Work Text:
Family
Sean loads each library book carefully into the bookbag, making sure none of them are gonna crush the pages, and slings it over his shoulder. “Thank you, Miss Martha,” he says. Librarians get called by their first names outside of school, but with 'Miss' or 'Mr.' to be polite. Because librarians want to be friends with all the kids that come in, Miss Martha said, so they always have someone to go to with questions. “I'll be back next week.”
“Hold on before you go, Seanie,” she says. Sean grins; it doesn't sound patronizing when she says it. “It's the last week of the summer reading program, so we're doing the drawing tomorrow. Which ones do you want to be in?”
Oh no. Sean ducks his head. “None of them.”
“None?” Miss Martha sits so she's a little shorter than he is. “We've got sucker building sets, and the entire Chronicles of Fin, and three books written in Inklish on one page and Octarian on the other, not to mention the grand prize for the kid who's read the most and everything else.”
“I'm too old for that,” Sean says, though he wants the Octarian Language books so much his hands itch. “I can change forms and—”
“What Sean means is, he doesn't trust Wikinkpedia, so that entire encyclopedia set you've got has his name on it.” Sean turns to see Mr. Sepia and blushes hot; he didn't realize it was this late. He's usually waiting outside when they pick him up. “Happy birthday, kid,” he adds, and hands Sean a small rectangle wrapped in bright green paper with balloons on it.
Uh-oh. Sean hands that present right back. “I don't need presents,” he says. “Mom and Dad never got me presents.”
“I'm not your parents.”
Miss Martha gets to her feet and leaves. She's good at that. Sean closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “I don't want or need your charity,” he says. “I just—”
“It's not charity,” Mr. Sepia says. “Your Aunt Linda and I believe everyone should have a safe place to live where people love them, and we're giving that to you. And part of that is celebrating the chance to know you, every year, on your birthday. So happy birthday. Open it.”
It's probably a pile of pictures. Sean knows all the kids have been working on birthday pictures for him when they're with Lexi, and thinks Luckia and Rich and Van may have drawn or colored him something too, so maybe they're just wrapped all nice. Sean sets down his bag to undo the wrapping and sucks in a breath.
Pamphlets. Maps. Guides to Inkopolis's subway, and bus schedules and locations, and tucked between them are a brand-new bus pass and brand-new subway card. Sean looks up at Mr. Sepia, his eyes huge. “Really? You'll let me go alone?”
“The others want to surprise you. Do you want a surprise?” Sean shakes his head. “I thought not. Most of the others will, but not you.” Mr. Sepia offers Sean his hand, and Sean only hesitates a second before taking it. “There's going to be a party for you tonight. The first way you use those maps is to take me to the movie theater, because I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy Spy Squids.”
Sean kicks the ground. “I... I don't know. I've never seen a movie in theaters.”
“You're allowed to have fun,” he says. “Lucky and Dina will watch it with you, I know you enjoy spending time with them, and when you get home we'll have pizza and nachos and you can open presents. Next year, once you've made friends at school, we'll get them over.”
Mr. Sepia thinks he'll have friends.
“Today's your birthday, so it's all about you.” He gives Sean's hand a gentle tug, and picks up Sean's bookbag so Sean doesn't have to carry it. “Is there anything else you'd like?”
It's not allowed it'll never be allowed proper squids wear their tentacles long and proud and “Can I cut my tentacles?” Sean blurts.
“Sure. Don't like the ponytail?”
“I hate it,” he says. “I don't wanna see a movie, I wanna look like... I want to look like my father doesn't.” Even if it'll make his dad give him a big lecture the next time they have visitation.
“Right,” Mr. Sepia says, and when they get to the bus stop he sets down Sean's bag of books and pulls out his phone. “We were planning on taking all of you to tentacle specialists next week, before school starts, if you can wait that long. And then you can still see the movie.”
He gets his tentacles cut.
And he gets to see Spy Squids?
Sean launches himself at Mr. Sepia's side and wraps his arms around him in the sort of hug he used to give Lucky, then realizes he's not family but Mr. Sepia has an arm around his back and it's okay anyway.
Sean is the luckiest squid ever.