Light Of A Fading Star
Woody smiled broadly when Thomas told him that his mother liked him. “Well, I’m glad you think she likes me. I didn’t think that she would hate me, but it’s certainly reassuring.” He felt Thomas melt into his embrace. He hoped that the small motion comforted the other boy. They waited for the cap to pull around. Woody didn’t know what to say to Thomas when he said he wasn’t really okay. Of course he would be okay eventually. He just hoped that his father got better so it would be sooner. It was evident that Thomas would be a wreck if his father passed away. “I’m so sorry, Thomas. I have been praying for him to get better ever since you told me he was ill. I sincerely hope he gets better. You don’t deserve to have your father in a state like that.” When Thomas said he looked awful, Woody frowned. He simply nodded when he described his father as skin and bones.
As soon as the cab pulled up, they climbed into the back seat. Thomas’s hand was in his own in a matter of seconds. Thomas held onto it tightly as they made their way through the darkened streets of London toward the house. Woody paid for the cab, it was the least he could do after Thomas bought his plane ticket, they walked up the steps. They were delayed for a few moments while Thomas dug into his pocket for his house key. “Okay, I would like that,” Woody said giving Thomas a smile.
As they walked through the house, Thomas showed him everything. He had grown up in a very nice place. There were so many different rooms. He felt like the English had so many more rooms, and fancier names for said rooms. A greeting room? Wow. Woody grinned at the loft. “That would be my favorite room, too.” The TV, video games and everything that a boy would need to be entertained was right there in that area. “This is a really nice place, Thomas,” Woody said before he was shown Thomas’s room.
Everything in there was so quintessentially Thomas; the band posters that were tacked up everywhere, movie posters, collectables, a soccer ball. “Ugh, Mum’s cleaned it.” Woody laughed. “I love this room. I think I could walk into it without you telling me whose room it is, and I would instantly know it’s yours. This room is just so you!” Woody gave Thomas’s hand a small squeeze. “So what do you want to do now? You think we should go to bed? It’s been a long day afterall.”
With a sigh, Thomas nodded, though reluctantly. “Yeah, I suppose we should,” he said, running a hand through his hair and biting his lip. He wasn’t tired, really, not after sleeping on the plane for so long, but it was late, so he figured they should probably get some shut eye. He leaned over to Woody an gave him a quick peck on the lips. “Goodnight then?” he said with a weak smile.
Woody left to his room next door, and Thomas swung his door almost shut, leaving it open a crack as he always had. It was so weird to be back in this room, he kinda missed hearing Aladdin’s breathing across the room, or the ornaments he’d gotten him for Christmas, or any other assortment of things back at the DA. It was pretty much home to him now. He pulled his clothes off and dug through his drawers, trying to find a decent pair of pajama bottoms to wear to bed, having always preferred sleeping without a shirt.
He lay in his bed, trying to sleep, but found he wasn’t able to. It was a number of things keeping his mind from shutting off for the night, the image of his dad, the fact that he’d rested on the flight over, and he had to admit that him being alone in the house with his boyfriend only a few feet away in the next bedroom over was a contributing factor. He felt conflicted, since he didn’t know if it would be weird to be grieving for his father’s illness and wanting to go spend time with Woody for the night.
After a long painful hour of debating with himself, he realized he was never going to get to sleep anyway, so he got up from his bed and quietly opened his door. Woody had closed his all the way, and Thomas hoped that he hadn’t locked it. He turned the knob slowly, and to his pleasure it turned all the way instead of catching. As silently as he could, he walked over to Woody’s bedside, and he saw him laying with his eyes closed. “Woody…” he whispered, reaching out to smooth some of his brown hair from his face. When Woody peeked back at him through half closed eyelids, he gave him a nervous smile. “Can’t sleep.”
(Source: keep-both-eyes-open)
Light Of A Fading Star
Woody was taken a little off guard when Thomas’s mother pulled him into a hug, rather than shake his hand, but he didn’t resist the comforting gesture. He figured she could definitely use the hug given her current situation. He wrapped his arms around the woman, and hugged her back. He chuckled lightly when she said he was tall, but thin. She said she would change that. Woody ate plenty, he just had a fast metabolism. Unless British food was all fat, he probably wouldn’t gain more than a couple pounds. That wouldn’t affect him much anyway.
He didn’t understand what she said to him, but he figured it was something nice. “Thanks,” he said grinning back at her. When Thomas said he was going to go see his father, he gave the boy an encouraging smirk. Woody watched his boyfriend walk around the corner. Mrs. Davies started asking him questions almost instantly.
He answered every question she threw at him. She asked about school, his family, any hobbies he had, what sports he was into, what television shows he watched, and everything in between. Apparently Thomas had already told her a lot about him because she would start a lot of questions with “Thomas tells me you…” Though she didn’t ask any questions about Thomas and him which was good. He was not going to be the one to tell her about how their relationship was. Woody just told her that Thomas was his best friend and that they had a lot in common.
He wondered how Thomas was doing in the other room, and he wondered how much longer he would be. He didn’t want to rush the boy, but he imagined that Thomas wouldn’t be able to stand being with his father for an extremely long time. Before he knew it, Thomas was walking back into the waiting room. Mrs. Davies stopped with the questions and turned toward her son. “She driving you crazy yet?”
Woody grinned and shook his head. “Not at all, Thomas. Your mother is very nice. She was just wanting to know a little more about me.” Mrs. Davies said that the boys should leave to get some rest. Woody was tired from the flight, but he was willing to stay at the hospital as long as Thomas wanted to be there. But a moment later, Thomas asked if he was ready to go. Woody nodded and went to grab his iPod off the chair he had previously occupied. He bid farewell to Thomas’s mother before following Thomas to the elevator.
When they were in the elevator Woody said, “Your mother is lovely. She’s so nice. I can see why you always speak so highly of her. You know, she could have made a career out of being an investigative journalist or a police officer. She asks a lot of questions. Ones I would never have thought to ask someone.” He chuckled to let Thomas know that it didn’t bother him. “I like her a lot. I shouldn’t have been so nervous to meet her.”
They stepped off the elevator and headed toward the exit of the hospital to wait for their cab. He put his arm around the boy’s shoulders. “You okay?” Thomas didn’t look like he was, and Woody was worried about him.
Thomas laughed a little at Woody’s assessment of his mother. It was extremely accurate, and it was kind of amusing to hear it put so well. “I’m so happy you like her, and she obviously loves you already,” he said, smiling. They walked out to the curb, and stood their to await their cab, Woody’s arm around his shoulders. Just that little motion there made him feel a lot better, some of his tension melting away. He sighed as Woody asked if he was okay. No, he so, so wasn’t. “Not really, but I’ll be fine.” He furrowed his eyebrows, then pinched the bridge of his nose as he felt tears start to sting his eyes again. The sight of his dad like that… “He looks awful,” he said, releasing his nose and looking up at the sky. “He’s skin and bones. Just… not right.”
The cab pulled up, and the boys climbed in, Thomas grabbing Woody’s hand the second they were inside. He held it tight while looking out the window the entire ride back to his house. After paying the cabbie, they walked up the front steps of the house, Thomas digging his keys from his pocket and finding his house key. “So, I can give you an actual tour if you want, since we were in and out so quick earlier,” he said as he got the door opened.
They walked through the house, Thomas feeling rather like a real estate agent as he showed it off. “Greeting room, living room, den, kitchen, half bath, guest room…” He said, showing the various rooms of the first floor before heading upstairs. “Loft,” he said, pointing at the room at the top of the staircase which held a television and video game systems. “That’s one of my favorite rooms,” he said with a little grin before heading on. “Other bathroom, two more guest rooms, that one’s yours obviously, Mum and Da’s room, and… My room.”
He opened the door and flicked on the light, revealing a room that couldn’t have been mistaken for anyone else’s. Punk rock and other assorted band posters were plastered over every square inch of wall, a movie poster here and there, action figures and other collectibles lined a shelf, and there was a miniature ship in a bottle on the top of the dresser in the corner next to a soccer ball. “Ugh, Mum’s cleaned it,” he said with a little smirk.
(Source: keep-both-eyes-open)
ooc: who’s gonna go reply to para this instant? this girl.
Light Of A Fading Star
Watching as Woody made a few steps toward the building, Thomas took a deep breath, then took a step after him. This was going to be some of the most painful moments ever, he might as well get them over with. The door was automatic and slid open when the boys got there, and they approached the front desk. The receptionist there looked up at them with a grim smile, one that was obviously worn by habit after many years of hospital work. “How can I help you boys?” she asked. “Visiting hours are over except for immediate family.”
“I’m looking for my father’s room, William Davies?” Thomas said, his voice strained. He coughed, trying to clear out whatever was mucking up his throat to make it sound so odd. It probably wasn’t going to work, since his voice had been like that all day.
The receptionist typed the name into her computer and said, “Davies, Davies… Room 206. Second Floor.” She stood and pointed behind her, guiding them toward the elevators. “Lifts are just there, you’ll want to make a left turn when you get upstairs, yeah?” She gave them both a smile, then returned to her seat.
After thanking her, the boys headed toward the elevators, then after reaching the second floor, found the waiting room right across from the elevators. Thomas exchanged a glance with Woody, a faint smile and nod, before reluctantly turning to the let to go see his father. After taking a few steps, a door down the hall opened and a woman stepped out, looking a bit disheveled. She was a woman he would have recognized in an instant, with her flaming red hair that he’d inherited from her Irish blood. She turned toward him, and stopped, just realizing he was standing there.
“Mum,” he said, rushing toward her. He took her up in a hug once they reached each other, and he held her tight. “How…How is he?” he asked, finally releasing her and standing back.
She let out a heavy sigh. “Sleeping now, thank goodness.” She smiled up at her boy weakly. “I was just heading to the waiting room for a cuppa tea.” She held onto his arm, and they started back toward the waiting room, slowly. “I am so sorry we never told ya, Tom,” she said, dreary emotion all through her voice.
“Hush, mum,” he said, swallowing hard.
“So,” she said, glancing sideways at him. “Where’s this friend ya told me ya were bringing, then? At the house, or did ya bring the poor boy here so late at night?”
Thomas smiled weakly. “He’s in the waiting room,” he answered. They entered the room only a few moments later, to see Woody fiddling with his iPod, sitting in a chair against the wall. Thomas released his mother’s arm and walked over to him, kicking his shoe lightly with one foot. “Oy,” he said, raising his eyebrow just a bit when Woody looked up and only noticed he’d come in after he’d nudged him. “Come meet my mum.”
It took every ounce of strength to not grab him by the hand to walk over there, but he somehow managed. He stood to the side of his mother, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “Mum, this is Woody,” he introduced. “Woody, my mum, Laura.”
They walked through the automatic sliding door into the chilly hospital. That was one of the worst things about going to hospitals. They were always cold. It made them even more uncomfortable than they already were. The two boys approached the reception desk.Woody stayed quiet when Thomas told the nurse at the reception desk who he was visiting. Visiting hours were over for those who weren’t immediate family, but this woman didn’t have to know Woody wasn’t family. As long as he kept his mouth shut so she wouldn’t hear his southern, very not British, accent. Poor Thomas had a frog in his throat and could barely tell the nurse the name of his father.
The nurse told them that Thomas’s father’s room was on the second floor and then told them where the ‘lift’ was. Woody had a moment of confusion when they got in the elevator because there was a G button, a 1 button, and a 2 button. Then he remembered that the second floor in England was the third floor in America. The elevator smelled uncomfortably like sanitizer.
When they got off the elevator, Woody saw the waiting room. He gave Thomas’s hand a light squeeze to let him know that it was okay. He watched his boyfriend walk into the room his father was staying in. He didn’t know how long he would be there, but he wasn’t too concerned about how long he was going to be in the waiting room. He was there for support when he was needed. His iPod had a full battery and he had his wall charger just in case. He randomized the music on the iPod and put his headphones in.
He was in the middle of the second song when he felt a tap at his foot. He looked up to see Thomas. That was fast. “Come meet my mum.” Suddenly Woody got nervous. He wasn’t dreading meeting Thomas’s mom, but he wasn’t sure about how he would be received. He took out his earbuds, turned off the iPod, stood up, and set it down on the seat he was in.
He was glad he was wearing a jacket with pockets so he wouldn’t be as tempted to grab Thomas’s hand. Woody gave the red haired woman a kind smile. “It’s very nice to meet you Mrs. Davies,” he said taking his hands out of his pockets. He wanted to say something along the lines of I wish we were meeting under different circumstances, but he just left it at the greeting.
He could tell Woody was nervous to meet his mom, but the opportunity had presented itself, so he’d taken it. He wasn’t exactly calm either. He had this horrible feeling that his mother, who knew him extremely well, could see right through their normal friend act and could tell they were dating. Of course, that was ridiculous, but the fear was always there. It had been the same with his last boyfriend.
“Croeso,” his mother said in Welsh, meaning “Welcome.” She took Woody’s hand, and instead of just shaking, she pulled him into a hug. Thomas probably should have warned him that his mum was a hugger, but it was too late now. “My, you’re a tall one, boy-o. A bit thin though,” she said, smiling weakly the entire time. “We’ll have ta fix that, hm?” she said with a wink.
Thomas smiled, rolling his eyes so only Woody could see. “Mum…” he said with a sigh. “I.. I’m gonna go see dad, eh?”
His mother gave him a one armed hug around the waist. “Try not to wake him, Tom, yeah?” Thomas nodded and walked back out to the hall, alone, leaving Woody and his mom together. She was probably going to talk his ear off. No sooner had he turned the corner than he heard her ask “So what sort of things are you studying at school?” Yep, he was gonna be talking a lot.
He went into the dimly lit room with some reservations about this. Maybe he didn’t want to see his dad like this with out wanting to talk to him. Maybe he wouldn’t even want that sight in his head. He had no idea what to expect. He went to his bedside and looked down at his dad. He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. He was still William Davies, he was happy to notice. But he had the strange look of someone who had once been plump but had lost weight far to fast to be healthy. His hair was grayer than before he’d left home, his skin more pale and papery looking. He looked like if he touched him, he would break.
After a long while, sitting there in the dim room just staring at his dad as he slept, he decided he should go back to relieve Woody from Mommy duty. He was still terrified of the looming possibility of his father dying, but he had to let he man sleep. No reason to wake him up to talk to him, and besides, his mum would kill him if he did.
“She driving you crazy yet?” he asked from the doorway of the waiting room.
“Oh hush you,” she retorted, a little smirk on her face. “You boys ready to get some sleep? I think your flight musta knocked a lot out of ya.”
Thomas looked at Woody, kinda feeling had for dragging him to the hospital this late only to be here for such a short amount of time. He took a breath. Part of him wanted to stay and wait for his dad to wake, but he knew that they really should get some rest. “You set?”
(Source: keep-both-eyes-open)
Light Of A Fading Star
Woody was going to put the suitcases in the back of the taxi, but Thomas got to that first. Thomas told Woody that he hadn’t really thought about where he should go, but requested that he go to the hospital with him for support. Woody gave him a sincere smile, and nodded. “Of course I’ll go to the hospital with you. If you want me there, then there is no where else I would ever be.” He knew that Thomas was going to need all the support he could get. Woody, of course, wouldn’t intrude on the family’s time together, but he would stay in the waiting room as long as they were at the hospital. He decided that he would be the one to get anyone something from the vending machines or the cafeteria if they needed a drink or snack so they wouldn’t have to leave Mr. Davies unattended.
When they got to Thomas’s home, he didn’t have time to look around. He just put his bag in the guest room that they were generous enough to let him stay in. It was a lovely home from what Woody saw of it. He made sure he had his iPod, wallet, and phone in his pocket before they got back into the cab to go to the hospital. Woody could feel the seat moving. He looked over at his boyfriend who was very jittery. Woody took Thomas’s hand in his. He was about to tell the boy that he should calm down, but if the roles were reversed, he knew he would be doing the same thing. This whole thing had happened so quickly. One minute Woody was asleep, the next Thomas was telling him that his father was dying, and before he knew it, he was in London.
It was late when they got to the hospital. That was to be expected because the flight took so long, and there was a time difference between the DA and London. It didn’t feel like it was 10 pm though. Woody paid for the taxi driver, making sure to thank him for getting them everywhere quickly. Thomas looked pale. He wouldn’t budge any closer to the hospital. “Of course, Thomas.” He wanted to take his hand, but he knew Thomas wasn’t going to introduce him as his boyfriend. As long as they were in front of the Davies family, they couldn’t act like they were together. Just like at school. Regardless, Woody was very nervous to meet Thomas’s family. Even though he was just the British boy’s ‘friend’, he wanted the Davies to like him. “Alright, we should go in.” He took a few steps toward the hospital, and looked back to make sure Thomas was right behind him.
Watching as Woody made a few steps toward the building, Thomas took a deep breath, then took a step after him. This was going to be some of the most painful moments ever, he might as well get them over with. The door was automatic and slid open when the boys got there, and they approached the front desk. The receptionist there looked up at them with a grim smile, one that was obviously worn by habit after many years of hospital work. “How can I help you boys?” she asked. “Visiting hours are over except for immediate family.”
“I’m looking for my father’s room, William Davies?” Thomas said, his voice strained. He coughed, trying to clear out whatever was mucking up his throat to make it sound so odd. It probably wasn’t going to work, since his voice had been like that all day.
The receptionist typed the name into her computer and said, “Davies, Davies… Room 206. Second Floor.” She stood and pointed behind her, guiding them toward the elevators. “Lifts are just there, you’ll want to make a left turn when you get upstairs, yeah?” She gave them both a smile, then returned to her seat.
After thanking her, the boys headed toward the elevators, then after reaching the second floor, found the waiting room right across from the elevators. Thomas exchanged a glance with Woody, a faint smile and nod, before reluctantly turning to the let to go see his father. After taking a few steps, a door down the hall opened and a woman stepped out, looking a bit disheveled. She was a woman he would have recognized in an instant, with her flaming red hair that he’d inherited from her Irish blood. She turned toward him, and stopped, just realizing he was standing there.
“Mum,” he said, rushing toward her. He took her up in a hug once they reached each other, and he held her tight. “How…How is he?” he asked, finally releasing her and standing back.
She let out a heavy sigh. “Sleeping now, thank goodness.” She smiled up at her boy weakly. “I was just heading to the waiting room for a cuppa tea.” She held onto his arm, and they started back toward the waiting room, slowly. “I am so sorry we never told ya, Tom,” she said, dreary emotion all through her voice.
“Hush, mum,” he said, swallowing hard.
“So,” she said, glancing sideways at him. “Where’s this friend ya told me ya were bringing, then? At the house, or did ya bring the poor boy here so late at night?”
Thomas smiled weakly. “He’s in the waiting room,” he answered. They entered the room only a few moments later, to see Woody fiddling with his iPod, sitting in a chair against the wall. Thomas released his mother’s arm and walked over to him, kicking his shoe lightly with one foot. “Oy,” he said, raising his eyebrow just a bit when Woody looked up and only noticed he’d come in after he’d nudged him. “Come meet my mum.”
It took every ounce of strength to not grab him by the hand to walk over there, but he somehow managed. He stood to the side of his mother, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “Mum, this is Woody,” he introduced. “Woody, my mum, Laura.”
(Source: keep-both-eyes-open)
Light Of A Fading Star
“Thank you,” Thomas muttered, squeezing Woody’s hand again. “And sleep… I don’t know if I can, but we should try, huh?” He sighed, then walked over to his bed, sitting heavily on the side. He felt exhausted, but he didn’t know how in the world sleep would ever find him. He grabbed up his alarm clock, set the alarm for a couple hours, then lay down. He reached out and patted his bed next to him. “Come on then. Sleep.” He knew Woody would understand that all he needed right now was to be held by him, and sure enough, he climbed in next to him. Thomas flopped the blanket over both of them, and then wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, laying his head on his chest. There was an odd sort of comfort that came from laying there, just listening to Woody’s heartbeat, his steady breathing. He soon fell asleep, his exhaustion getting the better of him.
At 5:15, the alarm went off, awaking all three of the current dorm inhabitants. Aladdin glowered at Thomas and rolled over in his bed, completely ignoring the fact that Woody was there as well, then put a pillow over his head. Thomas reached across Woody and turned off the blaring alarm, squinting at it through blurry, sleepy eyes. For a moment he didn’t know why he was awake his early, then he saw the suitcases by the door and it came back to him.
He flopped back down onto Woody’s chest, not wanting to move. “We have to get ready to go,” he grumbled, his face buried in his boyfriend’s shirt, slightly muffling his words. But he got up a moment later, stretching his arms, and then walking over to Aladdin’s bed. He yanked the pillow off of his face and told him he situation at home and that he’d be gone for a while. Then he went and grabbed some clothes, casually changing out of his pajamas right in front of his wardrobe as though it were the locker room.
They were on the road to the airport in a taxi by 5:50, both boys still groggy from not sleeping much. They made their flight with plenty of time to spare, though Thomas instantly became even more anxious on the plane. Every step closer to home was a step closer to seeing his dad for what may be the last time. Now in the air, sleep eluded him, even though he wanted nothing more than so sleep. Sleep meant he didn’t have to think about things. He just stayed quiet though, letting his boyfriend sleep instead, or he thought he was sleeping anyway, his eyes were closed. He just rested his head on his shoulder and waited.
Woody nodded at Thomas. He understood that the other boy might have trouble sleeping. He always found it difficult to fall asleep when his mind was running rampant. He could only imagine that Thomas’s mind was running at a million miles a minute. He climbed into Thomas’s bed, not caring at all that Aladdin could wake at any time and see them together. He was one of the few people at the school who knew he and Thomas were together. Woody laid with his arms around Thomas. His boyfriend’s head was lying on his chest, and he felt very comfortable even in the small bed. It didn’t take Woody very long to fall asleep. He was so overly exhausted.
A couple very short hours later, Thomas’s alarm clock blared, waking him from his sleep. He was in the middle of a dream when the noise went off. The moment he opened his eyes, the dream was gone from his memory. He felt Thomas reach across his chest to turn off the machine. He looked over at an annoyed looking Aladdin. Woody felt bad for waking him up. Woody just wanted to turn off the alarm and go back to sleep with his boyfriend in his arms, but they had to go to the airport.
When Thomas told him that they had to get up, he rubbed at Thomas’s back for a minute. “I know.” The other boy got up first, and a few minutes later, Woody got up from the bed and went into the bathroom. Woody heard his boyfriend telling Aladdin that they would be away for an undisclosed period of time. He splashed some cold water on his face to wake him up. He was definitely going to need a venti sized coffee from Starbucks when they got to the airport. He wouldn’t last very long without it. When he walked out of the bathroom, he saw Thomas changing into the clothes he was going to be wearing for the day. It was inappropriate for him to be staring at the other boy’s toned body at that moment, so he turned to his own suitcase and changed into a new t-shirt and jeans. He wasn’t too concerned about what he was going to be wearing, but he did remember that it was rather chilly in London, so he kept his jacket out of the suitcase.
When they were both ready, they headed out to the cab they called. It got them to the airport with plenty of time to spare, and they made it through customs surprisingly quickly. When they got to the food court near the terminal, Woody got the biggest coffee he could get his hands on and practically chugged it without burning himself too badly. They were among the first to board the plane. The seats weren’t too uncomfortable, much to Woody’s pleasure. It was going to be a long flight. Once they got in the air, Woody still felt sleepy despite the caffeine coursing through his veins. He leaned his head against the headrest of his chair and closed his eyes. A few minutes later he felt Thomas lay his head on his shoulder. With his eyes still closed, he pressed his lips to Thomas’s temple and took his hand. “You should sleep, babe. Worry about everything when we land.”
Woody slept most of the way to London. When he woke up, Thomas was asleep on his shoulder. Without moving too much, he grabbed his iPod and watched The Prestige for the rest of the flight. When they were descending, he woke Thomas up. They talked about trite little things to keep Thomas’s mind off his father as long as possible. They landed with a bump on the runway. After taking forever to get their baggage, they made their way to passenger pick-up to grab a cab to take to Thomas’s home. They had to drop off their things before going to the hospital. “Do you want me to stay at your house, or would you rather have me accompany you to the hospital? I don’t mind waiting in the waiting room for you while you are in there. It’s completely up to you.” He didn’t want to step on any toes while Thomas’s family was dealing with such a terrible event.
Thomas tossed his bag into the trunk of the cab they’d secured, then went to grab Woody’s. “Er… I hadn’t really thought about it,” he admitted, not giving the situation a second’s thought. It would probably be a good idea to have him stay at home, but he didn’t think he’d be able to stand being at the hospital without him there. Besides, he had to introduce his “friend” who would be staying with them to his mum. “If you really wouldn’t mind coming with me…” He wrinkled his eyebrows, making a pleading face at his boyfriend.
A minute later, the boys were in the cab, making their way through the streets of London toward the Davies household. They dropped their bags at the house, Thomas showing Woody the guest room quickly before they were back in the cab to go to the hospital. Now that they were heading there, anxiety started to hit Thomas, and he felt restless, twitching his knees, drumming his fingers on the seat, general absentminded things to keep busy. He had no idea what to expect when they got there, was his dad going to look different, obviously ill, or would he look the same?
He almost didn’t want to get out of the cab when they arrived, but he knew that he had to. He climbed out, looked up at the building, took a deep breath, and then couldn’t move. He glanced over at Woody under the light of the streetlights, the time being near 10 pm now. “Thank you so much for letting me drag you along,” he said, stalling the moment he would have to walk through those doors.
(Source: keep-both-eyes-open)
Light Of A Fading Star
He took Woody’s outstretched hand and pulled himself to his feet. Thomas was so thankful for his boyfriend, he really would be lost of he didn’t. Have someone like him here to help him through this. He kept hold of his hand as they mad their way out of the library, the rest of the school being asleep right now anyway, they didn’t have to pretend. Woody’s room was closer, so he gave him a quick kiss at the end of that hallway before heading off towards his own room to get packed.
He went through packing in a daze, not really knowing what he was tossing into his suitcase. He tried to be quiet so as to not disturb the sleeping Aladdin, but the zipper on his case seemed so loud in the dimly lit room. After twenty minutes, he looked at his filled suitcase and decided it was good enough - with a pang he realized he’d packed the good suit he’d brought here. He quickly closed the lid on the suitcase, not wanting to think about what wearing that suit back home would mean.
All done packing, he plopped down on the couch with his laptop, pulling up a travel site so he could book their plane tickets. After a few minutes of staring at the screen and getting absolutely nothing done, he pulled out his phone and sent a text to Woody, asking him to come over to help him, then buried his face in his hands. He rubbed his face a few times, trying to get out of this funk at least long enough to reserve their blasted tickets. From what he could gather in his state, the next flight straight to London was at 8 am. It was 3. He couldn’t bring himself to push the CONFIRM button.
A moment later there was a quiet knock on the door, and he got up to let Woody in. He had his bag with him, so he stepped aside to let him drag it in. “I can’t push the button,” Thomas whispered, scoffing a little bit. “It’s ridiculous. But I just can’t do it.” He walked back to the couch, returning to the laptop, staring at the screen again. He looked at Woody pleadingly. “I am such a girl,” he frowned.
Woody walked with Thomas back to his room. They didn’t talk very much between the library and his dorm, not that it was a long walk. There was just nothing much to say. Woody didn’t want to say anything that would be considered as an ‘open mouth, insert foot’ moment. He just clutched Thomas’s hand tightly. It was so late that no one would be roaming the corridors. Even if someone did see them holding hands, it was no one’s damn business what he and Thomas were to each other. Thomas gave him a quick kiss before heading down the hall to his own room.
He didn’t really know where to begin, so he started with the basics: underwear, socks, pajamas, and then he went through his closet, grabbing some jeans, thermals and sweaters. He took them off their hangers and threw the clothing on his bed. He reached his hand under his bed to get his large suitcase. Woody looked through his closet once more, and looked through its contents. He frowned and grabbed some dress clothes. He hated thinking negatively, but for all he knew, something was going to happen to Thomas’s father. He grabbed all of his toiletries, and shoved them into the pockets inside the suitcase, and put all his electronics and chargers between clothes so they wouldn’t get damaged.
The entire time Woody was packing, Jessie was staring at him. He wasn’t aware that he woke her up. “There’s no time to explain right now, but I have to go to London with Thomas. His dad’s not doing well, and he doesn’t want to go alone. I will call my parents in the morning and have them call the school. I’ll keep you updated, Jess. Now, go back to bed okay?” She sleepily nodded and listened to her brother.
After Woody was done packing, he made sure he really had everything. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, and pulled it out. Thomas needed his help. He zipped up the black suitcase and secured it with the small lock on the zipper. He rolled it to his boyfriend’s room and knocked very gently at the door. He didn’t want to wake Aladdin or Abu. He checked the time, 3 am. Thomas told him he couldn’t push ‘the button’. What button was he referring to? Then Woody saw the computer screen. It was the confirmation button for the plane tickets. Woody walked over to Thomas and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “You’re not a girl,” he whispered back. “I know this is hard for you, so I’ll press the button.” Woody didn’t dare look at the price of the tickets when he pressed the confirm button. Their flight was at 8 am, but since it was an international flight they would have to be at the airport early. Maybe not too early because 8 am was before the rush, but he didn’t want them to be in a hurry. “Do you think we should take a small nap before we have to leave? I know it’ll only be about a two to two and a half hour nap, but a little sleep is better than none. Plus, we can always sleep on the plane.”
“Thank you,” Thomas muttered, squeezing Woody’s hand again. “And sleep… I don’t know if I can, but we should try, huh?” He sighed, then walked over to his bed, sitting heavily on the side. He felt exhausted, but he didn’t know how in the world sleep would ever find him. He grabbed up his alarm clock, set the alarm for a couple hours, then lay down. He reached out and patted his bed next to him. “Come on then. Sleep.” He knew Woody would understand that all he needed right now was to be held by him, and sure enough, he climbed in next to him. Thomas flopped the blanket over both of them, and then wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, laying his head on his chest. There was an odd sort of comfort that came from laying there, just listening to Woody’s heartbeat, his steady breathing. He soon fell asleep, his exhaustion getting the better of him.
At 5:15, the alarm went off, awaking all three of the current dorm inhabitants. Aladdin glowered at Thomas and rolled over in his bed, completely ignoring the fact that Woody was there as well, then put a pillow over his head. Thomas reached across Woody and turned off the blaring alarm, squinting at it through blurry, sleepy eyes. For a moment he didn’t know why he was awake his early, then he saw the suitcases by the door and it came back to him.
He flopped back down onto Woody’s chest, not wanting to move. “We have to get ready to go,” he grumbled, his face buried in his boyfriend’s shirt, slightly muffling his words. But he got up a moment later, stretching his arms, and then walking over to Aladdin’s bed. He yanked the pillow off of his face and told him he situation at home and that he’d be gone for a while. Then he went and grabbed some clothes, casually changing out of his pajamas right in front of his wardrobe as though it were the locker room.
They were on the road to the airport in a taxi by 5:50, both boys still groggy from not sleeping much. They made their flight with plenty of time to spare, though Thomas instantly became even more anxious on the plane. Every step closer to home was a step closer to seeing his dad for what may be the last time. Now in the air, sleep eluded him, even though he wanted nothing more than so sleep. Sleep meant he didn’t have to think about things. He just stayed quiet though, letting his boyfriend sleep instead, or he thought he was sleeping anyway, his eyes were closed. He just rested his head on his shoulder and waited.
(Source: keep-both-eyes-open)
Light Of A Fading Star
Thomas cried harder than he had in years, not since he’d been about ten and his grandfather died. He still wasn’t able to wrap his mind around anything going on right now. He couldn’t process the fact that his dad was dying, it just didn’t compute. He had to get his initial reaction emotions out, and he did - all over Woody’s shirt. He slowly became aware of the fact that his boyfriend was rocking him slightly, and he tried pulling himself together.
After a long silence between them, Thomas sniffling and trying to slow his ragged breathing, he pulled away, dragging his long sleeves over his face to try to rid himself of the evidence. He cleared his throat, his coughing sounding insanely loud in their silent library. “Um…” he coughed again, his voice sounding hoarse after such a cry. He wrapped his arms around Woody’s waist, resting his head on his dampened shoulder. “Thanks, I apparently needed that,” he choked. He coughed again, his fit had made his throat incredibly sore. “Anyway… We should go and throw some stuff together to go… And I need to see when the next flight is…” He sighed, not really wanting to leave this couch. He loved this couch. It held only good memories (really good, blurry, drunk memories), and the future was filled with only bad memories if he got up.
Thomas pulled away from him. The signs of crying evident on his face and in the way he talked. His eyes were swollen and there were trails down his cheeks from where the tears fell. He slowed his breathing gradually, occasionally breathing in a staggering breath. His cough reverberated off the walls of the library. Woody nodded at Thomas when he declared that he needed to cry. “I know you needed that.” He scrunched his eyes a bit every time Thomas coughed. He wished he had some water to give Thomas. The only kind of liquid that was in the library was the aged whiskey in the hutch not too far away from where they were sitting. He didn’t think that was the best choice for a drink.
He sat up to get ready to stand up. He twisted his torso to the left and the right to crack his spine. He had been sitting in an awkward position on the couch. The couch which held a lot of memories, some better than others, with Thomas. “Yeah, we should get some stuff packed.” Woody figured that packing for about a week would be safe. He didn’t think they would be in London that long, but it was better to be safe than sorry. “If you need help with anything just let me know. I just have to throw some clothes and toiletries into my suitcase and then I can come over to your dorm to help if you want.” Woody got up from the couch, and took Thomas’s hand to help him up.
He took Woody’s outstretched hand and pulled himself to his feet. Thomas was so thankful for his boyfriend, he really would be lost of he didn’t. Have someone like him here to help him through this. He kept hold of his hand as they mad their way out of the library, the rest of the school being asleep right now anyway, they didn’t have to pretend. Woody’s room was closer, so he gave him a quick kiss at the end of that hallway before heading off towards his own room to get packed.
He went through packing in a daze, not really knowing what he was tossing into his suitcase. He tried to be quiet so as to not disturb the sleeping Aladdin, but the zipper on his case seemed so loud in the dimly lit room. After twenty minutes, he looked at his filled suitcase and decided it was good enough - with a pang he realized he’d packed the good suit he’d brought here. He quickly closed the lid on the suitcase, not wanting to think about what wearing that suit back home would mean.
All done packing, he plopped down on the couch with his laptop, pulling up a travel site so he could book their plane tickets. After a few minutes of staring at the screen and getting absolutely nothing done, he pulled out his phone and sent a text to Woody, asking him to come over to help him, then buried his face in his hands. He rubbed his face a few times, trying to get out of this funk at least long enough to reserve their blasted tickets. From what he could gather in his state, the next flight straight to London was at 8 am. It was 3. He couldn’t bring himself to push the CONFIRM button.
A moment later there was a quiet knock on the door, and he got up to let Woody in. He had his bag with him, so he stepped aside to let him drag it in. “I can’t push the button,” Thomas whispered, scoffing a little bit. “It’s ridiculous. But I just can’t do it.” He walked back to the couch, returning to the laptop, staring at the screen again. He looked at Woody pleadingly. “I am such a girl,” he frowned.
(Source: keep-both-eyes-open)
