Woo, the update this week.
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Love it.
Possibly even review it.


It had been easier then he thought. His break out. Most thought that just because he was unstable, that he didn't pay attention. He'd put on his coats and gloves and had a backpack full of a few of his things—some that belonged to him and some that belonged to the hospital and made his escape.

He had been thinking about it for days, probably weeks. He didn't know for sure. Time slipped away from him in those white walls.

It was freezing out and as much as he liked the cold, he hated being trapped in it, and that's what he was. Trapped. Trapped in his home, in the hospital. He wanted to be warmed and to have a place he could actually consider his again. The last place he had thought was his shipped him off to the institution.

It was pitch black outside and he's been walking for too long. Not having any money made transportation hard. It was still dark outside when he made his way up onto a porch he was vaguely familiar with. He suddenly felt nervous and he was jittery normally anyway. He knocked a few times and when nothing happened the tried the doorbell.

Swaying slowly he took a few steps away from the door to sit on the front steps. It was cold and hard to roam around but the sense of freedom he got made him smile.

"The fuck kind of moronic son of a bitch!" Ezra's voice came from the other side of the door along with the sound of bolts being undone, finally it slid open followed by more cursing that would stop abruptly, "The hell is your problem, do you know what time it is you ignorant mother…holy shit."

His eyes went wide at the sight of his brother's face and the silence lingered for a few beats. They looked similarly, only Ezra was healthier looking then his scrawny brother.

"Ezra always have had such a way with words." Cristof laughed softly, leaning his head on the rail from where he sat.

Ezra leaned out the door, looking around for any possible escort he could have.

"No. The answer to your question." Cristof chuckled.

"What?" Ezra looked at him, dumb founded, "What're you doing here? Jesus it's freezing, get in there."

"I'm kinda numb now. It's was cold the entire walk. I didn't sit down though. I remembered I scared you last time I sat in snow." Cristof commented, slowly getting back to his feet.

Ezra grabbed his arm and hauled him to his feet. He led him inside and pulled the door shut, locking it behind him, "You walked here? From the hospital?"

"Yes." Cristof nodded, dropping his bag unintentionally after he'd lost his grip on it. "I didn't have anywhere else to go, you know?"

"You should have called me or something, I'd have been there, lord Cris. Sit, here let me go turn the heater up and…maybe a hot shower'll do you better." Ezra ran his hand through his hair, "Yes, warm you up fast. Shower. Get you something to drink, something warm."

Cristof smiled softly walking forward to wrap his arm around his brother's neck. "Thank you."

Ezra hugged him tightly, "Crazy son of a bitch. Glad you're safe..."

"I'm not anymore. Not there." He sighed softly, pressed his face into his brother's neck for a moment. "Oops! I must be getting you cold." he laughed brightly, pulling away.

"And I'm warming you up so it's whatever, but c'mon. Shower's over here." Ezra led him toward the bathroom, "And I don't know what you brought but I have some warm cloths you'll fit fine."

"Thank you, Ezra. Ezra knows I won't be a bother. Nope. Nu uh. But I would very much like to be warm, and even more so I would like not to go back to that place." Cristof said, walking into the bathroom and spinning around slowly to take it in. He'd only been here a handful of times. "Woah, dizzy." he chuckled.

"That's cuz you're spinning like a dummy." Ezra smiled lightly, "Figure out the rest later, go take a shower, and don't scald yourself. I'll put some cloths in here for you, and a towel."

He reached under the sink for a moment and grabbed a wash cloth, "Here."

"Thank you Ezra." Cristof repeated, clutching the cloth to his chest and shutting the door slowly and sighing heavily once he realized he really made it to a safe place. He took a shower, enjoying immensely that fact that his brothers bathroom wasn't white, or at least not completely. He enjoyed escaping white almost as much as he did the steam from the shower. The heat warmed his bones and he nearly had to drag himself out of the shower. If he took to long he know Ezra would worry.

He found the clothes set out for him and dried off before he getting dressed and wandering out to find his brother. At least, that was his intention. Everything in the house caught his attention and made his mind wander off.

When he finally made it to the kitchen it smelled like coffee. Not stale, burnt coffee like the nurses' lounge but expensive coffee. His brother sat at the table with a cup between his hands. He looked up at Cristof and instantly became more alert.

"I heated up some water incase you wanted some tea and there's more coffee case you don't. I figured you need something warm."

"Should I apologize?" Cristof asked, only half in the doorway. He was peeking into the kitchen and looked almost intimidated.

"Cris, come sit with me. No, you don't need to apologize but I do want to understand some stuff." he said softly.

"Kay." Cristof smiled. "Am I allowed to get the tea myself?"

"I hope so, I don't exactly consider myself a kids person," Ezra smiled lightly, "Specially when they're completely grown."

Cristof stuck his tongue out at his younger brother and pouted. "I can do it but they treat me like I'm handicapped and won't let me. Wouldn't let me. Didn't. Ah well. I'm doing it now."

"Damn well you are, I know you're not handicapped, you better not act like it." Ezra pointed a joking finger at him, "So tell me them, what's happened? Did they do something?"

"I don't want to be a tool anymore." he answered vaguely, pulling a cup from the cabinet.

"Going to have to give me more than that, brother." Ezra watched him.

"I couldn't stay anymore. I won't be used." He turned quickly and pouted. "They put a limit on when I could go outside. Not fair."

"Used how." Ezra pressed, sipping his coffee. He was sure he already knew but he was hoping it had been a bad dream.

"The doctor's keep talking. They get mad when I don't wanna answer." Cristof stopped, calmly making his tea. He swayed slowly back and forth and hummed for a moment before walking to sit at the table. "No more appointments. No more threats. No more treats for good behavior. I'm not a DOG!" he pouted. "No more. They scare me."

"Cristof, I know you're not a dog, trust me it's nothing special there. It's part of life. Everyone has to act a certain way to please certain people. Is there anything you're not mentioning?"

"Yes." he paused, sipping his tea. "Do I gotta talk about it."

"I'm about to get in trouble with the law for hiding you Cristof, all I'm asking is you tell me why." Ezra leaned his chin in his palm.

"I can't be there anymore Ezra." he muttered softly, slowly bowing his head until he could sip from his cup without lifting it off the table. "They get mad when you don't play the game. But I don't have to stay here."

"So you ran away because they wouldn't let you go outside then." Ezra crossed his arms.

"That's just silly Ezra. They're soul suckers." Cristof sighed. "You know what they do to empty shells?"

"I know you didn't belong there but that's still not a reason to run away. Not a reason to put me in this position. You know I'd protect you, fight for you, and that could get me in a lot of trouble. You could have fooled them—I know you could have—into letting you out. Acted normal for a while. Tell me that's not the only reason you ran and put yourself and me in danger." Ezra muttered, sipping his coffee with a sigh.

Cristof swallowed slowly. "I don't do normal as well as I used to. They were using me Ezra. Using me. Even when I refused an appointment...they'd go out of their way to find me. Keeping me some dark secret before anyone else could find out I know things," he said, voice getting rougher, louder. "I can't do it anymore. To wait to be poked and prodded, and sold or sent to a pretty little institution that would be for my own 'benefit'. They don't care about my benefits they care about what I can tell them. No more! No more lab rat, no more."

"So they do know." Ezra rubbed his face. "I was hoping that was a nightmare."

Cristof pressed his face into his arm and leaned down against the table. "They've known for a long time."

"Why didn't you tell me, Cris." Ezra reached to touch his brother's arm, "I would have gotten you transferred at the least."

"That's what they wanted. Transferred because I need the 'attention'. Someplace smaller, more intimate." Cristof shuddered. "No more..."

"Well you're here now. I don't know if you can stay 'here' here but I will find you a place if I have to pay for a hotel." Ezra mused.

"I didn't come to stay. I came to let Ezra know I'm not there anymore." Cristof chuckled but the tone didn't match his expression. "I know better then to burden Ezra with this."

"Shut up Cris. You're not going anywhere." Ezra muttered, "You better be here when I get home from work."

Cristof tilted his head to watch his brother. "There are times when Ezra is stranger then I am. I'm sorry."

"I'm not strange. You're my brother. I'm going to know where you are and that you're safe." Ezra finished his coffee, "To the best of my ability. And I won't ignore anymore dreams..."

"I'll never know why, but I'm thankful for Ezra." Cristof muttered, his head still lying on his arm. "More then you know. Even normal Ezra."

"You need to sleep I think." Ezra smiled, "Mind the couch or do you wanna share my bed?"

Cristof stared for a moment, blinking slowly in contemplation. A smile twitched at his lips but he couldn't bring himself to laugh. Ezra was the only person who would ask him what he wants and honestly mean it. "Whatever is easier for Ezra."

"What's more comfortable for Cris." Ezra challenged with a smile, standing to put his cup in the sink. "Bed's made, couch takes two seconds. Haven't shared a bed since we were lived at home but I don't care so, its whatever."

"Couch, I'll make Ezra sick." Cristof sighed, looking inside his cup curiously after a pause.

"If you say so Cris. If you want more tea you're welcome to it." Ezra mused, walking off to fix the couch up.

"No." Cristof said, getting up quickly to wander after him, still holding his nearly empty cup. "They said I should get used to it again." He held up that cup as if that would make his words clearer.

"Who?" Ezra asked, stopping in the hall to pull a few blankets and pillows out of the closet.

He waved the cup again. "Hospital food sucks lots."

"I know. I ate there once." Ezra grimaced.

"Real food makes me sick. I found that out earlier. No fun. Ugh, not at all." He muttered, draining the remaining tea from his cup.

"Ah, I gotta watch what I get you then. Hm." Ezra muttered, setting down the pillow before spreading out the blankets. "I have water if you want some."

"The pills were more then just medication." His whispered as if someone would over hear the secret. "I know how to get water. More or less."

"Tap water tastes like shit, there's a pitcher in the fridge, drink from that." Ezra mused. "What were the pills?"

"Withdrawal! Withdrawal!" He paused. "You have water in a pitcher? That's just weird Ezra."

"It filters it." Ezra laughed, "and if you go through withdrawals…I'm killing someone."

"Ooohh." he muttered softly. "Okay. Ezra does not need to worry about me. Ezra's does enough worrying. I am in no way dependent on the pills. Those pills. Not those, maybe the others though. No matter."

"English Cris." Ezra smiled.

Cristof's eyes widened. "I stopped speaking English. I am so impressed with myself!"

"I'm impressed too, now translate. What about the pills?"

"Lots of pills, and did you know, did you know." He moved closer to his brother. "They stare you in the face till you take them. So I gots lots of pills by two or maybe three doctors, I don't remember, and they stare till you take them. And when you don't, you gets a shot and you know I'm afraid of needles."

Ezra's eyes went soft, "Yes, I know. Why would you be addicted to some and not others?"

"Placebo!" Cristof announced. "Some were real meds to 'help me'." he air quoted. "And others were nothing, and others were like aspirin and others were a childish attempt to make me more agreeable. They mix badly, you know. You'd think they'd know that." He paused again. "I guess they wouldn't care if they did."

"Hmm." was Ezra's response, accompanied with a frown as he pulled back the blankets, making the couch look utterly inviting to someone in Cristof's position. "Well fuck them."

"I'd rather not. They all had needles and it's hard to keep a straight face with a needle coming at you. I just got one." he pointed to his arm. "I wasn't supposed to though. I took the pills. He was just mad at me." He finally set the cup down and moved towards the couch. "Thank you Ezra."

Ezra grabbed his arm lightly so he could wrap his arms around Cristof. "I'm glad you came here."

"I only have Ezra," he said softly, hugging him tightly. "I don't want Ezra in trouble over this."

"I said could get in trouble, not would." Ezra assured him. "Just...stay away from the windows, don't go outside, keep the noise level down and don't answer the door till I get home. I'll figure it out after work today."

"I'm sorry Ezra." he muttered, his forehead resting against his brother's shoulder. "I couldn't do it anymore."

"And I'm glad you came here instead of trying to figure it out on your own." Ezra muttered, "No more apologizing."

"Ezra knows I can't help it." he muttered, finally releasing his brother to sit back on the couch.

"Yeah well, do it anyway" Ezra offered him a grin, "Sleep well, I'm gonna go lay down myself for a few more hours."

Cristof nodded slowly, pulling his legs up onto the couch. "Okay. Please sleep good."

"Be here, when I wake up. And if you hear someone knocking, you're going in the crawl space." Ezra chuckled, walking off.

Cristof pressed his face into one of the pillows before laughing at the visual it gave him. Shaking his head with a small grin he laid his head down to sleep.


Thanks for reading! And is case you're interested, I'm fully aware that my grammar sucks due to late night editing, but there are times when Cris….just talks funny. It's how he is so I'm aware it's incorrect.

SeansonsReasons-I'm glad he makes you smile. Thanks for reviewing ^_^

Chibi Cherry Blossoms- I will! I'll be updating regularly. Thanks for reading. I appreciate it.

Sadistprincess- Hello! I was a little stunned to see you making your way around my one-shots. Thank you! Onto your reviews! I'm so happy you like Cristof. To me he is an incredibly loveable character and you can't help but want him to be happy. It'll take a while but after a few chapter you'll get the hang of the characters and how much Cris..really gives away when he's babbling…lol. He is a strange boy though and views suffocation differently from most. The neutral colors for example, he hates them and would have been happier without them.
As for character descriptions, sorry. Lol. There are descriptions that come through out the story in some places, but when I write with Lovely, we tend to want our readers to use their imaginations; letting them give the character a look they thing suits them up to a point. As you go deeper into the story and learn more about them, those appearances become more defined. Hope that makes sense. I'd love fan art!…I get the lack of descriptions makes that hard though. XD But I'm still incredibly flattered that you would even offer. Thanks for reading.

Please review.