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 Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 8:38 pm
Life had been rough on Johnathan Miller, but he was trying to keep his chin up! For Beni!
His father's illness had gotten worse in the past few months and while both parents sat down to tell him, Johnny still wasn't entirely computing it. They wanted him out of the house. They wanted him to live life outside the kitchen and to make friends, to be an adult. His father's illness and Johnny's duty to him made him a veritable slave in the Miller household, which made his father angry. That anger was turning to hate while the man's brain became irrational with pain and suffering. Johnny's mother didn't want her son to deal with that and therefore sent her son to the one friend she knew about - Alexandre.
And so there Johnny was, wibbling eyes with a backpack and a small sack of personal belongings looking like a lost pup on the older boy's doorstep. A few sniffles later, the boy raised his hand to ring the doorbell. "....Aleeeeeex?" came a pathetic whine. Johnny didn't know what to do with himself.
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 9:06 pm
Barking from downstairs and the doorbell drew Alexandre out of his room and downstairs. A loose white t-shirt, bought just for this, and a pair of older pajama bottoms, which he could throw away, were spattered and dripped upon by paint. A smear even ran down the left side of his face. A blue gray color, like a stormy color, was coloring the walls of his room in some areas. He had just started working on repainting his room, his room was empty of everything as he'd moved it all to Lily's room. The guest room was still the guest room and thus wasn't filled with his things, that was the guest room and he was no guest here in this house.
Wiping his hands on his shirt and brushing loose locks of paint spotted hair Alexandre reached for the door handle. Unlocking the door he opened it and stared for a moment. "Johnathan...?" Finding his voice he stared at him, taking in the backpack and sack. "What's going on?" Already he was stepping out of the way to let the other in. "Come in, sit. What's going on?" Concern laced his voice as he looked over the other again.
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 8:02 am
With a pathetic whine, the blue haired boy buried his face in the juncture of Alex's neck and shoulder. Backpack and other personal belongings fell to the ground in a heap as Johnny leaned heavily on his friend. He felt so lost in the world. "Aleeeeex... mama kicked me outta the house," Sniff. "...'n she said I gotta... I gotta get while the going's good or somethin' but..." Another sniff. "...mama said papa's gettin' worse and she doesn't want me stuck 'n the house but..." Sniff. "Alex, I dunno what to dooooooo..."
Then he broke down into a full-on hysterical cry. He was at home in the kitchen, at home keeping his ill father company and going out at night to do Negaverse things. Now most of his civilian comfort was gone. His mother helped pack up his things and sent him on his way, giving him a firm smack to the butt to keep the boy from turning around and running back inside to tape himself to the oven or something. It broke her heart to do so, but a mother had to do what a mother had to do. Johnny still didn't understand.
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 11:20 am
It was an automatic response as his hands both came up behind the other. Wrapping around him one hand set to rubbing the others back. Remembering the actions of how many nights ago in that alley comforting the other. "Come in and we can sit and talk."
He knew the others father was ill but getting worse...Alexandre didn't like the sound of that, especially seeing how it was effecting the blue haired boy who was leaning on him so heavily. Locking his knees, so his legs could hold the weight and not give, he started back peddling to get them into the house. As the other broke down he struggled to get them to the couch and once there he plopped them both there, somewhere along the way he'd kicked the front door shut.
"Johnathan, did you mother say anything else? Did she tell you to come here?" Did the other talk about him to his parents? He had a vague idea of what was going on but would hold back his thoughts for now, till he was more sure of what was going on.
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Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 6:17 pm
Between sniffles and snorting, Johnny had managed to snuggle neatly into the older boy's lap. His lower lip wiggled and twitched. The boy tried to remember what his mother was telling him - the reason why he had to up and leave. He knew his father was getting worse but it couldn't be that bad, could it?
"She...she said to go find a friend, she said 'that blonde young man you keep talking about'..." Johnny even tried to mimic his mother's voice without much luck. He sounded too nasal for it to work. "I mean, she's never met you but I tell her how you're my friend all the time 'n... well she said I needed to go and I guess she thought you'd take me in but I can't like... I can't make you do that, Alex."
Johnny rubbed his hands together, nervous and shaking. "But... but see, dad's really sick and lately... you know, he's gotten really mad. Like really mad about random stuff and mom says he's in a lot of pain and he has to go to the doctor a lot cuz... I guess he's losing his muscles, Alex." Another series of sniffles. "...they said he can't walk... you know, in a while, cuz it's gettin' worse... I dunno what to do."
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Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 8:09 pm
He'd never really done the comforting thing, it was unusual and even a little uncomfortable. But his arms came up and held the other and was back to rubbing the others back in an attempt to soothe him. He knew it was a feeble attempt, the other seemed too upset to so easily be consoled, but it was worth trying. The comfort, even if it didn't help much, would still be noted by Johnathan.
Ah, so the other did talk about him and often it seemed. For a single moment he felt...honored and yet also embarrassed. But as fast as the feelings came they were gone and his attention was again on the other. "Your not making me do anything, I assure you, it would be my pleasure to take you in and give you a home." He answered sincerely. Bringing one hand around and lifting the others face to meet his own. "You are a friend and I will protect you, from anything, and by any means. Right now you need comfort and to heal, you need a home. You have a home here and the comfort you need to heal." He didn't like seeing him hurt as he was, it hurt seeing it. The others innocence had always been something he'd once wanted to shatter than wanted to protect and now he somehow wanted to find a balance. In order to protect him he needed him to fight and yet he didn't want him to do or see certain things. There was something about Johnathan.
Sighing softly he shook his head, keeping a hold of the others face though gently. "There is nothing you can do. The anger could be his anger at his situation, his frustration with it. I would not dare to hazard a guess, as I cannot and do not claim to know your father. But I am glad you are here and not there." Not there to see; to see the end.
"Actually...your doing me something of a good thing if you move in. You see my friend who lived with me, who was much like an older sister would be, moved out and has left me alone. She has not only moved out but left the country. I have been too alone. So you will be helping me as well, by being here." Perhaps if he could focus him, even a little bit, on the good he was also doing by being here it would help.
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Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 8:24 pm
Johnathan sniffled and rubbed his eyes with the backs of the his hands. The pain of being left behind wasn't something the boy knew much about, but if somebody left Alex then they were a douche! Or something. "Alex, how could she do that to you? Did she tell you before she left? I don't want... I don't want you to be all alone, Alex. You're..." Another set of sniffles and a hiccup. "...you're my friend n' I promise I'll be useful. I'll cook an' clean and help you with homework n' stuff! I promise!"
And with that, the boy lapsed into another flurry of sniffles and hiccups, burying his face into the juncture of the older's boy's neck in a childlike cuddle. "'m just... 'm just scared 'bout what's gonna happen to dad. I dunno what he's got. Mom never told me. She always said... you know, daddy's sick and sometimes his body doesn't work how he wants it to. And that makes him mad." His shoulders shook with the memories of his early childhood. Dad was always sick for as long as he could remember, but the older he got, the more apparent the picture became. Childhood gave one a blanket of innocence to hide behind. Johnny was now too old for that and the fog of ignorance was lifting.
"He was always mad about me bein' in the kitchen, Alex. I said I wanted to help and you know, hospitals are real expensive, so mom works too jobs. I know she's real stressed out so I started cookin' and cleanin' when I was like, eight or something." That's when he got his first apron. He remembered it as such a joyous occasion. "So I'd cook dinner n' stuff after school, you know, to help out. But dad would get so mad, he'd say I shoulda been outside with friends playin' football and bein' a regular boy but I hadta help, Alex... I hadta..."
A bout of mumbling and sniffles overtook him and Johnathan started to grow heavy. He was getting sleepy.
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Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 8:35 pm
"She did tell me, we were told in advance by her parents. It is for some odd reason they wished to take her with them to England, even her elder siblings." Who should have been able to stay here if they'd wanted. But it had been some order by Lily's father that the whole family pack up and go. He hadn't a clue why, he'd tried asking his mother if she had a clue. She hadn't known and wasn't about to try and ask, it simply wasn't proper no matter how close they were to Lily's family. "You don't need to help me with homework or cooking, or even cleaning. You can do what you want, you don't need to do anything." Wiping at the others tears gently.
"Right now I'm actually working on repainting the whole house. We can turn the guest room into your room and you can pick a paint color, it'll be the next room we work on." If Johnathan was going to move in then the guest room would become Johnathan's room and reflect whatever look the other wanted to go with.
Listening to the other speak, almost into his neck, he sighed as understanding dawned on him. He understood the reason for the anger and for a moment he felt for Johnathan's father in a way he felt for the teen in his lap, which really was odd given he was smaller than the other. "Your father wasn't mad at you. He was mad at the situation, that he wasn't able to provide and be a father. He was mad that you couldn't be like every other child, that you had to grow up and be an adult. Your father was mad because he loved you and yet was hurting you." He whispered into the others ear.
"Your mother likely feels the same thing and so sent you to me. So you don't have to suffer further and can try and have a life away from that, away from being a grown up. A chance to be a teen." He answered his voice still soft and gentle.
"Come on, we should get you into your room." It wasn't that the other was tired, it was that the other had brought things with him. Those things needed to get into what would now be his room.
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Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:04 pm
Johnathan heard what the older but smaller boy was saying, but his sleepy and shocked mind had a hard time processing it. If dad was mad at the situation, then why was he taking it out on Johnny and his mother? Why did he throw things and drink and cuss all the time? He just didn't understand - he couldn't comprehend. He hadn't grown up enough to really grasp all of it.
He did grasp how tired he suddenly was. The boy had cried his way from his original home to his new one, and then cried more when inside and snuggled with his best friend in the whole wide world. Sometimes he forgot he was part of the Negaverse. It was a proud point in his life, being part of something greater than himself - something he could really contribute to. But right now, his civilian life was on the forefront of his mind. He didn't want to disappoint Alex. He didn't want to disappoint his father or his mother, but he had nowhere else to go.
Sleepily, the boy dragged himself out of Alex's lap and into a semi-standing position. "...n... Alex, what time izzit? I feel like... like I ran a marathyaaaaaaawn..." Johnny's thought process was stunted by a yawn. Thankfully he brought pajamas. "'...'cn sleep on the couch, Alex. Don't... wanna be an incon...ven... yeah."
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Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:14 pm
"Never mind the time." Watching the other get up and yawn. Standing slowly he wrapped his arms about the other. "It's time for you to sleep." And while the other slept he'd close the room he'd been painting and go out to get the other an alarm clock at least. He wouldn't go and buy anything else, anything more was for Johnathan to decide upon.
For now though he was going to get him a clock, first though he had to get the other upstairs and into bed. "Come on, hold onto me and we'll get you upstairs and into your room. A couch isn't a proper place to sleep." Nap maybe bit not sleep, and he had a feeling the other would be sleeping not napping.
"I'll be here when you wake up." He'd be somewhere in the house, where he didn't know and had no way of knowing. The trip out wouldn't be long and he had a room to get back to painting, actually the couch was where he'd be sleeping tonight, even though a couch was really no place to sleep. But his room was going to need to dry and air out as well, no way was he sleeping in a room that smelled like paint. At least the smell wasn't so strong in the rest of the house, though it was certainly there.
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Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:36 pm
Johnny followed obediently, his head nodding to and fro with the heaviness of sleep. he didn't realize how tired he was until he finally slowed down and processed what was happening. He had a habit of living in that very moment and never thinking ahead of time. His short tour of the house was a blur and before he really knew what was happening, Alex said something about sleep. Johnny shuffled to his bed and grunted.
Should he get dressed for bed? Should he brush his teeth? Was Alex still in the room? What day was it? Was Santa real?
Before he could really think about anything else, the blue-haired boy promptly faceplanted into the bed and started snoring. His unconscious body shuffled into a more comfortable position and he was out like a light in his new home. When he woke up, he'd be able to fully comprehend what was going on. But for now, the poor exhausted boy was off to slumberland and was unlikely wake up anytime soon.
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Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:08 pm
Seeing the other faceplant into the bed he smiled and gently pulled a sheet up and over the boy. Moving across the guestroom he turned the ac on, keeping it on low as he didn't wish to freeze the other. "Have a good sleep." As it sounded like he needed it.
Smiling, like a parent might, Alexandre slipped out of the room and back downstairs to retreive Johnathan's things and brought them up to the room. Leaving them next to the bed he closed the door behind himself this time as he left the room.
Well, time to do some shopping. Closing his bedroom door and going to the bathroom, he made it a habit of using the toilet before he left the house, he discovered the paint on his face and just what he was wearing. How he'd forgotten what he was wearing he didn't know, well yeah he did, so after using the bathroom he headed to his room, his face and hair now clean, and went about pulling on some proper clothing and that done he got what he needed for a quick shopping trip out, leaving Cadha behind to guard the house.
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