Nick came back from dropping Tanner off right after Sam left. He was holding two toddlers in his arms, fast asleep. They softly breathed, resting their heavy heads on Nick's manly chest. Nick noticed Devin staring. He had stayed in the living room, reflecting on Sam, after the transgender boy left.
"Took them with me to drop off Tanner," Nick whispered and smiled, "Your friend is quite the character- He had them laughing all the way to the house. The drive back lulled them to sleep too. Thank God. I needed a night of not trying to force them to stay in bed."
With the toddlers in his arms, Nick walked off and came back from the bedrooms without them. Nick probably tucked them in for the night. The guy was pretty quick because Devin wasn't sitting in the living room for too long before he came back.
"So," Nick said, sitting across from him, "How have you been doing since you moved in here? Do you need anything? Tanner said you needed a console of some sort for your room."
"I don't need anything," Devin grumbled, wishing he would have gone to his room before Nick engaged him in conversation. "Tanner just wants a console in my room so that he can play it when he is here."
"Well, I'll get you one so that you two can enjoy your time together here-"
"No," interrupted Devin, "I don't want one."
"Why not?" asked Nick, "What about a phone? Most kids want a phone, right?"
"You don't need to give me anything," Devin repeated, crossing his arms defiantly.
"But I want you to feel comfortable here, Devin," Nick responded, "I want this to feel like a home. A real home."
"This place will never be my home," Devin grumbled. There was silence as he and Nick stared at each other while waiting for someone to talk. Nick, being the adult, decided to start.
"Listen, I know I'm a stranger to you," Nick acknowledged, "But I don't want to be. I don't have to be super close to you, but I do want to get to know you for who you are. All I know about you is based on what others have told me, and- honestly- I have too many trust issues to believe anybody but you, yourself."
Devin thought about Nick's words for a few seconds. His outside facade didn't change, but his thought process shifted.
"What kind of things do you want to know?" Devin asked, curiously.
"Well, I was wondering if you had any hobbies or anything you enjoy?" Nick asked, "It would be nice to do those things with you, or at least provide those things."
"Well, there is one hobby I like that we could do together..."
This seemed to excite Nick immensely.
"Really? What's that?"
"Killing people," Devin said, deadpan. He meant for it to either scare or disturb or at least disappoint Nick. However, Nick didn't seem too phased.
"Okay," Nick nodded, more serious, "Let me just go grab my knife, and we can go." The man got up and walked over to the kitchen to where his knife block rested on the table. Devin waited for the moment that Nick would turn around and say he was joking, but it didn't come.
"Do you think I should use the big fat one or the skinnier one? I figured you would know because it's your hobby," Nick asked, pulling out the knives he was referring to and weighing them up in his hands.
"Nick?" Devin wondered out loud. Nick either didn't hear him or was ignoring him, because he didn't respond.
"I think I should go with the skinner one more. It think it would be easier to maneuver," Nick said, pretending to slash an invisible person, "More...aerodynamic? I think that's the word."
YOU ARE READING
Finding Yourself: Book Two
Romansa(Sequel to Finding Yourself) Devin Carter grew up in a foster home. He wasn't used to love or affection. Now? Now, he's adopted by a family who actually cares about him. Along with figuring out how to live life with a foreign family and his horribl...
