・Lungs・

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The dog let out a loud bark, and Florence pried himself off of Nathaniel. "You just don't get it, do you!" He started loudly. "I trusted you! I thought we could be friends-- do you know what's in there?! There is stuff in there that I can't even accept myself, let alone tell to my ex-girlfriend's brother!" All of his secrets, all of his hopes and dreams, all of his rants and vents, his poems and songs. He had trusted the other not to look in there, but he did so without even feeling bad about it.

"Do you think I'm just-just some kind of moron? No, fuck you, goodbye, I'm not doing anything with you again." He said, almost childishly. He wanted to grab the blanket, but his exhaustion wouldn't allow it. Florence rolled over, facing his dog.
 
Nate was fuming as Florence yelled at him. Friends? Ex-girlfriend? "Of course I know what's in there, I HEARD everything, Florence!" Nate yelled out. "And I'm sorry I grabbed it like I did, I felt like shit for doing that. But I'm GLAD I heard all of it!"

"Yes, you're a moron for staying holed up in your room smoking that piece of crap!" Nate looked over at the packet of cigarettes, desperately wishing he could toss it out the window again. But he didn't think Florence's mother would approve of such trash outside their home. "And I'm not just your 'ex-girlfriend's brother."

He reached down to grab onto Florence's arm a bit, though not pulling as hard as he did before. "Get off your damn ass and let's go somewhere."
 
Florence pulled his arm back, glaring at the other with so much hate in his eyes. Florence was hurting. All he wanted to do was do nothing at all. Even if he did want to do something, he would never with the likes of him. Florence was so close to sicking his dog on him that it wasn't even funny. Florence was going to kick his ass.

Florence was going to do so much illegal shit to him, it wouldn't be funny. Florence tried to keep a stiff upper lip, but it soon wobbled, and his voice began to crack. "Just leave me alone. Please.."
 
Initially, Nate was going to be as persistent as he usually is, and insist on going out to grab something to eat. But at the sight of the broken down Florence glaring at him, Nate's confidence in his plan immediately dissolved into thin air. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

Was he really making it worse by being here? Florence did state once that he looked like Valencia, perhaps his presence in it of itself is the horrible factor. Well, that and the fact that Nate couldn't quite do or say anything to help Florence. Ever... Well, except that one time. Maybe, did it really end up helping?

It was worth a shot. And if Florence was still going to push Nate away, then he'll give up. But until then, Nate had to keep trying.

He went back on the bed, unsure on how to proceed. Finally, he took a deep shaky breath, and plopped down next to Florence. Afterwards, he pulled Florence into a hug, trying to comfort him just as he did in the hospital. "I am a friend." He muttered a bit, "And I don't want to leave you alone, especially not now..."
 
Florence broke down into the other, as if he had some kid of magic touch. The tears fell out from his eyes and seemed to fill the entire room. Florence was scared of being alone. He really was, but he just needed to work this out for himself. He didn't want help when he could do it on his own. Florence felt like throwing up, but it was the realization that he was just so tired and hungry.

"Wha-What did I do wrong..?" He sobbed into the other, holding him like he was a tree and the other was a fruit.
 
Just like before, Nate held Florence tightly. It seemed to be the only thing that worked, but Nate didn't mind - as long as Florence felt better afterwards. And just like before, he stroked Florence's back softly with his hands.

"Nothing, you did nothing wrong." He answered, his mind flashing back to Valencia. "She was the one who wronged you, Florence. Not the other way around."

And he wouldn't let go. Even as Florence's arms went lax, Nate continued to try to hold him. Last time, he let go when he thought Florence was done. But he wasn't, Florence still needed someone to be with him. So, this time Nate reacted differently. He just kept on holding the other boy in his tight, warm embrace.
 
Florence went limp after about two minuets of solid crying, but the other still held firm. It was hard, letting him hold him like that, but he let it happen. Once he was sure he was completely dry, he pulled himself away, and reached over to get his recorder. He kept it in his pocket, and sighed. He knew that the other wasn't going to leave unless Florence entertained him, so he pulled his legs off of the side of the bed, and stood limply.

"Let's go do something." He groaned, as he went over to his closet to pull out some clothing that was a little less stale than the ones he had on. He let the other leave his room, and wait for him in the living room. He also send Water-Lou out with him, just to make sure he didn't steal anything else. Water-Lou, once outside, made himself comfortable in a bean-bag chair, and simply slept some more.

When Florence walked out, he simply solved his unkempt hair with a black beanie, and threw on a different shirt. He still wore his pants and shoes, too lazy to change into anything better. He had a white shirt on, and a black hoodie over that. He was forever monochrome. Florence toddled to the door to the garage, and called out to his mother.

"Chief, we're going to do something."
"We? Well, alright, how about we paint something."
"I mean Nathaniel and I, mom--"
"We want to paint Water-Lou's doghouse a nice, bright--"
"Mom--"
"Green--"
"Anything but green--"
"Alright, blue. We're going to paint this house a nice blue color."

There was no fighting with her. Florence sighed, and turned to the other. "Come out here,"
 
Nate heard the entire exchange take place and he blinked. Painting? He gave Florence a questioning look and he walked out of the house and into the garage. "Mrs- Mrytle? You want us to paint...?"

He glanced over at the paintbrush and the paint bucket, eyeing the bright blue liquid that glittered in the sun. The smell of paint was almost overwhelming, but not enough to make him feel sick. He then looked over at the giant house with the words "WATER-LOU" already carved into the front.

Politely, he came over to pick up the brush obediently. But even as he did, he eyed it like it was some sort of foreign object. He then looked back over at Florence, his eyes almost showing a little bit of conflict. "I don't know how to paint, so I might mess it up..." He then hesitantly placed the brush straight into the bucket.
 
"Don't worry," He said. "My mom doesn't know how to paint either. Have you seen the color of my car?" He said, as he slopped the brush into the paint. "Just have it go all one way, and make sure it isn't on too think." With that, Florence began to paint. He took one side, and Nathaniel took the other.

Florence slopped the blue pant on lazily, even getting it on his shirt a few times. "What's blue and smells like blue paint? Blue paint." It wasn't long before Florence gently pressed his hand in the blue paint, and scooted towards Nathaniel. "Whoah!" He said, using his clean hand to point. "Look over there!"

When Nathaniel looked, Florence stationed his hand on the other's shoulder, so when he looked back, he would get a face-full of blue paint.
 
"I don't see any-" Nate immediately felt something cold and stinky slide across his face. He yelled and his eyes were wide as he fell back. He then looked up at Florence, who had an entire hand filled with blue paint - looking like the guilty culprit.

Nate narrowed his eyes, and he touched the blue paint that streaked across his face. "Why'd you do that?!" He yelled out slightly, and then immediately enacted on his revenge.

He jumped up, and then used the paintbrush to paint one long streak down Florence's hair. Nate grinned as he saw the clashing colors of red and blue collide. "You look better this way."
 
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Florence knew that this meant war. He grabbed his brush, and brushed an entire blue line across his face and neck. "You're so going down, Cross." He sneered, flicking paint at him from his hair.

He never thought that he would ever be flicking paint at the boy he so terribly hated for most of his life. Well, maybe he would, but never in a friendly matter. He soon dipped his hand in paint again, and slapped it on his shirt.
 
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Nate found himself laughing like a little boy again. He yelled out a bit and fell back when Florence slapped some more paint across his shirt, so Nate pulled out the big guns. He suddenly grabbed the entire bucket and grinned wildly, like a little monkey. "Try this on for size, Birdwhistle!" Then he proceeded to try to dump the paint onto Florence, trying to make the boy become a blue alien.

Granted, he mostly missed, and most of the paint ended up coating the garage floor. Splatter marks marked everything, including him, and especially Florence as he was in the dangerous 'splash zone.' For a moment, Nate stared at the floor and then up at Florence. For a moment, he almost freaked out - what were they doing? They just potentially ruined part of Florence's house.

But at the sight of Florence, at the blue streaks and blue polka dots that marred the red head and his monochromatic wardrobe, Nate soon forgot all about his worries and he burst out laughing. "You look ridiculous!!!" He managed to cry out in between his fits of laughter.
 
Florence was shocked at what had happened. He knew his mother was going to kill him, but he began laughing, aswell. He soon smiled wickedly, and looked at the other. Florence gave him the devil's eye, and slowly stretched his arms out, blue paint dripping from him.

"Nathaniel," He started, "I need a hug," It wasn't long before Florence was running after the boy, and he soon latched onto him, getting blue paint all over him. His arms, shirt, paints, face, hair. Every part of them was blue, and he loved it. He didn't recall having this much fun in days!!
 
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Nate's eyes were huge when Florence came at him like a hugging monster. "No! Stop! Don-" and then he was engulfed by the other's dripping blue hug. He groaned in the hug, trying to wiggle away free. "Ugh, Florence!" He groaned, although playfully. "You jerk!"

He soon gave up though and ceased his wiggling and struggling. Instead, he glanced over at the dog house. Well, they failed their job. He wonders how Florence's mother would react. "Maybe you should hug the dog house, instead." He advised, pushing Florence once again. "Your mom is going to kill us otherwise!"
 
And almost like clockwork, the mother came out, and she held her heart like it was going to break. "Jumping Jehoshaphat!" She said, rubbing her head. "You boys..." She grumbled to herself while she angrily walked over to the shelf, and pulling out a new bucket of paint. She complained to herself while she opened the bucket of green paint.

"Whoah, mom, I'm sorry, let me explain--" He stopped when his mother started smiling. Oh, no, what was going to happen. "I told you boys to paint it..." She then flung green paint onto both of the boys, and most of the dog house. "Green!" She dropped the paint bucket, and began her own laughing fit. Florence was like a terrible camouflage commercial, but he soon began his own fit.
 
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Nate was planning on apologizing profusely for their actions, but then the Birdwhistle family managed to surprise him yet again. They seem to do that a lot don't they?

Now Nate was drenched in a weird mixture of blue and green, and the paints were mixing on his body to create some sort of awful looking blue-green. He glanced over at Florence, who was now going through his own laughing faze, which only sparked Nate's laughter yet again. "Mrytle!" He cried out a bit, trying to wipe away the paint on his face. "You missed as well!!!"

After a few moments, he glanced over at the poor neglected dog house, which was only filled with strange patterns of blue and green splatters. He smiled a bit and went over to it. He placed one of his hand on the side of the dog house, successfully leaving a strange looking hand print. Then, he glanced up at the other two, "Let's all leave our mark!"
 
Florence was trying to give his mother a hug by the time that the other had spoken up. Myrtle and Florence both smiled at eachother, and neared the doghouse. The mother placed her hand on her painted and speckled son, and sapped paint from him to contribute to the chaos. She rubbed his hair, and he simply pressed his hand on there. There were now three hand-prints, and they all seemed to match in creativity.

Myrtle smiled, and sighed. "Now," She started. "We have to get the hose for you two. No way in hell are you tracking that stuff into my house." She smirked. "I'll get you two some clean clothes, and a towel."

Florence felt like he was twelve years old again, and he had been playing in the mud with the neighbor kids. It was great. He felt happier, without the aid of cigarettes. He wanted to smiled, but the paint was drying and it was going to peel if he moved any face muscles.
 
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Nate gazed down at their matching hand prints, and he felt a sort of happiness and pride swelled in his heart. Sure, it probably didn't mean much to the next guy, but to Nate, this sort of fun was rare in their current day and age. He wasn't quite sure when the last time he was able to do something like this was.

When Florence's mother went to get the hose, Nate turned to Florence. Again, more happiness made it's way into Nate's mind as he saw the other boy not nearly as depressed as he's been the last few days. "I think I won." Nate grinned triumphantly and his voice teased, "you have more paint on you."

He then made his way towards the grass outside, looking for Mrytle with the hose. His skin was already starting to feel stiff from the drying paint, and he gladly welcomed the wash of water as it sprayed onto his face and body. He even turned to splash some water on Florence's face as well, laughing in the process.
 
"Hands to yourselves, boys," Myrtle teased. She was sure to spray Florence in the face a few times, but when Nathaniel was out of line, she did the same with him. After about fifteen minuets, they were both colorless. Florence's shirt was ruined, and his hair still held specks, but he was better than before.

Florence took his own towel, and changed near the side of the house. He pulled on new clothes, a walked out to the front. He was now wearing a different pair of jeans, a hamburger t-shirt that his mother thought was hilarious, and a black hoodie. This one was a little small, because he took it from his mother. When he came around the front, he saw the other wearing some clothes that he borrowed from Florence. He also saw his mother come, with Water-Lou on a lease, and the dog tugging her around the front yard.

"Let me clean the garage, and you can walk your dinosaur."

He didn't object,
 
Nate tried his best to slip his clothes on, although he was quite embarrassed he had to do it outside. Sure, he could have ducked inside real quick, but despite his attempts of drying off with a towel, he was still soaked to the bones.

Finally, when he did manage to put everything on without flashing any poor passerbys, Nate blushed in realization. When Florence saw him, Nate's face was already a bright red color, and he looked a bit annoyed with himself. The legs of Florence's pants were way past Nate's feet, and they bunched up at the bottom, perhaps holding a meeting on how they could trip Nate. And Florence's shirt was much too long, it almost looked like a dress.

Nate looked up at Florence, looking like a small child attempting to wear his older brother's clothes. "You're too big." He muttered a bit unhappily. He always knew that Florence was taller than him, but really? This was ridiculous! "Don't you have anything smaller...?" If they were going back inside, Nate wouldn't have cared, but as Mrytle gave them the task of walking the dog, Nate definitely did not want to go out into the public looking like that.
 
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