I'm Not Fawning! (Freckles)

[Deleted]

Of course Kodi had heard all about the snake-biting incident.  Hell, he'd asked for as much information about the ordeal as he could, following rumors and seeing what might be true and what sounded fake.  All in all, what seemed to have happened was the two got into some spat over something (or someone), punches ad been thrown, and Oriel had ended up getting bitten.  Once Kodi knew that the boy was going to be okay, he could laugh about the ordeal, but the truth was, he'd been... Sort of horrified at the idea of Oriel dying. Not that he would tell anyone.  But it was there.  And it fucking irked him.

But he had yet to actually ask the biter about it, which needed to be changed.  Fortunately, Kodi's own bruises had finally healed up apart from a few remaining discolorations, but he was sure Erik's were still visible.  Grabbing an ice pack on the way up to the boy's room, Kodi stomped up the steps to the boy's dorms and knocked loudly on the door.

Assuming it was unlocked, he stepped into the common room and headed towards Erik's door, knocking again before once more letting himself in without being invited.  "Are ya here, Freckles?" he drawled, peeking inside.  "I'm not gonna cringe at seein' yer face, am I?"  He wasn't worried about Erik, nope.  He just wanted to see him for the sake of...  Seeing him.  Because surely the serpent wouldn't be up for fooling around just yet?  

Man, Kodi was getting soft.  

[Erik Stewart]

Erik was there all right, huddled under his sea-foam green bedcover, his face obscured by sheets and hair. Kodiak had woken him. He raised his head to glance over the layers and caught that shock-blond scruff, then grunted and retreated under his covers again. He seemed to be some wild animal, sequestered in a corner to lick its wounds; he felt and looked terrible, with freshly-lain bruises covering his once-freckled, pale white face, his breath whistling through forcibly narrowed sinuses, and numbed thoroughly by pain medication. Erik hadn’t left his dorm in some time. He wondered what right Kodi had to barge in here and disturb him.

“Go away,” he said, his voice muffled.

It was easy for him to fall into reclusion. He was an introverted type, didn’t like to discuss his problems or reveal thoughts, and retreating was his easiest solution. It probably wasn’t the best, nor advised, but he was stubborn and set in his ways. A ‘friend’s’ company – especially a relationship built on how attractive they were to each other – was the last thing he wanted to entertain right now. Kodi would likely receive nothing but hostility for all his generosity. At least, until Erik grew too tired to lash out.

Which might not take long in his state. The rat snake DJ was curled upon the green covers, too, where it sat watching Kodiak with impassive, beady eyes.

[Deleted]

A small smirk of a smile crossed Kodi's face as he saw Erik peep up above the covers, grumble out his 'greeting', and retreat back underneath. "Well, ain't you a ray of sunshine," he grinned, stepping in and closing the door behind him. He wasn't put off in the least - he hadn't expected a cheerful greeting. And it sure as hell wouldn't be enough to make him leave.

Kodi caught sight of the snake on the bed as he stepped closer, and his smile turned a tiny bit soft. "Hey DJ," he greeted the reptile. "I'm gonna move ya so I can attack yer human, okay?" Setting the ice pack to the side, Kodi carefully picked up the snake and deposited it on the floor, giving it a small pet before promptly hopping up on the bed and straddling himself over Erik's blanket-covered form.

"Ya can't look any worse than I did," he huffed. Grabbing the ice pack again, Kodi pulled back the covers to get a better look at Erik's face, letting out a whistle as he caught sight of the bruises. "Damn, he got ya pretty good," he hummed, reaching down and catching Erik's chin in case he tried to retreat again. "I got some ice, to uh..." For a second Kodi stumbled over his words, then continued on,"Well, I thought it might help with any swellin'." That's what Benton had done for him, and it'd helped a lot more than Kodi'd admitted.

[Erik Stewart]

He didn’t respond, even as Kodi crossed the room, shut the door behind him, and moved his snake off the bed. DJ didn’t seem to mind being lifted. Its tongue flickered in and out, waving its head as it was suspended, but didn’t bite; it was a docile thing, had never bitten anyone in its life…as far as Erik knew. It slithered under the bed as soon as it was let down, sliding over bundles of clothes and discarded cartons as it went.

Erik did his best to ignore him until Kodi assumed his familiar position on top of him. His fingers dug into the sheets until the other boy managed to pry them away from his face. He turned his head, eyes squinting and vision bleary from his half-awakened state.

Erik reached up to push Kodi’s chest. “I told ya t’leave didn’t I? Am I fuckin’ talkin’ t’myself over here?” His voice wasn’t distinct – just a low, mumbling growl. “Who th’fuck y’think y’are, anyway…can’t just come in ‘ere whenever you damn well feel like it.”

He rolled over, making the sheets rustle, and planted his face in the pillow (as much as he was able; he still needed to breathe). “It’s goin’ down fine!”

[Deleted]

Kodi liked DJ quite a bit. Not as much as Shelob, his tarantula, but he had a thing for misunderstood creatures. He'd learned that Erik's snake was a kind-hearted thing, if reptiles could be, and had no difficulty in picking it up and moving it around if need be.

Erik was a much harder snake to deal with, but Kodi enjoyed the challenge.

He grunted as the other boy pushed against him, unmoving from his position. "I ain't gonna leave 'til I feel like it," he drawled. "Y'can't fuckin' lock yerself up in yer room an' not expect me t'pay a visit. 'Specially considerin' who it was that beat ya." Yes, he had some sort of rivalry thing going on with Oriel, and Kodi did not like the younger boy beating on his pale freckled.... Thing.

"I think I'm a free fuckin' human bein' an' can do what I want," he snickered, trying to catch one of Erik's wrists in his hand. "An' like it or not, someone's gotta make sure yer healin' okay, an' I might as well do it myself." He wrestled down until he was laying across Erik's prone form, rubbing his hips against his back. "C'mon, Freckles, show me yer pretty face. It ain't all that bad. I'd still fuck ya." He lifted up the ice pack in preparation, planning on smothering it against the other boy's bruises as soon as he (hopefully) peeked up.

[Erik Stewart]

It didn’t look like Kodi was going anywhere. When he climbed on top of him, Erik shifted and muttered. He growled. He wasn’t up for much more than that: the Motrin he’d received not only dulled the pain, it also made him incredibly sleepy, so much so that he was content to sleep the day away if he could. The whole dorm looked like a cave by now: the blinds were drawn tight over the window, making the place dark, musty, and still.

“That’s what th’ nurse is for,” he muttered, without turning around. His wrist was limp in his hands, but he’d take whatever lapse in attention Kodi displayed by retaking it, tugging his arm back to his side and under the covers. He closed his eyes, half of his face still buried in the sheets. He wouldn’t open them again until Kodiak threatened him with the ice pack.

Erik finally turned around. One eye was nearly swollen shut under a black-and-blue bruise. His pink, plump lips were split at the bottom, revealing a schism of dark red scabs. There were faint dots of dried blood just under his nostrils, where he might have bled in his sleep. He looked terrible and he knew it.

Needless to say, sex didn’t appeal to him right now. All he wanted to do was sleep and mope and avoid classes. He only got up for the occasional snack and a shower and other necessities.

“I ain’t fuckin’ you. So if that’s what y’want then yer gonna have t’find somewhere else t’stick yer pecker. You know. Far away from me.”

[Deleted]

"I don't trust the fuckin' nurse," Kodi growled. He'd refused help when Oriel had beat him up; if it hadn't been for Benton, he'd have been licking his wounds for a very long time on his own. He let Erik pull his arm away, still tense over his sheet-covered figure. "They don't care 'bout little shits like us, we gotta look out for each other." He said this with a snarl, but the sympathy was there, somewhere. He knew the staff here would rather see people like them gone. It wasn't a secret.

He studied Erik's features with a neutral expression as he offered them up, reaching down after a moment to brush the pad of his thumb against Erik's lower lip with surprising gentleness. His brow furrowed; it made him sick to think that Oriel had done this to him. "What'd I say? Still pretty," he growled, hefting up the ice pack and lowering it over the bruise along Erik's eye. He'd deal with the blood under his nose in a minute.

Kodi tilted his head, smirking faintly. "I ain't here t'fuck," he drawled. "Believe it or not, that's not the only reason I like t'bother you." He huffed out a breath, readjusting himself over Erik as he dabbed the ice up a little. "Like I said, we gotta fuckin' stick together, otherwise we're gonna be all fuckin' alone, an' I don't know 'bout you, but I'd rather have someone that I don't hate at this school." He grumbled and snarled a little more, hating himself for saying all this dumb shit, but unable to stop himself.

[Erik Stewart]

Erik flinched when he set the ice pack on his eye, only because of the initial frigid cold. He wasn’t sure what the use was, since it looked already swollen up to him – and he wasn’t keen on believing him when he told him he was ‘still pretty’ – but Kodi was dead set on it. Erik didn’t have the energy to protest for long. He just squinted, let out a harried grunt, and settled down. He was glad, for once, that the damage done to his face prevented him from seeing his blush.

“I didn’t sign up for yer imaginary club,” he muttered…but he supposed Kodi was right. He didn’t know much about the nurse – he’d done his job well enough, he supposed, but Erik knew the institution was ashamed of him. They wouldn’t let him anywhere near the Hammel inspectors, for one thing. He was barred from school activities. He couldn’t leave the place without supervision, so he wouldn’t fuck up their image. Of course, it wasn’t for anything he hadn’t done: he was punished for his temper and his violence, his general delinquency, and nothing else…but still he wondered how much patience they had for someone who caused so much trouble and gave them so little in return. Erik must have been a drain on their resources by now.

He was silent then, for a little. Kodi could take that as agreement if he liked. A quiet Erik was a relatively content one.

“How’d you hear ‘bout this?” he asked at length. “Does everyone know?”

Erik supposed they would. News like this had a habit of catching attention, and he was hesitant to see what kind of reception he’d receive.

[Deleted]

Kodi gave a small, smug grin when Erik stopped resisting, letting himself relax a little on top of the skinny boy and continue to press the ice pack against his wound. It was pretty bad, but Kodi was so used to seeing bruises on himself that it hardly made him blink. "How's'it feel?" he asked, keeping his voice neutral. "If y'start t'go numb, say somethin'." He wanted to help, not freeze his brains.

He chuckled at Erik's words. "Too bad. Yer stuck now." Whether the white boy liked it or not, he'd managed to worm his way into some little crack in Kodi's armor with his snarky behavior and great acts in bed. And so Kodi was sort of attached, though he wouldn't say it out loud. Really, Erik was one of the few people that seemed able to put up with him. There was Oriel, of course, but Kodi was confused how he felt about him, especially after that stupid kiss.

Stupid boys and their stupid faces... Ughh.

After a while longer in the silence, he pulled the ice pack away and stood to go over to the bathroom, grabbing a washcloth and dampening it before coming back and wiping at the blood under Erik's nose. "Got bruises anywhere else?" he grumbled, peeking around any bare skin he could see. He didn't know if Oriel had hit him lower down, or had just attacked his face.

At the question, he peered up with his kohl-smeared eyes, his brow furrowing. "It's spreadin' 'round the school like wildfire," he drawled. "Hard t'keep somethin' a secret when the damn ambulance comes t'the school an' everything." He sat back on his legs, studying Erik more closely. "Y'wanna tell me what happened, or let me believe all the rumors?" He didn't expect Erik to tell him, but he was going to ask anyway.

[Erik Stewart]

Having the sheer cold against his eye didn’t feel very nice at first, but he soon adjusted, until it turned into a pleasing chill. He hadn’t noticed how hot and feverish his wounds had felt until then. Erik sighed through his nose, breath whistling.

“Not really,” he muttered. Most of Oriel’s blows had been concentrated on his face, and the few marks he’d acquired below the neck were minor scrapes or bruises from falling or bumping into things. None of it hurt, so he wasn’t concerned. That, and he was nice and snug underneath his covers – his big sweater on, and his soft pajama pants – and Kodi would meet with heavy resistance if he wanted him to move. Erik thought he could go to sleep right now. He wondered if Kodi would stay.

The boy shifted uncomfortably, knowing at once that he’d a right to know and that he was reluctant to say it. “There’s nothin’ t’tell,” he said. His brows knit together. “We got in a fight, an’ I bit ‘is foot.”

Erik couldn’t quite remember this part; his mind was transformed as a snake, and any memories he made during were fuzzy, indistinct and at times completely forgotten. He thought he could recall a few images, though. He remembered his forked tongue flickering in front of his scaly nose. There was a loud hiss – his own – and then nothing but a blur. He remembered the dots of blood on pink flesh when he pulled away.

“An’ you can’t say shit,” he added. “I know all about how y’two beat th’ shit out each other. ‘Cept I had more’n some sharp pointy teeth.”

Erik lowered his gaze then, and his voice. “…I didn’t come t’see you then.”

[Deleted]

Kodi nodded, and continued to concentrate on the wounds on Erik's face. It was bad enough - the Chinese boy was glad he didn't have any more lower down. Oriel really packed a hard punch; they were both lucky they hadn't lost any teeth. And, fortunately for both of them, Kodi had no intentions of trying to move Erik anywhere. In fact, he wanted nothing more than to wriggle under the sheets there and share their warmth...

No, that was dumb. He never did that kind of shit! Well, there was always a first...

As Erik 'explained' what happened, Kodi sighed and shook his head, but didn't pry. "Yeah, alright," he mumbled. "Damn, though, that bite'a yers does somethin' fuckin' awful. I hope I never get on yer bad side," he smirked. He would joke about it now, but... Well, he really hoped he never experienced that shit. Kodi wasn't afraid of things like snakes and spiders, but that didn't mean he wanted to be bitten.

He chuckled as Erik spoke of his and Oriel's own fight, pressing the ice against his face once again. "Ain't my fault I can't produce venom," he drawled with a pout. "Might'a won that skirmish if I could." He'd definitely received the worst end of that fight.

"Eh, whatever," he replied with a scowl, hiding any real emotion that might threaten to break through. "I dealt with it, an' I lived. Now scoot over, I'm gettin' cold from icin' you." He pulled up a corner of the blankets and attempted to wiggle himself in beside Erik, prepared for resistance. "If I ever get beat half t'death again, though, you better come an' kiss my bruises," he clucked.

[Erik Stewart]

When Kodi expressed his misgivings, Erik just lifted one corner of his lips and shrugged limply. “I’d be goin’ straight t’jail if I bite someone else, I bet,” he assured him. Then he snorted. “Or a zoo.”

He had been told once that he was lucky to have evaded legal justice other than the one doled out at Hammel. If he became a repeat offender, he was sure they’d throw him behind bars somewhere. Erik didn’t want that. He was so thin and small he had trouble opening some doors, and, like everyone else, he’d heard of what went on in there. He turned his head, ruffling around under the covers. “I don’t think y’need t’worry ‘bout that,” he muttered, voice growing faint.

Erik closed his other eye. He was quickly clocking out; he could feel those painkillers start to drag him under. Underneath the bed he could hear DJ murmur of sounds in the walls and scents on his tongue.

“They’re just bugs,” he said aloud, as if to no one.

For a moment reality seemed to dissipate, and he was cloaked in a pleasing, warm nothingness. Unconsciousness was truly a gift in his state. He had spent much of his time healing between dreams and reality, and it was clear which one he preferred – one was like melting into hot bathwater, and the other was…well, it was like waking up to a pounding ache all over his face. Wasn’t much worse to wake up to.
He wasn’t even out for a second or two before he was disturbed again. Erik blinked and looked over to find Kodi cozying himself up underneath his covers (and, subsequently, with him); he groaned and turned his back.

“This ain’t a fuckin’ sleepover,” he protested. He didn’t remember asking for this; what did Kodi think he was doing?

[Deleted]

Kodi laughed aloud at the zoo bit, actually genuinely amused by that statement. "Don't worry, if ya end up at a zoo, I'll make sure they only feed ya the finest of rats an' shit," he snickered.

He knew jail wasn't really a laughing matter, though - he'd be lucky if he never ended up there himself. With his record of near-weekly fights of some sort, once he turned eighteen, he had no idea what sort of legal issues might arise. He might have to tone down on stuff.... Ugh. At least that was a ways off. Kodi shook his head, watching Erik rustle around as he sat the ice and stuff aside. He'd done enough, the boy would be fine.

But now Erik was falling asleep on him. Kodi sighed. He hadn't expected to romp or anything, but he'd hoped they could interact a little more before the pale boy passed out. "Huh?" he mumbled, looking around and expecting to see a spider crawling on him or something. Whatever, guy was delirious or something.

He tried not to disturb Erik too much when he got under the covers beside him, but he looked up as freckle-face groaned at him, and gave a wry smile. "I'm fuckin' cold, an' yer under here all nice an' toasty, so don't complain," he drawled, reaching out and wrapping a thick arm around Erik's chest. Because sharing warmth was the only reason he was doing this. No sort of affection for the snarky boy, nope. "Now shuddup an' go t'sleep," he said, letting his own eyelids drift shut. Hell, he might be able to get a nap in too, if Erik didn't kick him out.

[Erik Stewart]

He growled, but he wasn’t really in a position to fight any, so he let it happen. Besides, he’d been through worse.

“Nice n’ toasty is th’ only thing I got goin’ fer me right now,” he mumbled.

That was all he said. It seemed like Erik would let Kodi lie with him, his arm slung haphazardly over his middle, and his breath at the back of his neck. He had let others do this before. Usually, it was only when he was too tired to walk back home (or vice versa) or intoxication or something else, but this time it seemed different. He tried not to linger on that, though. He’d enough to worry about. Erik’s eyelids closed of their own accord, and soon he was pulled down into drug induced sleep; he would stay that way through the night and the next morning, and if Kodi left before then, he would not notice his departure.

(DONE :3)