Outcast

Birthday Boys: Chapter 2: April 25th

Pico held the gift he made for Keith up towards the ceiling at an angle. The white of the paint and the light making it easier to see the design carved out.

He finished this gift for the blue-haired man about two days ago and was pretty proud of the creation.

Pico was freaking out on what to get for the taller man for his birthday for weeks prior. He didn't have any money or means to earn any. His parents weren't that generous, and he didn't have much to offer when it came to creating something.

He was pacing his room, tormented by the voices and shadows that curled into his sight and ears. He looked towards the box of records that he always kept in the corner next to his player on a little table. They were all used, of course, by himself. All of his records were precious to him, bought by either himself or grandparents that came over for the holidays. They were gone, now, sadly. Deceased. These records are all he has left of what he holds precious to him. They were his history, nostalgia, and hobby. Especially, his favorite bands that were the most worn from the sleeves tearing at the edges.

He didn't know if re-gifting an old record would even be considered a "gift" of sorts. Keith probably wouldn't be into the bands he likes. His tastes were rather "old-school," as his mother called it, or more like "shit-school" as his father did. He was certain that Keith would like something that was store-bought, but he barely had a dollar to his name. If he could, he would give the world to the older boy for his birthday present. He already is such a huge part of his own, and his world isn't big enough to be much of a gift.

What Pico had made for Keith may not be totally special at all. To his dismay, the blue boy may not even like the gift. However, Pico poured his entire being into this project. It may not be wonderful, or Keith may not even understand it, but to the ginger it was a piece of himself. To offer this was as much as the smaller male cutting out a chamber of his heart and wrapping it with his soul as paper.

The record that Pico held up to the light was from his most favorite band. "The Cure". This record was a vital part of who he is as a person, his most favorite album from them. It was a rather heavily used record, as it was littered with minor scratches from constant use, but the connection he had with it was binding.

A small smile lifted from his lips, as he looked fondly at the work he put into this gift.

Taking out a knife that he took from his kitchen and a lighter that he stole from his father, Pico slowly started to carve out intricate designs into the shiny black record. It was painstakingly tedious, as he had to keep heating the blade with the lighter every few seconds to keep the blade hot and able to pierce the lacquer without shattering it.

Also, there was another reason why he decided to choose this particular band as his canvas. He could have chosen any other old record. He could have scraped up enough change to go to the second-hand store to buy an old vinyl that no one cared about. Pico didn't want that. Keith deserved something much more special. Something that expressed how important to the ginger the blue boy was.

"The Cure" was not only Pico's favorite band, but the name held a meaning and the reason why he decided on this particular record. His delusions and hallucinations were getting worse at home, sadly. Pico would do his best to ignore them, but they were getting clever with their tactics. On multiple occasions he would stare at his bottles of medications and debate whether or not to take his pills. Every single time, he would toss them into the toilet. He couldn't give into their demands. He was scared that if he took them, he would lose that emotion he feels while around Keith. A piece of himself numbed away.

The only way he feels normal is around the taller boy. Keith was "His Cure." The cure to the visions of shadowed monsters that he sees. The cure to the voices that plagued him on a daily basis and prevented him from sleeping. The cure to his mental illnesses. Keith may not have been a true cure, but he was his medicine, which was enough for his whole world to revolve around the blue-haired male.