"Where the hell is he?" Sully asked before he stuffed a corn dog into his mouth. Normally, he wasn't a huge fan of the corn dog but when it came to festivals and events, he indulged in everything they had to offer. From funnel cakes to cotton candy in all the colors of the rainbow, he was going to eat until it made him sick. Beside him walked Kinley, who seemed less interested in eating and more obsessed with checking his phone. Sully placed a hand over the screen and tried to snatch it from him.
"Dude, what're you doing? Waiting on a call from your girlfriend?" he taunted.
Kinley pulled his phone back from Sully and shot him an irritated glare. "No." And then he mumbled something about him not understanding and he was waiting for his brother to answer his texts. Sully shrugged. Well, all right then. Maybe he should check his own phone to see what the heck Levi was up to.
Then he finally spotted him amongst the crowd goers. Sully grinned, then finished off his corn dog and tossed the stick haphazardly in the general direction of one of the garbage bins nearby. As quietly as he could, he ran for Levi and then leapt onto his back, letting out a lion's shout right in his ear.
"LEVI!"
RholyR
Levi was late as always he had to get his brother ready before he left it had been a long time since he was able to go out but since it was during the day he was about to leave without the baby. The fun part was getting to Portland now his mom didn't know where he was going if she knew he was going that far she would have told him no, she was too dependent on him to take care of his brother.
Levi just wanted to get out and have some fun so him, Sully, and Kinley were going to the big pride festival in Portland. It would be going on for like two weekends for the month of June. He was meeting the other he was always late so he had to go things alone or others would be waiting for him all the time. He was able to get there and he walked alone looking for his friends.
"LEVI!" He heard his name and then he was being clung onto by the one and only Sully! He spun in circles a few times with him on his back. "SULLY!!!!!!!!!!!!! I MADE IT!" She shouted excitedly back! He let Sully down so he could see his friend while they talked. Kinley was on his phone looking like he rather be somewhere else. "I thought for sure I would have to bring Eli (baby brother) with me but my mom has him. She said I deserve some time out. She also gave me 50 bucks." He bounced his eyebrows excited to have some cash and free time.
"So how long did you have to wait for me?"
"I KNOW!!! I SEE YOU!!!"
And he was being spun around. He laughed and clung onto Levi until he stopped spinning and then he hopped back down to earth. The world still spun for a moment so he clasped one of Levi's shoulder for support. It made sense that Levi was late because of his little brother. Levi's mom was always leaving her older son to take care of the baby. Sully couldn't even count how many times Levi ended up showing up with Eli because his mother left him in his care yet again. But it didn't bother him. As far as babies went, Eli wasn't a terrible one and he was fun to play with. Stuff like peekaboo and dumb faces--the kid never got tired of that.
"Not long," Sully said but he threw a look over at Kinley. "But he's been a real bore this whole time."
"...hey!" Kinley protested.
Sully tried to take the phone again but Kinley dodged his hand and stuffed his phone into his pocket, probably hoping Sully wasn't bold enough to go for it. (He was. He didn't.)
"50 bucks." Sully wiggled his eyebrows. "That's a lot of corn dogs."
"Gross," said Kinley. Sully slid his arm around Levi's shoulders and they started in the direction of the parade itself.
"Dude, you should see it. There are guys in rainbow thongs."
"I SEE YOU TOO." He got silly when he was with Sully. He was about the only one he did this with he wasn't too friendly with other and the touchy-feely way he was with Sully. If Kinley tired it he would have pushed him away. He wasn't comfortable with just anyone.
"Good, I hate making you guys wait on me." He would cancel on friends if he had Eli but he never canceled on Sully he was the only one he trusted around his baby brother. He giggled at Kinley's response and that he thought Sully would let him keep his phone. See Sully was the hands-on guy with just about any and everyone. He didn't know what personal space was and Levi would only allow him to because he had the title "best friend."
"Corn dogs and games!" He was sure Kinley would like the games. He welcomed Sullivan's arm he even pulled him closer as they walked. He didn't want any other guys thinking he was available, even though he was. But he was claiming him tonight.
"Oh My God! Are you for serious! just a rainbow thong? I feel overdressed now." He joked. He was wearing a tie-dye shirt with white skinny jeans that were distressed with holes in the knees.
"Games! I wonder if they have those fish bowl games."
They had them at a lot of carnivals and festivals but would they be here at the pride festival? Maybe if the bowls were rainbow colors. Now Sully was curious. He knew some of the games were pretty inappropriate but those ones weren't where the kids could see them. Like, there was a game where you could throw rings on dildos. Ahem. Sully, being immature and boyish, had laughed when he saw that.
Kinley made a face as he looked at Levi, probably imagining him in a rainbow thong. To that, Sully laughed again.
"Aren't we all?" All three of them could be classified as over-dressed. Kinley was wearing a black tank top, black jeans, and had a camo jacket tied around his skinny little waist. And Sully was in a white t-shirt with a rainbow painted over it, an unbuttoned plaid over-shirt, blue jeans, and a black cap on his head.
"Wait, wait, wait~" Sully skipped up ahead a couple of steps over to a drag queen passing out boas. He grabbed a bright cookie monster blue one and came trotting back with it. A mischievous smile crossed his face. Kinley immediately hid behind Levi but he wasn't the target.
"Now look at you!" Sully said as he held onto the ends of the boa and threw it around the back of Levi's neck. "All ready."
"I'm sure they do, what are you trying to win pet fish? I am sure they have those rainbow guppies instead of goldfish." Levi held onto Sully not wanting to be separated now that they got to hang out. They bumped hips and held hands while they walked and Kinely trailed next to them. Levi giggled when he saw the dildo ring toss. He was out of his element for sure.
Levi slapped Sullivan for laughing at him and then slapped Kinley for looking at him like that. "Don't either of you get any idea's no rainbow thong for me."
Smiling coyly as Sully came back with the blue boa he expected the gift from his best friend. Kinley escaped him that time but Levi was going to be ready next time and dodge him. Sadly they would end up all going home dressed in drag and Levi's mom was sure to flip Sully's parents would even question him. Levi really wished he was part of there family Sully had it so good he had great parents.
Lately, Levi hated his life and fought to keep going each day. Eli's smiling face kept him going he had to love him and in order to do that he needed to be around so he pushed through the hard times.
"What about you two?" He pouted at Sully as he held onto the boa, "What if we all wear blue boas?" The drag queen was walking away and Levi pouted in the attempt for him to go get them.
"No, sadly, I don't think they last too long."
He knew from experience, actually. When he was like ten, he won a goldfish at a carnival and it promptly died on him two days later. He cried for hours, unconsolable over the death of the new pet he was sure he'd have until he died. (Hey, he was a kid. He didn't know things then, okay?)
Sully took his slap like a man but Kinley used one of his long legs to kick Levi back in retribution. Sully laughed. Typical of his friends. His smile was lopsided as Levi pouted over being the only one of the trio wearing a silly blue boa.
"Do they have to be blue?" he asked, stepping backwards. "We could be like power rangers. All different colors." He turned and trotted after the escaping drag queen so he could ask for two more boas. These ones were unfortunately not colors he would have chosen himself. The drag queen just handed them over with a tittering laugh before moving on.
"I'm taking purple!" Sully said immediately as he pushed the pink one into Kinley's face. He looked over at Levi. "Guess you're the manliest one of us now."
"Yeah, I think they are stressed out or they buy all the sick ones at a discount and make us pay an arm and a leg for them." Levi new they never lived long after but he could be wrong and someone could own a goldfish from a fair for ten years for all he knew. He didn't like fish himself much they were cool but he didn't want any.
Levi then remembered Sully had a goldfish for a minute and he felt bad for bringing it up. They were kids but it wasn't too long ago. Darwin was his name of the goldfish from the cartoon Gumball so Sally thought it was clever to name his goldfish Darwin too.
"Hey, you're going to dirty my pants.!" He yelled at Kinley and swatted at him for trying to dirty his pants. "No, I guess not but I thought the Blue Boys." He said as Sully walked backward. He returned with pink and purple. Sully took purple and left Kinley with pink. That's if he even wears it. He was so into his phone Levi didn't know if he was going to join the fun or not.
"I thought I always was?" He joked with Sully. He was so hands on Levi didn't know where they stood sometimes.
Those fish were definitely stressed out, no denying that. There probably should have been a law against abusing fish the way they did but people didn't tend to treat fish with as much care as the fuzzy animal types.
"Well, why'd you wear white?" Kinley retorted before he had a boa thrust into his face. A moment later, he sneezed. Sully wrapped his boa around his neck and tried to look as sassy as possible. He walked like a model in front of the other two before turning around with a "fierce" model face, one hand on his hip. He winked playfully at the other two. Mostly at Levi. Kinley only rolled his eyes before he reluctantly slid the pink boa around the back of his neck.
"Nope," Sully said. "That's me." He was manlier than Levi! For sure!
"My parents would kill me if they saw me now," Kinley said.
"Because they look good on my why else?" Kinley's sneeze was quite but didn't go unnoticed. Sully was making a scene like he always did when they were in public. It's like having all those siblings makes him want to stand out more. Well, that's how Levi saw it. Sully's wink made Levi blush. He tried to act like it wasn't directed at him and it was to both of them.
Quickly replying, " My, dad would kill me too." He kicked himself for bringing up his dad, but he loved the man. It had only been a year on the 10th. Yeah, he kept track of that. He hoped he would come back and everything would go back to the way it was before his brother was born. But then he sees Ely's smile and he wouldn't change it for the world, Plus it was his dad that was missing out. Not them.
They knew not to talk about his dad and it was a sore subject but it was open for discussion if he brought it up? Right? DId he have a right to get upset if it did? "But that's why none of them know we are here right? I'm staying at Sully's, Sully is staying at Kinley's and Kinely is staying at My place." He said it super fast because he was nervous they would get caught. This was not like Levi to lie to his mother.
"Mhm," he said to himself with a mischievous nod. What? He agreed with Levi--he looked good in those tight, white pants. He glanced over the area where Kinley had kicked him and it looked like Levi got off lucky. At the moment, Kinley's shoes weren't dirty. Surprising, given how much time Kinley spent being a nosy little shit and getting into trouble in the woods behind the school. Back during the big storm, Sully heard that Kinley was out there, worrying his parents half to death. Hard not to know, since Kinley's parents called his parents asking where he was.
See, Sully got away with flirting because Levi didn't stop him. It was almost like Levi liked the attention but didn't fully grasp the meaning of it. After all, Sully was kind of a touchy-feely guy. Levi wasn't but he still let Sully get away with pretty much murder. The mention of dads made Sully cut his gaze back toward Levi. He could have kicked Kinley in the nads for bringing up dads right now. But it was true. Both of them had dads that would murder them for being out here. Not just in Portland but at a gay pride parade. Meanwhile, Sully thought of his parents as pretty open-minded. After all, they adopted kids from all over the world and provided love and shelter. It wasn't like they cared if those kids turned out gay as hell.
"Hey, my parents would be cool with the parade part," Sully interjected. "Just not, you know, the going out of town without them part."
Kinley was odd but weren't they all a little odd? He was a mean one for sure but they were boys and hurting each other was just what they did to each other. He dusted the area and is pants were still nice and white. Kinley didn't succeed in leaving in footprint on him.
After he said what he did he just stood there lost in thought for a moment. He wondered what his dad was doing now and where he was. He hoped he was happy. His mood went from happy to sad in a matter of seconds. He had a sick feeling in his stomach now the more he thought about his dad.
"I wish I had your parents..." He said in a bitter tone. Really Sullivan had it the best out of all of them. It wasn't a contest he just wanted to be happy and the life he was living now was not too happy he was not living for himself anymore and it took soo much out of him. It was nice to get out and just be a kid again. It sicked his mom but this on him she made it his burden. He was part of the family so he had to step it up he could walk out like id Father, no never even if he felt like it.
Levi went from happy pappy to sad and sulky he pulled the boa off and wrapped it around his hand. He felt guilty for not being home helping his mother with his baby brother and getting ready for the next day. How was he supposed to have fun while he was worried about what was going on at home without him? What if his mom brings home a guy and he hurts Eli?
And this is why he was always home and living in his safe zone. He wanted nothing more than to leave now, to go home. He forgot how to have fun and live for himself.
"Me too," Kinley said.
Sully shrugged and smiled, despite their negativity. Yeah, he had great parents but if they wanted to talk birth parents, well... Sully really was lucky and sometimes he admittedly took that for granted. At the moment, he was just grateful they weren't up his butt asking where he was (because they thought he was with a friend at their house--hah!)
But something was definitely going through Levi's mind, since he went from smiles to grump-face in a matter of moments. Sully raised his brows as Levi pulled his boa off. Looking around for somebody that was giving them dirty looks, Sully tried to detect the reason for it. Kinley was still wearing his, even if he was still periodically checking his phone like a mad man.
Sully sighed and then slid an arm around each boy's shoulders and pulled them in closer.
"Come on, guys. This is supposed to be a festival so let's have a good time!"
"How?" Levi said dryly it's not like they knew what it was to look after a baby, the worry he carried was heavy. His feet felt like brinks and he just wanted to be home with Eli. Sullivan was his best friend but he still couldn't share this with him. He felt like he was killing the mood was he supposed to fake he was happy? For the sake of his friends? That's what friends did right looked out for them and did what it took to make them happy. to be selfless?
Could he be selfless today or was he going to let anger get the best of him? The anger took over he was not being the good friend today he was making it all about him and the way he felt right now! "Why did we even come here? There is nothing to do here we aren't kids anymore." He was pushing his friends away rather than opening up about the way he was feeling. He regretted leaving he was scared of being so far from Eli.
He continued to let Sully hang his arm on him but he was being negative he couldn't see any positive in being out right now. Closing himself off.
"...well..."
Sully didn't know what to do with the pair of rain clouds on either side of him. One was obsessed with phone and the other was clearly mulling over some serious shit. Meanwhile, there was Sully, in the middle, arms around his friends from school, feeling increasingly stupid with his stupid smile and his stupid kick in his step and his stupid strong will. He would smile until the day he was dead, because he was pretty sure if he stopped smiling, the other two were going to die.
"We don't have to do festival stuff if the people are making you crazy. Like there's the Japanese garden. It's super awesome. Either of you been there? Not a lot of people, peaceful."
Levi could see Sully was still smiling and still being positive and that's why he loved him. He made the happiness come out even when he didn't want it to be there. No matter how hard he tried to stay upset Sully's smile make him smile. Wrapping both arms around Sullivan's lower waist he pulled him close not wanting Kinley to have his attention anymore. He was sure Kinely wanted to be free to text away. "Do you think we can get someone to buy us some rum and we can put it in our soda in the garden. You know to lighten the mood. I didn't mean to get bitchy on you. I'm just." He stopped himself from saying it out loud. Worried about Eli.
This would be the first time Levi drank they did it in the movies and they always seemed to have fun and he wanted to have fun for a change. He needed to live for himself once and awhile. His mom raised him just fine so one night with Eil she would be fine more than fine. They didn't need him all the time he was a kid himself he needed to act like it.
"Sully you can pass as 21, you have a nice jawline very mature." He was now trying to talk his best friend into doing something illegal. If Sully asked him to he would do the same and he knew it. He just needed his best friend to be a best friend right now and save him from himself. This was not the time or place to have a little talk but he needed it.
"Welllllll, we could just nick some of those tiny bottles everybody's selling."
The festival was supposed to be a family event but there were guys in bikini bottoms everywhere and women wearing pasties over their nipples. And yeah, there were a lot of people privately selling tiny little bottles of various kinds of liquor. It wouldn't be the first time Sully had a little something harder to drink; he was the type of kid who had to try everything at least once. And a lot more if it was fun. He was what his adoptive grandmother called a "Good-time Charley."
(He had no idea what that was supposed to mean but he took it as a compliment.)
"I know, I look old for my age," he said, trying his best to look old and mature. "But I'm telling you, I'll just take some. If we're breaking the law anyway, might as well go the distance." He spotted a vendor up ahead and he turned to Levi and put a finger to his lips before turning and trotting off. When he got closer, he oh-so-casually walked past the merchandise and slipped a few into his pocket and continued to keep walking oh-so-casually like he hadn't done a thing wrong.
Levi's eye's bulged as Sully took off to five fingers discount some booze for him, he was a true friend. He smacked Kinley, "Get ready to run if he gets caught." He forgot how crazy his buddy was as he watched from a distance. He was nervous for him as he watches so he looked away for a moment scared that him watching Sully would get him caught. Like a child not looking at there parents when they are scolding them. Levi got that a lot with Eli so he knew he was acting like a child. But he didn't really care he wanted to regress and step back from growing up for a moment.
Then he was back, Sully like nothing had happened. "DId you get it?" He asked as he wrapped his arm around Sully's and started to walk. He looked away so no seeing how smooth his friend was snatching them up like a ninja. They headed out of the festival so the could get drunk and have fun in the garden. Levi now had a smile on his face and was trying to have a good time.
"Oh, come on..." Kinley said back to Levi. Sully grinned. Probably because he thought he knew better than Levi how to get into trouble. Kinley kind of wasn't that much of a troublemaker but he'd sort of gained that reputation lately. What with the boyfriend that came out of nowhere and all that. Huh. Sully wondered if the texting had anything to do with that. Sully didn't know specifics though and he wasn't about to ask for them, either.
"Yep, yep!" he said, his eyes bright as he slid a small bottle into each of his friends' hands. Kinley looked down at his and shook his head but a moment later, he was looking around and then twisting the top off. Sully grinned.
"This'll be way more fun than the festival, anyway," he said, drawing Levi in a tiny bit closer.
WOW, He did it Levi too the tiny bottle it was about one t or two shots. He didn't know how many he snagged or how many they needed to get drunk. He didn't know much about his tolerance, any of theirs.
"Thank's Sully! I could kiss you right now." He didn't really mean it he hadn't really even wondered why Sully had them go there of all places. He hadn't thought about much of anything other this is brother an mother is awhile. Who am I any more? He was being drawn in closer and he went with it. He hadn't even taken a drink yet but felt drunk? High? Something, maybe just off?
"Are we drinking it like this or?" He was being a sissy he didn't like the way it smelled she was sure it didn't taste good. Kinley was already drinking one. It made Levi feel pressured to do it too without something to mask the taste. He was the loser noob this time not knowing what to do.
"Heheh." Stupid laugh. "Wait, you're not going to?"
Kinley made a gagging sound but he was slowing down. It looked like whatever he was hoping to hear, he'd heard it. Or something equally interesting. Kinley took a long swig from the little bottle that Sully filched for him, then pushed it back into Sully's hand.
"What?" Sully asked with a grin. "Afraid to get in trouble?"
"No, I have to do. My little brother... needs me. Later!"
"Wait--!"
Without so much as a better explanation, Kinley was running the opposite direction, practically swimming through the rainbow signs, boas, and dresses. Sully shrugged.
"Guess this means it's just you and me now."
Levi made a face at his laugh(Sully?) A goofy nervous smile on his face but Kinley interrupted the moment and out like lightning before he or Sully could say anything. "What what?" Levi was able to spit out with no response just Kinley's back, he grew smaller and smalled the further he got. Then looked at Sully, "I guess it is, true friends stick together he was beings a downer anyways with being on his phone and all.
"We're still going to the garden right?" Levi pouted his lips just before taking a drink from the little bottle. He didn't like the taste of it at all and it burned when it went down. He made a sour face and winked "Wow that was really strong." he looked at the bottle. It was whiskey. "You trying to get me drunk or something?" Levi wiggled his eyes brows then finished the small bottle off. He put the cap on and tossed it in a nearby trash bin.
It warmed his whole chest and he felt like he could breathe for the first time. It was like the whiskey ran through his veins as he was walked. "Why are you my best friend Sully? I have been a bad best friend lately. I'm sorry."
"Yep, we're still going to the garden."
It was obvious to him at least that Levi didn't want to be here at the festival. Even more obvious that Kinley didn't either. Busted. So Sully was the only one who wanted to go. He wondered if that meant he was the only one with a big old secret to tell. Maybe he shouldn't tell it, actually. Quickly, he took another drink from one of the small bottles and his gaze followed Levi's hand as he tossed away a bottle. They were already drinking so why not more? As they passed another small stand, he swiped a few more, tucking them into his pockets artfully.
"Why's the sun orange?" he asked with a shrug. "We just are and you so aren't a bad friend. I know you got all that crazy stuff going on. I'm just glad you came out with me."
Er, that could have meant a few different things but he'd pretend he didn't realize that...
"Yay!" Levi jumped up and down and shouted but stopped when his stomach sloshed around, Don't jump when drinking-noted!
"It's just is," Levi said causally answering why they were best friends. "Right! Do you think Sunny came to the event? I think he likes me." Levi and Sully didn't talk about girls or guys but they both kinda knew the didn't like girls Levi took a liking to Sunny. He hadn't really had a chance to tell Sully about him. It had been a minute since they hung out.
"Do you think Kinley is coming out too or was just hanging with us?" He opened this one and it was pink it looked like it was going to taste better than the last one. "So do you think your parents are cool with this?" My mom seems to love me either way. She was looking through my history and...." He trailed off. He and his mom never really talked about it it was more like Her saying "I saw what you were looking at." And I was like "okay", and then she was like "okay." SO I think that means she's cool or happy to know I won't get anyone pregnant."
It was like just because they came to a pride event Levi was acting like it was okay to talk like this like they always talked like this. Maybe it was the booze maybe he was just tired of not speaking up about it, Hell it's a pride event!
There went his plan to ignore that it could mean different things. Sully grimaced a little as he took another swig from one of the little whiskey bottles. Kinley made it look easy to drink a whole bottle down but it was burning the fuck out of Sully's throat. He should have added the coke like Levi mentioned earlier. Wrinkling his nose and shaking his head out, he almost stumbled as Levi openly started talking about what likely brought them to the event in the first place. Sully cleared his throat.
"I mean... he's... a dancer?" Sully said, then made another face, this time at himself. That was such an un-woke thing to say. A guy could like dancing without being gay. Kinley didn't act particularly gay but again... there was no real force behind the stereotypes. Even the people here weren't all representative of the community as a whole. Some were just having a good time. And even if some did fall into the stereotype, it was none of his business.
"I think it's just Kinley's parents that would kill him," he said after a moment. "Mine don't care. They got enough kids and they're not obsessed with grandkids." Which reminded him--kids did--of Levi's earlier dip in mood. "Everything okay at home? With your brother?"
Yeah," He laughed, Kinley was really good at dancing it was crazy how is body moved so smoothly he had so much control over his body Levi could to the line dance they taught in middle school and that was about it.
"I see them getting mad but it's just the type of parents he has wanting to control everything their kids do." He had to laugh Sullivan did have a big family so I can see why his parents were in no rush for grandbabies speaking of babies Sully brought up Eli, "Yeah, It's all good at home he is getting into everything now that he can walk." This was his chance to vent about his worries and fears but he hides it and kept smiling. He didn't want to feel that way again, that's why he was drinking he wanted to feel happy.
Two bottles down and Levi's stomach was on fire from the alcohol. "Hey, I have money remember? Should we go eat first? And celebrate?" He had a little more pep in his step now that he was drinking and he was feeling better. It was like he forgot how to have fun he had been raising his brother for so long.
Sully waited for the bombshell--that Levi had to leave early for his little brother or that his brother was sick or something. Whatever cloud passed Levi earlier, though, it was gone now. Maybe it was the alcohol. Trying to shrug it off, Sully grinned and took another quick swig, followed by another grimace.
"Yeah, let's go to Arby's, man. I'm craving those fries like crazy. How about you?"
"I haven't had Arby's in like ages. Hell yeah, I want some Arby's fires." Levi walked close to Sully enjoying his company he needed time with his best friend it had been a long time since he could just hang out and have fun and be a kid. He was trying not to worry about Eli not because he didn't love him but because he loved him so much he forgot how to live his own life. He was sleeping in class and skipping gym class to sleep. When he was home he was on he feet chasing after his little brother and cleaning up after him and doing school work and cleaning more. He could get homework done when Eli napped and when he was playing he was cleaning well trying too.
Food sounded so much yummy right now while drinking at home he never had to really eat he would snack on cookies with his bother and fruit. but he himself didn't really eat. He lost a lot of weight since his dad left. He no longer had the glow in his face he was merely existing.
"Heh, see, this is why we're best friends," Sully said with a grin before giving his best friend a fist bump. Not just best friends, though. There was--not always, but recently--a little weird tension between himself and Levi lately. Sully used to brush it off as changes in their lives. Everything was changing. Levi's mom had his brother and then Levi got really busy all the time. Sully started to feel less liked and more lonely. It gave him too much time to think. And then there was the struggle. Sully was fine with his queerness. That didn't bother him. But he was always searching for hints that Levi might feel the same. Most of the time, he didn't think so.
See, Sully was always physically affectionate. Levi wasn't but he was with Sully. But that didn't mean a whole lot. At least, he told himself that. Kinley wasn't really touchy-feely, either and he didn't make exceptions for Sully the way Levi did. So maybe... but then he thought maybe not, especially when he realized that a relationship or anything like one was probably the last thing on Levi's mind.
When they arrived at Arby's and ordered, Sully sat across from Levi with a stupid grin on his face, toying with the receipt in his hand. "So... you were coming out today?"
"Because we both love good eats?" Levi cackling with laughter flowing out of him he was feeling all warm inside and he couldn't stop smiling. While they both walked they sipped the alcohol from the tiny bottles, by the time they were in Arby's Levi was really feeling it and he felt like everyone in there knew he and his friend were drunk and gay. But he didn't really care to be honest he was enjoying this moment he was living it up they were celebrating.
He partially fell into his seat giggling away while Sully grinned at him. "Yeah, I guess so. I didn't really know how I was going to but I guess this is how it went down." Levi closed his eyes for a moment and his head spun it felt like his eyes were shut for only a second but it might have been a little longer. He was taking in the way he was feeling, what was this was it drunk euphoria?
Levi's eyes popped open when the tray was set down. "Fries!" His eyes were glossy and he was hungry his mouth watered smelling the fires. "Excuse me! Can I get Ranch? Please." He claps his hands together loudly his eye half shut nose and ears rosy red. Levi started to eat to fires before they got back with ranch they smelled so good he couldn't resist.
"What about you? Why now?" He asked boldly not expecting his best friend to say anything out of character.
Food. Food always made things better. They could chat over food and pretty much everything felt safe and normal. Sully dug into the meal as well, encouraged by the buzz in his head and the warmth in his belly. But it sure seemed like that for a person bringing up the coming out business, Levi was now playing Mr. Artful Dodger on the subject. Sully raised a brow at him before taking an over-exagerrated bite of a fry.
"I kinda..." He sheepishly shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "I never really thought of myself as in," he tried to explain it. There was never anything that said what he was couldn't be allowed. He grew up without a care for either gender. Romance was kinda the last thing on his mind. And then when the hormones hit, it was just natural for him to be himself.
"But I mean, if you're gonna come out... gay pride's the time to do it." He winked. "With flair."
Levi winked back." Indeed with flair." He fingered snaped two guns at Sully's heart. He took a few fries and dipped them in the ranch. "I mean is this really coming out?" He looked away, "We are together and Kinley was with us but I mean this doesn't change tomorrow or the next day for me. I'm not making it like some big thing changing status or anything." He took another bite feeling like he didn't have to talk if he was eating.
He was not good at this "talk about our feelings thing" he had no idea what was going on inside him, was it the fact that Sunny looked so feminine he liked him or was it because he was a guy? Levi didn't have answers to these questions yet. he was still exploring things.
Sully was his childhood friend so they talked as kid and feelings were made but now he was questioning his entire existence. He felt like he was barely holding on at times. But not right now, right now he was having a great time with his best bud he felt like a million bucks.
Yep, flair. Sully flipped his feather boa around the back of his shoulder to emphasize just how much flair he had. It was about as goofy a response to those finger guns as he could muster. Part of him felt a little apprehensive bringing up this topic, though. Carefully, he picked out a few fries and then stuffed them into his mouth just to have a reason not to speak immediately. Neither of them did the whole feelings-talk thing. It was just implied most of the time that they were friends and that was pretty much the end of it. (Even if Mr. No-Touchy let Mr. All-Touchy touch him all the time. Sully knew better than to just read that as romantic interest.)
In fact, he sort of went out of his way to make sure his best friend felt safe around him. He could read the cues. If Levi wanted him to back off, he backed off. If Levi needed a minute away from a crowd, he knew that intuitively, too. He just knew. Just like for a while now, he was pretty sure Levi had been looking for a way to come out. And now... he had.
And it wasn't as earth shattering as he imagined, was it? For Sully, it wasn't. But he never really imagined that it would be. Everybody knew he was a great big open book. Besides, he never said he didn't like girls either. It was a weird grey area.
"So... wanna hear something funny?"
"Ah, Yeah I wanna hear something funny when do I not want to?" Levi jabbed back with. His cheeks puffy from the fries he was like a little hamster with fat cheeks.
A lot had changed since the two hung out and Levi was ready to share with is best-bub but it might not want to be heard, Levi had never talked to Sully about liking someone so now that he was out and had a crush he was going to want to gush with his best friend not knowing he would be hurting his feeling and breaking his heart. He was so blind to Sully's true feelings he just thought that was Sully he was like that with everyone.
Not once did Levi think it was because he liked him in a different way. They had a special relationship, it was one of a kind and Levi loved him to death he would never want to miss lead him.
He did a head shake side to side as he ate another fry waiting to hear something funny.
Sully laughed, partly from nerves and partly because Levi looked like a squirrel getting ready for the winter. Raising a brow, Sully went for another fry and tried to buy a little extra time by swirling it around in some horsey sauce. Not a good idea, really, because Sully didn't even like it. He made a face as he bit into it. Hey, who brought the horsey sauce to the table, anyway? (It might have been him--Sully kept thinking it would eventually "grow" on him.)
"Okay, so it's not exactly FUNNY..."
The way Levi was looking at him, it seemed like he was expecting an actual joke. Sully meant funny in a different way. Like how it was funny when somebody asked somebody else out right after they moved on and got a boyfriend. That kind of funny. Not that Sully was that worried about that in regards to Levi. Slanting his gaze aside, Sully cleared his throat and then darted another look back at Levi.
"I had a crush on you once," he finally said, a wry half smile forming on his lips. Ah yes. That whole thing. So funny. Haha.
Still not getting it he looked at his best friend as he ate the fry with the horsey sauce and it looked like he was going to turn green but he at the french fries and shared with him the not so funny, funny thing. And it was a little fuuny but not. Levi Laughed at first the stopped, "Really? Why?" He blurted out. "I'm a mess why would you like me?" He thought it had to be a recent thing I mean they just started to like others right? Or was Levi a late bloomer? He felt like it would have been within the last five years and Levi's father had been gone for almost two years now. And Levi has been a mess the whole time. How could anyone like someone like him?
Levi felt like it was him that pushed his father away? Well him and Eli he felt like he never wanted to be a father and maybe Levi was the reason his parents fought all the time and his mother having Eli was the straw that broke the camels back. He felt like he had to grow up then and there the day his father left. He had to be "the man" for his father. But he was a kid and he needed to just be a kid and not worry about things like that.
"I'm sorry for laughing I just can't see why ANYONE world like me of all people!" He was dramatic this time with his words and his hands he might be letting his emotions take over right now. He didn't want to talk about his stresses but it might just come out, Levi bit his lip to stop himself from saying anything stupid.
"Dude, who isn't a mess?"
Yeah, sure, Levi had a messy life but they all had their own messes to contend with. Some were more vocal about theirs, some liked to manufacture shit where there was none, and there were people who reached out but kept getting burned. Levi didn't get a fair shake at life--being considered almost a father at his age was no fun. But it was Sully's job to make sure that Levi still lived like a kid. If it weren't for him, Sully was pretty sure that Levi would just be holed up at his place all day, taking care of Eli and sadly leaving behind all his carefree childhood days.
Not like Sully liked to claim the title of child at his age but, you know. Come on. They still had some time before they were expected to shed away those carefree years!
Also, the laugh. That was. Yikes. Sully could feel his ears starting to burn and he lifted his boa higher around his face as if that would help disguise the rising color.
"It was just once," Sully said defensively. "Besides, throw away all the drama for five seconds, Levi. You're good-looking." He sent Levi a teasing grin. "You at least got that going for you."
He was right Levi just never stopped to think about what everyone else was going through. It was a bit selfish in a way but what was expected of him seeing that he was ALWAYS babysitting and doing shit around the house. Levi never wanted his own kids. Kinda hints why he his after the same sex. No baby making for him no way in hell! Dealing with a teen girl and baby! That's when Levi would opt out of life. Game over, can we reset? Never sleep with a girl never have kids! Easy right? Everyone at some point is having a hard time in life? Without the struggles how do we appreciate the good times?
"Oh, now it was just once! I see I am not good enough to like more than once I see just friend material!" The tone Levi had was so monotone he didn't want to feed into it too much cause he didn't feel the same but a lett hurt that he was making it sound like it was a mistake to like him.
Levi couldn't understand why he was upset if he didn't like him back but it hurt a little. And with the booze in him, it fueled his emotions more so than normal. Pressing his lips together and looking away he tried to fight back tears.
Why the fuck am I about to cry? This is so stupid.
The last part was supposed to make him feel better but it just made him feel worse. "Like, Oh your cute but everything else sucks about you." These words didn't come out of Sully's mouth but that is what he felt. Looked up after choking back his tears. His eyes were a little glossy but no tears escaped.
The grin was too cute Levi smiled back bashfully. "Stop it, I'm not some eyes candy for you all the time creep." Levi reached over and slapped Sully's hand. He tried to lift his spirits or Sully's grin was working some magic. But he couldn't be a Debby Downer. Tonight was Fun an Free time. no baby to wake up to!
"Uh well..."
Taken aback by Levi's response, Sully had no idea how to reply back. Alcohol made Sully a goof but it seemed to really dampen Levi's spirits. Maybe he shouldn't have filched so many mini bottles between the two of them. Sully fiddled with one of the cute little bottles, flipping it back and forth between his fingers. He thought Levi didn't want him to like him forever or be some moony-eyed romantic that never let go of a childish, childhood crush. Maybe he was wrong. Hard to tell what fueled the burst of emotion from Levi.
Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't you dare cry, he thought, because he could see that Upset Expression on Levi's face--the one that could very well lead to tears if he wasn't careful. Luckily, Sully's smile seemed to disarm him and Levi smiled back. Relief swarmed Sully and he gladly squeezed Levi closer into a hearty half hug.
"I so didn't say you were my personal eye candy, weirdo. I can't tell if you want me looking at you or not. You, my friend," Sully said with a gentle poke to Levi's chest, "are the king of mixed signals."
"You, my friend," He said mockingly. "Are right on the money." He pressed his index finger into Sully's chest playing with him. He always seemed to flirt with Sully and vice versa so why didn't Levi notice it sooner? He started to question his feelings for Sully he never thought about liking him. They were friends and friends don't like friends that weird right?
"I am sad and I don't know why. But the fact you don't still like me hurts for some reason." He started to fiddle with his fingers the booze had him just speaking his mind. If Sully was already onto his mood why not talk it out right? Maybe?
Well, he hoped.
Just then Levi's phone rang and before he even looked at it he knew it was bad. He could feel it in his gut something wasn't right. He gave Sully a serious look and quickly answered.
"Levi, Yoon?" The woman said on the other line.
"Yes, this is Levi Yoon." He swallowed hard.
The tone of the women gave it away before she even said the words Levi started to spin.
"You mother and bother have been in a car accident." He words slowly started to sound like she was in a tin can. He dropped his phone in disbelief he didn't want this to be real. This couldn't be real?
"Levi? Hello Levi? We need you to head to Portland Medical Center. He picked the phone back up. "I'll be there in 10!" He hung up the phone.
"We have to go, My mom and brother!"
"You're kinda slow, you know that?" Sully said, regarding Levi with a grin. If he'd known that Levi would take it so personally that he liked him "once" then he would have just outright confessed at the start. But you know, baby steps and all that. Plus, he didn't want to step in the dookie without an ability to backstep into safer territory.
"Anyway," he started. "You got it wrong--"
He wasn't able to finish the sentence because of Levi's evil phone. Sully made a face and swung away, running a hand through his hair and then walking in a semi circle while Levi answered it. It was probably a good thing he didn't shout into it, thinking it was one of their mutual friends like Kinley. He could tell immediately when he looked up and saw Levi's grey face.
Shit.
"In 10?" Sully asked. "Where? Where are they?" Sully was already taking off down to the street so he could try and flag down a taxi or some shit. "Where the crap is a car when you need one? I'll call an uber."
"I think you might just be right Sully. But shit, I have a lot going on and dude you my best friend so why would I jump to you liking me." He felt like he would be a bad friend if he assumed that about him. Levi himself didn't see anything special in himself for anyone to like. He dad ran off like he was nothing. Two years will be rolling around soon since he left. Levi will be 2 in April and was his dick of a dad going to call or send a card or show up? NO, Fuck no he didn't want the responsibility of taking care of his own kids. That he didn't even think what this would do to Levi.
He had to stop being a kid and grow up and stop caring about his feeling and put his brother and mothers feeling first. He stopped getting the sleep he needed and the stress just coming it never seemed to stop. Just like right now he thought he had the night to himself with his best buddy Sully. They were opening up and then this call had to happen.
Levi couldn't help but instantly put the blame on himself. If he was home his mother wouldn't have been doing whatever in gods name she was with his baby brother.
"The hospital here!" Is all he got out before Sully was running outside, Levi jumped up and followed him outside but he wasn't running. Then he was back Levi was shaking almost in tears. When Sully returned Levi fall into him hiding his face."It's all my fault" He cried into Sully's shoulder.
"It is not your fault," Sully said vehemently, rubbing a hand over Levi's shoulder and his arm. What, a kid his age couldn't go out and have fun with friends for a few hours without being blamed for whatever happened to his baby brother? Levi's mom never should have hung such a weight on her son in the first place. Sully didn't want to be mean about it but it was her kid, not Levi's. But it was Levi that was the parent.
At the hospital, Sully kept an arm around Levi in case he got light-headed. The nurse at the front counter was good at her poker face when they asked about Levi's mother. Whatever happened to her, it was impossible to get a read off the woman. She just told them to take a seat while she checked on the patient's status.
It felt like a hundred years before somebody finally came into the lobby for them and it was a white-faced older doctor with a concerned look on her face.
"Levi Yoon?"
He jumped up the look on the doctor's face didn't look good, "Yeah,"
"Can we talk in private?" The doctor said and Levi looked at Sully, "He can come with you." Levi took his best friends hand and followed the doctor to a private sitting room. The room of doom is what he was dreading. Levi sat in the firm chair, uneasy.
The doctor looked at the chats then cleared her throat and the words came out but the didn't sink in. He sat there blankly with no emotions. "Your brother is fine he has a few bumps his car seat saved him but your mother," She paused." She didn't make it."
"Okay." Can I see them?" It didn't click his mother passed and she was gone and she wasn't coming home with him and his brother.
(hits home rn...got me crying)
It felt like something bad was in the air. From the way the people behind the desks were looking at each other to the way the doctor spoke Levi's name. Also, when somebody said they wanted to see you privately regarding health stuff, it usually meant bad stuff. Sully bit his lower lip and fidgeted with the hoodie he'd exchanged for his boa before entering the hospital with Levi. It felt like a disrespectful move to enter the somber mood of a hospital in a colorful feather boa.
Now he toyed with the strings hanging from his hood while he followed the doctor and Levi into a private room. Even though everything was supposed to be calm and cool, to Sully, it felt too clinical. There was something throwing him off. There they sat and all Sully wanted to do was reach out and hold Levi's hand while they waited. His hand twitched, unsure. That would probably be bad form, too. He swallowed hard and sat too straight in his chair, watching the doctor check over the charts like she hoped something new would pop up.
Then the words came.
Sully was too shocked to hold back his gasp and he felt like he'd been pushed. He sat back heavily, head swimming. Accident? Eli was fine but... Sully looked over at Levi, who seemed blank faced. Probably still in denial.
"Holy shit, Levi," Sully blurted out as he reached out to take his hand. "I'm so sorry."
Then it hit him like a ton of brinks. No father and now no mother but his mom didn't have a choice like this father. "I need to see Eli!" The panic set in. "What happened?" he demanded wanting explanations he needed answers!
"They are still investigating it." The doctor said, "And if you calm down you can see your brother. But since you are a miner we have to call child services we can't discharge him to you." Levi held onto Sully's hand in disbelief was this really happening? He can't even take his brother home after all this?
"I'll calm down once I see my baby brother." He was heated and freaking out and the doctor expected this, the young man just lost his mother. She had been doing this job for a while but she still had a heart. This was the hardest part of her job.
He wanted you to scream, cry, and yell all at the same time. Levi didn't want any of this to be real. He didn't think for once he was going to hear what he just heard. He thought that they would be hurt but not dead. A flood of emotions came flooding out his chin trembled and his eyes filled with tears his grip on Sully tightened.
The doctor sighed and said, "Follow me I'll take you to Eli Yoon he is in room 205 and he is sedated but coherent." His palms started to sweat he was excited and scared to see baby Eli. Once he was in the room he ran to his brother's side hugging him, he was limp and Levi could see the drugged look in his eyes it broke his heart to see his baby brother like this. Levi couldn't hold it back anymore and just started to bawl. Sobbing uncontrollably.
Oh, shit. It was true. Levi was a minor; they weren't going to just give him his little brother. And what about his mom? Were they going to ask Levi to go look at her? To... identify her? If it were Sully, he'd want to at least say goodbye. But that was because he saw his family in a different light. Right now, Levi was focused on the baby because the baby was alive and he was vulnerable, Sully was willing to bet. And the shock of his mom, that hadn't set in yet.
Sully was about to argue or beg that they be allowed to at least see Eli (he had to be all alone and scared, right?) but the doctor seemed to understand. It wasn't going to hurt to let Levi go in and see his little brother. After all, why would they call them here if they were just going to shit bad news at them and nothing else?
But the minor thing was still ringing in Sully's head. Levi and Eli, they were both minors... Without parents. They would be thrust into the foster system. Chewing his lower lip, Sully thought of his parents. They had adopted so many kids. What were two more?
He followed Levi in silence, the thought still blooming in his mind.
He let go of Levi as he ran for his brother and he stayed back--giving the two their moment together while he watched. He felt a bit like he was privy to something he shouldn't be seeing, though. After a moment, he crossed his arms and turned his head away, looking at the machinery and the walls of the hospital. Damn. Everything about this was depressing.
It hadn't even crossed Levi's mind about his mother and having to identify her. His full attention was on Eli. His face was barred him his brothers chest. "Mama's gone baby boy but I will always be here." he cried into his brother in a whisper.
This was too much for him to handle right now he would be lost and broken if Sully wasn't with him. He was so alone and now he really was he had to grow up for real now. If he thought it was hard then now he had the weight of his mother's death on him, raising his baby brother, and his dad left them like they were nothing.
His breathing was unsteady and he looked up into his brother's eyes they were heavy and glossed over he looked tired and sad at the same time. Levi knew Eli knew mama was gone. He was there when she died.
Does dad know...? This gives him NO right to come back into our lives we are just fine without him.
The doctor stood back and gave them some time but didn't leave them alone in the room. "Some men would like to talk to you boys." She clasped her hands together. "But only when you are ready they will be right out here waiting."
Levi looked at the doctor his eyes still filled with tears, "I'll talk to them. I can't see him like this right now." He slowly got up wiping his tears away making his way to his Sully. Sliding his arms around him for comfort.
They used to hug in a playful manner now in sobber. October was looking like a shitty month. Hell, shitty year, maybe life. No! He would let his brother have a shitty life. He would remember the good things his mother did and pass this knowledge onto baby Eli. She was a good mother she just lost her way in hard times. Levi felt like a shitty son for thinking all the bad things he ever thought of her. He wanted nothing more than to take it back.
I should have stayed home this would have never happened!
"Hey..." It'll be all right, he was going to say but that wasn't true. Maybe one day but not any time soon. Sully knew a little about losing people. He had been adopted into the Bennett family because things weren't great in his first trial at life. But when it came to being on the other side of tragedy, he'd learned it was best to be there, for whatever the other person needed. Any time a new kid was welcomed into the family, Sully waited it out, he waited for them to feel strong enough to open up to him. He didn't push it.
At the same time, he made sure he was there. A presence that was stationed close enough for that new sibling to come to whenever he or she felt like it. Sully was that way because he didn't appreciate it when people pushed themselves on him for answers. So... yeah, he tried to extend the same courtesies that he could.
This was different, though. This was Levi. His best friend. Not only had he lost his mother, it was a very real possibility that he'd lose his kid brother and on top of that, he'd be placed into some foster home. Some were okay. Some weren't. And Levi wouldn't even have much of a choice when they did. They'd just place him where there was an opening. What if it wasn't here? What if it wasn't in Hazleton? In Portland? Even in Oregon?
"What do you need with us?" Sully asked, looking over at the doctor with a frown as he continued to hug his best friend. He was partly annoyed that the doctor was lingering and talking about people needing to talk to them. Couldn't she see now wasn't the time?
"These officers need to speak to Levi get his information, does he have a relative that can take him and his brother?" She spoke to Live's friend rather than him she could see he wasn't all there. It hurt her to see this play out but it was part of her job, if they went into the foster care there was nothing she could really do her hands here tied.
"Can't I just go home?" He said under his breath he didn't want to stand there anymore he didn't want to be in the hospital anymore, shit he didn't want to be alive ant more, his eyes scanned the room, there had to be an escape away out of all this.
Levi was now in his own head and time seemed to slow down. He just stood there frozen not wanting to move now. What if they took him away right now? this was bad really bad, he tightened his grip on Sulli.
"No, but he has me and my family," Sully said with a frown. He didn't like that people were so easily pushed into the foster care system. He knew from experience, from seeing the other kids, that it didn't help. Eli needed to be with somebody he already knew, like his brother. More importantly, Levi didn't need to be subjected to the horror of some shitty foster family that only wanted him for extra income.
"Call my parents," Sully said to the nurse, giving her his home phone number while he lightly rubbed Levi's back to calm him down. He didn't want to tell Levi that the next time he went home, it would likely be to gather his things and pack. "They'll take him and they've fostered and adopted before. They'll know what to do."
Levi could hear them talking but he wasn't processing any of it like the fact that he would be Sully's brother if they adopted them. This was a big thing for his family to take on but they did it many times before. But what if they couldn't, what if they didn't want to take the two in and this was the end of everything? Why was this all happening to him and now?
"You think they would take us in?" He said after a moment once they were left alone. They went to get a hold of Sully's parents they would more than likely be going home with the Bennett's tonight, Sully's family was pretty awesome, he was sure they would pull through he just couldn't help but think of the worst.
Levi wanted to sleep for a long time until this was all over with at least he help onto his best friend for comfort.
"Of course! They've known you as long as I have, right?" Sully smiled and he did his best to continue soothing Levi with a light back rub. At this point, everything else that happened before the accident felt effectively erased. Now they were facing a very different kind of future, full of mines and pits they hadn't anticipated. Sully's tiredness couldn't be described in words--the once bouncy and happily positive force was muted.
Not gone, though. It hadn't disappeared.
For a long moment, they just sat in silence, or as silent as they could in a hospital setting. Sully knew there was a time for words and a time for just being there. Now was the latter. He lightly bumped his head against Levi's and pulled him closer. It wasn't okay and it wouldn't be for a while but on the bright side, Levi still had his little brother. There was that.
A nurse came in with a clipboard for Levi to sign.
"For the evening, you will be released to the Bennetts. They're on their way now."
He needed to hear those words and he wanted the comforting hand but it all still didn't seem like enough. He wanted more, he wanted his family back, both his parents. A time where he felt safe. Levi gave Sulli a half smile before looking away back at the floor.
He really didn't think he had it in him to make it through today but as every minute that went by, he was able to do it. Without even thinking about it his body just knew just what it had to to get by even if it was disconnected from everything right now.
"Kay," is all he said as he fought back tears as he signed the papers. Then they had him do the worst part ID his mother. They made their way and in his head, she was going to be okay and it was all a miss understanding but he knew deep down she was gone and that was the worst part. It was hard to even think right now he just wanted to stop thinking.
They uncovered her face and it hit, the truth his mother lay there all pale and bloody. Levi clenched his fisted and turned away. "Yes, that her my mother!" He grabbed onto Sulli and tears came out, his chest tightened and his whole body began to shake.
After the whole ordeal, he and his baby brother were released to the Bennett's the whole day was tiring when his head hit the pillow Levi was out. His dreams were wild and he woke up in a cold sweat. Panting he frantically looked around for baby Eli. Once he saw him his heart slowed down.
Pulling the covers off he got up at peeked in the pack and play, at his brother. He was sleeping still his little chest rising and falling with each breath. he did this every night fearing he would die of SIDS. He then looked over at Sulli and whispered, "You up?"
Sully had no chance at sleep. It didn't matter how tired his body might have felt. As he lay in bed, he could only remember the events of the day. It was like some kind of dream turned to a nightmare. Everything bled together and then it shattered apart, a look from Levi here, a sound of a cry there, a flirty smile, tears. Swallowing hard, Sully shifted in his bed for the millionth time that night. His eyes felt dry and baggy but he couldn't really sleep so all he did was stare at the ceiling. Every now and again, he looked over at Levi and he ruminated over his position.
Although he was certain the Bennetts would take him in, he knew Levi was in a place where he just wanted what he used to have back. The Bennetts also weren't guaranteed anything. Levi could have family out there that wanted custody (doubtful, but still) or there could be a push to place them in separate homes. Especially Eli. he was a baby and babies were in high demand. Somebody would snap him up.
But the Bennetts would never let them split up, not if they could help it.
Still, it meant everything was in the air for Levi.
So when Levi started moving around and it was clear he was awake, Sully slowly turned his head toward him and watched him. He watched in silence, not sure if Levi was in the mood for talking. It was only when he asked him if he was up that he slowly lifted his head and rubbed his dry eyes.
"Yeah. Haven't really slept after... well, you know." He sat fully up and crossed his legs under his blankets. "How are you doing? Did you have a nightmare?"
"Yeah, I did," Levi said in a low tone. "Can I lay with you?" He asked as he sat up. His baby brother was still sleeping and it was dark in the room. He didn't know what he was feeling right now. He wanted to be sad but he didn't know what he was feeling.
He felt like life was hard before but a life without his mom felt like no life at all. He never has to think of his life this way until now.
Levi got up before Sully answered and jumped in bed with him. Levi rested his head on his chest. The tears began water his chin trembled and the tears fell out.
"She's gone, she's really gone." Levi's whole body ached.