A Synonym for Chill [COMPLETE]

28. When you love somebody...

[Anakin Greyson (Falner's Dad)'s POV]

I watched my daughter storm out of the house. Something was up with her. I could feel it. I let out a soft sigh, sitting down on the top step of the staircase that led down to the front door and looking at the carpeted steps below.

"Falner is in big bad trouble right now..." I murmured, then looked up at the door. "She's ashamed of me, apparently...still, I gotta help her somehow. I don't know what she wants, but I know what she needs." I could practically feel the light bulb go off in my head.

"She'll need a dad so strong to help her not slip away." I stood up, wobbling slightly but steadying myself almost instantly. I knew exactly where I had to go and what I had to do. "I haven't been a dad for so long, but I think I'm ready today. The situation is grave, now's the time to be brave. I'm gonna finally make that climb. One leg at a time!" I said proudly, almost sprinting down the stairs and reaching the basement floor in almost record time.

"When you love somebody, you put your pants on for them! When you love somebody, you take a chance just for them, a chance just for them! If the road gets muddy, focus on the goal 'till the rough stuff's gone. When you love somebody, you put your pants on!" I grabbed a jacket, made sure the boxers I was wearing were actually semi-presentable and bolted into the garage. I opened the door that led outside, got into my car, and swiftly drove out of the garage. Time to find Falner's best friend.

(Timeskip; Eli's POV)

I sat on my front porch in nothing but my dragon onesie and a pair of boxers, a small trash can fire burning in front of me. There was a box of cupcakes next to the trash can, and as I pulled a small card out of the box on my lap, I grabbed a cupcake and took a bite.

"Pokemon card she gave me for the birthday no one else remembered..." I murmured, looking at the holographic Dratini card in front of me. It seemed to catch the flickering light of the flames. I let out a sigh, swallowing the cake I was eating and rolling my eyes. "Burn it." I then pulled out a small, faded looking ticket.

"Ticket stub from our first concert...Weird Al..." My mind was quickly flooded with the memories of that day: the sounds of the crowd around us, Falner's cheers whenever a song she knew started, the excitement in her eyes...I closed my eyes, shaking my head and throwing the ticket into the can. " Super burn it." I felt like I was going to cry. Suddenly, a car pulled up across the street, and someone hurried out of it.

"Eli!" They called. My eyes widened.

"Mr. Greyson?!" I asked, slightly alarmed. "What're you doing here?" He raced up the porch, almost tripping over a step.

"We need to talk about Falner." He said. I shook my head, turning away.

"Sorry, Falner and I aren't friends anymore-!" I was stopped by his hand on my arm.

"Do you love her?" He asked gently. My face flushed red as I turned to look at him.

"Yes! No! Wait, wha-at?!" I stammered out. He let out a soft sigh.

"She can be a little bitch sometimes. We both know that. But that's no excuse to sit around burning shit while she turns herself into a monster!" He sounded completely sincere. I bit the inside of my cheek, internally debating on whether or not I should actually try and hear him out.

"Yeahh, I'm gonna..." I trailed off after seeing the almost pleading look in his eyes.

"I need you, 'cause I do not have the tools to help with what she's going through. I know you know all the rules." He said. I let out a low sigh.

"But I'm not what she wants," I replied almost miserably. He grabbed my shoulders, making me stiffen.

"But you're just what she needs! And this might be hard, I know. You just suck it up and go! When you love somebody, you put your pants on for them!" He said, sounding determined. "When you love somebody, you take a stance just for them, a stance just for them!" He then let go of my shoulders and mimed throwing a few punches, causing me to duck out of the way so as to avoid getting clocked in the face. "If the fight gets bloody, just keep pushing through 'till the pain is gone. When you love somebody, you put your pants on!" He finished.

I shook my head and turned away from him again. "Look, I already tried to help her! And she called me a loser, so-" I was cut off by his hands on my shoulders. 

"She called me a loser! So what?! Falner's in serious trouble, and if we give up on her now, we may lose her forever! Then we would be losers, huh? Is that what you want?" He asked. I bit my lip and looked down at my feet. 

"...No..." I mumbled. 

"Say it like you mean it!" He said, and I suddenly realized what he was trying to do. He was trying to give me my morale back. 

"...No?" I said, a little louder this time. He nodded, then gave me a smile. 

"Say it like we're in the army." 

I stepped back and shouted "No!" at the top of my lungs, then clumsily saluted. "S-Sergeant? I don't know..." I mumbled. He stood there for a moment before giving me a salute in return. 

"Ten-hut." He said softly. I couldn't help but smile a bit. 

"When you love somebody, you put your pants on for them," I repeated his words from earlier, smiling at how absurd they sounded.

"Wear those pants!" He cheered. I good-naturedly rolled my eyes.

"Somewhat reluctantly..." I was then hit by a wave of determination. Maybe, just maybe, I had found a solution to our little minty pest problem. I could save her. "Still, you gotta go!" I shouted.

"When you love somebody, you put your pants on for them! Metaphorically-!" Mr. Greyson had joined in with me on those words, then cut me off by speaking again.

"Or sometimes actual pants, real literal pants!"

I burst out laughing, the two of us speaking in unison again. "It's a classic study of the things we do for our best friend! When you love somebody?" He gestured to me, and I puffed my chest out in pride.

"You see it 'till the end! When you love somebody?" I gestured to him this time, and he gave me a smile.

"The conclusion's forgone." He replied. I hugged him tightly, then spoke in unison with him again.

"When you love somebody, you put your big boy pants right on! You put your pants on!" We cheered.

"Now come on! We've got a girl to save!" Mr. Greyson said triumphantly. I nodded, running into my house and coming back a few moments later with my backpack.

"Let's go!" I shouted, the two of us making a beeline for the grey Nissan Sentra parked across the street.

"Hold on, Falner,"  I thought to myself. "There's still hope for you yet."