“Did you throw things at them?” Hawk joked but he gripped Casper’s shoulder and gave it a tender squeeze. “They’ll accept you if I tell them you can be trusted but they’ll actually care about you if you let them,” he said quietly. Casper shook his head but he lingered as he reached inside the car.
“Lavender would have brought me here if that was what he wanted but he passed me off to Mr. Blink.”
“Is that what you think?” Lavender asked and Casper shut his eye and breathed through the mortification and bitterness.
“You never wanted me here,” Casper said when he could trust his voice and snatched the crutch. He swung around and tucked it under his arm so he could lean on it and face Lavender.
“That’s not...” Lavender shook his head. His brow furrowed and he raised a hand apologetically. “I’m sorry, Casper. I thought I was helping you but I was so wrong about you in one very important way,” he admitted, surprising Casper and Hawk. Casper stomped closer and cut his eye at Lavender.
“What are you talking about? You never cared about me. You told me I could be more than a dangerous vagrant. You said I could have a rich and happy life then pushed me onto Blink like an ugly puppy your pretty husband and precious little son wouldn’t like.”
“Oh, God...” Hawk whispered as his gaze swung to Lavender and he shook his head slowly.
“I believed that you were a lone wolf and I truly thought you’d hate it here,” he stated. He has a point, someone whispered.
“I didn’t ask you,” Casper whispered back then snorted at Lavender. “You never thought about bringing me here,” he accused and Lavender’s head pushed forward.
“Not after you tried to shoot me for taking you to The Langham.”
“They never would have let me inside!” Casper snarled.
“And I’d own that hotel by the time my attorney was done with it. That’s why I have Mr. Blink.”
“You wanted me to bathe!” Casper yelled and Lavender’s eyes flared.
“You’d been out in the rain for days. You smelled like hot dog water and feet!” He screamed as he pointed wildly at Casper. Hawk laughed as he got between them.
“I can’t believe you took him to The Langham. My grandmother stays there. It’s fucking dry and boring. I hate The Langham,” he said and Lavender crossed his arms over his chest then leaned toward him.
“When I am in need of a dickhead’s opinion, I’ll send for you,” he said then turned to Casper. “But that’s why I wanted you to work for Blink. I knew he’d protect you because that’s what he does. He takes care of the people who take care of him. I thought I was providing you with the most powerful protection possible. And a firm hand to keep you out of trouble,” Lavender added with a wince. “But, I apologize, Casper. And I hope you will allow me to make amends. Please. I’d like to introduce you to my husband and my son,” he said as he stepped aside and waved at his house. An impossibly gorgeous man waited with a young boy on his hip. They both had golden blond hair and the man waved for them to hurry up. Casper held up a hand and there was a catch in his throat as he tried to speak. He coughed and leaned on the crutch as he rubbed the end of his nose on his sleeve.
“I think I’d like that,” he said but it was still a gravelly whisper. He couldn’t admit it, even to himself, but Casper thought he’d been kept away from Lake Cliff because he wasn’t good enough. It might be because we’re just miserable to be around and set things on fire, someone observed. Casper’s face scrunched and his head tilted to the side. “I am rather horrid...”
“Not horrid, spooky,” Hawk corrected as he rubbed Casper’s back and gave his shoulder a squeeze. “But I like that about you,” he whispered then nodded at the house. “Come on. You’ll like Robin; he’s a little genius. He already speaks four languages and he showed me the wildest magic tricks,” Hawk said as they followed Lavender up the driveway. They climbed the steps and Lavender set his hand on Casper’s shoulder.
“Sage, Robin, this is Casper Grim. Casper, this is my husband, Sage, and our son, Robin,” Lavender said and Casper didn’t detect a hint of disdain or warning.
“It’s great to finally meet you!” Sage said as he offered his hand but Casper wasn’t wearing his gloves. He remembered and his eye dropped to his hand. Hawk bumped his elbow and Casper wiped his hand on his pant leg for no reason before he held it out to Sage.
“It’s nice to meet you,” he said and expected some wariness or hesitation but Sage grabbed his hand and pumped it excitedly.
“It’s so cool to finally meet you! They’ve been whispering about you like you’re the grim reaper! Thanks for taking him down a peg,” Sage added out of the side of his mouth before he pointed at Lavender. Casper laughed and it surprised everyone, including himself.
“It was my pleasure. Though I’m not sure I can take all the credit this time,” he said and offered Robin what he hoped was his least threatening smile. The boy smiled back brightly before his eyes traveled down Casper’s body and stopped.
“What happened to your leg?” He asked simply but his expression was just openly curious as he studied Casper.
“He cut it off,” Casper said as he swung his head at Hawk.
“It was in really bad shape and it was making him sick,” Hawk explained. Robin’s focus tightened on Casper’s red eye and his marred cheek before he shrugged.
“My daddy said you’re a scientist. Want to see my room? I have my own microscope and my dad brings me rocks from all over the world! I made a model of my favorite dinosaur. It’s a Saurornitholestes langostini. I memorized the periodic table. Want me to recite it for you?” Robin asked as he wiggled out of Sage’s arms and Casper shook his head.
“No. But I would like to see the Saurornitholestes and your rock collection,” he said and looked to Lavender and Sage to make sure it was alright. Sage shrugged and gestured at the stairs.
“Don’t let Robin bully you into any crafts. We’re having lunch in an hour,” he said and Robin grabbed Casper’s hand and gave it a tug.
“Do you like magic tricks? I learned a bunch from my Uncle Roman!”
“Don’t let him set anything on fire,” Sage begged Casper. Casper looked to Lavender in alarm.
“What kind of child are you raising?” He whispered but Lavender beamed as he waved for them to go on.
“I think you’ll enjoy each other,” he predicted.
He was right, of course. Casper adored Robin. He dazzled him with his clever wit and magic tricks but that was just the beginning of what turned out to be a very special afternoon for Casper. He realized that he was completely wrong about Mr. Lavender and Lake Cliff. He didn’t get to meet everyone but things went better with Dr. Sharp and his husband, Chief West. Casper didn’t taunt Sharp this time. Of all the people Casper had met, Sharp probably understood what it was like to be scorned by his father and isolated from the rest of humanity the most. Casper wanted Sharp to know that he knew and that he’d suffered similar traumas, in his own twisted way. But Casper didn’t feel the need to defend or explain himself as he was reintroduced to Marston and Paul Sloan. Toly and Wilder were cautious but made Casper feel welcomed while they visited and Hawk performed a quick checkup.