Sweet Panic

attina-the-responsible​:

Attina rolled her eyes and snorted. She thought that he had maybe forgotten about that. After all, they hadn’t quite sold the house yet. And she really didn’t want to do anything to affect the value. The Tritons were wealthy, but they weren’t turn around and sell a million dollar house for less than they bought it for a year after they bought it without hurting a little rich. 

But, it was also a nice sentiment. Marking this place where they had been so sad and so happy. 

“Okay, okay.” 

She shook her head at him before pulling away and grabbing the knife off the kitchen table. She opened the front door and glanced around, to make sure no neighbors were about, but it was the middle of the day and a bit overcast besides. So, the Woods were quiet. 

She wandered over to the edge of the porch and tilted her head, eyeing the thick white wooden beam that held up a corner of the roof. 

“Here?” she asked, pointing with the knife to the side of it facing toward the house, near the bottom of the beam. She handed the knife over and stepped back. “You can do the honours, if you’d like.” 

Panic let out a small laugh taking the knife. Now this was almost sacrilegious. To use a kitchen knife of all things. But anything else they may use would be tucked up in boxes by now. And it wasn’t like they couldn’t ask for one. Someone would get too curious. Though it wasn’t like Panic really minded.

Panic leaned down starting off with a simple A.T. but pausing at his own. He could easily do Roman, but that wasn’t the name that had gotten him through most of this.

It wouldn’t feel right at all. So he marked out another P.C. right beside Attina’s initials. This was a ending of the house it fit that it as his old initials and not his new. And in theory the true ones too. Sorry no Percy Goldthwait here.

Stepping back with a sigh Panic set the knife down and wrapped his arms around Attina.

“I don’t think that looks too bad does it?”

attina-the-responsible​:

Attina smiled, expecting that answer. She knew Panic was excited for this. That he had been wanting to get out of town long before Attina had gotten accepted into ANU. Probably before they’d even gotten married. Since Amelia. Maybe even before that. She was just so grateful that he had stayed. That he had waited and been patient. 

“Something will, I’m sure,” she told him. Not that he needed the reassurance probably, but Attina wanted him to know she believed in him. And supported him. As much as he seemed to believe in her. And certainly as much as he supported her. 

“You’ll fit right in, I’m sure.” 

“We’ll fit right in.” If they both didn’t then it really didn’t matter if one of them did or not. As much as Panic didn’t mind following he was still expecting them to be happy. He wouldn’t have been so okay jumping at the chance of moving unless it was something he thought would be good for him as well.

Sighing as he took in their house again though it wouldn’t be theirs sooner than later. 

“Some light Vandalism then?”

attina-the-responsible​:

Attina smiled a little at Panic, looking out over the sea of boxes again. It was a big move for her, but it was also a big move for him. Attina could appreciate that too, even if she was making this all about her. It was, perhaps, even bigger for Panic, because he was following her. Attina was the one with school to attend, something laid out for her. Panic was just–coming to be with her.

She was confidence, of course, that he would find something easily. He was a talented cook. Maybe he could even open up something of his own eventually. Attina was grateful, because if their positions were reversed, she would be freaking out, not having a plan.

“What about you?” she asked, looking back at him and reaching up to touch the side of his face. “Are you nervous?” 

Panic moved his attention to Attina a raised eyebrow but he shrugged. It was nerve wracking for any move, that wasn’t a secret.

“A little more so then when I moved here but I’m excited too.” He’d have to hit the ground running and see what opportunities he had there but he was ready to try. “I’ve been looking at a few places so when we get settled i’ll start dropping off resumes and see if anything sticks.” They would meet people on their own time too.

attina-the-responsible​:

“Better if you wouldn’t ask me that,” Attina told him, resting her chin over his shoulder with a little huff. 

“It’s not so bad, though.” She interlocked her fingers behind him so she could lean a bit. Her shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. “I guess…I don’t know. I’m nervous, but mostly right now I’m…sad. I feel very…melancholy. I don’t know, it’s a hard feeling to describe. It is heavy. I can’t imagine it will go away, but it must…at some point. Just be prepared for me to be a sobbing mess in the airport. I think it might hit me then. Or…I don’t know, maybe once we get there.” 

She felt tears sting her eyes for no real reason at all and she glanced down to the buttons on his shirt until they retreated again. 

“I know it will be–okay. Probably even good but…I don’t know. Don’t ask me to be excited until we’ve been there for like…a month. At least.” 

Panic let out a small hum just giving her a tight squeeze. This would be a big change for her, and while of course Panic had only moved a time or two, and Swynlake had been a big move for him, Australia wasn’t too scary to him. More exciting than anything else.

“I won’t ask you to feel anything more than you’re ready.” She may have waited for him to love her completely, but he was well versed in waiting for her too.

“Step by step, day but day. It’ll be whatever pace we need.” Though he did hope she would be happy there in less than a month. That was a lot more time than he wanted to see her crying or sad.

aquata-the-champ​:

“Yeah, okay, don’t go overboard,” Aquata groaned, wrinkling her nose. She already knew she was going to probably get weird and emotional once Panic and Attina actually left for good. No point in prolonging it. “But I respect the decision to continue bribing me with food. That’s what you’re here for.”

Panic already knew he would go overboard. He’d cook up a storm and make sure the table was filled with food. Tina wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Glad I can continue to be of service.” Panic teased splashing Aquata once more and diving back into the water. A smaller race track than the sea but one that would do for now.

attina-the-responsible​:

“Oh, I–hadn’t thought of that,” Attina admitted, her shoulders slumping a bit. 

It hit her again: they were moving across the world. To a whole different country. Attina had never lived anywhere but Swynlake. For thirty years, this had been her home and now she was leaving it. She felt herself deflate a bit as the anxiety slashed through her. Things were going to taste differently. She had known things would be different–different crisps, no Jaffa cakes but…how had she not taken that into account? Or even thought about it? She’d done plenty of reading but no one had thought to mention that!

“Right, well–I’ll go through it, then.” Attina took a deep breath. No going back now. And…honestly, she didn’t want to. “But we should still donate most of it.” 

And she did, go through the cabinet. Packing the large jar of peanut butter and a few other things. By the time she was finished with that, Panic was finished with all the glasses. All that would be left was zipping up their suitcases. Attina moved over to where Panic was standing and hugged him from behind, resting her head on his shoulder blade and looking over the sea of boxes in the living room, the couch and chairs covered in protective wrap. 

“It’s really done, then, isn’t it?” she said and it wasn’t much of a question.

Panic set his hands on Attina’s giving her a small squeeze. He managed a hum of a yes even if she wasn’t asking. It didn’t feel like so long ago that this house looked the same but they were unpacking. Now they were set for a flight and these boxes truly mattered.

Sure they could buy what they needed but some of these things couldn’t be replaced.

“Do you feel okay? Hows the nerves?” Panic questioned twisting around in her arms so he could wrap her up.

attina-the-responsible​:

Attina gave Panic his moment. She could sense he needed it. So, while he stepped away to admire the artwork, she got set up herself, sitting on the chair and fiddling with the hem of her skirt so it laid right. The nerves came bubbling back a bit but she fiddled with the stencil and they went away again as she focused. 

It was a long process, getting the stencil just right. She had to wash it off and start again at least three times and by the end, she was apologizing profusely. “Sorry, sorry. I just–I wanna make sure–”

Attina didn’t know how that sentence finished really. That it was perfect? Attina had learned through much difficulty that life was not perfect. Nothing would ever be perfect. And imperfections were…fine. Sometimes. Occasionally. But, Attina was still going to strive for perfection. 

Or as close to it as she could possibly come. 

But, eventually she was ready and Peri got to work. 

Attina looked over at Panic and smiled, being the one to reach for him this time. Her hand carded through his hair. She wasn’t shy about PDA usually, but this felt even more personal than that. Still, she turned her head and kissed his temple. “I love you, too.” 

It did not take long for her tattoo to finish up. At least, it didn’t feel like it. 

When it was done, Attina hobbled over to the mirror, her calf a bit sore. She turned her leg to look at it and smiled. “Oh, gosh! Peri, it’s–well, it’s perfect!” There were tears shining in her eyes, but they didn’t fall.

It wasn’t long until Attina’s was done as well. Both of them set to go, cleaned up and a list of instructions from Peri.

aquata-the-champ​:

“I’ll consider it,” Aquata smirked, showing that she wasn’t seriously concerned. Mostly, Aquata was just worried about what this might mean for merpeople in town… and it seemed lately, there were more and more of them.  But she didn’t want Panic to worry about that. “I guess you’ve managed to stay on my good side,” she added jokingly. “But be careful. No guarantees it’ll stay that way. Especially since you’re not gonna be cooking for me anymore. That was a pretty big draw.”

Panic pretended to wince swimming up closer to Aquata just to nudge her gently, God he was gonna miss all of these girls. Panic had always been the younger of the demons, weaker than most but these girls were little sisters to him.

“I’ll just have to text often and send you stupid videos so you can’t forget how lovable I am.” Panic mused with a smile. “I’ll just over feed you whenever we visit. Stock pile the goodwill.”