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 Posted: Thu May 19, 2022 1:19 pm
Giggles bubbled up at the nickname, and while he didn’t think Pal fit him, it was a huge improvement from Chad. But he nodded and gave one last look at Elliot before closing the bathroom door behind him.
He would have showered faster if it wasn’t still painful to pull his clothes off. Everything was bruised, it seemed, but Chad had always bruised easily. He was glad Elliot didn’t see any of the bruising under his clothes, since they looked worse than the ones on his face.
It was nice to let the hot water wash over him, and he absolutely took advantage of whatever soap and shampoo he could get his hands on-- conditioner?? Oh, he was definitely going to use that. If he hadn’t been so eager to get back to Elliot, he might have been tempted to take a nap-- oh, but he was already wasting so much water that he wasn’t paying for.
Chad did wash his hair a second time and made sure to condition it well before rinsing and climbing out. Elliot’s clothes were a little loose on him, but he didn’t mind. And he hoped that Elliot didn’t mind him using his hairbrush…
His hair was still damp by the time he opened the bathroom door again and peeked his head out, his own clothes and the borrowed towel tucked in his arms. “El?” he peeked in Elliot’s room for a moment before remembering that he was going to make them a snack. He grabbed the rest of his bags with clothes so he could carry them towards where he knew the kitchen was, walking as quietly as possible to not bother anyone.
“Thank you. I feel a lot better,” he said with a smile when he spotted Elliot, although he shrunk away a little when he caught sight of his dad, too. Not because he was scary! He just didn’t know him.
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2022 1:25 pm
“Good!” Elliot brightened when Chad returned. He had a plate of neatly sliced vegetables and cheeses, and a dollop of dip in the middle. He’d clearly taken his time to make sure it came out nicely, but judging how Asher was nearby, he’d probably helped a bit, too.
“I’ll let you two have your fun, I’m going to grade some papers until your father calls, all right? I’ll be in my room if you need anything.”
“Okay, love you,” Elliot answered; Asher usually would have done his work at the dining room table or the living room, but he seemed content to give them a little space to figure out what they were going to do. He gestured for Chad to follow him to the garage, where he’d already gotten a cup of detergent ready for the laundry. “Okay! Dump it all in! It’ll take an hour to wash and an hour to dry, and then we can figure out what you want to keep here or take with you–or if you want me to bring anything with me to school. I’ll show you how to hang things up in your locker. And then we can just do this whenever you want! I was thinking we could work on our homework first and get the hard part out of the way, and then look at the craft stuff? I asked my–Oliver–if he might be able to give some suggestions for studying better. But we don’t have to do that right now, just when you’re ready. It’s probably a little overwhelming to be in a new place with new people, so we can just hang out and do our own thing. But he said he’d love to help.”
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2022 1:32 pm
Chad sidestepped a little so he was more behind Elliot when his dad went by them. But really, it wasn’t because he was scary! Chad would get used to him, but he also wanted to be close to Elliot.
He nodded and followed Elliot to the garage so he could do as instructed and dumped everything into the washer.
Elliot was cute and so sweet. And so ambitious. Chad supposed it was to be expected with two dads who were both teachers. He couldn’t say he was always so eager to do his homework as Elliot seemed to be. Maybe it was because he didn’t have a lot of help. Or maybe because he didn’t have a comfortable place to work on anything.
He knew they had the plate of snacks to get back to, and homework to work on, and later they would need to worry about laundry but--
“Would it be okay if I hugged you?” he blurted out before he could change his mind, which of course made his face burn.
He’d been thinking about it ever since Elliot hugged him the night before. He hadn’t wanted to hug him back too tightly then because he hadn’t showered… but now he was in clean clothes and clean hair and he absolutely put lotion on that Elliot had in the bathroom, although he tried not to use too much. He would replace them once he could afford to!
“Um… but. Yes, we can work on homework…” Just in case Elliot didn’t want a hug, then there was at least a backup.
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2022 1:49 pm
Elliot closed the lid to the washing machine. “Yeah, of course.”
He didn’t hesitate to drop what he was doing so he could embrace Chad. He wrapped his arms around him carefully and moved closer so Chad didn’t have to put much work into it. He leaned into it but didn’t push any of his weight onto Chad. He knew he must still be hurting; he’d never fallen down the stairs himself, but he’d fallen down and bruised pretty badly.
“Anytime you need one, I’ve got plenty to give.”
That wasn’t weird, right? He didn’t think it should be. He didn’t exactly hug his other friends, but this felt nice. Right. And Chad needed it! He’d had a hard few days. Or longer.
The snacks would last, homework could wait. This was more important, anyway.
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2022 7:24 pm
Oh. It was that easy? What he’d been stressing about how to ask or if he would ever get a chance to again was just… an ask away?
He didn’t have time to think about it because Elliot was already moving close to wrap his arms around him, and Chad immediately lifted his own arms to hold onto Elliot. He was sore, and it was painful in certain spots, but Elliot was so gentle, and yet still reassuring.
It was easy for Chad to tilt his head down to rest his chin against Elliot’s shoulder as he closed his suddenly hot eyes.
For the moment, he didn’t have to worry about what he smelled like, or if he was going to get dirt on Elliot. Which… dirt from under the bleachers was different from dirt from the infield. He didn’t have to worry about being reprimanded for showing too much emotion or being too clingy, although that was ever present in his mind to not be too clingy. He didn’t want to push Elliot away.
Elliot said anytime he needed one… but there was no way Chad could be so selfish to take as many hugs as he probably needed, when Elliot had so many things he needed to do.
“You’re warm,” he sighed contentedly, wondering how long he could hold into him before he had to let go. He wouldn’t hold on long! He just wanted to enjoy it for a bit.
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2022 7:40 pm
“You’re warm.”
He let his arms wrap completely around Chad and made sure it was tight enough that he couldn’t think Elliot didn’t want to be hugging him, but loose enough so he didn’t accidentally hurt him, either.
“The house might get a little cold after a shower. Sometimes I just curl up under my blanket in bed. But that’s also dangerous, it’s really easy to fall asleep like that. But if you get cold, you can sit next to me. We can share a blanket. Honestly, anything you need here, just let me know. I want you to be comfortable.”
…Especially if it involved more hugs. His fathers gave good hugs, but there was just something different about hugging Chad. He hoped he healed quickly–mostly because he wanted him to feel better soon, but definitely partly because he wanted to be able to give him a good squeeze.
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2022 7:57 pm
This was nice. And he couldn’t help but giggle softly when Elliot parroted back his comment. He just hugged him a little tighter before finally, reluctantly, pulling back. He didn’t want to keep them there for too long. Not when Elliot had a snack ready for them. Oh and homework. But then craft stuff!
“I’d like that. To sit next to you and share a blanket, I mean,” he smiled. His cheeks felt warm but that wasn’t anything new.
He fussed a little with his hair, feeling it curl a bit now that it was drying more fully. It wasn’t nearly as nice and fluffy as Elliot’s, but it used to be something he was proud of. Now it just felt like wearing a mask to try and hide what he felt. To hide who he was. What he was, according to some.
“Thank you, Elliot. I feel… very comfortable here. It means a lot to me.” Probably more than he could put into words.
“Oh. Um, I guess we should try to work on homework,” he said, and then added after his stomach growled in distress, “Oh, and have our snack.” He was just grateful that there was food.
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2022 8:11 pm
It was too soon for the hug to break, Elliot would have to make sure Chad got at least one more before he went home. He knew they had a few hours before Chad had to go home so he was committed to making the best of it.
He took Chad’s hand again, even if it was just for a few seconds, and led him back into the kitchen and then to the couch in the living room. He guided him there and helped him sit, and then draped a blanket over his shoulders.
“I’ll be one minute, hold on. You won’t even know I’m gone.”
He hurried–first to get the tray of cheeses and vegetables, and then two glasses of water, and finally he came back with both of their backpacks. He set Chad’s down next to him and took a seat next to him, tugging the blanket so it covered his shoulders. He wasn’t the least bit shy about leaning into Chad. He dipped one of the slices of green pepper and ate it but gestured for Chad to help himself.
“This’ll go fast. Or not, we’ll take as long as we need. I know you missed a few days, so I’d rather make sure you don’t feel stressed or rushed. But–I’m glad you’re here, Chad. Thank you for coming over. I really hope you’ll be able to come over more often. There’s so much I want to do with you.”
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2022 8:20 pm
This was a dream. There was no possible way any of this could be real. From Elliot holding his hand again to draping the blanket over his shoulders. Or the way he rushed about to get everything they could possibly need. And Elliot was warm, and Chad couldn’t help but lean against him as well. He wanted to tilt his head and put it on Elliot’s shoulder but-- Oh, he didn’t want to ruin a good thing. His heart was already pounding and his eyes felt hot and--
“I’m okay,” he quietly promised, even as he lifted his hand to wipe his eyes. He wasn’t crying because he was sad, but it was difficult to explain to people that sometimes he just felt… a lot.
Elliot was so close to him, and thanking him for coming over, and not wanting him to feel stressed-- and he wanted him to visit more--
Okay, any attempt Chad was making not to cry had failed. He blubbered out another apology but it got lost in the sobs. Which, of course, only led to more tears because it was embarrassing. He just needed to pull himself together. It was just homework! And just a snack! And… the nicest, kindest, most compassionate person he’d ever met sitting beside him.
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2022 8:33 pm
“It’s okay,” Elliot reassured, and leaned across the table to pull a box of tissues closer. He placed it in his lap and then turned on the television so there was a little background noise. There was a documentary about elephants on, so he left it at that and just wrapped an arm around Chad so he could draw him closer.
“You’re okay,” he repeated, though his brows were a little knit. He was okay–right? He hadn’t done something wrong? Was he allergic to vegetables? Did he hate homework that much?
“Can I get you anything? We can just sit here, it’s okay. I’ve got you. If something’s wrong, we can fix it.”
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2022 8:40 pm
Chad quickly shook his head and tried to say there was nothing wrong, but it was probably difficult to understand through the quiet sobs already muffled by his hands. Desperately he reached for a tissue that Elliot so kindly brought closer, and scrubbed at his face in an attempt to get himself to stop, or at least clean himself up.
“You’re just so nice,” he was finally able to explain, although Elliot had always been nice to him, so it probably made no sense why it was suddenly so overwhelming.
Sitting comfortably in a living room with snacks and a television and homework…? When was the last time Chad had experienced that? Much less with a friend. He knew it was his own fault for not having more friends, but he was always afraid of what they would think of him. What he knew people did think of him, as his father and his girlfriend liked to remind him whenever they could. How they made it difficult for him to feel like a normal teenager by disallowing him things others would consider necessities. And for what? Because he liked art and pretty things?
But he couldn’t tell Elliot all of that. Not because he didn’t trust him, but he was already being burdened by an overly emotional kid who wasn’t used to being comforted. Or cared for. Or liked. Elliot liked him, right? Elliot was his friend so he must.
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2022 8:47 pm
Elliot was emotional. Probably more than he should have been. In a different way than Chad, maybe, but he understood. He’d gotten better at holding in his emotions, but he’d cried a lot more when he was younger. He could probably still cry now if it wasn’t so contagious in his household.
“Well, you deserve nice,” he justified, and gently rubbed his arm as he leaned against him. “If you need more tissues, you’re welcome to them. You’ll get used to this,” he promised. “I’m sorry you’re not used to it already.”
He knew that Chad’s school life was different than his, and he was coming to know just how different his home life, was. It was like a messy soup of things that didn’t make sense. He still had a lot to learn about Chad but it didn’t change that he knew he liked him. He wanted him to succeed! His parents had always told him to be kind to everyone, no matter what. He’d only slipped up a few times, and always against people who deserved it. He’d never picked on anyone who didn’t start something first, but most of the time he got along with everyone, anyway.
Chad was just special, though. It wasn’t enough to just be nice to him, he wanted to be his friend. Wanted to spend time with him and get to know him and just do things. He was excited to do laundry with him! He hated doing laundry.
But Chad was here, they could spend time together and Chad didn’t have to worry about winning over anyone else or putting on any sorts of appearances. He could just be himself.
Elliot wanted to get to know the real him, not the him he was trying to be to keep everyone else placated.
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2022 8:56 pm
He didn’t know how long he cried. He hoped it wasn’t too long. Chad didn’t want to be known as the kid who cries all the time when he’s alone with Elliot. What if he didn’t get invited back because of it?? No… Elliot wouldn’t do that. He just needed to calm down and remember that he was safe there.
Determined not to waste more time, Chad wiped his face once more with… his third or fourth tissue (at least it wasn’t Elliot’s shirt this time!) and reached down to pull out his school books. He even reached over to take a piece of cheese and vegetable to dip and… well he didn’t want to choke on anything as he was still calming down, so he made sure to at least cover his mouth in case he needed to breathe.
Really, Chad would have been happy to just lean against Elliot and take a nap, but he knew he was there to get caught up on school work. He doubted there was any chance of him going to Azure, but he would do his best for Elliot’s sake. After all, Elliot was using his time that he could be doing something else to spend with him.
“Here are the work pages I missed. And… these are the lessons they went over,” he said with a sigh and hiccup of a dying sob. There was a lot of reading involved and he really wasn’t the best when it came to reading. Oh, but Elliot said his dad might be able to help. He didn’t know if it would be enough for now but it was nice to have someone available.
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2022 9:05 pm
“Okay. This isn’t so much, we can make it through this. Do you want me to try reading it out loud for us? You can rest your eyes some,” he suggested, partly because he knew that having things read aloud helped his father and partly because he knew Chad’s eyes might still be watery. He didn’t want him to get stressed out or frustrated if there was anything he could do–especially if it was as simple as just reading out loud.
He rubbed Chad’s shoulder again and though he reached for the lessons, he leaned back against the couch when he had them and cleared his throat–paused, snacked on one of the peppers, wiped his hand on his pants, and then picked up the papers again.
“We can take a break too. If it’s just too much at once. Too much work can be stressful, but we’ll get it all done before dinner, even if we stop to do an art break before we finish it all, okay? No stress, we’ve got this. It’s okay.”
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2022 9:15 pm
Somehow, Chad managed to hold himself back from immediately saying yes. He could never get tired of listening to Elliot’s voice, so of course he wanted any excuse to hear it. And maybe it would help him remember things better if he could recall it being said by Elliot.
“Please?” he asked, tipping his head back to look at Elliot. He knew his face was probably horrible. Puffy and red on top of being bruised and swollen. But he couldn’t remember any moment in which Elliot looked at him as though he were disgusting.
But he wanted to help, too. So when Elliot made to lean back, Chad reached for the tray of vegetables and cheese so he could at least provide Elliot with a snack break every now and then. Oh, if Elliot didn’t mind being fed peppers. Was that weird? It might have been weird. He just wanted to be helpful!
“I want to get through as much of the work as we can, if that’s okay? After that, I can look at art stuff,” he decided, because if Elliot was going to put this much effort into helping him, he wanted to do everything he could.
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