All Your Fractures

Eighteen.

Thank you. If nothing, just for being. ♥️

MONDAY, 6:17AM

It had stopped raining, but the air was still fairly cool. Israel had woken up cranky, already not being a morning person, plus realizing it was a school day.

"Somewhere within, we all know it was the snoring that did it." Ellis deadpanned. Since Israel had told him about Jesse leaving he'd been blaming it on the former mentioned's snoring.

"I don't snore!" Israel growled, whisking the eggs more vigorously than necessary, splashing it all over himself.

Vee sighed, "watch it, or you'll shower again after this."

Israel groaned in frustration and set the bowl down, giving up. "Why the hell am I doing this anyway? I can't cook!"

Vee glanced at the clock. "Thirty minutes ago, you said you wanted to learn, remember?"

"Well thirty minutes ago I was an idiot." He crossed his arms and dropped unto the floor, his back against the counter. Zeus padded over to bark at him; the dog had noticed Jesse's absence and it seemed Israel was the suspect.

Ellis leaned over the counter and picked an onion slice from the vegetables Israel had previously cut up, chewing it. "Did Jesse say when he'd be back?"

"I don't know if he will," He put his hand over Zeus' muzzle and pushed his face away as he got up. "Ugh, Vee you need to brush his teeth."

"Oh yeah, that reminds me, we have an appointment." Vee said, getting up from his stool.

"Is it rabies? Diarrhoea? Polio?" Israel asked, freaked. Ellis laughed.

"Just a routine check-up. I'll also ask for a mint for him, so don't worry."

"Hardy har har," Israel drawled.

"See you later Vee," Ellis waved.

After putting on a coat and scarf, he snapped his fingers to get Zeus' attention. "Later. Come along, boy." Zeus obeyed and left with him.

Ellis hopped off his chair. "You have school today, Israel."

"No. I'm not going," He whined.

"You don't have an excuse,"

"I'm on my period?"

"Wittle boy," Ellis said. "I'm trying to be a proper adult here."

"I'm about to graduate, I don't have to go."

"Is your delinquent phase making a comeback already?"

"I was not a delinquent!"

Ellis teased, "Wait until I tell Jesse about your navel piercing."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Santa's watching," he sang.

Israel smirked. "It's not December yet. Santa's vacationing in the Tropics."

Ellis ate another slice. "So you are one of his elves, that explains the height."

Israel tsked, "I'm taller than you."

"Not mentally." A smugly grinning Ellis said. "I'm the legal adult here, it's either you go to school or spend the entire day painting with me. It's Scylla or Charybdis." 

"Fine, I'll go. But don't blame me if I ditch before the last bell."

"Okay." Taking the bowl of chopped veggies, he poured them into the eggs Israel had whisked. "Let's finish this first."

No matter how hard he tried not to think about him, Jesse was all he could think about. He was a bit worried, a bit scared, a bit torn, but most of him wanted to run to that house. See if he was okay.

But Israel trusted him. Trusted he knew what he was doing. He hadn't wavered when he said he needed to go. He hadn't flinched, and that gave Israel nothing if not blazing hope. Maybe Jesse was finally ready to face his demons.

Israel remembered why he had wanted to learn to cook.

"Do I flip it now?" He asked Ellis, spatula in hand, jumpy and eager should the edges start browning.

"Not yet." Ellis came to stand beside him. "Wait for it to just slightly... Okay, now."

Israel slipped the spatula under the frying omelet and flipped it... Sending it upward, and unto the floor with a small splat.

"Shoot." His eyes stayed frozen on the closest thing he'd gotten to making a meal, lying on the floor. "Maybe we can rinse it with disinfectant?"

"Yeah there is no hope for you." Ellis monotoned, giving him two pitiful pats on the shoulder. "Let's clean this place up."

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A/N: happy birthday to me, and everyone else out there born in September! You're awesome. ♥️