Exalted

Steve woke slowly the morning after the show, letting himself drift in and out of consciousness for longer than he usually did, knowing there was no alarm waiting to bolt him out of bed. He could hear birds singing through his open window, and enjoyed the lazy comfort of his pillows while listening and making vague plans. Get up, get coffee, get ready, call Eddie. 

He rolled over and dropped his feet to the floor, padding barefoot to the kitchen and rubbing his sleep-mussed hair. He was slumped over the counter, chin in hand, when Robin slid out of her room and joined him, closing the door carefully behind her and leaning on the other side of the counter. “Morning,” she mumbled, and he nodded in response, stifling a yawn. 

Steaming mugs of coffee in hand, they moved to the table on the balcony, Robin with her feet propped up on the railing and Steve as close to stretched out as his chair would allow. We need a bigger balcony, he thought. Once Robin is done with school and figures out where she’s going to work, maybe I should look for a place with an actual yard. He paused, realizing with surprise that it was the first time he had considered that he might be living alone after Robin finished school, rather than simply following her to her new city. Still at least another year, he thought. “How are you feeling after yesterday?” He asked, and Robin grinned at him over her coffee.

“Good. Tired, but it was fun. I felt like a real model, with the photo shoot and the show - I don’t know how they do it; that was exhausting. Chrissy was like a pro, though.” She said admiringly. “And you were definitely a hit. The school put you on their Instagram. Well, pictures from the show, but especially you.”

Steve laughed. “Chrissy said something about that, but I didn’t go and look.”

Robin got up to get her phone. “Let’s check it out,” she suggested. “Mom and Dad would get a kick out of it.”

Steve waited on the balcony for her to return, watching kids riding their bikes in the parking lot, the littlest one in a bright pink helmet and knee pads that swallowed her legs. 

“Here, check these out,” she thrust her phone at him, leaning over his shoulder so they could both look. “This is the school’s page.”

“Oh, hey, there’s Eddie,” Steve smiled at the solo picture of Eddie, the caption giving a brief bio of Eddie as a graduating student. His dark eyes looked challengingly out of the screen, and Steve decided to go and save some of the pictures when Robin wasn’t looking. He scrolled past some of the other students, coming to a shot of when Chrissy and Robin had passed each other on the runway, capturing Chrissy’s reaction to Robin rather than Robin sticking out her tongue. Chrissy’s bright smile was infectious, and the siblings both smiled a little wider.

“That’s the one,” Robin laughed. “Chrissy showed me that one last night.” It was Steve at the end of the runway, and he laughed. 

“She’s a spitfire,” he said. “I need to drop in and say hi to her sometime, if I’m over by the school.”

“Seducing students isn’t enough, you have to start on faculty?” Robin pushed his shoulder, and he pushed her back.

“I haven’t seduced anyone.” He paused. “I don’t think you can seduce someone who is an enthusiastic participant. Doesn’t seduction imply some kind of hidden motive?”

Robin rolled her eyes. “I thought I was the word nerd,” she complained. She leaned closer to the phone, to Steve’s annoyance. He started to protest her leaning on his back, and she shushed him. “That’s a lot of likes,” she pointed out, and a thread of nerves started in Steve’s stomach. “Keep scrolling.” There was new urgency now, and it didn’t become more comforting. All the posts had done well, but the photos of Steve were well on their way to going viral. 

He handed Robin back the phone. “I think I need to call dad,” he said, standing and brushing past her into the kitchen. Chrissy was just emerging from Robin’s room when Steve hurried by, and her greeting died when she saw his face.

“What’s wrong?” She asked Robin softly, and Robin bit her lip, looking at Steve. He held up a finger for her to wait, and both women went to the kitchen for more coffee. 

Steve came back out of his room, phone still in hand. “They’re having brunch,” he said, pacing the living room. “Dad said the photos don’t name me, and I’m not a student at the school, so there’s no concern in that respect. He’ll call the school Monday and ask them to take the ones with me in them down.”

Chrissy looked between the two. “But what’s going on? You don’t want the pictures posted?”

“It’s not exactly that,” Steve dropped onto the couch. “I thought this was just a student project, I didn’t know this was going to be part of it.”

“It’s usually not,” Chrissy said, still confused. “I mean, the school posts pictures, and so do students, but I don’t think any of them have really taken off like this before. People are sharing it all over the place, a bunch of people from home have asked me about it already.”

Steve groaned and dropped his face in his hands. Think. Just think before you do anything. His face was smooth when he looked back up. “I don’t think there’s any putting the genie back in the bottle,” he said slowly, looking at Robin, who reached out her hands to grab his. “Let’s all get ready. I’m going to take a shower; have breakfast if you want - I’m not hungry right now.”

The hot water didn’t soothe like it usually did, and Steve scrubbed the product from yesterday out of his hair with a vengeance. The one time I do something just for fun, the one time I think I don’t have to worry about something and let my guard down, this happens. Guilt washed over him. I should have told Eddie before I agreed to do this. He’s going to think it’s his fault.

Steve dressed quickly, his dark jeans and gray sweater fitting his somber mood. The shower had turned back on as soon as his door shut, and he found Robin alone in the kitchen, placing cereal bowls in the dishwasher. “Are you sure you don’t want anything?” She asked, and his heart squeezed at the careful look she gave him. Like when he’d first met her and everything had been broken, like there were sharp edges of him she had to handle with care.

“I don’t think I could keep it down right now,” he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders briefly. “We’ll figure it out.”

“If you need to run, I’m going with you,” she said firmly.

“What?” Steve pulled back to look at her. “No, hey, come on. You’ve got school, and we can’t both leave the library, Murray would have a stroke,” he said lightly.

“Steve.” Her eyes met his unflinchingly. “I’m not leaving you alone. I promised you a long time ago, and I meant it.”

“Okay.” He hugged her again. “But nobody’s running. we don’t even know if anything is going to happen. It’s been years.” They heard the shower turn off, and he released her. “Go take your shower.” He took a deep breath. “I’m going to call Eddie.”

He poured himself more coffee and took it back to his room, sitting on the edge of the bed for a minute before he took a deep breath and called Eddie. He hung up on voice mail twice before  the phone connected and a sleepy grumble he thought might be a ‘good morning’ sounded in his ear. “Hey, I know it’s still kind of early, sorry to wake you.”

“No worries,” Steve could hear rustling, as if Eddie was untangling himself from his bedding, then a smothered yawn. “Is this about our date?” Eddie sounded more awake, playful and happy, and Steve grimaced.

“Not exactly,” he sighed. “Listen, something happened. Can you maybe come over for that talk? Or for a talk, really, a different talk? Chrissy’s here, bring Wayne if you want.”

“What’s wrong?” Eddie asked, all traces of sleep gone from his voice. “Steve - what happened? Are you okay?” 

“I’m okay, everyone’s okay.” Steve paused. “There’s just something you don’t know, and I was going to tell you, but now something’s happened and I should have told you sooner.” He rubbed his forehead, a headache starting. “I don’t know if it’s even going to be anything, but-“

“Steve.” Eddie interrupted him. “I’m getting dressed right now, and then I’ll be over. I’ll see if Wayne wants to come. Do you want me to stop for coffee or just come straight to you?”

“Just come,” Steve told him. “We have coffee, and I want to get this over with. And I’ll feel better if you’re here,” he added honestly.

“I’ll be there as fast as I can. See you soon.” Eddie hung up, and Steve could picture him already moving. 

Robin knocked on the door, hair twisted in a towel. “Did you call Eddie? Is he coming over?”

“Yes. I told him to bring Wayne if he wanted to. Might as well tell everyone all at once, rather than Eddie having to tell Wayne and then Wayne having questions he can’t answer.” Steve took off his glasses and rubbed the lenses with the edge of his sweater. “Am I overreacting?” He asked, the guilt sitting in his stomach like a rock. “Am I just panicking and being crazy?”

“Would you think I was overreacting if it was me?” She sat next to him as he shook his head vehemently. “See? I think you’re being cautious, but I think you’re right to be cautious.” She leaned her head onto his shoulder. “But you’re not alone. You’ve got me, and mom and dad, and now Eddie. And Chrissy, and I bet Wayne.”

Chrissy tapped on the open door, her petite frame swamped in an old sweater of Steve’s Robin had stolen ages ago. “Did you call Eddie? Do you want me to call him for you?”

“Thanks, Chrissy, but I called him. He’s on his way.” Steve stood. “I should make more coffee. It’s too early for bourbon.”

Chrissy shrugged. “As a future therapist, I should probably agree, but as a person who has seen some shit I say: if it’s a bourbon problem, it’s as much a bourbon problem at eleven as it is at six.”

Robin snorted a laugh, and Steve smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind, in case I decide it’s a definite bourbon problem later.”

Steve refilled the coffee maker, drinking his third cup of the morning as he did. He rummaged through the refrigerator, finally settling on toast instead of any of their leftovers, and slathered his toast with peanut butter when it popped up. He turned around to meet Chrissy and Robin both eyeing his plate, and handed it over with a sigh. “I’ll make more,” he said, and they happily grabbed a piece each. “Vultures,” he muttered, waiting for his new toast to darken. 

Time felt like it was creeping by, and Steve had started cleaning the living room when the bell finally rang, and he hurried to pop the door open. “Hey, sorry to call so early,” the older man at the door gave him a wry smile. ‘Wayne? You beat Eddie here; how fast do you drive?”

“Not that fast,” Wayne said, stepping inside and accepting Chrissy’s hug. “He isn’t here yet?”

“No,” Chrissy said, checking her phone. “Did he text you or anything?”

Steve checked his phone, too, but there was nothing from Eddie. “No messages. Maybe he stopped for gas?”

“Stopped on the way home last night,” Wayne said, his phone to his ear. “Hey, call me if you get this before you get to Steve’s,” he said, hanging up. 

“Let me get you a coffee while we wait,” Steve turned away to the kitchen, his mind racing. Eddie had been here before, he had GPS, he wouldn’t have taken a wrong turn and gotten lost. The carafe clattered against the rim of the mug, and hands reached from behind to steady his. 

“Let me do it,” Wayne said, taking it from him gently. “You sit down there and tell me what’s going on.”

So Steve did. Chrissy sat next to him, and Robin had draped herself on his back, and he stumbled through as abbreviated a version of the story as he could. Going through school with his distant parents, the new church his father had started attending, how his mother had also started going, the way they had packed him into the car one day shortly after he graduated and brought him to the farm. Life on the farm - dull at first, but not without satisfaction, Steve liked growing things. The darker turn, the increasingly unhinged rantings, the impossible to please leader, the punishments. Finally the escape, and being found by the Buckleys.

Steve wiped his eyes, and he could hear Robin sniffling while Chrissy was drying her face on a napkin. “Those pictures of me from the show being posted online and getting spread so far is concerning,” he wrapped up. “Because cults don’t always easily let go of their members, and we already know One is dangerous.”

Wayne nodded, sympathy clear in his face. “I’m sorry you went through that, Steve,” he said. “Nobody deserves to be treated like that, and I’m glad you made it out.” He pressed his lips into a thin line. “Sounds like it’d be easier for someone to find Eddie from those pictures than you,” he noted grimly, and Steve was on his feet in an instant.

“I’m going to Eddie’s,” he was stuffing his feet into his shoes when Wayne stopped him with a hand on his back. “We’ll take my truck. The girls can stay here.”

“No.” Chrissy crossed her arms. “Don’t you dare try and leave me out of this, Wayne Munson.” 

“Me, either,” Robin said. “I already told you that I’m going where you go. I will steal your car if I have to.”

“Looks like we’re all going. No point arguing with Chrissy when she’s got her stubborn face on. Get yourselves in the truck.” Wayne led them down the stairs to his truck, Steve riding shotgun and Chrissy and Robin in the back row. 

The drive to Eddie’s apartment was undertaken in silence, everyone staring out the windshield as if they could make the distance shorter by willing it. Steve hadn’t been there before, and was surprised by how short the trip actually was. He was so close, all this time, he thought.

Eddie’s van was still in the parking lot, the driver’s door ajar and the dome light slowly draining the battery, but Eddie wasn’t there or inside. Wayne closed the door to save what was left of the charge, and they all saw a fresh dent on the door and a smear of what looked like blood.

“Where’s this farm?” Wayne asked harshly.