Don't Call Me 'Son' (Jeff the Killer Fanfic) [2nd Place in Jeff the Killer 2016]

Chapter 9

Patching the wound up and removing the glass was the easy part when Jake came over that night. The numbing pain was bittersweet, the sharp stings flinching and quaking his resolve to stay still. Even the shouting came easily, Jake's comical concern almost refreshing....

But....

The hard part was having to explain to Jake what had happened.

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Jake's blue eyes were glued on the computer screen, his eyebrows drawn together as he read the article carefully. Eyes scanned the headlines, lips curving into a frown once he eyed the photo of the first missing woman. Black hair, green eyes. She was beautiful, breathtakingly angelic, eye-catching like the mural Michael made for his art class. He couldn't deny it as his body was hunched over the desk, a look of determination overshadowing his mild concern. He couldn't quite understand most of what was being said in the articles, but it was quite obvious what Michael was thinking, why he looked like he was in so much pain.

Next to him, Michael was cradling his wounded hand, the stinging from his wound pulsing in his efforts to not distract his boyfriend.  Jake was merciless when he removed the shards and Michael felt thankful for that.

Michael had no idea what he was thinking...

No. He did. He just couldn't believe that the image he had of his mother changed so quickly. At the drop of a hat, Michael saw her as a completely different person. Instead of a loving woman, he saw...

Heavily sighing, Jake retreated from the computer and blinked, his eyes red from staring at the screen for so long. He didn't know how to feel about this. Jake's hands cradled the back of his own neck as he stretched his back, already feeling the heavy weight from this topic. When Jake imagined seeing Michael's mother in a photo, he honestly dreamed that it was going to be in an old family album. You know, the ones you find at the back of your storage closet when you're cleaning for the spring. Or maybe the album you kept stored in your living room.

But he never expected this...

"So... You mother..." Jake trailed off, not even wanting to finish the sentence. If he thought about it too hard, Jake knew that he would start making assumptions. Assumptions that would hurt Michael, assumptions that would break him.

And....

Jake found it was already too late as he lifted his gaze to Michael's, noticing how the teen seemed to look away self-consciously. It was like he caught Michael doing something wrong, almost the same look he wore when they first met. He had such huge eyes back in during that first meeting. In that school yard, Michael's eyes were filled with so much regret and pent up sadness.

Jake..... never wants him to feel that way ever again.

Jake placed a hand over Michael's bandaged one, his eyebrows knitted together as Michael's eyes slowly raised to meet his. His eyes were like a pool filled with muck and debris, Michael's eyes so hypnotic and awe-inspiring, each flicker within them giving Jake a whole new meaning to live, to breathe.... yet...

They looked like they were clouded with some emotion Jake couldn't comprehend.

And he hated not knowing what it was.

"We don't know anything, Michael. So worrying is completely normal," Jake said softly, his hand lightly squeezing around Michael's fingers as a small smile crept onto his face. "I mean... You shouldn't feel so down. I can't say anything as if I know what you're going through, but... I would've reacted the same if I were you."

No. He'll never understand you. He's just trying to make you feel better.

"But most likely, I would've cried instead, you know? I've always been the crybaby type, huh," Jake said lightheartedly.