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 Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2022 7:07 pm
With not much time left until dinner, Chad had Elliot show him how to play Tetris, and Chad might have absolutely taken that opportunity to curl up against Elliot to watch him. The breaded chicken for dinner was delicious, as expected, and while Chad tried to stay awake for the movie that they’d put on, he was so comfortable and exhausted now that the adrenaline had worn off, that he ended up dozing off against Elliot’s shoulder.
At least until dessert of ice cream was brought out, then Chad was awake again, and he apologized multiple times for falling asleep. It wasn’t that the movie wasn’t interesting!! He wanted to watch it! His eyes were just so heavy that they shut on their own. And it wasn’t his fault that he felt so comfortable next to Elliot.
In Elliot’s room, they had the beads to sort through, and Chad had an amazing time looking at each unique bead they managed to unearth from the tool box. They ended up borrowing a number of sandwich bags to help organize them, at least until they were able to get smaller bead bags.
“Can I stay with you in your bed, please?” Chad asked rather sheepishly after brushing their teeth and getting ready for bed. He’d used some face wash and cream that Oliver let him borrow, and now his face felt all soft and comfortable, instead of dirty and dry like it usually did.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2022 7:16 pm
It made sense that Chad was tired, and Elliot stayed completely still while he napped so he didn’t jostle him awake. It wasn’t comfortable, but it was worth the effort if it meant Chad could be. He’d had to assure him a dozen times that it was okay that he fell asleep! The important thing was that he woke up for the ice cream. Elliot understood what it was like to just have a long day and need a nap, and he knew that a good cry was usually followed by a good nap.
They’d had a good night, all things considered. Or, he thought so at least. He tilted his head when Chad asked, like he was surprised by the question. “Oh, yeah. I sort of already assumed you were. I just moved some of my pillows off the bed so we could fit. But you can grab one back if you like it, we’ll make it work. I can’t have you sleeping on the floor. And I’m rather fond of my bed, so if you’re comfortable sharing, so am I. And we can leave the door open, and the bathroom light on. That way if you forget where you are, you’ll at least be able to see a bit. Will that work for you?” he asked, with all the enthusiasm of someone who was ready to come up with a dozen alternatives, just in case it didn’t.
He was wearing the same pair of pajamas he’d been the last time Chad came over, and had been able to produce a similar pair for him to wear. It wasn’t much more than comfortable bottoms and a slightly too big, very faded shirt, but Elliot seemed like this was just any normal outfit and he was more than happy to share.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2022 7:24 pm
Chad had been prepared to sleep on the floor, or even the couch. He didn’t want to disturb Elliot’s normal routine, and if he didn’t want him sharing his bed, Chad would have understood. It wasn’t as though he’d shared a bed before. And it wasn’t as though he’d never slept in weird places before either.
So when Elliot seemed as though them sharing was the obvious choice, Chad chewed anxiously on his lip. Not because he was upset! It was because his heart was doing that stupid fluttery thing that it did whenever Elliot was exceptionally kind and thoughtful.
“Oh, yes please. Thank you. I hate the dark, but I’m not allowed to have a nightlight, and I get in trouble if I have my light on. I try to keep my curtains open though. The streetlight helps a little,” he admitted. He still felt a little bad for falling asleep on Elliot, but Elliot didn’t seem to mind.
“I didn’t ruin any plans you had, did I?” he asked after a moment. He didn’t know what Elliot had planned for the rest of the weekend, and he knew how rude and selfish it was to just barge in, even though he appreciated the warm welcome.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2022 7:34 pm
“No, you being here makes my night better,” he promised. “I was just going to watch television, maybe play some video games. Nothing really exciting. I had much more fun with you being here. Come on, you’re my guest so you can pick where you want to sleep. Mostly I sleep in the middle of the bed, so if I roll over on you it’s not on purpose. You can shove me over.”
Not that he expected Chad actually would, he’d probably just deal with it, but Elliot smiled so Chad knew he was mostly teasing. “No one’ll get in trouble for night lights. If you want one on in here, I can get one. There’s one in the kitchen, too, just in case. You never know when you’re going to have to get up for a snack or something. I think I’ve got one in my drawer, I’ll go plug it in if you want to get comfortable.”
He didn’t give chance the opportunity to say no, just set about fishing around in his drawers to try and find it. He wanted to make sure he slept well–especially because he was so tired already.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2022 7:41 pm
Chad was going to try and make sure that was something Elliot would be okay with. If he wasn’t used to having a nightlight, Chad didn’t want to keep Elliot awake just because he didn’t like the dark.
But Elliot was already looking through his drawer, so Chad just shuffled around a little. He glanced up at the octopus drawing he did and couldn’t help but smile. Elliot had it hung up right away, and Chad couldn’t help but feel a little giddy to see it still there. Not that he thought Elliot would have gotten rid of it, but he could have replaced it or… something.
No, Chad knew Elliot was better than that. Kinder than that. Chad knew he needed to stop comparing what others had done as things Elliot might think to do, because Chad knew he wouldn’t.
It calmed him a little, because even if he couldn’t trust anyone else, he knew he could count on Elliot. There were others, of course. Devyn and Michael, and Elliot’s parents, but there was something special about Elliot.
“Thank you,” he said as he climbed up onto the bed and pulled back the covers. He wanted to make sure Elliot had as much space as possible, so he settled onto the edge of the bed, as close as he could without falling out. He didn’t grab a pillow, but used his arm instead, and watched Elliot as he went about getting the nightlight.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2022 8:09 pm
It took Elliot a few seconds to find the nightlight, and he blew on it as if there were any dust to disperse. It was clean, and had been safe in the drawer, and almost as soon as he’d closed it he was leaning over to plug it in.
“Chad, look at this. You’ll never guess who picked it out for me,” he said, with obviously mirth. It immediately lit up, covering the room in a soft, warm light. The nightlight had been fastened in the shape of a lighthouse, with black swirls over the foggy white glass.
He hopped up and hurried across the room to shut off the light and make sure Chad got to appreciate it before he fell asleep.
He was sure that Chad would have guessed it was Oliver, and it wasn’t like it was a high stakes trivia question either, so he was easily distracted by how far over Chad was on the bed. “Are you comfortable like that? I won’t kick or anything, you can come closer. Do you want me to get you a different pillow?”
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2022 8:16 pm
Chad absolutely was going to guess Oliver. How could he not? He’d come to know a little bit about Elliot’s parents over the few weeks that he’d known them, and he already cared for them deeply. Almost as much as he cared for Elliot.
“Oh, I didn’t want to crowd you,” he admitted, smiling as he pushed himself up enough to get a look at the nightlight. He settled back down, still on the edge of the bed for a few moments, before carefully inching closer to the center.
They were both still pretty small, so this was okay, right? Elliot didn’t seem to mind Chad being close, at least. And Chad preferred to be as close to Elliot as possible.
“I’m okay,” he said, not wanting Elliot to have to get anything for him. The bed was very comfortable, and he’d slept on much worse before.
In the distance, the sound of a siren could be heard. Chad froze and squeezed his eyes shut as if he were in physical pain.
He knew it would be impossible for his dad to find him there… right? He wouldn’t be able to find him there, right? Maybe if he held completely still, it would go away.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2022 8:24 pm
Elliot flinched at the siren, not because it bothered him but because it seemed to bother Chad. He reacted instinctively and just wanted him to know that he was safe here.
“You’re not crowding me,” he promised, and crawled in on his side. “Here, let’s share my pillow. Do you want to hold hands?”
He was already pulling his pillow a little closer, intent to make sure that Chad got to actually use everything his bed had to offer. He’d been comfortable when Chad fell asleep on him on the couch, and he liked hugging Chad, and even liked holding his hand. So, this just seemed natural–especially if he was spooked about being in a weird, new place.
“That way you can’t forget that you’re here with me. And if you have any weird dreams or if you have a hard time sleeping, you can wake me up. Or borrow my phone and watch videos or play some phone games.”
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2022 8:39 pm
It didn’t seem as though Chad heard what Elliot said. He curled in on himself, trying to be as small as possible. He tried breathing normally, tried thinking of anything else besides the sirens blaring in his ears.
Were they close? Was it just his imagination? His heart felt like it was going to explode. His throat burned and he dug his nails into his palm so tightly that his knuckles were white.
Even through his shut eyes, he could see the flashing lights of red and blue, could hear yelling and car doors slamming. How did it manage to jump from a few blocks away to right beside him so quickly? What would happen now? Would he be taken away? Maybe sent to jail?
In the distance, the sound of sirens faded, echoing only in Chad’s ears as he tried to keep his eyes from filling with tears.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2022 8:51 pm
Chad didn’t answer.
Elliot would have waited, would have given him time, but then he started to get worried. Chad looked sick. Worried. Like he was going into a panic attack.
He didn’t know what was going to help Chad and what might only make it worse. All he knew was that if Chad kept up like that, he was going to hurt his hands.
Gently, he reached to take one hand, and then the next, and tried to work his fingers into Chad’s to get him to relax.
“Hey,” he said gently. “It’s okay. Do you want some headphones? I can just keep talking, too. It’s just me here, Chad. Just me, and I’m trying to hold your hands, because I don’t want you to get hurt. But you’re really strong, holy cow, Chad. I’m here, it’s okay. I just want to hold your hands.”
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2022 9:01 pm
He was trying to breathe. Trying to remember anything but that sound.
Chad could hear a gentle voice, feel a gentle touch. Elliot? Right. He was at Elliot’s house. He was staying the night because he didn’t want to go home. His heart was still racing, but he made himself take a breath and let his hands relax. Enough for Elliot to take them. His palms ached from where he’d dug his nails, but Elliot managed to ease his hands from being curled so tightly.
And he opened his eyes.
It wasn’t the flashing red and blue light that greeted him, but the kind, worried face of his friend. Chad swallowed back a sob, and instead held tightly to Elliot’s hands as he laid in bed next to him. Oh… he’d moved his pillow closer, too.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered tearfully now that he could no longer hear the sirens. His cheeks felt hot from embarrassment. “I don’t need anything. Just you.” He could sort of remember what Elliot said to him, now that he was able to focus. He’d offered him his phone to use if he couldn’t sleep. Offered him head phones. No, as long as he had Elliot there, he didn’t need anything else.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2022 9:06 pm
“You don’t have to apologize.” Was he running from the law? Was he just that scared of his father? Had he secretly murdered him and was now hiding out? –What? No, that wasn’t like Chad at all. And Devyn had even walked him over.
It vaguely occurred to him that he hadn’t asked what he’d been doing with Devyn, but it wasn’t really a big deal, either. He’d try asking later. Now wasn’t a good time.
“You’ve got me, I’m right here. Come closer.” He massaged into Chad’s hands gently, trying to ease whatever damage he’d done. “Lay close to me, so if you have a nightmare I’m right here.”
He’d have done it for any of his friends, but with Chad it was easiest to just be blunt. He didn’t feel like he needed to come up with some story or some excuse. He just wanted to be close to him so he’d know if something was wrong. So he could wake him up, or reassure him. “You’re safe here. I’ll protect you.”
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2022 12:00 pm
Chad nodded and took a deep breath. He was trying not to cry. He did enough of that already. He just wanted to be there with Elliot, and he wished he didn’t have to think of his father at all.
If he found out that Chad stayed at someone else’s house…? What would he do then? He would probably make it worse for him than if he’d slept outside somewhere.
Carefully, Chad inched a little closer so that his head was on Elliot’s pillow and their foreheads were pressed together. He relaxed then. Just a little, but it was better than nothing.
Vaguely, he thought again how good of a Knight Elliot would be. He was definitely someone who cared deeply about others, and who wanted to protect others. Chad wasn’t sure if he deserved Elliot’s protection, but he cherished it.
“I know,” he let out a shaky breath, and tried to relax his hands a little more. While Elliot rubbed them, Chad hooked the tips of his fingers into Elliot’s shirt. Not enough that he couldn’t easily be pushed away, but he just wanted to be close.
“You’re so good and kind. Thank you for being my friend,” Chad mumbled tiredly. But it was more than just friendship, and he knew that. Maybe he couldn’t admit it to Elliot, not more than he already had about his feelings, but he knew he needed him more than air.
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2022 12:28 pm
“I like being your friend, you don’t have to thank me for it. I have a lot of fun with you. I never thought I’d be so interested in beads. And I’m really excited to see what you can make with them. And my parents like you more than they like any of my other friends. I have good friends! But they just always ask about you.”
Maybe that was his fault, but it didn’t really feel wrong. He still hung out with his other friends! I could still play games with them! But Chad was just–it was just different!
He didn’t know how to describe it. He just liked him. Liked having him around. Liked knowing he was okay.
He was comfortable with sharing his pillow, with resting forehead to forehead.
“Thank you for being my friend, though. Because if you’re going to thank me, I’m going to thank you, too. I think you’re really great. And I’m really happy to get to be your friend. I can’t believe we didn’t get to be friends sooner. But I’m going to make up for all of that lost time.”
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2022 12:39 pm
“They ask about me?” Chad wondered in surprise. His cheeks felt hot already, but he was glad it was dark so it wasn’t as obvious. He felt guilty for not knowing any of Elliot’s other friends. Or if he knew them, it was because they’d been in the same class together, but they hadn’t really spoken to each other.
And with classes ending for the summer and high school to look forward to (or not, depending on who was asked), Chad wasn’t sure when he’d get a chance to get to know them, unless he was around Elliot when they were. Which would be fine! He didn’t want to keep Elliot from his friends! He just also knew from experience that people tended to think he was weird or not worth the effort because he could never hang out and do things.
With Elliot, he was lucky they lived relatively close together.
Chad wasn’t sure if he really was fun but he would trust Elliot. He would just have to make sure he was fun and not crying all the time.
“I think you’re really great too,” he sighed as he inched just a bit closer. He made sure he wasn’t completely in the center of the, but… “You’re warm.”
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