Lion (manxboy)

Chapter 10

Bit of mature content in this chapter, just a little warning.

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Lion's feet gently rubbed against the cold hospital floor, curling his toes every once and a while to warm them up. Last night had been chaotic for the boy. He hadn't known where to put his head and which direction to take, so he finalized his decision by taking the bus to see his mother.

His hands rubbed together as he lightly breathed into them, making them nice and warm. He wore nothing but socks, light jogging pants, and Elijah's large t-shirt. The scent made him cry here and there, feeling alone and unable to focus without Elijah around. A cup of tea swayed before his eyes, slowly bringing him back to reality once he reached out to take it. He rested his small hands against the cup, smiling softly at his mother before taking a sip from his cup and resting it against his chest. At the moment, Lion just wanted to bawl and never come out of his cocoon, but he couldn't bring himself to it. He didn't want to do it, knowing his mother was watching. Making his mother worry would only make him feel guilty, and he didn't need that.

"Talk to me, my little Lion." She spoke softly, reaching her own cold hands towards Lion's knee. She rested them there for a few seconds, her grey eyes seeking the truth in Lion's orbs, "I know something's up, your more silent than usual," she smiled reassuringly, patting her son's knee and sitting completely straight on her small bed.

Lion looked off to the side, biting his tongue as he tried preventing himself from crying, but the tears betrayed him, warm stripes rolling down his pale cheeks. He sniffled a few times, body shaking. He hadn't slept all night, and the cool breeze that would hit him from time to time, wasn't helping his case, "Elijah- said something," Lion's voice was soft and almost deaf, only his mother could hear him, "he looked so angry, mom, so angry with me." The boy's head turned forward, his shallowed eyes locked onto his mother's hands. His body trembled some more before he took another sip of his tea.

She took his cup from him, pulling Lion closer to her. She wrapped her arms around Lion, hugging him and burrowing her face into the boy's neck, "I know it's complicated for you, and I'm sorry. Things don't always work out the way we plan them too, but that's okay." Her hot breath fanned against Lion's chest, warm tears dropping from her pale cheeks and onto Lion's shoulder, "sometimes, you have to argue to be friends or even lovers; maybe Elijah is as confused as you are." She pulled back, cupping Lion's cheeks with her cold, fragile hands, "when your ready, you should go talk to him." A soft smile covered her face.

Lion nodded slowly, his eyes squeezed shut as he tried not to cry again.

He didn't want to lose Elijah. It had been only a few weeks that they'd known each other, but Lion felt feelings for him he'd never felt with anyone else. He was slowly falling for Elijah, and that's what pained him the most, knowing he might have messed up and not be able to see Elijah again. But Lion didn't falter and stood to his feet, almost stumbling forward, his feet numb from the cold, "I'm going to catch a cab back to Elijah's place and have a serious talk with him. It's time for us to understand each other better." He spoke, holding onto the side of the bed.

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His knuckles lightly tapped on the big brown door, feet shuffling from side to side, his palms sweaty in anticipation, waiting for the man to open the door. He could hear the loud lazy dragging of feet and the lock clicking from the inside. Lion froze, swallowing hard as he stepped back a little, his hands holding onto the hem of his sweatshirt (he had got it from a local store), eyes plastered on the door as it opened wide. The boy looked up to meet Elijah's wide eyes, noticing the large bags under his eyes. He did not move nor jump for Elijah but instead stood still with a sad puppy expression. He had also noticed Elijah had changed his bandages, sloppy, but doing a good job. He observed the man from head to toe. Elijah had a slightly reclined back, hair tied into a messy man-bun, eyes dark, and a foul stench came from him, the smell of whiskey mixed with cigarettes.