How To Fall From Grace [MxM]

Step 29: Fall far from the tree

The library books were much too complicated, Frey concluded after skimming through the assortment with decreasing optimism. He'd held out hope that some books from when he was a child would still be around, but so far his search had been unsuccessful.

So he did the next best thing by picking out a book about common horse breeds with fairly simple sentences and brought it with him to the kitchen. He then went to fetch some writing supplies to get to work with copying the text while simplifying the letters as best he could.

It proved to be enjoyable, he had to admit, and much like many times when he got stuck on something, he completely forgot about the time.

"I see you've turned the kitchen into a study." Marius cocked his head to the side as Frey looked up, not having noticed the man entering the room at all.

"Well..." Frey averted his eyes. "... This house is hauntingly empty, especially when you're not here, so I'd rather sit in the place you're most likely to be rather than a cold study somewhere on the upper floor."

Marius uttered a low 'aw' before walking up to him.

"I'm sorry I can't spend time with you right now." He kissed Frey's head before picking a dandelion out of a small bouquet he was holding to tuck it behind Frey's ear. "I promise I'll be back as soon as possible."

"No, I understand." Frey shrugged it off, feeling terribly vulnerable as someone who'd spent most of his life claiming he didn't need company. "I'll be busy with this, anyway."

He chewed on his lip as he watched Marius pour water into a glass to put the small bundle of flowers into it, fighting the urge to remove the one he had stuck behind his ear. He'd had enough of clothes stained with yellow after Annarósa had insisted on bringing them inside constantly throughout their childhood, if not longer, either to decorate every single room she could access or to sneak up on Frey to flick dandelion heads into his face.

Marius noticed his stare at the flowers, and he smiled.

"Would have been coltsfoot, but I don't think they're in bloom anymore."

"No, just early spring." Frey watched as Marius placed the glass on the table, trying to disregard his discomfort about the one intruding on his head. "But... dandelions are nice too."

"They're not that different, at least."

"So, what did Vidar say?" Frey dried his hands on a towel. "About the stable?"

"Oh, he's on his way already." Marius went up to the cupboard. "I'm just grabbing something to eat, then I'll head outside to assist him."

Frey nodded slowly, looking out the window.

"And... how's the rest of the family?"

Marius looked smug.

"I think Eivind was hoping for you to have followed me, if that's what you're wondering."

Frey gave his expression a frown.

"I was just asking in general, and I doubt he said that."

"Oh he doesn't speak to me at all." Marius shook his head. "But he was not very discreet when looking around as he spotted me... Actually not acknowledging me further than that."

"I see..." Frey stifled a smile. He knew Marius would tease him, affectionately intended as it may be, if he admitted to having bonded with the child, but the fact that he found some comfort in their shared traits was undeniable. Finding out there were more like him, who he could give the affirmation and understanding few had managed in his own childhood, and realising there's actual value in the part of him that he'd been forced to hide for so long, the main source of his self doubt, had been... Well, nice.