Welcome to Gaia! ::

With a sigh, Lucian ran a hand through his hair, determined to make this work.

"Okay. No Hospital. That's okay. I've got to get you home then. Do you think you can make it three blocks? I'll carry you the whole way. Do you think your stomach will hold out? As soon as we get home, you can puke as much as you need to. Promise."

He meant the latter as a joke, an attempt to cheer the boy up. He had a nice smile when he let it show.

Lucian smiled as he watched the young boy put so much effort into standing on his own. This kid was a fighter and had a lot of spirit--that was for sure. It was something that Lucian could definitely appreciate.

Walking over to the young guy, he put his hand on his back.

"I'm going to pick you up now, okay? I'll get us home quickly."

As gently as he possibly could, he picked the boy up, one arm under his knees and another supporting his back. Looking down into the young face, his brow furrowed with worry.

"Ready?"

Lucian smiled when he saw the boys eyes start to droop.

"Don't worry...we'll be there soon."

Turning around, he headed up the street towards his apartment. The streets were empty of people, a fact that Lucian appreciated. It probably wouldn't look to good if he was carrying this kid around in front of a bunch of people. He was glad to avoid the curious stares. When he got to his apartment, he used his elbow to hit the elevator button and selected the third floor. Blessedly, the elevator was empty as well. When it hit his floor, he peeked out first, checking the hallway for people. Empty. It seemed he would have some luck today.

Walking down to his apartment, he shifted the boy in his arms gently in order to get his key out of his pocket and into the door. Opening the door, he walked inside and straight to his bedroom. He gently laid the boy down on his bed and tucked him in, carefully brushing the hair off of his forehead. He didn't seem to have a temperature or anything. He just looked exhausted.

He turned to walk out the door and shut the light off. Looking back at the boy once more, he walked down the hall, leaving the bedroom door open. He figured that he might as well scrounge up any sort of food he could. He wanted to make sure the kid had something to eat when he woke up.

Lucian opened all of his cupboards and his refrigerator. What could he possibly make this kid? What if he was allergic to something? Oh god, this was ridiculous. He had almost completely empty cupboards.

Puffing up his cheeks and blowing out a big breath, he began his attack on the kitchen. He was determined to make a meal.

Gathering the appropriate ingredients, he began making a grilled cheese with tomato soup. It wasn't much but it was better than nothing.

Lucian looked up in surprise. What had that crash been? With a quick realization, he cut the flame from the stove and bolted for the bedroom, pausing in the doorway to assess the situation. The young boy was on the floor, a sheet tangled by his feet. Muttering a soft curse, he knelt by the boy and helped him to a sitting position.

"Are you okay? I didn't mean to leave you alone...I just thought you could use some rest and privacy."

Seeing the boy give him a thumbs up made Lucian crack a smile. He couldn't help it--the kid's tenacity made him grin.

"I made some food if you are hungry. It's not much--just a grilled cheese and some tomato soup. Do you feel like eating?"

With a laugh, Lucian slid his arm under the boy's knees and behind his back and lifted him carefully once more.

"That sounded like a yes to me."

Picking the boy up, he walked out to the living room and gently set him on the couch. Walking over the kitchen, he ladled out a little bit of tomato soup into a bowl and sliced the grilled cheese sandwich into quarters. Putting the sandwich onto a plate, he grabbed a tray and arranged the meal and silverware on top. Walking back to the couch, he carefully set the tray next to the boy on the couch.

"Here you go. It's not much but it will be good to get something in your stomach. Go ahead and eat up. The soup should be cooled off by now."

Lucian let out a sigh of relief, unaware that he had been holding his breath in anticipation. It was good to see the boy eating. Getting up, he retrieved two items that he had dug up earlier. Returning to the couch, he showed them to the boy.

"I found a pad of paper and a pencil for you. I figured it might be easier for you to communicate if you could write down what you wanted to say. Want to try it out?"

He held out his gift for the boy, hoping he would accept it.