dimple formed on Toby's left cheek when he smiled, how the corners of his pale green eyes crinkled up slightly, how his shaggy silver bangs were just short of falling into his eyes at this point...
And, Kasey suddenly realized, how creepy he himself would look if Toby caught him just... staring like that. Had he even blinked once the whole time?
Scrabbling about his rapidly-spinning mind, Kasey went on, as Toby unzipped and removed his jacket: "H-hey, so, uhh... what - what'd Chase say, by the way? Oh - don't worry, you can just... mmm, set that on one of the chairs if you want, it's fine."
"Sure, thanks - Chase isn't sure if he can make it, by the way," Toby explained with a slight frown, draping the jacket as instructed. "He says it sounds cool, and he'll try to come over if he can, but he'll have to see how busy it is tonight. So... possibly, more candy for us," he finished with another little smile, getting a chuckle from Kasey. "It might sound a little selfish, but he has a sweet tooth like you wouldn't believe, actually."
Finding it almost impossible to picture Chase inhaling a bag full of gumdrops - or something of the sort - while wearing his pissy poker face, Kasey snickered, feeling a little more at ease now. "Ah, well... I'm not really big on sweets, actually. So I should hopefully be spared from his wrath... plus, he'll have to fight Anissa and Renee, too," he went on, seeing Toby grin again - and, once more, Kasey found himself briefly fixated on the dimple. It hardly seemed fair to him - when the hell had that thing even decided to show up, anyway?
Blinking hard, he cleared his throat and hunched his shoulders a bit. "So... err, hey, have a seat! Make yourself comfortable! Can... can I, uhh... can I get you anything while we're waiting for the girls to show up?" He punctuated the question with a rather crooked, awkward grin, meeting Toby's eyes once more as they settled at opposite ends of the couch.
"Oh, no - I'm fine, thank you... oh!" Sitting up a bit, Toby cocked his head and craned his neck. "By the way... that ponytail looks pretty nice on you! Hmm, I wish my hair looked good longer," he went on thoughtfully, while Kasey practically swallowed his own tongue, rubbing at the back of his neck as he averted his gaze to the TV. The ponytail in question brushed against his knuckles.
"Ahh... th-thank you. Your, uhh... y-your hair looks... cool like that, though," he mumbled, tugging at the collar of his shirt and wondering when exactly the room had grown so warm.
"Heh... well, thanks! But Mrs. Talbot's always threatening me that she's going to sneak up on me one day and cut it, though," Toby said, smirking and shaking his head, causing Kasey to ease up a little and let out a snort at the mental image. "I asked her if she could go after Chase instead, since his hair's longer than mine and he's over at the inn all the time anyway, but she really likes that thing he does with the bobby pins and barrettes and all. But she says I look like I'm trying to join a boy band. So she told me to watch where I take my naps, or..." He made a snipping motion with two fingers to punctuate his point. "...Well, I just hope she doesn't cut it too short," he finished forlornly, looking so comically perturbed by the idea that Kasey couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Off Toby's responding wry chuckle, he shrugged apologetically. "Ahhh... well... if she tries anything, just point her scissors at me and run like hell." He tugged on his ponytail and grinned. "She'll probably forget all about you once she sees this thing, and you'll be free to go join that boy band of yours!"
Sinking back into the cushions with an amused look on his face, Toby shook his head. "Oh, I couldn't let you do that. Besides, I don't think they'd want me in one of those - I'm a terrible singer. I sound like a dying cat. But Renee tells me you have a really nice voice," he went on, as Kasey's smile quickly became embarrassed. "So, you can take my spot in the band and keep your hair. I'll let Mrs. Talbot shear me."
"Ahh... hahaha..." Kasey felt his legs starting their usual swinging once more and willed them to stop. "Mmmm, welllll... I... can play a little piano, but I can't really dance for shit. I think they make them dance in those bands, don't they? Guess we're both outta luck," he added lightheartedly. "Ahh, unless you dance, I mean!"
Toby pursed his lips and tapped his chin. "I guess that's the end of that road, then. I'm actually a little afraid of what would happen if I tried to dance... huh. Come to think of it, all I can really do well is... just... fishing. And... napping..." He trailed off quietly, folding his arms and looking rather stunned by his own admission. His face fell, and he sighed, glancing up at the ceiling. "Sheesh. Well, I... guess the fishing part isn't too sad, but..."
Something struck Kasey at the sight of the faint shadow falling over Toby's face all of a sudden - the easygoing, pleasant expression was now rather crestfallen. He thought back to a few hours earlier, and how surprised Toby had sounded that Kasey had wanted to invite him over...
Without thinking, he reached over and patted Toby's arm, somewhat taken aback at how unexpectedly toned and firm it felt through the baggy, light-blue shirt. "Well... hey, don't get so down on yourself. Y'know, for what it's worth... I..." He swallowed hard, hoping it went mostly unnoticed. "I really can't wait to go fishing with you and Renee, and... I... I still think you're pretty cool," he finished in what he hoped was an encouraging manner, causing a rather touched Toby to look over at him, corners of his lips turned slightly upward again.
"Really?"
"Really," Kasey echoed, ignoring how much his heart had sped up in the past few seconds. "Plus, people like dorks like us, remember? And... hey, besides - you've got some explorer cred under your belt here in town, and you play a pretty mean air guitar!" They both laughed at this, and Toby's expression brightened back up, head cocked to the side.
"Heh, yeah - I guess I do, don't I?" At this memory, they shared another grin, and Kasey felt his legs stop twitching with the urge to swing about as he laughed again and nodded.
"Even better than Hendrix! You're hired," he decided with another nod, feeling his racing heart now start to jump about at the twinkle in Toby's eyes. Still, Kasey couldn't help but feel calmed down again, at least a little bit - and given how wound up he'd been recently, that little bit was more than welcome. Granted, his stomach was still working on contorting itself into a shape reminiscent of an Escher carving, but not as fervently as earlier. Renee and Anissa could be late if they wanted to.
Clearly, however, it was too late to give them the memo - as Toby started to say something else, Renee's rendition of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on the front door nearly sent Kasey toppling off the couch, scrambling over to let the girls in with a hasty apology directed Toby's way.
Hugs were exchanged, bags rustled, and two more raincoats - maroon, and mint-green - were added to the now very colorful group around Kasey's kitchen table as Renee shook out her umbrella.
"Bring on the crystal monkey skulls and melting faces!" she cheered, leaning over the back of the couch next to Anissa and pulling Toby into a quick, one-armed hug, while Kasey got the popcorn started and shook his head. "Or whatever the heck they're showing tonight! Loving that 'do, by the way!"
"Thanks! Think they bust out the Indiana Jones at, like... ten or something," he told her, shooting a grin her way and feeling much more at ease now that a few more people were present. "But if you don't wanna wait, I'll turn on my stove and hold my face over it until it starts melting off, how's that sound?" At the sounds of the other three laughing, he felt a different sort of warmth in his stomach.
Renee flashed him a thumbs-up and an approving nod. "That is some dedicated hosting, Kase! Hey, I can wait till ten to check out Harrison Ford, so you just keep your face on."
"I wonder what this one is?" Anissa added, the TV guide now in her lap as Toby peered over it with her. She squinted and cocked her head. "The one that starts at eight, I mean... the title's in Spanish, but... ahhh, I don't speak much. I do love foreign movies," she went on, "but this, it's... it's, err, something about unicorns... I... think."
Renee and Kasey - both leaning over the back of the couch now while the scent of popping popcorn began to fill the house - joined in their perplexed gazing, trying to figure it out.
"'When his village is razed to the ground by a horde of demonic unicorns, the lone survivor sets out on a mission of vengeance and self-discovery,'" Toby read softly. "...That actually sounds pretty incredible. I kind of want that one to be first now, honestly."
"You and me both," Kasey said quickly, getting another stomach-flipping smile sent his way. "Who comes up with these things?"
"Someone I seriously wanna meet," Renee quipped, pointing at the first movie on the line-up. "Ooh, Bridge to Cilua. I heard this one's pretty good! 'After a dark, cataclysmic force tears apart their home world, the survivors must learn to adapt and fight back in the new home granted by their protector, before the same destroyer takes away their second chance.' Sweet."
"That sounds like this game I played once," Kasey mumbled, head cocked curiously as he returned to his stove to tend to the popcorn. "Should be pretty good, then."
"I love those world-discovery sorts of stories," Anissa agreed with a dreamy sigh, as Toby clicked the TV on and flipped to the channel hosting the marathon. "I mean, I love it here in Castanet, don't get me wrong. But the concept's... kind of romantic, in a way."
Looking over his shoulder from where he was emptying the popcorn into large bowls, Kasey chuckled. "Heh, moving out to here from the city's been kind of like that for me... it's like stepping into a fantasy world, almost." He thought back to the night he'd met Sephia, the clearly-hidden path, Alan's tomb... a slight shiver ran down his spine at the memories, but he felt a faint rush in his heart at the same time. In spite of his nerves, he had to admit - in hindsight - that he found it fairly... cool. "There's just... it feels like there's a lot of history out here, its own world... like something out of a novel..." Out loud, he couldn't help but find it sounded utterly corny - still, the looks on his friends' faces told him they clearly felt otherwise.
"Yeah... I know what you mean," Renee agreed slowly, balancing one of the bowls between her and Anissa - the candy the two had brought over was on the arm of the couch beside her, balanced rather precariously. "Phoebe's boyfriend-" She and Anissa shared a quick grin at this, and Toby looked at them with raised eyebrows, "-is really fascinated with this place... and he's studied all over the region!"
"He kind of reminds me of Indiana Jones, actually," Anissa mused, finger to her chin. "A younger, Australian version, anyway..."
Renee giggled slyly. "Oh, God, don't get me started on that accent! I think I about swooned when he introduced himself." Behind them, Kasey simply rolled his eyes good-naturedly - it was like listening to his sisters gossiping with each other, on their more civil days. "I felt bad because I thought Phoebe might get a little ticked, but she just had this amused look on her face the whole time, like, 'Yeah, girl, I know - he gets that a lot.'"
And on went the light in Toby's head, with a snap of his fingers. "Ohhh, that guy staying at the inn! I met him when I stopped by there earlier today - he seems pretty nice. Heh, and Miss Yolanda called him her favorite dish," he added with a chortle.
After asking everyone what they wanted to drink and filling their glasses, Kasey clicked off the lights and made his way over to the couch, shaking his head and laughing. "I met Phoebe earlier today - she's pretty cool... and Mrs. Kern made this Calvin guy sound like a real panty-dropper, too," he threw in with a sly grin at Renee, who stuck her tongue out at him.
Noting the only spot left on the fairly-small couch was wedged between Anissa and Toby, he felt another flutter in his chest and took his seat, clearing his throat and balancing the second bowl of popcorn on his and Toby's legs. "Guess that Wizard guy's got competition now, huh?" He shot a meek smile to the fisherman, who returned it easily.
"...I wouldn't go that far," Renee chuckled, though her crisp cheeks gave her away. "But, he was really polite... kind of a gentleman, really."
"And he seemed pretty smitten with Phoebe," Anissa chimed in, curious burgundy eyes flicking over in Kasey's direction. "It was very sweet."
Toby nodded, feet starting to tap together in anticipation as the host of the marathon finished her introduction, the screen fading into the rating and warnings for Bridge to Cilua. "Poor Paolo's not going to be very happy. He's kind of got a little crush on Phoebe. It's cute," he added with a little laugh, as the girls chorused an "Awwww!" and tilted their heads. "Heh, I'm a little worried he might run up to Calvin and kick him in the shins."
"Oh, Paolo's a sweetheart," Anissa admonished, clucking her tongue as the TV showed a beautiful blue planet engulfed in a deadly red glow. "...At least, as far as we're aware..."
"He's a good boy," Toby agreed sincerely, "but, uhh, he's been pretty obsessed with Mechabot Ultror lately, practicing their moves around the house. He might get aggressive. So... I think I'll soften the blow with some ice cream, just in case. Err, that works on them, right?" he added, sending a hopeful glance at the jumpy farmer beside him.
"H-huh? Oh! Well..." Kasey scratched the back of his head. "Ahhh, couldn't hurt to try!"
Though overall enjoying and engrossed in Bridge to Cilua, Kasey found himself periodically distracted - almost jumping a bit when his rough hand brushed Toby's slightly-softer one in their popcorn bowl, hoping the latter boy was too into the movie to notice anything off. On-screen, the destroyer's cult practiced a revival spell, a demented priestess brainwashing followers of the protector's church into serving their dark purpose.
On the couch, Kasey sucked in a deep, calming breath when he felt his and Toby's knees brush, his pulse quickening at the pleasant feeling of the warm skin. "Err, s-sorry," he whispered, trying to maneuver his leg away as comfortably as possible, while Anissa once more looked over at him, half her attention focused on the movie.
Toby looked over at him, eyebrows up. "Hmm?"
A bit relieved that he hadn't noticed anything, Kasey quietly waved it off. "Ahh... nothing."
As the movie wore on, Kasey found his attention increasingly drawn into its events, jaw dropping at the climactic, explosive showdown between protector and destroyer, and the ragtag band on the protector's side. To his right, he heard Anissa let out a little gasp, and Renee exclaim loudly as the creature was felled, and Cilua was saved.
A bittersweet ending later, as the protector left to restore their homeland and her lover vowed to follow her, he grinned wryly at the sound of Renee sniffling a bit - though, he had to admit, his throat was a bit tight as well.
He was only slightly glad that - as far as he could tell - Chase hadn't been able to make it down to see him discreetly wipe at his eyes. Though, he admitted to himself, he would've been fairly amused if Chase had gotten just as choked up over the ending.
...Nahhhhh.
Yet, when Toby let out a sad "Awww" to his left, he unconsciously reached over and rubbed the other boy's shoulder soothingly - before freezing in place, wondering just what in the hell he thought he was doing.
"Ahh, sorry... I'm fine," Toby mumbled, sounding a bit embarrassed as Kasey jerkily withdrew his hand and cleared his throat once again.
"R-right..."
"Is everything alright?" Anissa whispered quietly in his ear, making him jump. He felt a cold wave of panic sweep over him as he turned to her, noting the concern on her face, and nodded.
"Y-yeah. Err... just kind of sad..." he lied, glad the lights were off. She could still see him clearly, letting it go with a casual nod, but maybe his pink cheeks weren't as obvious in the glow of the TV...
I've really gotta get my shit together.
Thankfully, the next movie was so engrossing, he couldn't help but stare at the screen, transfixed, features twisted with the same befuddlement as those of his friends. Popcorn and candy were almost automatically popped into mouths that occasionally gaped, eyes torn between the subtitles and the utterly bizarre events taking place on screen.
The villagers fell into a hush, the massive form of the great, terrible creature splayed out over several crushed buildings - not the first victims of its maddening rampage, by any means.
Trembling, the elder approached its still, pale form, gulping audibly. A shaking hand reached out, touching it - he jerked his hand back instinctively, but the beast gave no regard. It gave... nothing.
With a flourish, he spun back to the people of his village, arms spread out in proclamation:
"...El unicornio es muerto!"
Gasps rose up behind him.
"¡Día feliz!" he continued, the cry echoing in an invigorating rally across the village.
"¡Día feliz! ¡Enviar el bestia al Infierno! ¡Infierno!"
"...What the fuck?!" Kasey blurted, eyebrows furrowed so close together, they looked conjoined. Toby, meanwhile, had his head tilted, scratching at his hair as if he could dig up some sort of understanding, and Anissa's lips were pressed into a thin, thoughtful line, trying hopelessly to follow the plot.
"This. Is. Amazing," Renee muttered slowly, popping a gummy worm into her mouth and chewing it with the biggest grin on her face that the others had ever seen - the only one of them who didn't look utterly lost. She let out a loud giggle as the unicorn rose up from its seemingly dead state and nuked the village with an echoing whinny. "Oh my God, I so needed this movie in my life!"
"I..." Anissa turned to her best friend, blinking with widened eyes. "...Why."
"...Uh-oh," Toby cut in, voice laced with concern. "He took out their military forces. This looks pretty hairy."
"Seriously, what in the fuck?!" Kasey repeated, voice going higher as he gestured at the screen, looking around at his friends. "...What-?" Even as the movie wore on, and the day was saved thanks to the lone survivor from the movie's start, nobody had any more answers - still, Renee was doubled over in gales of laughter while the credits rolled.
"I... I need to marry that person," she breathed, wiping her eyes. "That was incredible. I don't think Indiana Jones is going to top... the... that!"
"She's got a liiiittle bit of a dark side," Toby explained to Kasey, who was still too dazed to be jumpy, and thus only nodded in nearly-mechanical response.
"I... I uhh... see that..."
"Dark side, shmark side," Renee scoffed, the host of the marathon seeming to share her opinion of the movie as she now introduced the third feature of the evening, ten o'clock coming and going while she filled viewers in on the legend himself. "C'mon, you can't tell me that wasn't hilarious!"
"It... was something," Anissa mumbled, shaking her head in disbelief, while the iconic theme of Indiana Jones struck up on the TV.
Once again, the quartet was enraptured, watching a daring adventure unfold before them that they'd seen a few times before, no less thrilling for it from the moment Indy spotted the boulder bearing down on him. Though a few more accidental brushes gave Kasey the occasional jolt, he found himself much less flustered each time, too captivated with the film to care as much as he had earlier. Toby didn't seem too put out by it, cramped as they all were on that lumpy little couch...
I should still get a bigger couch or something, he thought, munching on another mouthful of popcorn, and listening to the soft rumble of thunder outside in the continuing rainfall. He was surprised - and silently thankful - that his body hadn't responded in much more obvious, awkward ways to being pressed up against Toby for a few hours.
Well, it had stopped responding that way since sometime during the second movie, anyway.
And he couldn't help but idly hope, as the Ark of the Covenant was opened, that saving Castanet would involve nothing like what he was currently watching... never mind how fun it looked.
Toht's face melting off - prompting Kasey to cringe and accidentally recoil sideways into an equally-revolted Toby, turning with another hushed apology - only reinforced that hope.
With the Ark of the Covenant now sealed away, Renee let out a stifled yawn that rocked her lean frame with a shudder, stretching her arms and grunting as she placed the nearly-empty bowl on the floor and stood up. "Okay, I might have to slip outta this thing a bit earlier than I wanted to... but I think I'm about adventured out for the night!"
The other three looked back to see Kasey's alarm clock displaying in its blue glow that it was, indeed, just after midnight - time had flown across the span of three movies, the sounds of the persistent rain outside all but forgotten to them for a few fun, cozy hours.
"I think so, too," Toby agreed, stretching his long legs out before following suit. He hummed happily as he clasped his hands behind him and arched his back with a soft crack, not noticing as Kasey watched him. "Ahhh... well, Kasey - I had a lot of fun tonight," he added happily, getting a pleased smile sent his way - next to him, Anissa once again observed curiously, even as she, too, nodded in agreement and thanked Kasey. "Thanks for having us over to do this!"
"Seriously, we should do this again sometime!" Renee agreed readily, taking Toby and Kasey's bowl of popcorn as well, and looking between the two. "Mmm... whaddya want me to do with these, anyway? I'll wash the bowls out, but..."
"Umm, you guys can divvy up the leftovers, if you want," Kasey told her, shrugging and getting up with Anissa. Remote in hand, he walked over to click the lights back on, then shut off the TV. "I've still got a few more bags. You don't have to worry about the bowls, though, I'll take care of those later..."
"Score! The night just keeps getting better!" Humming merrily, Renee dumped the remainder of the popcorn into two Tupperware containers, passing one off to Anissa, and rattling hers at Toby. "You're sure you don't wanna take any...?" she asked, picking up the speed of the rattling.
He waved it off with a light laugh. "No, that's fine. I'm hoarding the rest of the candy you brought, so it wouldn't be fair to take the popcorn, too. I'm gonna split it with Paolo, though," he tacked on, when Renee raised her eyebrows at the amount of candy he'd claimed. "...Honest."
Anissa giggled, patting him on the shoulder. "Well, if he doesn't come zipping through our farm sometime soon, I guess we'll know it's because you kept the candy from him!"
"I'll be sure to ask him if he can do that..."
"And you said Chase had a really bad sweet tooth," Kasey sighed, looking amused as a sheepish Toby hugged Renee goodbye, then Anissa. His hands in the pockets of his white shorts, he rocked back and forth on his sneakers. "Well... thanks for coming over, guys! I'll... I guess I'll see you all around later?"
Renee pulled him into a hug next, nodding. "Definitely! But, I think I'm gonna go see if I can find out where I can order that one movie... I think that was my favorite one of the whole night. Or maybe... ever."
"You have horrible taste," Kasey whispered in her ear before they pulled apart, getting a playful smack on his chest for his remark. "You're just mad because it's true!"
"Ahhh... well... you just don't know art!" Renee retorted, tongue once again sticking out at him. Picking up and slipping on her maroon raincoat, Renee clutched her container of popcorn to her chest and headed for the door, whistling lowly at the sight of the heavy rain continuing to drive across Dobro Ridge. "Well - I'll see you guys later! Careful going home, okay?"
With everyone else echoing her cautions back to her, she splashed out with a little squeal, ducking her head and clutching the hood of her raincoat tightly so it wouldn't fly off.
Toby was next, a rueful grin on his face as he listened to the rain pouring down, umbrella in one hand, bag of assorted candy in the other, and once again wrapped in his cheerful orange jacket. "Well, let's hope I don't trip and spill all this on the way back," he chuckled weakly, rattling the bag. "That'd just be depressing."
"Well... you just be careful going home, okay?" Kasey reminded him, surprised at the tender tone that had surfaced in his voice, and hoping he was just imagining it. Nodding, Toby turned and pulled him into a hug, and he felt himself stiffen briefly, before relaxing. For that brief moment, he enjoyed how comfortably warm Toby was, his chest pressed to Kasey's, the minty scent of his shampoo...
Don't enjoy it too much, you lovestruck idiot.
"Oh, definitely! Thanks again for inviting us all, Kasey... sorry I couldn't get Chase to join us, but we all had a really great time."
Kasey's face and stomach warmed in concert as they pulled apart - it had been brief, but somehow, it had felt like time had stopped for that moment. "Y-yeah, of course... anytime." He smiled, tugging at the collar of his shirt. "'Night, Toby."
"Goodnight... and 'night, Anissa!" Toby added quickly, popping open his umbrella and letting the stormy night drown out her reply.
Kasey and Anissa were left in the tiny little farmhouse now, Anissa slipping on her pale green raincoat, and observing the expression on Kasey's face as he watched the door quietly. There was no mistaking it, really - Jin reserved the same look in his eyes just for her.
She chewed her lip, wondering what exactly to say to him - after what she'd observed all night, she certainly had a strong hunch that explained a fair bit about Kasey... but was it really her place to confirm it?
His wistful sigh as he turned back to her was all the convincing she needed. The spectre of their last conversation still hung in the air, and though he seemed a fair deal happier and more rested now...
"...Everything alright?" she asked gently, tying the sash around her midsection and tucking her ponytail down the back of the coat, her Tupperware resting on the back of Kasey's couch. Out of the corner of her eye, she idly noticed that Renee had forgotten her umbrella, still resting on Kasey's kitchen table.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, yeah!" Kasey nodded and rubbed the back of his neck again, free hand jammed back into his pocket. "That really was fun... I'm glad you guys were able to make it over."
"Me too," Anissa agreed sincerely. "I'm just glad to see you feeling better, too."
Both hands now jammed into his pockets, Kasey chuckled wryly, looking away. "Y-yeah... I... well, I ran into Maya that day, and... she kinda gave me the idea to do something like this, just... just give us all a little break, chill out and stuff... sorry I was such a shit to you that day," he added with an awkward smirk. "Seriously."
She shrugged, smiling again. "Hey, don't worry about it - I'm not upset with you. I know how it is." Suddenly looking a bit guilty, she blew a stray lock of hair away from her face. "I... I've snapped at Renee before, when I was really stressed out, too... venting about stuff. I'm not proud of it, but... she understood that I... well... I wasn't at my best."
Kasey nodded, only barely keeping his eyes on Anissa at this point. "Y-yeah... so, I... is everything okay at home, then?"
Humming a little, the farm girl looked up at the ceiling, nose scrunched up. "Well... honestly, yes, I think so. I mean, they're not perfect or anything... there's still some tension, but... we're all working on it." She let out a soft breath at that last remark, looking almost relieved. "I think we're going to be alright..."
It warmed her heart to see his face light up at the news. "That's great! Well... hey, I - I kinda... suck at comforting people, but I'm... I'm here if you wanna talk," he offered, clearing his throat and sticking both hands back into his pockets. "I mean, after all you guys have done for me, it's the least I can do..."
The rush of gratitude strengthened, and Anissa nodded with a widened smile. "Of course... thank you, Kasey." Taking in another deep breath, she then went on: "And... I'm here if you need to talk. About anything."
He nodded, but then she continued, looking as though she was choosing her words carefully while she maintained eye contact as best she could with him:
"Even... maybe... maybe stuff about... yourself. That you don't... you don't think you can tell other people..."
A sharp intake of breath sounded, and his shoulders tensed, a look of panic flashing across his face as he finally directly met her eyes once more. She knew. For as hopeless a liar as he was, he knew there was no point in trying to play it off. He couldn't have if he tried.
A wave of anxiety crashed into him with the force of a hurricane at the realization.
Anissa wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, but it wasn't quite this. Apparently, it was a far more serious subject with him than she'd thought it might have been. Seeing him start to tremble, she wondered if it might have been better to just keep her mouth shut - let him think nobody had picked up on it.
Insult his intelligence...
"A-Anissa, I... err..." Kasey's mouth worked almost soundlessly after he trailed off, and he screwed his eyes shut. "H-how di... no," he mumbled to himself, shaking his head rapidly. "...I can guess... but..." Swallowing hard, he let out a quivering breath, looking away and clenching his jaw. His voice was tight. "God damn it... I-I didn't mean f-for anyone here t... I... fuck."
Taking a step forward, Anissa put a hand on his shoulder, his tension increasing beneath her touch. Feeling him shake, she kept her voice level as she addressed him: "Hey - Kasey... it's okay... calm down, okay? Look at me-" And he did, pressing another sigh out of her as she caught sight of the mixture of emotions playing across his face. "I... look, I'm sorry... maybe I shouldn't have said anything. But I... I thought, maybe... you just needed someone to talk to about it..."
Kasey gulped again, and took in another unsteady breath. "H-how... how l-l-long h-have you..." He let the question die, trying to steady his breathing now.
"I... just realized it tonight," Anissa admitted quietly - and once again, she saw his eyes flash with fear as the puzzle clicked together in his mind. "I just... noticed..."
He certainly wasn't anywhere near as subtle as he wished he could be, and she'd been sitting next to him all night...
...Next to them...
Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it, God damn it...
And if Anissa had noticed it, then it was all too likely that Toby...
"P-please, please don't tell anyone," he muttered thickly. His eyes were dry, but he still felt like his body was going to tremble into a million pieces with how badly he was shaking. "I... don't t-tell anyone, please don't s-say anything to T-Tob... to him. I-I like it here, s-so, I don't... I d-don't want people t-t-to... I don't want him t-to, uhh... to..."
His words were lost to his nerves yet again, and Anissa wrapped him in a warm, tight hug - one that, moments later, was returned. "Hey, I promise. It's not my place."
"Th... thank you, Anissa. ...Thank you," he repeated, letting himself calm down a bit in the embrace. After a moment, another murmur slipped out: "Umm... sorry I f-freaked out... like this." He chuckled ruefully into her shoulder. "M-my, uhh... m-my... family... they... they know, and they... m-most of them... don't mind, s-so... I... I sh-shouldn't... be acting l-like this..."
"It's okay," Anissa repeated simply, giving Kasey a pat and a gentle rub on the back. He seemed to relax even more - at least, relative to a few moments ago, as Anissa noticed she could still feel his heart racing, and his breathing was still a little erratic. "I'm here if you need me, Kasey... alright?"
"Y-y-yeah..." He pulled away and smiled down at her shakily, nodding. "I-I, uhh... s-sorry again..." He looked away again. "It... s-sometimes... people, umm... f-found out, you know, an... and... uhh... th-they... just... th-they were total assholes about it. I mean," he mumbled bitterly, face darkening at the memories, "they were huge assholes..."
Anissa nodded quietly, unsure of what to say - she could imagine a little, at least, given some of the remarks Julius had attracted in his youth. Though, it did wind up different in Julius's case, she thought. But... she had a feeling it wasn't quite that simple with Kasey, judging from his reaction. Nonetheless, when he looked back to her with a tight, grateful smile, she returned it. "Well... Kasey... that's really their loss."
His eyes softened, and he nodded back at her firmly. "Yeah... you're... you're right. Thank you, Anissa..."
"Anytime," she responded, her voice soothing and warm. "...Are you going to be alright, Kasey?"
"I-I... yeah, I think so," he decided, turning his gaze towards the windows, staring thoughtfully into the darkness. "I... just kinda panicked. It - people... people kinda knew back home. I mean... I... there was s-someone back home, that I - well, p-people knew about us, it was... mostly just... whatever to some of them, I guess. Th... he... h-he didn't really care who... well, who knew." His mouth pressed into a tight line at this, shoulders slumping while Anissa gave him another compassionate pat on the shoulder. "I mean... that - that was... there. But... I - I think if anyone else... figures it out... I'll... I'll deal."
And if Toby figures it out... or maybe he already...
He didn't let himself finish the thought, turning back to the older woman and willing his voice to steady: "Well... thanks, Anissa. Take care, alright?"
Her eyes were kind, and she inclined her head, her container now tucked neatly under one arm - Renee's forgotten umbrella was clutched in her other hand. "Of course. You too, Kasey... I'll see you around okay?"
And off she went into the stormy night, sparing a sympathetic glance back over her shoulder at the still-glowing windows on her way down the path. She worried at her lower lip for a moment, before a brief clap of thunder startled her, sending her jogging back towards Flute Fields with her heart racing.
Back in his house, Kasey flopped onto his bed and stared at the ceiling in a daze, unsure of quite how to feel in light of Anissa figuring him out, in light of what he'd revealed to her. Now that the panic had faded, he found himself little stunned, a little scared... more grateful than anything else. At least, for now.
With a quiet scoff, he smirked wryly and shook his head. He'd been planning to move here with Danny, after all - wouldn't people have figured it out sooner or later? What would he have done then? Ah, right. I don't have any fucking foresight. Thanks, man.
Still, at least he knew now that he could confide in Anissa. He wasn't sure when he would, if he would... but if he wanted to, she'd be there to listen, just as she had since he'd arrived. The thought began to gradually comfort him as he got undressed for bed and clicked off his lamp, racing mind starting to slow down just a little.
His thoughts turned to Renee's sunny outlook and encouraging attitude; to Chase's quick wit and grudging, albeit sincere, support; to Toby's sweet and gentle nature, his constant consideration for others, the way Kasey felt both at peace and utterly anxious around him all at once. At the thought of each of them, his stomach churned with fresh anxiety, wondering how they might react if they found out... his first real friends outside of his family...
He had to admit to himself - Anissa's offer was one well worth taking up at some point.
Author's Notes: I swear to God, I seriously didn't go into this chapter intending to break 11,000 WORDS. It... just... it just happened. Hell, I thought it'd be shorter than chapter 13! But, here we are. I also didn't expect the chapter to be as perverted as it wound up, but... here we are. Since I just started my vacation today, what better time to finish what I've been chiseling away at for the past month or so? And starting a third ongoing story in the meantime, because I'm nuts. As you can tell by that unicorn movie. No, unlike Bridge to Cilua (my utterly blatant love letter to a fantastic JRPG - name the game, win my eternal respect), I didn't base the unicorn movie off of anything that I know of. Which makes me a little sad.
So! Rain. More rain. Goddamn, Phoebe, it's about time! And everyone in Castanet DID IT, the end. Meanwhile, our ragtag band of buddies (minus the bitchiest buddy) take a night off to catch up on the classics; Kasey makes it obvious even to Helen Keller that he's got it Usher-bad for Toby; everyone wants to screw Calvin; and the only one who hasn't nosed around in Kasey's closet winds up pulling him out of it.
Big ups to Lucy Kay, HersheyC101, and Show The Cook Some Love (as well as Jan on A03) for the great feedback, and to those reading, following, favoriting, kudos-ing, bookmark-ing, and ing-ing along! Thank you! Further thanks to STCSL for spot-checking my work for me, as well as for helping that unicorn movie to happen. Yes, now you all know who else is at fault for that. Well, I hope everyone enjoyed this GODDAMN MASSIVE chapter! Feel free to leave a review, if you'd like! So, what's next for our heroes? Will someone potty-train Castanet already? You may or may not find out in chapter 15 - hope I'll see you there!