affection

five

sunday

the soundtrack to a video game plays on loop, elliot stares at the patterned ceiling. his palms rest on his chest, rising with every breath he takes, the bedsheets crinkle underneath him. he lets his head fall to side, peering out the window at the darkening sky. he sits himself up, glaring at the back of his brother's head.

"what?" jake starts, "i can see you staring at me in the reflection of the screen."

elliot huffs, "you're boring."

"i didn't ask."

he rolls his eyes, standing up and spotting a car pulling into the driveway below the window. he rushes downstairs, smiling as his mom comes through the door. jake follows close behind as she takes off her glasses and drops her keys on the table.

elliot catches her eyes, and for a moment, memories resurface along with the layers of guilt he's been trying to swallow.

messy locks ruffle in april's winds, elliot slumps into a seat as soon as he boards the bus. his head leans against dirty windows as he shoves his headphones in. a freckled nose tints pink in the breeze, he picks at the patches on his coat absentmindedly.

minutes seem like hours, and after about 70 minutes, he steps off the bus. elliot frowns as his eyes search the surroundings, clouds hang above and darken by the second. the streets are bustling with new, strange faces, the heart of the city. huge buildings loom over elliot as he begins making his way to a familiar one.

yellow lights beam down at the reception desk, he walks up to it.

"i'm here to see christopher gold."

the woman looks up, another new face. her crimson cheeks dimple with the polite grin she's been wearing all day.

"sorry..." he pauses, checking her computer. "christopher isn't allowing guests right now, and only adults are allowed in our offices."

she offers him an apologetic smile.

elliot sighs. "could you bell for agnes, please?"

she frowns, but calls her through anyway. the pair wait in a strange silence for a moment, the light above flickers and she checks her watch once, and then twice.

finally, another woman comes through a brown door at the back, and beams as she notices the boy.

"elliot, it's great to see you. how's school?"

the previous women nods in a new understanding, ah, he must be known in this building.

he chuckles, "it's fine, real boring though. can i see my dad?"

"of course you can." agnes says, a clear soft spot for the him.

the other woman interjects, "but he has said no visitors."

"this is his son, bella. it's different."

she simply shrugs, and presses a button to open the doors to the elevator located just around the corner. elliot steps in, pressing the button he's pressed dozens of times before. it rises to the fifth floor, and he walks through a hallway he's walked through countless times, stepping through another set of doors, and eventually coming to his father's office.

he knocks briefly, and his dad opens the door a little too fast.

elliot's heart drops as a woman runs out the door, bumping his shoulder as she scrambles to adjust her clothes. she mutters a short apology before running off, and he stands in the doorway, shocked.

"oh, uh, hi lio." his father says, walking towards him.

the boy backs away, his back connecting with the scarlett wall opposite.

christopher breathes in, and then back out calmly. "how are you buddy?"

elliot gulps, and stays silent. accusatory eyes narrowing into daggers he shoots into his father's chest. he doesn't dare to meet his eyes, he feels sick.

"listen, it's not what it looks like." the man pauses, "she has been crushing on me for months, always bothering me about the most pointless things...she came today to help me with some paperwork and kept making, uh, moves."

he's met with more silence.

"you saved me, honestly, she was getting a little too close." he lets out an awkward, dry laugh.

elliot breaks. "i didn't come here to be fucking lied to. i should've stayed home...screw you."

his father reddens, "don't tell your mother."

"what?"

"not yet... let me tell her. it'd hurt much more coming from you. let me do this...please."

elliot presses his back against the wall, feeling betrayed. "or what?"

christopher huffs, "do you want to destroy our family? that's what'll happen if you say anything. just let me deal with it."

he takes a bold step towards his father. "you better fucking fix this."

cold hands tremble as they dial kai's number. he waits, but it goes straight to voicemail. hours pass, a long bus ride of debating what he should do. should he tell somebody?

as he gets home, a taller boy makes his way over to him. "where have you been?"

elliot gulps, guilt ridden. "kai's."

after that, he doesn't remember much. he knows he slept, a lot. he's wanted to spill the truth so many times, but instead, tried to keep his mouth closed. he wouldn't be able to bear the pain of his family tearing apart if he were to speak. he'd never get rid of the guilt.

"do you want to go out for dinner? we can go into the city, i know some nice places."

jake beams, "let's go."

...
wc: 875
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shortish chapter! the italics is a flashback/memory by the way! <3