"When the night has come and the land is dark, and the moon is the only light we see."

[theateroflove]

Who: Tori Kingston, Sasha Stanford and Zeke Wyatt + Squad
What: Chilling Out & Enjoying Memories
Where: Lakehouse, Vermont
When: After this

After the memorial when everyone had finished watching the wreaths and lanterns float across the lake, Cassidy had ushered Tori to one of the nearest cushy beanbag and unceremoniously planted him in it and told him to rest and relax. She brought him a mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows (which were also purple, Justin didn't miss a thing in his planning) and sat with him for a little bit to make sure he was okay. Probably double-checking he wasn't about to keel over and start bleeding and vomiting all over the place like the night he lost his shit at the neighbour's barbecue. Other than a lingering headache, a little dull nausea, and some wooziness if he stood too long, he was on the mend. He could've done without any of that crap, but he had to learn the hard way that there was nothing simple about grieving.

Soon, Sasha had come over and pulled another beanbag up beside him while Justin sat nearby playing the bongo drums and started to sing the classic song, Stand By Me, which was one of Andi's favourites. When Sasha asked him how he was feeling, Tori gave him a reassuring smile. "Better. Kind of done-in with all the emotion and still feeling a little rough with cracking my head on the pavement, but I think better than I have in awhile." He looked back over to Justin. "Did you give him a list of the songs she loved? I didn't know he could play the bongos. He blows me away, I feel so honoured to have the chance to work with him. Cas adores him. I love that he takes care of her and she can trust him to confide in. I can't believe he did all this for Ands and he barely knew her."

Comments

[wordsofwisdom]

"I do. I know it's not the same, but I know trauma. I feel so helpless. I'm worried he's trying to shield me and not be a burden. Because he knows about my pain and that stress can make it worse, but it would be worth it to help him. Even the stuff with Will. Like, if we took my spine injury and his cancer out of the equation, I'd be one of the first people he would've told he was dating. We would've celebrated together. Just like we did when I told him I'd met you and was falling in love with you. He was legit my biggest cheerleader and so supportive through all my new dating and losing my v-card nerves. I want to do the same for him, you know?" Shannon was playing with Fin's fingers as he so often did. Fin had beautiful hands. That might seem like an odd thing but the way he played the drums, handles reigns on a horse, lassoed and roped like a boss. That was what made this dating thing so incredible, the special little things. "A bros hangout. That's a brilliant idea. I feel like a dick for not knowing how to help him."

[truthrunswild]

Fin smiled softly at the mention of when they started dating. It was a crappy time in his life and meeting Shannon had been this bolt of incredible lightning that hit him in the heart. He still remembered the day they met. He was riding Gypsy out at the farm and Shannon was beyond the fences. They had sex before they started dating but really, Fin knew he was head-over before that and hadn't wanted to pressure Shannon into anything. Shannon was still navigating his sexuality and figuring his body out intimately and how it was supposed to work not having the use of his legs. Thankfully, he wasn't paralysed. He still felt his legs, could even move his feet, like when he played piano with the foot pedals. They got there, but it really did take a lot of open communication and understanding each other's struggles. "Don't feel like a dick. You're not just going to miraculously 'know' how to help. He has to guide you on that. He's the only one that can. There's a lot of factors at play. You're his cousin, darlin'. You're the only one of us here related to him by blood. That's huge."

[wordsofwisdom]

"I'm scared we're going to lose him." Shannon surprised himself that he didn't immediately burst into tears as soon as he said that. He felt strangely calm talking about it with Fin. It was exactly what he needed, to be able to just put how he was feeling out there and knowing Fin would always have his back. "And you know the weirdest part? I get nervous I might say the wrong thing, which is kind of like walking on eggshells. Or rolling on eggshells, in my case. That whole eggshell thing was what I hated the most after my accident. I didn't want anyone acting weird or treating me any different because it freaked me out more than adjusting to the fact I wouldn't walk again. All I wanted was everyone to be real with me and accept it with me. That's why I fell in love with you so easily. You kept it real right from day one. It was never a thing to you that I was in a wheelchair for good. You helped me see that the stress I had about sex wasn't necessary because we could have just as normal a sex life as anyone else. I know that's a huge thing for him too. He thinks his downstairs issues contribute to defining him."