Smile (Complete)

The clouds are catching up with us

"Tharn-Tharn! Look how cool it is!"

Tharn smiles at his father, who winks at him in the mirror. Type sits next to him, in the backseat, and every few minutes admires the passing scenery. They reached the mainland by ferry. Tharn closes his eyes, and recent memories float along the underside of his eyelids: a long and repeated conversation with Type's mother, all these bureaucratic procedures, permits… And finally - Type's happy eyes and his deafening:

"Tharn! The clouds! The clouds are catching up with us!"

Tharn understands: for sure, this is the first trip in the boy's entire life somewhere outside their town... Oh, Type, how glad I am that you have so much for the first time and I am also involved in it. Thank fate for allowing me to be with you at such moments.

"Type," Tharn puts his arm around his shoulders, "would you like to get some sleep? It's still a long way to the city."

"No, Tharn! How can I sleep? How can I sleep if there's such an alive sky?"

"Well, whatever you want, baby."

Upon arrival in the city, Tharn's father jokingly warned "boys, don't mess around" and left for a meeting with old friends. And the boys, laughing and looking at each other, ordered pizza, watched a comedy on Netflix and, taking turns taking a shower, in T-shirts and sleep shorts, collapsed on Tharn's old bed.

"Tharn…"

"What, Type?"

"And that's tomorrow, right?"

Tharn moves to the side to see Type's profile:

"Yes, Type. And I ask you very much: do not be afraid of anything and anyone, no matter what questions you are asked, remember - they want to help you. And therefore it is necessary to answer honestly."

"And about them too?" with his eyes darting around, Type clutches his sketchbook in his hand, which for some reason he has now taken with him to the bed.

Tharn realizes that it's about those monsters, he smiles with an effort of will and answers as calmly as possible:

"Yes, Type. And about them, too. Believe me, it will make you feel better. You won't be afraid of them anymore."

"Will you come with me?"

"Dad will take us together, but you will go into the office alone, and I will wait for you in the hall," Tharn strokes the boy's hand, "I will definitely wait for you."

"Why can't you come in with me?"

"Those are the rules, baby. Yes, and you will feel more comfortable… Type. Please understand: you need to learn how to overcome these fears and live all the emotions on your own. I can't…"

"Be around all the time, right? I remember," it's impossible to hide from Tharn how this curious nose begins to sniff, "you will leave at the end of spring ... Yes?"

"Type, it's still a long way to it, at least," Tharn moves closer, "our birthdays."

"Will we spend them together?"

Tharn is already hugging this baby so habitually and pulling him closer:

"Of course, together," the cool tip of the nose nuzzles his neck, "my good boy."

Type leans his cheek against Tharn's chest, whispering:

"I wish I could really be yours."

In a proper way, it would be necessary to stop all these "become yours" now, since he didn't do it before… But how? Especially after Type's mom, wiping away tears, told Tharn how "her boy had to sleep with a night light until he was sixteen because old nightmares crept up to him on dirty paws..." No Tharn can't mess anything up. Just not now, when Type has a real chance. The rest — he is sure, they will deal with later. And anyway: Type probably confuses the feeling of gratitude with another one in his head ... it's just that this boy has lacked human warmth for so long.