Misconceptions
The Sick Feeling
As he walks into the main lounge, every step feels like a massive effort and he’s starting to think he should have gone for that Pepper-Up after all. Even though he’s not sick. Cody is standing next to the far wall with one hand resting on his hip and the other carefully tracing one of the children rosters. Brandon smiles with relief to see him, even if it’s evident just from Cody’s posture that he’s scowling.
The lounge is empty at this time of day except for Madison and Zack, who are sitting right across the room on the wonky sofas, apparently mid-argument. Brandon slopes over to stand behind Cody and drops his forehead to the warm shoulder. He’s mostly dry, having removed the damp cloak, but his wet hair brushes Cody’s neck and he shivers. Still, he drops the hand from his hip to reach back for Brandon’s, and Brandon smiles.
“Must you press yourself all over me when you’re wet?”
“Mmhm. What’re you doing?”
“These rosters are a joke,” Cody says, pointing. “The child that’s making them is making sure they never get any of the horrible jobs, and no one has even noticed.”
Brandon snorts against his dry, clean-smelling hair. “Sneaky.”
“That’s what they think,” Cody says with more than a little satisfaction. “We’re going to have a little shake-up tomorrow, I think.” Finally, he turns and runs concerned eyes over Brandon. “You look—”
“I know.” Brandon grimaces. “If I could just get through an hour without another person telling me how awful I look, that’d be really nice,” he sighs, and then sneezes again.
“Why don’t you go home?” Cody pauses and looks at the floor. “Because I don’t want you infecting my entire community with whatever you’ve got,” he adds, in an attempt to appear unconcerned that Brandon sees straight through.
“I was hoping you’d come with me, actually.” Brandon smiles hopefully.
Cody frowns and pushes his hair out of his face with a sigh. “I’ve got loads to do, you wouldn’t believe the stuff these inspectors want, honestly I’m...” He glances in the direction of the office and then meets Brandon’s eyes. “Give me half an hour, alright?”
“OK.” Brandon grins, relieved, and even that fucking hurts.
Cody glances over his shoulder at Zack and Madison, and, seemingly satisfied, steps closer and presses a soft kiss to Brandon’s lips that melts his tired insides. He pulls back, grey eyes warm, and quirks a brief half-smile before heading for his office.
Brandon watches him go. And sneezes.
For a minute of two, he examines the roster in question, until the words and lines blur messily before his eyes and he steps away. Madison’s loud, “She bloody promised me, though!” attracts his attention and he finds himself drawn in, flopping onto the nearest section of the vast sofa.
They turn to greet him briefly before returning to their heated discussion. He listens, and tries not to silently take Madison’s side just on principle. It’s difficult because although he doesn’t hate Zack any more, he’s still too close to Cody and he’s still too... Zack.
From what he can surmise, it has come to light that two of the children are in a relationship. He knows it’s against the rules, and that interventions will have been put in place, but Madison seems to be particularly affronted by the whole thing. She has been key working Gretchen, and from what Brandon can see, is taking her behavior as a personal betrayal.
“I can’t even think about how many times she must have lied to me,” she’s saying, staring hotly into a cup of vile green tea. “‘No, Madison. I’m not getting too close to Sam. No, Madison, you worry too much’. Argh.”
“It’s not personal,” Zack is saying, and for once, Brandon agrees with him. Which is all wrong. “It’s easily done. Sometimes, in a fucked-up situation, a person just needs comfort, and sex is just that. I’ve done it.”
Madison lifts her head and gives him a look which is both doubtful and ‘Yes, I’m sure you have’.
Brandon frowns, scrubs through wet hair and tries to remember where he’s heard those words before in a very similar context.
In a fucked-up situation...
‘I think sex is generally a good call in most fucked-up situations... wars. Deaths. Rehab. Sudden... acquisition of children.’
Cody... Cody had indirectly admitted to having sex whilst in rehab, hadn’t he? And Zack. What was it that Lupe had implied... that Zack was jealous of Brandon? Brandon’s head spins, and hurts, and his self-control is shot to hell.
“You and Cody had sex in rehab!” he blurts, glaring at Zack.
Both he and Madison fall silent and twist around to look at him. Madison’s face is horrified but Zack looks baffled, dark eyebrows drawn down in confusion. Brandon feels sick.
The lounge is empty at this time of day except for Madison and Zack, who are sitting right across the room on the wonky sofas, apparently mid-argument. Brandon slopes over to stand behind Cody and drops his forehead to the warm shoulder. He’s mostly dry, having removed the damp cloak, but his wet hair brushes Cody’s neck and he shivers. Still, he drops the hand from his hip to reach back for Brandon’s, and Brandon smiles.
“Must you press yourself all over me when you’re wet?”
“Mmhm. What’re you doing?”
“These rosters are a joke,” Cody says, pointing. “The child that’s making them is making sure they never get any of the horrible jobs, and no one has even noticed.”
Brandon snorts against his dry, clean-smelling hair. “Sneaky.”
“That’s what they think,” Cody says with more than a little satisfaction. “We’re going to have a little shake-up tomorrow, I think.” Finally, he turns and runs concerned eyes over Brandon. “You look—”
“I know.” Brandon grimaces. “If I could just get through an hour without another person telling me how awful I look, that’d be really nice,” he sighs, and then sneezes again.
“Why don’t you go home?” Cody pauses and looks at the floor. “Because I don’t want you infecting my entire community with whatever you’ve got,” he adds, in an attempt to appear unconcerned that Brandon sees straight through.
“I was hoping you’d come with me, actually.” Brandon smiles hopefully.
Cody frowns and pushes his hair out of his face with a sigh. “I’ve got loads to do, you wouldn’t believe the stuff these inspectors want, honestly I’m...” He glances in the direction of the office and then meets Brandon’s eyes. “Give me half an hour, alright?”
“OK.” Brandon grins, relieved, and even that fucking hurts.
Cody glances over his shoulder at Zack and Madison, and, seemingly satisfied, steps closer and presses a soft kiss to Brandon’s lips that melts his tired insides. He pulls back, grey eyes warm, and quirks a brief half-smile before heading for his office.
Brandon watches him go. And sneezes.
For a minute of two, he examines the roster in question, until the words and lines blur messily before his eyes and he steps away. Madison’s loud, “She bloody promised me, though!” attracts his attention and he finds himself drawn in, flopping onto the nearest section of the vast sofa.
They turn to greet him briefly before returning to their heated discussion. He listens, and tries not to silently take Madison’s side just on principle. It’s difficult because although he doesn’t hate Zack any more, he’s still too close to Cody and he’s still too... Zack.
From what he can surmise, it has come to light that two of the children are in a relationship. He knows it’s against the rules, and that interventions will have been put in place, but Madison seems to be particularly affronted by the whole thing. She has been key working Gretchen, and from what Brandon can see, is taking her behavior as a personal betrayal.
“I can’t even think about how many times she must have lied to me,” she’s saying, staring hotly into a cup of vile green tea. “‘No, Madison. I’m not getting too close to Sam. No, Madison, you worry too much’. Argh.”
“It’s not personal,” Zack is saying, and for once, Brandon agrees with him. Which is all wrong. “It’s easily done. Sometimes, in a fucked-up situation, a person just needs comfort, and sex is just that. I’ve done it.”
Madison lifts her head and gives him a look which is both doubtful and ‘Yes, I’m sure you have’.
Brandon frowns, scrubs through wet hair and tries to remember where he’s heard those words before in a very similar context.
In a fucked-up situation...
‘I think sex is generally a good call in most fucked-up situations... wars. Deaths. Rehab. Sudden... acquisition of children.’
Cody... Cody had indirectly admitted to having sex whilst in rehab, hadn’t he? And Zack. What was it that Lupe had implied... that Zack was jealous of Brandon? Brandon’s head spins, and hurts, and his self-control is shot to hell.
“You and Cody had sex in rehab!” he blurts, glaring at Zack.
Both he and Madison fall silent and twist around to look at him. Madison’s face is horrified but Zack looks baffled, dark eyebrows drawn down in confusion. Brandon feels sick.