Hold Me

Here's the second chapter. I figured that since the first one was so short I should upload the next quickly ^^
WhinnieRichards: Thank you, I'm glad to know that it's good! ^^ And thank you for the welcome. *bows*
Uncertainties: Well, here's more like you asked!

“What were you thinking?!” The screeching shout brought the boy back to consciousness. He turned his head, and could vaguely see two shapes in another room.

“But... he needed help,” came Alex’s voice, defensively.

“You’re too nice for you own good! You don’t even know who he is!” The voice came again, and this time the boy could define it as a female’s voice.

“That’s true, but I couldn’t just leave him out there. He would have died. Besides...” Alex was cut off.

“I don’t want to hear your excuses! We’re barely getting by as it is, without another mouth to feed!” the girl shouted.

“Then I’ll just drop out of school and get a job. That would solve...”

“No! I won’t let you! Our parents wanted you to become a doctor and that’s what you’re going to do! No arguments!” the girl snapped.

“That’s all well and good, but going to college is too expensive. At least let me switch to the community college so that...”

“I refuse! You’re getting the best education we can afford! I won’t let you throw away your future for some kid you randomly found lying out in the streets! Why are you doing this to me? Do you like upsetting me?!” the girl demanded.

“That’s not it! It’s just that...” Alex trailed off. The girl continued yelling for a few more minutes while Alex waited it out in silence. Finally the yelling stopped, followed shortly by a door opening and then being slammed shut. The boy winced and turned away. The girl, whoever she was, was probably right. His rescuer would have been better off just ignoring him. He had brought nothing but trouble to everyone he’d ever known. As soon as he could, he promised himself, he would leave.

“You’re awake,” the familiar statement drew the boy’s attention, and he found Alex standing in the doorway, once again holding a tray with soup, and this time the tray included a bottle of medicine. The boy bitterly wondered if he had caused Alex to buy it specifically for him. “Did we wake you?” Alex asked, as he came over and knelt down next to the couch. The boy, having never been very good at lying, nodded. Alex smiled sadly in response. “I apologize. My sister is over-protective,” he murmured.

“Don’t apologize!” the boy shouted, before he could catch himself. Alex looked startled, and then sighed.

“I’m sorry, it’s a habit of mine,” Alex said.

“I told you... don’t apologize,” the boy growled, turning away from him. He could not see Alex’s face anymore, but heard the tray being set down on the floor.

“I almost forgot, you still haven’t told me your name,” Alex attempted. The boy frowned, despising and grateful for Alex’s gentleness.

“It’s Evan,” the boy responded softly.

“Evan, huh? It suits you,” Alex replied, not pushing for a last name. Evan found himself blushing in response to such a simple statement.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Evan demanded, turning back to face Alex.

Alex seemed surprised at the question, and then smiled innocently. “Why shouldn’t I be? Would you rather I wasn’t?”

“N... No...” Evan admitted grudgingly.

“Then don’t complain,” Alex said, pulling a thermometer out of his pocket. “I want to see if you still have a fever. If you don’t, then you won’t need the medicine,” Alex stated, pressing the button on the device.

“I don’t nee...!” Alex took the chance and shoved the thermometer into Evan’s mouth as soon as he’d opened it. Evan glared at Alex, but obediently closed his mouth around it. Alex fussed with the blankets as Evan waited for the thermometer to go off. When it did, Alex managed to grab it before Evan could free his arms from the blankets.

“Good, it looks like your fever has gone down,” Alex said, his voice full of relief. Evan blushed and looked up at Alex, marveling at his milky white skin and large hands. “Do you think you can sit up?” Alex asked, snapping Evan from his fantasies.

“Oh... um... yeah, I think so,” Evan agreed. Alex smiled and with both of them, they managed to untangle him from the blankets and get him to sit up. Alex then meticulously re-arranged the blankets so that Evan was still properly covered, but left his hands free.

“Do you think you could handle the spoon yourself, or do you want me to...”

“I can feed myself!” Evan broke in before Alex could finish his sentence. Smiling, Alex nodded and set a stand over Evan’s lap which he set the tray on.

“See if you can eat that all, if you’re still hungry, there’s more soup in the kitchen,” Alex said as Evan started eating. It took all of Evan’s willpower to eat slowly, but even he knew that eating quickly after starving for a few days would only cause him more harm than good. Seeing this, Alex relaxed and stood to return to the kitchen. A silence settled over the house as Evan ate and Alex cleaned dishes in the kitchen. Finally, the bowl was empty, Evan was still hungry but too embarrassed to ask for more. The woman’s words still haunted him. All he was doing was take advantage of Alex’s kindness. “I already said that you can eat more if you want,” Alex said, exiting the kitchen holding a pot, partially filled with soup, and a ladle. “You were asleep for a full day, so it’s understandable that you’re hungry,” he insisted, ladling some more soup into Evan’s bowl despite protests.

“What day is today?” Evan asked softly.

“It’s Thursday, why?” Alex asked, worriedly.

“Didn’t that girl earlier say that you’re attending school? Don’t you have classes?” Evan asked.

“Oh, don’t worry. It won’t hurt me much if I skip a day or two. Right now, I’m more concerned about you,” Alex stated, brushing aside Evan’s concern.

“Why? How can you be so worried about a total stranger?!” Evan shouted, glaring up at Alex. He seemed taken aback, but then smiled once again. The way he could take shouting without retaliation was starting to annoy Evan.

“Because you looked like you needed help. It’s the same feeling you get when you rescue a stray cat off of the streets,” being compared to an animal irked Evan.

“You’ve probably done that numerous times,” Evan stated.
Alex laughed, “That’s true, but my sister always sends them away.”

“She wants to send me away too,” the boy continued.

“So it seems... But this time, I won’t let her,” Alex said with conviction, and this time it was Evan’s turn to be startled.

“Why do you say that?” Evan demanded.

“Because you’re cuter than any cat,” Alex said lightly, and Evan immediately blushed darkly.

“I’m a guy! That’s hardly a compliment!” Evan shouted back, before occupying himself with spooning the soup into his mouth. Alex chuckled, before leaving Evan and returning to the kitchen. However, the thing that annoyed Evan the most, was the fact that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t control the blush that stained his face.