Children From A Lesser God
Chapter Six : Chicago?
Despite Fox's insistence, She wouldn't eat any of his half of the pizza. She instead grabbed her bag and scuttled into the bathroom. That was verging on an hour ago. He couldn't understand what it was she was doing in there. He did have a wild thought that maybe she had escaped or had been kidnapped, despite the only entrance being the front door. But then the odd running of water or noise, let him know that she was still in there. However, it was now becoming dangerously close to 3pm. Reluctantly, he knocked on the bathroom door.
She opened the door immediately but only a fraction. Only half her face showed. His eyes trailed up and down her to make sure she was OK. An unclothed leg was exposed, it followed all the way up until it was marred by the hem of her vest top, and Fox began to feel tightening in his pants. She had a bra on underneath her vest top. When his eyes met hers again, Fox could tell by her eyes that she was also thinking of what happened earlier on the bed. They were full of lust. Fox was sure that if he kissed her again, she would let him, maybe this time she wouldn't stop him.
Fox cleared his throat, quickly dispelling those ideas. There was a four year age gap between them now. It was illegal. "We need to leave in ten minutes".
"I'll be one minute", She says and closes the door again.
She was in fact, only one minute, and after they made sure the whole room was straight, they went downstairs and waved goodbye to the guy in the foyer that had been so kind to them.
"Safe journey, dude. Who, knows maybe we'll bump to each other in Chicago".
Her hand was in his and she squeezed it tightly. He hadn't told her his plan, he realised, and squeezed her hand back reassuringly.
But once outside, everything seemed to fall on the head of Fox's plan in heavy bricks. What was his plan? Was it even a plan? Was it the right plan? Should they actually be going to Chicago? He had already spent $180 on the ticket. They were currently only one state away, and the car he had hijacked was parked a fifteen minutes walk away - if it was still there. If it hadn't already been tracked. What if they came to this hotel looking for them and they showed the guy pictures? Would he recount their whole conversation? It would surely be easy enough to find out that they didn't actually board the bus to Chicago, and then what? Wouldn't they not naturally look for them at Earle Hall?
She wove her fingers through his. They must have been standing for a while.
Remember the plan, Fox.
Fox nodded. What was to say they - whoever they were - would still be looking for them anyway? What is to say that those men being in his house had anything to do with her anyway? It was probably something else that his father was involved in. He was a very busy and important man after all. His entire work would certainly not revolve around one fourteen year old girl.
Right. First things first. New accommodation.
"We gotta find somewhere to stay".
"We're not going to Chicago?" She asks.
"No", Fox answers, and then stops. "Why? Do you know anyone there?" He's hopeful.
But she shakes her head, no.
"Then no", he bluntly says. He feels bad later because it was a bit harsh.
He had seen the hotel earlier, on his way to the greyhound station. Although, Fox had never heard of the hotel name, it looked from the outside very upmarket. But then he had thought that they - if they were still coming after them - wouldn't expect it.
However, by the time they had arrived at the doorsteps of the hotel, Fox had already thought of what seemed like a million alternative moves than checking into this expensive hotel and putting more of a wasted hole in their budget.
Fox just didn't know what was right and what was wrong to do in this situation because he had never ever even come close to this situation, or having to be independent from his parents, and, to make matters worse, it was just him. He had to shoulder all of the responsibility. All of the decisions.
"I don't know", he shakes his head at himself. "Maybe we should go to Chicago?"
He looks into the direction of the road that led to the Greyhound.
At least try to maybe get a refund on their tickets…? Even though he knew he had got non-refundable tickets, because they were cheaper.
Maybe he could try selling them outside?
What did he know about Chicago? Not much more than he knew about living in any other state that wasn't Maryland or DC - or Martha's Vineyard.
Think Fox, think.
His father told him to drive. Drive at all costs.
He did that until he crashed his car. Now he has no car. Except Sarah's dad's car, which if it is still there, is registered to Sarah's dad.
They can't just live on Greyhounds and motels. Their money will very quickly run out. Earle Hall could provide free accommodation. But it was a very big could. He would have to break in, and Fox has never broken into anything. And what if he was caught? He had to protect her. Protect her and her baby at all costs from the people who were coming after them.
He felt Her shiver.
"Are you cold?" he asks.
She shakes her head, no. She's staring at him again, with her big blue expanse eyes. That was all she seemed to do, along with cling to him for dear life - oh, and kiss him until he is all worked up only to suddenly pull away. Not that he is bitter about that.
He's not.
He's really not.
It's just, he wishes she were Sarah instead. He would trade her for Sarah in a snap. At least she would help him with decisions. Sarah wouldn't be so dependent on him.
"I don't know what to do", he tells her honestly. "I", and he chuckles, "I don't know what to do?"
She bites her lip but otherwise stares back at him. Silent. Clueless. Giving him nothing. Just like he knew she would.
"Maybe we should go to Chicago", she whispers. "If we already have the tickets".
"And then what?" he snaps. "Stay in cheap hotels until our money is gone!?"
She downcasts her eyes.
Maybe he should call his father? This seemed like an emergency to him.
But it wasn't.
She shivered again, which irritated him.
"Why don't you put on another jumper?" he suggested, as if explaining one add one.
Fox watched her take off her rucksack and crouch to get out another hoodie - his. He peaked into her bag. It didn't look like she had much in there. They had in all fairness left his house in a rush. He had wanted to get some different clothes for them. That was the plan, but now he didn't want to touch any of his money unless absolutely necessary.
He watches her put on the other hoodie, zip her rucksack up - he helps her put it on her back because it looked like she was struggling - and then her eyes were back on him, looking at him expectantly.
He stares back at her, and after a few minutes she averts her eyes shyly. "So if we are not going to Chicago. We're staying here?" She whispers.
"I don't know".
"If we stay here? Where will we sleep? On the streets?"
She still isn't looking at him, but Fox is watching her. Her eyes downcast to the concrete and she scuffs her converse on it. Fox screws up his face. "No", he says obnoxiously. Because he would never have her sleeping on the streets. In the cold. On the cold concrete. The fact that she even thought he would subject her to that really irked him. It was going to have to be a hotel. But if he was going to pay for a hotel, he may as well use those tickets to Chicago.
"What about Earle Hall?" She asks.
His eyes widen at her. "Earle Hall?"
"The gentlemen on the desk-"
He knew what the dude on the desk had said. "- You think that's a good idea? To check?" he asks, somewhat excited. Because just earlier he had that same idea. That was his plan.
"If we're not going to Chicago, we're not sleeping on the streets, or a hotel. It's a process of elimination. Earle Hall. Why not?" She shrugs.
She has never sounded so intelligent or tempting to Fox. "Why not?", he smiles.
~xXx~
Penn State Campus
The same student tour guide asked Fox if he was here for the tour, which was good, because it meant that he was moving around unnoticed. He was about to answer her, when she continued to inform him that the next tour wouldn't be until 4pm - which was in forty minutes from now - but that he was more than welcome to go to the Main Hall, where there was a lots more information about the campus, more information about the socials; they could grab some free food and drink and other free 'stuff'.
It was the best thing Fox had heard all day.
The Main Hall was easy enough to find and it was packed with people of all ages. Although, Fox was pretty sure that She was the only one there pregnant. Not that anyone seemed to notice, which Fox thought odd as it was so blatant and in your face to him. The student tour guide was right, there were lots of free stuff. There seemed to be maybe, most probably, over fifty tables full of brightly coloured stuff, with student representatives equally brightly dressed. They both got handed a bag on entering, Fox had a quick look in it and it seemed to have water, brochures, some stationary, and maybe what looked like a key chain. Fox had been to college open days as well as college fairs at his school last year, so he pretty much knew the drill, even if this was multiplied to the power of ten. She however, looked like she had just arrived on Mars.
"Come on, lets find the free food", he says to her. He didn't take her hand because he knew that she would grab it.
Which she did.
As they went further into the building - which was huge - Fox stood corrected, the must have been at least one hundred stalls as it continued into the lower floor. He wondered if this would be an all week type of event or if it was just today. If they didn't find a dormitory, at least they could benefit from free food.
They almost missed the 4pm tour. Disappointingly, there wasn't much in the way of actual free food and drink; cups of water and fruit cups was all there really was, but there were lots of cupcakes and sweets on the stalls. Fox must have signed himself up to a dozen societies with fake email addresses.
The tour lasted around forty minutes. They kept to the back and silent. They stopped outside Earle Hall and the student representative provided minimal information on it being the newest mixed dormitory on campus, predominately for first-year students. It was also one of the most expensive because each dorm had a private bathrooms.
Which is probably why there were so many empty spaces, Fox thought.
However they weren't fortunate enough to actually go inside and inspect any of the free vacant rooms in Earle Hall or any of the accommodation for that matter, because images were available online.
That would have been too easy. And as Fox had already determined, multiple times, they were not that lucky.
After the tour had finished, they returned to the Main Hall to see if there was any new food or stuff going for free. There wasn't, but they each picked up another fruit cup and did ample staring of their entire surroundings - except each other - until the stalls started to be packed away.
They then went outside and sat in silent for about half an hour on a bench before Fox broke their silence by declaring they should get something to eat.
He settled on pizza from the same place as it was cheap and he knew that she liked it. As soon as the pizza was opened in front of them, Fox began to explain his new plan.
"We'll wait until it gets dark, and then we'll test the doors", he says between mouthfuls. He was ravenous, the cupcakes and fruit cups had only made him hungrier. "There didn't seem to be any security needed on the doors which is good, and-", he stops and frowns at her picking off the pepperoni off her pizza. "What's the matter? You don't like pepperoni?"
She shakes her head, no, without looking up at him. A sort of bored looking expression on her face.
He reaches over to her plate and grabs her discarded meat before shovelling it down his throat.
More for him.
When it seems she is certain all the meat has been taken off, she takes a very light bite of the pizza. Fox watches her eat it slowly. "You don't like it or you don't eat it?" he asks, thinking back to how she picked around her burger earlier.
"I don't eat it", she answers, and she throws the pizza slice down on her plate in a sort of huff.
"Well, we'll just pick off all the pepperoni from half the pizza", he shrugs. Not minding at all as it meant more pepperoni for him.
"I can't eat it. It's making me feel sick".
"You've taken like not even one bite", Fox counters, but she doesn't pick up the slice. Fox shrugs. "You should have said something I would have got half and half".
"You didn't ask", she says back. Fox would have thought she was arguing with him but she says it without any animosity in her voice. Instead, she politely stares down at her bump, wrapping her hands protectively over it.
"Do you want me to order you an original one?" he asks after he finishes his third slice. He reaches over to get her discarded slice and she pushes it over to him.
She shakes her head, no.
"Are you a vegetarian or something?"
She nods
"A proper vegetarian or do you eat fish?" Sarah called herself a vegetarian, but she ate fish, so she was technically a pescatarian.
"I don't eat fish".
"Why?" he asks. Sarah became a pescatarian only six months ago because of some documentary she watched.
The girl shrugs.
Fox laughs, "you look like you are about to fall asleep there", and she really did. "You should have slept in the car like I told you to".
She nods. Looking more and more bored by the minute.
Fox eats his next two slices in silence. He is deciding on whether to have another slice when She gets up suddenly. "I'm going to use the bathroom", she announces and then leaves - with her rucksack.
Fox watches her make her way to the bathroom door. He notices a few other eyes follow her. One of the guys behind the tiller says something to the guy next to him and they laugh in her direction. Fox doesn't like it and decides that it is time to leave.
He sandwiches the remaining pizza slices while grabbing for his rucksack so he can wait for her outside the bathroom. When he has finished swallowing, he decides to check on her, just in case.
There is only one bathroom. It says that it is occupied.
He knocks on the door.
"Someone's in here", she says.
"It's me. Are you OK?"
"I'll just be a few more minutes".
"Are you sure you're OK?"
"I'm fine. Please, I'll be out soon".
Fox opens his mouth to say something else but then decides to do as she wishes.
The pizza guy is smirking at him when he comes back out.
"Your girlfriend OK?" he asks.
Fox nods slowly because the guy looks as though he knows something Fox doesn't. He uses his foot to open the door to the bathroom a crack so he can keep an eye on her.
"She is your girlfriend right?" the guy asks, leaning over the tiller.
Fox nods.
The guy raises his hand up in a high five, and Fox can do nothing but walk over and high five him back.
"Not much of a talker are you?" the guy laughs at his colleague.
His colleague laughs back.
Fox shrugs, "don't have much to say".
The pizza guy whistles and laughs, and Fox panics that he has maybe offended this guy. He can't get into a fight with this guy. Firstly because he has never really been in a fight with someone else before, and despite Fox's height, he is pretty sure he is not good at it. This guy is smaller than him, but he looks stocky.
"We've had a long day is all", Fox smiles, trying to diffuse the situation.
"Yeah pregnancy makes all women bigger bitches", the guy laughs. "I mean don't get me wrong, I love women, I fucking love women - literally", and the guy sniggers again at his words, "but they are ninety percent of the time a pain in the ass, always nagging at you. Always wanting more", he trails off.
Fox nods and lets out a laugh, that he hopes shows he is in agreement with this guy.
"So what, you don't even have any facial hair or anything? You in school? You go to the college?"
Alarm bells go off in Fox's head. "Not exactly. We're on our way back home to Chicago. Just waiting to catch the bus".
"Nice, nice", the guy says.
Fox really wishes She would hurry up.
"So what's your girlfriends name?"
"Sarah", he answers instinctively.
"That's a nice name. So-", he stops. "-What!?"
"Leave the kid alone", a new voice says.
Fox lifts his head to look at the colleague and smiles gratefully at him. The guy smiles genuinely back.
"Kid? He's not a kid. Did you see how much his girlfriend is carrying. He's going to be a dad any minute".
And Fox suddenly hoped that it wasn't what she was doing in the bathroom. Having a baby. He sincerely hoped.
It wasn't.
It couldn't be.
There would be a lot more screaming, he was sure.
"He stopped being a kid the moment he put his dick in her".
"You always talking too much".
"What too much? Says you. You're like a brick statue over their. A shitting brick wall. What can I get you? That will be five dollars. I have customer service. Listen, friend - what's, what's your name?" he asks Fox.
Fox had to stop himself from saying, 'Sonny', which was the name printed on this annoying dick's t-shirt. "Sam", Fox plucked from the air.
"Sam. Nice name. Well, Sam, all I'm going to say is that you're doing it right. Having your kids young is the way to go. You see women - girls - they are supposed to have their children young. Their bodies just bounce back into shape. These women having kids in their late forties, it takes them months, even years to get their bodies back".
"I don't think it is true", his colleague laughs.
"What not true! Fellas!" he calls out to the room, and Fox in thankful the guy's attention is no longer on him.
She emerges through the door. Fox opens the door and grabs her hand, waves at Sonny, nods at Sonny's colleague, and then quickly escorts them out of the takeaway, never to return again.
"Is everything OK?" she asks, when they are outside.
"Perfect", Fox mutters, but he doesn't slow his walk until they reach closer to the university. He spies another pizza place, this time a restaurant, with table service and no leery looking men.
"But we just ate", she protests when he leads them in.
He asks for a table for two and the waitress seats them at a four person booth near the window.
There is a nice buzz. There are a few families, but mostly, college looking aged kids. Fox breathes a sigh of relief. It takes him a few moments to realise that the waitress is looking at him expectantly. "Do you have vegetarian food?" he asks.
"We do", the waitress smiles. Fox decides she must be a college student.
"Great. She can have whatever she wants", he signals to Her. "Order whatever you want", he smiles at her. Her hand is still in his and he squeezes it encouragingly.
She smiles widely at him and it's all worth it again.
"Can I have a few minutes to look at the menu please?" she turns her attention to the waitress, and Fox smiles over how polite she always is.
"Can I get you some drinks while you wait?" the waitress asks.
"Do you do milkshakes?" Fox asks. Because he is really craving a banana milkshake.
The waitress nods.
"Can I have a banana milkshake, please", adding the 'please' for Her sake. "Have a milkshake?" he urges her.
"Can I have a strawberry one, please?" she asks, smiling widely at the waitress.
Fox thinks how adorable her braces are.
"And some table water for the table", Fox asks before the waitress leaves.
"I thought we were supposed to be saving money", She says.
"Not tonight", he smiles. Then lets go of her hands so she can look at the menu properly. He takes in his surroundings again, and again appreciates how nice the atmosphere is. Never again, will he take her to that place, or any place like that again. He will make it work for her - somehow.
~xXx~
It got dark around 8pm. They left the restaurant - Fox even left the waitress a $2 tip because she didn't antagonise them and because the restaurant was clean, She ate all her food and looked in much better spirits. He even heard her hum a bit as they walked back to Earle Hall.
They approached their first problem immediately. You needed an identity card to enter the building. But then that was almost immediately solved when a student came up behind them and held the door open for them.
The lower floor was packed. It looked like some sort of giant study room. Fox thought that this would hopefully mean less people on the other floors and more privacy to find a vacant dorm. Their arrival attracted a few distracted looks but the curiosity ended after that. Inspecting the room, there were two staircases either side of the room. So as not to draw any more attention to their intrusion, Fox decided to take the right staircase as their were a few students going up the left staircase.
Her hand was firmly fixed in his and he found it comforting.
The lights flickered on when they opened the doors to the first floor and on it's closing all the noise from downstairs vanished. An empty stair hall, which seemed to go up quite a few floors.
"Let's go to the top", Fox decided as he figured that would have the most vacancies. But the top just proved to open out to the roof. Fox laughed. "The next one down".
The next level down showed an empty, narrow, brightly lit corridor with multiple shut doors trailing each side.
Fox was dismayed to see that it also looked like these doors worked like hotel doors and needed an electronic key. Not that he knew how to pick a normal key lock. But he was so desperate for this to work, he had kind of now thrown all caution into the wind. Most of the dormitories were decorated on the outside. Fox figured that this meant they were occupied. They were approaching the end of the corridor to what seemed like another mini free space from the noise that was coming from in there, when he spotted a few doors that had no posters on the doors.
He slows his walk as he approaches.
Looking either side of him to make sure the coast was clear.
He sees She is doing the same.
He reaches out to try the handle, when, as if on queue, it opens, and a girl comes out.
"Hello", she smiles brightly at them, and then she closes the door behind her, walking past them towards the staircase.
"Fuck", Fox mutters, because, that was close. "This isn't going to work. How are we supposed to know which ones are free? If any of them are?"
He feels her nudge him.
He turns to look at her, and she indicates to something behind him.
A fire alarm.
Of course.
That would work.
He turns back to her and frowns.
How did she come up with that so quickly?
He lets go of her hand and goes to punch the fire alarm. That's how they do it in the movies.
"No", she calls out. "You'll hurt your hand. Use your elbow". And he seriously wants to ask how she knows this.
The alarm is almost instantaneous, and his elbow doesn't really hurt. Not really. His wrist breaking the window pane last night was a lot worse.
There is a loud chorus of moans from the door in front of them.
"Not again!" Someone shouts.
"Is it your pop tarts?"
"I have nothing in the toaster"
"I bet it's the third floor"
"It's always the third floor".
"We should go", She whispers, taking his hand and leading them back down the corridor.
Fox nods.
People start to emerge out of the dorms.
It seems like most of them are occupied.
Two people filter out of the dorm right in front of them without bothering to check anyone else who might be walking, and fortunately for them, without bothering to check that the door is closed behind them. Fox quickly pulls the both of them in. Locking the door behind them.
Her eyes are alarmed. "We cant stay here", She says. "They'll be back when they realise there is no fire".
"I know" Fox says, because he does know. But at the same time they're in a dorm. Momentary safety, and he wishes they could just lock themselves away in here forever.
He lets go of her hand to explore the room. Private bathroom. He walks down the small truncated corridor and underneath all the pink and purple clutter there are two single beds, two desks, and two walk in wardrobes. Two Macs lay half hazardly slung on either bed.
Fox's first instinct is to take them and sell them but with 'find my mac' that is basically impossible. Still, the other items that clutter near them will be useful.
A wallet.
Which he takes instantly and searches for money.
Two one hundred dollar bills.
He takes one.
"See if the other one left her wallet", he says. "But don't take everything".
"But it's stealing", She answers.
He sighs, because of course, she would be bothered by that.
"Fine. Watch the door. Knock loudly if anyone comes". He takes out the ID in the wallet too.
He goes to the other bed and goes to look to see if the other girl left her wallet too. But it's nowhere on the bed that he can see.
He stops his frantic searching of the bed and piles the duvet back on the bed. Before quickly flattening to how it was before.
His palms are sweating.
His heart his hammering in is chest.
He takes a look around the room, but doesn't take anything in.
Time to move, Fox.
He scratches the back of his head because surely there is something else he can benefit from here.
But his mind draws blanks.
He can feel his fingers literally dripping with sweat.
Go Fox, just go.
"OK", he says to himself. Taking a huge breath in.
He rushes for the door but trips on something and falls on the floor.
He rushes to pick himself up.
Did she knock?
He swears he heard her knock.
Someone's coming.
He picks himself up, using the desk to help him, and he feels something lumpy underneath his hand.
A student card.
He quickly stuffs it in his hoodie pocket.
His eyes zone on the other desk and he spies another student card.
Attached to a wallet!
He fumbles for it and it drops to the floor.
Wait - was that another knock.
That was definitely a knock.
He looks up but the door is still silent and ajar.
He quickly opens the wallet, coins spill everywhere, making what seems to Fox a colossus noise. But there are lots of billed notes. He then goes to take the ID, his eyes only really focus on it last minute and he sees that the owner's wallet is African American.
That's not going to help.
And he slides the ID back in, throws it back on the desk and quickly scrambles for the coins. Like with the notes, he keeps a portion and with very fumbled fingers puts the rest back in the wallet.
He almost trips over himself again when he reaches the door. Closing it firmly behind him. He makes sure it is shut.
He is rushing down the corridor, when he suddenly realises that She is missing.
He halts. His stomach sinking. He doesn't even have time to entertain unpleasant thoughts of what might of happened to her before he hears her whisper his name.
She is a few dorms down.
Her head poking through the door.
"What have you found?" he asks.
She holds up a wallet. It looks like a guys one.
Obviously the previous issues she had with stealing have gone. Or maybe she has just realised the weight of the situation.
"What about a student card?"
She shakes her head, no.
"I'll have another look", he says. "Just take out the cash and any ID - but not all!".
Fox then quickly searches the room for about thirty seconds but can't find another wallet or a student card.
She is waiting for him by the door.
"We'll go two floors down and see if we can find anything else".
Two floors down was derelict. They split up and try the doors either side. The few that open he leaves for her to check for IDs and cash. Stressing to only take an unnoticeable amount.
Fox is giving up on any of them being vacant when he reaches the dormitory door at very end of the corridor. He knocks on the door. There are no posters on the outside and there is no light streaming through the bottom like the other dorms.
That has to be a good sign.
He backs to the opposite door and then lunges at the door with his shoulder.
It doesn't work.
Neither on the third go.
But he knows this dorm is free.
It has to be.
He can feel it in his bones.
They are so close.
So close to his plan actually working.
They've had so many set backs.
So many things working against them.
This.
Finally.
Has.
To.
Be.
When.
They.
Finally.
Cash.
In.
But, nothing.
Pushing down the handle, Fox uses his shoulder again. Continuously banging against it. He can feel the lock shudder but it just wont move.
He changes tactics and uses his foot and kicks at the handle.
"It's working", she is suddenly by his side.
It's rattling. Which is definitely something.
Fox can feel a line of sweat dripping down his face. They're so close.
His entire leg aches.
But he is using his strongest leg, and he can't stop now.
"Push down the handle", he breathes, and he has to concentrate even more so as not to kick her hand.
She kneels and puts her weight against it.
In the back of his mind, Fox thinks how stupid this is because her leaning on it wont do anything, and she is also making it a lot harder for his foot to miss her.
But he is too focussed to say anything. He just grits his teeth harder and continues kicking for all he's worth.
His leg is getting tired though and it swerves and the full force of his kick hits her hand, narrowingly missing her head.
She cries out in pain and then she falls forward as the door opens.
His worry over hurting her instantly dissipates.
So much so, he steps over her and searches blindly for the light switch inside the dormitory.
It is a glorious sight when he finds it and the light illuminates to show an empty room.
His breath is so tight in his throat which combined with his body's urgent and uncontrollable want to cry makes breathing very painful.
He did it.
They did it.
He turns to find her.
She is still on the floor cradling her hand.
He rushes over to her and helps her stand and he escorts her to sit on one of the desk chairs.
He then rushes to see how damaged the lock is.
The handle still functions but the lock no longer seems to catch.
He tries the internal lock and with a turn - it locks!
He turns it to unlock it - and it unlocks.
He tries this a few times until he is certain that it works.
He locks it shut and then uses the bolt before returning to her.
She has a hand on the side of her belly and her face is wincing.
"Is the baby coming?" he asks, because that would just be the worst thing.
She frowns at him. "No, he just doesn't like being bumped on his head".
"I'm sorry", and he laces his fingers in hers because she really looks like she is in a lot of pain.
"He just needs to calm down is all, and stop kicking me", she gasps.
"Maybe if you lie down?" Fox suggests and tries helping her up.
She moves and inch, and then cries loudly in pain. Tears immediately collecting in her eyes.
She shakes her head, no. "No, I just need to stay still", she pants through her tears.
Fox nods dumbly and grabs her other hand and laces it through hers.
She looks down at him.
She is biting her lip hard.
Fox isn't so sure that she is not giving birth.
"Please don't give birth now", he pleads.
"I'm not giving birth", she snaps.
But she is definitely about to snap his fingers off and he unwraps his hands from hers, before tentatively placing them on her stomach. Even through all the layers of clothing he can feel the kicking and he immediately sympathises with her.
His small, delicate, bird.
He grabs her wrists because it feels right and rubs her fingers over her veins.
He looks up, she is watching him through her tear streaked face.
He lifts his head and kisses her gently on her lips.
She responds.
He continues peppering her lips with kisses and drawing circles on her wrists until she eventually stops her gasps of pains.
When he is sure she no longer needs him, he pulls away from her, sitting cross legged on the floor and allows his body to register the pain that he has inflicted on himself.
He hurts everywhere.
The fire alarm is still blaring off and it's making it very hard to concentrate, as well as giving him a headache the size of Texas.
The feel of her fingers on his forehead make him flinch at first, but then he melts into it and rests his head on her lap while she comfortingly massages his head.
He doesn't know how long they stay like this but they are both startled by the banging on the door.
"Campus security".
The alarm was no longer ringing and Fox had been on the verge of falling asleep. But he quickly becomes awake and alert.
The door handle tries.
Fox scrambles up.
"Hide under the bed", he orders Her.
The door handle tries again.
Fox inches towards the door.
"There is no one registered at this dorm", a voice says.
"Then why is there light being omitted. This key should work", and Fox can hear the failed beeps. "This is supposed to be the master. Let me try again. C12.".
Another failed beep.
"Are you done? I don't still wanna be here at 10pm, and we still have two floors to check after this one".
"Eh, technology, piece of shit. I keep saying they should go back-"
The rest of the conversation is drowned out.
Fox breathes a sigh of relief. That was close - again.
He returns to the room and kneels to find her crossed leg underneath the bed, hiding behind the bookshelf. He extends his arm out to help her out.
"They shouldn't be coming back, lets try to get some sleep", and he walks back over to the light switch and waits for her to climb up to one of the bunk beds. He watches her shrug off her rucksack, her shoes, and crawl over to place them on the desk at the end of the bed. It isn't until she is taking off her hoodie, that he thinks to maybe do the same. He reaches to take off his rucksack but his left shoulder cries out in pain when he tries to raise his arm up. So with difficulty, he has to free his right arm before using it to help take the rucksack off his left shoulder.
This isn't as easy as it sounds, as his shoulder doesn't like even the slightest movement.
He has the rucksack half way down his left shoulder when She comes to his help, and gently takes it off of him. She then directs him to the desk chair and indicates him to sit.
Fuck, his left knee.
She kneels in front of him and helps him take off his shoes.
While she puts them neatly away on the desk, Fox shuffles towards his bed, taking each step at time, until he flops himself on his right side on the mattress. He reaches for a bit of duvet, but she is there again and tucks him in.
He wants to reach up and touch her hair behind her ears because it seems to be such a long time since he saw it earlier today in the hotel room. She has had a hat on the majority of the time. He loves the way it curls so perfectly behind her ears. But then she goes from his eye sight and he is sad he can no longer watch her. It takes his mind of the pain.
He hears her rummaging in her rucksack.
That's the first thing he does tomorrow. Check to see what she has in her rucksack.
He then hears a door opening, and he panics until he hears a tap run.
The bathroom door.
When she comes back she has a glass of water and two white pills.
"What is it?"
"Asprin".
"Where did you find it?" he asks, taking it readily.
"It was in that first aid kit", she whispers.
That's right, he forgot she picked up that first aid kit in that house they broke into. She didn't have any problem stealing then.
Was it only yesterday evening? Twenty four hours. It feels like a life time ago. It feels like they've been running for their lives for weeks.
That means that it was only yesterday he turned 18. How much has happened to him since he became a man. Fox thought, and he tries to move lay on his back. Fox thought that he would be eased into it much more slowly. Not, to have a girl and a baby day one. Have to find shelter, food. Provide for them.
Her hands help him on to his back.
He didn't realise she was still watching him.
Like his own personal nurse.
She is going to make a great mother.
She smiles down at him.
Her lips draw closer to his face.
He closes his eyes in anticipation, and after she plants it on his forehead. He decides to keep them closed. The pain was starting to go away. It was glorious. His head was feeling cloudy and confused. So it was probably best if he just closed his eyes and tries to sleep.
AN: Ooo, how long do you think they will be safe in Earle Hall, before old Smokey finds them? Just did a quick read through for typos. Hope you all enjoyed it. Thank-you for the reviews, I enjoy reading all of them. Until next update!