Sam & Kevin | Sunday night
Dec. 14th, 2008 11:39 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
x-wither.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
xp_logsBackdated to late Sunday night.
Kevin leaves his last letter and is found by Sam while he's caught up in old memories.
The good thing about the key codes to get into the room meant you never got locked out. It also meant you could get in even when the occupant wasn't there if no one had bothered to change the code. As it was, there was no reason for security to have changed the code for the suite Kevin had once shared with Jay. Jay hadn't ever requested it and it was convenient for when Kevin accidentally left a shirt or three there. Or when he was sneaking in to reclaim shirts Jay had stolen, and planned to cut holes into so he could keep them.
He didn't plan to be long in the suite so he left the main door ajar. Jay never locked his door when he went out. Actually he only ever locked the bedroom door when he was in a really rotten mood and wanted to be alone, which wasn't often. This was the last stop he was making before he went to enlist help to drag his memorial out in front of the front steps to the mansion. Everyone else had either letters and a sketch slipped under the door of their suite in an envelope or a letter left with a sculpture outside of it. Kevin carried two letters in his hand and a sketchbook. All were being left here. One letter was to Jay, the other was addressed to the Guthries with a note that it should be delivered to whichever Guthrie was most convenient or most appropriate should Jay be found dead. It was a morbid thought, one Kevin hated entertaining, but one that was starkly rooted in reality and inescapable.
The plan was to leave it on the desk in Jay's room. The suite was a trap. Kevin should have thought of that before he'd entered. Everywhere he turned held memories. The worst was when he glanced at the door which once led to his bedroom. A series of memories of being curled up together invaded his mind. Forcing himself on with his task, Kevin cross the room only to freeze next to the couch. Sticking out from between the arm of the couch and a couch was a shirt. His shirt. And he knew exactly how it'd gotten there.
---
The suite was warm, bordering on uncomfortably so. The breeze that wafted through the open windows was humid and a bit muggy but there was just enough movement that it made the heat tolerable. Jay had taken it upon himself to strip Kevin from the waist up more or less the moment Kevin had walked through the door. The lack of shirts helped keep the worst of the heat from getting more uncomfortable. Kevin figured it was the novelty of being able to touch him that kept Jay in the business of getting as much of his clothing off as possible. Jay was more about taking advantage of the opportunity while he could than Kevin was, but Kevin also never fought him on it either.
Jay was asleep, again. It was probably the work schedule at the club in addition to his insistence upon trying to spend time with Kevin. There ended up being a lot of Jay crashing unintentionally. The singer was also topless, as was his preference. His head was in Kevin's lap as he dozed quietly. As per usual, Kevin kept himself busy by drawing. His sketchbook was balanced on the arm of the couch and he sketched his non-boyfriend's sleeping form. There was always so much detail and attention paid to Jay's wings and face but Kevin was putting forth real effort into doing all of the guy justice, not just those two parts. Kevin was shading in a shadow that lay across Jay's back from his wing that curled up and over the couch when Jay started suddenly and the pencil went careening off the page.
"Huh?" He swore Jay had just mumbled something but Kevin couldn't make out what it was. The pencil was dropped onto the sketchbook and his now empty hand laid gently on Jay's back between his wings. "You alright?"
Jay hated sleeping around Kevin because it cut into their time together and they often resulted in doing nothing but Kevin drawing and Jay dozing. He swore he was going to stay up today so they could at least go swimming or do something that Kevin couldn't normally do, but when Kevin confessed that he didn't care to do much, they ended up tangled on the couch. That was enough to keep Jay awake. At least for awhile until they finished their play. Then he would come off his adrenaline rush and find himself back down on the couch, refusing Kevin to go but unable to keep his eyes open.
How long he'd been out, he didn't know but one glance at the sketchbook told him it had been more than awhile. He sat up more, leaning on one arm that disappeared next to Kevin's side. His other hand ran through his straight thin hair and he pulled it out of his eyes. "Ah thought you was gone," he explained, like it was a panic for Kevin to leave at all. "Was just a bad dream." It was a horrible dream in fact. He wasn't sure why he was having such a bad dream in the presence of someone who did nothing but make him happy, who brought a smile to his face and efforts every time they passed each other. It was silly, he knew. He had a huge, foolish crush on Kevin that flourished into an addiction he couldn't get enough of. Every waking moment wanted to be spent with him, but Jay knew that he'd suffocate his ex, that he would suffocate them, so he kept to his work and responsibilities, leaving Kevin as an indulgence that he could have whenever he did something well.
As an after thought, the flat of Jay's hand spread over Kevin's chest, as though he was making sure Kevin was tangible and not just a vivid dream gone badly. "Stay away from cars," he explained, shook his head and the rest of his body followed in a physical shiver to shake off the bad feeling. "Or better yet, stay here with me forever," he purred, turning over onto his stomach. Jays wings stretched above them and he pushed his arms under Kevin, holding his breath until he felt a pop in his back. With that, a long sigh of relief settled Jay's body back down on Kevin's and he grinned lazily up at the guy who wasn't his boyfriend anymore, but felt closer than they ever had.
"You're sweatin'," he observed and his arms closed around Kevin's waist, hands disappearing beneath. He didn't want to move, couldn't if he tried. He was too comfortable, like a persistent cat that knew their comfortable spot on the lap of their owner was temporary.
"Cars?" Kevin quirked an eyebrow at Jay. It was generally Kevin's place to be the one having nightmares and getting panic induced, not Jay's. "Ah dunno what you're talkin' about. Ah'm not even in cars that much. What'd the car do, run me over?" Everyone had dreams that were just a little too real, right? That's what Kevin was chalking this up to after reminding himself Jay didn't have any precognition abilities or anything like that. Besides, he relaxed so much once he'd stretched. So much like a cat, even though he's god wings, Kevin thought and an amused smile curled onto his lips. He didn't bother to explain why it was there.
"Course Ah'm sweatin', it's hot and muggy and sorta gross out. You're sweatin', too." Kevin ran a finger down Jay's spine so that the older boy could feel the moisture that clung to his skin as it parted and attached to Kevin's finger where it came in contact with it. "You goin' back to sleep?" No matter how Jay answered Kevin was sure he would and that was okay. The ability to be silent together was something he'd always appreciated about their dynamic, both now and when they'd been in an actual relationship with one another. People devalued silence, Kevin thought. There was a beauty in the quiet, though. He wasn't sure Jay saw it like he did but Kevin loved it.
Jay shrugged and tucked his face into Kevin's side, nuzzling his skin. "Ah dunno. Ah don't wanna talk about it." The dream was vague but still a vivid bad feeling hung tightly onto him and he wanted to shake it. It was easy to do, to let go of the dream and slip into something much more pleasant, like the musky, intoxicating scent of the body below him. He practically purred into it and found apart of the body that he liked to taste, running his tongue over it like a delicious appetizer before the main course. "You're all salty there. And here," he paused and dragged his tongue over another small section of Kevin's stomach. "Here too." Never mind that his positions were creeping downwards.
"Do Ah look like Ah wanna sleep?" he asked and Jay shifted, his wings lifting as though he was starting to wake. "Ah got a little energy left in me..." Jay trailed off, thumbing the button to Kevin's jeans.
"Want to and willing to are different," Kevin pointed out and swatted at Jay's hand a bit. "You always look like you want to sleep, you just never are willing to sleep. You should work on that." His voice was distracted, the combination of of where Jay's tongue kept going and where his hand had clearly been aiming for causing Kevin's focus to shift quite rapidly. Anyone would have been hard pressed to keep their focus but Kevin was a bit weaker than most people were when Jay was involved.
"Ah think you're up to no good." He leaned down, tilting Jay's chin upward and kissed him softly. "You're always up to no good, though," he whispered before kissing the guy again.
"And you're distractin'," Jay smiled into the kiss and allowed himself to be pulled up from his intial destination. He was easily shifted from one gear to the next, even if it was a downshift to a lower gear, whatever Kevin was comfortable with, Jay followed that lead. And he followed now, sliding over Kevin's body, Jay fit on top of him like they were molded to be together. He repositioned his hands under Kevin's shoulders, looping them around and broke the kiss, resting his chin playfully on Kevin's chest. His usual lopsided grin spread across his face and he blew at a hair that fell in front of his eyes.
Kevin grinned, an automatic response to that lazy, cat-like smile Jay tended to get on his face. "We all got talents. Ah'm distracting, you're beautiful." The last two words came out in a hushed whisper. The artist didn't worry about the femininity most people ascribed to the term, for him beauty was gender neutral and Jay was certainly beautiful with his red wings and stretched to to either side of himself and his hair falling into his eyes. He was made to be a muse, Kevin was convinced of it.
Jay's smile grew and he kissed Kevin's chest again. "And you--" Another kiss moving upwards. "--Are words that ain't spoken." Two more on the collar bone. "A song ain't ever sung." Another one at the base of the neck. "A voice that ain't ever heard." Three more trailing up the neck. "God made you and when he set you down, angels wept. Their tears were your hues of life. They called you art and you only fit only into one puzzle piece and that's me." His lips tentatively brushed over Kevin's. "Ah love you Kevin Ford and Ah'm gonna spend the rest o' mah life provin' that to yah."
---
Sam saw his brother's door open and leaned against the door frame to peek in. He had passed it several times since Jay had disappeared and he knew it had been shut the entire time, which made him curious. Seeing Kevin there he knew it was to pay respects and he had sympathy there. He held the idea of people missing his brother as much as he did in high regard and he wouldn't have interrupted if it hadn't looked like the man was getting lost in his grief. "Paige probably hates that I say it but I'm expecting Jay to be back in here sooner or later."
The words jarred Kevin out of his memories and brought him back to reality. He spun slowly to find Sam standing in the door. He was sure he'd never exchanged much more than polite greeting with Jay's older brother, but he was a Guthrie which meant right now he automatically was due more respect than usual. Kevin tried to smile at the man but he failed do instead he greeted him with a nod. "Ah hope you're right. Sometimes Ah expect him back. Sometimes Ah don't. But Ah'm leaving something for him." He looked down to the sketchbook in his arm and held up two envelopes. Only one was actually for Jay.
"I think he'll like to see things for him when he gets back." Most people would insist that Sam was deeply in denial (they might even be right) but he never entertained the idea. Some people would take it as a suggestion of his ability to have faith; he thought it was more rational. If experience served him correctly then Jay would survive as he had several other instances of near death previously.
"Jay likes presents," Kevin commented quietly. Everyone liked presents, but Jay's eyes sort of lit up every time someone gave him something that was meant just for him. Kevin wondered if that was because he came from a big family. "Most of it's him anyway." He was talking about the sketchbook. There were pages upon pages of sleeping Jay, of Jay's wings, Jay smiling. Jay was the only person he spent any considerable amount of time with for months, it was only natural. "I want him to have it even if," Kevin's voice wavered and trailed off. After clearing his throat he continued, "Even if it just goes in his casket with him. There's a letter in case...to your family asking that." The teenager's eyes dropped to the floor, unable to look at Sam after admitting he'd prepared for the inevitability that Jay was likely going to be found dead, if he was found at all.
Sam stepped over to Kevin, putting a hand on his shoulder. "If that happens I'll make sure that they go with him." It was the first time he had admitted Jay being found dead was even a possibility and he didn't want to dwell on it for too long. "But I expect Jay to come back and be glad to see people were thinking about him while he was gone. I know he'll appreciate it."
Kevin didn't flinch at the contact like he usually did with people he didn't know well. The gesture seemed to even relax him a little. He tried for a smile but failed fantastically and the effort resulted in a bit of a grimace. "Thanks." Kevin didn't want to dwell on Jay coming back, honestly. If he did he might not leave just because of the vain hope that one day the redhead would catch him when he wasn't looking while walking to the kitchen.
Before he departs Kevin leaves a gift of sorts for the mansion's residents.
He'd asked Sam to meet him in the metal shop in ten minutes when the two had parted ways so Kevin could say his silent goodbyes in Jay's suite. Sam had agreed and he'd helped Kevin drag and pull the durable structure outside. It was left on the pathway in front of the stairs that led up to the main entrance of the mansion.
The sculpture was eight feet tall with the base and center having been carved out of wood. It showed no signs of tools being used on it, the surface smooth to the touch. The center was designed in such a way as to give the illusion of being an ornate vertical post of a cross, or possibly of being the body of an angel. It was more ankh shaped with the bottom flaring out to join the base it sat upon and the top creating a solid loop. From the wooden center sprang a pair of wings, each feather having been lovingly carved out and etched. The wings had a six and a half foot span. The metal was red but it wasn't painted. Into the base was carved the words, "For Thou Art With Me."
Around the sculpture's "neck" was a string from which a letter hung.
Dear Residents,
I know some of you might not want the reminder of recent loss. But I know some of you might appreciate the acknowledgment. Yvette and Angel helped me make this over the weekend so it could be done before I left tonight. I wanted to make it because of Garrison, Pete, Dani and Jay but it's not just for them. It's for everyone we will. Everyone we might lose in times to come. I thought there needed to be a place we could go to remember them, something to mark they were here and that people care that they're not anymore. Put it wherever you want, this just seemed like a fitting place to leave it.
We didn't use any tools. I thought that was important. The sculpture was made only with the powers granted by the mutations between the three of us. We've got some pretty destructive powers, but once in a while you find a way to use that to heal a wound a little. We used the metal from the Blackbird when it got wrecked a few months back. It seemed fitting. This is meant to be a memorial but not really for grieving exactly. More a celebration that we had these people with us at all, that we were blessed for knowing them even if we miss them now that they're gone.
For the people who'd rather not be reminded and might even be offended by this, well, I'm not going to apologize. I needed to do this and I think the people who helped me did as well. And I think the four people who are missing deserve it.
With regards,
Kevin Ford.
After the letter was in place Kevin took one last look at the sculpture Yvette and Angel had helped him create, then hoisted his bag's strap higher on his shoulder. He headed down the long drive way toward the mansion's gates which had a taxi waiting on the other side for him to take him to the airport and to new beginnings.
Kevin leaves his last letter and is found by Sam while he's caught up in old memories.
The good thing about the key codes to get into the room meant you never got locked out. It also meant you could get in even when the occupant wasn't there if no one had bothered to change the code. As it was, there was no reason for security to have changed the code for the suite Kevin had once shared with Jay. Jay hadn't ever requested it and it was convenient for when Kevin accidentally left a shirt or three there. Or when he was sneaking in to reclaim shirts Jay had stolen, and planned to cut holes into so he could keep them.
He didn't plan to be long in the suite so he left the main door ajar. Jay never locked his door when he went out. Actually he only ever locked the bedroom door when he was in a really rotten mood and wanted to be alone, which wasn't often. This was the last stop he was making before he went to enlist help to drag his memorial out in front of the front steps to the mansion. Everyone else had either letters and a sketch slipped under the door of their suite in an envelope or a letter left with a sculpture outside of it. Kevin carried two letters in his hand and a sketchbook. All were being left here. One letter was to Jay, the other was addressed to the Guthries with a note that it should be delivered to whichever Guthrie was most convenient or most appropriate should Jay be found dead. It was a morbid thought, one Kevin hated entertaining, but one that was starkly rooted in reality and inescapable.
The plan was to leave it on the desk in Jay's room. The suite was a trap. Kevin should have thought of that before he'd entered. Everywhere he turned held memories. The worst was when he glanced at the door which once led to his bedroom. A series of memories of being curled up together invaded his mind. Forcing himself on with his task, Kevin cross the room only to freeze next to the couch. Sticking out from between the arm of the couch and a couch was a shirt. His shirt. And he knew exactly how it'd gotten there.
---
The suite was warm, bordering on uncomfortably so. The breeze that wafted through the open windows was humid and a bit muggy but there was just enough movement that it made the heat tolerable. Jay had taken it upon himself to strip Kevin from the waist up more or less the moment Kevin had walked through the door. The lack of shirts helped keep the worst of the heat from getting more uncomfortable. Kevin figured it was the novelty of being able to touch him that kept Jay in the business of getting as much of his clothing off as possible. Jay was more about taking advantage of the opportunity while he could than Kevin was, but Kevin also never fought him on it either.
Jay was asleep, again. It was probably the work schedule at the club in addition to his insistence upon trying to spend time with Kevin. There ended up being a lot of Jay crashing unintentionally. The singer was also topless, as was his preference. His head was in Kevin's lap as he dozed quietly. As per usual, Kevin kept himself busy by drawing. His sketchbook was balanced on the arm of the couch and he sketched his non-boyfriend's sleeping form. There was always so much detail and attention paid to Jay's wings and face but Kevin was putting forth real effort into doing all of the guy justice, not just those two parts. Kevin was shading in a shadow that lay across Jay's back from his wing that curled up and over the couch when Jay started suddenly and the pencil went careening off the page.
"Huh?" He swore Jay had just mumbled something but Kevin couldn't make out what it was. The pencil was dropped onto the sketchbook and his now empty hand laid gently on Jay's back between his wings. "You alright?"
Jay hated sleeping around Kevin because it cut into their time together and they often resulted in doing nothing but Kevin drawing and Jay dozing. He swore he was going to stay up today so they could at least go swimming or do something that Kevin couldn't normally do, but when Kevin confessed that he didn't care to do much, they ended up tangled on the couch. That was enough to keep Jay awake. At least for awhile until they finished their play. Then he would come off his adrenaline rush and find himself back down on the couch, refusing Kevin to go but unable to keep his eyes open.
How long he'd been out, he didn't know but one glance at the sketchbook told him it had been more than awhile. He sat up more, leaning on one arm that disappeared next to Kevin's side. His other hand ran through his straight thin hair and he pulled it out of his eyes. "Ah thought you was gone," he explained, like it was a panic for Kevin to leave at all. "Was just a bad dream." It was a horrible dream in fact. He wasn't sure why he was having such a bad dream in the presence of someone who did nothing but make him happy, who brought a smile to his face and efforts every time they passed each other. It was silly, he knew. He had a huge, foolish crush on Kevin that flourished into an addiction he couldn't get enough of. Every waking moment wanted to be spent with him, but Jay knew that he'd suffocate his ex, that he would suffocate them, so he kept to his work and responsibilities, leaving Kevin as an indulgence that he could have whenever he did something well.
As an after thought, the flat of Jay's hand spread over Kevin's chest, as though he was making sure Kevin was tangible and not just a vivid dream gone badly. "Stay away from cars," he explained, shook his head and the rest of his body followed in a physical shiver to shake off the bad feeling. "Or better yet, stay here with me forever," he purred, turning over onto his stomach. Jays wings stretched above them and he pushed his arms under Kevin, holding his breath until he felt a pop in his back. With that, a long sigh of relief settled Jay's body back down on Kevin's and he grinned lazily up at the guy who wasn't his boyfriend anymore, but felt closer than they ever had.
"You're sweatin'," he observed and his arms closed around Kevin's waist, hands disappearing beneath. He didn't want to move, couldn't if he tried. He was too comfortable, like a persistent cat that knew their comfortable spot on the lap of their owner was temporary.
"Cars?" Kevin quirked an eyebrow at Jay. It was generally Kevin's place to be the one having nightmares and getting panic induced, not Jay's. "Ah dunno what you're talkin' about. Ah'm not even in cars that much. What'd the car do, run me over?" Everyone had dreams that were just a little too real, right? That's what Kevin was chalking this up to after reminding himself Jay didn't have any precognition abilities or anything like that. Besides, he relaxed so much once he'd stretched. So much like a cat, even though he's god wings, Kevin thought and an amused smile curled onto his lips. He didn't bother to explain why it was there.
"Course Ah'm sweatin', it's hot and muggy and sorta gross out. You're sweatin', too." Kevin ran a finger down Jay's spine so that the older boy could feel the moisture that clung to his skin as it parted and attached to Kevin's finger where it came in contact with it. "You goin' back to sleep?" No matter how Jay answered Kevin was sure he would and that was okay. The ability to be silent together was something he'd always appreciated about their dynamic, both now and when they'd been in an actual relationship with one another. People devalued silence, Kevin thought. There was a beauty in the quiet, though. He wasn't sure Jay saw it like he did but Kevin loved it.
Jay shrugged and tucked his face into Kevin's side, nuzzling his skin. "Ah dunno. Ah don't wanna talk about it." The dream was vague but still a vivid bad feeling hung tightly onto him and he wanted to shake it. It was easy to do, to let go of the dream and slip into something much more pleasant, like the musky, intoxicating scent of the body below him. He practically purred into it and found apart of the body that he liked to taste, running his tongue over it like a delicious appetizer before the main course. "You're all salty there. And here," he paused and dragged his tongue over another small section of Kevin's stomach. "Here too." Never mind that his positions were creeping downwards.
"Do Ah look like Ah wanna sleep?" he asked and Jay shifted, his wings lifting as though he was starting to wake. "Ah got a little energy left in me..." Jay trailed off, thumbing the button to Kevin's jeans.
"Want to and willing to are different," Kevin pointed out and swatted at Jay's hand a bit. "You always look like you want to sleep, you just never are willing to sleep. You should work on that." His voice was distracted, the combination of of where Jay's tongue kept going and where his hand had clearly been aiming for causing Kevin's focus to shift quite rapidly. Anyone would have been hard pressed to keep their focus but Kevin was a bit weaker than most people were when Jay was involved.
"Ah think you're up to no good." He leaned down, tilting Jay's chin upward and kissed him softly. "You're always up to no good, though," he whispered before kissing the guy again.
"And you're distractin'," Jay smiled into the kiss and allowed himself to be pulled up from his intial destination. He was easily shifted from one gear to the next, even if it was a downshift to a lower gear, whatever Kevin was comfortable with, Jay followed that lead. And he followed now, sliding over Kevin's body, Jay fit on top of him like they were molded to be together. He repositioned his hands under Kevin's shoulders, looping them around and broke the kiss, resting his chin playfully on Kevin's chest. His usual lopsided grin spread across his face and he blew at a hair that fell in front of his eyes.
Kevin grinned, an automatic response to that lazy, cat-like smile Jay tended to get on his face. "We all got talents. Ah'm distracting, you're beautiful." The last two words came out in a hushed whisper. The artist didn't worry about the femininity most people ascribed to the term, for him beauty was gender neutral and Jay was certainly beautiful with his red wings and stretched to to either side of himself and his hair falling into his eyes. He was made to be a muse, Kevin was convinced of it.
Jay's smile grew and he kissed Kevin's chest again. "And you--" Another kiss moving upwards. "--Are words that ain't spoken." Two more on the collar bone. "A song ain't ever sung." Another one at the base of the neck. "A voice that ain't ever heard." Three more trailing up the neck. "God made you and when he set you down, angels wept. Their tears were your hues of life. They called you art and you only fit only into one puzzle piece and that's me." His lips tentatively brushed over Kevin's. "Ah love you Kevin Ford and Ah'm gonna spend the rest o' mah life provin' that to yah."
---
Sam saw his brother's door open and leaned against the door frame to peek in. He had passed it several times since Jay had disappeared and he knew it had been shut the entire time, which made him curious. Seeing Kevin there he knew it was to pay respects and he had sympathy there. He held the idea of people missing his brother as much as he did in high regard and he wouldn't have interrupted if it hadn't looked like the man was getting lost in his grief. "Paige probably hates that I say it but I'm expecting Jay to be back in here sooner or later."
The words jarred Kevin out of his memories and brought him back to reality. He spun slowly to find Sam standing in the door. He was sure he'd never exchanged much more than polite greeting with Jay's older brother, but he was a Guthrie which meant right now he automatically was due more respect than usual. Kevin tried to smile at the man but he failed do instead he greeted him with a nod. "Ah hope you're right. Sometimes Ah expect him back. Sometimes Ah don't. But Ah'm leaving something for him." He looked down to the sketchbook in his arm and held up two envelopes. Only one was actually for Jay.
"I think he'll like to see things for him when he gets back." Most people would insist that Sam was deeply in denial (they might even be right) but he never entertained the idea. Some people would take it as a suggestion of his ability to have faith; he thought it was more rational. If experience served him correctly then Jay would survive as he had several other instances of near death previously.
"Jay likes presents," Kevin commented quietly. Everyone liked presents, but Jay's eyes sort of lit up every time someone gave him something that was meant just for him. Kevin wondered if that was because he came from a big family. "Most of it's him anyway." He was talking about the sketchbook. There were pages upon pages of sleeping Jay, of Jay's wings, Jay smiling. Jay was the only person he spent any considerable amount of time with for months, it was only natural. "I want him to have it even if," Kevin's voice wavered and trailed off. After clearing his throat he continued, "Even if it just goes in his casket with him. There's a letter in case...to your family asking that." The teenager's eyes dropped to the floor, unable to look at Sam after admitting he'd prepared for the inevitability that Jay was likely going to be found dead, if he was found at all.
Sam stepped over to Kevin, putting a hand on his shoulder. "If that happens I'll make sure that they go with him." It was the first time he had admitted Jay being found dead was even a possibility and he didn't want to dwell on it for too long. "But I expect Jay to come back and be glad to see people were thinking about him while he was gone. I know he'll appreciate it."
Kevin didn't flinch at the contact like he usually did with people he didn't know well. The gesture seemed to even relax him a little. He tried for a smile but failed fantastically and the effort resulted in a bit of a grimace. "Thanks." Kevin didn't want to dwell on Jay coming back, honestly. If he did he might not leave just because of the vain hope that one day the redhead would catch him when he wasn't looking while walking to the kitchen.
Before he departs Kevin leaves a gift of sorts for the mansion's residents.
He'd asked Sam to meet him in the metal shop in ten minutes when the two had parted ways so Kevin could say his silent goodbyes in Jay's suite. Sam had agreed and he'd helped Kevin drag and pull the durable structure outside. It was left on the pathway in front of the stairs that led up to the main entrance of the mansion.
The sculpture was eight feet tall with the base and center having been carved out of wood. It showed no signs of tools being used on it, the surface smooth to the touch. The center was designed in such a way as to give the illusion of being an ornate vertical post of a cross, or possibly of being the body of an angel. It was more ankh shaped with the bottom flaring out to join the base it sat upon and the top creating a solid loop. From the wooden center sprang a pair of wings, each feather having been lovingly carved out and etched. The wings had a six and a half foot span. The metal was red but it wasn't painted. Into the base was carved the words, "For Thou Art With Me."
Around the sculpture's "neck" was a string from which a letter hung.
Dear Residents,
I know some of you might not want the reminder of recent loss. But I know some of you might appreciate the acknowledgment. Yvette and Angel helped me make this over the weekend so it could be done before I left tonight. I wanted to make it because of Garrison, Pete, Dani and Jay but it's not just for them. It's for everyone we will. Everyone we might lose in times to come. I thought there needed to be a place we could go to remember them, something to mark they were here and that people care that they're not anymore. Put it wherever you want, this just seemed like a fitting place to leave it.
We didn't use any tools. I thought that was important. The sculpture was made only with the powers granted by the mutations between the three of us. We've got some pretty destructive powers, but once in a while you find a way to use that to heal a wound a little. We used the metal from the Blackbird when it got wrecked a few months back. It seemed fitting. This is meant to be a memorial but not really for grieving exactly. More a celebration that we had these people with us at all, that we were blessed for knowing them even if we miss them now that they're gone.
For the people who'd rather not be reminded and might even be offended by this, well, I'm not going to apologize. I needed to do this and I think the people who helped me did as well. And I think the four people who are missing deserve it.
With regards,
Kevin Ford.
After the letter was in place Kevin took one last look at the sculpture Yvette and Angel had helped him create, then hoisted his bag's strap higher on his shoulder. He headed down the long drive way toward the mansion's gates which had a taxi waiting on the other side for him to take him to the airport and to new beginnings.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}