I've been sitting on working on this for way too long and FINALLY its done! I don't even have any voice lines for him I just wanted to show him off to y'all
I wanted to gift @the-trinket-witch some art for the holiday, even before I found out they were one of my Secret Santas. I felt particularly inspired by the comment they made about Albert using the winds to get up on the Ramshackle roof, so here we are! I offered Trinket to let them post this, but they asked me to do so instead.
Thank you for being my friend. And thank you for being in my life. 💚
✨️✨️✨️
Tag List: @ramshacklerumble @twstinginthewind @inmateofthemind @twst-the-night-away @cyanide-latte
Sealed in Ink | Albert & Revon + Revon/Divus | Teen Rating
Note: Albert Eastwind belongs to @the-trinket-witch
Content Warning: Mild angst, comfort (no hurt), mild references to sexual intimacy (Revon/Divus)
Albert’s life was about to change. He sat in his chair, frozen, unable to move an inch. He could scarcely breathe, every nerve abuzz with a mix of anxiety and uncertainty. Was this truly the right choice? How would this change him, truly? Should he have thought more of this? His eyes were open wide, gaze glued to the polished wooden desk and the crisp white sheet of paper on the other side.
The document was written in black ink, the words detailing his change of fate. At the bottom of the document were two lines, one filled and the other blank. Albert Eastwind, his name, was freshly printed on the first line in elegant cursive - his cursive. The young man stared at his surname: Eastwind. The name shared by his father and mother, the only name he’d ever known. He always took it for granted, rarely ever gave it a separate thought. It was so odd how finite it appeared now.
He watched as the tip of a ballpoint pen touched the paper, right above the second, empty line below his name. Black ink spilled from the pen, the head looping this way and that, shaping another form of cursive. It was different from his own hand, yet elegant all the same. It seemed like an eternity was passing him by as the pen set to work writing the second signature needed to solidify the contract. Albert’s hands gripped the sides of his seat, knuckles turning white as his heart pounded in his chest. His vision swam, head growing dizzy as the pen spilled out the last drops of ink to complete the final loop of the signature. He read the words, the name, written there, watching the ink dry, struggling to grasp what was happening.
“There we go,” said a voice across from him. A woman’s voice, all too familiar to him. Her hand gently placed the pen back in its holder, twisting the bottom of the pen to the left so no excess ink would spill out. “It’s done.”
Indeed, it was. Such a simple action had pushed Albert from one part of his life into the next. He felt nausea pool in his stomach, his head continuing to swim. He never took his eyes off the paper, nor the others stapled to it, stacked on top of one another. Albert thought he might feel free, liberated, finally at ease, but he wasn’t. His anxiety rose so high he became lightheaded, swaying forward for a moment before jolting back up.
“Hey!” The person across from him leapt up from her seat and rounded the desk to be at his side. She placed one hand on his shoulder, the other gently turning his head upwards to look at her. “Are you okay?”
Albert should say yes - that he was better than okay. Yet that wouldn’t exactly be the truth; to this woman here, Albert would not tell a half-truth to ease her worries. She would see right through him, nor did she deserve it for all she’d done. “I…I don’t know,” he admitted, speech unsteady. He saw her, looked her in the eye, yet his gaze was far away. “It’s- It’s all so strange…”
“I know it is,” she soothed. She bent knelt down, so he wouldn’t have to look up and possibly make him feel worse. The hand that held his shoulder slid down to his wrist, where the thumb rubbed soft circles into his wrist. “I knew this wasn’t an easy decision for you to make. Do you want to go outside, get some fresh air? Maybe be alone for a while to process things?”
Albert thought the prospect over for a moment. He shut his eyes tight for a few seconds, willing the lightheadedness away before blinking them open again. He nodded his head, “Yes, fresh air would be wonderful right now.”
Slowly, carefully, the woman helped him out of his chair and led outside onto the little balcony of the apartment. It was very pretty, decorated with greenery and plush furniture in light-colored hues. A pleasant view of Sage Island greeted Albert’s vision; the town was close enough to where he could see its citizens go about their daily lives, yet far enough away for the noise not to overwhelm him. The sun was beginning to set into the Coral Sea beyond, casting the sky in a mix of pink and violet, with a hint of orange. He took a seat on the little sofa to his right, sighing as the cushions cradled his body and neck, eyelids fluttering shut. The scent combination of the clear waters beyond and the pot of red hibiscuses soothed his rattled nerves further.
“Tea?” asked the woman, making Albert peek up at her.
“Yes, thank you,” he replied, voice a hair’s breadth away from a whisper.
“Black or green tea?”
“Black, please.”
“Milk and sugar?”
Albert nodded wordlessly as he shut his eyes again. He listened to the woman turn to leave, heard her take a step off the balcony and back into the apartment. A sudden urgency seized him then; his eyes shot open and he called out for her. “Revon?” The raven-haired woman turned to him, golden eyes intently searching for anything that might be wrong with the boy. “Thank you.”
For a second, Albert thought she might cry. That lapse of emotion faded quickly, however, as she smiled at him. She didn’t need to reply to him with words - the look on her face was all the answer he needed. Revon then turned and disappeared past the doorway, leaving Albert to shut his eyes and simply enjoy the pleasantness of the coming evening. He listened to the birds chirp in the trees, the distant crashing of waves, the quiet buzzing of various insects above and below the balcony. Before he drifted off into the instance between sleep and awake, the image of that signed document flashed behind his eyelids. That moment would truly be something he would remember for the rest of his days.
The day of his adoption.
“How is he?” Divus asked, shrugging off his fur coat before carefully placing it on a hanger in the closet beside the front door. Despite his vast love for the statement piece, he must be glad to disrobe himself of it after a long day of teaching.
“Good, I think,” Revon replied from her seat on the couch in the living room. “He left a few hours ago with Azul, Jade, and Floyd - to a celebratory dinner, I think.”
“And they didn’t invite you?” Divus inquired on the edge of a chuckle.
“Oh, they did, but I thought it best for them to go on without me. Let Albert have some time with them after everything.
Divus gave an understanding nod. As he stepped into the room, he looked down at the coffee table, then about the rest of the area. “Where are the papers? I want to sign them before I settle in.”
Revon nodded her head towards the spare room, which she’d converted into a study. “In there, on my desk. I can’t remember where the witness signs though.”
“I’ll find it,” he said as he disappeared into the room. Revon smiled after him, heart pitterpattering like a butterfly’s wings. He was so sweet, witnessing the adoption for them. He would do more if she asked, Revon knew he would. Within minutes, Divus appeared again, heading towards the kitchen. He glanced her way, stopping long enough to ask, “Mind if I grab a drink?”
“Long day?”
He sighed, exasperated with a hint of frustration, weaving a hand through his black-and-white hair as he walked away. “You have no idea.”
Revon’s smile only widened as she watched him go. She could already guess which students were the cause of her lover’s strife. Perhaps it was even one of Albert’s little boyfriends, Floyd. He was one of the trademark troublemakers, after all. Though he could get out of hand, Revon thought the boy was rather funny at times. That, and Divus really couldn’t complain too much; once upon a time, he was the bane of Trein’s existence.
After fixing himself a glass of red wine, Divus took a seat next to Revon. He took a long sip, savoring the sweet, mildly tangy taste before setting the glass on the coffee table in front of him. “No whiskey tonight?” Revon asked on the edge of a chuckle.
“For how much I plan to drink tonight, I would rather not. I don’t fancy a hangover in the morning.” Divus reached over to Revon and pulled her legs up and over his lap, settling her thighs atop his. He placed his hand atop one of hers, thumb stroking the subtle flesh lazily in no particular fashion. One of his many forms of stress relief. Unlike other touches, Revon didn’t get the sense Divus planned to do more with her tonight. Probably for the best, given the current circumstances, not to mention their honored guest.
“How are you feeling?” Divus looked Revon in the eye, searching for anything that might be wrong.
“Relieved,” Revon sighed, “but still cautious. I know his father won’t be all too happy when he finds out Albert disowned him.” She shrugged, glaring at the wall behind them. “Or maybe he’ll be just as relieved, the rat bastard.”
Divus’s brow furrowed, sharing her sentiments, yet worrying for her well-being all the same. He retracted his hand from her thigh (for the moment) in favor of caressing her cheek, turning her to him. He offered her a playful smirk, “How does it feel to be a mother?”
She chuckled. “A little weird, if I’m being honest. For a while there, I thought I’d never have kids. Then Albert walked in; since his father wasn’t going to do his job, and I knew no one else would, I just…” She shrugged once more. “I just hope I’ll be good enough for him.”
Divus’s fingertips traced the shell of her ear, careful to avoid its point. This was not a time to touch sensitive areas. “While I cannot say I know the first thing about parenting, I have no doubt you’ll be everything that boy needs, Red.” He took a black lock of hair between his fingers and leaned down to kiss it, never breaking eye contact with her. “You’re practically a goddess when it comes to knowing others’ needs and desires, even if they don’t know it themselves.”
Revon’s smile returned, but it hesitated for a split second before appearing. Goddess… Was it the right time to tell him? She had been meaning to for a while now, turning ideas over in her head of how to bring it up. Divus knew her mother was not in the picture, knew Revon and Crowley had not seen her in centuries. Yet her identity, as it had remained for that long, was kept secret. Only a select few knew of it; to tell Divus would be the ultimate form of trust between them, for her at least.
“Dad’s going to generate a hurricane for how many circles he’s going to fly when he finds out he has a grandson, technically. Maybe he’ll actually pay attention to his needs more.”
Divus laughed as his hand went back to her thigh, “One can hope.”
Revon placed her hand over his, glad to feel his skin instead of the leather of his gloves then. Unbeknownst to others, like her father, physical touch was her love language. The skin-to-skin contact was more than welcome for the revelation she was about to finally bestow upon the man who taught her to love, truly love, again. “I know mom would have been elated, at least I think so. Dad always said she was over the moon when she found out she was pregnant with me…” She met his gaze, and for once anxiety pooled in her gut as she looked deeply into those silver pools. “Divus, about mom-”
The sound of the door being unlocked caught their attention. They turned to watch it open; Albert walked through, softly closing and locking it behind him with the key Revon gave him months past. For a second, he didn’t notice them, tucking the key into his pocket and wiping the soles of his shoes on the mat before taking a few steps further inside. The handsome brown eyes behind his glasses widened in surprise as he saw the two sitting on the couch, halfway to cuddling. “O-Oh! Pardon me, Revon, Professor Crewel, I wasn’t aware you-”
“No apologies needed.” Divus stood from the couch, but not before Revon retracted her legs from his lap. A couple strides and he took before the young man, tilting his head downward to meet his eye. He and Revon both could practically see the sweat beginning to bead behind Albert’s neck. Divus tucked his hands in the pockets of his black slacks as he spoke. “You behaved yourself while you were out, I assume?”
Albert’s words stuttered a bit as he replied, “Y-Yes, sir.” The boy was so taken aback by the sight of his professor that he scarcely knew what to think, let alone what to say. He knew he and Revon were a couple, a close one at that; he’d even seen them out together outside of the college a time or two. Still, it was just so odd to see Professor Crewel so….casual. His signature coat was nowhere in sight, his red tie loose around his collar, hands not encased in their usual red leather; his hair was slightly disheveled, as though it’d been tousled lately; his tone wasn’t stern, commanding respect as it often was, but softer, not as tense. Though it was odd to think, Professor Crewel was not his superior in this moment - just a man visiting his girlfriend after work.
The older man’s eyes narrowed slightly, the glimpse of a smirk crossing his handsome features. “Use your words properly. Relax - there is no need to be nervous.”
Albert nodded, taking a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds before exhaling. “I should have called before I came back. I knew you would come by here sometime later to sign the papers, I just didn’t know when.” He looked almost sheepish as he peeked over at Revon. “I didn’t mean to, um…interrupt anything.”
“You did no such thing,” Divus assured. He raised a brow at Albert, smirk more prominent now. “Is it not a normal sight for you to see two adults conversing after work?”
Albert knew, like Revon, his professor would know if he was lying. So, he answered honestly, “No, sir, I’m afraid it isn’t.”
Divus’s smirk left for a moment, eyes widening slightly. He looked almost unsure of what to say, as though he’d accidentally made a mistake. As quickly as that instance came, it was gone, replaced by his usual quiet confidence and bravado. Albert envied it, just a little. “Even so, there is no offense taken. This is your home now, is it not? I should be apologizing to you, coming here unannounced.”
Albert nearly protested, but then realized Crewel was kidding - pulling his leg, as it were. It was so odd for the man to address him in such a way; Albert supposed he would get used to it with time. Because he was right: This was Albert’s home now, too. Finally, the boy smiled. “I suppose you’re right.” He peeked back over at Revon, inquisitive as he asked, “I meant to ask earlier: Do I stay here tonight? I could always call Azul to come back and-”
“Albert, I just adopted you,” Revon interrupted with a laugh. “I’m not just gonna kick you out on the street!” She got off the couch, bare feet padding across the floor until she came to stand next to Divus. “You’re stuck with me now, boy.”
Albert wasn’t sure what caused him to burst into tears then. Was it the knowledge that he no longer had to face his father and his distaste of him anymore? Was it the internal battle inside him being waged, wondering if he was replacing his mother by being adopted by Revon? The question if he should keep his name as Albert Eastwind, or change it to Albert Crowley? Revon said he could keep his name, as it was his right to have, but was it fair to her; did he really want to keep his father’s name? Could it also be the fact that, aside from his boyfriends, he finally found a place to call home? The adoption took months to complete, and yet it seemed like everything was happening so fast.
Albert collapsed into Revon’s arms, which held him securely to her person. He sobbed into her shoulder, wet tears drenching the fabric of her sleeve. The sorrowful sounds he made were muffled against her skin, sniffling as one of her hands reached up to gently pet his head. He felt a larger hand come to rest on his shoulder - Divus, no doubt. Albert opened his eyes just enough to peer up at the man, who stood still just behind Revon, gaze glued on Albert’s head, the emotion within his pupils soft, even though Albert could not pinpoint the exact one it was. Right now, he didn’t care. Albert just allowed himself to weep; let himself release all the feelings he’d been holding in since he and Revon began this entire process.
He would go back to living in his dorm once the weekend was over - back to his normal life of a schoolboy. Yet, unlike before, things felt a little easier, a little lighter, a little brighter. He felt safe, accepted, truly loved. There were more obstacles to be faced down the road, surely, but the fear Albert might have felt in the past was no longer there. Any uncertainty about Revon and the secrets she might keep were but a wisp in the wind. For the first time since his mother passed, Albert could trust someone to be his guide, his parental figure.
He only hoped his three fishes really wouldn’t try to get away with more in the way of Revon. Crewel had enough headaches, he thought.
So I caught up on my wife @the-trinket-witch's Twisted Wonderland fanfic Practically Perfect. Here's my internet poisoned take on her scene between her OC and a Mer/Eelman.
