Fandom Forbidden and Scarred Love { The Last of Us 1x1 with icedthemoon }

[icedthemoon]

Ezekiel Finch and Theophilus Sharpe (and also the Smith Clan)
Seraphite Warrior, WLF Member | 26, 22 | Current location ;; Washington

It was a good thing that they knew enough about this city to be able to to get around certain areas. Not all sections were like this. The downtown area was even more like a grid. Thankfully, this was enough. “Hey, through that alley? Looks like we can get to the other street? We’ll have to jump that fence, but I think we can handle that. There’s enough to climb up on.” All those bigger crates and that trash can could probably be used for something good. It was also chain link, so climbing it wouldn’t be too hard.

Brian was shaking his head before Josh was even done talking. “Nah, man, they aren’t here. They haven’t been here since I got back. Last I saw them, the punks were out taking a walk around the stadium or whatever.” He groaned and rolled his eyes but didn’t look up. He could say whatever he wanted to Kaiden, but when in the direct presence of his parents, Brian wasn’t at all brave. They were both terrifying. He probably shouldn’t have called them punks though, because Hayden was fuming. Nice going, Brian. You angered the crazy one. He took a large step back. “You can come in and check if you want, but I promise you I haven’t seen them since then.” Hayden stepped inside with one large step. He covered enough ground to make Brian’s eyes go far too wide. “And when was that?” His words were cooler than they had been a moment ago, but they held the anger just barely at bay. Brian looked from one to the other and shook his head. “I don’t know? Maybe a couple of minutes before that alarm went off? They were walking down the hall,” he gestured outside, “and I was coming back to the room. He got all up in my face and-“ he remembered who he was talking to and changed his tune. “He seemed agitated or something. I don’t know. Ugh.” His dislike was tangible in the air, and Hayden was about a second from exploding.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Kaiden Lachlan and Alexander Brennan (along with the Smith Clan)
WLF Member, Young Seraphite Warrior | 23, 16 | Current location ;; Washington

As they made their way down the street, Kai looked at Theo and then at the alley. "Right. That looks like a good place as any to cut through. At least we have makeshift stairs we can use." Kaiden said as he entered the alley, looked back at Theo. "Come on." He said, moving over to the fence and moving the crates. He climbed up on them and then hauled himself over the fence, cutting his arm on the metal. "Ow!" Kai winced as he landed on his feet, a cut on his arm from the fencing.

Josh saw the shaking of Brian's head and his hand clenched into a fist as he heard him. He saw the rolled eyes and snorted a huff as he heard Brian speak. He flicked his gaze over to see Hayden, clearly fuming. He also saw Brian let him in to check the room. As he heard Brian talk about Kaiden, clearly, getting up in his face and held back the laugh. Joshua wasn't a fan of Brian's either. He looked around the room himself and then looked at Hayden. "Okay, thank you Brian. Come on my love, we know the general area they were going." Josh said, hoping to prevent Hayden from exploding, knowing his husband well enough.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Ezekiel Finch and Theophilus Sharpe (and also the Smith Clan)
Seraphite Warrior, WLF Member | 26, 22 | Current location ;; Washington

Moving around crates and things was not anything too unusual for them. They got into enough trouble over the years that they had to make their own exits and paths plenty of times. Theo could remember plenty of times that they fell into something and had to find their way out. This was no different. He was climbing up behind Kai, hauling himself over the fence too when Kai snagged himself. “Are you okay?” He asked as he dropped to the other side. He put his hand out for Kai’s arm like he would if he had any kind of med kit with him. Which he didn’t.

When he was younger, Hayden was never this angry. He could still remember the days when he was sweet and kind. He remembered when he was slow to being annoyed. Those days were long since over. They died with the kindness in the world. Sometimes he could pull out that love for the world again. Sometimes. Not today. Not right now. Not for this young man who thought he was king. Hayden’s nostrils flared as he glared at the empty bed Theo should have been in and took several long but quick strides so that he and Brian were sharing the same space. Brian should have towered over him. He didn’t now. “If they show back up, I will be the first person who knows. Do you understand me?” Brian nodded, visibly afraid. As he should be. Hayden stomped out of the room and down the hall and back towards the door his son clearly went through.
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[EquineGurl23]

Kaiden Lachlan and Alexander Brennan (along with the Smith Clan)
WLF Member, Young Seraphite Warrior | 23, 16 | Current location ;; Washington

Kai looked over at Theo when he saw his hand out for his arm. "I'm fine. I'm more concerned with keeping this from being seen." Kaiden said as he moved. "We need to go, we're so close to the fence." Kai said as he moved to the end of the alley and saw the fence right ahead. They were so close to getting home safe.

Josh watched Hayden's nostrils flare and swallowed as he saw him move up to Brian so they shared a space. He almost almost felt bad for Brian. He moved out of the room after Hayden, and towards the door. The alarm had been deactivated again and he pushed the door open for Hayden. The two of them went down the stairs and out the door, the fence up ahead as Josh's eyes widened, seeing Kaiden on the other side, halfway over the top and getting ready to drop onto the other side. Uh-Oh.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Ezekiel Finch and Theophilus Sharpe (and also the Smith Clan)
Seraphite Warrior, WLF Member | 26, 22 | Current location ;; Washington

How could they hide that? There was no hiding that. “Maybe we um..” he was thinking out loud as they were moving over the fence. “Maybe I can stall while you at least find a way to cover it. Like go get a jacket and…” His voice trailed away as he happened to look out at their destination and instead of seeing a nice open space, he saw people. No, not people. Kai’s people. Kai’s fathers. “Oh crap. Kai. Did you figure out what we were going to say if we got caught? Because we just ran out of time.”

Hayden should have been worried about his missing son. He should have been stressed about whether or not he was okay. He probably should have been hurting at the arm that he saw. Instead, seeing them there only made him that much angrier. The injury made it worse. He slowed. After everything that he just did, he slowed. He walked. He walked almost leisurely until he finally just stopped. He was several yards away and he wasn’t going to walk any closer. He was uncharacteristically quiet. He was that kind of angry. And upset. And hurt. The way his brows furrowed just a little and his top lip pulled up on the side was enough for anyone who knew him to know that this was bad.
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[EquineGurl23]

Kaiden Lachlan and Alexander Brennan (along with the Smith Clan)
WLF Member, Young Seraphite Warrior | 23, 16 | Current location ;; Washington

Kaiden had been too busy paying attention to Theo as he moved over the fence and dropped to the ground, arm to his chest when he heard his voice trail away. Kai looked up and froze mid-step as he bit his lip, seeing his parents. Oh boy. "Nope." Kai whispered as he moved forward and he saw his dad walk slowly, almost leisurely then he stopped. Kaiden had half a mind to turn around and run, because he could see that top lip pulled up and the little bit of furrowed eyebrows. He knew that his dad was angry, he'd seen that look before when he was younger. As Kaiden approached his fathers, he swallowed hard as he stopped a foot away from his dad. "Hi dad." Kaiden said softly, a sheepish expression on his face. Josh could see the leisurely walk, matching it and he also saw the injury on Kaiden's arm. He knew Hayden was angry because he was quiet, very quiet. Josh could also see the top lip pulled up and furrowed brows. He wanted to say something, but he knew that whatever he said, would be nothing compared to the angry that was his husband. Kaiden shifted uncomfortably as he waited.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Ezekiel Finch and Theophilus Sharpe (and also the Smith Clan)
Seraphite Warrior, WLF Member | 26, 22 | Current location ;; Washington

When they were younger and made even worse choices than the ones they made the last two days, Theo had not escaped all of Kai’s parents’ wraith. Since he was frequently the one committing crimes with their son, he got in equally as much trouble. Sometimes it felt more like the was their second kid than their kid’s best friend. That probably came from both of his parents being part of FEDRA. They were older too, which meant they weren’t the average grunts. They were higher ranking officials in their prime. It also meant they were never home. Theo knew Hayden and Jacob way more than his own parents. When they moved over to the WLF, he got to know Josh, and still somehow he knew Joshua Smith the hero better than his own parents.

So really, all that was why he knew that this was bad. Really bad. Like really really bad. If this hadn’t just followed the really bad that was the day before- no, this morning- it probably would not have been this bad. But no, they had to decide to run off this close to dinner time as well as set off an alarm, and and and. And it was bad. When was the last time he say Hayden stand there like that? When was the last time he didn’t move? Didn’t talk? Long time ago. They were kids. They were kids, and now they were supposed to be adults. Hayden was just standing there staring at them. Them. Both of them. Not talking. Theo looked at Josh in the hopes that the hero could save them from whatever hell came from this kind of silence. This kind of stillness. Theo felt just like a little kid again. He wanted the yelling. He wanted the obvious anger. He wanted something tangible he could hold onto.

Not still. One little part was moving. Hayden was spinning his engagement ring. The one Theo used to love to take off and look at. The one he would try to wear but it was so big on his little fingers. He spun the ring and squeezed his fingers. He held them together like it could hold something else together too. Hayden’s trauma was not something that he shared with Theo and Kai very often. In fact, what little they knew they had to pull from other people. They could pry a lot more from Soren than anyone else. The spinning of that ring meant something was going on. The squeezing of it into his skin. Hayden just stood there for a moment before his lip quivered. Twitched. “You have lost your mind.” Quiet words for a quiet fury. “After everything we just-“ he closed his eyes. Turned his head away. Ground his teeth. “Hundreds of people,” he hissed. “You put out hundreds of people, and then you thought you could do it again?” He let that sit between them. All foot between. “I have never been so disappointed in you.” His eyes glistened with the welling of what Theo could only guess was a mixture of anger and sadness. “Inside. Now.” And then Hayden turned around and started walking away.
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[EquineGurl23]

Kaiden Lachlan and Alexander Brennan (along with the Smith Clan)
WLF Member, Young Seraphite Warrior | 23, 16 | Current location ;; Washington

Kaiden was terrified, the stillness and silence stretched between them. He felt like he was little again, back when he used to cause trouble with Theo all the time. Even then Hayden was more like his father than his own dad. He had his mom sure, but even she took a step back. Emily had basically been a single mother and so she accepted any and all help, which was why when she did die, she had already told Hayden that she wanted Kaiden to live with him. She'd asked him to look out for Kaiden when they turned to the WLF, asked him to care for him as if he and Josh were Kai's fathers. And in a way, they were. He would always beg to go to Hayden's and have the man read to him. He looked up to him, and then looked up to Josh once he got to know him. He knew he was in deep trouble now.

Kaiden saw his dad spinning his engagement ring, and from what they'd learned from Soren and others about Hayden, it meant that something was going on. His eyes watered as he heard that quiet voice. The closed eyes, turned head. Kaiden felt a tear slip down his face as he heard those words. He'd never heard them before and he sniffed. "D- Dad.." Kaiden's voice was broken as he saw Hayden turn and started walking away. No. Kai moved, reaching out his good hand and trying to grasp Hayden's arm. "Dad..!" He bit his lip as he tried to stop him, tried to explain. But what was there to explain? They'd left the stadium like they weren't supposed to and it was all his fault, again. Josh had watched the entire thing quietly, and he had known from the beginning what the spinning of his ring meant. Josh didn't move until the two younger ones moved, aiming to follow in behind them to make sure they go inside.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Ezekiel Finch and Theophilus Sharpe (and also the Smith Clan)
Seraphite Warrior, WLF Member | 26, 22 | Current location ;; Washington

The fear that Theo felt had to be nothing compared to what Kai was thinking as Hayden spoke. As he turned. As he walked away. That was rough. That wasn’t even the talking to that he thought they were going to have, and somehow it was worse. This was worse. Hayden stopped at the feel of Kai’s hand on his arm. He sucked in a breath and twisted the top of his body around so that he was partially facing him. “In. Side.” He repeated. His words were still low and quiet, but they had a warble to them. He was not holding it together well. “Now.” Theo thought maybe he should help? This was equally his problem too. He was the one who kept ceiling with Kai. “Sir, I just wanted-“ Hayden’s head snapped around, and the look on his face made Theo’s words die away. That look was not one he had ever seen on the older man’s face. He didn’t say anything. No one said anything. Hayden looked forward again and started walking. Theo held his breath, afraid that he might cry too.
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[EquineGurl23]

Kaiden Lachlan and Alexander Brennan (along with the Smith Clan)
WLF Member, Young Seraphite Warrior | 23, 16 | Current location ;; Washington

‘I’ve never been so disappointed in you’ Those words swirled inside Kaiden’s mind as he swallowed his tears. Those words broke him further and Kaiden withdrew his hand like he’d been scalded. And in a way, he had. That’s what it felt like. Just the other day his dad had told him how proud he was of him, and Kai had messed that up. He’d ruined it. As Kaiden followed his dad inside, he glanced at Theo and sighed. Josh shut the door behind them and even he had to admit that he hadn’t seen Hayden this quiet and mad in a while. But Kaiden deserved it, especially going out again and disobeying them. Rules were rules and they were there to keep people safe. “Let’s take this to the conference room.” Josh told Hayden, that way they were alone and won’t be disturbed.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Ezekiel Finch and Theophilus Sharpe (and also the Smith Clan)
Seraphite Warrior, WLF Member | 26, 22 | Current location ;; Washington

The conference room was one of those daunting places Theo only ever got to go in when something big was happening. It wasn’t even when he was in trouble. That normally culminated in a scolding in an office. The conference room continued to hold the same weight as it did when he was fifteen. Hayden silently moved to the room after Josh suggested it. Theo hated that he wasn’t saying anything. It really scared the crap out of him, especially when it was clear that everything they were about to say was going to be directed primarily at Kai. He didn’t know what he should do about that. Part of him wanted to run again. He doubted it would be so bad as long as it was only him running. Another part of him didn’t want to leave Kai alone in this. That was too much. Inside the room, Theo took a seat in one of the first chairs. Hayden moved further down until finally he all but collapsed into a chair. Then all was silent. Still. It was just so quiet, and Theo hated it. He hated the quiet. It made him antsy. It made him feel like he was missing something. So what was he missing?
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[EquineGurl23]

Kaiden Lachlan and Alexander Brennan (along with the Smith Clan)
WLF Member, Young Seraphite Warrior | 23, 16 | Current location ;; Washington

Kaiden followed as they entered the conference as he took a deep breath. He hated the conference room, hated how heavy the air was inside there. As he took a seat near Theo, he felt like he was being scolded like a little kid. And perhaps he was, and perhaps he deserved it. The silence was stretching around them, the air thick with it. He had no idea how bad it would be, but he feared it would be very bad. "Dad.. I- I'm sorry.." Kaiden said, looking at Hayden when he made it to a chair and Josh sat beside Hayden. Kai didn't like the silence so he tried to break it, it was making him nervous as he shifted uncomfortably, waiting for anything. Something.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Ezekiel Finch and Theophilus Sharpe (and also the Smith Clan)
Seraphite Warrior, WLF Member | 26, 22 | Current location ;; Washington

“Sorry?” The word came quick and sudden in contrast to the sullen and endlessly slow moment they were having. The word was sharp enough to make Theo almost jump. “You are sorry?” And there it was. The anger that had been looming over them for the entire walk. The thing that scared Theo more than just about anything else. Infected and scars were easy. This was not. He never even had this with his own parents. Hayden continued. “You are sorry. Would you be sorry if you weren’t caught? If you didn’t set off a door alarm that disturbed even more people than you just did this morning?” His words thinned into little spikes that broke through skin and dragged everything down. “This morning, Kaiden. Or did you forget that you were missing this morning?” He shoved a finger down into the table to emphasize the words. “So you decided to wait until we had just enough sleep to be ready for your next round of hide and seek?” His eyes flared with the fury. “This is not a game. We are not playing. You are an adult. A fully grown adult who is supposed to be capable of responsibility. I am supposed to be able to trust that my twenty three year old son can make reasonable choices that aren’t going to get him and his best friend killed.” His eyes flicked to Theo and Theo melted. This was directed towards Kai, but he couldn’t feel the shame that he was getting too. “Russell. Lucas. Juan.” He paused. “Damien.” Those names hit hard as Hayden spoke them. Especially that last one. Josh and Kaiden were on that patrol when they found him. “Are you better than them? Do you think that you could have done better than they did when they were out on patrols with their entire units and still were caught by those scars? That you could have somehow gotten away before they tied you up, hung you from a tree, and eviscerated you?”
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[EquineGurl23]

Kaiden Lachlan and Alexander Brennan (along with the Smith Clan)
WLF Member, Young Seraphite Warrior | 23, 16 | Current location ;; Washington

Kaiden flinched at the quick word, the sharp word. He bit his lip as he sunk into his chair, hearing that anger in his dad's words. Was he really sorry or was it because, like he said, he'd been caught. again. He hadn't meant to disturb anyone else, he just didn't want to be stuck inside. He wanted to explore. He heard the finger hit the table at the mention of this morning. He could see the fury in his father's eyes and it made him shrink more, he felt about two feet tall at the moment. He heard his words, and swallowed hard as he did. Then the names. Those hit hard, but Damien hit the hardest. Kaiden hadn't slept for days after they found him. Did he think he was better than them? No. And here he was leaving a message for the same people who killed his own. "No. I don't think I'm better than them. But I also don't want to be trapped here dad. I'm not.. I'm not a little kid anymore! I can't.. I can't stand just sitting in my room because I'm not allowed out like a five year old." Kaiden said, his voice both broken and rough. He stood up and moved from the table, pacing a little because he needed to move. So many emotions swirled inside him, from anger to sadness and everything in between. "It's not fair to keep me stuck here in the stadium because I made a mistake yesterday, maybe if I hadn't been stuck here, then I wouldn't have snuck out. You can't keep me in this stadium forever, just because.. because you're being overprotective and.. and overbearing!" Kaiden finally snapped. Then a hand flew over his mouth as he froze, those words settling in the air with no way to take them back.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Ezekiel Finch and Theophilus Sharpe (and also the Smith Clan)
Seraphite Warrior, WLF Member | 26, 22 | Current location ;; Washington

There were very few times over the course of Kaiden’s life that Hayden had been truly angry with him. He had been highly annoyed and irritated as was common with adults and their still growing children. He had been temporarily furious. He had been very good at not ever taking the words too personally, because children needed an outlet for their emotions. Children did not know how to regulate, because it was new and frankly they couldn’t. Hayden loved children. He helped raise so many of them during their FEDRA days. Kaiden may have been his pride and joy, but he was not the only child that he knew. The difference was that Kaiden was his. Kaiden had always been his. From the moment they met all those years ago in that barren little apartment. He knew it the moment that Kai asked him to read a story. He could read to that little boy for hours, and sometimes he did.

“So this is my fault.” It’s not fair. “I did this.” If I hadn’t been stuck here. “Oh.” You’re being overprotective. “I see.” And overbearing. He did not move. He did not twitch. He stared at the boy who was supposed to be his. Where did he go wrong? What was what Hayden wanted to know. What did he do wrong? “When your mother died, she trusted that I could watch over you. She trusted me to be your father. You know what I told her? Of course, Emily. Of course we will take him in. We already have. He is already our family as are you. You were the kind of lucky to have not one parent but many. You were surrounded by love.” His words were lighter like the air softened for Emily. Hayden loved her like a sister. Her presence died. “Smothered perhaps?” That edge crept back in. “Overprotective and overbearing love.” His lips froze, partially parted as he repeated the words. “Maybe I shouldn’t love you so much. Is that what you think would be better for you? Should I let you go? Would you feel less trapped then?”
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[EquineGurl23]

Kaiden Lachlan and Alexander Brennan (along with the Smith Clan)
WLF Member, Young Seraphite Warrior | 23, 16 | Current location ;; Washington

Like an overinflated balloon, Kaiden's entire being deflated hearing those words. Hearing that.. edge. How did this go so wrong? He should never have left the stadium yesterday, or today. He heard the softened words when he talked about his mother. Kaiden also knew that there were so few times that his father had really gotten mad at him. "That isn't.. that's not what I.. No. I.." Kaiden couldn't form sentences, the anger flying out of his system fast as all that was left was a shell. None of this should've happened. None of it. It was all.. that scar's fault. He crowded into Kaiden's mind and made him restless, made him want to do something stupid to get him out of his mind. Kai walked over to Hayden, sitting in the chair beside him and looked at his dad. "No. Please don't let me go. I.. I.." His words were stuck in his throat as tears burned down his face. Like every other time Kai got angry, once that anger had vanished, he felt broken inside. He hated that he had his birth father's anger, hated that he said things he didn't mean. More than once he'd gone across the hall to Hayden's when his parents got into an argument for some reason, usually FEDRA related. "I didn't mean what I said.. and I won't leave the stadium ever again, just please don't stop loving me." Kaiden whispered. 'I can't lose another parent' He thought as he sat there, hands wringing in his lap as he looked down at them.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Ezekiel Finch and Theophilus Sharpe (and also the Smith Clan)
Seraphite Warrior, WLF Member | 26, 22 | Current location ;; Washington

That’s not what? What he meant. Sure it was. That was exactly what he meant. Kai felt that Hayden was being too harsh. Was he? He was not sure. Sometimes he tried to think back on his own father and how he might have handled a situation like this. How he would have raised Kaiden. He knew that his own father could have done this better. He always knew it. This was a failing. He did not move as Kaiden came nearer. As Kaiden took the chair beside him. As he pleaded for forgiveness. Forgiveness for what? For feeling trapped? For being treated like a child? That was what happened when one acted like a child. When one could not be trusted outside the walls of their home. “I did this for you. Everything has always been for you. This,” he gestured around them. “This stadium is for you. We worked to build a better world for everyone, but I worked to do it for you.” He looked at his son who meant the world to him. Josh used to be his world. They were best friends for so long. Then there was Kai, and it was like the world realigned itself. Hayden placed one hand over Kai’s and held onto his fingers. “I could never stop loving you, Kai.” He placed his other hand on his son’s cheek. “Never.” Even if it killed him, Killed them. And now he wanted to stay there forever. Never leave. “But I can’t trust you. I can’t trust you with yourself or with someone else.” His eyes looked at Theo for the briefest of moments. He stayed in the same chair unable to say anything. “I can’t trust that you can be the responsible adult.” He was leaving him no choice. “You are right. You won’t leave the stadium again. You won’t run off, because you won’t be able to. You thought you were trapped before?” Hayden dropped the hand from Kaiden’s cheek. “Perhaps you will reconsider your actions when you are actually trapped.” Theo suddenly snapped his attention up. What did that mean? Hayden pulled his hands away and started to stand up. He had already made up his mind.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Kaiden Lachlan and Alexander Brennan (along with the Smith Clan)
WLF Member, Young Seraphite Warrior | 23, 16 | Current location ;; Washington

Kaiden had meant a lot of what he'd said, and he knew that he had also acted like a child. He listened to Hayden, heard him speak about how this stadium was for him, that his dad did it for him. And he felt the hand over his hand and fingers, and for a moment his world felt like it had gone back to normal. Until he heard the rest of his words. What. Kai blinked tear filled eyes at his father. Didn't trust him with himself, or with others. He was responsible, he knew what he was doing. The hand on his cheek dropped as Kaiden's heart sank. "What?" Kai's voice was soft, and broken. Trapped. No. No no no. Already he was getting mad again. "Papa.. please?" Kai turned to Josh, as if his other father could get him out of this punishment. Joshua had listened silently, through the whole thing. "Hayden, love. Is that not a little too harsh?" Josh asked as he too started to stand up, looking at his husband. He knew how Kaiden felt, because he was so similar. There was a reason he patrolled every day. He couldn't stand sitting around the stadium all day either.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Ezekiel Finch and Theophilus Sharpe (and also the Smith Clan)
Seraphite Warrior, WLF Member | 26, 22 | Current location ;; Washington

“Too harsh? No. I don’t think so.” Hayden moved away from them. His husband and his son both. He headed to the door, passing Theo. “We have not been harsh enough. I let him get away with too much. Maybe Brian is right about that. Maybe i have not allowed him to be like everyone else.” He faced them as he reached the conference room door. “No more patrolling. No more runs outside these walls. No more responsibilities. Enjoy your freedom.” He opened the door and walked out knowing that the likelihood that he was going to be followed was pretty high. He pulled out his walkie and to figure out where the people he needed to talk to were.

Theo was on his feet and staring after him in a panic. “He can’t do that.” Now he was panicking as the reality of it was sinking in. “Can he do that?” They knew full well that he could do that. Would he do that? He heard Hayden already radioing in. He had done it. Theo didn’t think this would happen. He thought they would get shamed and feel bad for a while, but this? This was too much. Right? He looked at Josh. “Can you stop him? He can’t do that.”
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Kaiden Lachlan and Alexander Brennan (along with the Smith Clan)
WLF Member, Young Seraphite Warrior | 23, 16 | Current location ;; Washington

Josh heard his husband's words and even he had to groan. Brian was not right. They had done a good job parenting Kaiden, but he was young and eager, and sure still rebellious, but he was a good man over all. Kai froze hearing those words, no patrolling? No runs outside? He walked after his dad, Josh beside him. "Dad! Dad no! You can't do this! Papa?!" Kaiden cried, looking at Josh who was looking at Theo and Kaiden. Kai looked at the other two and swallowed. "Come on Theo." He said, his voice steel as he turned away, fists clenched at his sides. He wasn't going to be trapped here and he had a plan. He'd explain more when they were away from everyone.

"Go to your rooms. I'll speak with Hayden. I'll see what I can do about getting this all sorted okay?" Josh said, following after Hayden. "Sweetheart, perhaps this is a little too harsh. We've done just fine in raising Kai, and sure he made a mistake but not even running outside the walls? You know he's like me, he's going to go stir crazy in this stadium."​

 

[icedthemoon]

Ezekiel Finch and Theophilus Sharpe (and also the Smith Clan)
Seraphite Warrior, WLF Member | 26, 22 | Current location ;; Washington

Theo didn’t know what was happening. Was Hayden really about to cut Kai off? He was running after the rest of them, unsure what he was supposed to be doing now. Then he heard Hayden talking on the radio, ignoring the rest. He didn’t just say Kai’s name. He said Theo’s too. Theo was also cut off. He faltered in his steps. This wasn’t like their usual trouble. This was so much worse. He stared at everyone until Kai was leaving. Telling him to follow. He looked back at Hayden and then Josh and then he followed Kai. After a while of walking, he finally spoke. “Wh- what just happened? Kai? What did your dad just do?” Maybe he hadn’t seen what was really going on. Maybe he was lost. Maybe he misunderstood.

Hayden was not in the mood for his adult son to act like a child. He was not in the mood to have to explain himself because Kai didn’t like the answer. He was not even in the mood for his husband who clearly didn’t understand. “Yes, Joshua, he’s just like you,” he snapped. All of that hurt he was pushing aside came flooding back. Hurt from years ago. Hurt he thought they had moved passed already. “That’s the problem, isn’t it?” He stopped walking so that he could look at his husband. Really look at him. “He’s more interested in running out there any time he gets bored or restless, and he doesn’t care who that hurts. Himself. Us. Everyone else here? If he doesn’t get disemboweled by a scar, then he’s going to become one them then and you’ll have to kill him too!” He moved away, because if he stayed there any longer, he was actually going to lose whatever he had left keeping him sane and together. He couldn’t think about that. He couldn’t even consider the idea, and that was why he had ro keep Kai here. He may be miserable and angry but at least then he would be safe.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Kaiden Lachlan and Alexander Brennan (along with the Smith Clan)
WLF Member, Young Seraphite Warrior | 23, 16 | Current location ;; Washington

Kai was walking away, adamantly ignoring his fathers. Once they were a good bit away, he looked at Theo. “He’s cut us off completely. We won’t be able to leave the stadium at all. Ever. So we’re leaving, now. Before he has a chance to secure all the exits. Get your pack and meet me at the emergency doors. Quickly.” Kai said, looking at Theo. He was not about to stay here any longer. Not now.

Josh looked at Hayden, and flinched at the words he heard. He stopped when Hayden did and looked at him. What? “Fine. If this is what you think this is best then by all means. But I don’t support this. I’ve supported you with everything else but not this. This will come back to bite you love and I won’t have anything to say.” Josh said turning away from Hayden to walk to the gym. Anything, anywhere was better than having his past mistakes thrown in his face. He had tried to do everything to protect Hayden and even if he was wrong in the end, he was trying.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Ezekiel Finch and Theophilus Sharpe (and also the Smith Clan)
Seraphite Warrior, WLF Member | 26, 22 | Current location ;; Washington

Completely. No. No no no. He wouldn’t do that. Right? He wouldn’t cut them off completely like that. Maybe cut them off from taking their own strolls or leaving the stadium without a specific job or intent for now. He didn’t agree with it, of course, but he could see the logic in it. It made sense from a certain point of view. This was their punishment. Their consequence. Not completely cut off. Did what they did warrant that? “We’re…” They were leaving? Oh god, they were really just leaving? Did he have any reason to stay if Kai went? No. No he really didn’t. “Okay. Meet at the emergency doors. Got it.” When they made it to Kai’s room, Theo kept going. He ran even. He didn’t care who saw them, because they were already in it deep. What could anyone do? He threw open his door to find Brian being the same pain as always. He ignored him as he asked how much trouble he was in or if he planned to pout forever. He ignored him as he demanded to know what he was doing packing that bag, and where he thought he was going. He threatened to call his superior, and Theo whipped around saying, “Do it. It doesn’t matter anymore.” And then he was gone, racing down the hall to the emergency doors. Was Brian going to try and ruin this for them? Absolutely. Their window of time just got a whole lot shorter.

Hayden was too angry to do anything but storm through the halls. He could hear Josh’s words in his mind. He didn’t support this. He supported Hayden with everything else? Did he now? He turned his head, still walking but fully able to project down this hall. There were plenty of people around, and Hayden did not care at all. “Do not lie to me, Joshua. Do not pretend for a second that you have always supported me. Do not pretend like you have always been the hero.” He pulled his head back to facing away as he moved as quickly as he could, which was pretty quick with the way that he had been that day, so that he could be anywhere else. The people around him parted ways to let him through, because everyone knew. Everyone knew who to be afraid of, and that was him. When Hayden was younger, he would have thought that it was a flat out lie that twenty years in the future, he would be one of the most feared people in an entire organization this size. One of. He knew he wasn’t the most feared, but he was up there in it. Why? What did he do to cause that? He was such a good and kind guy. What did he do? This. This is what he did. He protected his people. He made hard decisions with Isaac. He had so little to lose when he made some of those choices. He did what he had to do to keep his people safe. Was this harsh? Yes. But it would keep Kaiden safe. He moved to the security office. There were things he needed to implement very quickly.
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[EquineGurl23]

Kaiden Lachlan and Alexander Brennan (along with the Smith Clan)
WLF Member, Young Seraphite Warrior | 23, 16 | Current location ;; Washington

Kaiden looked at Theo and bit his lip as he got to his room. He shoved everything he could into it. Clothes, flashlight, even the medical kit Jacob got him on his sixteenth birthday. He shoved the pistol he’d smuggled into his bag, and some snacks he had. Once he was done, he turned and walked out of the room. Kaiden met Theo at the security doors and looked at him. “Let’s go.” He said, pushing the doors open as the alarms went off again. “Run!” He yelled as he took off down the stairs. “We need to get over the fence before they do something like electrocute the fence.” Kaiden said. If his dad wanted to trap him then Kai would leave. He refused to be trapped inside that stadium.

Joshua glared at Hayden, something he hadn’t done in years. He went to move and follow him just long enough to say something. “You’re going to draw a line between Kai and you, and it won’t end well.” Josh said as he turned around and stormed off. He headed to the gym, pushing open the doors and went to the boxing dummy. He threw punch after punch at it as he growled under his breath. This wasn’t going to end well and Josh might not even go to bed. Until the door alarm went off again. But this time Josh didn’t leave. He had a feeling of what was happening but he just kept punching the bag without a care.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Ezekiel Finch and Theophilus Sharpe (and also the Smith Clan)
Seraphite Warrior, WLF Member | 26, 22 | Current location ;; Washington

“Brian knows!” Theo yelled, because there was nothing that they were hiding anymore. Everyone already knew. The alarm was screeching at them, and even if they could get out of there before someone caught them, there was no hiding that it was them. Hayden and Josh were going to know. Brian was going to know. Brian was going to do whatever he could to make it worse for them. He hated Brian. At least now he no longer had to be his roommate. “Oh god can they do that?!” Theo had never considered something like electrocuting the fence, but it made sense that Hayden in his worst could do something that drastic. He scrambled to the fence to get to the place they left before. It was harder to find in the dark like this. Thankfully the stadium had so many lights that it overflowed to the outside a little bit. They had not been back long enough for Hayden to have done anything about it, so they could still get out that way. “I know you hate when people say this, and I am going to say this with all the love in the world, but your dad is crazy!”

Hayden fumed as he walked with the words still reeling in his head. A line was fine. A line could be there if it kept him safe. Of course Josh could not understand that. He could never understand, because in the end, they may have both adopted Kai, but Kai was still Hayden’s. Joshua was still a soldier who was too busy soldiering to be there for his son. Like Kai’s birth father. Like so many of those parents’ of the kids that Hayden watched grow up. Theo was one of them, except he didn’t even have a parent at home with them both being part of the military. Hayden and Jacob were all that they had. That was it. Not Josh. Not their parents. So fine. He would draw a line. He would make it as thick as he needed to in order to put Kai in a box that did not allow him to make stupid enough decisions to endanger himself. As a father, Hayden had to do the hard things. He could do that. He always did. As he talked with several people, making plans for the inevitable attempt at getting around these rules, the alarm went off. The alarm again. And he knew. He knew in that moment that he had not moved fast enough. He literally could not move fast enough to do what needed to be done. And whose fault was that? Josh’s. He rallied a team and sent them out of those doors to find his boy before he did something they were going to regret.

It was late. No one had shown up to dinner. That was how he knew something bad was going on. None of them were in their rooms. None of them were in the places that they normally would be. That was how he knew that it was really bad. And then the radio happened, and he knew he was really, really bad. It had been a long time since Hayden sounded like that. As the door alarm went off again for the second time that day, he wasn’t that worried, because very quickly after, a whole team was running out to see what it was. He was ignoring the fact that he was pretty sure he already knew. That team was not his team, so maybe he was wrong? Except that Hayden was very clearly upset and very clearly in charge of everything going on right now. That was not his number one priority. Josh was. Josh was somewhere, and he needed to find him. And if he was upset, Soren could guess where he was. “So, what’s going on?” He asked as he stepped into the gym to find Josh absolutely pummeling the punching bag.
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