Chapter Text
“For a 12 and 13 year old, this is really a small amount of luggage.”
“Hmm, I wouldn’t be surprised.”
Helos snorted as he unlocked the front door to the house to which Damien immediately went in and placed down a single luggage bag onto the floor. Behind them, two young boys hesitantly followed them in. They stuck close to each other and repeatedly glanced around them, over and over again, seemingly trying to figure out the nearest exit. The younger one, Benjamin, bit the bottom of his lip and stepped closer to the pre-teen who glanced at Benjamin but chose not to react.
If the adults noticed their weariness, they didn’t react.
Sang Sae-Jeon took off his converses and threw them near the wall. The pair of old shoes flopped to the ground pathetically with a dull thud as Sae-Jeon made a beeline to the kitchen.
“I’ll make tea,” he called out. In a few seconds, metal clinked against another and the sound of the stove opening was heard.
Damien, on the other hand, sighed in exhaustion. He stretched and grunted in satisfaction when he heard some bones pop. The day had been quite hectic and he was beyond exhausted but he still had to go through the evening and help the kids settle into the house. So, he directed the two to take off their shoes and placed them in the shoe rack nearby before he picked up the luggage again.
“Come on.” he gestured with his head towards the staircase next to the living room. “The house is small so you two will have to share a room for the time being unless one of you wants to sleep in the closet.”
The older child, Nettie, snorted. “We’re fine,” they said as they followed him.
Benjamin immediately clung onto them, eyes wide in fear and lip trembling. Nettie wanted to push him away on instinct, annoyed that he had grabbed onto them first but opted to let it be this once when he saw how terrified the younger one looked.
Damien frowned when he noticed that Benjamin seemed to be scared of him but didn’t say a word as climbed up the stairs. He led them both to the door on the left “Both you two have to share a room for now,” he explained as he opened the door.
“We’re clearing out the store room downstairs to turn it into a bedroom. You guys can check it out tomorrow and decide who takes which room.”
Benjamin nodded, eyes wide in wonder this time as he looked around the room. It was so different from the one he was in previously.
There was a computer in the room!
And some really soft covers on the bed!
The rugs on the floor felt good on his feet too. He found himself giggling as he wiggled his toes, momentarily distracted.
Nettie looked around too. They read through the plaques hung on the walls, next to collections of taxidermied rats and bats before realising something. They turned to Damien who busied himself with placing the luggage next to the door and silently watched as Damien tucked it out of the doorway.
“Was this your room?” they asked blankly, catching Damien’s attention who looked over at him in surprise at being spoken to.
“Yes,” Damien replied. He paused, taking note of the expressionless face of the pre-teen. They seemed so deep in thought and not present in the moment. “Is something wrong, Nettie?” he asked softly as to not startle them.
Grey eyes snapped to stare at him blankly. No emotion was shown on their face as the two stared at each other for an uncomfortably long amount of time. The silence between them was deafening and Damien was starting to shift uncomfortably.
Behind them, Benjamin marvelled at the bookcase seemingly ignorant to the growing tension in the room.
Nettie then blinked and smiled widely. “Amusing!” they declared before stalking off to grab their luggage to unpack. Damien found himself letting out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding in.
Well, that was creepy as fuck.
“The bathroom’s down the hall. Door’s got some sh-” he paused, trying not to swear in front of the children, “some stickers on it.”
Nettie hummed in response, seemingly uninterested. However, Benjamin looked like he needed to go. The younger one looked over to Nettie as if seeking approval. Nettie slightly nodded and Benjamin, relieved, made a beeline out the room towards the door Damien described earlier.
Footsteps pattered down the hall and a slam was heard closely after.
“We’re going out to eat later around 7,” Damien said as he turned to leave the room.
Nettie quickly glanced towards the clock above the computer without lifting their head and mentally took note how long they had to wind down.
“If you need anything, we’re downstairs.”
And with that, the door to the bedroom shut, leaving Nettie alone (but they can never really be alone, can they?) in the room. They stood. Eyes seemingly glaring at the clothes messily shoved into the luggage earlier that day and tried to remember everything that had recently happened.
They sighed and clicked their tongue in disgust. Their head hurts.