Frail Hearts [Private: Eornostlice & M-jow]

[Guest Eornostlice]

The best way to hide something was to make it obvious and that was exactly what Laurie himself went for as he closed the cabinet, smiling as if everything was absolutely normal. More than half of the pills inside were related to his heart condition and he knew them all well, way too well, by now able to quote the adverse reactions and the right way to take them nearly word by word. The brunette did not want to lie, truly, so he did not even consider that sprt of possibility for a moment.

 

"I know right? I could definitely start my own pocket-size drug store with this much." He laughed in cheerful amused manner, almost as if not noticing the strangeness of such ridiculous amount. How could he truly not perceive it however? He was probably taking more pills than usual eldery people by now everyday, yet again, he was neither complaining nor thinking about it too deeply. The young man washed his own hands as well.

 

"Ah. We are both here. I hope the kitties were not tempted to climb into the shortcake." And the topic was smoothly changed.

[M-jow]

Though Laurie laughed it off, Kel clearly took the hint that he didn't wanted to talk about it. He could respect that.

 

The kittens luckily hadn't done anything, they were too busy getting milk from their mother to notice much.

The mama cat awoke as he sat down in his spot on the carpet, she gave him a dirty look, but she soon closed her eyes again.

As Kel sat there he had no idea what to say, Laurie didn't looked annoyed or anything, but Kel couldn't really get much through his brain to say much, he still fell too nervous to really think.

So instead Kel focused on the sweet scent filling the room.

 

On the tray were two small plates with a piece of cake on each, and two cups with tea which smelt of mint and orange.

Kel mostly drank coffee, but it was only because it was easier to obtain at the dorms. So it wasn’t that he didn’t drink tea, he could enjoyed them equally. And through the cake alone could get his teeth to water, the tea smelt incredible.

Kel looked to Laurie, he didn’t want to be rude and just dig in. He had manners.

He was fiddling with his fingers, felling a bit uneasy and it wasn't just cause of the temptation in front of him.

 

Maybe it was because off those intense blue eyes that kept following him. He was used to people looking at him, but they're gazes used to be filled either irritation, anger or curiosity.

But Kel didn't recognize the felling in those blue eyes at all, and that scared him slightly.

Maybe he had known years ago, when he had haft friends.

[Guest Eornostlice]

Laurie hinself walked out of the bathroom in toe with Kel, feeling relieved to see both the tea and cake were still there, untouched by curious little fluffy noses. He sat himself down without talking, looking at the mama cat and her peaceful little kitties, not minding the suspicious wag of tail that she seemed to do even aftrr closing her eyes. The poor thing had been alone outside for a long time afterall so it was truly no wonder she trusted no one just yet. That would need to change slowly.

 

"Gee. What are you being so polite for?" The brunette giggled, looking at the blonde suddenly, his lips becoming a smile. "Just dig in. I can guarantee it's delicious. It's 'bribe' remember? You are supposed to eat it!" The young man picked up his plate- the one with the slightly smaller piece and dug in without much fussing around, wrapping his lips around the spoon in satisfaction, gesturing towards the other piece in sign that he wanted Kel to follow his example, the tea included.

 

Only after swallowing did he speak.

 

"You don't really have to be that polite, you know? I want to be your friend afterall and all that mannerism must be tiring."

[M-jow]

“I’m not that bad… am I?” Kel asked but frost by Laurie next words ‘Friends’. The thing he feared the most.

Kel didn’t have friends an didn’t wanted any. Friends were the people who could hurt one the most, he had already tried that.

 

He tried to change to avoid the subjected by taking a bid of his cake. It tasted really good, but he found himself not enjoy it as much as he would haft had. But he still tried to look as if he did, as he chewed.

 

“It really good cake, it reminds me of home, my mom is a great cook too, she often stuffs me up as soon as I walk through the door.” Kel laugh a bit by the thought for his mother, and bid back into the cake. It made the cake tasted much better now and he could finally enjoy it.

[Guest Eornostlice]

The brunette let the conversation proceed at the pace that Kel preferred, not wishing to stiffle him in the least. He did not notice his reaction to the mention of friendship but again, he did not press the issue. Saying that he was bad at being relaxed would have been rather rude of him, would it not?

 

It was the next sentence that really caught the blue-eyed boy's attention, his curiosity being piqued with ease as he listened the other talk. "She sounds like a very nice person! No one that has the habit of stuffing you with things can be bad." He chuckled, having in mind his own parents, especially his overly-hardworking father at that, forever stuck in the kitchen to prepare things. Taking more bites of cake, he scooted closer, looking somewhat excited. "What about your father? What is he like? Do you have siblings?"

[M-jow]

kel swallowed the cake in in his mouth before answering Laurie's question.

"Well he works most of the time, his job can be quite stressful, but it means a lot to him." Kel didn't say that they hadn't really talked much, Kel's dad wasn't too proud of his fagged son.

 

His dad meant that Kel as the least, could continued getting the highest score in class. And though Kel did, his dad still wasn't happy with him.

But he still loved the man in a way, he was family after all.

 

"No siblings, after me, mom couldn't get any, and as I got older she started working in a nursery." He shrug his shoulder, it was no big deal. She had always said that as long as she had him, she had everything she could ever want.

 

"What about you? your mother is a lawyer, that cool."

[Guest Eornostlice]

Laurie listenend with obvious interest, sipping from his tea with wide eyes. That was the most he ever heard Kel speak and it was making him smile. The other definitely needed to talk more, his calm unrushed voice was pleasant. Plus he did want to learn more about his newly found friend. For whatever reason, he got the impression that the blonde was much more attached to his mother than his father but even so he did not speak negatively. A nursery huh? Surely a kind person.

 

"Mmm... I am an only child. It seems that my coming into existence posed a lot of risks for my mother so they did not even try for a second. Mom is a hard working person though. Ah. But she cannot do chores to save her life. So she insists meeting dad was a Godsent." The blue eyed boy giggled at his own parents' silliness, aware of just how lucky he was to have been born in such a warm family. "My father and mother are much like a lovely-dovely teen couple really and they tend to be overprotective. But I love them both. I cause them a lot of troubles yet they never complained once." A sad smile surfaced on the boy's lips and he looked down at his hands, his breath stuck in throat for a moment.

 

He had been alright a couple of minutes back yet he could already see his fingertips taking on a purplish type of color, sign that he had done a bit too much than he was supposed to that day. Exhaustion came with a price. But he enjoyed Kel's company. Forming both hands into a loose fists placed on the floor in order to hide off his fingers, he was not yet ready to be saying his goodbyes. Another hour or so. That was probably the time he had before his hands would be giving him away completely. The pills he'd have to take in order to prevent it would make him sleepy so he did not plan on taking them just yet. One hour would be fine.

[M-jow]

"Well it seems like we got that one thing in commen." Kel couldn't help but to send the brunette a quick smile, it was a normal reaction, but he regretted it as soon as he felt it.

Kel had tried his bedst not too let his guards down, but Laurie being the way he was, had somehow made him feel safe in a way to open up a bit.

'Stupid stupid him!'

 

Kel tried to turn his attention else were, and started to pet one of the kittens. At some point, he noticed that the light coming though the window had changed from blue into orange.

"I should properly go, it getting late." Kel petted the kitten on last time before standing.

[Guest Eornostlice]

 

I apologize for not replying for so so long. Real life has been pretty tough and I find it extremely difficult to find the motivation to write these days, all the more now that I am in my exam period. Thank you for your patience and I truly apologize.

 

 

"Oh." A soft sad sound escaped the brunette's mouth as he heard Kel speak, clearly not really happy to hear that he was about to leave. Well it did make sense, as soon it was to be about dinner time and the other did specify he had to return, yet Laurie could not help feeling somewhat greedy. The blonde seemed to have been opening up a little bit.

 

Getting up, stretching and trying to shake off the disappointment, Laurie reached out to pat the boy's head gently. "I see. Sorry I lost track of time." Looking down at the kittens he smiled before glancing back to the boy. "Thank you for helping me out. Maybe we should hang out together again sometime. Ah. We don't have to if you do not want to though. Would you like some cake to take home? And tea? We have plenty of it left. A snack is always welcomed right?"

[M-jow]

Kel couldn't help but to noticed a sad sound the coming Laurie, but was caught of guard as Laurie stretched out his hand and pat him. His entire body started to become tense and he froze, not really knowing why he reacted like this. Laurie's touch was weird, but strange enough, he didn't dislike it as he did when others touched him.

Laurie's hand felt so big, surly a basketball star would envy them.

He snapped out of it and quickly put on his hoody to hide his embarrassment.

 

"Well I didn't do anything, than playing with the kittens and eat cake, so you really shouldn't thank me. I would really love to get a piece of cake with me though, your dad is really a good cook." Kel thought that since Laurie had been honest with him, maybe he to could be just a bit. Of course he looked almost anywhere else than at Laurie as he spoke.

"And I guess since we see each other everyday at school... maybe we could hang or something..." Kel was way to embarrassed to speak the last part any louder then just above a whisper, before he turned to head forward the door.

[Guest Eornostlice]

The blonde's reaction was slightly curious and fairly intriguing in simple terms, especially the way that he avoided his eyes and put his hoodie on as if wishing to hide. The boy was like Kel the kitten afterall huh? Shy and easily brubed with food but probably capable of being affectionate like every other kitten, enjoying not being left alone. Yup. Kel the human was just like that adorable kitten for sure.

 

"That is why I have enjoyed it." Laurie practically beamed before removing his hand and getting it out of sight, opening the door instead, hoping that the shy boy was going to follow. "Sometimes noise gets tiring but hanging out with someone that does not feel the need to be overly talkative at all times is really relaxing." He meant it. Truly meant it. It was people like Kel that he truly wished to properly befriend instead of them being aquiriances and it wasn't only due his condition. It was because he didn't feel the need to meet too many expectations.

 

"Come, I am sure dad already put some cake away for you. He always seems to think of everything." The bubbly blue eyed boy continued his explanation. And he was right.

 

The older man poked his head from the kitchen once more, happy to see the two boys getting along. "Leaving already?" Well not that he was waiting for an answer, already going back to fetch a white box and a small thermos bottle which obviously contained more of the tea they had already consumed. "Take these with you at least if you do not want to stay for dinner."

[M-jow]

As Laurie's dad handed the box and bottle over to Kel, Kel really couldn't help but to reassemble him to his mother. They didn't look alike, but the air and felling around them were similar.

"Thank you very much Mr. Walcott, the cake was absolutely delicious." Kel thanked with one of his rare smiles. He had actually smiled a lot more then he had done this last week, and he had enjoyed himself more then what he had cared to admit.

 

"Well that's good to hear, but next time you really should stay for dinner, I always makes enough food to feed an extra mouth anyway." Mr. Walcott insisted. He knew that he properly shouldn't push the boy, but he could still tell Kel that it wasn't just a friendly suggestions. If his son brought this guy over again, he would surely make the young man stay, that is if Laurie's condition allowed it.

Kel looked at Laurie from of the corner of his eye before he spoke. "Well... Sure, maybe next time." Kel answered not really knowing if he could ever really do it, but still agree just to please the man.

 

Kel got his thing before turning back to Laurie.

"Well see you tomorrow morning."

[Guest Eornostlice]

Seeing Kel smile, the blue eyed boy could not help but feel another wave of joy wash over himself. He had a really nice smile but it was way too rare. Everyone in the class seemed to have some type of misconception when it came the to the blonde: some saw him as arrogant, others as cold and unapproachable, some even as a scary type of person. But the brunette? He truly could not see any of that. Right from the start he had been convinced that Kel was simply too shy for his own good and too at ease with being by himself to care much of what others believed. And for all he knew, he had been proved right today.

 

"Yup. I will see you in class." Not many words were used anymore as the most important part had already been said. He did wish that Kel did not have to leave but that was a bit of a silly thought.

 

In a way, perhaps it was better that he had left. Only after the boy was gone did the brunette release a deep tired sigh. He just hoped that his newfound friend did not catch on the hints. He had been a little bit too careless but he could not even run over his mistakes in his mind at this point, feeling sleepy. "Dad? I'll go and lay down a bit before dinner. Today was really fun."

 

The older man could already guess that his son was not all that well after such a full day- with both college and having a friend over for hours- but he did not have the heart to say anything. Laurie was actually looking happy. Very much so.

[M-jow]

Kel took his time walking back to the dorms, and it was already dark before he got there. He avoid looking at anyone as he made his way to his room, and snug in locking the door.

He lay his school bag on the writing desk, and too out the cake box and bottle up to place in the kitchen area. His room wasn't all that big but he had what he needed. The bed and desk were by the window, and a small kitchen area with a small fridge, cupboard space for the most necessary things, a convenience oven and such. There also was a small bathroom with shower, just big enough for one person to fit between the toilet and the sink, but that was all.

 

The room didn't have any decorations in it beside from some family photos on his desk, He hadn't felt the need to bring much of his personal belongings, just clothes and useful stuff.

Kel put the cake box into the almost empty refrigerator, he would save it for later, maybe after his run. He really didn't feel like cooking tonight, so the cake would have to do, Kel thought as he changed into his tracksuit.

 

The next morning Kel had went to school earlier than what he used to. The reason being that he had forgotten to finish an assignment they were to handle in. It wasn't normal for him to forget something like his homework, but after all of the turmoil happening yesterday, it was no wounder he had.

Dressed in blue jeans and a warm comfortable striped jersey in black, gray and with, Kel was properly the first student to get to school that morning.

Seated in his chair as some of the others started to show, being use to not really to care about what happened around him, Kel focused on the paper in front of him, dealing with a really tricky questions which he just couldn't seem to figure out at all. He sighed in frustration, grabbing a handful of hair in his free hand.

He just needed this last question and he would be done.

[Guest Eornostlice]

Making his way upstairs, Laurie looked much more exhausted than before, his shoulder slumped. He held onto the railing to climb up, making sure that the steps he was taking were steady. Heading straight to his room, he had once more made his way to the medicine cabinet, selecting his evening prescription to take. Only then did he lay down, feeling as if he was resting on a fluffy cloud. The medicine always made him sleepy. Very much so.

 

The soft moews did not even reach him anymore as he closed his eyes, giving in to the urge to sleep. Needless to say by the time he awoke, it was already morning, meaning he had skipped his dinner altogether. Surely his parents had checked on him and decided to just let him sleep. A soft sigh escaped his lips.

 

Snuggled up against his side was oddly enough the stray cat with her babies, warming him up. Blue eyed blinked down at her but from the look he was getting, it was clear she did not wish to be touched. Well, it was a start right? "Morning Kel." The brunette chuckled out, staring at the small kitten that was the only one to have found his way onto his chest, curled up and silently purring.

 

It was only an hour later that he was finally back to school, looking refreshed and cheerful, actually looking forward to what the day had in store for him. As always, there was 'bribe' for lunch and his assignments had been luckily completed the first day after they had received them so him sleeping the previous evening off did not have many bad results.

 

"Good morning. What is wrong? You could burn a hole through the paper from the way you are looking at it." Laurie asked in a playful tone as he placed his bag onto the desk and sat down, pulling out the notebook needed for their first class. Wasn't Kel surprisingly early?

[M-jow]

Kel jumped in his seat startled by Laurie voice and looked at his desk mate. At first Kel’s eyes had been widen and mouth slightly open as he uttered a startled gasp, before it quickly turning back into one his normal expressions. Kel still wasn’t use to people coming up to him, even though he had started getting use to Laurie.

 

“Oh… Morning, yeah I forgot to finish our math assignment and the paper was at school, so I came early to finish them.” Kel eyes fell back to the paper. “I’m just not really sure about one of the questions, that’s what you get when making it at the last minute.” Kel sighed while playing with the pencil between his fingers swinging it from side to side.

 

Kel couldn’t deliver anything less than a A- to keep up his points. If he moved down in the rankings his dad would surly start interfering, being friends with most of the school board, Kel’s father knew everything. It offended came back biting him in the butt, if he ever did something like disrespecting a teacher or worse scoring a B.

If he had just remembered, then he wouldn’t be in this situation to begin with.

[Guest Eornostlice]

"Hm?" The startled reaction he had received was unexpected, mostly because he did not think that he had done anything out of the ordinary. Had he been too sudden? He was feeling bad for it now. Yet he did listen.

 

"Ah so it was like that." Kel looked somewhat stressed and troubled. He was not sure how he could tell, but he did look so. Maybe because he seemed stiff. Was homework supposed to cause that much distress? He truly wanted to ask but surely the other had his reasons. That was exactly why the blue eyed boy smiled mischeviously and flipped his notebook open, glancing around a couple of times before gently nudging the said item towards Kel, a finger raising to his own lips. It was a clear encouragement for Kel to just copy it and keep quiet about it. Somehow he suspected that the blonde wouldn't want to be seen doijg that so he kept quiet.

 

"Oh Laurie. About the cats." A female classmate whose name he had yet to remember suddenly started, causing him to smile and walk over, figuring Kel would much more prefer to be left alone to finish his assignment anyway.

[M-jow]

kel got the point that Laurie let him copy his homeworke, and he didn't really know what to make of that. He hadn't copyed anyones homeworke i a long time, so doing so now made him feel lige he was back i middle school. Kel noticed the look Laurie gave him to signal that it was a secret.

The guy looked like a naughty boy like that, so drifferent from his happy go lucky charm he normal wore.

 

When a girl called Laurie out about the kittens, he looked up as his desk mate walked over to her.

She looked like a sweet girl, she wore glasses and had two long brown braides down her shoulders.

Was she the one Laurie had mentioned yesterday?

Kel didn't know any of his classmats names, but he had seen them enough to recognize their faces.

And well as they stood close to eachother they looked cute together.

 

Focusing on the writing down notes before the teacher arrived, he stoped watching them.

Kel was surprised to see that Laurie's handwriting was so easy to understand and that he made some good calculations. It reminded him a bit of his own writing style, and he could really tell that Laurie knew this stuff pretty well.

[Guest Eornostlice]

Despite being attentive to the conversation and being happy to know that not one but two kittens were going to find a new home, the brunette could not help glancing at Kel from the corner of his eyes, more than once, feeling warm on the inside. The boy was just like the cat afterall. He could not help but keep making that comparison, over and over again. Every time he saw Kel, he could noy help thinking of Kel the kitten. Maybe because both were adorable. Probably if the blonde put a pair of cat ears, they could look like the same person in two different versions.

 

It was only when the teacher walked in that Laurie took his seat, the chatter in the classroom seeming the cease. He did not want to bother Kel while he was writing- it did seem important- and that was the main reason why he had not initiated any type of conversation earlier. But the lunch break was his to spend with the other. At least that is how he saw it.

 

'Managed to finish? :3 ' The blue eyed boy wrote down in his own notebook, not wanting to get caught disturbing the class. Probably he should have just left Kel alone to fovus but just one little note wasn't going to get him annoyed right?

[M-jow]

Kel was almost done copying the notes he was missing as the teacher arrived, he managed to finish them while the teacher noted the students presented.

Kel already knew the subject for today, having studied ahead had its advantages. Most of the time he was just listening and adding notes to his own, with a blue pen to stand out from the black lines he had written the night before.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Lau sliding something over to him in a discreet way. He looked down to see a small note and looked back up at Laurie.

He wasn’t in a spot where he could pass it on so it was properly for him.

After he had read it, he turned the paper and wrote back.

 

“Yes, thanks for letting me copy them, the way you wrote it made it easy to understand”

 

Kel slid his note and the notebook back to Laurie, watching as the guy read it. It felt silly but admitting that he no longer really paying much attention forwards the lesson anyway. Though Kel still acted like he did, when the teacher looked their way.

It didn’t bother him, that Laurie wrote him a note, it was just… kind of weird. He still didn’t like the thought about anyone wanting to be his friend, but Laurie wasn’t a friend. Just because he could talk to the guy, and maybe enjoy the other once company, that didn’t make them friends, just acquaintances.

Kel didn’t haft to tell the guy anything too personal about himself, which could hurt him. But being acquaintances they could just behave and talk like they wanted, without really putting much thought behind it. He liked Laurie, but at the same time he too tried his best not to. It was complicated.

[Guest Eornostlice]

Receiving a note back made the brunette basically sparkle. It was both the fact that he hadn't done anything of the sort since middleschool and that he had not been ignored. For whatever reason, that silly sneaky form of communication made him happier than he should have normally been.

 

With the teacher looking their way however, the blue eyed boy pulled a straight face, pretending he was paying attention the same way that Kel did, not wanting to disrupt the class. In truth, he doubted that the teachers would be capable of harshly telling him off, but it did not feel right to purposedly stir anything up. Plus, he did not exactly like to be differebtiated from, but that was an entirely different issue.

 

Only when the teacher averted his gaze to continue explaining did Laurie write one last message down: 'Maybe we could study together from times to times. It would be easier for us both to understand things. (°u°)/ '

 

Was he being over the top? Maybe. Yet once more the notebook was sneakily passed towards the blonde.

[M-jow]

It was fun to see how the guy’s face brightened up, and though he tried to hide it from the teacher’s gaze. The old man might not had noticed it, but Kel did.

When he got another note, he frown. No one had ever asked to be his study partner before and he didn’t know if that was a good or a bad thing.

It would be helpful considering how he had troubles at times, but that would also mean them being together after school more. And even though it had been nice yesterday, was that really something he could do?

 

Not knowing what to reply, he just stared at the note for some time, rolling the pen between his fingers while he considered what to say.

Kel really wanted to write ‘I don’t know if that is a good idea’ But when he remembered that this was more about his grades than his personal problems, he really didn't have a choice.

“Yeah maybe we could” he ended up answering, taking just a moment longer to look at the note before sending it back to Laurie.

[Guest Eornostlice]

Seeing Kel begining to hesistate, the overly excited brunette found himself wondering if he pushed it too far. After the previous days's events, he became aware of the blonde's tendency of keeping his distance and he himself was a bit more pushy than most- he was aware of it. But again, he truly wished to become the boy's proper friend so if they were to just go at Kel's pace, wouldn't they still be ignoring each other? Ah. That was thinking in circles.

 

In the end, the only way he could act was this huh? If everything else failed and Kel truly found him an annoyance, then he'd follow his wishes of course.

 

Ah. What was he so nervous for? Probably cause Kel was different from all the types of people he had come to know before. Probably that was it.

 

His worries were only dispelled when he received his notebook back, his face lighting up once more. It was a positive answer.

 

Laurie was tempted to write back and decide on a study session right away but ultimately decided against it, only glancing at Kel from the conrner of his eyes before opening his notebook back to his actual school notes. They'd just talk during the break, there was no rush. He no longer wished to disturb his deskmate. He wouldn't want him changing his mind afterall.

[M-jow]

Kel took the hint when the other started focusing on the lesson, and he himself started drifting away by looking out of the window.

 

As the time passed and as the lunch break came, Kel found himself in no hurry to get out before the others as he was used to. He wanted to speak to Laurie, and get to know what the guy meant when he wanted them to study together, as well as where.

But he didn’t want to make it obeys that he was waiting for the guy, so he just packed his things slower than normal, before pulling it up on his shoulder. Their next lesson would be sport, so he could just put his bag in his locker and get his change clothes on the way.

 

Three girl went by chattering on about something he didn’t care to listen to. Until the group stooped before him.

“Hey Kelvin, will you be running the track today?” Jess asked, that woman had a pretty face, but with the bite of a snake, and Kel couldn’t stand her. She was the only person whom thought she could use his name, besides his father no one called him by his real name. He didn’t know if she had a thing for him or not, but Kel didn’t care. Her companions were no different from her.

Instead of answering her, Kel looked at Laurie before making his escape out of the class room and away from those awful girls. He planned on meeting Laurie at the same spot they usually had lunch.

[Guest Eornostlice]

The way that Kel waited around instead just bolting out of the door was fairly adorable. Was he waiting on him? Surely he was cleaning his desk but he was being slower than usual. Maybe he was imagining things though.

 

Either way, just when he was about to speak up, he was interrupted. Who was that? Once more, he did not remember any of the names of the tree girls, despite their faces being easily recognized.

 

Kel's full name was Kelvin? He looked uncomfortable tough. Blue eyes were silently observing as the blonde once more bolted out, curiority overtaking the ignorant boy. He had not been told the full name before. So he preferred the nickname. So that girl was someone close? Then why was Kel always alone?

 

Alright. Stop. It took a second to remind himself it was none of his concern and surely there was no reason for himself to stick his nose into that.

 

"Ah Laurie, right? Do you have a minute?" One of the three started but his bag was already packet and he wanted to catch up. He could only smile and excuae himself, making his way out as well, heading towards the lockers to place his bag in there. He did not need to change unlike most students due to the fact that he was not exactly capable of actively participate in the physical education class but he wanted to do so either way jusy to fit in with the rest. While at it, he kept an eye out for Kel.