Need a drink? - [Male OC X Ford Pines] - Complete

10: Cookies

I was doing homework, having skipped the science fair in favor of a passing math grade, as Ford had told me to do - for being smaller than me, my boyfriend could be quite persuasive - when the phone rang. "Porter house. You're speaking with James."

"James," Ford's voice came through the phone gravely. "Can you come over?"

"Is that a good idea, Sixer?" I asked.

"Use the fire escape if it makes you more comfortable," he sniffled, "but I need to see you."

"Okay. I'll be over soon. Leave your bedroom window open."

"Thank you," Ford said, hanging up the phone.

I put my phone back on the base, finished the equation I was struggling with and closed my homework in my book. I grabbed my black jacket and called to my mom, "I'm going out." Not that she cared, even if she did hear me. She was usually high or drunk when she was home from work. I didn't blame her. Losing dad last year had been hard for her too.

Not wanting Mr. Pines to hear me, I walked the six blocks to the Pines apartment and pulled myself up onto the fire escape. As I walked upward to the third floor where Ford's window was opened, I was stopped by an older woman on the second floor.

"Young man," she called. "What are you up to?"

I stopped and peaked in, seeing an old lady using a cane to approach her open window. "Sorry if I bothered you ma'am. Just going to look at the stars while I smoke. My mom doesn't care for the smell."

"Could you move my chair for me real quick?" she asked. "I just moved in and the movers left it too far from my television for me to see and my daughter won't be over until tomorrow."

I looked up at the open window only one floor up before nodding. I stepped into her apartment and moved the blue armchair closer to her tv. "There?"

"Perfect. Please, dearie, take some cookies with you to snack on." She offered me a plate of cookie.

"Uh-" She forced the plate into my hand. I smiled. "Thank you, ma'am..." I took the cookies from the plate and set the plate on her table before ducking back out her window. I made my way up the last flight of stairs and found two little girls watching the stars together.

They moved closer to the building. "Sorry, mister."

"You're alright girls." I held out the hand full of sugar cookies. "Do you two want these? The old lady down stairs gave them to me for moving her chair but I don't really want them right now."

The girls nodded excitedly as they took them and sat back down.

I continued down the walk to Ford's room and looked in. "Sixer?"

Ford was sitting on the bottom bunk of the twins bunk bed, his knees pulled to his chest. He looked over at me, clearly having been crying. "King..."

I practically jumped through the window, rushing to my boyfriend's side. "Are you okay?" I wrapped my arms around him. "What happened?"

Ford sniffled, laying his head on my shoulder. "Stanley ruined my life."

"What?" I rubbed his back. "What happened?"

"He... he sabotaged my project." Ford's fingers clung tighter to my jacket. "West Coast Tech rejected me."

"Mister," said the voice of the little girl from before. "My mommy said its too late for cookies and told us to give them back."

I nodded at her. "That's okay, dear. Just set them on the desk."

The little girl set the cookies on the table and walked over to us. "Why is your friend crying, mister?"

"Because he doesn't get to do something he really wanted to do."

"I thought boys couldn't cry? Daddy always tells my brother not to cry."

"Boys can be sad too, dear. Even if they don't like to show it."

"Oh..." the little girl grabbed a cookie from the desk and held it out to Ford. "Cookies always help when I'm sad."

Ford took a deep breath and took the cookie. "Thank you."

"You're welcome!" the girl smiled before leaving.

"I don't want this." Ford stood up, setting the cookie back with the others and closing the window. He closed the blinds before coming back to the bed.

"What now?"

"I have no scholarships and no job. The only place I can afford is Backupsmore."

"Oh man..." I stood and grabbed his hands. "We'll make it work. We'll write letters and keep in touch."

"I just..." Ford put his forehead against mine. "I don't know what to do."

"You're going to be amazing no matter where you go to college, Sixer," I said, kissing him. And if I ever see Stanly again I might just murder him.

"Thank you, King," he said, nuzzling his head into my neck.

"Come on," I picked up Ford and laid us down on the bed. "I won't leave you tonight."

"I love you," Ford said, his head on my chest.

"I love you too."