𝐀 𝐒𝐀𝐅𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄, marcus abbott.

wary surroundings

. a safe place, m. abbott .

━━━━ EVEN THOUGH EVERYONE'S lives were in absolute danger by just one sound at a certain pitch, doesn't mean the kids didn't have to do schoolwork. it kept them occupied during the day and made them feel as if they could still do normal things.

marcus and y/n sat silently on the terrace in the house; y/n worked on grammar as marcus worked on math.

evelyn sat next to them, ready to help with any questions they had.

"that's a conjunction," she corrected y/n. the girl nodded and began erasing her original answer. "remember to divide," evelyn reminded marcus. he furrowed his eyebrows. "carry the three."

marcus nodded and finished the equation, looking back at his mom questioningly.

"amazing," she smiled.

that's when they heard footsteps downstairs then lee appeared in their view. "time to go," he signed to marcus.

marcus gave a worried glance to y/n, then looked back to evelyn. "please don't make me go," he pleaded, holding y/n's hand tightly.

"you'll be fine. your father will protect you," she reassured. "always."

marcus grabbed his mom's hand with his other one, she reassuringly squeezed it. "listen to me," she signed. "it's important that you learn these things. he just wants you to be able to take care of yourself. . . to take care of me. when i'm old. . . and grey. . . and i have no teeth," she joked with a face, and y/n and marcus quietly giggled.

"don't worry. don't worry," she repeated, reaching over to hug the curly-haired boy.

◦ . ☆ . ◦

y/n stood next to evelyn as lee kneeled in front of marcus, helping him secure his backpacks.

"i don't to go," marcus signed.

"there's nothing to be scared of," lee tried to reason.

"of course there is!"

regan walked up next to lee as he stood up. "i'll go."

lee shook his head. "i need you to stay and help your mother." lee walked over to evelyn and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before walking back to marcus.

"i want to go." regan argued.

"just stay here. you'll be safe."

regan scoffed, pushing past her father to walk over to their house. evelyn drew her eyes away from her daughter and back to lee. "next time," he signed.

lee began walking past marcus, thinking marcus would follow along, but the boy wouldn't budge. there was a heavy feeling in his chest that made it almost impossible to move.

the man sighed quietly then walked over to marcus and kneeled in front of him once again. "would it help if y/n came?"

a small blush crept onto his nose and cheeks. looking down at the ground, marcus nodded.

lee turned around to face y/n and gave her a questioning look ─ as if to ask if she was okay with going ─ to which y/n nodded. lee handed y/n an extra backpack to carry and she put it on.

lee started to walk along the white path in front of them. y/n held out a hand for marcus to grab, the boy smiled and gladly expected it, both of them following lee as they began their journey not too far from the house.

✧

lee, marcus, and y/n had made it to a running river where they regularly caught their fish to eat.

the small curly-haired boy had become anxious around the loud, running water, so he stood extra close to y/n, in case he had to grab her hand and run.

his dad then stepped into the water and walked closer to the fish trap that was placed by a large rock, reaching his hand in and grabbing the slimy fish that had been trapped.

he moved back over to the two and set the fish next to their feet, but it managed to wiggle its way out of lee's grasp, creating a small slapping sound as it jumped out of his hands.

marcus began to panic and turned around to back away from his dad, but ran right into y/n. lee quickly held onto marcus' arm.

the small boy wasn't having it, fear shot through at the thought of creating a sound. "they'll hear you!" he mouthed to his dad, his breathing quickening. "they'll hear you."

lee put up a hand to calm him. "look at me." marcus looked at him, glancing around, still wary of his surroundings. his shakey hand now found y/n's right next to him, holding it tightly.

"listen. the river. . . is loud," lee signed. "small sounds. . . safe. big sounds. . . not safe. unless. . . there's another sound nearby that's louder. you're safe," his dad reassured the scared boy.

marcus calmed down a bit, looking around the river, then to y/n. he gave her a worried look, but slightly nodded when she gave him a small smile.

"i wanna show you two something."