#laurelscribbles

Kravitz was beginning to regret giving Taako his number.

Three days and zero texts. Either Taako wasn’t as into him as it seemed, or he was too embarrassed about his behavior that night to contact him. But he didn’t really seem like the kind of guy to let embarrassment get in his way. 

He nervously fidgeted with his pencil, rapidly tapping it against his textbook. He’d been trying to study the entire weekend but was too distracted. Why did he give Taako his number? Why didn’t he ask for Taako’s number instead?

No, that wouldn’t have worked. He never would’ve gotten up the nerve to text him. But at least then he would’ve known that the lack of communication was his own fault. This was just agony. 

His thoughts were interrupted by his phone vibrating with a notification. He grabbed it - a bit too eagerly - and saw that he’d gotten a text from an unknown number. Oh gods. Kravitz took a breath before opening the text.

He spluttered a bit when he saw what Taako had sent him. It was a photo - nothing racy, but quite the glamour shot - of Taako wearing the jacket that Kravitz had loaned him. He was biting his lip and had one hand running through his hair in a suggestive pose. Underneath the picture, two more messages appeared.

Unknown Number: i think ill be keeping this bad boy for myselfUnknown Number: looks pretty good on me dontcha think?

Kravitz needed a few moments to process. How the hell was he supposed to respond to that? As he tried to gather his thoughts, he took the time to add Taako’s number to his contacts. After a few more moments, he came up with what he hoped was a sufficient reply. Gods, he hated flirting over text.

     Me: I think you’d look better out of it

It only took a couple moments for Taako to reply, but it was quite possibly the longest few moments of Kravitz’s existence.

Taako: ooo spicy boyTaako: at least buy me dinner first     Me: Is that all it takes?

Kravitz grimaced with immediate regret as he waited for a response.

Taako: listenTaako: you already saw me at that partyTaako: i think any semblance of integrity is already out the window my dude

Kravitz chuckled - nervously - and tapped his fingers on the table as he tried to gather up the courage to send another message.

Taako sat in his bed as he waited for Kravitz’s next text. He pulled his knees up to his chest, hugging the jacket tighter around himself . It was just because it was a really comfy jacket. And he wanted to make sure it smelled like him when he gave it back to Kravitz. It definitely had nothing to do with the crush he had on that guy.

Krav Boy: So do you want to go to dinner, then?

Taako chewed on his lip. He supposed it was his fault for making that dinner joke, but he didn’t know how to tell Kravitz that he didn’t really like any of the restaurants nearby. 

           Me:  ehhh dinners too basicKrav Boy: Do you have better ideas for a second date?           Me: SECOND date????Krav Boy: Yeah, the party was our first date           Me: you got a pretty fuckin wild idea of what constitutes a date my dudeKrav Boy: How so?Krav Boy: We danced, we had a nice conversation, and I dropped you off at your place           Me: i think you mean           Me: i threw myself at you           Me: i overshared about my dumb problems           Me: my “”””friend”””” exposed me           Me: and then you nagged me to drink waterKrav Boy: Forgive me. I won’t refer to it as a date, then

Taako sighed. Who the fuck texted so formally? He was going to have to work with him on that if they ever got past a second date.

Well, depending on what classified as a date.

           Me: you hear about that new place that opened up on campus?Krav Boy: You’ll have to be a bit more specific than thatKrav Boy: I don’t really keep up with campus activities

Taako rolled his eyes. Hopeless.

           Me: its one of those wine and pottery placesKrav Boy: Oh, I’ve never been to one of those. What’s it called?           Me: the chug n squeeze

There were a few moments of silence where there wasn’t even any indication that Kravitz was typing out a response. Taako was starting to wonder what was going on when his phone rang. 

“Hullo?” He asked, sitting up straight.

“The Chug N Squeeze?!” Kravitz’s voice came out in an undignified wheeze of laughter.

Taako couldn’t help but chuckle at the sound of his laugh. “Yeah, my dude.”

“I thought you were pulling my leg but I looked it up and it’s real.”

“Duh, I wouldn’t lie to you.” Taako twirled his hair around one finger. “Why’d you call me?”

“I, uh, I’m not a big fan of texting,” Kravitz said. “And I’m not too good at it.”

Yeah, no kidding. “Ah.”

“So would you like to go to the Chug N Squeeze with me this Friday?”

Ugh. Friday was so far away. But dates on weekdays were never fun. And besides, he’d get to see Kravitz in class before then. “Hell yeah, homie.”

There was a pause where Taako could practically feel Kravitz grin. “It’s a date.”

“Sounds good. Oh,” Taako hesitated, taking a millisecond to have an inner debate about what he wanted to say next. “Make sure to save me a seat tomorrow, kay? You always get to class way before me.”

“O-Oh. Yeah- Yes!” Kravitz stuttered. “I will.”

Couldn’t text or talk, it seemed. Taako smiled to himself. “Alright, see ya then.”

“See you.”

Taako hung up just as Lup burst into his room.

“Hey if I took a skeleton an- What the fuck are you wearing?!” She stopped dead in her tracks with an outright offended look on her face.

Taako felt his face grow hot as he grasped for a response. Kravitz’s jacket was very nice, but it was nowhere near Taako’s style.

“Uhhhh stole it from a guy,” He responded, trying his best to sound nonchalant about it.

She crossed her arms, very clearly not believing it. “And what possessed you to steal that jacket?”

Taako smacked his lips and opened his mouth to answer. “Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii…” He trailed off, blinking repeatedly as he failed his Deception roll. “Don’t know.”

Her ears perked up as if she’d just realized something. “Did someone give it to you?” She asked, a devious grin on her face.

“No.”

“Liar!” She took a running leap for his bed, landing forcefully enough to make Taako grab the mattress in an attempt to avoid being flung off his own bed. She pulled her legs under herself to sit cross-legged and clasped her hands together, resting her chin on them to give Taako her undivided attention. “Tell me his name!”

Taako wished with every inch of his soul that he could stop his cheeks from burning. “No. fuck you.”

“Taakooooooooo,” Her ears drooped and she pouted. “Pleeeeeeeaaaaasssse!”

“Get out of my room.”

“I’m not leaving till you tell meeeeeeee.”

Taako scowled at his sister, who stared right back with an indignant look. With each passing second, he could feel his willpower being worn down. Fuck.

“Fine! Gods, you win!” He threw his hands in the air and refused to meet Lup’s triumphant gaze. “Asshole. His name’s Kravitz.”

Lup frowned in thought and Taako grimaced as he waited for her to figure out where she’d heard that name before.

Her eyes suddenly widened in realization. “Is that the guy you said you would give-”

“SHUT UP!”

She leaned forward and excitedly drummed on Taako’s knees. “You got a date with that guy?! How? I thought he was, like, way out of your league!”

“Okay, first of all, rude,” Taako’s embarrassment was pushed to the side as he sat up to argue with his sister. “Second of all, I won him over with my charms.”

“So you made out with him while drunk?”

“No!” He said indignantly, crossing his arms.

Lup laughed. “Then what’d you do?”

“I…” Taako trailed off, knowing full well that he did not want to recount the events of that night to his sister. “I mean I did. Sorta. He wouldn’t let me.”

“Ooo, a gentleman?” She sat up straight and put on a posh accent. “This fellow sounds like quite the catch. How does he plan to court you, my dear brother?”

“Gods, you’re so fucking annoying.”

“By the grace of my lady, you’re freezing!” Kravitz exclaimed, turning to Taako for confirmation. “He’s freezing, right?”

“Shit, yeah,” Taako muttered distractedly, his expression focused as he pressed the back of his hands first to Angus’s forehead, then neck, then arms to double-check his temperature. He cupped Angus’s face in his hands and searched his expression intently, noting the flush on his cheeks and the lack of focus in his eyes, but no visible discoloration of his lips or nose. A look of panic crossed his face and he quickly sat Angus down on the stairs and checked over his fingers before stripping off his socks and checking his toes while Kravitz looked on with worry. He sighed with relief before standing up.

“Krav, can you come pick him up?” Taako asked, his sudden seriousness preventing Kravitz from asking any questions. “Gently.”

Kravitz did as told and picked up Angus, who instinctively wrapped his arms and legs around him the way he always did. Taako led him through the house towards Angus’s room, talking the whole time.

“He doesn’t have frostbite - thank the gods - but he’s got hypothermia. I need you to get him out of those clothes and into something warm and dry. Wrap a towel around his head or something to dry his hair, but do not rub him, mmkay? That can cause cardiac arrest.”

Kravitz swallowed down the feeling of panic that arose at the words “cardiac arrest” and tried to listen so he could follow Taako’s instructions. Mortal conditions and diseases weren’t exactly in his wheelhouse, which Taako must have been aware of based on how he’d immediately taken charge. But Kravitz had rarely ever seen him so serious about something, which didn’t help his nerves.

Taako continued. “Put him in bed and cover him with blankets. Try not to move him too much. Monitor his breathing. I’m gonna make some hot chocolate and get a warm compress.”

Kravitz nodded silently, but his panic must have been evident on his face because Taako stopped and reached up to cup a hand around Kravitz’s face. But there was a lack of the usual gentleness in his face that was replaced by focus, and Kravitz could tell that there were a million thoughts running through Taako’s head right now.

“He’s gonna be alright, Krav. It’s mild. Just do what I said.” He turned back down the hallway without another word.

Kravitz did his best to focus on Taako’s instructions and not on how worried he was. He gently lowered Angus down on the desk chair in his room and went to grab a towel and one of Angus’s warmer pajama sets - as well as a pair of socks. As he stripped the layers of sweaters and shirts off of him, he vaguely recalled the memory from just this morning of Taako refusing to let Angus leave the house without all of these clothes on. Fat lot of good that had done him; each layer was soaked through.

He took the towel and - remembering not to rub him - gently patted at Angus’s bare chest and arms and back to remove any remaining moisture before putting on his pajama shirt. 

Angus groaned and leaned forward, resting his head on Kravitz’s shoulder, who had to push him off so he could finish changing him. Once Angus was out of his wet clothes and in his pajamas, Kravitz carefully lifted him again and put him in bed, covering him with his blanket before taking a smaller towel and wrapping it around his hair to soak up some of the moisture. He moved to his closet to get the many other blankets he had (which were all courtesy of Taako and his love of blankets) and had just finished covering him with the last one when Taako reappeared with a mug of hot chocolate and two warm compresses.

Taako silently placed the mug on his nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed, placing one of the compresses on Angus’s forehead. Angus, who had seemed almost asleep, slowly opened his eyes to stare at him.

“What’s shakin’, boychik?” Taako asked, though his gentle tone didn’t quite match his joking words.

Angus’s brow creased and he opened his mouth as if to say something, but gave up and closed it.

“Don’t push yourself too hard,” Taako muttered, lifting the blankets just enough to place the other compress on Angus’s chest. “Do you think you can sit up enough to drink some of this?” He asked, taking the mug and moving it almost tauntingly in front of the boy’s face. “Secret recipeee,” His voice took on a sing-song tone.

Angus moved as if to sit himself up, but Taako quickly placed a hand behind his back to help him. He managed to down a few sips before he had to give up and lay back down. His eyelids fluttered and he quickly fell asleep.

Kravitz moved forward and placed a hand on Taako’s shoulder, but his husband didn’t look up at him. He leaned so that he could follow Taako’s gaze to the steady rise and fall of Angus’s chest. He was watching his breathing.

After a few moments of making sure that Angus was just asleep and nothing worse, Taako put the mug back on the nightstand and let out a sigh.

“Was it you or Lup?” Kravitz asked. Taako was silent for a few moments.

“Me,” He finally said. He laced his fingers together and lifted his arms above his head in a stretch, then dropped them with a sigh. “It was our first winter without a home. Lup’s fires kept us warm most of the time, but…” He trailed off and finally turned to look at his husband with a smirk. “I was a pretty reckless kid. And I had it worse than what Ango’s got. Luckily, though, I had a sister who was smarter than me. Don’t ever tell her I said that.”

Kravitz smiled, glad to see Taako’s humor returning.

“And during our century, we visited a surprising amount of ice worlds. Like, way more than you’d expect. I think everyone died of exposure at least once. Lemme tell you, as annoying as Merle is, spending a cycle on a frozen wasteland without our healer was the worst. As I’m sure you know from being with cha’boy, elves tend to run hotter than most other species, so Lup and I were less at risk and were in charge of taking care of everyone else when they did stupid stuff outside. Usually Magnus.”

Kravitz chuckled and wrapped his arms around Taako from behind, leaning down to rest his chin on the top of his head. “So he’s gonna be alright?”

“Yeah, he’ll be fine,” Taako waved a hand dismissively as if that would erase how concerned he’d been earlier. “He just needs some rest and heat. And a fuckin’ lecture about what ‘inclement weather’ means.”

“Oh yeah?” Kravitz asked, lifting his head. “And just who is going to give him that lecture?”

Taako was silent, but his answer was clear.

“Fat chance,” Kravitz said. “You know I hate when you make me bad cop.”

“How else am I supposed to be the favorite parent?“

“You already cook all his favorite meals,” Kravitz argued. “All I’ve got on my side are his cello lessons.”

“That reminds me, we need to cancel his cello lessons.”

Kravitz opened his mouth to make a retort, but Angus shifted in his bed, rolling over on his side and distracting the two from their non-serious argument. The compress fell off his forehead and onto the pillow, and Taako muttered to himself as he readjusted it so that it was at least on the side of his head.

“So-called genius detective doesn’t even know how to sleep,” Was part of what he muttered, but the rest was too quiet for Kravitz to hear. He moved a hand to Angus’s neck to feel for his temperature again, then hesitated before climbing over him on the bed and slipping under the covers, pulling Angus closer and wrapping himself around him almost protectively.

When he noticed Kravitz’s questioning look, he grumbled, “He’s still too cold,” before flopping his head on the pillow and squeezing his eyes shut as if to fend off any response from his husband. 

Kravitz froze, unsure how to react as Taako swayed and ran his hands over him, occasionally flipping his half-undone braid over his shoulder before pressing closer to him. Panicking, Kravitz took Taako’s hands and pried them off of him, only to have them return as soon as he tried to move away. He needed to get some air now, so he quickly moved away and off the dance floor, vaguely registering that Taako was still clinging to him.

They got to the door and Kravitz turned back to try to unstick Taako from him again, only for him to groan and pout, walking his fingers up Kravitz’s chest.

“Wha’s wrong, handsome?” Taako’s voice was barely loud enough to be heard over the music. “Dunno how to dance?” He leaned in closer, his breath hot in Kravitz’s ear. “Why don’ we go back t’ my place and’ll teach ya?”

Kravitz swallowed dryly, his face burning. “You’re drunk,” He argued back loudly.

Taako’s pout deepened. “And you’re no fun. I’ve-I’ve seen you,” He slurred, swaying and using Kravitz to stay upright. “You’re the guy who stares ‘t me in class. You’re lucky you’re fuckin’…hot.”

Kravitz hadn’t thought his face could heat up anymore than it was, but he was proven wrong. “I don’t-”

“But if you,” Taako interrupted, jabbing a finger to Kravitz’s chest. “Dont’ wanna fuck me,” He pointed to himself. “Then I’ll jus’ find someone else.” He stood up a bit straighter and turned away.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Kravitz grabbed Taako by the wrist. “I don’t think that’s the best idea.” Taako was definitely not in a good state to be making those kinds of decisions. 

Taako willingly let himself be pulled back, overdoing it and pressing himself against Kravitz’s chest. He smirked up at him. “Hmm, change your mind?”

Kravitz looked around, feeling the crowd and the music start to overwhelm him again. “Why don’t we step outside?” He asked and, not waiting for an answer, opened the door and guided Taako out of the house.

It was a cool fall evening and the wind was extremely refreshing after the humidity of the party. Kravitz felt himself start to relax almost immediately while Taako shivered, instinctively pressing against him for warmth only to pull away again.

“Jeez, homie, you’re fuggin’ freezing,” He looked Kravitz up and down. “What are you?”

“Kind of a rude way to ask that,” Kravitz dodged the question as he led Taako to the steps and sat them both down on the edge. He took off his jacket and put it around Taako’s shoulders, who immediately took it and pulled it tighter around him. Kravitz took out his phone and ordered an Uber.

“Thought you were a human,” Taako muttered as he leaned his head on Kravitz’s shoulder. Kravitz didn’t bother pointing out that most humans didn’t have dark red eyes. The breeze picked up and he saw Taako’s free ear twitch a bit in reaction. 

“You sure you don’t wanna fuck?” Taako spoke up again.

Kravitz snorted. “Maybe some other time. As long as you’re sober and still want to.”

“Pfft.” Taako lifted his head, his unfocused eyes somewhat trained to Kravitz’s face. “I’ve been wanting to fuck you since the first day of class, my dude,” He said, prompting Kravitz to blush again.

Taako’s eyes suddenly narrowed and he stared at Kravitz more intently. He leaned forward as if intending to kiss him, but Kravitz leaned back, pressing a hand to Taako’s chest to stop him.

“Again,” Kravitz said, trying to stay composed as he pushed Taako into an upright position and sat back up. “You’re drunk.”

Taako scoffed. “Course I decide to go after a gentleman,” He grumbled. “And I thought today couldn’t get any worse.”

“What do you mean?”

Taako eyed him warily. “I don’t owe you my life story, kemosabe.”

Kravitz laughed nervously. “Sorry, didn’t mean to pry.”

“Ugh,” Taako leaned his head against Kravitz’s shoulder again. “There you go being nice again. Just like my sister’s stupid boyfriend. She’s been in love with the guy for years. Years. Who the fuck waits that long before making a move? It’s like…who are you and what have you done with my sister, yanno?”

Kravitz did not know. He made a noncommittal noise.

“Anyway I’ve never met the guy before and she refused to show me any pictures of him. But they’re dating now and I met him and?” His pitch rose like he was asking a question and he lifted his head again to look at Kravitz. “He’s a fuggin’ nerd. He wears jeans like, every day. Blue jeans. He’s gonna make her like, start caring about school or somethin’. Turn her into a nerd too so she’s not fun anymore. My sister’s dating a nerd, Krav. Can you believe that?”

You know my name? Kravitz wanted to ask, feeling a strange warmth in his chest. Instead, he shrugged. “I’ve never met your sister, but if she’s anything like you, I doubt that’ll happen,” He chuckled. “And besides, as long as he’s a good person and cares about her, does it matter?”

Taako narrowed his eyes at him and was silent for a few moments. “You’re a nerd, too, aren’t you?”

Kravitz laughed nervously. “That’s-”

Taako interrupted him with a groan. “Gods, what is this, karma or something? Of course I’ve got a crush on a nerd, too.”

“I’m not- You have a crush on me?” Kravitz asked, struggling to process what Taako had said.

“I called you hot, didn’t I?” Was his only response, as if that was enough of an explanation.

Kravitz was trying to find something to say when a car pulled up a little ways away and he got his Uber notification. “C’mon,” He grunted as he stood up and pulled Taako up with him. 

They got into the car with some trouble from an off-balance Taako. The driver was a larger man who wasn’t paying much attention to them. “Ready to go?” He asked.

“Um, if it’s not too much trouble, could we make another stop before you take me to my place?” Kravitz asked, untangling Taako’s arms from around him.

“Sure thing, buddy,” The man answered, taking his phone off of its stand and preparing to put in a new address. “Where to?”

“Uh,” Kravitz turned to Taako, who was staring with intent confusion at the seat belt that he was holding in his hand, not having buckled up yet. “Where do you live?”

“Wherever you want me to, sweet cheeks,” Taako responded, doing his best to give Kravitz a sexy glance through half-lidded eyes that just ended up looking comical.

Hearing his voice, the driver turned around. “Taako?”

Taako’s face lit up. “Mags! Fancy meetin’ you here!”

“You two know each other?” Kravitz asked, leaning over to help Taako buckle in.

“Yeah, we’re friends,” The man explained, sounding a bit irritated now. “Don’t worry, I know where he lives. I’m Magnus, by the way.” He shifted gears and started driving. “You one of Taako’s conquests? You’re not taking advantage of my boy, are you?”

Kravitz felt his face heat up again as he finished buckling Taako up, very aware of his hot breath on his neck. He sat back in his seat. “N-No, I’m not. We ran into each other at that party and, well,” He glanced over at Taako before catching Magnus’s eye in the rearview mirror. “I was worried about his safety.”

“Aww, are you sweet on him?” Magnus asked, laughing when Kravitz spluttered. “I’m kidding, thanks for keeping an eye out for him. Taako doesn’t always make the best decisions.”

“I’m right here,” Taako crossed his arms defensively.

“Good thing, too,” Magnus said. “What were you thinking, going to a party alone? Were you trying to get yourself hurt? Or worse?”

Taako scoffed. “I can hold my own. I’ve got magic powers, you know.”

“So do lots of other people,” Magnus argued. “You’re lucky he’s a decent guy,” He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder in Kravitz’s direction. “Or gods know what could’ve happened to you.”

“Whatever,” Taako grumbled, sinking down in his seat and looking out the window. There was a tense silence that Kravitz felt had to do with something other than Taako’s lackluster decisions tonight.

After a while, Magnus sighed. “You know Lup still loves you, right? Just because she’s serious about this boyfriend doesn’t change that. She’s your sister.”

“Duh,” Taako sneered. “Doesn’t mean I have to like him.”

“Look, you guys have been inseparable since birth, I get that,” Magnus continued, unfazed by Taako’s rudeness. “But you had to know that you’d grow apart eventually. She’ll find someone - maybe this guy, maybe not - and you will, too. Probably.”

Taako continued staring out the window, unresponsive.

Kravitz didn’t notice when Magnus glanced at him in the rearview mirror with a glimmer of mischief in his eye. “What about that guy in your Conjuration lecture? The one you said is super hot?”

Taako’s ears perked up and he stiffened, side-eyeing Magnus. “I dunno what you’re talking about.”

“You know, the guy who sits across the aisle from you? The one you said always dresses super nicely and has cheekbones that could cut glass?”

Taako was silent, but Kravitz could see a blush start to form on his cheeks. Kravitz shifted uncomfortably in his seat, feeling like he knew where this might be going.

Magnus continued. “Yeah, you said you wanted to wind your hands in his hair and push him up against a wall-”

“Magnus.”

“-and let him suck marks into your neck that’d be impossible to hide-”

“Magnus.”

“-and give him what I think you called the ‘blowjob of the century’ and then-”

“MAGNUS!”

“What was his name? Kravitz?”

Taako groaned, his face beet red as he put his head in his hands and refused to look over at Kravitz, who wished he could disappear into his seat.

“Magnus, I’m gonna kill you,” Taako’s voice was muffled by his hands.

“Why?” Magnus asked, poorly feigning innocence. He glanced at Kravitz in the rearview mirror. “What did you say your name was, again?” He asked cheekily.

“I didn’t,” Kravitz muttered, refusing to meet his gaze as his face burned. He knew that Magnus got his name from the app.

“We’re here!” Magnus chirped, pulling into an apartment complex that Kravitz realized was right next to the one he lived in. He punched in the gate code and expertly drove around and stopped in front of what Kravitz assumed was Taako’s building. He turned around in his seat. “You live in the complex next door, right?”

“Yeah, I can- I can walk from here,” Kravitz said, rushing to unbuckle himself and get out. He didn’t really want to spend any amount of time alone with Magnus right now.

He walked around the car and opened the door for Taako, who practically fell out and had to be caught by Kravitz. Taako quickly pulled away, not meeting Kravitz’s eye or thanking him.

“Don’t forget to tip!” Magnus shouted out the open window before driving away.

The two stood in an awkward silence for a few moments.

Taako turned to him. “That guy’s a liar and not my friend.”

“So then you didn’t say any of those things?” Kravitz asked with a humorous glance.

“I-” Taako’s face turned red again. “I might’ve…I might’ve said something…similar.”

Kravitz chuckled and took Taako’s hand, prompting him to finally look up at him.

“Well, I would not be opposed to…going on a date with you,” Kravitz said. “And seeing where the night takes us. Can I see your phone?”

Taako wordlessly pulled his phone out of his back pocket and unlocked it before handing it to Kravitz. 

He put in his number and handed it back. “I hope you’ll text me sometime. When you’re sober, that is,” He smiled. He hesitated for a moment before pulling Taako a bit closer and leaning down to kiss his forehead. “I’ll be wanting that jacket back,” He murmured, then pulled away and turned to start walking home, waving over his shoulder.

Taako stood still in shock, watching Kravitz walk away. His hand automatically rose to where Kravitz had kissed his forehead and he felt himself blush like some sort of middle schooler.

Kravitz turned and called out over his shoulder. “Make sure to drink lots of water! You don’t want a hangover!”

“Shut up!” He shouted back, but couldn’t fight off the smile that crept across his face. He stood there, swaying a bit but determined to watch Kravitz until he couldn’t see him anymore. The wind picked up and he pulled Kravitz’s jacket tighter around himself before he turned around to head inside.

“O-Okay,” Angus nervously replied as he got up.

“Here.” Kravitz pulled something out of his pocket and offered it up to Angus.

Angus took what looked like a few pellets. “What are these?”

“Treats,” Kravitz replied. “They’re special ones for ravens.”

Angus pocketed the treats and followed Kravitz out back, where the usual grouping of ten or so ravens was hanging out. They all turned to look at the two - specifically Kravitz - and watched as they walked up to the porch railing. The hairs on the back of Angus’s neck stood up at the unnerving sight. One raven flew up and rested on the railing in front of Angus, looking almost like it was investigating him. He turned to Kravitz questioningly.

Kravitz held out his hand and the raven readily hopped up onto his forearm, then turned to investigate Angus again. 

“Go ahead,” Kravitz prompted.

Angus dug a treat out from his pocket and cautiously held it towards the bird, who regarded it for a moment before gently plucking it from his fingers and eating it. Kravitz nodded encouragingly as Angus held out his arm and the raven hopped onto it. He struggled to keep his arm up under the weight of the bird, but managed to hold it steady.

He looked up at Kravitz with pride, but hesitation was still visible on his face.

Kravitz didn’t even seem to notice as another raven landed on his shoulder. “Ravens are also very intelligent. They could probably help you with cases where there’s a missing item or something.” 

“Really? That’s amazing!” Angus grinned at the bird, then pulled out another treat. The raven took it and flew off, joining the rest of the conspiracy in the yard. A few moments later, it returned - or perhaps it was a different raven - with a large red feather.

Angus’s jaw dropped. “I know this feather!” He exclaimed, taking it. “This was on my favorite cap that got blown away in the wind a few weeks ago!”

“Oh, yes, I remember. You were inconsolable for the rest of the day,” Kravitz said. “They must’ve been keeping an eye on you for a while if they recognized that.”

“Really?” Excitement sparkled in Angus’s eyes. “That’s so cool!”

Kravitz tousled Angus’s hair a bit. “See? They’re not so scary now, are they?”

2 - The Fuzzball

“Ew, Mags, is that a bug?”

“What? No! How many bugs have you seen that are this big?”

“Everything looks like a bug when you hold it in your giant ogre hands, homie.”

“I’m nowhere near the size of an ogre,” Magnus argued. “And it’s not a bug. It’s a kitten!”

Taako eyed what looked more like a black fuzzball curled up in Magnus’s hands than an animal. “And?”

“Aaaand,” Magnus hesitated. “I found her near my house all alone. No parent or siblings or anything. She’s really small for her age, and I’d take care of her, but I don’t think the dogs would take well to her.”

“So, what? You want me to take it?”

“Well, yeah! Pets are good for kids. And since you won’t let me give Angus a dog-”

“Dogs are gross and slobbery and dumb, no thanks.” 

“-I figured a cat would be a good idea.” Magnus continued as if uninterrupted. “And look how cute she is!”

As if on cue, the kitten untucked her head from under herself and opened her eyes wide to look at Taako. She had one bright green eye and one bright blue eye, and her steady gaze would be unnerving if it weren’t offset by the fact that her ears were comically too large for her head. She stood up and arched her back in a stretch, her tiny claws unsheathing and barely pricking the callouses on Magnus’s hands. 

Taako stared at her with an expression that would’ve been unreadable to others, but Magnus recognized that he was considering the option. 

“I think she might’ve been abandoned for being a runt,” Magnus added in a softer voice.

Taako’s ears twitched at that - which was the exact reaction Magnus was hoping for. The kitten, noticing it, flicked her ears as well to mimic him. It was a cute enough action that it successfully broke even Taako’s defenses, and his lips parted in a small gasp that he didn’t bother to cover up.

Magnus chuckled. “Yeah, I know, right? And she seems pretty smart, too. Why don’t you hold her?” He offered up the animal.

Taako scrunched his face in fake disdain as he hesitated. Magnus knew it was just for show and waited patiently before Taako reached out and plucked the kitten out of his hands. She squirmed for a bit as he tried to figure out how to hold her properly. He quickly figured out the best way to hold her - one hand under and one hand keeping her steady - and lifted her up to eye level and stared at her.

She stared back, her gaze more unnerving now as Taako stared into the depths of her eyes. They stayed like that for a few minutes, neither one relinquishing. Magnus was starting to get unnerved.

Finally, the kitten blinked up at Taako and let out a tiny mew as if pleading with him.

Taako pursed his lips as if fighting off a smile, his ears flattening. “Fine, I’ll take the fuzzball.”

“Oh, good.” Magnus let out a sigh of relief. “You’ll love her, I promise. And Angus will, too. Whatcha gonna name her?”

“Hmmmm.” Taako held the kitten up at eye-level and they stared at each other again. “Jiji.”

“Jiji? Doesn’t that mean like ‘old man’ or something?”

“Yeah, my dude. It’s a little thing called i-roh-nee.” He ignored Jiji as she clambered up his sleeve to his shoulder, no doubt pricking his arm on her way up. “But don’t blame me if one of Krav’s ravens eats this thing.”

3 - Detective’s Helper

“I’m home!” Angus’s shout rang through the house as he hurriedly took off his shoes and raced towards his room, not bothering to take off his coat.

“Whoa, hey, slow your roll there, kemosabe,” Taako appeared from the kitchen and held out a wooden spoon in front of Angus to block his path. What looked like a small shadow darted into the room and Jiji started winding her way around Angus’s ankles in greeting. “How’s the case going?”

“Really great! I solved it, actually,” Angus answered over-enthusiastically. “I’m also very tired from solving crimes and catching crooks, so I think I’ll just go to my room and take a nap before din- Ow!”

Jiji - who was getting much better at jumping - had leapt up onto Angus’s shoulder in one go, using her claws to stabilize herself. She started sniffing at the collar of Angus’s coat and stretched her neck out as far as she could in an attempt to stick her head in it as if searching for something.

“Agnes, I swear to the gods, if you don’t up your Deception soon, you’re never gonna make it as a master detective.” Taako plucked the energetic kitten off of Angus’s shoulder and dropped her on the floor. She subsequently took off through the house. “What are you hiding?”

“My Deception’s fine!” Angus argued. “I just suck at lying to you,” He added in a grumble. With a sigh, he opened his coat and took something out of his inside pocket - a small tortoise.

“What do you have there, Angus?” Kravitz walked in, Jiji perched on his shoulder like a gargoyle statue on a church. Upon spotting the tortoise, the cat hunched forward and her pupils instantly dilated so that her eyes looked all-black. She stayed where she was, though, as if some force were keeping her on Kravitz’s shoulder.

“Dinner, it looks like,” Taako answered for Angus, swiping the tortoise from his hands.

“What?!” Angus and Kravitz asked at the same time. 

“Tortoises make an excellent soup, my dudes,” Taako assessed the small reptile. “I’ll have to fatten him up first, of course. Way too small to feed the three of us.”

“No, Taako, please!” Angus stepped toward him and grabbed part of his shirt. “I found him in the victim’s house and-”

“You stole from a dead guy?” Taako interrupted. “Hell yeah, kid, just like your old man.”

“Mostparentswouldn’tapplaudthatbut anyway,” Angus made his point quickly before getting back to the main argument. “I wanted to keep him. He was actually important to solving the murder and he was gonna get sent to a shelter otherwise.” He drew his lips into a pout and looked up at Taako with wide, pleading eyes. “Pleeease?”

Taako pursed his lips, trying not to let his facade crack. “Where the hell are you gonna keep this thing?” 

“I’ll get a terrarium! I even have my own money for it from detective work!”

“And when it gets too big for that?”

“It’s a Horsfield tortoise, sir. He won’t get much bigger than he is now.”

“But what if he and Jiji don’t get along?” Kravitz piped up, gesturing towards the agitated kitten on his shoulder. 

“I’ll keep him in my room!” Angus answered. “And I’ll make sure she can’t break into his cage or anything.” He looked between them, his pleading face back on. “Pleeeease?”

Taako and Kravitz looked at each other, some sort of silent communication passing between them, before Taako sighed in resignation. “This place is turning into a zoo,” He grumbled, then held the tortoise out towards Angus. “Fine, you can keep it.”

“Yes! Thank you!” Angus threw his arms around Taako in a hug before he carefully took the tortoise from him. He hugged Kravitz, too, before holding the tortoise at eye-level. “Come on, Clyde! Let’s go see our room!”

“Clyde?” Taako asked incredulously.

“I didn’t name him, sir!” Angus called over his shoulder as he raced down the hallway.

Kravitz snorted. “You named a female kitten ‘old man,’ who are you to talk?”

“Shut up.”

(Note: Angus absolutely does 1000% of the required research to take care of the tortoise bc he’s a good good boy)

There was a moment’s pause before the doorknob slowly turned and the door opened, the head of a little boy hesitantly poking in. The nervousness on his face was clearly visible. Kravitz craned his head so that he could see Angus as he stepped inside the room, wearing his Caleb Cleveland pajama set. Held in the crook of one of Angus’s elbows was the stuffed dog that Magnus had originally carved from wood, then asked Taako to transmute to a more huggable form.

“Angus?” Kravitz’s voice was thick with sleep. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh! Um,” Angus spoke with forced cheer. “Nothing! I was actually just walking past your room to…get a snack!” He turned and started leaving. “Sorry to wake you, I’ll go now-” 

“Angus.” It was both Taako’s warning tone and his use of Angus’s real name that caused him to freeze. “You have terrible Deception.”

Looking guilty now, Angus stepped back inside and fidgeted with the hem of his button-down pajama shirt. “Um, I just…had a bad dream…is all.”

Taako hesitated. Bad dreams were something he knew well. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

Angus looked a bit surprised by Taako’s seriousness, and stared down at the floor as he continued fidgeting with his shirt. “It was, um…I had a dream that…the Hunger came back. And, um…you…you both…”

He fell silent, but it was easy to fill in the blanks.

Angus looked up and his hand flew to his face as if to adjust his glasses, but he wasn’t wearing them and ended up passing it off as scratching his face. He forced cheerfulness again “I just wanted to see you and know you were okay! I can go now.”

Taako felt a tightness in his chest. Those weren’t the kinds of concerns an eleven-year-old boy should be having. “Don’t be ridiculous. Listen,” He reached behind him to put a hand on Kravitz’s shoulder. “Do you know what Kravitz does when I have a bad dream?”

“What?”

“He tells me everything’s okay and holds me till I fall back asleep,” He said matter-of-factly. “Now,” He adjusted himself to make space between him and Kravitz. “Hop on up, boychik. There’s plenty of room,” He patted the bed to punctuate his statement. 

Angus hesitated, glancing at Kravitz, who flipped himself onto his back with a grunt and waved him up. He hesitantly approached Taako’s side of the bed and climbed up - the stuffed dog still held tight in the crook of his elbow - while Taako grabbed a pillow to put between his and Kravitz’s. 

Taako moved the blanket so that Angus could easily crawl up and get underneath it, still looking uncertain even as his head hit the pillow. He turned to look at Kravitz, who seemed to be asleep again, then turned to Taako. “Is he always this sleepy?” He whispered.

“You could say he sleeps like the dead,” Taako responded with a smirk.

Angus held the dog to his face to help him stifle his laugh.

“Well,” Taako said, reaching out with one arm and pulling Angus a bit closer. “Guess I’m on snuggling duty since bird brain can’t keep his eyes open.”

Angus readily snuggled closer to Taako, who kept his arm around him as the two fell silent for a few moments. He heard Angus’s breathing start to even out, indicating that he was drifting off.

“Everything’s alright, pumpkin,” Taako murmured sleepily, feeling like the comment was a bit late. “We’re safe.”

Angus was silent for a few moments, and Taako was sure that he’d fallen asleep until he heard him respond, his voice barely audible as he spoke while letting out a contented sigh, fully drifting off.

“Thanks, Dad.”

”Wha-” Taako blinked in confusion, then sighed and took Angus by the shoulder and turned him to face him. “Hey.” He knelt down in front of Angus so they were face-to-face. “Tell me what’s going on.”

Angus stared at him for a few moments, then looked down at the floor. “Today’s my grandfather’s birthday. I…wanted to make his favorite cookies.”

Taako’s ears drooped a little. “Oh.”

“And he wasn’t- He didn’t really…like magic,” Angus continued. “So I just…didn’t want to use any while making them. It’s stupid, I know.”

“Nahh,” Taako waved a hand dismissively, but his tone was soft. “What was stupid was not asking for my help, boychik. You think you know enough to use my kitchen without assistance?”

Angus smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.”

“Look, I get it.” Taako hesitated for a moment. “I make my aunt’s favorite pie every year on her birthday.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I mean,” Taako shrugged nonchalantly and his ears twitched in embarrassment. “She’s the one who taught me how to cook, and all. ‘S only polite.”

Angus smiled sympathetically.

“Don’t look at me like that. Listen,” Taako let go of Angus’s shoulders and clapped his hands together. “Let’s get this cleaned up and then we can get back to baking.”

“We?” Angus blinked in confusion.

“Did I stutter? you think I’m gonna let you have free reign of my kitchen after the mess you just made?”

He stood up and grabbed some paper towels and passed them to Angus before grabbing some more and helping to clean up the mess. When Angus’s back was turned, he cast a quick cantrip to clean up any residual mess they’d missed. He then wet a rag and knelt down again to clean off Angus’s face. Once that was done, Taako sat back on his heels and looked up at the flour that was well-settled into Angus’s curls. “Not sure what to do about the hair.”

Angus gingerly touched his hair, inspecting the flour that immediately coated his fingertips. “It’s alright, I’ll just shower later.”

“You’re gonna get flour all over my house before then.”

Angus sighed. “Fine.”

Taako took the cue and pulled out his wand, easily cleaning the flour out of Angus’s curls. He put his wand away and slapped his hands to his knees before standing up. “So, what kind of cookies are we making?”

“Snickerdoodle.”

“Snickerdoodle?” Taako frowned. “That was your gramp’s favorite cookie?”

“Well…” Angus hesitated. “His actual favorite was white chocolate macadamia, but-”

He was interrupted by Taako making various disgusted sounds. 

Angus giggled. “Yeah, I figured that wouldn’t go over well-”

“White chocolate isn’t allowed within a mile of this house.”

“-I don’t like them either,” Angus continued. “And I didn’t want to make cookies that would go to waste, so I decided on his second favorite cookie.”

“Alright. Did you have a specific recipe already in mind?”

Angus opened his mouth, then closed it again. “I…don’t.”

Taako cackled. “What was your plan here, kid?”

“I don’t know, I thought I’d figure it out!” Angus shouted defensively as Taako continued laughing.

“You’re a mess!” He cackled. “Come here.” Taako lifted Angus and stood him up on the counter. “Grab that third cookbook.”

Angus did as told and passed it down to Taako. He leafed through the pages as Angus sat down on the countertop and pushed off of it so he was on the floor again.

“Here we go.” Taako turned the book so Angus could easily see a page with a recipe for snickerdoodle cookies. He then turned and put it on the cookbook stand. “Go take out two sticks of butter.”

Angus went to the fridge and grabbed two sticks of butter. He sliced them before setting them out so that they would soften just a bit faster. While he did that, Taako mixed together some flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. The two continued to work in tandem, both relatively quiet as they focused on the task at hand.

Kravitz came home to the tell-tale smell of baking. He smiled as he hung his mantle on the coat rack (more a formality than anything, since he could disappear it at any time) and kicked off his shoes before stepping fully into the house. As soon as he did, he heard small footsteps running towards him mere seconds before Angus appeared and tackled him with a hug.

Thrown off, Kravitz chuckled a bit. “I was only gone for a few hours.”

“Yeah, but I wanted a hug.” Angus’s words were a bit muffled by Kravitz’s shirt.

Kravitz frowned in confusion before hugging him back. “Alright, then. What’d you two bake?”

“Cookies!” Angus pulled away and grabbed Kravitz’s hand. He led him to the kitchen, where Taako was moving the last batch of cookies off the tray and onto a cooling rack.

“Evenin’, handsome,” Taako greeted.

“Good evening.” Kravitz gave his husband a quick kiss before surveying the cookies. “What kind of cookies are these?”

Taako cocked a brow before turning to Angus. “Dude’s as old as time itself and can’t even recognize snickerdoodle cookies,” He muttered out of the side of his mouth.

“I’m not that old!” Kravitz laughed. “My bad, I guess.”

“Here.” Taako took one of the cooled-off cookies and held it up to Kravitz’s face. 

Kravitz recoiled on instinct to prevent Taako from shoving the entire thing in his mouth. He plucked it from his hand and took a bite. “Mmm. This is good.”

“Duh.” Taako rolled his eyes and gave Angus a can you believe this guy face. “Of course they are. We made them. You gotta work on your food compliments, my dude.”

“Alright.” Kravitz took another bite and looked thoughtful. He leaned in so that he was face-to-face with Taako. “They taste as beautiful as you look.”

“Gross.” Angus stuck his tongue out in a disgusted face and started trying to push Kravitz away. “Get out of our kitchen.”