Drabbles!

[Butch]

Quite Contrary - Totally caught up on these, now..can't wait for more!

[Tassielli]

I thought I was reading this for the first time so imagine my surprise when I saw I comment by myself. Anteater great story. *anyways. Anteater lol

[Quite Contrary]

Thank you all for the comments! Seriously, it's so great to hear that people are reading and enjoying these. Anyways, here's another one!

85 – Teacher

Kai was watching James carefully. He hadn’t seen the brunet all morning and he had a feeling James was hiding from him. Watching him rub his nose for the fourth time, Kai had a feeling he now knew why. Suddenly, there was a soft intake of breath from James. “Hkt-shu! Snf.”

Kai whispered a “bless you” which James seemingly pretended not to hear. Kai turned towards the front of the classroom to learn something about history. Well, he tried anyway. “Hh…snf. H’ih! Hiiihh…H’ischt!”

The teacher, a prim woman with her hair pulled up way too tight, sent a small glare in James’ direction. Kai bristled, feeling protective, and glared back, although the teacher didn’t bother to look at him. James gasped quietly and Kai glanced at him, concerned. The brunet pressed a sleeve-covered fist to his mouth, his shoulders shaking with suppressed coughs. Kai’s concern deepened instantly. James continued to struggle for air while trying to stay quiet, but the coughs kept coming, bursting out of him louder and deeper. Kai looked around and grabbed James’ backpack, ripping it open and rifling through its contents until he found what he was looking for. The entire class now staring at James, Kai passed him an uncapped bottle of water. James took careful sips until he could breathe again. He handed the water back to Kai and stood, gathering his things. Embarrassed, the brunet walked to the front of the room, head bowed. “May I go to the nurse, please?” he whispered.

“Please,” the teacher replied, fixing him with a stern look.

Kai felt his heart constrict as James blushed furiously and hurried out of the classroom.

This has definately happened to me Awkward. Comments? On the drabble. Not on the fact that this has happened to me lol

[Butch]

Quite Contrary - Teacher.. CUTE drabble, but yes..awkward with the teacher's reaction. Please write more.

[Tassielli]

Awwww cutes

[Scion]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! I LOVED THIS! First of all, Kai...was sooo sweet in this! Aww, I totally love him right now! And James, awwwww poor sweetheart! I hate mean teachers! And mean people in general! Especially when they're mean to James and/or Kai! I will take her down a peg or twelve! But seriously, I just adored this. How Kai is the one being protective! I love how they both feel that way about each other! Their love for each other is so clear and I love it!

[obsessed]

Oh comment on the fact that happened to you? Well let's see, first there's the fact that...

This was so cute! I love the dynamic between the two.

[Quite Contrary]

Thank you, thank you everyone! I'm glad people like my boys More drabbles...

88 – Tattoo

Watching as Trish moved about the kitchen, heating up some soup for him, Kai found himself examining her inked shoulder. Two birds danced across her left shoulder blade, one dark and the other light, trapped in eternal flight in her skin. There was a gracefulness in the way they fit her body, seeming as though they would take wing with every move she made. Trish felt his stare and turned, raising an eyebrow. “You just looking or are you ever gonna get around to getting one?” she asked.

Kai rolled his eyes; this was not the first time they’d had this conversation. “Just looking,” he replied, running a thin wrist under his nose, “I’m not really a tattoo person.”

Trish shrugged, “Whatever that means….”

Kai ignored her, his breath hitching for the hundredth time that day, “H’ih…hptschuh! Uhh…hh! Issht!”

“Bless you,” Trish pulled a carton of orange juice out of the refrigerator and busied herself with emptying its contents into a large glass, “Tattoos are really meaningful. Everyone should get one. They can help you heal.”

She pushed the glass of juice towards him with a look. Kai sniffled and rubbed at his ticklish nose again. He was too sick for a deep conversation. “Soup is for healing; t-tattoos are…H’ish! Snf. Are for Trish. Yischt!”

Trish chuckled and stirred the pot on the small stovetop. Alex strolled into the kitchen, stealing away the spoon to take a taste. His sister snatched it back with an annoyed look. Alex just grinned, “What’s up?”

Trish pointed to Kai with the spoon, “What kind of tattoo do you think he should get? Something significant in his life.”

Alex looked Kai over, pretending to seriously consider the question. Kai couldn’t help rolling his eyes again, even as he turned away, lashes fluttering, “Hhheh…H’igkt! Snff. Hipkshu!”

Alex smirked as Kai straightened with a sniffle. “A tissue box.”

Kai just laughed as Alex sprinted from the room, ignoring his sister’s indignant “Hey!” as he dodged the OJ carton flung in retaliation.

Silliness... Lovin' the comments!

[obsessed]

haha, that made me laugh! I love these.

[Tassielli]

Comment. Comment. Comment. Sooo good. More. More. More. Can't think. Need more. Kai. Kai. Kai. James. James. James. Trish. Alex. Others. More. Comment.

[Scion]

Would I be weird if I said I like Alex better than Trish? lol. Anyway...cuteness--for Kai. Trish is not cute. She's bossy. Everyone should get a tattoo? No. Only people who want them should get them, Trish. Hehehe, okay, I'm done fighting with Trish now. More, please. And James?

[Quite Contrary]

Thanks everybody! Ok, so...more drabbles. Seriousness for Kai. Just fair warning...

29 – Purple

Trish headed back to Kai’s room, carefully cradling a bowl of soup in her hands. Kai had come back to Hope Orphanage two days ago, returning from his latest attempt at foster care sick as a dog. The bastards hadn’t even bothered to drop him off; he’d shown up on the doorstep with all the signed paperwork, feeling guilty as he asked to borrow money to pay the cab.

“Hey…” Kai smiled weakly when the door opened.

Trish swallowed her surprise and smiled, but the expression faltered when Kai offered her a handful of slightly crumpled papers. “Damn,” was all she could mutter.

Kai nodded, trying to look disinterested. He sniffled and turned away, pinching his nose, “Hh…hmptk! Igkt-shuh!”

Trish’s heart fell. “Oh no, Kai….”

Kai sniffled and cleared his throat, mumbling, “Sorry.”

Trish opened the door wider and stepped back, gesturing for him to come inside. Kai shifted uncomfortably, hanging back. Trish caught sight of the yellow cab stopped outside their building. Kai rubbed the back of his neck, looking like he wanted to sink into the ground. “Um, Trish…?”

Trish sighed and paused outside the door, which was open a crack. She could hear him moving about the room, sniffling. “Igsht! H’ishuh!”

The sneezes were muffled, but Trish could hear the underlying congestion. Without a hand free to knock, Trish nudged open the door with her foot. She almost dropped the bowl. Kai had his shirt halfway off and there were dark streaks of color all across his back, marring his skin and pressed into his shoulders. Fresher purple bruises intermingled with older ones of a sickly yellow-green-gray. Trish took a deep breath and cleared her throat softly. Kai whirled around, eyes wide, the removed shirt now held instinctively in front of his chest. “Oh…” he said softly.

Trish stepped into the room, setting the soup on the small desk-table. She swallowed hard. Kai avoided her gaze, shrugging one shoulder awkwardly. “It…it’s not the first time,” he mumbled.

Rage ripped through Trish for a split-second and then left her limp. “That’s supposed to make it better?” she demanded.

Kai flinched, his grip tightening on the shirt until his knuckles were bone-white. His nose wrinkled and he lifted the cloth to his face, “Hih! H’mptk! Uhh…hpffsh! Snf.”

“Sorry,” Trish muttered and Kai flushed, shrugging again.

He was right. It wasn’t the first time she had seen him banged up and smashed around…but that didn’t mean she was ever going to get used to it. The blonde steeled herself and put on a brave, if small, smile. “I can get you some Motrin?” she offered.

Kai nodded, staring at the floor, “Thanks.”

...more drabbles to come... Hope you people are liking

[queenie]

...shit. I just... Shit. *Melts*

[Scion]

Trish was marginally more acceptable in this one, but that's only because poor James wasn't there for her to bully lol. By the way, this may sound really weird, but I can tell how much you love Kai hahaha. Okay, so that definitely sounds weird, but...yeah. I mean...you're mean to him, but that just shows your love muaahaa. That's how I show love to my characters, anyway. GOSH, I'm like the devil! ANYWAY. Let's see...okay okay, this is sad. How long before Kai can move in with James lol jk!

[Tassielli]

Where was James for this? I feel so bas for Kai. Gods how Horrible.

[Zane]

These are really good! I love them! can't wait for more. thanks so much for writing these! poor Kai!

[Quite Contrary]

Thank you all so much for your amazing comments! Scion, yes, I absolutely love Kai, glad you can tell lol. Also, Tassielli, that was actually probably pre-James. I don't think James knows too much about the details of Kai's foster-care days...not yet at least. He'll find out eventually, but that's a story for another time maybe Anyways! On with drabbling!

94 – Photo

James knelt on the floor in front of a bookshelf, books piled around him in different stacks, a box of Kleenex resting on the stack nearest to the brunet. Kai knocked lightly on the door frame before coming in. “What’re you doing?” he asked, curious.

James sniffed and held up the damp rag he was holding, “Dusting.”

Kai tilted his head, “Can I help?”

James shook his head and reached for another book, pulling it from the shelf, “I’m almost done.”

Kai watched as James blew the dust off the top and quickly set it on the appropriate stack, burying his face in his elbow, “Hheh! Itsch! H’ischuh! Snf. H’ih…Gsht!”

Kai glanced over the different stacks of books, nothing catching his eye, and wandered around James’ room, picking up and examining the odd knickknack. He found himself standing in front of James’ dresser, a single framed photo facing him. Curious, he picked it up, careful not to smudge the glass. A young boy with bright blue eyes grinned ecstatically up at him from behind the glass. Mini-James sat perched on his father’s shoulders, his feet swinging wildly as he held out his arms like an airplane. Below, his father smiled, his expression full of quieter joy. They both look so happy, Kai thought, staring, What a perfect moment to have captured forever….

Kai was wrenched from his thoughts when James sneezed desperately again, “H’ish! Isht! Hh…ehh…Eptshiu! Snff.”

Kai set the picture down but couldn’t quite tear his eyes away from that innocent scene. Somewhere behind him, James blew his nose. Kai was shocked when he felt a hand on his shoulder and was glad for once that his hair shielded his eyes from view. “All done,” James said, his smile in his voice, “What did you find?”

James grasped the frame and looked it over, laughing softly. Kai was glad to have it taken from view; he couldn’t quite name the feelings it stirred up inside him. Kai turned towards James as he returned the picture to its proper place. Blue eyes wide and his expression full of open sweetness, James smiled at Kai, “I’d like to see some cute pictures of little you sometime!”

Kai managed a smile, hoping James didn’t notice its brittle fragility. Yeah…me too.

[Umeko]

ok.... I love your writing! I love these two boys! I must say I've taken a liking to James there he sounds just like you could eat him with ketchup! please write more!

[Butch]

Quite Contrary - oooh.. more! I love these. Can't wait to read more, soon.

James and Kai.. awesome.

Trish... don't know what I think of her just yet.. hmm.

[Scion]

Oooooo, interesting. I love James. And I like Kai more every day, poor little cutie. For some reason I really liked the setting of this drabble, too.

[Aprilcot]

MY POOR BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HE NEEDS TO BE LOVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK GOODNESS FOR JAMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for writing these!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love them all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tassielli]

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[Quite Contrary]

Aww, thank you all! Seriously, all the comments are just amazing. It's really good motivation to keep writing. Scion, yes! That is my goal! And so...I have more!

19 – Promise

James pulled up to the curb and turned off the engine, letting the keys dangle in the ignition. He looked over at Kai, who sat slightly hunched up in the passenger seat. The smaller boy sniffled and rubbed at his nose. “Are you sure this will be okay?” he asked gently, keeping his previous offer to take Kai home with him on the table.

Kai nodded. The fine sheen of sweat on his forehead and his flushed cheeks concerned James; he wondered how high Kai’s fever had climbed. There was a quiet intake of breath and Kai snapped forward tightly with stifled sneezes, “Hh! Hgkt-shu! Nh…H’mbtk!”

James swallowed, pushing down all the protests and repeated offers that seemed to well up inside him. He reached for his seatbelt, “Okay, then.”

“You don’t have to walk me in,” Kai’s quiet voice made him pause.

James looked up, his hands falling away. Kai sniffled quietly and gave a short cough, avoiding James’ gaze. The brunet was at a loss; how could Kai keep pretending he was fine when was so obviously sick? “Maybe…maybe we should take you to the doctor. Seems like you’ve been sick a lot lately…” James offered.

There was the slightest twitch at the corner of his mouth, the tiniest wrinkling of his brow, it was almost a wince…and then it was gone. Kai stared intently at his hands resting in his lap, “I’m fine.”

James sighed. Kai raised one hand wearily to his face, pressing a fist to his nose, “Hehh…Ngkt! Hh…ihh…H’mptch!”

Kai sniffled again and blushed; apparently he could hear the increasing congestion as well. James felt his heart drop. He had brought Kai “home” as requested, but he had the sinking feeling that Kai was not going to take good care of himself. Someone needed to…Why did it have to be this struggle every time? Kai reached for the door when James couldn’t hold back anymore. “Why won’t you let me take care of you?” he asked, his voice soft but sincere.

Kai froze, closing his eyes. James watched his throat work as he struggled with his answer. His green eyes slid open but remained downcast and his trembling hand fell away from the door. “Because,” Kai began in a small voice, “when you find out how much trouble I really am, you won’t want to anymore….”

James’ breath caught as his throat constricted. There were too many emotions in those words; they were laced with all the pain and hurt and fear that Kai kept so tightly bottled inside. Keeping his gaze locked on Kai, James bolted out of the car and around to the passenger side, yanking the door open. Kai eyes were squeezed shut and he was trembling. James knelt down next to Kai and took his hands, squeezing them gently as he looked up at Kai. Kai opened his eyes, his cheeks dry but James could see the moisture clinging to his eyelashes. “You don’t want this…” Kai whispered.

James dropped Kai’s hands, brushing back the boy’s sweat damp hair to frame Kai’s face with his hands, forcing Kai to meet his eyes. “I want you,” James said fiercely, desperate to make Kai understand, “I will always want you, no matter how often you’re sick or sad or hurting. I’m not going anywhere.”

A soft, sad noise somewhere between a whimper and a hiccup escaped Kai. James quickly reached to unbuckle him as Kai sagged forward, curling himself around James, pressing his hot face into the crook of James’ neck. James held him as close as he could, ignoring their awkward position. “I promise,” he whispered.

James continued to hold Kai like that for several minutes until his thin frame stopped shaking. James loosened his hold, but Kai remained where he was; he could feel the exhaustion radiating off the smaller boy in waves. One hand crept up against his chest, “Hh…H’mptsh! Huh’issht!”

James pressed a kiss into his hair. “Bless you,” he said gently, “You okay?”

Kai hesitated, sniffling. He shook his head slightly.

James rubbed his back in slow circles, pressing a kiss to Kai’s neck this time. “I know,” he said, proud of Kai and touched by his honesty, “Can I take you home now?”

Kai nodded desperately, “Please.”

Oh dear, that's not even close to drabble length, oops....feedback?

[Scion]

Awwwwwwwwwwww! Okay, so. First off, JAMES! OH MY GOD I LOVE HIM. I'm sorry, but I just do. Especially when he said: "I will always want you, no matter how often you’re sick or sad or hurting. I’m not going anywhere." YES! SO SWEET AW! And then when Kai "wraps himself around James" and James just holds him and kisses him GAHHH! And Kai is finally opening up a smidgen! YAY! And then when James asks if he's okay and Kai shakes his head AW! Have I said AW enough yet???

[Unsweetened]

That was so sweet! I have melted into a puddle of goo, that's how cute that was. Tug at the heartstrings, why don't you?

James is a really, REALLY awesome boyfriend. I was "aw!!"-ing the entire time I read that drabble. Kai and James are just...awww!!