Who: Justin and Brendan Where: Justin's room, New York When: Backdated to the night before their hospital visit. What: Justin and Brendan have a late night chat. Justin realizes certain facts that have been staring at him right in the face.
Justin was exhausted by the time he got to bed. He had finished making all the phone calls and had emailed Clair, detailing his progress. His sister wasn't going to be happy that he hadn't gone to see Arthur right away but that could not be helpd. Visiting hours were over and Justin was trying to keep is nose out of trouble. He might have pulled something if he was alone...but Brea and Brendan were with him and he didn't want them to get into trouble as well. And so, with these thoughts in mind, Justin had showered and changed into his PJ's and had gotten into bed. Exhausted as he was, it was a restless sleep. He had tossed and turned and now finally Justin gave up and opened his eyes...
Only to find that the shadows in his room were wrong... He blinked and then sat up, squinting into the darkness. "..Brendan? Is that you?"
Brendan had never seen New York before. Actually, he had never seen anything other than a dungeon-like basement and mental hospital walls and school grounds in more than six years. It was all new to him. Voices from human and plant life alike seemed to shout out from all directions. It was a whole new world. And he loved every second of it. It was exciting, and new, and best of all, Justin was there. But the trip was harder on Justin, or so Brendan noticed. He had kept a very close eye on Justin since their arrival. He had come because he wanted to 'keep Justin safe'. Danger came in all kinds.
After Justin had gone off to his room and showered and changed, Brendan had waited outside, almost like an armed guard. But Justin didn't seem to have an easy time sleeping. Tossing and turning and the noises Justin made in his sleep eventually drew Brendan into the room. He watched Justin as he slept. It may have been...well...creepy, but it was Brendan's duty to make sure Justin was safe and sound. He sat on the floor in the dark room and watched the other boy as he tossed and turned, almost wishing he could somehow calm Justin, let him know he was there and things were alright. But Justin awoke and Brendan froze. He looked sheepish, most of him hidden by shadow, and his long black hair falling over his face.
"...You were not sleeping well, no. Wanted to make sure that you were ok, I did did."
Yes...it was kind of creepy. But it was a good thing that Justin was too exhausted to actually be all startled. Plus he was just too nice to throw a big fuss about people coming into his room uninvited. He pushed the covers back and sat up fully. "Oh...that's very nice of you." Justin replied, flashing a sleepy smile at Brendan. His vision was clearing and he could see the other boy now, seated on the floor of his room. "But it's safe here...there's a doorman and everything downstairs." Not to mention a security system and Justin's apartment was the penthouse which was all the way at the top. "Is there something wrong with your room though, Brendan?" He asked then, looking concerned.
Brendan sat up straight as Justin spoke to him. He pressed his lips together tightly, hoping that his intrusion would seem harmless and innocent. Thankfully Justin did not seem to mind all that much. Brendan shook his head and sat up a bit more. "No, my room is very nice, very nice. But I was worried about you. You were not sleeping well."
Justin nodded, and simply sat there on his bed. "Tell me if there's anything lacking..." He told Brendan, his voice was thin and tired and slowly he pulled his legs up, hugging them to his chest. "You're a guest and you should be comfortable." Justin tilted his head a little so that he could get a better look at the other boy. The movement caused his blond hair to catch and glint in the moonlight, though as usual Justin remained oblivious to it.
"You don't have to worry about me." He said then with another sleepy smile. "Tomorrow we'll go to the hospital and we'll see that every thing's fine." He nodded to himself and looked around, noticing that he had kicked one of his pillows to the floor. Oh..no wonder Brendan had said that he hadn't been sleeping well.
"I know." Brendan responded to everything Justin said with two words. Unlike Justin, Brendan noticed everything about him. The way he stood tall when he tried to act superior and strong, when really he just looked cuddly. The way Justin laughed or smiled even when something wasn't that funny, and his giggle, how it sort of fluttered. How Justin's hair did glitter in the moonlight, or how it did in any light at all. Justin, in Brendan's personal opinion, was perfect. Of course he could never say that though.
He nodded again, looking at Justin, the vision he desired so much to keep safe and sound, warm and protected. He had no idea why, he hadn't gotten that far in his mental reconstruction. In the plant world, they just sent pollen and spores to other plants of the same type, while people were FAR more complicated. Brendan sat there, still looking at Justin through a curtain of dark bangs. He reached out, took Justin's fallen pillow and handed it up. "You need to keep comfy."
He had to wonder if the other boy was still mad at him. Justin was pretty sure that Brendan had been angry over the fact that he had gone to Mr Six..but there was nothing else he could have done. He had been so worried and after the whole kissing incident, Brendan didn't seem to want to talk to him. Justin just had to make sure that the other boy was alright and had enlisted the help of a teacher. He hoped that Brendan would come to understand, really he did. Looking at his offered pillow, Justin moved and took it, sliding it on to the bed next to him.
"So do you." He said then, when the word comfy was mentioned. Scooting back, Justin only stopped when his back was against the headboard of his bed. "You shouldn't sit on the floor, there's plenty of room up here." He patted the spot next to him.
Brendan let Justin take the pillow. He looked up at him. The way Justin moved in the darkness of the room made the light from the moon and city around them cast random zig zags and squares of light over him. It caught his arms, and his hair in sudden midnight bursts of gorgeousness. Brendan bit his lip, bowing his head slightly as the fabric of the pillow left his hand.
He glanced up once Justin offered a seat up by him. He shyly opened his mouth to speak but couldn't find words. Any plant life in the general area could hear him cheer through. He hesitantly climbed up from his seat and up onto the bed. He sat down on the comfortable mattress, the blankets warm from Justin's body. Now with more moonlight on him and less shadows, Brendan could be seen easier. Dark, almost blue tinted, hair falling over the left side of his face and dark pj bottoms that were actually decorated with vines and leaves. He had gotten them as a gift from the hospital a year ago. "Thank you." He said meekly.
He really would have blushed if he had known what Brendan was thinking. But since he wasn't telepathic, Justin was saved from it. He was simply left wondering if Brendan was hungry and maybe he could just go the kitchen to get them both a snack. Maybe he would ask later...but right now Justin was comfortable where he was. He pulled up his legs against his chest again and casually arranged the sheets around them. "You're welcome." He said with another smile, "It's probably cold on the floor. I don't want you to be cold." Justin stifled a yawn and decided that maybe some small talk would help him relax.
"So how are you enjoying the city?" He asked then. "I know there's no time to sight see...but maybe after the hospital visit we can go to Central Park." It was very nearby. In fact you could see it if you looked out Justin's window.
Brendan shrugged a little. "Not too cold." He didn't mind the cold. Things like that didn't bother him so much, not until conditions were a bit more harsh anyway. He was far too busy watching Justin. Still though, he smiled a little and nodded. "Thank you, its warmer here through, thank you." He stammered a little, clumsily falling all over his own words.
He looked out the window when Justin mentioned the city. It was large alright. Nothing like he had ever seen. He loved it. He would live here someday, once he was all better. He looked down upon the massive dark, greenish sea that was Central Park at night, dotted with little specks of lamp-post lights. He smiled, nodding. "Its very very nice. I like it a lot, I like it." He smiled at Justin. "I want to go there."
He nodded and then moved a little, so that he could slide more of the covers over to Brendan. He had had them for most of the night while Brendan had been seated on the floor...so it was only fair that the other boy be warm now. Justin rested back against the headboard and let his eyes lull close for a moment. "It's not a problem really. It's the least I can do after you offered to come to New York with me." He stifled another yawn and kept his eyes closed for a few moments longer. Beside him, he heard Brendan shift and Justin simply assumed that the other boy was looking out his window.
He opened his eyes to confirm it and smiled. "Tomorrow." Was his reply, promise in his tone. They couldn't go down there tonight..it wasn't actually safe really. But tomorrow, they could go. "I can show you all my favourite places. We can go to the zoo." Justin smiled at the idea. And then, "Those are nice pajamas, Brendan." Reaching out he touched Brendan's hip, letting his fingers slid lightly against the material and then away.
Brendan was now officially excited. He moved a bit closer to Justin with a smile on his face, one that wasn't shy or crooked. He just smiled, happy that something good was going to happen. He looked at Justin. "The zoo? That would be fun, yes. They all want to meet me. I can hear them sometimes outside." He was of course referring to the plant life in the park.
He felt Justin's hand on his hip, the soft fabric between them brushing up against him. He looked at Justin, blushed then quickly turned his head, hair swishing over his face. "Thank you. They knew I liked plants a lot." He bit his lip and peeked at Justin once more.
For a moment Justin didn't know what Brendan meant. But that was probably just the exhaustion kicking in again. This time he couldn't help but yawn and quickly clamped a hand over his mouth. "I'm sorry." He replied, his voice coming out muffled. "I guess I'm more tired then I initially thought." Of course, he was going to try his hardest to keep awake though, it would be rude to simply end this conversation. "It must be really exciting to know that they want to meet you." Justin replied, glancing at his window. "I've seen those trees all my life and I don't know what they're thinking." He would like to know though. "But tell you what...as soon as we're finished at the hospital we can go."
"They must be nice people then." Justin replied, tucking his hand back under the covers again. "Do you miss them?" He asked Brendan curiously. "The people at the hospital?"
Brendan would tell Justin all about the plants, what kind they were, what they would 'say' in their own way. Plants didn't talk or think like people, no, but they had a sort of 'way' of being able to communicate. They didn't have minds of their own, but they were living things, and all living things had feelings of some sort. "Good." He smiled. "I will help you talk to them."
He looked at Justin again, a bit confused at the question. He shrugged a little, his bare shoulders rising then dropping with a sort of soft sigh. "I do not remember them much. Some were nice people, some were not nice people."
Now that woke Justin up. He blinked at Brendan, and sat up. "Really? You want to help me to talk to them?" That sounded really great. Justin had always loved plants and that very idea made his cheeks flush with happiness. It was probably the first time since he had felt something other then worry since the New Years. "Thank you." He said then, reaching out to brush his fingers against Brendan's hip again to show his gratitude. "For a while...I was worried that you were mad at me." He bit his lower lip, finally admitting his fears to the other boy.
Justin frowned a little then. "What do you mean by not nice?" That didn't sound very good. The people who cared for those who were mentally unstable or traumatized should be patient and kind. Or at least Justin thought so.
Brendan smiled, glad that Justin was excited by the idea and had shown another emotion other than sadness or worry. He smiled in return and nodded in response. He would certainly help Justin talk to the plant world. But then, he flashed a concerned look at Justin. His hand at once gently came to a rest on top of Justin's own hand on his hip. "Mad? No, wasn't mad. Not at you. Thought you didn't like me anymore, I was sorry, scared." He looked shamefully away.
He looked down at their hands and for a moment contemplated on pulling his own hand away. He didn't though, and looked at Brendan as he spoke. "I'm sorry if I frightened you." Was Justin's reply, he had never wanted to make Brendan frightened. He let his fingers move a little against the other boy's palm. "It was just that..." Here Justin hesitated, unsure if he wanted to bring up the whole kiss issue again. That had been nothing but a huge backfire. "It was just that I was worried about you after that day. You wouldn't come out of the bathroom and I was afraid that you'd hurt yourself....Going to a teacher was the only thing I could think of." Justin shrugged a little. "But Six was nice to you, wasn't he? He seems like a nice person."
Brendan took a breath, looking at Justin now, half of his face and body hidden in the shadow, the other side of him bathed in the moonlight from the window of the bedroom. He looked at Justin, almost afraid, scared he would offend, or worse, scare Justin away again. He shook his head. "Its not...I..." he sighed, pouting a little and looking down, his hand remaining perfectly still on top of Justin's. "I had chased you away and I didn't know why..."
He was watching Brendan closely now, waiting for the other boy's response. Perhaps he was looking just a little too closely because Justin was starting to realize how...pretty the play of moonlight and shadow looked on Brendan. It was significant if he thought about it. The other boy always seemed to be on the edge, always in danger of falling into the shadows and disappearing. Quickly, Justin reached out with his other hand. He let his fingers close around Brendan's wrist and started to pull the other boy towards him, to the light.
"You didn't." Justin replied then. "I was just..surprised when you...kissed me." He paused and looked at the other boy. "Just surprised. Not angry or anything."
Brendan moved into the light, the silvery splash falling over the rest of him, his somewhat pale skin and dark hair now giving a midnight glow. He wasn't like Justin. Justin shimmered golden in the light, Brendan had a smooth but soft dark shine to him. He looked at Justin's hand, then back into the other boy's eyes.
"But you..." he sighed a little, looking confused. "I don't..."
"I wasn't angry." Justin replied, repeating himself and sounding more firm this time around. "When you said that you didn't do anything wrong..I meant it." He knew he was probably being confusing, but his thoughts about Brendan had always been confusing. "I was just surprised that you wanted to kiss me...that's all." Why would anyone want to kiss him really. He was just Justin and nothing special. Brendan was special though, Brendan could talk to plants and everything. Could still be kind even after everything that had happened to him.
Brendan's response was fast and simple. He just looked at Justin. Why would he have been surprised. Why wouldn't anyone want to kiss him? It was just an urge. Brendan hardly even knew what he was doing. It was instinct, but he knew he wanted it too. He looked at Justin, confused and lost. He was surprised? "Why?"
"Why I was surprised?" Justin reply was a question though Brendan didn't have to answer it. He was already prattling on, getting one of his babble attacks. "You kiss someone because you like them." Well generally, and basically speaking. "I was surprised because I didn't think that you could like me that way." He had thought that Brendan had kissed him out of some weird reflex and hadn't wanted to respond becuase of that. Though Justin was starting to realize now that maybe Brendan did like him like that. What with coming with him to New York and with all the comments on protecting him. It had been staring Justin right in the face and he didn't realize it. As usual.
Brendan looked at Justin still, confused and unsure of what to do anymore. He just shifted in his seat, unsure if he should take his hand from Justin's or not. It was all so confusing to him. He had no idea how to handle this sort of thing, or how he should talk, or how normal people did this. "But...I...ok....um....do you want me to go?"
"No." It was Justin's turn to be swift with his reply. It all seemed to be going down hill really fast from here and he didn't want it to end up like the last time they had talked. But at least he had come to one or two conclusions and would be more prepared the next time. Next time would be soon if he had anything to say about it. Maybe when they got back to the school...that would be enough time for Justin to think. "No." He said again. "Please stay." There was room enough on his bed. Slowly Justin slid down, under the covers until he was resting on his back. Somehow he managed to do that without letting go of Brendan's hand. "If you don't mind, I'd like you to stay."
Brendan looked at Justin inquisitively but looked somewhat relieved. He took a breath, watched Justin and nodded a little. He didn't speak, in fear he may mess up and say something stupid he would regret. So he brushed his fingers over Justin's hand as he moved his hand away to adjust, sliding down beside Justin so he could lay down too. There was plenty of room. He looked at Justin before laying his head on the pillow, turning his head slightly into it, so he could bashfully hide a little. "Thank you."
He simply smiled and in a rather bold move tucked him close against Brendan's side. It was comfortable like this, and Brendan made for a good source of body heat. "Goodnight Brendan." Justin said softly, and then reached up with his free hand and gently brushed the other boy's bangs away. "You shouldn't hide." He said then, wrinkling his nose cutely. "There's no reason to anymore." There was a bit of wriggling involved as Justin settled himself down and closed his eyes. "Night." He said again, or mumbled actually, before drifting off.
Brendan stayed awake for only a minute or so longer. He let his bangs stay out of his face. He wasn't going to let them fall anymore. He nodded a little as he could feel Justin up against him. It was such a warm, wonderful feeling. He settled into the bed and blankets, also moving up against Justin as he sighed and laid his head down. "Night."