They arrive at the building fifteen minutes later. Deion and Alister get out and walk separately to the front entrance. Only when Deion looks up from his shoes does he realize where they are. Deion glances at Alister but he's already gone inside.
"Alister, it's good to see you again," A boy, not older than Deion, says to Alister and he nods respectfully.
"It's always good to see you, James," Alister responds.
"And you've brought a guest today?" James says, glancing in Deion's direction. Deion tries not to notice the way James looks at Alister for a second too long. Deion tries not to let his fists clench at the sound of the boy's voice or the way he smiles so affectionately at Alister. And he fails. He doesn't realize he has failed until he feels Alister's hand wrap around his and entrap his hand with Alister's own.
Deion swallows the anger threatening to surface, and shoves it down. Way down. Because right now all that matters is Alister holding his head. Alister is holding Deion's hand and not James'. Deion smiles a tight smile at James and kisses Alister's cheek. Together, holding hands, Alister and Deion walk down the hall.
They walk until they reach a room with double doors. The room is labeled "ICU". Deion glances at Alister, but Alister's eyes are narrowed and focused on opening the door in front of him. Alister opens the door, takes a strangled breath, and walks through the door. Alister's eyes are closed once they get inside, Deion realizes.
Alister releases Deion's hand and walks to the bed on the far right corner. He stops in front of the bed and glares at the man sleeping in it. Deion trails his eyes over the decrepit man laying in front of him. The cream skin, the pale brown hair, the curve of his lips一 this man, Deion soon realizes, is Alister's father.
"The way you talked about your father, I always assumed he was somewhere else," Deion says and Alister shakes his head. A firm shake, his lips in an unkind line, his eyes narrowed with anger and disgust. But more than the anger inside his eyes, Deion sees the pain Alister feels. His eyes are a raging storm, pain and anger battling it out, and Deion can't tell which one is winning.
"My father has been in a coma for three years now," Alister says.
"I took a job here to... to take care of him," Alister hisses the last part, like the words left a bad taste on his tongue.
"It's ironic isn't it? The man who did nothing for me all my life, the man who wished I was never born, the man who repeatedly told me to my face he never loved me, and here I am taking care of him," Alister says, laughing harshly through his words but no trace of humor can be found in them.
"It's stupid," Alister growls.
"You love him," Deion replies.
"I'm stupid," Alister shouts, slamming his fist into the silver tray resting on the table beside the bed.
"You love him, even though he did and said all those things. You love him because he's your father. That doesn't make you stupid, that makes you kind. That makes you beautiful and amazing to have the strength to love him after all of those things have happened," Deion says again, more forcefully this time.
"I'm so fucking stupid," Alister mutters and Deion grabs the sides of his face.
"You are wonderful and kind, because you took your life and chose to care for him. Because you love a man who has been nothing but unkind to you your entire life. You chose to love him for no other reason than he is your father. Because you are a good person, Alister," Deion says, gripping Alister's hair.
"I'm stupid, so, so, so very stupid," Alister begins but Deion cuts him off by slamming his lips onto his. He kisses him passionately, expressing his affection for Alister in every movement of his lips, in every graze of his tongue.
"You are beautiful, Butterfly," Deion whispers in between the kisses and Alister's body melts into Deion's arms.
"I don't know what I'm going to do without you," Alister whispers, resting his head against Deion's.
"Then don't leave without me," Deion whispers back and Deion swears Alister stopped breathing.
YOU ARE READING
You Make Me Sane
Romance"Sometimes you just know. You just know when you belong with someone. Maybe it's how perfectly you seem to match your imperfect parts. Maybe it's the feeling of being sane for the first time in your entire insane life. Maybe it's all the moments you...
