Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Inside Out ❯ Busted ( Chapter 17 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
When Sheek returned from getting the food, he was mildly surprised by the sight presented to him as he re-entered the apartment. Lucas had his head resting on the arm rest of the sofa-it was tilted back, nearly hanging off the edge, and one arm was curled over his eyes. The other was fastened securely, protectively, around Elias’s waist. He in turn was pressed up against his front, and his still body rose and fell in time to Lucas’s breathing.
Setting the food onto the counter, Sheek deposited his keys alongside the packages and shed his jacket, dropping it into the arm chair. Removing his spectacles, he pinched the bridge of his nose betwixt thumb and forefinger, before allowing a large, heavy sigh to escape his lips. It would be best to let them rest, maybe. Stay for a while longer as they were.
Heading into his bedroom, he closed the door and set his glasses on the bedside dresser. Sitting down on the mattress, he collapsed and stared up at the ceiling. He didn’t like this feeling of helplessness that overwhelmed him. He had always been a very capable person, many people relied on him-being unable to do anything, do something that could help, he wasn’t used to it. Sheek came from a very prominent family, and as it had been known-to his close friends, anyway-he had many people of whom he would easily be able to get into contact with. People who could easily pull a few strings for him. It had proved many times to be effective, and had helped more than once to change a negative outcome to a positive one. Perhaps it was the cowardly way out, yes, but Sheek didn’t think of it that way. He was helping people-that’s what he wanted to do. That was one of the reasons he had enrolled in University and took the Psychology courses recommended to become a psychiatrist.
But there were too many people involved to fix this situation.
Rolling onto his side, he propped his head up with his hand, and stared at the clock adjacent him. The device ticked on relentlessly despite its age, which drew a small, faint smile to the troubled artist’s lips. There really wasn’t anything he could do. He was one to meddle in other peoples affairs-‘twas one of the reasons Lucas was so short with him. But he did know where he stood at most points, and he was not one to persevere when there was obviously a lost cause at hand.
In truth, it really was up to the other two. He could only be there to offer support. And from the looks of things, they would both need it.
--
Heavy eyelids opened, and Lucas lay on the couch unmoving. The slight form that rested against his front was comforting, and the warmth radiating from Elias’s body was also comforting, soothing. He would have gone back to sleep too, if Sheek hadn’t come back into the living room at that precise moment. He had a cup of coffee in hand, and as he sat down in the chair adjacent the couch, their eyes met.
Sore from being in the same position for more than twenty minutes, Lucas carefully eased himself up onto his elbows. Elias let out a soft groan of protest, before simply snuggling closer to him, and burying his face against his throat. Lucas smiled at this, and his hand, which had been wrapped about Elias’s small waist, came up to brush affectionately at the hairs on the nape of his neck.
Sheek watched this exchange silently, and finally, when Lucas looked back up to him, he spoke.
“What are you planning on doing?”
“I don’t know,” he muttered, lacing his fingers through Elias’s hair. “I’ll be twenty one tomorrow…can’t I take care of him?”
“Are you sure you’re fit to be in that kind of position?”
“No.”
Lucas didn’t hesitate in his response. He knew he wasn’t. He knew he was just fooling himself. He couldn’t carry this on any longer, and to let Elias believe anything other than the truth would be cruel. And he’d put up with enough cruelty from Lucas to last him a lifetime. The only thing that was making him hesitate in his decision was the fact that Elias was obviously not taking to well to the choice he’d made. But couldn’t he see that it was for his benefit? Granted had Lucas not started any of this, they would have been fine, but he was also putting an end to it.
Couldn’t he see that it was hurting him too, doing this?
“When is the court date?” Sheek asked, obviously making an attempt to change the subject. It wasn’t a very strong effort though, for the court date, among what was going on between himself and Elias, was only another thing on a very long list of problems. Lucas muttered out a response and continued cradling his brother’s sleeping form. He didn’t care about the numb ache developing in his lower back, or the pins and needles that were racing along his biceps from holding his position for so long. He could ignore it, and he would, if he could just stay like this for a while longer.
“Are you really going to take him with you?”
“Who said I was going?”
Sheek scoffed at his comment, before pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Crossing his long legs, he took a sip of his coffee before letting his gaze wander over the two on the couch. It bothered Lucas a little to be seen like this with Elias, but he chose to say silent as Sheek continued on with what he had to say.
“You have to testify. You can’t just skip out of a court date.”
“I would if Elias asked me to.”
“You’re playing a dangerous game now, Lucas. You have to consider the rules, and you’re not just going by your own anymore.”
Green eyes narrowing, Lucas slumped back onto the couch. Elias let out a small, incoherent mutter when he did this, but did not wake. Staring at the ceiling, he contemplated his options. All of this was his fault, and if he were to look at it from all angles, he couldn’t get out of this with out hurting himself or Elias. He could stand it, he supposed, hell he’d probably even get over this, but Elias... Elias was still so young, and now because of him, he was forever going to be fucked in the head. Crude way of putting it yes, but it was the truth. A lot of truths were bearing down on him now, and the weight pushing down on his chest was not caused by the slumbering form resting against him.
“What should I do, then?” he inquired, looking over to Sheek. The older man stared at his coffee, and his brows drew together as if in thought. There as silence for a long time, before a heavy sigh broke through, and Sheek shook his head.
“Honestly, I’m at a loss. It hasn’t gone so far for you that it is a necessity to hire someone of legal aid... be that the case in the near future, I can help you.”
“Fucking connections,” Lucas mumbled. Sheek smiled at his comment, but pressed on.
“My best advice for you now would be to continue with your original plan. It is the safest for both you and your brother. I’m going to be blunt on this.”
Leaning forward, he lifted a hand to remove the glasses he so often wore. Folding them carefully, he looked back up to Lucas, who was watching him with mild curiosity. They did not speak for a moment, before Lucas frowned with impatience. Obviously being the reaction he wanted, Sheek continued.
“If you keep this up, you will end up in jail and there won’t be a damned thing I can do about it. I highly doubt Elias has any intentions of telling anyone, for it’s painfully obvious how he feels about you. You can’t risk getting caught however, and this is something that can escalate beyond our control in a series of weeks--no, days even. I want to help you, but you’ve got to help yourself first.”
Lucas pondered this a moment, before irritation swept along his features. Lip drawing back in a sneer, he asked in a mocking tone, “How much am I paying you for this?”
Sheek blinked, a look of confusion claiming dominance over his previously concerned expression. “What?”
“Because you’re starting to sound like a fucking therapist,” the younger hissed instantly. “I don’t need someone to tell me what I already know and then ask me how I feel about it.”
Sighing in exasperation, Sheek sat back in his chair. He was slightly irritated as well. Lucas wasn’t exactly the easiest person to talk to on a regular basis, let alone when he was backed into a corner. He had always been an aggressive person, ever since Sheek had met him. He had a sharp tongue, a sarcastic wit, and an attitude that would have most people screaming at him within minutes of being introduced. He was a hard person to love, to deal with, but Sheek did both and he didn’t plan on quitting any time soon just because Lucas was going through a difficult time. Regardless of whether or not he’d brought it on himself.
“All I am saying is that you need to make a decision and stick with it. If you’re going to stop seeing him, you can’t continue torturing yourself like this, because in the end it will only make your separation worse.”
-*-
Elias had been listening to their conversation for a while. Long enough to catch the seriousness of their exchanged words. He had said nothing and continued to feign sleep for fear of interrupting something important, and as they continued to speak, he discovered that despite said topics importance, he was continuously growing more and more anxious. This was not something he wanted to hear. He didn’t even want any of it to happen. Why did he have to go away? His pulse raced with anxiety, and he’d buried his face into Lucas’s throat for comfort. Lucas had laced his fingers through his hair and gently massaged his scalp--no doubt a subconscious reaction to his cuddling, and they continued on with their talking, unaware of the third pair of ears listening in.
“All I am saying is that you need to make a decision and stick with it. If you’re going to stop seeing him, you can’t continue torturing yourself like this, because in the end it will only make your separation worse.”
“I can’t just dump him somewhere until they say he can go live with our Aunt--and besides, I agreed to have him live with us for two weeks.”
Sheek sighed with irritation no doubt, and Elias squeezed his eyes closed tight, and focused on slowing down his pulse.
“You need to keep your distance then, Lucas. You can’t keep giving him hope, because you know as well as I do that it will ruin him even more so.”
“And what if I can’t do that?”
“I don’t know what you’re going to do then.”
There was movement, and then silence. It went on for so long that Elias began to wonder if Sheek left, but another sigh across the room alerted him of his presence.
They still did not speak, and Elias dared to open an eye. Sheek sat with his head back and he was staring at the ceiling. Lucas swallowed, and Elias stiffened.
He immediately forced his body to relax, but it proved to be too late as Lucas shifted his positioning, and his arms came to rest on his shoulders.
“Elias?”
Slowly, the boy lifted his head to meet Lucas’s eyes, and he knew as soon as their gaze met, that Lucas realized he’d been awake for the conversation. Or most of it at least. Alarm entered his expression and he parted his lips to speak, before a small sob escaped Elias’s own.
Authors Note:
Oh shit.
What's he gonna do now?
Thanks for all the reviews you guys, I really appreciate it!!
...Have you ever noticed that all of my chapters end in cliffhangers? >.>
Setting the food onto the counter, Sheek deposited his keys alongside the packages and shed his jacket, dropping it into the arm chair. Removing his spectacles, he pinched the bridge of his nose betwixt thumb and forefinger, before allowing a large, heavy sigh to escape his lips. It would be best to let them rest, maybe. Stay for a while longer as they were.
Heading into his bedroom, he closed the door and set his glasses on the bedside dresser. Sitting down on the mattress, he collapsed and stared up at the ceiling. He didn’t like this feeling of helplessness that overwhelmed him. He had always been a very capable person, many people relied on him-being unable to do anything, do something that could help, he wasn’t used to it. Sheek came from a very prominent family, and as it had been known-to his close friends, anyway-he had many people of whom he would easily be able to get into contact with. People who could easily pull a few strings for him. It had proved many times to be effective, and had helped more than once to change a negative outcome to a positive one. Perhaps it was the cowardly way out, yes, but Sheek didn’t think of it that way. He was helping people-that’s what he wanted to do. That was one of the reasons he had enrolled in University and took the Psychology courses recommended to become a psychiatrist.
But there were too many people involved to fix this situation.
Rolling onto his side, he propped his head up with his hand, and stared at the clock adjacent him. The device ticked on relentlessly despite its age, which drew a small, faint smile to the troubled artist’s lips. There really wasn’t anything he could do. He was one to meddle in other peoples affairs-‘twas one of the reasons Lucas was so short with him. But he did know where he stood at most points, and he was not one to persevere when there was obviously a lost cause at hand.
In truth, it really was up to the other two. He could only be there to offer support. And from the looks of things, they would both need it.
--
Heavy eyelids opened, and Lucas lay on the couch unmoving. The slight form that rested against his front was comforting, and the warmth radiating from Elias’s body was also comforting, soothing. He would have gone back to sleep too, if Sheek hadn’t come back into the living room at that precise moment. He had a cup of coffee in hand, and as he sat down in the chair adjacent the couch, their eyes met.
Sore from being in the same position for more than twenty minutes, Lucas carefully eased himself up onto his elbows. Elias let out a soft groan of protest, before simply snuggling closer to him, and burying his face against his throat. Lucas smiled at this, and his hand, which had been wrapped about Elias’s small waist, came up to brush affectionately at the hairs on the nape of his neck.
Sheek watched this exchange silently, and finally, when Lucas looked back up to him, he spoke.
“What are you planning on doing?”
“I don’t know,” he muttered, lacing his fingers through Elias’s hair. “I’ll be twenty one tomorrow…can’t I take care of him?”
“Are you sure you’re fit to be in that kind of position?”
“No.”
Lucas didn’t hesitate in his response. He knew he wasn’t. He knew he was just fooling himself. He couldn’t carry this on any longer, and to let Elias believe anything other than the truth would be cruel. And he’d put up with enough cruelty from Lucas to last him a lifetime. The only thing that was making him hesitate in his decision was the fact that Elias was obviously not taking to well to the choice he’d made. But couldn’t he see that it was for his benefit? Granted had Lucas not started any of this, they would have been fine, but he was also putting an end to it.
Couldn’t he see that it was hurting him too, doing this?
“When is the court date?” Sheek asked, obviously making an attempt to change the subject. It wasn’t a very strong effort though, for the court date, among what was going on between himself and Elias, was only another thing on a very long list of problems. Lucas muttered out a response and continued cradling his brother’s sleeping form. He didn’t care about the numb ache developing in his lower back, or the pins and needles that were racing along his biceps from holding his position for so long. He could ignore it, and he would, if he could just stay like this for a while longer.
“Are you really going to take him with you?”
“Who said I was going?”
Sheek scoffed at his comment, before pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Crossing his long legs, he took a sip of his coffee before letting his gaze wander over the two on the couch. It bothered Lucas a little to be seen like this with Elias, but he chose to say silent as Sheek continued on with what he had to say.
“You have to testify. You can’t just skip out of a court date.”
“I would if Elias asked me to.”
“You’re playing a dangerous game now, Lucas. You have to consider the rules, and you’re not just going by your own anymore.”
Green eyes narrowing, Lucas slumped back onto the couch. Elias let out a small, incoherent mutter when he did this, but did not wake. Staring at the ceiling, he contemplated his options. All of this was his fault, and if he were to look at it from all angles, he couldn’t get out of this with out hurting himself or Elias. He could stand it, he supposed, hell he’d probably even get over this, but Elias... Elias was still so young, and now because of him, he was forever going to be fucked in the head. Crude way of putting it yes, but it was the truth. A lot of truths were bearing down on him now, and the weight pushing down on his chest was not caused by the slumbering form resting against him.
“What should I do, then?” he inquired, looking over to Sheek. The older man stared at his coffee, and his brows drew together as if in thought. There as silence for a long time, before a heavy sigh broke through, and Sheek shook his head.
“Honestly, I’m at a loss. It hasn’t gone so far for you that it is a necessity to hire someone of legal aid... be that the case in the near future, I can help you.”
“Fucking connections,” Lucas mumbled. Sheek smiled at his comment, but pressed on.
“My best advice for you now would be to continue with your original plan. It is the safest for both you and your brother. I’m going to be blunt on this.”
Leaning forward, he lifted a hand to remove the glasses he so often wore. Folding them carefully, he looked back up to Lucas, who was watching him with mild curiosity. They did not speak for a moment, before Lucas frowned with impatience. Obviously being the reaction he wanted, Sheek continued.
“If you keep this up, you will end up in jail and there won’t be a damned thing I can do about it. I highly doubt Elias has any intentions of telling anyone, for it’s painfully obvious how he feels about you. You can’t risk getting caught however, and this is something that can escalate beyond our control in a series of weeks--no, days even. I want to help you, but you’ve got to help yourself first.”
Lucas pondered this a moment, before irritation swept along his features. Lip drawing back in a sneer, he asked in a mocking tone, “How much am I paying you for this?”
Sheek blinked, a look of confusion claiming dominance over his previously concerned expression. “What?”
“Because you’re starting to sound like a fucking therapist,” the younger hissed instantly. “I don’t need someone to tell me what I already know and then ask me how I feel about it.”
Sighing in exasperation, Sheek sat back in his chair. He was slightly irritated as well. Lucas wasn’t exactly the easiest person to talk to on a regular basis, let alone when he was backed into a corner. He had always been an aggressive person, ever since Sheek had met him. He had a sharp tongue, a sarcastic wit, and an attitude that would have most people screaming at him within minutes of being introduced. He was a hard person to love, to deal with, but Sheek did both and he didn’t plan on quitting any time soon just because Lucas was going through a difficult time. Regardless of whether or not he’d brought it on himself.
“All I am saying is that you need to make a decision and stick with it. If you’re going to stop seeing him, you can’t continue torturing yourself like this, because in the end it will only make your separation worse.”
-*-
Elias had been listening to their conversation for a while. Long enough to catch the seriousness of their exchanged words. He had said nothing and continued to feign sleep for fear of interrupting something important, and as they continued to speak, he discovered that despite said topics importance, he was continuously growing more and more anxious. This was not something he wanted to hear. He didn’t even want any of it to happen. Why did he have to go away? His pulse raced with anxiety, and he’d buried his face into Lucas’s throat for comfort. Lucas had laced his fingers through his hair and gently massaged his scalp--no doubt a subconscious reaction to his cuddling, and they continued on with their talking, unaware of the third pair of ears listening in.
“All I am saying is that you need to make a decision and stick with it. If you’re going to stop seeing him, you can’t continue torturing yourself like this, because in the end it will only make your separation worse.”
“I can’t just dump him somewhere until they say he can go live with our Aunt--and besides, I agreed to have him live with us for two weeks.”
Sheek sighed with irritation no doubt, and Elias squeezed his eyes closed tight, and focused on slowing down his pulse.
“You need to keep your distance then, Lucas. You can’t keep giving him hope, because you know as well as I do that it will ruin him even more so.”
“And what if I can’t do that?”
“I don’t know what you’re going to do then.”
There was movement, and then silence. It went on for so long that Elias began to wonder if Sheek left, but another sigh across the room alerted him of his presence.
They still did not speak, and Elias dared to open an eye. Sheek sat with his head back and he was staring at the ceiling. Lucas swallowed, and Elias stiffened.
He immediately forced his body to relax, but it proved to be too late as Lucas shifted his positioning, and his arms came to rest on his shoulders.
“Elias?”
Slowly, the boy lifted his head to meet Lucas’s eyes, and he knew as soon as their gaze met, that Lucas realized he’d been awake for the conversation. Or most of it at least. Alarm entered his expression and he parted his lips to speak, before a small sob escaped Elias’s own.
Authors Note:
Oh shit.
What's he gonna do now?
Thanks for all the reviews you guys, I really appreciate it!!
...Have you ever noticed that all of my chapters end in cliffhangers? >.>