For Curtis, dated 10/27
Oct. 20th, 2014 03:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Even as they walk away from that horrible, sterile place that Grey vows never to go back to, he's flexing his left wrist, moving it, twisting both hands, because he can. The cast is finally off and he has both hands back. The nurse had made some sound when she'd cut it, about how dirty it was, about the dried blood perhaps, but he doesn't care. He flexes his hands, splaying his fingers. Finally, he can climb again, fully and truly and he gives Curtis one look before he dashes ahead, grabbing on to a post with a light on top and spinning himself around just because he can.
It hurts, twinges, really, but he's not supposed to do that, he's sure. But he doesn't care. The cast is gone and he has his sweat-jacket-sleeve pulled down to hide the pasty gray of the skin underneath the cast.
He lands on his feet and faces Curtis, his face almost lighting up. They can spar now, if Curtis wants, they can train. He can join that gym that Tris is at, if Curtis will help him. He's just that little bit more free than he was an hour ago.
It hurts, twinges, really, but he's not supposed to do that, he's sure. But he doesn't care. The cast is gone and he has his sweat-jacket-sleeve pulled down to hide the pasty gray of the skin underneath the cast.
He lands on his feet and faces Curtis, his face almost lighting up. They can spar now, if Curtis wants, they can train. He can join that gym that Tris is at, if Curtis will help him. He's just that little bit more free than he was an hour ago.
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Date: 2014-10-22 12:18 am (UTC)Grey-- fucking deadly Grey, was just a kid. It was easy to forget.
"How's it feel?" he asked. He already knew the answer.
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Date: 2014-10-22 12:22 am (UTC)It's more than fine.
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Date: 2014-10-22 12:27 am (UTC)He was still off balance, out of practice, feeling clumsier than he had in his life.
"You wanna kick my ass, right now, I'm not sure it'd be much of an accomplishment."
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Date: 2014-10-22 12:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-22 12:33 am (UTC)Squinting down at the little folded scrap in Grey's hand, he said, "A gym membership, huh? Okay. We'll figure something out."
Some of the questions were unanswerable. They'd have to make something up.
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Date: 2014-10-22 12:37 am (UTC)The gym, though. He catches up that half-step and gestures with both hands: climbing, there. Running, jumping. Like on the train, but entirely different.
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Date: 2014-10-22 12:42 am (UTC)"You'll have a hell of a lot more room to move."
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Date: 2014-10-22 12:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-22 12:59 am (UTC)He knew Grey was used to doing as he was told, but Curtis was trying to give the kid choices.
"Give the arm a day to breathe before you start overworking it." His lips twisted into a wry smile.
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Date: 2014-10-22 01:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-22 01:11 am (UTC)"You hungry?"
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Date: 2014-10-22 01:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-22 01:28 am (UTC)But after nearly twenty years, their stomachs couldn't handle anything so rich. They'd been introducing things into their diets slowly, hugging the toilets when they got a little too bold.
There was a diner and bakery down the street serving comfort foods and homemade baked goods. It was as good a place as any.
As they approached, he could see that it was decorated elaborately for Halloween, strung up with fake spider webs, orange lights, pumpkins and skeletons. He'd forgotten half of these stupid traditions, but seeing them on display, now, made his chest ache for reasons he didn't want to examine too closely.
When he pulled open the door, an electronic sensor set off a little plastic skull just inside. Its eyes lit up and it cackled, maniacally gleeful. He gave it a sidelong glance and stepped aside to let Grey in.
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Date: 2014-10-22 01:35 am (UTC)What's all this?! He doesn't like it.
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Date: 2014-10-22 01:45 am (UTC)"It's Halloween in a few days." October 31st, he remembered. "It's... A tradition. Kids carve pumpkins," he said, pointing one out that sat festively on top of the bakery case. "Go door to door asking for candy. Dress in costume. Teenagers get drunk and pull pranks on strangers. It looks like it's pretty big, here."
He sat down in the booth, sliding a plastic menu over toward Grey's side. A good thing about this place is that most of the menu consisted of pictures.
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Date: 2014-10-22 01:53 am (UTC)Why? He points to the word on his arm.
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Date: 2014-10-22 02:04 am (UTC)Maybe he didn't remember or maybe he'd never known. It was just something that was, as far as he knew.
"For fun, I guess. And the free candy." Most kids weren't gonna pass up free candy.
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Date: 2014-10-22 02:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-22 02:15 am (UTC)The waitress came over, smiling brightly and setting down two waters. "Can I get you boys anything else to drink?" She was pretty, blonde and bubbly and maybe a little too loud. Everyone seemed too clean and too bright and too much, in Darrow. They hadn't been crushed inside a metal tube their whole lives.
He smiled thinly. "I think we're good. Can you give us a minute?"
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Date: 2014-10-22 02:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-22 02:38 am (UTC)He clinched his teeth and when the waitress returned, he settled for a BLT and fries.
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Date: 2014-10-22 10:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-28 03:03 am (UTC)Before she could leave, he asked the waitress, "Could we get a pen?" With a confused smile, she pulled one from her pocket. "Oh sure!" she chirped, setting it down on the table before she disappeared to put in their order.
"Let's see that form," Curtis said to Grey, once they were alone.
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Date: 2014-10-28 11:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-28 05:23 pm (UTC)"What do think you are, seventeen? Eighteen?" Curtis guessed, looking at Grey with a thoughtful frown. Honestly, he couldn't remember when the kid had been born. He remembered him, small and curious, always in Gilliam's shadow, but as for dates? They'd have to make something up.
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Date: 2014-10-28 06:41 pm (UTC)Could he have a birthday?
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Date: 2014-11-02 04:08 am (UTC)If nothing else, it made things simpler.
After a moment, he cleared his throat and said, "I'll put my name down under guardian, just in case."
They basically lived together, after all, and if something ever happened to the kid, he'd want to be the first to know.
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Date: 2014-11-02 05:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-11-07 05:21 am (UTC)It seemed like something he ought to pick for himself. One small step toward claiming his life as his own.
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Date: 2014-11-07 01:51 pm (UTC)Grey swallowed hard, searching Curtis's face. If he wanted, he could make this very day his birthday. Tomorrow.
He took the pen, holding it.
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Date: 2014-11-11 04:28 am (UTC)The last day of the train, but he wasn't going to bring that up.
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Date: 2014-11-11 12:26 pm (UTC)If he picked September 15, he'd wait a long time to have a birthday. There might have been the smallest tell-tale pout. But Curtis did have a point.
Finally, he wrote that down, remembering the date from the paperwork from the hospital.
September 15th was now Grey's birthday.