Disclaimer: I am the proud owner of a picture frame. On the side of Glee? I still own nothing. Not for lack of wanting.
As they passed the door, they were greeted by Cheeky, excited as usual, and a voice rose from the living room.
"Is that I was wrong to trust you David?"
He took Sebastian by the hand and led him into the living room.
"Yes and no. Um, Sarah, I present to you Sebastian."
"Oh! hello Sebastian." Sarah said, rising and shaking hands with the young man.
"Hello ma'am."
"Call me Sarah." She turned to her nephew, "I hope you know that it doesn't absolve you to tell me what happened young man. It starts at 'I didn't come back to sleep as planned' and it ends at 'and that's why I haven't called to warn. Apply yourself; your next Saturday's party is at stake."
"I think I drank a little too much last night, Sebastian wanted to take me home but he didn't have the address, and uh ... I wasn't really in a position to give it to him so he brought me to his house. He took care of me; he made me sleep in his room. "
"And I slept in one of the guest rooms mad ... er Sarah."
"That's for the part I did not return as expected, you've got an explanation for the call that you didn't give?"
"I wanted to, but there have been breakfast and then the accident, and Sebastian's father who came home earlier than planned from his business trip and after my cell phone no longer had battery. And eventually Sebastian brought me back here."
"What? What accident?" Sarah asked panicked.
"Nothing serious, but the morning have been rough. I know I deserve punishment but please Sarah, you must let Sebastian stay here tonight, please. On the couch."
"Yes, yes, of course. But you're sure that you tell me everything? You look all shaken. Nothing happened last night?"
Dave assured her that nothing bad had happened the day before and told about the morning without getting into unnecessary details. He didn't explain that Sebastian was known to be an easy boy, avoided to say what he had planned to do the same evening and moved directly to when he was offering him a bed for the night.
"I've been stupid, I know ..."
"Oh yes, you made a mistake in judgment. On the other hand, if you hadn't done it, your friend would've been alone to face the situation this morning. And you reacted well. Forget that I said it when you shall tell all of that to your father, but I'm proud of you. Now, I believe I understood that you had not have breakfast, you must be hungry."
"A little yes."
"Then we'd better start preparing something."
"It'd possibly be better to keep Sebastian away from the kitchen; I think he has never cooked in his life."
"Hey, you're very unfair. I cooked this morning. We didn't have time to taste if it was good, that's all." Sebastian exclaimed, falsely indignant" And... I enjoyed it. "He added a little hesitant.
"In my experience, it's always good when it's done with desire and pleasure."
"Sarah? You're still talking about cooking here?"
"This is not much different. You'll understand that one day boys."
The kitchen wasn't very big but they quickly found their way to coexist all three in it. Or rather all four, Cheeky glued to one of them every time they stopped at a spot more than thirty seconds. Laughter filled the small apartment. Sarah and Dave didn't fail to help Sebastian, to compliment him every time he succeeded in something, to play down if one of them made a mistake.
The meal was spent in the same ambiance. Dave made himself a reflection towards the middle of the meal, he had seen the other boy smile, whenever their paths had crossed at Scandals or elsewhere, but he never saw him laugh. And he found himself thinking that this laughter was one of the most beautiful things he had ever heard.
Sarah noticed something too: since his suicide attempt, her nephew made a clear effort to smile, but for the first time, he didn't seem to force it. His smile reflected in his eyes.
The boys spent the afternoon in the living room, Sebastian lying on the couch, Cheeky curled on his stomach and Dave sitting on the floor, back against the couch trying to move forward in his homework while the TV was on, on a random show. Sarah had left them alone the time to go shopping.
Sebastian was absentmindedly stroking the little black head resting on his chest. Without really thinking, not even really realizing what he was doing, he began to stroke Dave's hair on his neck lightly massaging the skin beneath his fingers. The other boy didn't stop him. Not really conscious of what was going on either.
"Can I ask you a question?" Sebastian asked without raising his voice.
"You mean other than this one?"
"Hey, you are using my line against me!"
"Yes! Go ahead, I'm listening."
"Why were you at the Scandals yesterday?"
Dave put his pen and leaned back slightly against Sebastian's hand, blushing a little.
"Because you'd told me to come."
"If I told you to throw yourself under a train..."
"You wouldn't have."
"How would you know?"
Dave took out his wallet and searched frantically in it without finding what he wanted. Sebastian remembered something; he stopped stroking Cheeky to look in his pocket.
"That's what you're looking for?" He asked, holding out the paper to his friend. "It fell last night when you paid Marvin. I just picked it up, I didn't look what it was, I promise. "
"You can look at it now. It's not as if you hadn't already seen what is on it. "
Sebastian unfolded the little piece of paper, smoothed it and read. Do not mind these jealous, you are worth much better than them. Find yourself some friends. You know: those people who accept you as you are and love you anyway. Not those who suggest you to kill yourself because you don't fit their expectations.
"Oh," he whispered, blushing to the ears.
Dave was silent but he too was scarlet.
"That too, I thought it." A little more consciously, he shifted his hand to pat the raspy cheek of the footballer. "More than what I told you at the Scandals. That's true that you're not a fashion engraving, but you're worth so much better than what they all think. I don't know you enough to say what exactly, but there's something in you that makes you worth ten thousand times better than these morons. You're better than me. Much better than me."
"Stop that."
Sebastian pulled his hand from Dave's cheek, surprised at such a sudden reaction. Dave turned around and took his hand in his own, plunging into his eyes.
"I wasn't speaking about that." He said, putting down his friend's hand on his cheek. "Stop pretending that nothing gets to you. I was there this morning, remember? I saw you with LucĂa, with ... your father. You didn't even defend yourself, you've thought only of protecting her. You have Heart Sebastian. You hide it well, but you're worth as much as me. Don't even try to say otherwise in my presence again or I swear I'll kick your ass. "
"David, you should think about breathing once in a while."
"Only if you promise."
Sebastian drew back his hand and looked away.
"That, I can't."
Dave turned back with a sigh and went back to his homework. Sebastian returned his attention to the TV. When Sarah came back from the supermarket, she had time to catch Sebastian's hand that was playing in her nephew's hair just before the two boys rushed to offer her their help to carry and store shopping. Sebastian a little slower since he had to get rid of Cheeky who hadn't moved from his belly.
"Can I adopt you and keep you here forever boys?"
"You'd quickly get tired of Sebastian's incisive remarks."
"Hey, if I bother, say it frankly, I can leave."
"And moreover, he's susceptible. We'll have to walk on eggshells all night."
"Hey!" said Sebastian giving a little shove to Dave.
Sarah looked at them bickering and laughing, leaning against the door, arms crossed.
"You've set a date?"
"A date for what?"
"I'd say December 21, 2021."
"What are you talking about?"
"Your wedding."
The two boys exchanged glances and laughed.
"David, you could've warned me that your aunt is a bit ... disturbed."
"I would've, but I swear she seemed quite sane until then."
Dave went to Sarah and took her by the shoulders to gently take her to the living room.
"Come Auntie, let's go get some rest. You gotta have a little fever I think. Tonight you'll have a little soup and we'll tuck you in at 8."
"Oh yes, that is a good idea." Sarah said, taking a trembling voice and letting herself be led into the couch. "I'd need my plaid too please my boy."
"It's okay, the errands are stored, no point in continuing doing the show." Sebastian said joining them.
Cheeky began to stir going from the couch to the lobby, where the leashes were settled.
"Ah, it's time for the walk."
"Don't move, I got it."
"I'm coming with you. I would not want you to leave them in a corner to execute your projects for tonight."
"Stop acting like my mother, I'm old enough to take care of myself."
"Don't take yourself for the center of the earth! I don't do this for you; it's for Cheeky and Frisbee. "
"OK. I sought I guess. "
The two teenagers and two dogs went to the park. They spent a good hour running, laughing as if they were only five years, when they were still two young boys like any others. An hour to let themselves go, to just be themselves without worrying about the suspicious glances of people around them, without wondering what would happen the next day, without thinking , without judging.
They went back exhausted but happy and found Sarah who had set the table and prepared dinner. Frisbee spent five minutes to empty the bowl of water in the kitchen before going to collapse on the living room carpet, pushing a huge sigh.
"You forced him to run three times around the park?"
"It's not us, it's Cheeky. She's indestructible. Ten laps and looks at her, she jumps around as if she had been confined ten days."
Sebastian filled the bowl that Frisbee had just emptied. Then they went to dinner. Sarah took advantage of the time to interview the two high school students about their plans for their future. Sebastian still had a year in front of him to think about the universities to which he was going to apply. Dave, he was still waiting for the answers to the applications he had filed before his life seesaw in horror. But with the weeks he had missed and the upheaval of the transfer, he didn't think he was going to achieve his senior year. Above all, he had missed a significant part of the football season, which threatened to penalize him heavily for scholarships assignations. Sarah reminded him that there would be nothing dramatic about taking one more year to get back on track.
Sarah went to sleep early that night after having explained how to unfold the couch for Sebastian to sleep. The latter was sitting on the couch, leaving room for Dave who entered the living room, his computer at hand.
"What do you want to watch?"
"Watch what you want, I must work a bit if I want to achieve my year."
"You could grant yourself an evening."
Dave put the computer on the coffee table and sat, as usual, on the floor between the couch and the coffee table.
"Not tonight. This is my only way out. I have no other chance to escape from here, to go to live somewhere more tolerant. "
"Seen this way." Sebastian sighed while lying on the couch.
Dave turned on the computer and launched Internet. The window opened automatically on his Facebook. In the list of his friends on the right of the screen, he saw that Finn was connected too. He opened the Instant messenger but hadn't the time to send a message, Finn had preceded him.
Finn: Hey Karofsky. Always up for Saturday?
Dave: Yes, if it works on your side.
Finn: Puck and Mike are impatient, Sam will be here too since he can't go back to his parents every weekend but he promised not to hit you this time.
Dave: I had deserved it if I remember correctly. If he prefers not to be here, tell me when he's with his parents.
Finn: No, Saturday's perfect. In fact he was glad it falls when he's here. Artie too will be there. He said he wanted you to try his wheelchair.
Dave: The one that helped us to win games?
Finn: Yes, apparently it's not like a shirt, he doesn't change it every day.
Dave: This is crazy. Tell him I'm looking forward to try it. And Kurt?
Finn: He said he'd see you another day, he planned a shopping afternoon with the girls. He said 'it's your stag night.' You know how he is, a true diva. But he wants us to tell him everything.
Dave: Oh okay. It'll be just the six of us then.
Finn: Actually seven... Blaine asked if you'd bother him to come too. He said something about a bad start, I didn't understand everything.
Dave: Yes, no problem ... Besides ... Would it be a problem if I came with someone?
Finn: A boyfriend?
Finn: Doesn't change anything, it's yes anyway, it's just by curiosity.
Dave: No, just a friend. Thanks. Now I have to let you, I have homework to do. Good evening.
Finn: Good evening to you.
He changed his status. Saturday reunion with old friends. Looking forward to it. Immediately gratified with a'' I like'' mention by Finn.
Before getting back to work, he realized that Sebastian had taken up the same position as the afternoon, a hand playing in his hair against his neck.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"You mean other than this one?"
"You're sucking your thumb along? You thought I was your teddy? "
"Oh sorry." Sebastian said, withdrawing his hand.
"I didn't say that to make you stop."
"You said it for what then?"
"To talk, make conversation."
"Do not force yourself. If you think the guys who fuck me are doing this before."
"First, it's not very stylish of them, and secondly, I hadn't planned to ... well ..."
"You're a bottom? Fine with me as well. It'll change me."
"Stop it! Do you ever think with anything else than your cock?"
"Yes, but it doesn't interest anybody."
"Try at least. Someone might surprise you one day."
"Yeah well it never happened."
"Thick head." Dave grumbled before refocusing on his work.
A little later in the evening, Dave closed his computer with a sigh.
"That's all for today. You probably want to sleep."
"I'm not really in a hurry." Sebastian muttered.
"What?"
"No, no, nothing."
Dave stood up and helped Sebastian to prepare the couch for the night, before going to bed in his room. He had trouble to fall asleep, turning and turning never finding a comfortable position, his thoughts coming and going. On his alarm clock, he could see the minutes pass.
Around one in the morning, he decided to get up to go drink a glass of water; he opened quietly his door and into the living room on tiptoed. He glanced toward the couch, lit faintly by the moon. Sebastian was asleep, but obviously it was not the best moment of his day.
He was moaning weakly, his head rolling from left to right on the pillow, his face drawn, sweat beading on his forehead. Dave frowned as he approached. He gently shook the other teenager.
Sebastian sat up with a jump, trembling.
"Sorry to wake you, but you seemed to not really sleep well actually. Bad dream?"
Sebastian merely let his head fall back on the pillow with a sigh.
"Shouldn't you sleep Karofsky?"
"I can't fall asleep."
"And so? You can't sleep so others shouldn't sleep either? You needed a partner to play Spite and Malice? You never learned to play solitaire? "
"Ask the one who hit on in a creepy gay bar not to have to jerk off." Dave muttered.
"What are you saying?"
"Nothing."
Dave sighed and slipped under the covers beside Sebastian.
"This is the time when I pay for my night?"
"Will you stop with that? You really are an obsessed!"
"I'm just trying to know what you want from me. No one is kind like that without expecting anything in return."
"I do. And you paid up front by carrying me back last night. Take it as a thank you."
Dave took Sebastian's hand a little closer of him and began to make small circles with his thumb inside the wrist of the other boy.
"Close your eyes now, I'd like to try to sleep."
When Sarah got up the next morning, her two guests were sleeping peacefully, back to back but stuck against each other. Her nephew seemed more relaxed than he had been since he had set up in her home. She smiled and took Cheeky and Frisbee for their morning walk with the least noise as possible.
I haven't made any cliffhanger? Can anyone reassure me and tell me that yes there's has one, even if it's very small! Because I feel all empty. There must remain a little question that arises and makes you want to have more soon. Otherwise, what is it for that I continue?
