Chapter 9 #2
"The illusions will get you," Eden said, noticing where Archer's gaze had become stuck.
Archer nodded lamely. He didn't have anything he could say to counteract what he was being told, because really, what was there to do? Ask if this was a magic room? No, he didn't want to sound like a crazy person.
"You want to see what else I've got? Maybe we should find Hadrian. I think I know what you're going to like." Eden spouted out three different ideas before Archer could even agree to one thing.
He grabbed Archer's hand again and led him through the space, weaving past items like pinball machines and a desk with items that shimmered on it.
A rock collection that Archer envied lined one wall.
He'd have to ask to take a look at it later, so long as he remembered and didn't get distracted by something else.
Fun fact, he would probably get distracted.
They turned a corner and went down a hall, a feat that shouldn't have been possible since the layout of the room didn't make sense for it, but Archer shook his head and ignored logic. It was best he didn't overthink his situation.
They went through a set of shimmering beads. There was a flash, and then suddenly they were in a room where Hadrian reclined on a couch, hand on a controller, as one entire wall was a giant screen.
"How do you make something like that?" Archer asked, stepping forward slowly like he feared being near the screen would make it go haywire.
Hadrian chuckled. "When Eden wants something, Eden makes it happen, and since I’m not into all the Little stuff he enjoys, video games it is for me. I come here when I need a break."
"When you need a break from what?" Eden said. "Romilly is the boss man. He's the one who does all the big stuff, so it's just when you don't want to take a nap."
Hadrian paused his game, turning to look at Eden with a scowl. "I'll have you know that I do confer with our brother on occasion. Mostly my contact is with Father Dearest, because it is he who knows things."
Eden snorted. "Yeah, but he's not the man in charge anymore. What's the point? I mean, dad's cool. I'm not saying he's not cool."
Archer giggled at the exchange, loving the way the two siblings interacted.
This was what he'd been missing, the dynamic.
Breakfast and dinner were always a joy to be around the other Saint family members, and lunch was wonderful because Romilly often put him in his lap and fed Archer with an attention that sent his own body into overdrive.
But friendship was different. He thought he'd had it with Robert, yet he'd been wrong. The memory of his former friend soured Archer's mood.
Eden scrunched his nose, as did Hadrian. They stopped their conversation to look his way.
"Are you okay?" Eden asked.
"Is it my video game? Is it too gruesome?" Hadrian questioned. "I don't really like this one anyway, but I was trying to show off. I'll go back to the one I was on."
Archer didn't get a chance to say that wasn't the issue before the screen changed into something more vibrant.
"Is that a library?" Archer asked, stepping even closer to Hadrian and the screen he was watching.
Hadrian sat up a bit, his body excited. For the first time that Archer had truly seen, his movements were bouncy and light.
"Yes, this game is all about being a librarian in a cozy bookstore, and I love it.
It's my favorite. It's not all macho like some people think, but I'd love for people to realize video games can be cool in all kinds of ways, you know? "
Archer nodded, then eased onto the couch beside Hadrian. "Do you think you can teach me how to play?"
Hadrian's eyes widened. "I could, yeah, but I figured you'd want to do what Eden had planned. Besides, he's the one that went and got you. You should go play with him first. I'll be here when you're done."
Archer turned to look at Eden, who was standing in the corner pouting, bottom lip tucked out and arms crossed. Archer smiled, even though he felt bad for making the other man sad.
"I'm so sorry, Eden. It's not that I don't want to play with you. This just looks so fun and warm."
Eden threw his arms up. "I was trying to show you fun and warm before you got distracted." His voice took on a softer nature, almost childlike. It made Archer's voice change, too. There was an ease to it, a natural connection.
"Then show me what you have," Archer told him.
Eden waved him over. They moved through a doorway Archer hadn't originally seen, into a space that was definitely what Archer wanted to be doing.
The room was decked out, wall to wall, with various toys and stuffies. It looked as if someone had gone and bought several stores' worth of goodies. The entire floor was one giant soft bed, and it bounced a bit as Archer took tentative steps inside.
"This is so cozy," Archer said.
Eden hopped like it was a trampoline across the room. "Right, I told you you'd love it. Hadrian isn’t the coolest Saint there is. Don't let him fool you with his games. He's a himbo, through and through."
"A himbo?" Archer asked.
He found it funny that Eden would know a word like that, but when he'd used "cabin fever" with Romilly, the other man had been perplexed.
Was it because Eden was more into pop culture, or was Romilly just too busy to pick up on things?
He ignored the pressing questions, instead focusing on the fact that he was getting the chance to play with his friend.
Eden had everything from dolls to action figures in the space, all of them with soft edges.
He could probably pick one up and throw it at Eden and it wouldn't hurt.
Archer liked the idea of that. Sharp, pointy edges were the bane of his existence.
He always got nicks, no matter how hard he tried to be careful.
It's why he didn't tear out his own pages from his coloring books.
A paper cut was inevitable, and he hated them.
Eden bounced over to a set of balls shaped somewhat like sports equipment Archer had seen in the past. One was a football, another looked like a soccer ball, and there were some that were nothing he could ever recall seeing.
Of course, Eden picked up one of the weirdly shaped ones and brought it over.
"We're going to play Fly Ball."
"Fly Ball?" Archer asked.
"Yes, Fly Ball. It’s a fun game." Eden went into detail describing how they would bounce on the floor, throwing the puffy ball toward one another.
It wasn't meant to hurt — more like a mix of dodgeball and volleyball without a net.
They could even bounce it off an open space on the wall if they wanted to.
"Do we keep score or anything?" Archer asked, confused about the final purpose of the game, if there was a winner.
Eden shook his head. "No, not this way. When I play outside with my brothers, we do. And that ball is hard, but nothing hard here."
Archer tilted his head, curious to witness this version of the game versus the other Eden was describing. Maybe if he stuck around long enough, he'd get the chance to see it.
"Ready, set, let's play!" Eden shouted as he threw the ball in Archer's direction. The soft fabric hit him in the chest and he laughed. This was going to be fun.