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Taako grumbled to himself as he pulled out another forgotten box from underneath his bed. If it hadn’t been for Magnus screeching and hollering about the state of his room to the point where he threatened him with intervention, he would have never even known it was there. He tried to persuade him that the Flaming Poisoning Raging Sword of Doom being used as a coatrack was just a joke for him, but Magnus noticed the floors littered with clothes and candy wrappers and wasn’t buying it. It was really his own fault for allowing him in there, but what can he say? The Candlenights spirit was getting to him.
Now he had to go through and dump out tons of things that he might actually need later to save himself from having Magnus root through all his valuables and other things.
So there he was, pulling box after box of, mostly, crap from ever nook and cranny in his room. Most of the shit he had forgotten about, things he had accumulated here were mostly put to use and kept in his traveling equipment, but the things he had transferred here once he got his own place had accumulated a layer of dust for the most part.
This box in particular he couldn’t recall having, it was tall and round and when he opened it he realized it was a hat box, from back when he used to use hat boxes. It was one of the first, maybe even the first, wizard hat he ever had, about a foot tall and too small for him to wear now, it was also moth eaten and patched together in a not so attractive way, even if it did still fit Taako wouldn’t be caught dead wearing it.
No, this would have to be taken to the trash chute immediately. Taako took the box and bounded out of his room, only stopping to glance back at the rest of the mess before shrugging. Cleaning is a process, Magnus would understand.
Magnus would also understand if he took a break from cleaning by stopping by the cafeteria for a well deserved lunch before throwing the hat out.
So that’s what he did, he tucked in for a salad and ate slowly, allowing himself to think about the upcoming evening until Angus McDonald walked in to distract him. He seemed to just be walking by until he spotted Taako and ran up to him, all big glasses and curly hair.
“Hello sir! I’m so glad I ran into you, I was just on my way to your room actually, and I wanted to give you your Candlenights present before the party.”
It was then that Taako noticed the boy carrying a tall round box not dissimilar to his own, and well, never look a gift kid detective in the mouth.
“Well then lay it on me, Ango.”
“Yes, sir!” Angus looked around for a second before placing the box on a nearby table and gesturing Taako towards it. “I hope you like it, I really tried to- Well, you’ll see.”
He looked exceedingly nervous and Taako gave him a quick look before opening the box. As soon as he took the lid off Taako realized the box itself was spelled because the sides of it fell softly to the table revealing an absolutely delectable looking Croque en Bouche inside.
“Wow that looks great! Nice work on the box too, magic boy.”
Taako turned the cone of desserts so he could see all of it, he admired the way he was able to get the webs so light and airy, it’s difficult to get the heat just right for that sort of thing.
“Thank you, sir! Aren’t you going to taste it?”
“Of course I’m going to taste it.” Taako told him, still making no move towards actually pulling a piece off, he remembered what happened last time Angus had made him something and he wasn’t sure he’d be able to disguise his disappointment.
“I remembered to put sugar in this time!” Angus assured him.
“Oh hell yeah, then let me get a bite of that.” Taako plucked a cream puff right off the top and popped it in his mouth. It was quite plainly, delicious. The pastry itself was perfectly fluffy and golden on the outside and the caramel strings melted right into it, the only thing wrong was the slight grainy texture to the cream, but that was a common mistake.
“Pretty good, now how’s the magic going.”
Angus preened under the positive reaction.
“Very well, sir! Allow me to show you.”
Taako nods at him to begin, still working on the dessert, and then everything goes black.
He must have cast a very competent version of Darkness which made Taako unable to see him or anything around them for a moment before banishing it from existence, and when the dark cleared Taako saw that he had tried his hand at another attempt at Disguise Self, making him look once again like a very young version of Taako. This time he forgot to spell away his glasses, probably a side effect of the dark, but he was able to make his posture change in a way that made Taako blink for a moment. If he hadn’t just seen it happen he would have believed that Angus really was a younger version of himself, he was impressed, but he couldn’t let Angus know that, not yet.
“What do you think, sir?” Angus chirped in a crude approximation of Taako’s voice.
“Nice try, Einstein.” He jabbed, tapping on Angus’ glasses. But as he saw the embarrassed look quickly replaced with sadness Taako felt a slight jab of guilt. “But uh, hey that little trick of yours reminds me…”
Taako turns and picks up the box he had been carrying with him originally.
“I got you something too.” It was a lie, but Taako really was planning on getting him something, there were still a few hours until the BoB’s annual shindig and he hadn’t completely forgotten.
“Oh! Really sir? But how did you know I was going to be here?”
“Don’t read too much into it Ango, it’s always better that way.”
Taako slid the box across the table and Angus wasted no time taking off the dusty lid, which he wisely chose not to mention. When he pulled out the probably equally dusty hat he got that wide eyed look on his face that made Taako one part nervous and another part protective and darted his eyes between the hat in his hands and the one on Taako’s head too many times before finally exclaiming:
“Oh, thank you! Thank you so much, I don’t want to overstep my bounds, but does this mean I can tell people I’m your apprentice?”
Taako did remember telling him a while ago to keep it on the down low, but at this point what does he have to lose.
“Sure, knock yourself out, kid, but I’m pretty sure you won’t need to if you keep walking around like that.” And then, almost to himself Taako continued, “With the hat you could be me when I was your age.”
“This…did this hat used to be yours?”
“Uh…um, yeah…but I really want you to have it, like I always say, it’s the hat that makes the wizard.” Taako stumbled over his words a bit, trying to cover himself from more questions about his past.
“I’ve never heard you say that before!” Angus exclaimed, putting the hat on all the same.
“Yeah, well you don’t hear me say a lot of things.”
Taako flopped his hand around in an air of nonchalance, but all it really did was distract himself so he didn’t see Angus reach up to pull him into a shockingly strong hug for a boy his age.
“Thank you again, sir!” Taako let out a huff of air in surprise as Angus clung to him. “I love you!”
Taako let out a quick laugh before patting Angus on the back a little gentler than he usually would. “Ditto, kiddo.”
…
Later that night, after the party and after Taako had finished cleaning to a point that Magnus found acceptable, Taako was in his room waiting for Kravitz to show up. They didn’t get the chance to actually get together very often, but the holidays seemed a good enough excuse for the both of them to put down the stones of farspeech and actually see each other. It was nearly midnight and Taako would be getting worried if he didn’t know how unpredictable Kravitz’s job was, but at this point there would usually be a call to let Taako know if he couldn’t make it.
Just as Taako was about to pick up his own stone of farspeech a rift opened up in his living room and Kravitz stepped through.
“Hey, handsome I was beginning to wonder if you’d show up.” Taako teased, trading out his stone with a couple of wine glasses.
“Oh yes, sorry I’m late, work.” Kravitz offered as explanation, but his posture was stiff and unsure, like he was nervous about something.
“Long day at the office?” Taako joked, offering him a glass of wine.
“Ha.” Kravitz took a sip gratefully before clearing his throat. “I think we need to talk.”
“O-okay, Mr. Ominous, lay it on me.”
“I…I saw something today, and I would really appreciate it if you were honest with me about it.” He fixed Taako with a stern look. “Taako, why didn’t you tell me you had a son?”
“Whaaa…?” Taako’s jaw dropped open and he wasn’t sure if he was playing some kind of joke on him or if he had somehow gotten brain damaged.
“I’m not mad, I just want to understand why you wouldn’t tell me when he’s clearly here and a part of your life.”
Taako thought that was a little much for just a joke, but he decided to play along.
“Alright so what exactly did this mysterious son of mine look like?” Taako asked, now more amused than anything.
Kravitz let out a deep sigh, growing impatient with Taako’s attitude in the current situation.
“Let’s see, about this tall,” he motioned around his chest. “looks just like you but with glasses, and you were giving him a hat?”
“Oh my god…” Taako looked at Kravitz wide eyed before choking and falling into uncontrollable laughter. “Oh. My. God. That wasn’t my son! That was Angus! He was just trying out a spell…oh my god…you really thought…holy shit.”
He was barely able to compose himself enough to get out an explanation, much less keep his wine from sloshing out of its glass, the entire misunderstanding was so ridiculous, as if anyone who knew them would ever think Angus was related to him.
“Angus?”
“Yes!” Taako replies, flopping himself onto the couch behind them.
“Well, my apologies, dear. I hope you won’t blame me for the misunderstanding.”
“No harm no foul, my man. Although you might want to get your noggin checked out if you meet him and still think we could be related.”
Kravitz chuckles lightly, allowing himself to be pulled next to Taako.
“So…Angus. You know, I realize now you’ve talked about him but I don’t know much about him really.”
“What’s there to know? He’s Ango, boy detective, a little annoying, too smart for his own good, and apparently he makes a mean croque en bouche.”
“Okay, but what I mean is…what is he doing here? Shouldn’t he be at home, and for that matter where are his parents?”
“Oh please, he’s fine! I was about his age when I started living on my own.” Taako took another swig from his glass. “I was a lot stupider too…and look at me, I turned out fine!”
“What?” Kravitz asked.
“…What?” Taako felt his stomach drop a little when he realized what he said, but he decided to play it cool.
“You left home when you were eleven?” Kravitz’s voice was nearly at a whisper, but Taako felt like it was being broadcast through a megaphone directly into his bones.
“Yeah, I thought you knew, it’s probably laid out in that big scary book of yours.” He replied in an approximation of nonchalance, hoping Kravitz would drop it.
“Taako, I’m not…I don’t read through people’s files if I don’t have a bounty on them.” He took a deep breath. “And I wouldn’t read the file of someone I’m…involved with, it’s an invasion of privacy.”
Taako regarded him for a moment before responding.
“Hey…I believe you, don’t have a hernia over it, okay?”
“Not exactly possible.” Kravitz sighed, before looking over at Taako again. “You mentioned a croque en bouche?”
Taako smiled.
"You're going to love it."