Date: Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:52:37 -0700 (PDT) From: Alicia Taylor Subject: Real Love part 19 The disclaimer is located on chpater 1. :) Chapter 19. "Nobody sees when you are lying in your bed And I wanna crawl in with you But I cry instead I want your warm But it will only leave me colder when it's over" -Fiona Apple "Christian? Is that you, honey?" The child couldn't sleep. He'd had a bad dream and when he awoke, he cried. He cried for his mother, but blamed the tears on the scary dream. Christian's reality was far crueler than his ruthless, unconscious imagination. He felt the need to be physically close to his parent; deep down, he knew that the luxury would not be available to him for much longer. The stresses of life weighed heavily on the child. His forehead creased with constant worry; his muscles were perpetually tense and on edge. Christian's small frame was halfway hidden behind the opened bedroom door. His hand gripped the wall and his fingernails were filled with tiny chips of beige paint. Though she was in terrible pain, his mother lifted a beckoning arm and forced out a cheerful voice, for her youngest child. "Come over here, baby." He'd been seen. Christian slowly made his way over to his mother; each step taking him closer to the inevitable. His hands were nervously twisting in front of him, as he approached the ill woman. Christian felt foolish; embarrassed that he had cried. He wiped away the salty evidence with tiny fists. "What are you doing up?" Instead of an answer, the boy offered his mother a cautious hug; a hug that added to her pain, in more ways than one. Christian eyed the numerous pill bottles that were scattered on top of a wooden nightstand. He glanced at a tube that was exiting his mother's nose and leading to an unknown source. His overwhelmingly blue eyes, were caught by his mother's and she knew every thought that was in his still developing head. "Come here." Mustering up the strength of a healthy woman, Christian's mother scooped him up into her arms. Christian breathed out unsteadily and held in more tears, as he tried to be a big boy. The woman encircled the child with her warmth and love, as he lay with her. "How much longer till you're better?" The mother's heart broke. She had already explained her fate to her two sons, but her youngest would not have any of it. He chose to block out their conversation; he chose hope. She could feel Christian's tiny puffs of air hit her neck as he pressed his nose against her cheek. "Baby, I'm very sick..." Christian had to interrupt. "I know all that, but you took all these medicines, and you rested lots, so now you'll get better. And when you're better, we can do fun things again." The mother ran a hand through her son's baby soft hair. "What kinds of things?" She humored. "You know...all the fun things we used to do...camping and when we all went fishing...and the zoo." A smile was etched on the woman's face; her little boy always seemed bring one with him. "How about I ask your father to take you boys away for the weekend...somewhere special..." "No, we can wait for you. Daddy won't leave you anyways." "You're probably right. Now, close your eyes...you look exhausted." His mother's alive body was a comfort and Christian fell asleep in her frail arms. The mother kissed the top of her baby's head and then let herself go. ******************************************************* Olli watched Christian walk away and emitted a loud sigh as he fell onto his back; the bottom halves of his legs, folded under him. He grabbed his pillow and silently screamed into the soft fabric. The feel and smell of Christian had not yet left him, and he felt drunk. He pressed his face to his pillow and almost started making out with it, in Christian's absence. There was a light knock at the door. Olli's eyes flung open and he extracted his fake boyfriend from his face. "Just a minute, Justus!" He whined, as scooted to the edge of his bed and rose to his feet. Olli searched around his bedroom, for evidence that Christian had been there. He didn't seem all too concerned that he was being watched; on the contrary, Olli liked it. Peeking through the closet doors again, Christian saw Olli slowly walk over to his dresser in all his glory, before picking out a pair of boxers and pulling them on with ease. Christian fought the urge to touch himself, in hopes that Olli would soon, do it for him. Olli bent down and picked up all of Christian's articles of black clothing, that had been sprinkled across the floor. He opened the closet and smiled, as he threw them at Christian's face. "You might want to try and hide that." Christian advised, as he pointed toward the front of Olli's boxers, while peeling the clothes off of his head. Olli looked down and raised a playful eyebrow at Christian's smirk, before reaching around him and grabbing a robe that was hanging to Christian's left. "Have fun!" Olli taunted. He smiled vivaciously and closed the closet doors, concealing Christian from view. "Come in!" Olli called out to Justus as he eye-flirted with the closet and tied his robe at the waist. The bedroom door immediately opened and Justus walked in purposefully. He nodded a hello to Olli and then headed toward the bathroom to start cleaning up the "terrible mess," his boss/slave driver had told him about. Olli smiled mischievously at the closet, when he realized Justus would probably be in the bathroom for a while. Olli tried to imagine the expression on the perfect face, behind the doors. He suddenly untied his robe and then flashed Christian, thinking it would be hilarious, but Christian thought otherwise. "Stop, Olli! You're killing me!" Christian softly, begged. Flattered, Olli mouthed his apology and made sure to overemphasize the innocent batting of his eyelashes, as he backed away from the closet. Justus quietly walked into Olli's bedroom with a cloth and some sort of cleaning product. He made eye contact with Olli, as if to ask where the wax stain was. Olli pointed to an almost invisible spot on the floor and Justus tried not to roll his eyes, as he kneeled down to remove it. After a while, Justus looked as though he was fighting with the wax spot. His cloth filled hand was vigorously rubbing the floor. "Is it not coming off?" Olli asked in a high-pitched voice, as he tried not to laugh. "It's ok. I have just the thing to do the trick. In here..." Justus replied, as he started to open Olli's closet. "Wait!" Olli tried to stop the butler, but he was too late. Instead of reaching for the small box of supplies he kept in the bottom right corner of the closet, Justus just stood there, looking at a startled teenager. Christian's hands were covering the front of his black boxers and he had a `You caught me,' look on his face. The three guys said nothing for an excruciating minute, their eyes darting from face to face. The first one to speak was Olli. "Justus, please don't tell my mother about this." Christian's nervous eyes, seemed to beg in agreement with Olli. "About what?" Justus asked, before reaching around a statuesque Christian and grabbing his little box-o-supplies. When the last bit of wax was removed from the floor, Justus gathered his cleaning products, returned them to their rightful spot next to Christian and then shut the doors on the boy, as if he were locking him up for the night. Olli snickered at the ridiculous face Christian made as the doors were closing on him. When Justus was about to leave and lock Olli in, he spoke once more. "Don't forget, your mother will be up to check on you later." "Yeah, thank you." Olli said gratefully as he watched Justus exit. `I like this one. Too bad mother changes butlers more often than Prince (the artist formally know as) changes his name.' Olli thought, as he made his way back to the closet, to let Christian free. "The coast is clear!" Olli hummed, as he approached the hiding spot. The doors didn't open. "Christian...why would you waste your time in there with my jacket, when you could come out here and have the real thing?" Olli said in a silly voice, that he had intended to sound cocky. The doors didn't open. "Fine! I guess I have to do everything myself!" Olli joked as he giddily pulled open the closet doors. Olli blinked his huge eyes to make sure he was seeing clearly. His peepers couldn't lie; Christian was gone. ---------------------------------------------- Thanks for reading! Leave any comments here: nittyismyname@yahoo.com