A/N- 6 CHAPTERS LEFT! (counting this one) And how do I know this? I've had
them all typed for like a week now. Since ff.net hasn't been letting me in
it's solved part of a dilemma but now that dilemma is up to you. I can
either do 2 more posts of 2 each or I big post of 3 and then the last one.
It's up to guys. Just the quicker I do this one the faster I can post the
next story (which I have 2 chapters typed of).
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Jaime headed back to dorms. Sorta. He was just going the longer, walk around the campus to get exercise route. But, hey, whatever gets you there, right? However his long walk had not given him any clues to where Gabe was, which was kinda the original point, other than the exercise part of course. He started kicking the dirt and pine needles underneath the trees. This sucks. What was he going to tell Rowan? Eh, what did he care? Rowan didn't give a damn about him so why should he give a damn about Rowan?
No, that wasn't fair. This was about Gabe currently. God, Gabe must be really pissed. Pissed and scared. Maybe this was an attention thing like the little white scars on Jules's arms; the ones she tried to hide with pastel covered shirts that said small annoyances like 'cute!' or 'sparkly!' Gah.
Jaime tripped as a rock rolled under his foot and fell forward, towards a small body that squeaked and squealed. "Gabe?" questioned Jaime as he rolled off the small body to lean against another pine tree. "What the. Rowan is going insane! What are you doing out here?"
"You're Jaime and not a Troll, right?"
"Yes. Now what are you doing out here?" The small body didn't say anything. "Are you still mad at Rowan for saying he wouldn't take custody of you?" The little body sniffled.
"Uh huh. Why doesn't he like me?"
"He does like you. I think. I think it's just that he's scared that if he takes you in he might mess up."
"Nuh uh! Why would he be afraid of that? That's stupid! It's probably me, it's got to be." Jaime smiled. Looked like Gabe was going for only the reasons that would cause him to be lathered with self-pity. Good thing it was dark though because he didn't want Gabe getting all offended and running away. Or kicking him and running away- it looked like it hurt when he did that to Rowan. Hello future Clint Mathias.
"Gabe, I don't know if you've realized this or been told this or what but Rowan didn't have the best of childhoods."
"Neither did I!"
"Yeah but you're still going through yours." Memo to self- do not have kids. "Rowan is afraid that if he fails you'll end up with the same childhood. He's only a couple of years older than when your mom was when she had him."
"So?"
"So basically, Rowan's afraid to fail so he thinks the better thing for you is to be with people who won't."
"But he won't fail!"
"I know. But he doesn't know that. And you running away makes him think he failed." God, is that how my parents felt? Bull. They were probably relieved.
"He was probably happy." Well my make-myself-feel-better idea just got blown to itty-bitty bits of shrapnel.
"I told you, he's going out of his mind."
"Oh." Let's have silence for the Disney music to waft in slowly. "So you think he wants me to come back?" Yes, Christ do I have to make a neon sign. No wait, Gabe has the mentality of a 6 year old because he is 6. Remember that. "Yeah. And you never know, maybe he'll change his mind." Gabe thought for a moment, then launched out and hugged Jaime. Awkwardly, Jaime patted his back and then just gave in and hugged the child back. So this is why people have kids.
"K-O. Are you and Rowan still best friends?"
"I don't know any more."
"Why?"
"Because we got into a fight."
"Why?" Wait, this feels like a familiar tactic of mine.
"Because we disagreed about something."
"Why?" No wait! I've been trapped! Man down commander! Abandon all hope! There goes the good ship lollipop!
"Because."
"Oh." Hah! You have to watch more sitcoms if you're going to try and out wit me! Oh God. I feel happy because I outwit a 6 year old. What is wrong with me? "Is he not taking custody of you?"
"More like he's pushing me away."
"Oh. Maybe because of his childhood."
"I don't think so." Actually, I don't know. Frank? Maybe it's Freudian thing. Go, I hope I don't remind him of his mother or anything.
"Oh."
"Do you have friends now?"
"Uh huh. One of them, Alex, thinks that Batman is the best too!" Wow. Right there- life long friends.
"Cool, but wait till you guys discover X-Men and Daredevil."
"Who?" Feeling the age difference.
"Get Rowan to explain them to you. C'mon. Let's get you back to bed."
"I can't face all of them now. I'll look stupid. I'll look like a baby."
"So?"
"But. oh fine." Slowly Jaime walked, letting Gabe keep up with him. So this was what it felt like to take responsibility for someone else, anyone for that matter. He had never taken all that good care of himself. They stopped in front of Peter's office, which was lit up like the prom queen eight months after the fact. Gabe giggled drunkenly. "I can hear Rowan yelling bad words. He's funny." Gabe sounded sleepy. Suddenly he just kinda leaned against Jaime's leg and_was_out.
"Uh, Gabe? Wake up. Wake up. Um ok." Slowly Jaime picked up Gabe who felt heavy, warm and comforting in his arms. He kicked on the door and was greeted by the sight of Sophie with green cream on her face, stressed. "Wo. Ok, kinda freaked out now." "Oh thank God," Jaime heard and Rowan appeared and lifted Gabe up out of Jaime's arms, which suddenly felt empty without the weight, lonely. "Thank you."
"I was, I was just walking back to the dorms." Jaime turned and backed out of the limelight that shown from the 15 lights on inside. Turning, he headed back into the night towards his lonely, empty bed with too many thought swirling through his head. Tonight was going to be one of those nights.
Jaime headed back to dorms. Sorta. He was just going the longer, walk around the campus to get exercise route. But, hey, whatever gets you there, right? However his long walk had not given him any clues to where Gabe was, which was kinda the original point, other than the exercise part of course. He started kicking the dirt and pine needles underneath the trees. This sucks. What was he going to tell Rowan? Eh, what did he care? Rowan didn't give a damn about him so why should he give a damn about Rowan?
No, that wasn't fair. This was about Gabe currently. God, Gabe must be really pissed. Pissed and scared. Maybe this was an attention thing like the little white scars on Jules's arms; the ones she tried to hide with pastel covered shirts that said small annoyances like 'cute!' or 'sparkly!' Gah.
Jaime tripped as a rock rolled under his foot and fell forward, towards a small body that squeaked and squealed. "Gabe?" questioned Jaime as he rolled off the small body to lean against another pine tree. "What the. Rowan is going insane! What are you doing out here?"
"You're Jaime and not a Troll, right?"
"Yes. Now what are you doing out here?" The small body didn't say anything. "Are you still mad at Rowan for saying he wouldn't take custody of you?" The little body sniffled.
"Uh huh. Why doesn't he like me?"
"He does like you. I think. I think it's just that he's scared that if he takes you in he might mess up."
"Nuh uh! Why would he be afraid of that? That's stupid! It's probably me, it's got to be." Jaime smiled. Looked like Gabe was going for only the reasons that would cause him to be lathered with self-pity. Good thing it was dark though because he didn't want Gabe getting all offended and running away. Or kicking him and running away- it looked like it hurt when he did that to Rowan. Hello future Clint Mathias.
"Gabe, I don't know if you've realized this or been told this or what but Rowan didn't have the best of childhoods."
"Neither did I!"
"Yeah but you're still going through yours." Memo to self- do not have kids. "Rowan is afraid that if he fails you'll end up with the same childhood. He's only a couple of years older than when your mom was when she had him."
"So?"
"So basically, Rowan's afraid to fail so he thinks the better thing for you is to be with people who won't."
"But he won't fail!"
"I know. But he doesn't know that. And you running away makes him think he failed." God, is that how my parents felt? Bull. They were probably relieved.
"He was probably happy." Well my make-myself-feel-better idea just got blown to itty-bitty bits of shrapnel.
"I told you, he's going out of his mind."
"Oh." Let's have silence for the Disney music to waft in slowly. "So you think he wants me to come back?" Yes, Christ do I have to make a neon sign. No wait, Gabe has the mentality of a 6 year old because he is 6. Remember that. "Yeah. And you never know, maybe he'll change his mind." Gabe thought for a moment, then launched out and hugged Jaime. Awkwardly, Jaime patted his back and then just gave in and hugged the child back. So this is why people have kids.
"K-O. Are you and Rowan still best friends?"
"I don't know any more."
"Why?"
"Because we got into a fight."
"Why?" Wait, this feels like a familiar tactic of mine.
"Because we disagreed about something."
"Why?" No wait! I've been trapped! Man down commander! Abandon all hope! There goes the good ship lollipop!
"Because."
"Oh." Hah! You have to watch more sitcoms if you're going to try and out wit me! Oh God. I feel happy because I outwit a 6 year old. What is wrong with me? "Is he not taking custody of you?"
"More like he's pushing me away."
"Oh. Maybe because of his childhood."
"I don't think so." Actually, I don't know. Frank? Maybe it's Freudian thing. Go, I hope I don't remind him of his mother or anything.
"Oh."
"Do you have friends now?"
"Uh huh. One of them, Alex, thinks that Batman is the best too!" Wow. Right there- life long friends.
"Cool, but wait till you guys discover X-Men and Daredevil."
"Who?" Feeling the age difference.
"Get Rowan to explain them to you. C'mon. Let's get you back to bed."
"I can't face all of them now. I'll look stupid. I'll look like a baby."
"So?"
"But. oh fine." Slowly Jaime walked, letting Gabe keep up with him. So this was what it felt like to take responsibility for someone else, anyone for that matter. He had never taken all that good care of himself. They stopped in front of Peter's office, which was lit up like the prom queen eight months after the fact. Gabe giggled drunkenly. "I can hear Rowan yelling bad words. He's funny." Gabe sounded sleepy. Suddenly he just kinda leaned against Jaime's leg and_was_out.
"Uh, Gabe? Wake up. Wake up. Um ok." Slowly Jaime picked up Gabe who felt heavy, warm and comforting in his arms. He kicked on the door and was greeted by the sight of Sophie with green cream on her face, stressed. "Wo. Ok, kinda freaked out now." "Oh thank God," Jaime heard and Rowan appeared and lifted Gabe up out of Jaime's arms, which suddenly felt empty without the weight, lonely. "Thank you."
"I was, I was just walking back to the dorms." Jaime turned and backed out of the limelight that shown from the 15 lights on inside. Turning, he headed back into the night towards his lonely, empty bed with too many thought swirling through his head. Tonight was going to be one of those nights.