Magnum Opus

  • So many newbies lately! Here is a very important PSA about one of our most vital content policies! Read it even if you are an ancient member!
"I don't have friends, Cain. They're not my mates. They're guys I keep close to 'cos I know how fucking horrible they are. It's fucking cowardly of me, but that's that. They used to fucking torment me, you know? I'd rather be friends than enemies with 'em again," shrugged Felix, not entirely knowing what to say or even do to comfort the other. He wanted to show him he was a good guy and prepared to support him, but what was he supposed to do? He was walking on eggshells, fully aware that the wrong word or wrong facial expression could set the other off into tears-- and he wanted to avoid that.

"...I, uh... your brother will be back soon, I'm sure," he weakly smiled, before sighing to himself at how vague and unclear he was. "I don't know what to say, it's all-- the good thing is everyone's out looking for him, you know? He's been gone a day and everyone's already out looking, so... so that tells you something. Your family's well-liked around here."
 
"My mother gets on with people well, that's the only reason we're okay financially. Everyone swoons over her and she doesn't even give them a second glance, you know? It's sort of hilarious," he commented casually before offering a smirk at the thought. To have such a popular and loved mother, while he and his brother were relentlessly teased, was pretty hilarious - and sad.

"I wish you didn't care so much about your reputation, because I'd love to be able to be proper friends with you. Like I said, I'm pretty boring, but... you seem fun. I bet you go to cool parties and just relax or whatever. That's the only good thing about my brother being gone; instead of trailing along with whatever he wants to do, I can do whatever I want to do. He would always get mad when I wanted to do something that he didn't."
 
"It's not my reputation, it's... I don't want to start getting beaten up again, that's all. It was terrible, you know? And maybe I wouldn't care about it if Tyrone was here, but he's fucked off now and if he doesn't come back for whatever reason, I will essentially be alone and it's-- I dunno," he shrugged again, not all that comfortable in opening up like this. He was so used to nobody caring a single jot about him that talking about how he felt had become a task, rather than something he should just do naturally. He knew Tyrone cared, but it felt like he was burdening him with his problems, so, surprisingly like Cain, he just bottled it all up.

"...What do you wanna do right now? I'm pretty sure that if Gabe came back, he won't run off because nobody's here. C'mon, what do you wanna do? I'm... I don't wanna sit here talking hypothetical. If you wanted to go for a fucking hike, we can do that."
 
"I could protect you, you know. I... I'm not super physically fit, but I'm pretty strong when I need to be. My mother says not to get violent, that it makes me like my father, but... I dunno. I mean, I almost broke your nose, right? I dunno, I just - if it means that the people I care about are safe, I'm willing to sacrifice becoming my father, you know?" He murmured slowly, the realization hitting him hard as he shyly nibbled at his fingernails. He shook that thought away, though, and offered a smile to the other.

"We can just walk through the woods for a bit, yeah. I think I need some air, to be honest. I hate being here, when no one else is around. It's... creepy, you know? I don't much like being alone, so it'll be nice to just wander about with you." He declared with a grunt as he pushed off the chair.
 
"It was a lucky punch. Look at you, you're a titch and I'm, like, Don't get all damn cocky about it now. Hey, maybe I'll challenge you to an arm wrestling match, huh? See how strong you really are, yeah?" He snorted while collecting his jacket and, in one or two bites, polished off his sandwich quickly. In contrast to the hard insults he'd previously shot at him, the 'titch' comment and the likes were clearly said in jest.

He was making a huge effort to be a nicer person to Cain. He didn't have to be his best friend, but he could at least show him respect. If anyone could understand what it was like to be tormented and bullied, it was Felix. He knew he was going to get shit from his so-called 'friends' for stopping the bullying... but hey, Tyrone wasn't too big on it either, so at least he'd have someone who would have his back. Assuming Tyrone came home, anyway.

"A walk would be good. I like it in the woods, it's pretty quiet and, y'know, this isn't some tactic to get you on your own, I... I just want to show you that, hey, I'm a good guy."
 
"Look, the minute my brother comes home, you don't have to feel bad and spend time with me. We can go our separate ways, you know? I mean, I know you don't want anyone else bullying you, but just... we can leave one another alone, and not start any problems, yeah?" He whispered as his small smile drifted once again. Tugging on his own coat over the sweater, he was still trying to get over being sick, and always believed that bundling up would help immensely with that, even if that wasn't true. So, with the house keys in hand, he kept the back door open just in case Gabriel did come home, but Cain knew it wasn't likely. Tugging on his proper winter boots, he stared out into the progressively higher snow. Being born and raised primarily in the northern part of the Midwest, snow like this was normal... that didn't mean it was any less daunting. After all, if his brother was out there, the likeliness of him surviving was decreased significantly.

"Come on, now. My mother bought us a nice bench and put it deep in the woods. She likes the birds, you know?" He explained casually as he trudged along, his somewhat shorter size being a bit embarrassing compared to Felix as he struggled through the snow, his cheeks red. Tightening the scarf he had grabbed, he glanced back at Felix impatiently.
 
"I wasn't planning on being your buddy, but we could at least be, y'know, decent with one another? I ain't really... Look, being sat in the room while your Mom cried about how badly I hurt you guys was enough to make me realise that I'm an asshole. Nobody once came in to defend me when I had by ribs cracked or my arm broken, so... so I don't wanna put your Mom through that again, she's real nice. I'll be nicer, I swear," he promised, even if he already wanted to snap at him. He was trying his hardest, to feel like he was being constantly knocked back with his efforts was a little defeating. He couldn't blame Cain, course he couldn't, not with everything going on, but it was still... annoying.

"...You know, being short like you are must be a bitch," he commented casually, feigning nonchalance as he trudged much easier through the snow, forcing back the smirk that wanted to appear. "Can you even reach shelves in stores and stuff?"
 
Huffing as he trudged forward, he looked over at the other boy with a glare. He continued to trudge forward quickly, only to fall forward in the snow with a grunt. He remained there for a moment, trying to get over the embarrassment of falling face first in the snow, though he eventually managed to regain his balance and dusted himself off.

"I... I'm not that short, you're just really tall. Plus, this snow is ridiculous!" Cain insisted, though did offer a small smile to emphasize that he was at least trying to tease. "I can, in fact, reach things in the store. I have to, my mother is shorter than I am. You can't really tell, though, since she usually wears those heels of hers. I don't know how she handles them, though - when Gabe and I were younger, we tried walking in them and Gabe ended up breaking an ankle. That sounds weird, though, huh?"
 
Was his initial reaction to help him out? Not really, no. After the solid six months he'd spent bullying Gabe and Cain, the first reaction that had all but been embedded in him was to laugh at their misfortunes. Now, he managed to at least hold back that and do the right thing in offering a hand to help him up. It wouldn't have been cruel to laugh -friends laughed at one another tripping up all the time- but, after his bullying past with Cain, he didn't want it to seem like he was making fun hence why he decidedly kept his amusement to the bare minimum.

"Nah, it doesn't sound weird or nothin'. My Mom said I once went through all her makeup 'cos I was watching this show with clowns and wanted my face painted. I dunno, it's what kids do, ain't it? I bet you and Gabe were a right handful," he smirked back just as teasingly as before, hoping that the more relaxed atmosphere was becoming ever more present. "...Hey, I can teach you the guitar, by the way. It's something you wanna do, right? And you deserve to be able to do what you want, so... so yeah, I can teach you a few chords. I tried with Tyrone but he wasn't interested."
 
"I mean, I dunno if I'd be good at it. I mean, I'm not really musically inclined, you know? We had to learn to play the recorder back in Elementary School and the teacher nearly pulled her hair out in frustration. Meanwhile, Gabriel excelled in that class. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be, you know? Hey, if you're willing to give me a try, I guess I'll try, too," he replied quietly, the only other sounds besides them talking being the crunching of the snow and the sound of it falling. It was eerie, something he would definitely be unable to handle if he was alone.

Eventually, the two approached a nice iron bench. While his family knew they wouldn't be in town long, he always tried to make his mother feel like it wasn't the case by leaving little things like this around the house or town. Dusting off the built up snow, he took a seat and stared up at the barren trees, all the while the light of his house being just off in the distance. Carefully shoving his hands into his coat pocket, he closed his eyes for a moment, if only to just relax a bit.
 
He wasn't going to admit it, but he'd seen the bench a few times already this week. He'd trekked the woods with other volunteers in search of Gabriel, and the bench had been a suitable place for them to meet up at and recoup energy levels and such. It wasn't a new feeling to sit down on it and stare out at the snow-covered grounds and large trees that, honestly, scared him. He wasn't a huge fan of being in the woods, which is why he was trying so hard to get Gabriel back.

The thought of the teenager being out in them all alone was terrifying, especially when Gabriel as an individual seemed pretty heavily reliant on others to help him.

"...It's pretty quiet, huh? I guess your Mom and the volunteers are searching somewhere else," he murmured quietly, folding his scarf around his neck when the cold air hit him. "...Is there anything I can do, though? Like, I said I'll go and get groceries and things, I just-- I feel like I'm not really helping and I really want to."
 
"Grocery shopping would probably help. I mean, it's just good that you're offering to help, period. I'd talk to my mom, though, when it comes to like... helping out, I guess. She's the one who's organizing all of this, not me. I'm just sort of keeping my distance, you know? Don't want to get everyone messed up by getting involved, I'll probably just get in the way. Like... I know a lot of the kids at school don't like us, but adults look down at us a lot, too."

As he spoke, he absently kicked his feet in the snow and locked his eyes on Felix with pursed lips. It became a habit he often had when alone, since he was so used to Gabriel doing most of the talking, yet he was left to awkwardly grow quiet as he searched for something to say. Subtly, Cain scooted a tad bit closer to Felix as he used a hand to rub snow from his face.
 
"...Hey, if anyone can relate to that, it's me. Do you know how many people look down on my family; my parents? Like, I guess they have a reason to. I don't think anyone has any reason to look down on you and Gabe, I... I dunno, you guys are alright, you know?" He shrugged quietly, staring out at the woods and trying to force himself not to shudder at the constant eerie feeling he was met with. It really wasn't that long ago that the very same people he now called friends had ditched him in these woods with a broken arm, so sure, he wasn't the biggest fan of them.

Although, it didn't stop him taking into account the other shifting in closer to him, arching a brow to himself. "...Are you using me for my unnatural body heat? I know, I'm like a fucking radiator, huh? I swear, it's hell in the summer. I'm sure I'll, like, overheat one day, aha... it's cool, I don't mind you, y'know, shuffling in a bit, if you want?"
 
"I mean, I'm pretty cold. Back at home, we got pretty bad snow every winter, but I never got used to it. Plus, I still feel pretty... bad," he admitted with a sniffle as he shyly buried his face in the extra large scarf. With only his nose and above exposed to the snow, he shyly locked eyes with the ground as he pushed the snow around with his toe. Clearing his throat, he moved a tad bit closer under the guise of wanting warmth when, in fact, he was pretty desperate for any sign of affection.

With his mother worrying over his brother in the past three days, and his brother being gone, all forms of formal affection were gone. Now, he was left with no one, so if he had to get some extra affection from the man who had been so rude to him, he'd do it. "I'm sorry that you have to get involved with this."
 
"I didn't get dragged into this and forced to help. I wanted to. I feel I owe you guys something, so... so it's nothing to apologise for. Hell, don't apologise to me. I'm the only one who owes you that, and I'll gladly apologise every day if it helps. It'd get annoying, though," he pointed out, resting his arms back across the bench as if he needed to stretch out, though it was just a way of getting an arm behind the other as subtly as he could manage.

He'd known he was gay now for a while and he'd kept that a secret from everyone, even from Tyrone. He envied the boy deeply. Ever since he learned Tyrone was pretty open with his sexuality, he'd seen his best friend casually flirt with guys and go on these dates with them, while Felix bottled everything up and got angrier and angrier with himself for it. While there was no flirting going on right now between him and Cain, he could at least drink in the fact he was sat right up close with another guy and didn't feel obligated to tear himself away. It was just... nice, not having to worry about anything like that for once.

"...You know, the more I think about it, the more certain I am Tyrone's alright. He's a big idiot. He doesn't think about calling or texting, so he'l have just forgotten about it. I'm worrying about nothing. I guess, what with Gabe being gone, I'm a little more... worried than I ought t' be about Ty."
 
"My brother is with your friend, Felix. I don't know how, to be honest. If you want my opinion, I'd guess my brother forced your friend with him. He was... pissed. Super pissed, in fact, on how Tyrone reacted. Gabriel isn't used to not getting what he wants, so I'm sure he decided to flip out and find your friend. He's just as strong as me when he's angry, which is rare." He admitted, his eyes closing absently as he took in the scene himself. "Maybe Tyrone went intentionally. I don't know. It's just too big of a coincidence that Tyrone went missing the same time Gabriel did, don't you think? My mother doesn't believe it, but... she can be a bit dense, I'm not going to lie. She's still nice, though, so..."
 
And just like Pearl, his first reaction was to offer a non-agreeing grunt. He would have laughed, if he hadn't first considered and stopped himself from sounding callous about it all. Gabe was still missing, so laughing at the situation didn't seem at all nice, however innocent it was.

"...Nah, he's not. That's-- that isn't what happened. He was talking about a guy he wanted to meet up with. You don't know Tyrone, he... he probably caught a train to this guy's place, stayed the night and is on his way back right now," he confirmed, feeling that was much more likely than the alternative of Gabriel dragging him off somewhere because he was pissed. "Your brother's a sweet thing, you know? He annoys me a lot, it's why I prefer you, but he's... generally innocent, ain't he? He wouldn't just take Ty somewhere, it doesn't make sense."
 
"That guy could be my brother," Cain offered with pursed lips before offering a smile. "I mean, my brother is very cute. Let's just be honest, you know? Plus, I mean... he was head over heels for Tyrone. My brother can be absolutely insane, just... and you said Tyrone hasn't texted you. Did you text his parents? I mean, he's a kid, too. The whole town is freaking out over my brother, but... I dunno. Where could they even go?"

At this point, Cain had raised his voice above the usual quiet tone as the anxiety set in. He hasn't really thought about where they could have actually gone, he just assumed it was relatively close. Gripping his pant legs tight, he coughed hard into his arm and frowned when his stomach grumbles. "I'm sorry, I... I stress eat,"
 
"I went around to Tyrone's house, his parents didn't seem that worried so I figured I was overreacting-- and I still stand by the fact I don't think they just went off together. Your brother's... cute, sure, but Tyrone wasn't into him. He was messing with him, y'know? He thought it was funny to pretend to be into him, I dunno, I don't think it was genuine-- fuck, it makes him look like an asshole, doesn't it? He's not that bad, I swear. He's... He's a good guy," he quietly attempted to convince, despite the fact he'd now sunk down a little guiltily. It really didn't feel right that his best and only real friend could be out there, in trouble, and here he was, essentially criticising him and painting him out to be a bastard.

"...Do you want to go get something to eat? Or, you know, I could just walk you back to your place? I don't mind, if you... if you're hungry, you know? But it'd be cool to go out to the cafe, I have a few dollars on me-- and Tyrone might be there. The waiter's cute, he says, so he's often hanging out there."
 
"Maybe he deserves to be kidnapoed, for what he's done to my brother..." he murmured to himself, though break away from his thought at the mention of the cafe. He had been to one once, when he was around six, and it was terrifying. It was way too loud, people seemed full of themselves, and he wasn't allowed coffee. He knew he couldn't base all cafes on that, but going anywhere in general tended to panic the boy a tad.

"Uh... sure. I don't want you to feel obligated in bringing me, though. I mean, cafes are expensive, right? Let's be honest, you and I aren't the richest blokes around."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back