Stars In Her I's

eleven

He opened his eyes as someone shook him. Lumos had been dreaming about something involving the rain and something impossible, though he couldn't recall just what it was.

"Inside." Chris, always the gentlemen, was holding his leather jacket over Lumos like an umbrella as they went inside. He'd already cleared it with his mom, not caring if Lumos's dad cared. He had sworn to himself up and down that if he tried to hurt Lumos for this that he'd march down there himself and show him just what he thought of him.

Victoria smiled at Lumos as he passed, her mom senses telling her something was wrong. A nod from Chris allowed her to relax a bit, watching them travel up the stairs as a unit.

"If you hog the covers, I'm pushing you out if the bed." There was his familiar sense of humour. For a while, Lumos thought he had managed to ruin that for Chris aswell, so this was quite the relief- wait, he didn't mean for them to sleep in the same bed, did he?

"I haven't really got pajamas, so pick your favourite vest from in there and I'll go grab you some sweat bottoms from the wash." He paused. "You seem like a trousers kind of guy. I just go with pants, personally." And with that, he left the room.

Lumos looked in he closet. It felt... weird. The boy he loved was sleeping in the same bed as him, not knowing how he felt. Chris was just being generous, as was his nature. He carefully picked out a Prince shirt. Well, he could hardly argue. This experience might be the closest he ever gets to Christopher, best not waste it.

His back turned to the door, he carefully removed his top garments and folded them, setting them on an empty chair. He knew Christopher had returned when he heard a great big gasp from behind him. He whipped around, his face running red.

Chris hasn't gasped at his lack of shirt as Lumos thought. He was positioned just so that he was able to get a great look at the numerous red marks across his back, some fresh and some stale. It churned his stomach. How could someone so that to him? Someone so sweet and harmless?

Lumos pulled the shirt over his head, messying his hair. Chris tossed the sweatpants to him, pretending not to be bothered. "I'm gonna go brush my teeth and all that..." He walked off down the hall. He shrugged off his own denim vest and set it on a hook as he went, slipping off his trousers and exchanging them for sport shorts. He grabbed at the dental stuff and did his nightly routine, returning to see Lumos awkwardly standing on the middle of the room.

"Alright, Catatonic, don't make it weird. It's cold as hell in here for once and I refuse to put you out." The authority in his voice pushed Lumos towards the bed. Christopher crawled in with the other following shortly. He then reached over, flicking off the light.

Of course, sleep came to neither of them. Once Christopher realized that Lumos was up as well, he turned his head and pulled the covers down, reaching his hand up to touch him on the shoulder.

"Lumos." The boy turned to face him. His expression held some yearning, but he didn't know what for. "I don't know where all that self-loathing came from, but you need to stop it. You're the kindest soul I've ever met- well, save for my mom." He chuckled in an awkward sort of way, making Lumos smile weakly. It was good to see him smile again. "You've got so much good to share and do. None of it - none of it - is your fault. Got that?" He stared Lumos hard on the face until he nodded.

"Good." He saw his dog curled up on the edge of the bed, smiling. "Besides, if Charlie likes you, then you must be cool." In the dark, he could still see the laughter dancing in Lumos's eyes. He held onto that image as he drifted off, snoring quietly.

Chris opened his eyes, startled at the warmth coming from his side. Where did it come from?

His brain started to wake up and he realized exactly what it was. One by one, the memories of the previous day came flooding back. Sarah, the painting, Randy's, Ms. Bourton, the clearing- and, most importantly, Lumos. The boy made no sound in his sleep, laying quite still save for some twitching of his feet and the rising/falling of his breathing. It had to be the most peaceful he'd ever seen him, feathery eyelids and calm expressions. Something inside Chris bubbled to the surface, making him smile. Whatever happened, the kind boy he had befriended was hiding underneath.