885 Days [A Vikklan/Sidemen/Pack Story]

Seven Hundred And Thirty Days Home

25 August 2019

The next seven or eight months, after our first kiss, went smoothly. Mitch and Jerome were indeed together and had been since, exactly like Lachlan had said, since Christmas of 2016. Jesus, I had no idea how I didn't know or even how I didn't walk on them kissing if Lachlan's complaints about them were true. He had embarrassed them quite soundly but the laughter was shared afterwards and congratulations were shared as we told them that we were together as well.

We never really confirmed a word for what we were, whether it was boyfriends or otherwise, but I don't think either of us cared to find one to label it. We were just slightly closer than we had been before, and Lachlan now had a habit of stealing kisses from me when I wasn't expecting it. I loved it though, just as much as I loved him. I stole my fair share of kisses too.

But now it was another very special day- Lachlan was turning 24, and we could mark two years since his return to us. We didn't talk about the second one as the previous March Lachlan had quietly told me that he didn't want to celebrate anniversaries that held so many bad memories like the day he went missing, the day he returned, or the one year date of the trial. We accepted it openly- if he didn't want it to be mentioned, then we would talk about it. It was part of his recovery.

"Happy birthday Lachy." I whispered, crawling onto the bed beside him. "Wakey wakey, time to get up babe."

He groaned but after a few moments his face split into a smile and he held his arms out for me. I fell into them and hugged him tight as he yawned and attempted to wake up a little.

"Do you want a coffee?" I asked him. "The Sidemen should be around in about an hour."

"Please." He smiled as I slipped away again.

There had been some really big changes over the past few months. For one, we had moved houses. Both the Sidemen and the Pack had realised that all 12 of us living under one roof was getting stressful and it would be good for Lachlan to have some space, some quiet and a place he really could call his own, as we had only been renting earlier.

So we changed neighbourhoods and bought two houses, one for the Sidemen and one for the Pack- I lived with the Pack boys so I could stay with Lachlan, and finally it was really like we had our own place. We could paint the walls and install things, we could plant whatever we wanted in the garden. The pool was smaller than the one in the old house but it was still indoors and big enough to sort of swim laps in, which was good enough for us. It was no longer crowded and chaotic and almost the day we moved in, I saw a change in the younger boy.

Before I might have described him as content, not necessarily happy, but calm in his environment. He had hit a point though where the healing had stopped and there was a time of plateau, where nothing changed. Like he had hit a wall where nothing would get better after it. But we moved and the environment relaxed, it was a space where Lachlan could know he was safe all the time and he just... finally opened up. It was like he was waiting for a space to let go, and this was it.

Physically I knew we were now at the end of the road. He hadn't gained any weight in over 6 months and was still 65kgs despite an increased meal plan and more exercise, and the doctors had quietly discussed with me that after two and a bit years of near complete starvation, he probably wasn't going to get any further. His body simply hit a point where it couldn't go any further and he would likely remain visibly underweight for the rest of his life.

But mentally- we had finally overcome that roadblock in the new environment and new home, and there was a weight lifted off his shoulders.

Lachlan came down the stairs just as I finished making two cups of coffee, hugging me from behind and burying his head into the crook of my shoulder. I couldn't help but laugh, nudging him towards the barstools, where Preston was already sitting, and handing him a mug.

"Happy birthday Lachy." Preston greeted, giving him a side hug. "You're 24 today!"

"Mm." Lachlan hummed happily as he sipped on his coffee. "It's weird. I don't feel any different."

"I didn't." I laughed. "When I had my birthday. Do you want some toast or cereal?"

"Toast please."

"Alright." I pressed a kiss to his nose, earning a giggle. "Happy birthday Lachy. I love you."

----------------------------------------------

The day was long, but it was full of celebration. The Sidemen came around about 10am and stayed until the early evening as we celebrated, cooked his favourite meal of burgers and chips, ate cake, watched movies and laughed. It was an entirely happy day and we all enjoyed it greatly. By the end of the evening Lachlan was leaning against me and he was quiet, but he wasn't falling asleep. For once, a day outside the routine hadn't utterly exhausted him and he had been so happy.

"Did you have a good day?" I asked him as the two of us crawled into bed, pulling a pillow down and securing an arm around his waist. He nodded, smiling gently. "I'm glad. You didn't get too tired today as well, and you ate more than usual."

He nodded again, nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck. I held him tight.

The nightmares hadn't happened in quite a while now. He would have small night terrors every now again, waking gasping or crying as memories overwhelmed him, but he didn't wake up screaming. He was at peace with the most difficult memories, and they couldn't hurt him anymore. He still felt the mans hands, heard his whispered, remembered every moment, but it wasn't haunting him at every moment.

I knew he didn't want me to mention it, but I couldn't help it.

"You've been home for two years Lachy." I whispered, playing with his hair. He hummed, a little choked up.

"It's weird. Two years on and he's still in my head. I've still got scars. I'm still not the same as I was before."

"Hey, hey, no. I don't want you to be the same person you were back then, cause that was over four year ago. You went through more than most people could ever imagine and I don't want that person back. I just want you to feel safe and be happy, no matter how much you aren't like you were then." I said gently. "I just want you to be happy."

Lachlan gave me a painful smile. "It's just been difficult to accept that." He breathed. "I feel like everyone wants me to go back to being like I was, when I was okay and working and not completely reliant on everyone else."

"No, of course not." I whispered, pushing his hair back. "Everyone just wants you to be happy, I promise. No one wants to make you do anything. No one cares that you're reliant on us, they understand that. We all love you. I love you, more than anything."

"I love you too Vikk." He whispered, reaching out to kiss me. "I... just... thank you."

"You don't need to thank me. I do it all because I love you."