Xisuma's Parrotsitting [HermitSteal AU]

Safely Employeed

I was legit crying while writing this
We have an emotional breakdown in this chapter, which happens in the second segment. If you're sensitive to such emotional scenes, feel free to skip it. Take care of yourselves :)

Consider voting and following, comment to your heart's content! :D

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Grian doesn't turn up for the remainder of the afternoon. He visits during the night, when the kids have been put to bed and Xisuma is doing his routine check on the door and balcony locks and shutting windows and curtains. The avian knocks on the balcony door, pressing his face against the glass in an attempt to get the man's attention. Xisuma backtracks from the kitchen, where he was sitting and contemplating his life choices, and lets the other man in, signalling him to be quiet so the boys don't wake up.

"Sooooo," Grian starts as he saunters to the couch and plops down resting his head in his hands. "What happened?"

Xisuma sighs and takes a seat next to his friend. His back feels heavy and his head is still swirling with thoughts of what he should do. He tells Grian that and more and the avian listens closely to the whispers of anxiety and despair.

"Ah, so your brother got in trouble again and the littles decided to get involved?" he observes once Xisuma is done with his rant.

The voidwalker shrugs, feeling that the load that was weighing him down has been lifted off of his back.

"Exactly," he sighs, putting his head in his hands. "And now I don't know what to do... It's either risking everyone's safety and well-being or sending Spoke to work for a criminal."

Black eyes search through Xisuma's soul. Grian leans forward, elbows digging into his knees as he holds his chin atop his fists. There is silence for a few moments; just enough for the well of emotions to settle on a stable level.

"I work in that area," he murmurs. Violet plasma gazes with intensity into the void of darkness, alight with impatience. "So, whatever you decide to do, know that I'll keep an eye on Spoke if I see him around."

"Really?" Xisuma questions, gasping as if he had been suffocating in the time it took Grian to speak. The avian nods, lips drawing a sombre line across his face.

"Yeah, why not? I'll be stealing your other kid, by the way."

"Huh?"

"Parrots have to fly!"

"Grian, I swear, if you shove Parrot off a roof, I will–"

"Of course not!"

A mischievous grin spreads where there once was seriousness on Grian's face, prompted by Xisuma's suspicious gaze.

"I'll shove him off of multiple roofs –if he even wants to fly with me, that is."

Well, Xisuma thinks, considerably calmer than he was a few minutes ago, if Grian wants to babysit, let him babysit. He thinks it over again because he doesn't want to scare his friend away from his apartment for five years through Parrot's own mischief. Then again, Grian is more a child than an adult at heart. They'll hit it off just fine.

The first thing Xisuma does in the morning is to call his brother and chew him out for his irresponsibility. It's one thing to get involved in illegal activities but it's a whole other one to involve little, innocent kids in them. Well, maybe they aren't as innocent as they should be at their age but they are still kids. Therefore, his brother needs a stern talking-to –even though it's the second or third he's had, he still refuses to learn, so Xisuma adds a fourth one.