fandomhigh | Library, Thursday All Day

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Library, Thursday All Day

Evan hadn't been paranoid, per se, as he walked into the library for his shift. It was just that it had been a while since the books had done something really crazy on his watch, and he wasn't about to let himself get comfortable while there was still a chance of things going crazy on him while he was working.

At least he didn't have to wait long before he noticed what the weirdness of the day was. The books had set up a sort of speedway down the aisles, and all manner of books about car racing were competing to see who was the fastest read.

A very pink book containing tips and tricks for playing the arcade game, Sugar Rush, was definitely giving the rest of the books a run for their money, today.

"Just so long as you guys put yourselves away when you're done," Evan decided, and then settled back to watch the races.

[Open, but flying without OCD because I'm not battling with the goat any more than necessary this morning.]

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It wasn't a full explanation. Not by a long shot. But it was something along the lines of what Evan was afraid he might hear. He kept his gaze turned downward as he listened, thinking hard on that, clinging to bits and pieces and trying to talk himself down from prying more than was necessary.

"I know it's not much," he managed, finally, "but whether you ever tell me or not, you're my friend. And I'll do everything I can to protect you and your family."

A beat.

"Your sisters and your mothers."

Plural. He wasn't going to pry about the plural, it wasn't any of his business. But he wasn't going to pretend he hadn't heard it, either.

And for her part, Sholeh wasn't going to point out that she had three. She'd twigged to the fact that having plural mothers meant something different here than it did back home, but she wasn't sure what. Either way, that assumption could only help her.

"Thanks," she said softly. "And...you don't mind, then? Knowing that I'm keeping a secret that sometimes makes me lie, but that I'm doing it because I don't want to get hurt? Or, worse, my family get hurt?"

Evan nodded a little bit.

"I'm going to worry," he cautioned her, "but I won't go digging or anything. I... use a codename in certain places, so that people can't trace me back to my family. It's... not quite a lie, it's an alias... but it's another way of hiding things for the same reason."

"You do?" Sholeh asked. "Oooh, that's so neat! What is it?"

As soon as she asked, her face flamed and her hands went up to cover her mouth. "I didn't ask that," she mumbled. "You didn't promise not to pry into my secrets only to have me turn around and try to pry into yours."

"It's Genesis," he replied, offering her a tiny smile. "It's okay if people know around here... I don't think you're going to turn around and try to hurt my Ma or Pa."

It's okay if people know around here.

It was like the island's mantra. Everyone stepped on the island and it suddenly became safe for them to tell all their innermost secrets.

"I never would," she promised. "I mean, not that I'd hurt anyone's family, but I'd extra not hurt yours. You're my friend!"

Well, in fairness, Evan and Genesis both had a pretty distinctive face, overall. The codename didn't really make much difference, especially since he didn't have a mask or anything of the sort.

"Thank you." Evan's smile was a little broader, now. "And I meant what I said before, about if there was anything I could do. Don't hesitate to ask, okay? You're my friend, too. One of the best I've ever had."

And now there was hugging. Because how do you not hug after that?

"I just hope that stays true," Sholeh whispered, "if you ever find out everything."

Evan's hug was the squeeziest sort of hug he could manage, his arms wrapping right around her one extra time for good measure.

"It will," he replied, sounding absolutely certain of that. "You would have to be trying to get that to change. And trying really, really hard, at that."

So there.

She was pretty sure the whole, "Oh, yeah, my family and I are demons" might do the trick for her. But that was something else she was never going to bring up.

"Well, I'm not trying," she said, sniffling a little. "So there."

Pfft, demons. Evan was destined to quite possibly single-handedly destroy the world. Top that, Sholeh.

"Good," Evan decided. "I was really hoping you'd say that."

He wasn't going to let go any time soon. Not when there was sniffling.

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Library, Thursday All Day

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