#house finches are so stupid i love them but bro. please

[phoenixcavalier]

i responded to an injured/trapped bird call at a childs birthday party- teenage house finch, not injured just lost. As soon as i ushured him out, he IMMEDIATELY flew into the cafe next door and trapped himself in their stockroom 🙄

[jack-kellys]

it’s me, with another AU! this is based off this ask I got a little while ago.

——————

like him

words: 2000 whoops

warnings: cursing, weed, bit of a mental breakdown, mentions/implications of abuse

——————

Everyone had some sort of power.

Passed down through generations, it manifested in every child at the start of adolescence, a fifty percent chance on either parent passing theirs down, like it was simply a hair color gene.

Well. It seemed like everyone had a power.

For what seemed like years, all of Albert DaSilva’s friends have had their powers. Race could control electricity and move faster than the rest of them, Romeo could charm the pants off anyone, Mush could heal with just his hands, and Finch had perfect aim and could see farther and clearer than the norm. And Al was just….Al. Nothing inherited, no specific talents that were randomly bestowed to him. Nothing. No special qualities.

He’d tried, he could say that. He taught himself to fight over the years, he was quite flexible, able to do a bunch of parkour bullshit (half for compensating, and half to say “parkour!” whenever he jumped off of something and be able to mean it), anything he could to just prove himself that he was enough. He could compete with his friends, even if Race would always be faster than him, Davey always smarter, Spot always stronger. He was enough. He had to be enough.

As Albert entered his house that afternoon, the first thing he saw were all the leaves on the ground. His dad must not be there, or else those definitely wouldn’t have been there.

“Liam, you gotta clean these up,” Al sighed, bending down to scoop them into a cleaner pile. They were a perfect emerald green, and soft, too. “Damn, I think you’re gettin’ even better at this, kid.”

Al’s younger brother skidded into the room, grinning, vines trailing up his arms and legs like he was part tree.

Albert burst out laughing at the sight. “What the hell? How long’ve you been experimenting?”

“Hours,” Liam beamed, bobbing his head. “You think Ma’d be impressed if she could see ‘em?”

Al gave him a smile. Plants had been their mother’s specialty. She never got to see Liam inherit her powers, but Al thanked the stars every day that her botanical abilities hadn’t died with her. She was still with them, he liked to think.

“She’d be so proud, Tiger,” Al said, gesturing at the leaves. “These look beautiful. Much nicer than the gross yellowy crinkled ones you were makin’ last week.”

“Shush! No talking about that!” Liam huffed, finding a paper bag after rummaging through cabinets and shoving the leaves into it.

“Fine,” Al relented, smirking. “I just came by to check on you. I’m gonna head over to Racer’s, will you be alright?”

“Yep! All good here, Allie!” Liam chirped. “Go on with your friends, I gotta make some more vines.”

Al scoffed. “Alright, alright, but make sure you clean everything up before Papa comes home. Y’know how he gets about your powers.”

Liam nodded slowly, solemn even. “I’ll be okay,” the child reassured.

Albert ruffled his hair. “Good. I’ll see you soon, bud. Love ya.”

“Love yaaaah!” Liam called, dragging out the word as Al left the house.

• • •

“Heyyyyyy Albie!”

Al ducked into Race’s basement to see Mush, Jack, Crutchie, Race, and Romeo passing around a few blunts in the haphazard circle they were sitting in.

“You guys look like a cult who gave up halfway through the ritual,” Al said as he sat down next to Race, who whapped his arm lightly.

“We did out best, sir,” Crutchie whined with a smile. “What took you so long anyway?”

Albert shrugged. “I wanted to check in on Liam before our dad came home.”

“Dads,” Race mused. “Fuck ‘em.” And then he took a long drag.

Albert pulled the blunt with two fingers out of Race’s lips and put it to his own, holding the weed in his lungs before exhaling out in a short sigh. “Fuck ‘em,” he muttered.

“Cheers, I’ll drink to that, bro,” Romeo mumbled, picking up a glasses filled with…with….

“Bro, is that apple juice?” Albert asked, lips quirked a smile. “What the fuck?”

“I swear to god he has the weirdest cravings,” Jack sighed, shaking his head. “He really is the baby of the group.” Romeo whined at that, making Jack let out a scoff of laughter and point at him, as if his whininess was evidence.

“Is apple juice really stranger than fruity pebbles?” Mush snickered, glancing at Al. Al frowned as he took another hit from the blunt, shoving Mush over from across Race. Mush shoved him back, the two boys hitting each other over Race’s lap.

“Boys,” Race rolled his eyes, gripping their wrists at lighting speed. “You’re both pretty, even if you’ll never be me.”

“This ain’t my argument, but shut your trap, Racer,” Jack grumbled. He started to trace his fingers in the air and the boys groaned.

Jack had the peculiar power of being able to conjure things by “drawing” them out first, and often used harmless bullshit on his friends to make them look stupid. Once he stopped tracing, he flicked the product in Race’s direction, who flinched in apprehension.

A dark mustache and giant black round glasses now framed Race’s face, as well as an L on his forehead. The boys burst out laughing, their giggles lasting longer than normal due to their high.

“You—stupid,” Crutchie managed before dissolving into wheezes, which only made everyone laugh harder as Race scowled.

“You want stupid?” Race threatened. Al shook his head no in unison with the boys’ nods of approval. “I’ll give ya stupid.”

He stood up from where he was sitting and moved to a more open part of the basement, gesturing for everyone to stand back. Once everyone did, he started running inn a circle.

It looked kind of ridiculous at first, the boys watching in confusion as Race slowly increased speed.

Al squinted. It was getting kind of hard to see Race clearly, he realized. He was blurring into one shape, one circular outline. Al could see little bolts of lighting crackling through the blur, and felt wind blowing his hair back.

“Race,” he called out, “we get it, you’re dumb and fast. You can stop.”

The blur got faster instead.

Mush made eye contact with Albert, his worried frown reflecting Al’s own. Hopefully they wouldn’t need Mush’s powers tonight for a stupid stunt.

“Racetrack,” Al said, sterner. “Just stop, alright? Don’t burn yourself out.”

“I can—n’t. Ca-n’t. I- sto—p. I can’t sto-top,” came the choppy, distorted reply, making Al’s heartbeat quicken. The blur was still speeding up.

“Fuck, what the fuck,” Al said, abruptly standing. But he was frozen. There wasn’t anything he could do.

“How the fuck do we stop him?” Crutchie said, a nervous waver in his voice and in how he forced himself into standing on his good leg alone. The rest of the boys stood too, Crutchie’s hand finding Jack’s shoulder to steady himself on.

“Well, I’m ready for whatever aftermath this’s gonna cause,” Mush sighed, wiggling his hands.

“He’s not gonna stop unless we force it,” Al said slowly, biting his lip. “So we force it, and Mush just has to heal ‘im up.”

“Race,” Romeo started, Al feeling the familiar compulsion to listen, which happened whenever Romeo used his power. “Please try and slow down a little, at least, if you can hear me?”

No reply from the blur came back.

“Alright, well, that didn't work,” Romeo huffed. “How the hell do we actually wanna force it?”

“He could slip and fall out of the...storm he created,” Al offered.

“Oh, shit, I can help with that!” Crutchie beamed, raising his hand. A bubble of water appeared out of it.

“Flood ‘im then,” Jack nodded.

Crutchie returned it, letting go of Jack’s shoulder. He raised his hands slightly, palms towards the ceiling, pausing a moment. Then he shoved his arms out towards Race. A wave surged from Crutchie’s hands, Al being able to smell the salt water.

It toppled Race off of his feet, thank god.

But he was going so fast that he tumbled….straight through one of the walls in his basement, creating a large hole.

“Race!” Al yelled, bolting to where he had landed, Mush hot on his heels. He knelt next to the blond boy, who was sprawled on his back. Every few seconds, Race’s body would give a slight jolt, the extra electricity still coursing through him. His eyes were actively scrunched closed, but he wasn’t conscious.

“Jesus Christ,” Al muttered, pressing his lips together and letting his hands curl into fists. He closed his eyes a moment.

That was so fucking stupid of Race, Al thought bitterly.

Yes, they were all at varying degrees of high, but Race shouldn’t just abuse his powers to such a dangerous extreme. What a useless thing to do. And harmful, too. Who knows what could have happened if he kept going, if he could have caught on fire even from the speed, or maybe even-

“Al. Al. Hellooo,” Mush tapped Albert’s shoulder, effectively startling him out of...whatever that was. He wasn’t quite sure. “Help me lift this idiot onto the couch.”

Albert nodded wordlessly, both boys bringing Race to the couch so Mush could heal him.

“Might take more than a minute this time,” Mush grimaced, placing his hands on Race’s stomach as Al begrudgingly nodded.

It took eleven minutes, actually. Al counted.

And then Race was sitting up like nothing had ever happened. Like it was nothing.

“We all good, fam,” Race laughed. Jack gave a distracted thumbs up as he, Crutchie, and Romeo continued to try and clean up the wall and the water.

“No, we’re not all good, asshole,” Al snapped, surprising himself slightly. He didn’t think he was that mad.

Race looked confused. “I broke my own wall, dude. I know I fucked up,” he shrugged.

“That’s not the problem,” Al seethed, internally begging himself to calm down. He rubbed his hands over his arms. They felt colder. “The problem is that you could have fucking, like, combusted if you kept going. You realize that, right?”

Race faltered slightly. “Well, hey—“

Al shook his head violently, cutting Race off. He couldn’t stop himself. “You could have died, okay?! For a stupid-shit stunt! Jesus fucking Christ.” His voice was raised now.

“Albert,” Mush attempted, giving him the same concerned he had given Race earlier, “try to calm down.”

“I..I-I—“ Albert broke himself off, shoulder shooting up as he fought a shiver. Why was he so cold? And why couldn’t his breathing slow down? And why was he being so awful to Race? Questions shoved themselves through his head, wincing as he felt an anxious energy shoot through his palms, heart rate much faster than it should have been. Blood roared in his ears, his hands reaching up to cover them against the sudden noise. What was this? Frustration burned in his chest and he returned to hugging himself. Why the fuck was he so mad? Why couldn’t he just stop it? What was happening to him?! He screwed his eyes shut as the fear and anger engulfed him, a freezing feeling that both stopped and accelerated his heart. “Mush, I—can’t, I don’t know I just can’t calm-“

“Just take some deep breaths, okay?” Mush asked.

“I’m trying, okay?” Al growled suddenly, then froze. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s—I—“

“I get that you’re angry, but you—“

“I’M NOT ANGRY!” Al shouted, eyes flying open and hand slamming down on the armrest of the couch. He did his best to take a ragged breath in. “I was just really worried, that’s all. I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s happening with...me…”

Albert trailed off as he noticed everyone had stopped looking at him, and looking at something next to him. His eyes flicked to his right, widening at the sight.

What looked like an eerie dead tree in the form of solid ice now sprouted from the armrest, sharp icicle shards piercing the ceiling at some points. One rather jagged point was even poking at Race.

Race let out a low whistle, breaking off the icicle closest to him. “That’s my fuckin’ armrest, Al,” he simply said.

Al wasn’t listening to whatever his friends continued to say. He was staring at the ice, the structure of his own doing transporting him to a different time.

Al’s mother was still alive, in another fight with his father. Young Albert watched from behind a door frame as they yelled insults, angry shouts of discontentment filling the kitchen. Albert watched as his father picked up one of his mother's small potted plants, holding it tightly in his hand. Frost erupted around the pot, then froze and wilted the flower inside. Then he threw it on the ground, not watching it shatter into ice as he shoved Albert’s mother into a different room as she screamed.

Ice had ruled his childhood. Ice had threatened him, his brothers, and his Ma. Ice had hurt them, too. It was a hateful, angry, cold and unfeeling thing.

And now he had it. He...inherited that. He was that.

Albert looked away from the gnarled tree of ice and back towards his friends, whose expressions of awe were slipping off their faces as they took in Al’s scared eyes. Only Race gave him a sad, knowing look.

“I-I needa leave,” Albert managed. “I’m so sorry.” Then he bolted out of the basement, footprints creating patches of ice, ignoring his friends’ protests.

• • •

Albert to Elmer: im coming to ur house rn just so you know

Elmer to Albert: ??? okay hun what's wrong it's like late

Albert to Elmer: show you when I get there

The moment Al walked into Elmer’s house, he nearly collapsed into his boyfriend’s arms. He squeezed El tightly, breathing in how he smelled to calm himself down.

“Oh, baby, you're so tense,” El murmured. “Let's go to my room; lemme ease that for you.”

Albert nodded into his shoulder as Elmer led them upstairs. He set them on his bed, Al flopping down onto his back and pinching the bridge of his nose.

“I don't know how it happened,” Al started, voice devoid of much emotion. “Something...weird just kinda came over me, and I was so angry, El, it almost hurt.”

“Baby,” El said, shifting closer with his eyebrows furrowed. “What happened at Race’s, if you don't mind me asking?”

“This,” Al muttered darkly, raising his hand. The now-distinguishable angry feeling unfurled in his gut as frost materialized over his fingers, then reaching to his palm, covering his whole hand in icy white. “Just like him.”

Elmer stared open-mouthed at Albert’s hand, poking it with one of his fingers before recoiling from the cold of it. “That's incredible,” El breathed. “After all this time, you do have powers.”

“And it sucks,” Al hissed. “They’re—his powers. I inherited the shit that I was terrified of when I was little. How fucked up is that?”

“Shhhh…” Elmer soothed, placing his hand on Albert’s cheek. Al sighed at the contact, feeling some of the stress leave his body. He was lucky Elmer was an empath, able to feel, absorb, and release emotions as needed, as long as he held physical contact with him.

“You're not your dad, Al,” Elmer continued, rubbing his thumb affectionately over Albert’s cheek. “You’re too kind, and really funny, and too smart and passionate…” Elmer punctuated each word with a kiss on Al’s forehead. Al’s stress ebbed away with each one, almost finding himself smiling.

“Okay baby okayy,” Albert groaned. Then he bit his lip. “When I used them though, I just...I didn't feel like me. Like I was a different person, or some batshit nonsense like that.”

Elmer sighed, indicating for Albert to move up on the bed. He complied, and felt Elmer curl around his back, wrapping his arms over Albert’s stomach.

“Then we’re gonna have to learn how to deal with that, and then fix that,” Elmer instructed. “You're powers are what make you you, and I want you to be able to feel like you.”

“That was too many you’s in one sentence,” Albert mumbled, pulling out his phone to text Liam that he’d be staying at El’s.

Elmer whapped Al’s back with a scoff. “You know what I mean though. I love you, okay, and I want you to be able to express yourself, in every part of yourself.”

“I love you too,” Albert said, his voice slightly hollow despite curling further into Elmer and closing his eyes. He didn't want to admit these powers were a part of him now. It didn't feel like his, and even after all this time of never having powers, he didn't want them, either.

Everyone had some sort of power, sure, but not everyone's felt like a curse.

————

to be continued, not just this story in particular, but this au in general, because it’s fun as fuck lmao

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