Fitz/Eli

Complications

Fitz has type 2 diabetes.

This isn't a fact he likes to air out to the public. He keeps an insulin needle in his locker, and his mother explains to Mr. Simpson so he won't be alarmed during random locker searches. He makes sure that his blood sugar doesn't drop, and ignores Bianca's snarking about the safety jar of peanut butter he keeps in his bedroom. He was twelve years old when he found out and when his mom cried, he didn't shed a single tear. This was his life - this was the way it worked, why would God cut him a break right then? His father had sneered at him, saying how Fitz was one step away from being a pansy boy, and Fitz became obsessed with action movies. Him and Bianca used to wrestle with each other on the floor and that was when he started to notice she had curves, and the way she made him feel 'down there' when her hip pressed into his. When he starts his own Fight Club, she's the only girl he'll let join because one, she'd kick his ass if he didn't, and 2, he gets a perverse thrill pinning her to the floor.

"Don't forget your shot, baby," his mother drops a kiss on his forehead and he doesn't have the heart to push her away. Her nurse uniform smells like a mixture of urine and puke, and she is pushing back her curly brown hair tiredly. "I won't," he mumbles and this is enough for her. She slips her shoes off and steps into her room, shutting it quietly behind her. The whole apartment is silent and he can't stand it. He grabs his backpack and decides to leave for school early, the needle glinting in the background as he forgets.

He doesn't notice his body is sluggish until he reaches school. His chest feels heavy and he can swear the walls are closing in on him. He sees Eli a few feet away and Eli starts to blur, a mess of brown hair and black clothes. He can hear his sneering voice but can't register the words, and he drops to his knees. The world is swimming before him and he can't concentrate on anything but the boy kneeling in front of him. "Fitz. Stay with me. What's wrong?"

"Insulin," he manages to get out. His eyelids feel heavy. "In my locker." He smells something floral, like the roses his grandmother plants in his garden, and a petite hand is grasping Eli's shoulder. "26...4...26," he says slowly. He feels tired, why did he stay up all night to play that stupid video game. He doesn't trust Goth Boy with a needle at all but he has no other choice and his hand lazily directs Eli to where he should stick it. He wants to make a quip like 'Bet you're enjoying this, Mr. Death' but that sounds lame and weak, even to him, and he keeps his mouth shut. They have now attracted a crowd and he can hear Mr. Simpson coming.

The needle sinks into his skin and he lets out a quiet hiss, but it quickly disappears and he feels more alert. Like he was falling asleep in class and Mr. Armstrong smacked his book on his desk. As his vision clears, he sees Clare's bright blue eyes and Eli's dark green gazing at him, both in suspicion and worry. And Mr. Simpson helps him up, an arm steady and safe around his shoulder, and Fitz says quietly, "Thanks." Eli nods and for a quick second, the world is at peace.