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wickedwonderland
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Original poster
Cedric Blake had been at the Rosewood Asylum for quite a while now. He kept to himself most of the time and most of the people here thought he was a mute. It amused him that they thought that. He could talk just fine, he just choose not to. The last person he had actually had a conversation with had passed away about a year ago. That didn't help matters any when it came to his sanity, or what was left of it. He wasn't insane by the regular definitions and really you wouldn't even think anything was wrong with him by the way he acted. In fact, he didn't consider himself insane at all. How could your sexuality be considered a sign of insanity. He wasn't one to talk about himself very much and he found it was better that way. The more people knew about you, the more they would have to use against you. He had learned that first hand from his family. After all, they were the one's who had stuck him in this nightmare of a place. And for what? Because he was attracted to the same sex? Of course that's not what anyone had said when he had been admitted, but he knew that had to be a main reason. In this day and age it shouldn't have been a problem, but then again, he had lived in one of the most anti-gay places in the states. It didn't help that his ideas about things often clashed with how everyone else around him thought. He had made up his mind that he had been put in here just to get him out of the way.
Most of the asylum was run down. They said it was due to budget cuts but Cedric was certain it was because they just didn't give a damn. The staff was spread so thin, that even if he had wanted to talk to someone, there was just no one who had the time. So it was because of this that he spent most of his days near the windows, looking out or when they thought he was harmless enough to give him paper and pencil, drawing the things that came into his head. Maybe his drawings were the reason he had gotten stuck in here. They were dark, twisted things that most people were horrified to look at. All Cedric knew was that if he didn't get them out of his head, he really would go crazy. Of course when your drawings depicted various gruesome scenes, most people thought automatically that you were crazy and a threat to others. It didn't matter that Cedric had never hurt anything in his life, not even a fly, they were still afraid of him.
Today was no different from any other. He sat at his normal spot at the window looking out at the trees as they began to change color as they always did in the fall. He liked the way such bright colors would surface from green leaves, even though it signified that they were dying. Someone had told him once that he was a lover of death and that it would get him in trouble one day and they had been right. Here he was, a warden of the asylum and none the better for it.
Reading over it for at least the fifth time while stuck in traffic Taelon scrunched up his nose in disgust with how the boys parents acted. Something like this shouldn't be dealt with in an mentally Insane Asylum but he had to admit the boy seemed closed off from what the report had in it. Apparently the boy didn't speak to anyone not even the most trusted of doctors that worked there. After half an hour of looking at the folder the traffic had died down a little and was at a speed where the slightly tanned man could drive at a reasonable pace.
Although the car ride wasn't so bad the ravenette groaned as he got out of the car, the weather outside of the car was scorching and to make it even worse he was wearing a suit of some sort. Picking up his briefcase and the file he had been looking at he made his way up to the main entrance and nudged the door open with his side. The cold air of the reception hit him and he felt slightly relieved that it was cooler inside then out. "Hey Jude, it's Maeveriks. I'm here to look over your patient...uhmmm Cedric Blake."
The woman named Jude pointed him in the direction to a room where he could faintly see a young boy with blonde hair looking out of a window, this task wouldn't be easy but he had to try for the sake of the kid. Cautiously he walked over to where the boy was and sat down on the lounge opposite him, "Mr Cedric Blake?" He inquired a little concerned for the boy that was still looking out the window. "Cedric? I'm here to talk to you for the next couple of weeks. Would you like to come sit down and talk to me?" Taelon doubted the boy would actually start talking to him straight away but all he could do was try.
He shifted from his place at the window, facing the new doctor. What the hell, I might as well humor the guy for a little bit, it's not like he's going to actually care about me. He didn't say a word, just tilted his head a bit as he looked over the doctor. Even if he was super hot, it wasn't going to matter, he would end up treating him the same as everyone else, like a lost cause. Well he didn't have anything better to do, he figured he might as well play along for the moment, just to ease the terrible boredom that plagued him when he didn't have his art supplies to get all the dark things out of his mind.
He hadn't gotten to draw in about a week now and it was slowly driving him up the wall. He needed those things out, not trapped in his head where they were slowly gaining strength over his mind. If he didn't get a some sort of release soon, he was afraid he would start to act like the real loonies in this place. He didn't want to become like that ever. He wasn't crazy, no matter if he was in an insane asylum or not. Why couldn't anyone see that? He knew the answer for that, they didn't care, it was as simple as that. The more people in the asylum, the more funding they would get. It would take a miracle to get him out of here with a clean bill of sanity, at least with the doctors that were employed here now. Maybe this new guy would be different, but he wasn't about to get his hopes up.
Keeping a watchful eye on him Taelon decided to fill the silent void with some light banter, "Hey Cedric, my name is Taelon Maeveriks. I was assigned to your case, I read over your file and it seems that you're here for something you can't even control. Though it would help a little if you talked to me about it so I can sort out the facts and myths about some of it. Or if you don't feel like talking you can always write it down.." Offering up a smile he pulled out a few pencils and a A4 notebook. Though he knew this might not work to his advantage he placed the pencils and notebook on the small table in front of them.
Sitting back in the lounge the man pulled out a small notepad and pen and looked over at Cedric, jotting down a few points about his reaction to him and the stuff on the table. Thinking of another way to possibly get some answers out of him Taelon started speaking again, "Or instead I could ask you questions and you can nod for yes or shake your head for no...Would you rather that instead?" Smiling a little Taelon tried to bargain with Cedric, after all he just wanted to help get this boy's life back in order.
He bent his head down and quickly began to sketch on the paper, the pencil's making a light scratching noise. It was such a relief to get those nasty things out of his head! He was so focused on his work that he didn't stop to think what Taelon was going to think when he was done. Most of his drawings were especially morbid and this time was no exception. He started off drawing a dark alley, much like one you could find in Victorian England when Jack the Ripper was making the headlines. Even though he was only using a pencil, it was obvious that the street was covered in blood, a woman's corpse laying in the middle of the street, her throat cut wide open and her eyes frozen in silent terror as a shadowy figure lurked in the background, the only thing showing was his mad smile and the gleam of crazed eyes.
Cedric sketched faster and faster, letting all those terrible images leak out onto the page. He finally put the pencil down with trembling fingers, relieved that the horrific image was no longer lurking in his head, screaming to get out. He looked over at his completed piece and shuddered at the madness and death that lurked there. He looked over at Taelon, a wary look in his eye.
Was this guy going to think he was deranged like the rest of them? They just didn't understand. He didn't ask for these things in his head, they just somehow got in somehow without him knowing. He didn't know if it was from the nightmares he had on a regular basis or from the abusive family life he had lived though. It was almost a relief to be in the asylum sometimes, he didn't have to worry about looking over his shoulder to make sure no one was in the shadows, waiting to hit him. That was his family's way of trying to get the 'taint' as they liked to call it, out of him. He had grown very adept at staying out of everyone's way and had taught himself how to defend himself from their cruelty. Not that he was going to tell anyone this of course. What could they do? Nothing, he was on his own.
The Doctor ruffled his hair back and proceeded with his questioning after getting a response, "Are you angry that your parent's sent you here?" Maybe the whole reason why the boy never talked to someone was because of trust issues that had stemmed from his family. Or maybe it could have been trust issues with friends or previous Doctors. Taelon had no clue but he was certain that he would get down to the bottom of it - eventually. Tapping his chin with the pen he watched for any signs of discomfort with the question he had asked the boy, if anything he didn't want to upset him.
Thinking more carefully about his next few questions Taelon decided to take in some of the boy's looks, he was good looking he had to admit that. But the way he dressed suggested that he wasn't as insane as the other doctors and staff at Rosewood described. "Were you ever bullied for your sexuality? Did people shun you and leave you out of activities?" With a frown on his face he made sure to watch carefully.
He shrugged at the second question. In some ways he was very angry at his family sending him to the insane asylum but at the same time it was a relief to get away from them. Here, he didn't have to worry about getting hit out of nowhere unless one of the other patients got riled up, but he tended to stay away from the others, he valued his privacy.
He had finished his drawing by the time Taelon had asked him that last question. He became very still at the question of being bullied. He wanted to laugh in the doctor's face. Bullying? It had been so much more than that. It had been a constant struggle to try and survive in a house where looks of disgust and hate were thrown at him on a daily basis. Even when he had been in school, he had, had to deal with the hostility of the student population. It hadn't been as bad when he had began to go to the community college but he hadn't really made it an obvious thing that he was gay, not wanting a repeat of high school. That hadn't lasted long when he had been pulled out by his father. He could remember the disgust in his voice and the way he had looked at him. "Worthless faggot, you don't deserve to go to school. Who the hell would want to hire a fag like you?" The memory still hurt more than he cared to admit.
The memory had come upon him very suddenly and although he tried to hide it, his eyes betrayed him, showing a brief flash of intense pain. He watched the doctor, wondering if he even cared or if he was just doing his job so that he could get the hell out of here. He pushed his drawing away from himself, unable to look at it again.
Setting the notebook and pen aside the ravenette walked around the table and sat down next to the boy. The doctor had no clue what to do so like any person who would comfort someone when they were upset, he placed a hand on the boy's back and gently rubbed hoping that he would find some sort of comfort in it. "I'm sorry about asking those last two questions Cedric, I didn't mean for you to remember something traumatizing." Continuing to rub circles into the boys back Taelon reached over and picked up the book he had given him. What he saw was quite horrifying although it didn't make the Doctor squirm around in his seat, he'd seen something like this before so it wasn't all too scary for him. After examining it he placed it down on the table face down, negativity like that wouldn't help with trying to talk to the boy. But seeing as he had looked and acted much calmer while drawing he decided that he might just have to keep bringing in pencils and pieces of paper.
It was getting stuffier and stuffier in the room that he was in with the boy, although it wasn't because of the situation - it was because there wasn't much air flow. So to try and cool them both down Taelon went back out to the main room where Jude was and asked her where he could find a water source. Being instructed to go down the hall and to the left the man nodded and entered the kitchen, opening the fridge he found bottles of water and picked out two. Making his way back all he could think of was why Cedric seemed pained about the memory, what had they done to him outside of the Rosewood Asylum? A few short seconds later he was back in the room with the blonde boy, offering the cold bottle of water he smiled warmly. "Thought you might want a drink, it's awfully hot today."
He watched him carefully as he looked over his artwork, bracing himself for the accusations that he was evil and that those drawings were proof that he belonged in the asylum. He was surprised when the man didn't even give it a horrified look. That was...new. He'd never had someone look at his artwork and not have a negative reaction to it, but it didn't look like it fazed this new doctor at all. Either he wasn't bothered by it or he was just holding in his reaction so Cedric wouldn't get upset or anything. He relaxed even more under the warm feel of the doctor's hands. It was calming him down from the terrible memory that had surfaced in his mind earlier.
He found himself wishing they could open one of the windows and let a breeze inside, although from the look of the weather outside, it didn't look like it was going to be a cooling breeze. There was a fan on the celing but no one ever bothered to turn it on and he knew if he tried he would be punished for it. It wasn't his place as a patient to mess with anything that he wasn't supposed to. He felt his anger rising up again, there was nothing wrong with him and he hated being referred to as a patient but he had learned to ignore it.
When the doctor had gotten up from the table, Cedric had assumed that he was done for the day and had turned back to look out the window. It came as a shock when the attractive man came back with a water bottle for both of them. His eyes widened as he took the water bottle gratefully. He gave the young man a shy smile and quickly opened his water, drinking it down and feeling the relief of the rush of cold that invaded his mouth as he swallowed. Without quite realizing what he was doing, he softly spoke, his voice a bit rough from non use, almost a whisper. "Thank you." He had startled himself by speaking but he didn't regret it. This was the first time he had dealt with a doctor who seemed to actually care, even if it was just getting him a cold drink.
"Also do you often draw things like this?" Picking up the notebook he stared at the image again and then glanced up at the boy, "I'm not mad just...curious that's all," He added in and placed a finger on his chin. Taelon always hated asking the horrid questions but he couldn't help himself, he always had a curious side to him when he was younger and now that he was older it blazed even more. Once again he set the book upside down on the table and looked over at Cedric, tilting his head to the side he examined the boy much closer this time. Getting lost slightly in his features he had to cough and take another sip of water before asking another series of questions, "Do you hate it here? Do the staff take care of you properly? Would you like to go outside?"
His smile dimmed as Taelon picked up his notebook and looked over his drawing again. Here it came, the horrified look that he had grown so used to. It was a shock when he heard the doctor's comment. He held out his hand and made a so-so gesture. He wasn't allowed to have pen and paper very often so he wasn't sure what to tell the guy. When he was allowed to have art supplies, he always ended up drawing those vile images that were crowding in his head. If he was allowed to have art supplies all the time then he could get those out of the way and actually work on something he wanted to. It had been a long time since he was able to do that however, and he wasn't sure he remembered how to draw non terrifying things.
He shook his head no when asked if he hated it here. It wasn't a bad place to be considering what waited for him at home and the staff always treated him well, even if he didn't get a whole lot of contact with them because of the place being so short staffed. He gave him a slow nod when asked about the staff but he didn't become animated until the last question was asked. His face lit up and he nodded excitedly. Of course he wanted to go outside! He sobered up quickly though, a look of dismay crossing his features. They wouldn't let him go out, not unless he asked and he wasn't about to do that. He kept his silence for a reason and he wasn't going to break it just so he could go outside.
"Also seeing as you said something to me, I think i will be able to trust you with these hmmm?" Placing each of the items on the table he smiled and proceeded to close his briefcase and pack up his own pen and notebook - it's not like he would need them at this point in time. Picking up the water bottle he had gotten earlier he took a long sip of it and smiled over at Cedric. Coming up with a plan was pretty hard and it took him a little while to finally come up with something, "Ah-Hah! Okay how does this sound," Moving back to the seat where the boy was he began whispering in his ear trying his best to not let any of the staff that may or may not be outside the room they were currently in. "How about you pretend to ask me instead and I will just go relay the message for you? 'Oh well Cedric has asked me if he could go outside for a breather, but only if that's okay with you Jude.' I doubt they will suspect anything." Pulling away he smiled wildly and winked casually as if he said nothing in the first place, "You won't have to speak, plus you seem like you need the sun...you're way too pale." Ruffling up Cedric's hair he laughed gently.
He watched as the doctor rummaged around in his bag, instantly suspicious. A wary look was on his face when the doctor turned around but it was instantly replaced by a look of want. He wanted the art supplies so bad but knew he wasn't going to be able to keep them. When Taelon handed him the supplies, he stared at him in complete shock. He looked down at the things in his hands in disbelief. Had the doctor gone mad? He didn't dare to hope but when he glanced back up and saw the earnest look on the other man's face, his face transformed into a look of pure joy. He had the urge to jump up and wrap his arms around the doctor as a thank you but he knew better and the only sign of his urge was a slight twitching in his slight frame.
He was once again surprised when the doctor got so close to him, but as he listened to his plan, he began to smile. The plan sounded like it would work perfectly! Why wouldn't they believe one of their own? He began to get very excited at the prospect of going outside. He nodded excitedly when the young doctor gave him a conspiring wink. He stood up and held out a finger to let the other see, hoping he would know that he just needed one minute. He had to put up the notebook and other things in his room in a safe place so that they wouldn't get taken away from him. He waited for a moment to see if the doctor understood, then walked quickly to his room, putting his new treasures in the loose brick he had found a few months before. It was were he stored everything that was precious to him in this place. He looked around to make sure no one was watching before he pressed against one side of the brick, quickly hiding his new things. He made sure no one would be able to tell that the brick was loose and quickly walked back to where he had left the doctor, a bounce in his step.
Sidling up to the counter he smiled charmingly at Jude and whispered to her in a calming voice, "Jude I have a question. Well actually I was asked a question by Cedric, He wanted to go out to the gardens. I guess I got through to him slightly eh~!" Lying as best as he could to the woman he plastered on a smile and played with the clipboard that was on the counter top. Jude stared blandly at him and gestured to the door that led outside, smirking to himself he flicked his eyes towards Cedric as if to say, 'How do you like them balls?'
He watched with amusement as the guy charmed his way into going outside. If he was Jude, he would have let him get away with just about anything. He grinned at Taelon and followed as he led the way outside. That had been so easy! He quickly walked out the door and into the gardens, stopping after only a few paces that led him away from the window where Jude could see them. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, the fresh air lifting his spirits. A soft wondrous expression came over his face as he opened his eyes again and looked at all the beautiful flowers. It might be fall but it was still hot outside and none of the flowers had died yet because of the oncoming winter. He had never been out here before and he turned around slowly, taking everything in and relishing the way the sun felt on his skin.
Looking around to make sure no one was watching, he quickly walked up to Taelon and hugged him tight. He didn't want him to think he was trying to hurt him so he only held him tight for a moment before releasing his grip. He looked up at the doctor, a happy grin stretching across his face. He suddenly got shy as he realized what he was doing and let go of the doctor. Hesitantly, T-thank you so much. It's been so long since I've been allowed to come outside." That was more than he had said to anybody in the two years that he had been in the asylum. His voice came out broken and a bit raspy but it was louder than it had been before when he had told the doctor thank you.
Without any warning at all Taelon felt something around him, or should he say someone - Looking downwards he found tufts of blonde hair against his chest, "I'm glad you're happy-" Being cut off by having the boy's face directed up at him and a huge smile making his heart beat a little faster Taelon smiled back, only to have it falter when he was let go then to have it reappear in the matter of seconds as he heard the boy's voice. He had to admit it sounded really good. A long time? Well that would soon be changing, he much preferred a smiling and outgoing Cedric than a closed up Cedric.
Walking over to a bench Taelon sat down and patted the space next to him, "Jude won't see you from here so i promise that it's safe." He beamed slightly and rubbed the back of his neck slightly, he didn't want to scare the boy off at this point in time and he sure as hell didn't want to explain why he lost him if he ran away. Plus he quite enjoyed his company even if the other staff thought he was deranged and unstable. To him he was just another normal person, another soul that danced with time. Even though Taelon felt as if it would take a while to get Cedric out of this place he knew for sure that he would do absolutely anything within his power to make it happen. "It's quite nice out here, don't you think? The flowers look perfect," leaning over to the side he picked up a blue flower and stared down at it, "My mother used to grow these. She said they were supposed to bring good luck."
He gave Taelon a smirk at the mention of Jude. That woman didn't pay attention to much of anything that didn't concern her directly and god forbid if you interrupted her while she was doing one of her crossword puzzles. That woman could give the devil a run for his money if she had a mind to give you a piece of her mind. Cedric had never been on the receiving end of her barbed tongue, but he had arm her last into a few of the workers in the time he had been here.
Cedric nodded slowly about the flowers. He felt as though he could stay out here forever, just looking at all the different types of flowers and the different way each of them looked even if it was the same kind of flower. They each had their own unique look if you really ton the time to look. He looked down at the pretty blue flower Taelon held in his hand and suddenly had a great urge to draw him just like this. He had such a far away look to him as he spoke about his mother, it made him a seem like there was so much more to him than just being a doctor who worked with the loonies.
Cedric watched him carefully, wanting to sear the image of how he looked into his head so that once all the darker things had gotten out if his head, he would be able to draw this moment. The idea of giving the doctor something he had made just for him, filled him with a longing to see the smile on his face when he took it from him. Or, at least he hoped that was the reaction he would get. He hasn't wanted to actually draw something for anyone in a long time.
Chancing a glance over at the blonde Tae's slight frown turned into a smile, he didn't know why the boy had a good effect on him but he was glad to help him. "If you smile like this everyday Cedric then maybe just maybe the other staff will have the same opinion on you like me. You're a good person whether they like it or not, it's no one's fault to be like this." Gesturing to the both of them he sighed for the second time since they have been outside, he didn't know if he would pick up what he meant but he was certain that in time he will realize. Coming out wasn't easy and it sure as hell wasn't for Taelon, first coming out to his parents at the age of fifteen and then his whole school at sixteen he found it harder than any pre-calculus test. A sobbing mess with tears streaming down his face, he was lucky to have supportive people in his life whereas this boy didn't. "I hope you know that I will always support you even if it gets harder in the future. If things get really bad here and I'm not around don't hesitate to use your voice to get me here, after all your voice speaks louder than actions even if you don't project it much."
Facing him he lifted his hand a little and placed it on the other's back gently, hoping to give him a little comfort and peace. Having the flower tucked behind his ear made Cedric all the more attractive and Tae had to hold back from touching his slightly rosy cheeks. Who knows what the boy would do, call him a freak? Say things to get him fired? Or even run away? For now rubbing his back was enough for him.
His smile dimmed at the mention of the other staff. He shook his head, knowing that they would never view him like that, especially if they had seen any of his drawings. He had been looking down but his head shot up at the mention of his apparent ' problem'. His eyes grew wide when the doctor included himself in his gesture. Did that mean what he thought it did? Could this unbelievably attractive man be like him? Usually he was able to pick up on that short of thing, but he hadn't even gotten a whiff from this guy.
He gave him a grateful smile. He hadn't really had anyone that had accepted him for who he was since they had found out he was gay, and for Taelon to offer his support, well it was staggering. Unable to stop himself, he stiffened at Taelon's touch, relaxing almost immediately. He couldn't help himself after being treated the way he had been, it was his first reaction to anyone that touched him. He liked the way the other man's hands felt on his back and he gave a small sound of contentment.
Not truly caring whether or not he could get in trouble for his actions the ravenette pulled Cedric closer and made him rest his head on his chest. With a small smile he kissed the top of his head and spoke aloud, "Promise me to not change for anyone, don't allow people to change the way you love. Because in the end if you can survive all of this then you can survive anything. You are so strong to have come this far and hell you have coped a little bit better than me." At this point in time he couldn't give two shits whether or not anyone saw them, even if they did he would blame it on them. Claiming that they were the incompetent people who 'couldn't keep one of their wardens hydrated, leaving him having to lean on someone.'
He could feel himself starting to tear up and was startled when he suddenly found himself pressed against Taelon's chest. His heart sped up as he felt the doctor kiss his head. Unable to help himself, he wrapped his arms around the man as best he could as silent tears began to roll down his cheeks. He couldn't begin to express the gratitude he felt just for this small bit of kindness. He nodded against Taelon's chest and was horrified at the soft sob that escaped his mouth as he laid there. He didn't want the man to think that he had upset him and knew that was what was going to happen if he discovered he was crying.
After a while Taelon couldn't hear a thing from the boy and so he assumed that they should get back inside before Jude wonders where they had gone. Taking care to not frighten Cedric he slowly pulled the boy up into a standing position, "We have to get you back inside before Jude suspects that we eloped." Laughing gently he made sure to fix up the boys clothes so that it didn't seem suspicious.
He took his hands and wiped the back of them across his eyes, getting rid of any of the traces of wetness that still lingered. He looked at the young doctor as he heard him speak, surprise showing clearly on his face. He cared about him? How was that even possible after just one afternoon? He didn't dare to hope that it could be true. He had been though enough in his young life to not be able to take anything at face value and for good reason. He was starting to like the young doctor but even so, it was going to take quite a while to trust him fully.
He let Taelon pull him up and was slightly amused when he fixed his clothes. If he hadn't figured out that the doctor was gay without him having to imply it, he was pretty sure no one else was going to figure it out either. Disappointment clouded his face for a moment and he nodded unhappily. He knew they couldn't stay out here forever but he had hoped to stay just a bit longer. He wanted to express how happy he was to have been able to come outside but it had been so long since he had spoken more than a few words that he was afraid he wouldn't be able to. He opened his mouth like he was going to try but then shut it, unable to do as he wanted. It was frustrating but maybe after a little while he wouldn't be so withdrawn with Taelon, if he ended up coming back. Most of the doctors who had seen him had given up very quickly and he had never seen them again after a few days. He hoped that wouldn't be the case with this one, it was nice to have someone that he actually wanted to talk to.
Taelon couldn't help but feel his cheeks heat up a little more, he didn't want to scare away the boy so he started walking back to the building. His cheeks aflame and all. Dusting his feet off before he went inside he looked over his shoulder to see if the boy was following him.
He was a little startled when the doctor suddenly jumped up, only to relax when he looked back at him, kneeling in the dirt. He smiled at the doctor, finding it amusing how cute he could be. When he came back with another blue flower bigger than the one he already had in his hair and handed it to him, Cedric's eyes widened and he took it with a happy smile. He brought it up to his nose and inhaled, bringing in the sweet smell of the flower. He knew without a doubt that if he ever smelled this kind of flower again it would instantly remind him of the kind doctor in front of him. His eye's widened again when Taelon began to laugh, his suspicions instantly coming to surface. Was he laughing at him? Was all this just to poke fun at him? He relaxed when he saw that this wasn't the case at all and gave him a shy smile.
He got up and quickly followed the doctor back towards the building. He was disappointed that they couldn't stay out any longer but he knew it was for the best. Plus it was starting to get hot out here anyway. He kept the flower in his hand, refusing to let it go. He didn't care what any of the other's would say when they saw it, it was his and no one was going to take it from him. It wasn't as if he could hurt himself with a flower after all. That would just be ridiculous.
The temperature to the foyer wasn't as hot as outside had been but it still held a little bit of heat in it, though it was a relief when the slightly cooler air flowed through his hair. Rubbing at his face slightly with a pocket handkerchief Taelon walked up to the counter where Jude was, "I have a request and if you want my services here still then I would agree to what I am about to say." Tae wasn't one to threaten someone but if it meant he could keep a smile on that kids face then he would do absolutely anything to make it happen. Jude looked like she was bored with the conversation already and it didn't look like he would get what he wanted, but he would try anyway. With a deep breath he made sure that Cedric was in hearing shot of the conversation, "Cedric is a wonderful young man and someone would have to be completely stupid to not realize that. So what I am proposing is that his bedroom window gets fixed so that it will open, I'm assuming it doesn't does it? Also on that note I want him to have time outside whenever he wants, after all he bloody well deserves it."
Taelon stared at the woman and gauged her reaction, if there was any type of reaction to be given to what he said. Jude gave a small sigh and placed her cross-word to the side, she was thinking hard about the proposal she had been given. With an annoyed sigh she rasped, "And what will you give in return Mr. Maeveriks?" Thinking to himself he placed a finger on his chin and slouched slightly, "Jude I will do just about anything to keep that young man happy, he doesn't even deserve to be here and you know that!" The woman known as Jude stood up slowly and leaned over on the counter, "A small pay deduction okay with you? Also more of a workload with the kid, whenever he wants to go outside you have to be there. You may as well lodge here until his case gets resolved as well." Pondering on what was said Taelon smiled a little at the thought of Cedric being happy and nodded, "Sounds good to me Jude."
He didn't have any hope that the doctor was going to get any of the things he has asked for. What did it matter to these people if he rotted away in this place as long as they continued to get their paychecks. His eyes grew very wide as he watched Jude actually consider Taelon's proposal and he was floored when she agreed to the terms and Taelon said that he was going to be boarding here. He felt his heart start to race, a stunned look on his face as he thought about what had just been said. The attractive doctor was going to be staying at the hospital? All because of him? He couldn't quite believe what he had just heard but there had to be some mistake. Sure the guy had taken an interest in him but he was nobody. He couldn't believe that he would do all that just for him.
He was still standing there in shock when Taelon finally turned around to look at him.
"From now on, you will be seeing me daily instead of weekly. I'll be staying in the staff quarters so if you need me at all then please use your voice...Or sneak in." Laughing he unclasped his hands from his lap and fixed his vest, he always tried to keep himself presentable. He was unsure if anyone actually cared enough about his appearance, though it was always good to look his best. "Also your window will be getting fixed so it actually opens, the breeze might make your time here all the more better until I actually get you out." Not fully knowing if the boy believed him he pulled his phone out of his bag, along with his spare one if he lost his main one. "I hope I can trust you with something like this..." Taelon placed the spare phone onto the table in front of him and checked to see if anyone could hear them. Luckily enough no one was around, "My number is in that phone, if you don't feel like you can use your voice in front of anyone else then please call me. It doesn't matter when you call me either, just at the start of the day bring it back to me so I can charge it up for you." Smiling warmly he unconsciously played with his hair, it has always been one of his habits that he couldn't break.
He was distracted by how good looking the doctor was and he almost missed the part about his window but he focused in just as the other said something about getting out. His eyes grew wide. Was this man actually serious about getting him out of here? He felt his hopes rise only to have them shatter at the thought of what he would have to return to if he left the asylum. He wouldn't go back to that terrible place, no matter what. He didn't want to be beaten again for just being himself. If he had to be homeless and live out on the streets, it was better than waited for him at his so called home. Unable to help himself, he gave a small shudder, a flash of fear crossing over his face for a moment, almost too quick to see.
He closed his eyes for a moment trying to pull himself back together. When he opened them, he was surprised to see a phone laying on the table. His mouth dropped open in shock when he realized the doctor meant for him to keep it with him. He looked at him in disbelief and only when he saw the doctor was completely serious did he reach out his hand and take the phone, looking down at it with wonder. It had been so long since he had been around a phone that he wasn't quit sure what to do at the moment. He was very intelligent so it wouldn't be too long before it came back to him. He quickly put the phone in his pocket before anyone happened to notice it and quickly nodded his head. He wouldn't let anything happen to it no matter what. He wasn't sure if he would be able to speak into it but perhaps if he ever needed to, just calling would suffice to let Taelon know he needed him.
He looked up at the other man and gave him a brilliant smile. He couldn't believe that someone would trust him so much. He felt a strong urge to wrap his arms around the doctor in a hug but held himself back, knowing people would more than likely see him and think that he was attacking instead of showing affection. "I'll keep it safe..", he whispered out, gratitude soaking all of his words.
"Thank you," he responded and walked out the door he had come from earlier, his tired feet moving him back to his car. With a jerk of his fingers he pulled his car keys out of his pocket and opened up the back seat of the car - Placing his briefcase on the backseat and climbed into the front. Using his keys in the ignition he started the car and set off back home. The car ride was quiet, long and tiring for Taelon - his mind was on Cedric the whole time and he wondered why. It wasn't like he had a crush on the boy...Or maybe it was though he didn't really know. Pulling into the drive way of his house that he shared with his husband to be he got out of his car leaving all of his things in it.
With a tired expression he opened the door and migrated to the lounge-room where Daniel was sitting and watching television. Leaning his head down to the other's he gave a small kiss to the top of his head, "Hey babe, How was your day?" he heard him reply to the kiss. "Tiresome but not too bad, we need to talk though. It's about my work." Coming around to sit on the lounge he took a hold of his hand gently and began speaking explaining the situation, which earned him a good slap to the face. Shock was written all over his face as he heard the resounding noise, standing up now he fully registered the sound of the other speaking. "How could you just decide something like that by yourself?! You could have at least called me and asked. Just get your things and get out, we obviously need a break."
Too shocked to speak he just nodded and went up to his room, it felt like someone had stabbed him multiple times in the heart. Things weren't meant to happen this way, everything was meant to be all smiles and joy. Obviously he was mistaken, packing up some things he tried to deduce what happened. Though it was no use since his mind was in such a disarray, pulling his suitcase down the stairs he walked out of the house - with a quick glance back he sighed and loaded up his car. Getting back in he drove back to the Rosewood Asylum, after getting there he proceeded to his assigned room with a distraught looking face.
The rooms for the staff where somewhat near his own room. They had put him in this room because he never caused any trouble and hadn't tried to harm himself in any way. It gave him a little more privacy from the other inmates who actually needed to be here. Plus if he got bored and decided to go for a walk in the middle of the night, most of the staff just turned a blind eye. He never tried to escape or anything like that so they were ok with him wandering the halls as long as it didn't upset anyone else. It was because of this that he happened to see Taelon come back and head into his room. He felt his mood lift when he saw him a smile on his face that quickly turned to one of concern. He didn't like that the young doctor looked so upset.
Waiting until after bed checks, he quietly slipped out of his room, making sure no one was watching him. Even though they allowed him his night walks he still didn't want them seeing where he was heading. He stopped in front of Taelon's door and hesitated for a moment before lightly knocking on it.
Being pretty much slammed out of his dreamlike state by a knock on the door he sighed, he wanted it to keep going. Getting up off the bed now he proceeded his way over to the door and turned the door handle. What he saw, or better yet who he saw on the other side of the door sort of startled him. "Cedric is everything okay? Why are you here?" Blushing at the thought that maybe he wanted to see him he stood aside and waited for the other to walk inside. After the boy was inside he gestured to the small table and chairs, "You may as well sit and tell me what's wrong lovely." He whispered as he shut the door and sat down on one of the chairs himself, wondering what could have brought the boy to him so early. "Did something bad happen? If so then please tell me what's wrong." He would always put this boy's need before his own, that's how he always worked.
He flushed when he realized what he was doing and moved to pull his hand away. It was one thing for Tae to touch him but it was entirely another for him to be so bold as to reach out and touch him himself. If he was lucky, the young doctor would only scold him for doing it and nothing else. He had seen some of the patients put into full straight jackets for less.
"Tell me, why did you really come here? It couldn't have been to ask me about my boring life. Oh and feel free to eat some of this with me. I don't want to make a pig out of myself with this much fruit." Placing a few pieces into his mouth he started chewing, he had no clue why Cedric was here but he guessed he might be having a few problems with either the staff or the other occupants of the Asylum. Though some part of him deep down thought differently and kept telling his broken heart that maybe, just maybe the boy was here for him. "I promise not to tell any other staff member what is talked about or what happens in this room. It's only for us to know. Does that sound like a good deal Cedric?"
He nodded and took a small piece of fruit and started to chew on it. He gave the doctor an odd look when he mentioned that he couldn't possibly be there about him. And boring? No way could anything in this man's life be boring. He knew he shouldn't be feeling this way but when he thought about how Tae had said that his relationship was over, a small kernel of hope had blossomed inside of him. He quickly put it out of his mind, knowing that Taelon couldn't see him as anything more than a patient. But then again...he had wanted him to touch him.
He nodded at the young doctors question and finished eating his fruit before deciding to use his voice again. "I...saw you when you came back. You...looked upset and I was...I was worried." This was more than he had said to anyone in the past three years and because of it, he kept pausing, unsure of his voice anymore.
Picking up some more of the cubed fruit he popped it in his mouth and chewed on it, "Thank you for worrying at least Cedric though I'm fine. Our relationship was going to shit anyway. We would fight every day when I got home and now me telling him I'll be here...nearly all the time really nailed the pin into the coffin. Though I don't mind, I just want to get you out of here." Smiling he rubbed his thumb over the back of the other's hand and smiled at the table, trying to desperately not crack at the seams and cry.
"Cedric, I'm sorry I made you cry. Please forgive me?" He whispered softly and brought the other down to the ground with him, hugging him with all his might to try and calm him down. He desperately wanted to know what he said to hurt him, that way he could make sure to never say it again. Kissing the top of his head he gently rocked them both, hoping that this too would give some kind of solace to the blonde.
Unable to hold himself back any longer he sobbed into the doctor's shoulder. When he was finally able to calm himself down he started to speak in a very shaky voice. "I'm so...sorry. If you hadn't...met me then you would be at...home right now and...and.." He hiccuped suddenly and then pulled himself back together enough to finish what he was saying. "And it's all my fault!" He trembled in Taelon's arms as misery started to overwhelm him.
A stunned look came over his face as he was kissed on the nose and before he could stop himself, he leaned forward and gently brushed his lips over the young doctor's wanting to see just how soft they were.
After a few minutes of kissing the boy he pulled away and looked hazily down at him, "Does this mean you like me back, Cedric Blake?" Grinning like the Cheshire cat he ran his fingers through the blondes hair, wishing he could stay in this moment for the rest of his life. "I like you...is it wrong to like you?" He whispered gently and stared deeply into his eyes.
He broke out of the kiss relunctatly and gave Tae a dazed look, as if he couldn't believe that had just happened. His eyes grew wide as saucers as he shook himself slightly to see if he had really just heard what he thought he had heard. "You...you like me?" Trying to shake himself out of his daze he gave Tae a brilliant smile and threw himself into his arms and hugged him tight. "Of course it is", he whispered out. He felt a surge of joy crash over him that lasted for only a moment as he pulled back with fear written all over his face. He had just thought about the fact that if anyone found out about them, they would force them apart. Tae would lose his job and he would be thrown into seclusion for the rest of his days. He turned his face towards Tae, panic written all over it. "Oh god, what if they find out?" He didn't even realize that he was speaking normally, without pausing, so high was his fear.
"I said I would get you out of here didn't I?" He whispered softly and held the boy extra close, "I won't let you stay here when you don't even belong here. It's not fair on you." Taelon gently kissed Cedric's temple and ran his hands through his hair, "I promise I will always be here to help you. I won't just let them separate us if they find out. I will fight for your freedom."
"I'm sorry I'm such a bother..." He felt his hopes rise as he heard Tae say that he would fight for him. He snuggled in closer to the man, feeling safe for the first time in his life. That this man would care so much that he was willing to throw away everything to get him out of this terrible place, was something he would have never expected in a million years.
