Status: Completed.
Just Feel Better.
But It Just Won't Open
Zack's hands sweated, and his body shook. He was nervous, and scared. If it wasn't for the strong body behind his, he would have hightailed it out of there already.
'Relax. He can't hurt you.' A soft voice whispered, a pair of strong arms winding their way around Zack's waist. The voice sent shivers down his spine, and effectively calmed him.
No-one had ever had that effect on Zack. He didn't question it, though. Those arms had held him through many tough nights, when the painkillers didn't seem to work, and Zack was left the writhe in pain until sleep took him away. That voice had lulled him to sleep, and kept Zack from ripping at his stitches. Yes, Zack owed a lot to the boy behind him. He would give his life for Brian.
Zack felt himself melt back into the boy's chest, the tension and fear just washing away. He felt safe with those arms wrapped around him.
'I'm scared, Bri.' He whispered pathetically, his voice so close to breaking. He knew he was safe, but his mind kept telling him something would go wrong.
'Don't be. I'm here. I won't let him touch you.' Brian murmured into Zack's ear, leaving a kiss on the smaller boy's cheek.
They stood in silence for a moment, listening to the sounds of chains rattling. The large door in front of them opened suddenly, a rather large boy being escorted in by two equally-as-large guards.
There was no doubt that Matt Sanders was still a child. His face was still round, his chin and cheeks not yet sharpened. He was only considered a "man", because of his age.
The guards un-cuffed Matt's hands, but left his ankles chained, before helping the boy to sit down in one of three chairs available. A table divided Zack from his supposed "attempt-murderer". He knew Matt didn't mean to hurt him as much as he had, but that didn't stop his entire body from shaking.
'We'll be right outside.' One of the guards said, although it sounded more like a warning. They left, closing the door behind them.
Brian was the first to move, taking a seat across from Matt. Zack had a hard time moving, his feet just rooted to the floor. Brian gripped his hand, though, pulling the smaller boy into the chair next to him.
'I'm so sorry, Zack.' Matt whispered, his eyes trailing over the terrified boy in front of him. Ever since they day he'd seen Zack laying in that hospital bed, all he could do was regret. Had he known Zack was ill, and so easily broken, he wouldn't had touched a hair on his head.
'I-It's okay.' Zack muttered, his words sticking to his throat like peanut butter.
'I'm sorry you got sent here.' Zack whispered, looking into the boy's eyes. He'd always thought Matt had a kind face. His eyes, a stunning Hazel, shone brightly, and his dimpled smile made you want to coo, like you would to a baby. Though, Zack had never seen the kind side to Matt. He'd always been on the pissed-off side.
'I deserve to be here, Zack. What we did... We could have killed you, so easily! For... For a while there, I thought we did.' Matt spoke, his voice the one of a broken boy. His eyes dropped to the hard-wood table, the Hazel slowly fading into something darker, a colour Zack couldn't put a name to.
Zack didn't know what to say. His heart told him to comfort Matt, and let him know that he was forgiven, but his mind was screaming that Matt was still the same kid he'd been a year ago.
'How 'ya holding up?' Brian asked, speaking up when the silence became too much for him.
Matt had seemed to forget Brian was there, looking his old beat friend in the eyes with shock.
'Okay, I guess. Can't really complain. I get fed, I have somewhere to sleep, time to go outside.' Matt shrugged, moving his legs. The chains clanked together, the sound echoing off the walls.
'I see you finally got your treasure.' He smiled, for the first time in nearly a year. He'd known about Brian's crush for almost as long as Brian had had it. It wasn't hard to figure out, really.
'Not yet.' Brian smiled back, lacing his fingers with Zack's. Zack still refused to make things official, worried that Brian would leave him as soon as he'd completely healed. That didn't stop him from indulging in short kisses, and long embraces with Brian, though.
Matt slowly leaned across the table, his arms folding so he could rest his chin on them.
'This kids' been pining over you for years, Zack. You don't know how hard it was to get him to shut up about your pretty green eyes, your pouty lips. Don't even get me started on the shit he said about your hips!' Matt laughed, the sound booming off the walls. In that moment, Zack could see the more sensitive Matt, the boy that Brian had been friends with.
'Hey! No need to scare him off. You'll make him think I'm a stalker, or something.' Brian joked, squeezing Zack's hand.
'You've always had a way with the ladies. I have no doubt you've got the same effect with dudes.' Matt grinned, reached across the table to punch Brian's arm lightly.
Zack didn't flinch away when Matt had gotten close to him. He could truly see the adoration he had for Brian, and the thought of scary-and-pissed-off-Matt was gone.
They chatted away for a while, the room filling with laughter. Matt enjoyed telling Zack of all Brian's embarrassing moments. Brian was left to blush and groan as the stories of his early teen years came to the open.
It seemed too soon for the guards to be back, but, after looking at the clock, Zack saw that their hour had, indeed, passed.
'It was really nice talking to you, Zack.' Matt said, getting ready for the closest guard to cuff him again. The joy and happiness flooded from Matt's face. His time spent away from reality was over.
Zack nodded, agreeing, because he had liked talking to Matt.
'We'll visit you again, man. Don't worry.' Brian said, giving Matt a quick, one-armed hug. Matt gave a weak smile, sighing. He didn't want to go back.
Zack, who surprised both himself and Matt, stepped forward, before Matt could be chained back up, and wrapped the taller boy in a hug. He felt safe. Nothing to fear.
Matt responded almost immediately, hugging Zack back gently. He couldn't bare the thought of hurting Zack again.
'I expect to see you soon.' Matt grinned, the life coming back to his eyes for a moment. Zack nodded again, stepping back so the guards could lock the cuffs around Matt's already out-stretched wrists.
Zack couldn't help but feel sad as Matt was carted back to his cell. He knew he'd come back, simply because he liked Matt's company.
'I'm so proud of you, Z.' Brian murmured in Zack's ear, while they waited for the all-clear to leave the room.
'I couldn't have done this without you.' Zack whispered, entwining his hands with Brian's.
'You've done so much for me, Bri. You took care of me when I was in pain, or sick. You listened to me bitch and whine about not being able to do anything. I owe you my life, my sanity. I wish I could pay you back.' He all but confessed, his chest feeling much lighter.
'I only want one thing from you, Z. I want you to be mine.' Brian whispered, his fingers squeezing Zack's tightly.
'Then, consider me your, "treasure".' Zack smiled, leaning in to seal it with a small kiss. Brian could only hold him closer, his heart trying to leap from his chest. He had his boy, his treasure. He'd never felt more complete.
'Relax. He can't hurt you.' A soft voice whispered, a pair of strong arms winding their way around Zack's waist. The voice sent shivers down his spine, and effectively calmed him.
No-one had ever had that effect on Zack. He didn't question it, though. Those arms had held him through many tough nights, when the painkillers didn't seem to work, and Zack was left the writhe in pain until sleep took him away. That voice had lulled him to sleep, and kept Zack from ripping at his stitches. Yes, Zack owed a lot to the boy behind him. He would give his life for Brian.
Zack felt himself melt back into the boy's chest, the tension and fear just washing away. He felt safe with those arms wrapped around him.
'I'm scared, Bri.' He whispered pathetically, his voice so close to breaking. He knew he was safe, but his mind kept telling him something would go wrong.
'Don't be. I'm here. I won't let him touch you.' Brian murmured into Zack's ear, leaving a kiss on the smaller boy's cheek.
They stood in silence for a moment, listening to the sounds of chains rattling. The large door in front of them opened suddenly, a rather large boy being escorted in by two equally-as-large guards.
There was no doubt that Matt Sanders was still a child. His face was still round, his chin and cheeks not yet sharpened. He was only considered a "man", because of his age.
The guards un-cuffed Matt's hands, but left his ankles chained, before helping the boy to sit down in one of three chairs available. A table divided Zack from his supposed "attempt-murderer". He knew Matt didn't mean to hurt him as much as he had, but that didn't stop his entire body from shaking.
'We'll be right outside.' One of the guards said, although it sounded more like a warning. They left, closing the door behind them.
Brian was the first to move, taking a seat across from Matt. Zack had a hard time moving, his feet just rooted to the floor. Brian gripped his hand, though, pulling the smaller boy into the chair next to him.
'I'm so sorry, Zack.' Matt whispered, his eyes trailing over the terrified boy in front of him. Ever since they day he'd seen Zack laying in that hospital bed, all he could do was regret. Had he known Zack was ill, and so easily broken, he wouldn't had touched a hair on his head.
'I-It's okay.' Zack muttered, his words sticking to his throat like peanut butter.
'I'm sorry you got sent here.' Zack whispered, looking into the boy's eyes. He'd always thought Matt had a kind face. His eyes, a stunning Hazel, shone brightly, and his dimpled smile made you want to coo, like you would to a baby. Though, Zack had never seen the kind side to Matt. He'd always been on the pissed-off side.
'I deserve to be here, Zack. What we did... We could have killed you, so easily! For... For a while there, I thought we did.' Matt spoke, his voice the one of a broken boy. His eyes dropped to the hard-wood table, the Hazel slowly fading into something darker, a colour Zack couldn't put a name to.
Zack didn't know what to say. His heart told him to comfort Matt, and let him know that he was forgiven, but his mind was screaming that Matt was still the same kid he'd been a year ago.
'How 'ya holding up?' Brian asked, speaking up when the silence became too much for him.
Matt had seemed to forget Brian was there, looking his old beat friend in the eyes with shock.
'Okay, I guess. Can't really complain. I get fed, I have somewhere to sleep, time to go outside.' Matt shrugged, moving his legs. The chains clanked together, the sound echoing off the walls.
'I see you finally got your treasure.' He smiled, for the first time in nearly a year. He'd known about Brian's crush for almost as long as Brian had had it. It wasn't hard to figure out, really.
'Not yet.' Brian smiled back, lacing his fingers with Zack's. Zack still refused to make things official, worried that Brian would leave him as soon as he'd completely healed. That didn't stop him from indulging in short kisses, and long embraces with Brian, though.
Matt slowly leaned across the table, his arms folding so he could rest his chin on them.
'This kids' been pining over you for years, Zack. You don't know how hard it was to get him to shut up about your pretty green eyes, your pouty lips. Don't even get me started on the shit he said about your hips!' Matt laughed, the sound booming off the walls. In that moment, Zack could see the more sensitive Matt, the boy that Brian had been friends with.
'Hey! No need to scare him off. You'll make him think I'm a stalker, or something.' Brian joked, squeezing Zack's hand.
'You've always had a way with the ladies. I have no doubt you've got the same effect with dudes.' Matt grinned, reached across the table to punch Brian's arm lightly.
Zack didn't flinch away when Matt had gotten close to him. He could truly see the adoration he had for Brian, and the thought of scary-and-pissed-off-Matt was gone.
They chatted away for a while, the room filling with laughter. Matt enjoyed telling Zack of all Brian's embarrassing moments. Brian was left to blush and groan as the stories of his early teen years came to the open.
It seemed too soon for the guards to be back, but, after looking at the clock, Zack saw that their hour had, indeed, passed.
'It was really nice talking to you, Zack.' Matt said, getting ready for the closest guard to cuff him again. The joy and happiness flooded from Matt's face. His time spent away from reality was over.
Zack nodded, agreeing, because he had liked talking to Matt.
'We'll visit you again, man. Don't worry.' Brian said, giving Matt a quick, one-armed hug. Matt gave a weak smile, sighing. He didn't want to go back.
Zack, who surprised both himself and Matt, stepped forward, before Matt could be chained back up, and wrapped the taller boy in a hug. He felt safe. Nothing to fear.
Matt responded almost immediately, hugging Zack back gently. He couldn't bare the thought of hurting Zack again.
'I expect to see you soon.' Matt grinned, the life coming back to his eyes for a moment. Zack nodded again, stepping back so the guards could lock the cuffs around Matt's already out-stretched wrists.
Zack couldn't help but feel sad as Matt was carted back to his cell. He knew he'd come back, simply because he liked Matt's company.
'I'm so proud of you, Z.' Brian murmured in Zack's ear, while they waited for the all-clear to leave the room.
'I couldn't have done this without you.' Zack whispered, entwining his hands with Brian's.
'You've done so much for me, Bri. You took care of me when I was in pain, or sick. You listened to me bitch and whine about not being able to do anything. I owe you my life, my sanity. I wish I could pay you back.' He all but confessed, his chest feeling much lighter.
'I only want one thing from you, Z. I want you to be mine.' Brian whispered, his fingers squeezing Zack's tightly.
'Then, consider me your, "treasure".' Zack smiled, leaning in to seal it with a small kiss. Brian could only hold him closer, his heart trying to leap from his chest. He had his boy, his treasure. He'd never felt more complete.
♠ ♠ ♠
Done and dusted.