holiday ((atticus & lien))

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After the incident at the Valentine's Festival, James was deeply afraid that he wouldn't be able to embark on the holiday with Lien and Atticus; he didn't want to be stuck going to addiction-related group therapy around a bunch of people who've been following news stories about him since birth. He didn't intend to get high nor did he know where the drugs in his pockets came from. It was so bizarre! James was rather fortunate that ingesting the pixie dust made him cough enough that he ended up spending a couple of hours at St. Mungo's to run tests. All he knew was that he never wanted to feel that way ever again. In the end, his mum and his mind healer agreed that the trip to the hot springs resort would be fine as it'd be extremely difficult to get access to the drugs all the way over there and he'd have his boyfriend and friend to hold him accountable.

The trip took longer than he initially anticipated as he failed to account for time differences; no wonder why the portkey to the resort activated hours later. The three of them had killed plenty of time waiting at the Galleria with James giving Lien a grand tour, Atticus some of the sweets he saved from that festival.

After hours and hours, they were finally settling into their rental cabin; it was luxurious and grand as a cabin intended for one couple could be. James hadn't realized he only booked one of the single bedroom cabins as he arranged it before inviting Atticus to join in.

He flopped onto the couch in the sitting/living room and stretched. "Been quite a day, innit? And we've only just begun!" The drinks or water or hot springs here wouldn't be spiked, right?

@Lien Chang @Atticus Nott

Atticus looked to him in alarm, back to the letter, then passed it over to him.

"Read this. Both of you."

Lien was looking over quizzically at them, and shuffled nearer to read the letter over James's shoulder.

"But is has to be a joke," he said, laughing, but his laughter was very strained, and fizzled out into nothing. "Do you think it was sent to Alayna too? How could I have a sister that I've never known about? I mean - it's just... a sick joke..."

He ran his hand through his hair, thinking desperately of Alayna. He shouldn't be sat here playing house with Lien and James, he should be over there talking to her about it! Trying to calm her down! No doubt she was probably panicking over it just as much as he was.

@James Potter

As his eyes scanned the letter, a look of bemusement and confusion filled his face. How could he have a sister that nobody knew about? How could he have a sister that he wasn't even aware of? It made no sense!

"What the bloody hell?"

He handed the letter over to Lien to allow him to absorb it before walking over to Atticus in a desperate attempt to comfort him.

"Atti... Cus...."

James wasn't the greatest at comforting, he never was. He only barely got by helping Layla the one time. But now? This was a whole different ballpark!

"Do ya need a hug..?"

@Atticus Nott

"I don't know..."

He brushed his hand through his hair, ran his tongue over his top lip, and looked deeply unsettled. Whatever colour that was in his complexion had drained, and he was taking back the letter and standing up before the two of them, pacing back and forth slowly, trapped in his own thoughts.

I was living with my Mother, although we have the same Father...

All the years of abuse, but he'd never hated his Dad more than now. The fact he was unfaithful to their Mum, before they were even born... did she even know about it? If she did, why were they kept in the dark about it? He felt like the only person who could truly confirm whether it was true or not... was sitting in a cell in Azkaban. That meant he'd have to see him. But he couldn't.

"Just... um. Order the food. I'll be back in a moment, just give me... a moment."

He walked out from the room and locked himself in the bathroom, taking out his crystal and contemplating who he should message first. Alayna? His Mother?

Watching Atticus as he strolled backwards and forwards before them, Lien glanced at James as he started muttering to himself. Finding the words to say at this moment was beyond him. He had no idea what to say. He didn't want Atticus to be upset, and he didn't want their holiday to be ruined together.

When he left for the bathroom, Lien looked at his lap.

"I have a feeling he's going to want to go home now..."

@James Potter

"Yeah, probably..."

James didn't know whether to follow Atticus or just stay with Lien, but maybe it'd be better to let him have his space. Everything did escalate quickly.

Feeling uneasy, he wrapped himself around his boyfriend.

"I just dunno what to say... Do you think he'll be okay? Never really seen him like this, y'know?"

@Lien Chang

Surprised that James was very sensitive to Atticus's feelings, Lien held onto him and stroked down his arm, having wrapped his around him. James was a lot more sensitive nowadays, and it wasn't a bad thing at all. He thought it was very sweet, actually. Although he was worried for Atticus himself, he somehow knew there was a solution to it waiting around the corner.

"He's got himself through stickier situations than this," he assured him, kissing his cheek. "I think I've expended a lifetime of worry for Atticus Nott when he got sent away, and what he had to go through with his Dad. So, I'm sorry if I seem insensitive, but I just feel as though he can get through it quicker than you think."

He smiled slightly at him.

"Shall we hold off on dinner for now?"

It was difficult to know with James: sometimes eating was actually a remedy for him.

@James Potter

James nodded, sort of understanding what Lien was getting at. He only got to know the two of them more recently after all. Whether Atticus liked it or not, James was going to give him that damn hug; he needed it.

"He's a strong bloke, I dunno if I would've been able to handle the stuff he has..."

His dad was only shit to him, and it was all mainly verbal. What he'd gone through paled in comparison to Atticus' entire life. If he was in Atticus' place, he would've done something much more drastic than drugs.

"Er, yeah, that's a good idea 'cause noon's too bloody fucking early for dinner!"

It was strange as his body was both in the afternoon with lunch from the Galleria and also thinking of evening time with dinner. Why couldn't it be the same hour everywhere????

@Lien Chang

Lien tilted his head to the side slightly, so it was resting on James's shoulder.

"What would you do if Harry had an affair and you had an estranged, half sister?" he asked quietly, not wanting Atticus to hear them.

@James Potter

"Er, I dunno... Guess just wonder how the bloody hell he got away with that? My mum wouldn't let it slide, er, the whole bloody media would find out..."

His clean aroma was so soothing...

@Lien Chang