~Skephalo & Jefhalo - Oneshots, Drafts, and More~

~Less at Home pt 4 - 🟠⚪~

Tw: None

Jef was still standing uncertainly in the threshold of the living room when Good walked out of the bathroom, arms crossed. Though he still looked a bit grumpy, some of the harshness seemed to have left the brunet's green eyes - or maybe that was just Jef's imagination.

"You decided to stick around, huh?"

Jef's eyes flicked up to meet the sharp green gaze. "Oh, uh- sorry, I can leave..."

"Nah, you can stay." Good waved a hand, seeming disinterested.

"Really?" Jef asked hopefully. "I promise I won't be a bother!" He smiled.

"Whatever." Good was walking past Jef when he noticed something - something he had forgotten until he got a better look at the boy's face. He stopped and turned to the ravenet, gently lifting his face and turning it slightly as he examined it.

"Um. Is something the matter?" Jef laughed nervously, stepping away.

"You've got cuts and bruises all over you. Do they hurt?" Good asked, crossing his arms again.

"Oh! Uh, a little bit, but it's fine," he smiled. "They're small, so they'll heal quickly."

Good sighed, gently grabbing Jef's wrist and leading him into the kitchen. "Sit down," he said, pulling out a chair for the boy. Jef sat. Re-entering the bathroom, Good grabbed his first aid kit and medical supplies, carrying them to the kitchen table. He sat next to Jef, digging through the supplies for a tube of antibacterial cream and a Q-tip. "Here," he said, squeezing some of the pasty substance onto the cotton swab and tenderly applying it over the cuts on Jef's face, cupping the boy's chin in his other hand.

Jef blushed. He hadn't been taken care of like this since he was little, and he had never expected it from someone like Good. Nevertheless, the gesture was sweet, and he was given no option but to accept it and stare into those bright green eyes as Good began working on the other side of his face.

"So," Good began, in a stern tone that made Jef nervous. "Why do you have all these scrapes? Did someone hurt you, or are you just clumsier than you look?"

"Something like that, yeah," Jef laughed lightly, brushing the question away like it was nothing. "I had a few falls here and there - some may have been caused by other people - but nothing much." He looked up met Good's eyes, shocked when he saw the fury in the gaze.

"People pushed you? Who?"

"Well, no, it's not like that... I- I'm sure they didn't mean to push me. Well, actually, they probably did mean to push me, but I don't think they meant for me to actually fall. Or at least, they didn't mean to hurt me... I think..." Jef's voice got less confident as he went on, until he finally quieted.

Good huffed quietly. "Sure, kid, they definitely didn't think you would fall." He lowered his harsh gaze, gently grabbing Jef's wrist and lifting the hoodie sleeve to examine his arm. His arms were fine, but Good's frown deepened when he saw how scraped up the boy's hands were. The soft skin of his palms had been made rough from catching himself on the concrete so many times, angry red with blisters. Good took some cloth bandages and, after making sure the scrapes were clean, wrapped bandages around Jef's palms. "There you go. Are you hurt anywhere else?"

Jef shook his head, and Good started packing the medical supplies away. After a few moments of silence, Good spoke again.

"We need to have a talk. Jef, right?"

It took a moment for Jef's brain to register that that was a question. "Oh! Yeah, my name is Jef. And you're Good." He smiled. Then it dawned on him. "Wait, how do you know that? I never told you my name."

"I saw your name tag," Good answered. "What happened? Did you run away?"

Jef blinked innocently. "No. I didn't run away."

"Okay. So... You're lost?" Good guessed.

Jef shook his head, confusion blooming in his dark eyes. "No, not really. Why?"

Good's brow furrowed as he, too, became confused. "Why did you still have the tag? And why weren't you at your home? You hung around my place because you said you didn't have anywhere else, but you also said you had a home. Which is it?"

"Oh, yeah, I have a home," Jef smiled again. "My family was going to come get me from the station, but they forgot and didn't come on the right day. The station master made me leave, and that's why I was searching for somewhere to stay." He hummed for a moment. "Speaking of which, I still need to find my family."

"Wait, wait, wait. They forgot?"

Jef nodded.

"And they didn't come on the right day?"

Jef nodded again.

"Da#nit, Jef, are you really that oblivious?" Good rubbed his temples, his face creased with annoyance.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Jef tilted his head, confused. Good seemed upset about something, but Jef couldn't figure out what. He felt like he was missing something.

Sighing, Good looked at Jef, staring into his wide, innocent eyes and wondering if he was heartless enough to tell the boy the truth. "Nevermind... we'll talk about this more later." He picked up the first aid kit and carried it back to the bathroom, falling silent.

Jef watched for a moment, then stood up and followed him. "Can you... Um, would you help me find my family?" He asked timidly. His eyes were glued to the floor, and it wasn't until he bumped into Good's chest that he dared to lift his gaze.

Good was watching him skeptically.

"I-I mean, you've lived here for longer than me, you could help me find my way around," Jef said.

"I'm not sure that's a great idea." Good finally answered as he stepped away.

"Oh, but I'd appreciate it so much... And if you help me find my home, I won't have to bother you anymore!" Jef exclaimed. "Please!" He rushed in front of Good and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Ugh, fine!" Good grumbled. "But stop looking at me like that. Don't you have a cat to go take care of?"

"Thank you!" Jef beamed. "I'll make it up to you, I promise!"

Good huffed and sulked away to his room, the image of Jef's puppy eyes haunting his thoughts. It wasn't like he wanted to help the boy - he didn't, honestly, and if Jef's family had abandoned him at the station, they probably didn't want anything to do with him. Jef was probably better off staying with Good. But at the same time, he knew there was a chance Jef's family would actually accept him. Just because it seemed like Jef had been abandoned didn't make it true.

Everyone deserves a chance to be with their family... Especially Jef - sweet, innocent Jef, who had only been scorned since he stepped foot in town. It was strange how similar he and Good were, and yet they were almost opposites. No matter how kind Jef was, he got pushed around and tormented, but no matter how mean Good was, he always got attention. Jef had (presumably) been abandoned by his family, but Good had been the one to abandon his own. Now here they both were, trying to get by on their own.

For some reason, Good felt indebted to Jef. Maybe he thought that giving the boy a better future would amend the mistakes he had made in the past. If there was one thing Good wanted, it was another chance to live happily with his family. It was impossible for him, but perhaps now he could give that chance to Jef instead.

His musings were disrupted as something soft brushed along his ankle, pulling him back to reality. He glanced down and spotted the little orange kitten at his feet, mewing softly up at him. It was then that a tear fell from his eye, and he noticed the warm, damp trails on his cheeks. He placed his fingertips under his eyes, wondering when the tears had gotten there.