Mathew stopped crying after a while but neither of us slept that night. My heart dropped to my stomach, there was a knot in my throat, I wanted to throw up, and my body felt numb. It must have been a cold night as I could feel Mathew shivering against my shoulder…or maybe it was fear he was feeling…I couldn't tell.
'The next show is going to be an auction'. We were going to be sold to pures who wanted something more "exotic" than a common toy. I didn't understand the way pures thought; they saw anyone bellow them as property instead of people. It made me sick.
"Mattie…" I said knowing he was awake. He didn't respond with words, he simply moved his head slightly. "If we want to have a chance of getting out…we're gonna have to do it by the end of the week."
"How?" he whispered.
"Doing the only thing we can do…" Mathew lifted his head from my shoulder and looked at me with tired red eyes. "We run."
oooooOOOOOooooo
The next morning Mathew and I huddled under the broken down table after we were thrown back in the dome. We watched in silence as newly marked creatures walked into the dome in fear. Some tried to make themselves smaller while others snapped at anyone who would get too close. Even inside the glass prison their only thought was survival.
"Where's Feli?" I asked once the doors where closed. Mathew leaned forward and looked around for the small brunet.
"I don't know…Gill what if he got in trouble?" he said, worry evident in his voice.
"I don't think so. He's not one to cause trouble" I said scanning the dome once more. "Hey…wasn't there an auction going on while we were in the pit?"
"You don't think he got sold do you!?" he said holding on to my sleeve. His almost useless eyes were aimed at the ground trying not to look at me. When I didn't say anything he spoke again but a lot quieter this time. "The auction was on the first day we were in the pit…it's been three days since then…if he got sold…he should be waiting to get taken right now…"
"Mattie" I said but he walked out from under the table and ran to the edge of the dome behind us. I followed close behind and stood next to where he was pressing his hands and nose to the glass. His eyes where squinting, trying and failing to see something beyond the dome. "What are you doing?"
"If he hasn't been taken yet then we can at least see him walk out thought that door" he said. I didn't say anything else as I stood beside him waiting.
It didn't happen right away but eventually I saw the small brunet toy bouncing happily hand in hand with a tall blonde pure. The pure was smiling back at him in what seemed adoration? Or maybe even fondness? I wasn't sure. I remembered what Feli had said about not everyone being sold to bad people. It did nothing to change the fact that we were still being sold.
"Mattie, he's out." I said and he sighed.
"I can't see him…"
"I know."
"Is he ok?" he asked still looking out the dome.
"He looks happy" I said looking out again. The brunet stopped bouncing and looked back at us smiling. They stopped walking and he waved with one hand as to not to let go of the pure. "He's waving at us" I said and waved back at him. Mathew waved back slowly with a forced smile on his face.
"It looks like he'll be fine" I said. Feli turned back and walked away with the pure.
"He's happy" Mathew said dropping his hands to his side "okay."
"C'mon lets go sit back down" I said turning around. Mathew grabbed the back of my shirt but he didn't move.
"How am I going to tell Lovino?" He said looking back at me. "I know he acts like he doesn't care but…I don't want him to feel like Feli abandoned him. Not after what happened last time. When he gets out of the pit he-"
Mathew stopped and his eyes went wide "when he gets out…Gil he won't be out in time!" we both fell silent. Lovino would be let out of the pit the day of the freak auction but we needed to leave before then. There was no way we could take him with us.
"There's no way to get him out" I said looking away from Mathew.
"We're going to have to leave him" he said and I looked back at him in surprise. His fear of being caged was big enough to abandon the broken boy, even if he had promised not to leave his side. I didn't blame him though, we needed to get out of this place and we needed to do it now.
oooooOOOOOooooo
"Okay…it's not gonna be easy, but it's our best shot" I whispered as to not wake up the other freaks. Mathew and I where back in our glass cage discussing the final details to our escape plan. How we would get out, from where, what to do is the worst case scenario, we had it all down except… "How are we gonna get to her office?"
"The best way would be to be guided there by a keeper, it wouldn't look suspicious if we just got in trouble."
"So are you just gonna break the cage again or?"
"No that would only get me send to the care center and you would be stuck down here" Mathew whispered trying to think of a way out. "If it's something small they won't bother making the mistress come all the way from home."
"And they'll just send us straight for the pit" I finished for him.
"Exactly…so please forgive me."
And before I could ask what he was talking about, he grabbed my wrist, lifted me up with him and connected his fist with my face. I stumbled backwards and my head hit the glass behind me. My cheek was burning where a bruise was definitely forming but I didn't get a chance to react before Mathew punched me again this time getting my nose.
"MATHEW WHAT THE FUCK!" I yelled whipping the blood from my nose and waking up the others in the process.
"IM TIRED OF YOUR BULLSHIT! STAY AWAY FROM ME!" he yelled swinging his arm again. He was slower than the other two times so ducked out of the way before he could hit be a third time. His fist hit the glass instead, cracking it slightly and possibly breaking his hand. The other freaks where yelling and banging their cages turning the usually quiet basement into a fighting ring.
I pressed my back against the opposite side of the cage before Mathew turned around again and said "hit me".
"What!?"
"NOT SO TOUGH NOW, ARE YOU!?" he yelled and moved his hands to tell me to go on "C'MON HIT ME!"
I didn't want to hurt him but with the keepers were getting here any second I couldn't risk them just taking Mathew. Before I knew it, my fist had thrown his head back and his lip was bust open. I immediately regretted it when he locked eyes with me and suddenly I couldn't hear the screams going on around me. I couldn't do this, I couldn't hurt him! But I pushed those thoughts aside and kicked him back pining him to the wall. He grabbed my closed fists before I could hit him again and pushed me back.
The keepers got here before anything else could happen. Two of them chained our hands behind our back and kept us a few feet apart, Mathew in front, as they dragged us by the neck out of the basement while the other ran out to inform the mistress. We walked through the hallway and up the stairs to the second floor where the mistress's office was located. The hallway with the chandeliers looked sinister with only the light of the moon shining though the giant windows. We waited outside the door without moving as the keepers kneeled us down and held us in place. Mathew's keeper held his head down while mine was pulling on the collar to keep my head up.
"The mistress should be here in a few minutes" the keeper who had walked out said once he was done informing the mistress. The keepers holding us down simply nodded before he walked away. Once he was completely out of sight I threw my body forward pulling the keeper with me before sinking my teeth into his wrist. He screamed in pain but I kicked him down before he could regain his balance and process the situation. Once down I flinched before kicking his head and making him pass out. I didn't want to hurt him but it was him or us.
I turned around and found that Mathew had dealt with his keeper in the same way and was now struggling to get the keys from the keeper's belt. Quickly I walked to him and sat down with my back to him to get the keys. Once in my hand I undid the cuffs and moved to free Mathew's wrists and neck before taking of the one on my own neck.
"Hurry we don't have much time!" Mathew said. I could already hear the other keepers running towards us.
I kicked the door open before we both ran inside and blocked the door with the overly extravagant desk sitting in the middle of the room. I could hear the keepers running down the hall and I wondered if that was enough to stop them until we were out.
"Gill, c'mon let's go!" Mathew yelled and I ran to the window he was standing in front of. He had peeled the curtains off and started tying them to the grand piano where the artist had last been sitting. The keepers' pounding on the door became louder and louder with every second that went by and I began to feel afraid once again. I couldn't hear Mathew calling me until he grabbed my wrist and dived out the window.
Mathew's hand was the only thing that kept me from falling to ground bellow but when I looked up and saw that the only thing keeping Mathew from falling was the end of the red fabric in his other hand. I wasn't long enough.
"I might have miscalculated the height of the building!" he shouted in panic. I could hear the keepers almost tearing through the door and I almost thought it was over before Mathew shouts again "Gill, grab the curtain!"
Mathew pulled me up until I reached the curtain and let go until so he was the one trusting me not to let drop him. "Let go!"
"What!?" I shouted looking back at him in terror.
"Trust me! I'll be fine!" he shouted. With the keepers barging in at any moment I had no choice, so I closed my eyes and opened my hand. I heard a loud thud and a small whine of pain before opening my eyes and looking down at him. "Let go!"
"This is getting repetitive don't you think!" I shouted as my fear grew.
"Gil, now's not the time!" he shouted as the fear started to take over.
"I-" I started but the door burst open making me fall. I saw the keepers leaning out of the widow and it finally suck in. We were getting out!
Before I knew it, Mathew was setting me down and we were running. We didn't once turn around to see if the keepers where close behind nor did we stop to take a break. We just kept running. The darkness of the city was almost welcoming as we moved though the buildings and the more we ran, the less we felt trapped.
I felt Mathew grab my hand as he started to fall behind. He was breathing hard and his legs where struggling to keep going. If he were to let go of me he would fall and wouldn't get back up. I scanned the area we were in and quickly turned to run into an abandoned storage unit making sure not to let go of Mathew. Once inside Mathew collapsed to the ground.
"Mattie, look at me. Breathe" I said sitting him up against the wall and holding his head in my hands. Mathew was breathing in short pants and his eyes where shut tight but after a couple of minutes he started to calm down. I sighed in relief "are you ok?"
He nodded but didn't say anything as he was still having some trouble breathing. We were running for a very long time and the air of the outside world was a lot dirtier than the one inside the institute "I'm sorry we should have stopped sooner."
I looked around and found that the storage unit was completely empty besides the dust and dirt that had collected over the years. It only had one window but it was mostly blocked by wood and only a few rays of moon light came though "We can stay here for tonight but we need to keep going before the sun is out."
I sat down next to Mathew who immediately fell against me. He wasn't slouching as far down as he usually was, so instead of laying his head on my shoulder he pressed his check on top of my head. I made it easier for him and rested my head on his shoulder. It felt different but I liked it better.
His shoulders started to shake before he burst out laughing making me sit up straight. It was the first time I had heard him laugh like that and I was frozen on the spot. His head was thrown back and tears where forming on the corners of his eyes as he held his stomach with one hand and his mouth with the other trying to contain the ridiculous snorts he was making. I wanted to hear that laugh forever.
"Oh God, he's finally lost it!" I said smiling "all we've been though and you're just now letting me know you're crazy!?" he kept laughing and it was becoming harder and harder for him to keep it in. "That's rude birdie! You shouldn't do that!" I froze when I realized what I had said. I don't know why I called him that or if had noticed or not but if he had I would have to wait for him to stop laughing to find out.
"Why are you laughing anyway?" I asked hoping to distract him if he had noticed. He slowly stopped laughing and switched to giggling instead.
"We're finally out!" he said whipping the tears from his eyes. "I just can't believe it!" he said sighing and resting his head against the wall.
"It's gonna be hard being out here" I said.
"I know" he replied and we both fell into a comfortable silence. Now that we weren't running away, I finally realized how much my face and head hurt. My nose had dry blood but it didn't hurt as much anymore so it wasn't broken but mu cheek had a bruise that stung when I pressed my fingers to it. "Hey, Mattie-"
"What happened to birdie?" he interrupted me.
"Hu!? N-no sorry that was an accident…" I said turning my head away and scratching the back of my neck.
"Oh? Well that's too bad, I like it" he said like it was nothing. I coughed a little before continuing.
"Anyway I just wanted to ask you umm…why the fuck didn't you warn me before beating the shit out of me?"
"Oh yea…sorry about that I just" he ran a hand though his hair and looked at the floor "if I had told you I don't think I would have been able to hit you… you're right though I should have told you beforehand."
I looked at his lips that where red and puffy and now had dried blood "no its fine, plus I hit you too and now your lips are all messed up."
"I'm still sorry."
"Yea, I'm sorry too" I said looking at him. He looked back at me with his stupid bruise purple eyes "hey how much can you actually see?"
"Oh, errr…not a lot?" he said.
"Can you see me?" I asked curious.
"Sort of? I can see you but you're like a big white blob with smaller red blobs…"
"Wow, okay I'm trying not to feel offended here. I am more than just a blob okay? And since I feel bad that you've never seen my beautiful face, I'll help you out" I said dramatically and he snorted. I scooted closer to him so our shoulders where touching again.
"Can you see me now?" I asked. He squinted a little then said.
"It's better. I can make out your eyes and mouth but it's still fussy."
I leaned forward a bit and asked again "how 'bout now?"
"Wow you actually have a nose!"
"Har, har, can you see me or not?"
"I just told you! I can see your nose now you're just a bit blurry."
I leaned forward to where our noses where almost touching. I could see every shade of purple in his eyes and somehow they weren't just the bruised color anymore, I could count every small, barely noticeable scar on his skin surrounding the big scar going across under his eyes, but I couldn't look away from his busted lips "Uh… can you see me?" I asked a little quitter this time, my mouth going dry.
"Hmmm…yea but…" he moved forward and bumped his nose with mine "there. Now I can see you perfectly. No more blobs."
I didn't understand, my entire body felt hot, my hand started sweating, a shiver went down my spine but I couldn't pull away. My body was being stupid and it was too much to handle.
"We should sleep…we need to get ready to run again in a couple of hours" I said still frozen in place.
"Okay" Mathew said and pulled away. He laid down on the dusty floor and I did the same a few spaces away from him. "Gil, are you cold?" he asked and I noticed I was shivering.
"I bit…it's a lot colder than the basement."
"Well it's a lot bigger in here…come here" he said motioning with his arms.
"Here?"
"Yea. Here. I'm cold too" he said without putting his arms down. I scooted a bit closer and he simply dragged me towards him, wrapping his arms around my stomach and tangling his legs with mine.
"Can I ask why you're using me as a cuddle object?"
"Cuz you're cold, I'm cold and I wanna hug, now shut up and go to sleep." He said burying his face in my neck. It was embarrassing. I wasn't supposed to be cuddled! If anything it should have been the other way around!...but he was warm…and I felt safe…it wasn't all bad.
YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WHAT UP MY DUCKLINGS! Ok so I got my laptop back and im sure you guys are tires of excuses so ill summarize. Laptop broke, I left for mexico wihout it, came back and somehow it wasn't fixed, now its back. OK SO! WHOOOOO everything is looking great for these two! I finaly got to write fluff! EVERYTHING IS FINE ANMD DANDY!...or is ti? You guys didn't think it would be that easy did you!? WELL YOULL FIND OUT NEXT TIME! Man I wrote a lot this time the Hamilton soundtrack gets me PUMPED! Anyways I hope this long chapter makes up for the wait and I promise it wont happen again for the rest of the story ILL SEE YOU GUYS NEXT CHAPTER! DUCKLING OUT QUACK!
