Matt sat in school, agonizing over another stupid biology class that just bored him to pieces. And, the only reason he survived this class, A.K.A. Cas, was sick. Or, that's what he'd been told when he came to the Sullivan household to pick him up. As the bell rang, he felt his phone buzz an alert of a text, and shrugged it off. Until his phone suddenly began buzzing nonstop, so he reached his jean pocket to see Cas' name pop up on the screen with missed calls, texts, even emails. Something was wrong. Matt could feel it in his gut.
He quickly jogged out of the school and stood outside the door, calling Cas as his stomach twisted in knots on top of each other. Finally, he heard the voice that would have calmed him, under different circumstances. Instead, he heard sniffling and a choke, before Cas spoke.
"She's dying, Matt. We went to visit my mom today, a-and Penny had to go and I-I don't know if she took something but she's barely breathing and I... I need you to be here. Please?"
"I'm on my way, Cas, just.. just try to keep her awake so you can keep her at bay."
The straw-haired boy quickly hung up the phone and raced down the steps, faster than he'd ever moved, until he reached the bike park. It was the only time he had paid more attention to where he was going thank to his bike, because as he sped down the highway, all he could think about was the boy he loved, holding his mother, who kept promising to get. better. And, kept breaking his heart. He cursed his bike over the sound of the engine, complaining of it's unacceptable speed.
He finally pulled up to the house, throwing his bike against the side of the building and tossing his helmet to the ground. He found them by following the stench of stale cigarette smoke, to find the raven headed boy he found so beautiful, so disheveled and bereft. Cas looked up at him and simply shook his head. Matt turned his head as he heard another engine pull up and then shut off, looking back to Cas with a raised eyebrow, to which he simply replied.
"Told Penny."
As he sat by the mess of a boy, he took him into his arms, and held him. Held him tighter than he ever had, closer than he thought possible. He knew Cas could probably hear his racing heartbeat against his chest, just as he could feel the boy's body overheating. Matt managed to gently coax him out of his heavy jacket so he sat in a t-shirt. It took a while for anyone to speak once Penny walked in with the paramedics. Even after they left with his mother's body, he did not. And so, neither did Matt. They simply sat, through the sunset, through the light rain, through part of the night, until Matt spoke.
"Cas.. you have to leave at some point. I'll drive you home, if you want. Or we can go to my place. Get you a shower, some food in your stomach.. I'm sure you haven't eaten since... God knows when."
Cas simply nodded in response, and with the help of his boyfriend, stood and hobbled out onto Matt's bike. As they rode off into the almost rising sun, Matt felt a pang.. of something. The way they were, riding off together, reminded him of the dreams Cas used to tell him about. And he hoped faintly, that their love was strong enough to mend the broken boys wounds, to stitch it and hold as they grew older.
To be continued...
