dariusyoung

[dariusyoung]

[Text] Don't be dumb, just come back home.

[Text] If you are mad at me still or you prefer me not to come back with you then that’s okay. I’ll figure something out. I finally got my phone back.

[dariusyoung]

[Text] Darius...I want to come home. I'm coming home. Just please, don't ask me any questions about where I've been. Please can I come home?

[Text] Amneris, are you all right? 

[Text] Of course you can come home.

[dariusyoung]

Darius jumped slightly when he heard Alaska behind him, but that was more for her benefit than his. He laughed. "You know, Alaska Hart, I could hear you all the way from the door until you got here," he chuckled, turning around, offering her favorite mug to her. Darius started to walk towards the living room, his footsteps light but his heart feeling heavy. He couldn't help but feel like Alaska was going to leave as well, and that scared him more than he would care to admit. 

Taking a seat heavily in his armchair, he crossed his legs, carefully holding onto his mug. He tilted his head slightly, trying to read Alaska's expression. He blinked, taking a sip of his tea, burning his tongue slightly before opening his mouth to speak. "What's going on, Alaska?" he asked, trying to be calm, even though he worried that his biggest fears were going to be realized tonight. 

Darius hated being left behind. It happened when Teresa left, it happened when Eric left, when Tiberius died, when Amneris left him behind...the last thing he wanted was to be alone. He felt a headache coming on, a vision of things that had already happened, of pain that he had already felt. He didn't show the pain on his face, however. Darius had gotten used to it now, and was pretty good at keep himself reined in whenever he felt one of these blinding migraines coming on.

baby girl, you're a blur {darius and alaska}

[dariusyoung]

Maybe I won't die alone.

[dariusyoung]

baby girl, you're a blur {darius and alaska}

Darius came home and checked his phone for the first time in at least six hours, knowing that Alaska would have tried to contact him. Loosening his tie as he set his satchel down, his suspicions were confirmed when he saw three messages from Alaska all within five minutes of each other. Must be important. He made his way to the kitchen, absentmindedly turning on the kettle and retrieving two mugs, knowing that Alaska would probably want to come over, texting her with one hand.

These last four years had brought them closer together. Now that she wasn't his student anymore, he felt a little more relaxed talking to her, and he felt like she was a part of the family. Amneris had been working outside of the district, doing work for a nonprofit. It had been at least two years since Darius had seen her. Eric still was missing, and even though Darius kept all his things exactly as they had been left behind, he was starting to resign himself to the fact that he probably wouldn't come back.

It was in that hole in his heart that Alaska had filtered in.

She seemed to truly care for Darius, as more than just her former professor or her former boyfriend's family. They were good friends now, and, no matter how late they got home, they always made sure to send a few messages or do a video call. On the nights they weren't too tired, Alaska would come over in her pajamas and they would sit in the living room, drinking tea, just....talking. They talked about nothing and everything and when it got too late, Alaska would slowly start to fall asleep and Darius would simply turn off the light in his living room and let her stay there. Or, if she needed to go home, he would make sure that she got there safely. She was his family now-he needed to take care of her.

That's why he wasn't surprised when she said that she was going to be coming over. He habitually got out the two mugs and put her favorite teabag in her mug, the one that she accidentally dropped and chipped a year ago but refused to get rid of. He put his favorite tea in his mug, one that Amneris had made for him when she took a sculpture class, crafted beautifully and bringing back memories. Darius let the water warm up and went over to his room, tossing his jacket over the chair at his desk before unbuttoning his shirt, changing into his soft pajama shirt and flannel pants. Alaska could let herself in, and he knew that this late at night, she would be in her pajamas, so he would be as well.

He worried about what she had to say to him. When Alaska got worried about what Darius would think, she was usually overreacting, but he didn't like it when she was agitated. It made him start to mirror her emotions, and, feeling what she was feeling, he would start to get agitated as well. Darius shook the thoughts from his head. It was probably nothing. It would be fine.

[dariusyoung]

A: It might be, you have no idea what I'm about to tell you. I could have murdered another one.

A: Alright, I'm coming up the walk now. Leave the door unlocked for me, won't you?

D: What do you mean ANOTHER one?!?

D: You know where the spare key is anyway, just come in.

[dariusyoung]

A: Yeah, I did.. somethings been on my mind lately and I’m afraid you might not love me the same once you find out, I’ll be out of dance class in ten and then I’m calling my favorite chipped mug.

D: Now, you know that's not true.

D: I'll be waiting.

[dariusyoung]

"Alaska, you’ve grow up to be wonderful. You’ve gone through everything awful and now you are getting every good thing you deserve at last. Don’t let me be the reason that all gets ruined." Darius rubbed a weathered thumb over the back of her hand, that still fit in his so perfectly, still a child, though now all grown up. "You have all this love inside you, and you’re always bursting at the seams to let it out. Don’t lose that." As he closed his eyes and let loving hands drag him into the dark, he had one last vision: the night that she had stumbled into his office, bruised and bleeding. Even though the memory pained him, it now came with the recognition that it was truly a blessing in disguise.

(via xalaskahartx)

[dariusyoung]

I hope so as well. [he closes the photo album] Now, tell me, Alaska, how have you been?

Nope, just play the hand that life has unexpectedly given us. I know I’m happy, and I hope one day he is too.

[dariusyoung]

I know. [he sighs softly] He needed to do what he needed to do-and I suppose there's nothing we could have done, in the end.

[A smile tints her red lips, and its jarring, looking on photos of a boy she once shared a life with. She doesn’t feel bitterness, or infatuation instead its just a warm cozy feeling spreading over her heart of remembrance.]

[A tilt of her head, and her fingers reach out to touch the gloss of someone elses childhood]

I miss him sometimes y’know.. when everything was said and done, he’s still one of the best people I know.

[dariusyoung]

Good afternoon, Miss Meade. [turns the page] How have you been?

[Sighs softly, sitting beside him, peeking the photographs as well.]

[dariusyoung]

It was rather cute. 

We might never know, Leo. That's just life.

Oh god! We thought we were super cool back then, I mean look at those poses, we totally thought we were gonna male models.

I still just sorta wish he told us why he went. I don’t wanna know where, I just… I wanna know that he wasn’t running from something that wasn’t worth leaving for.

[dariusyoung]

[chuckles] Just some old photographs. [points at each person in the picture in turn] That's my sister, Allison, my brother, Tiberius, Amneris, and that...Eric.

[A string of doe legs headed towards the bench, and she sits down, content to sit in her silence has never been her thing and with a hum leaving her lips, breaks it] ”What are you looking at?” [A lean into his space, and her nosiness is poking at her, she wants to touch the gloss of the photo and see what has captured her fatherly figures attention] 

[dariusyoung]

[scoots over, pats the bench next to him.] Look, there's a picture of you two in elementary school.

It's always hard to lose someone you love, and it's tough to make peace with when someone leaves you...but I'm glad you did. Eric did what he had to do, and if that meant leaving Starlasia, then I wish him the best.

Am I really? I remember being behind the camera most of the time.

I’m glad though. That you kept them. I’m not as angry with him anymore, I’m just… glad I knew him.

[dariusyoung]

[looks up with a smile, pushing his glasses further up his nose] You're in here, too, you know.

Missing someone?

[dariusyoung]

[sits in the park, flipping through a book of photographs] 

[dariusyoung]

[grading papers in his office late at night]