To make up for the long wait I put two chapters together.
They browsed the shop, sticking close to the other, the heating was working overtime and the two quickly felt sensation come back to their fingers and toes. A small smile came to Kai's face as his fingers changed from an icy blue to a rosy pink.
"Tala, my fingers are normal again" he told his friend waving his hand in front of the redhead's face.
"I can see that." He answered a small smile on his face. "Now come on, we can't just browse. Choose what you want, and I'll find something for myself." The redhead answered, letting go of Kai's hand for a moment. "Find what you want, don't go anywhere once you have; I'll meet you by the till. I'll be back in a moment; I just have to find a coat"
"Uh, Tala, I don't think they sell coats here" Kai answered calling after his friend who had turned to walk down the aisle.
"I will find a coat. I'm not spending another night without a cover. Even in the abbey we got a sheet" he answered turning back towards the small bluenette and offering him a small smile. "Don't go anywhere; I don't want some guy pinching you. Especially not some guard who will punish you as soon as you return."
"Return, we're not going back are we?" He asked Tala, fidgeting with his scarf; he didn't want to go back. That place scared him, scared him badly. That place treated him almost as bad as his grandfather did.
"No, no, don't worry about that I'll never let you go back there. I promise. Trust me Kai, just stay near me, find your food I'll get us a coat or blanket. Something to keep us warm; we'll be alright." He smiled to him, reassuring him to try to prevent a nightmare. He had had quite a lot of them since they ran away. The redhead suspected it was because he was panicked. Worried that they would find them, and his mind would recreate what he thought would happen if they were to return.
"Alright, I trust you" Kai answered quietly not releasing the scarf; it was a kind of comfort blanket for him. He had had it for years; in the abbey he would cuddle it to him on the coldest of nights. It served as a great extra bed sheet, not to mention a form of lead. He would attach it to Tala's waist on nights he feared he would wake up alone, it helped to sooth him when he felt not only the redhead snuggled up close to him but the scarf tied around his hand.
He may have been able to sleep through Tala turning from him or leaving the room but he wouldn't be able to sleep through a tugging on his hand from the red haired boy being pulled from their bed.
Tala gave him a quick wave before leaving him on his own. Kai bit his lip as he looked up the shelves. There was so much choice; he had never been given choice in his life. When he was younger back home with his grandfather he had been given a small fraction of food whenever the old man felt the boy was too thin and needed food. Needing food to the old man meant he was on the verge of death. As far as he was concerned he wasn't on the verge of death for a long time; a few weeks starvation before a single scrap could reach his lips.
He reached out a guarded arm to a packet on the shelf. It had some form of writing on it but he had no idea what it said. He was only just learning to read from Tala. He could read small words and was learning how to read longer ones but he couldn't read what was on those packages. He squinted at the food, hoping that by some miracle that would make the words readable. With a small sigh he placed it back. Being careful to make sure it was in the right place.
Once content that it looked right he turned and started to leave the unreadable section, wishing to find something written in his English. That was unlikely though unless the words were 'cat' or 'dog'. He smiled slightly, Tala said that those words were pointless to learn to read, that it would never come in handy. But Kai had insisted on learning simple words first. Now he wished he had followed the redhead's advice.
He moved down the aisle swinging his arms more than was normal for him, back inside the abbey they used to have to march for hours. He never understood why, why he and all the other children. Most of whom were barely old enough to walk; were forced to march for hours on end. Now he saw it could compensate as a game to play.
He cast his mind back the past few days and remembered the day he and the redhead escaped; they had been marching for hours on end and his legs were close to collapsing. The only reason he was still up was because between every gap in the line of armed guards Tala would grab at his arms and support his weight for a few meters.
A soft smile came to his face as he looked up another of the shelves. This one looked better than the last. Some of the words there were only three letters long.
They had started the marching at dawn and the sun had already passed the mid-day point by the time they had been allowed their lunch. The lunch was hardly worth that name, it was nothing but a few pieces of bread and half a glass of water. That was the only food they would be allowed for the day, and that was only if they weren't on punishment. Unfortunately for the two boys they were almost always on punishment. Were they bad children who deserved it? No, they weren't they were just the most fun for the guards to mess with. They were the most fun to starve and make beg for food.
Kai could remember being starved of food for almost a month one time. Why was he punished for so long? He had dropped his launcher. He hadn't thought that as bad, from what his grandfather had told him he did deserve it. From what his grandfather had said he got off lightly. A shiver ran down the bluenette's spine at the thought of what his grandfather would do to him now. Starvation would be the least of his worries. He placed a hand on his neck as the feeling of fingers around his throat rose, reminding him of the last time his grandfather had chocked him.
He had been strangled a week before, choked so badly that the finger marks were still evident. They were still as bright as the day they were formed. The burning in the back of his throat he had felt that night came back to him, it had been the most painful strangulation he had been put through in his life. He had feared that his neck would snap should the old man tighten his grip anymore.
Kai grabbed at some of the food on the shelf, pushing the thoughts from his mind, he didn't want to think about that man. With any luck he would never have to see that man again. He hated him, hated him for everything he had been put through. He hated him for every beating, starvation, strangulation and cruel word that was thrown at him. His life had only been short but that man had fitted in the work of three in that short time. Taking one of the three letter foods too he didn't bother to even try to read it. He didn't care, he just wanted some food.
Tightening his grip on the plastic packet he left the aisle, the two pieces of food in his grip. What they were however was a mystery.
oooo
Tala was down another aisle trying to decide between something sweet or something warm. Did it really matter? No, the food would freeze as soon as the two ventured out the shop. Did he care if it froze? No, he at least wanted the opportunity to have something to heat his chilled insides. Besides he would like to see Kai's face when he showed him something normal to eat. The boy had only ever eaten food that could be described as nothing other than slop.
The boy's naivety was something that had caused Tala to form such a strong bond with him. It was a change to see someone who wasn't tainted by the life of the abbey. He closed his eyes briefly and reached out to grab at something. Whatever it was that was what he would have to eat. Not the best system but he was hungry and his mind wasn't working at its best. He could accept a bit of a stupid solution seeing as he hadn't properly eaten for a long time.
As he opened his icy eyes his smile dropped. Broccoli, he had little memory of his life before the abbey but he could remember a woman with long red hair trying to feed him the disgusting green food using a spoon and weird buzzing noises. And much to his annoyance the strange thing had worked and he had been tricked into eating the limp food. It had tasted fowl and he had been choking on it for a good minute.
But he had done it fairly and chosen something that made him shiver. Maybe he could try the buzz noise on Kai. See if it was just him who was tricked by the sound. Well, he didn't just want to make himself feel better he also wanted to see Kai's reaction to the tree like food. If the bluenette liked it then he might be able to get out of eating it.
Turning down an aisle he quickened his pace ever so slightly and ran towards where Kai was. He had to dodge the odd person as he made it to where he was sure the blue haired boy would be.
He turned a corner blindly and, before he was any wiser, he was on the floor laid on his back and staring at the buzzing lights overhead. He had heard the faintest sound of pain come from a foot away from him and stared down at where the bluenette was laid sprawled out on the floor too. With a slight grunt of annoyance he pushed himself into a seating position and reached out to try to grab at the younger boy's arm.
Once his fingers had managed to form a lock on them he pulled and the boy was half swung half pulled to be sitting staring at the redhead who was looked just a little bemused.
"Hey Kai" Tala greeted shaking his head and moving the two red tendrils from his eyes, making them hang back in front of his face like usual.
"Hi Tala, where'd you come from, I didn't see you." Kai answered back pushing himself up and tugging at his arm guards; the spike on the back had poked him in the elbow causing slight pain. He turned as he stood looking for his two pieces of food.
"Yea, I didn't see you either; you sure are hard to bang into aren't you." He responded as he moved closer. "Kai, what're you looking for?" He asked the blue haired boy.
"The food I chose" he answered before making a small 'aha' sound as he spotted the allusive food. Moving to grab at the food he added "where's the coat?" Tala mentally cursed, he had forgotten to get a coat.
"I'm sure we can find one before we leave. Come on Kai; let's go pay for this food. We could probably find another shop that does sell clothes. Maybe we find you a coat with a high collar. Those markings on your face will be a giveaway to any abbey guard that's looking for us; they'll be able to spot you a mile off with those beacons on your face."
Kai scowled at him slightly tapping him on the arm as he followed his best friend. Though unconsciously he lifted a hand to his cheek, and rubbed at the painful spots that hadn't quite taken to the ink that had been injected from the multiple needles that had pierced his skin.
Tala turned his head back to the bluenette who was rubbing at his face. He stared at him concerned; he hoped the ink wasn't burning him again. The night he had been tattooed the ink had burned him so badly he had been crying on his shoulder. Taking a step back so he was beside the boy Tala took his hand and gave him a slight squeeze.
"Are you alright?" He asked the boy who just nodded, slightly spaced out.
"Yeah, I'm alright Tala. I just wish my face was normal again." He told the older boy, his eyes portraying how much he hated the way his face had been changed.
"Don't worry Kai; I'll make sure everything will turn out just fine." He assured his friend, pulling him closer and moving to stand in the little line that was by the till.
Kai nodded up at his friend, he knew he could trust Tala. The other had never lied to him, he was sure Tala could allow him to look like he did before. Kai stared up at all the men and women; they towered above them, hands in their coat pockets thick fur lining the inside of their warm clothes.
Tala glanced down at the bluenette and saw the slight jealousy shining in his crimson orbs. Giving his hand a gentle squeeze to gain his attention Kai stared up at him.
"Don't worry; we'll get a coat soon" he tried to reassure him. He could see the boy looked slightly scared at the thought of having to sleep another night without anything that even resembled a blanket.
"Really, I don't wanna sleep in the cold again." Kai's voice was soft and quiet; he didn't want people to overhear them. He didn't trust adults. They had only caused him pain. It worried the redhead slightly; he himself knew that adults could be trusted, that some were good. But Kai, he had only ever known them to hurt him; never to help.
"Don't worry, we'll figure something out. I'm sure we can work out a way to get some kind of coat; maybe a blanket. You must learn to take advantage of the kindness of strangers Kai. Some things Boris says are true, taking advantage is not the same as being dependent on someone. In other words it doesn't mean we're weak."
Kai stared at him slightly confused; did that mean that it wouldn't be seen as pathetic to the men who had raised them? A tiny smile came to his face at that knowledge and he nodded his head.
"Alright, Tala, we're at the front." Kai told him making the redhead turn. He had thought there were three people in front of him, weird. Not paying that little fact any heed Tala took the food from the bluenette placing his down in front of the woman who was sitting behind the till.
"Can we buy these?" He asked her looking around the back of the shop to see if there was any chocolate. He hadn't had any in years and he wanted to give some to Kai. Unable to see any of the sweet food his eyes landed on something else. Something so much more valuable to him and the boy; they had a blanket. "Miss, is that anyone's?" He asked her standing on his tiptoes so he could point to the red blue and green striped blanket that was bundled into a ball.
"No, I was told to throw it out, it used to be my bosses dog's blanket but she died."
"Do you think we could have it miss?" A small hopeful smile came to the redhead's face as she looked back at the fabric. Staring into the cerulean eyes with mild confusion she grabbed the blanket and handed it to the boy.
"Here, just saving me a job." She told him leaning down for him to take it. "Why'd you want it?" She asked seating herself back onto the soft chair she had.
"Uh, we're making a den." He answered almost proud that he could lie that quickly. Shrugging the woman didn't ask anything else and placed the rest of the food into a bag she had in her possession. Handing him the bag she held out her hand.
"Ten pound fifty, please kid." She told him watching as he fumbled around with the notes the two had managed to beg for. Raising a brow at him confused as to how a kid could have so much money she took the notes handed him back his change.
Without another word the two boys left the shop. Tala handing the bag to Kai a triumphant smile on his face; he knew he could get that blanket. And Kai knew that Tala had still never broken a promise he made him.
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