Chapter Text
It starts, like most things do, with a fire in Dan’s backyard.
Oh, and a letter addressed to him also. Additionally.
But it starts with a fire!
Kevin is quietly whistling to himself as he gathers a few dried branches around the yard, intending on completing his daily morning ritual : setting stuff on fire. For a good cause! He’s found some fresh meat for Seán, and he doesn’t feel like watching him eat raw stuff. Again.
(Also, as mentioned earlier, he found a letter addressed to him, and he’s desperately eager to get rid of it. If he doesn’t think about it, if he didn’t receive it, it’s just like it didn’t exist at all!)
And then his phone rings.
(And yes, he does have a cellphone: unlike Daithi and Dan, he’s not old enough to justify not having one. And unlike Brian, he doesn’t have one in his head. So mainly he only texts Seán.
Also, he likes the idea of having all the knowledge on how to make fires at his fingertips.)
He startles so badly that he drops Turg directly into the blaze. He barely registers it, as he pulls out his phone and stare at the numbers littering the screen. Unknown number.
Option one : Dan stopped being a dinosaur and bought a cellphone (doubtful. but the others would never call him when they can text like normal (?) people.)
Option two : it’s Anna, wondering if they could go on a date (he wishes).
Or option three…
Well, option three is talking to people he doesn’t really want to talk to. (And it fits with the letter he refused to open once he saw who it came from. Burning it would have just delayed the inevitable, it would seem.) But unfortunately, he is still a living, breathing person that should talk to his family once in a while.
He answers.
“Seán?”
Dan bursts through the door of the living room and takes a second to look around.
Brian is sitting in front of some metal pieces, faking being annoyed but clearly mostly alerted by his abrupt entrance, next to Daithi, who mostly seems taken aback by his (slightly frantic) appearance. And finally, he spots the person he’s looking for. Seán’s mid-bite, and is looking at him with wide eyes. And most worryingly, he’s alone .
“Do you know where Kevin is?”
“I was wondering, but I assumed he was with you!”
“What? I was sleeping. I thought he was with you?”
Brian laughs at the both of them, prompting two pairs of eyes to turn toward him.
Dan puts his hands on his hips and Seán asks, “Well then, asshole, did he tell you where he went?”
“No. And he doesn’t need to, we’re not his babysitters.” Daithi and Seán look briefly towards Dan. “Well, most of us aren’t anyway.”
The cyborg goes back to tampering with his right arm. “It’s not like he’s usually gone for a long time. He’ll probably come back in like.. two hours, tops.”
Daithi snorts. “That’s awfully optimistic of you, Brian. Weren’t you the one complaining that he’s never here after eight the other day?”
If looks could kill (and they kind of can, with the lasers Brian’s installed recently) Daithi would be a pile of ashes on the floor. “I wasn’t fucking complaining, I was just saying, you know, it wouldn’t kill him to hang around once in a while!”
“Well, he probably has a life outside of us, y’know, he’s human, after all.”
Seán and Brian both snort.
“What? He probably does!”
“Probably's doing the heavy lifting in that sentence, man.”
Dan butts in.“Well then, geniuses, what does he do when he’s not here?”
There’s a moment of silence.
Daithi sighs. “Honestly, lads, I don’t know why you’re so worried. But if not knowing really keeps ya from sleeping, I know where he’s gone.”
Even Brian turns to face him. “I found some raw meat next to a pile of stones and wood. Intact wood. Next to ashes.”
Seán and Dan share a look as Brian stares up at Daithi in disbelief. “Kevin willingly put out a fire?”
“Yeah. And there’s something else.” He holds up a lighter with a half-melted handle.
“Is that… Kevin’s favorite lighter?”
Dan stands up straighter. “Turg!?
Brian makes a face, looking back at Dan. “What did you just say?
Dan waves him off. “Kevin gives names to his lighters. He told me.”
Seán chuckles, Brian huffs, smile barely hidden behind the hand he brings up, and Daithi comments, smirking, “Of course he does.”
Dan rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Keep the questions for him. I just know the names, not what they mean. Or where they come from.” His slight smile drop. “But why would he just leave it there? Did something…” happen to him?
Daithi shakes his head. “I thought about that too, so I went investigating.”
Brian smirks. “You went sifting through his stuff?”
Seán can’t help but add to it. “Aww, Daithi was worried.”
“Look, do you want to know where he went or not?”
Before Seán can respond, Dan jumps in, “Yes! Yes, I do. Where is he?”
Daithi throws a triumphant smile Seán and Brian’s way before taking out a slightly burned...
“Did somebody write him a letter?”
“Yeah, what is this, the eighteen hundreds?”
Dan throws Seán a dirty look, but doesn’t comment.
Daithi turns it around, where the name is unreadable but the surname undoubtedly reads O’Reilly, with the street name and address of a place a good hour away.
He clears his throat : “It’s an invitation to a family hang out. It says that since his father passed, (everybody winces), they haven’t seen him and… that he should come a few days in advance. To his mother’s house. Since it’s not that far. And there’s a note at the very end that says Don’t you dare ignore mum when she calls.”
“Great,” deadpans Brian. “Now that you’ve solved that mystery, we can all go back to our own shit and leave him see his family in peace.”
Everybody slowly agrees, but Dan freezes for a second too long and Sean immediately latches into his hesitation, “orrrr we could follow him to see what his family’s like!”
“Terrible breach of privacy”, comments Brian, and Dan nods, albeit more uncertainly.
Seán stares hard at him. “Like you don’t already track all of us.”
Brian stays silent for a beat too long.
Seán turns to face them all and spreads his arms. “C’mon, aren’t you a little bit curious? Lad’s been with us for like a full year at this point and never mentioned his family once .”
His eyes turn toward Dan. “Please?”
The vampire passes a hand through his hair. “I guess it couldn’t hurt to just meet them.”
“Yes!” He grabs the vampire’s arm, heading toward the stairs. “Pack up lads, we’re going on a road trip!”
He nudges Dan, still dragging him upwards. “Can’t wait to see Kev’s family. Who knows, maybe they’re all pyromaniacs as well!”
Dan somehow gets an entire shade whiter and Seán backtracks, ImeanthechancesaresuperlowDaniel!!
Daithi turns to Brian : “You followin’ them?”
“Hm. You?”
“Seán’s set on goin’ and you know Dan’s gonna wanna go check on Kev. Might as well come with. ‘s not like we have anything to do anyway.”
Brian scoffs. “Speak for yourself.”
He still gathers his tools and mumbles, “Don’t let the dumbasses leave without me.”
From somewhere in the mansion, Seán yells, We’re taking Brian’s car!