Living in Sin

[Scion]

I'm sorry, but...I had to write this.

Blaine:http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb327/wavy3/Blaine2.jpg

Sin: http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb327/wavy3/Sin.jpg

^ Again, this is just MY image of them, so you can totally disregard the pics, if you wish.

Living in Sin

Part One:

Most nice, loving parents didn’t make their kid move to a new town just after his junior year. Unfortunately for Blaine Chadwick, his parents were not nice. Oh, they loved him and his sister sure enough, but nice? No.

Not only were they moving, but they were moving to the middle of nowhere, a town called Black Widow in the state of Massachusetts.

They were in his mom’s minivan, heading down a twisty turny road flanked by open fields and lots and lots of cows. At least he knew they wouldn’t starve if a storm blew in.

“Mom, Dad,” he said conversationally. “I hate you both. Um, let’s see, I’ve been practicing this speech all day. You’re ruining my life. Don’t you care about me at all? And um…what else? Oh yeah. I hate you.”

“Very funny, Blay,” his mom said from the front passenger seat.

“Really?” his dad said. “I didn’t think that was funny at all.”

His parents grinned at each other, then broke out laughing like a couple of happy teenagers while the real teenagers sat in the back, glum.

------

The house was a cliché. Blaine thought it looked like any other haunted house from any one of the millions of horror movies out there about a family suddenly deciding to move into a town with a creepy-ass name like Black Widow.

His parents had spent the past two weeks unpacking their junk and arranging it inside the ugly creeper of a house. It was smaller than most haunted houses, but everything else was the there: creaky floorboards, broken shutters, doors that opened on their own, the works.

His sister Carmen was in heaven. The thing about Carmen is that she thought she was a witch. She was one of those weirdos who gathered up all kinds of random ingredients to make all kinds of random concoctions, some of which she often tried to force on Blaine, who always flatly refused. He took comfort in the fact that they didn’t actually share any blood, as Carmen was adopted a year after Blaine was born--what had his parents been thinking?

“I’m going to my room to sulk,” Blaine said to his parents. “And my room is off-limits, so don’t even think of--”

“Goodbye, then, honey,” his mom said sweetly, and sort of did this thing where she batted her eyes up at her husband suggestively; Blaine tried not to gag as he rushed up the stairs and into his room, banging the door behind him.

-----

Cold. Darkness. Pain. Regret. Guilt. Sorrow. Misery. Fury. Longing. Hope.

Daniel Sinclair was trapped in a swamp of every negative emotion possible, but the hope was the worst. It had been two years since he’d died, and so far six different families had come and gone. Each of those six times, he’d thought that perhaps someone, anyone, would see him.

But they never did.

Most of them could sense him, though, which was why they always left in such a hurry. His pain and grief began to wear at them, to darken their souls.

Worst of all, he was stuck in the state he’d been in the day he’d died, which meant he had a perpetual cold and a terrible pain in his heart, where the bullet had entered, that never went away.

Now, a new family had arrived, and that wicked, wicked hope was back, uncontrollable, undeniable. He wanted to believe that this time would be different. That this time…he would be heard.

-----

Blaine ate dinner in his room to continue on with his lonely pity-party. It really wasn’t much fun, but he had to keep up the façade. By the time darkness finally came, Blaine was so bored he actually considered going to find his sister, but ultimately decided against it when his cell phone began to ring.

“What’s up?”

“Blaine?”

“That would be me.”

“This is Tassi--your cousin?”

Blaine chuckled. “I know who you are, Tass. I just saw you a few months ago. My memory isn’t that bad.”

“Well, I’m pretty hard to forget,” she quipped. “Now, onto business: I need a favor. You willing?”

“Um, it depends what the favor is, I guess.”

She sighed as though she’d expected as much. “The parents kicked Toby out. He needs a place to stay until I can figure out something else to do.”

“Oh. Yeah, actually. I’m dying of boredom over here, and I could use some company.”

This time her sigh was one of relief. “Great. I appreciate it. I’ll be over tomorrow morning to drop him off.”

“Cool,” Blaine replied. “You need the address?”

------

Blaine hadn’t considered how impossible it would be to sleep in a house that constantly squeaked and squawked and moaned and groaned. Now he knew. It sucked supremely.

He turned onto his side and buried his head under a pillow, growling dramatically. “Shut up, house!” he grunted. “Can’t you see I’m trying to sleep!?”

For a second, Blaine thought the house was…breathing--but that wasn’t possible. Houses didn’t breathe. Not even haunted houses. Of course, Carmen would claim otherwise, but he’d never believed in all that woo-woo.

“Eh’nggssshhuff!”

Blaine tensed, held his breath. He hadn’t just heard the house sneeze. Again, impossible. If houses didn’t breathe, they certainly didn’t sneeze.

“Exnffsshhugghh!”

It was a very deep, very husky, very manly sneeze, which ruled out Carmen playing some kind of trick on him.

“Hih…Itsschhiggffsshh!”

That was it. Blaine bolted to his feet and glared around the room, heart trying to pound its way out of his chest.

He passed over…something…then whipped his gaze back to it, a shout building in his throat. For a moment, all he saw was a haze of glimmering shadow--then he narrowed his eyes, and the form began to take shape.

Blaine’s jaw dropped to the floor as a gasp rocketed out of his mouth. “What the…?” His voice failed him. There were no words that could possibly convey his utter shock. None.

In the corner of the room, sat a boy, his knees folded up to his chest, his dark hair shielding his face. All of that was unimportant, though. What mattered was the fact that Blaine could see right though his body.

------

Edited April 23, 2011 by Scion

[blackrose]

wow! i cant wait to read more of this!

[Tassielli]

Whoa! It was me! This is dramatic. I'm tired out from my last comment. So great story buh buy! Oh answer my comment on your other story here please!

[murphy dee]

Oooooo, is this the same Sinclair as in the fairy story?

This is certainly gearing up to be quite a cool story. And I love the parents, they're so sassy.

[Ciuty80]

this..this...is creepy but yet sooo awesome!

Please moar asap!

[SweaterWeather]

I really really really like it. Really. What potential this idea has!

[Zane]

This..... this sounds sooooooo good! I'm really looking forward to more! thanks so much for writing this! that's pretty much the only things I can say at the moment.......cause I think my brain just died...

[sillystarsmoons]

Oh my another story! Yay! Great chapter I loved reading it. I hope there is more soon?

[Infernal]

Goddd, the setting is perfect. A haunted house in Massachusetts? I WOULD be in heaven if I was there. Augh, you're making my brain explode with awesomeness.

[sneezytwilight]

I kinda feel bad for the ghost. I love supernatural stories. I am reading Darkest Powers Series right now. Its all about the supernatural world!! Your stories always intrigue me so much!

[TheCakeIsAlive]

Ooooh, ghost story, awesome. Poor ghost though. Can't wait to read what happens next.

[PaperThings]

Ooh, great beginning! I love the pictures, especially Sin's, but I have trouble picturing Blaine as anyone but Blaine of course haha . Very excited for more!

[Scion]

blackrose: Thanks! Glad to "hear" it!

Tassielli: Yeppp, I answered your comment on the other topic. Myabe you can let me know your idea on that 'Future Stories' topic I started? If you want.

Murphy D.: Haha, yep! It's the same Sinclair. Thank you! I like the parents, too lol. They're pretty amusing.

Ciuty80: Hehe, it's creepy, which is why I made Blaine such a 'light' sort of funny character, if you know what I mean. And thank you!

Grey on a Sunday: Lol! Awesome! Thank you!

Zane: LOL! I know I can take your brain dying as a good sign. Glad you like this so far! And thank you!

sillystarsmoons: Thanks so much. I'll always have more story on the way!

Gee: Haha, I had a feeling you might say that. No idea why, but...yeah. I'm gonna have lots of fun with this, and with "your" character. I also have to figure out who I'm going to pair her up with.

sneezytwilight: Ohhhhh, I love that series! Which book are you on!?!? And thanks! I feel bad for Sin, too. But I promise to be nice to him. Kinda.

Sigrith: Thank you! I know, I know, poor lonely ghosty. I'll try not to be too mean to him.

Paper Things: Thank you! Glad you like the pictures, and I think I know what you mean about Blaine. He's so very...Blaine.

------

Part Two:

“Holy…crap,” Blaine said after about five minutes of simply gawking. He was sure the mysterious liquid splashed across his shirtfront was drool.

The boy’s head jerked up, his eyes expanding in undisguised astonishment. His expression mirrored the one Blaine had worn only moments before, but also contained more, a sunbeam of fragile hope in a world of darkness. His gaze raked over Blaine from head to foot as his mouth opened and closed soundlessly.

Finally, after about five more minutes of their gaping contest, the boy managed to form a single electrically charged sentence: “You can see me?”

“Uhh, yuh-huh, yeah. I mean, no…I don’t know…yes?” Blaine babbled, on the verge of hysteria. He half-believed Carmen really was playing some stupid prank--he hoped it.

A ripple passed over the boy’s features, and his eyes grew moist. Blood-red tears escaped out the corners of his eyes. He sucked in a huge breath as if preparing to dive under water--and released it in an ear-splitting wail.

The lights in the room flickered on and off, on and off, but Blaine barely flinched; he couldn’t pull his gaze away from the boy. A small section of his brain told him to flee, and another small section told him that he was crazy; the remaining section urged his legs into action.

He walked to the corner of the room, stiff and awkward, and knelt down in front of the boy…the ghost? Either way, it didn’t seem to matter; all that did matter was that, boy or ghost or something in between, he was in pain--and Blaine felt compelled to take that pain away.

“Hey now,” he said with forced lightness. He tried to touch the boy’s shoulder, but his hand simply slid through him as though he were nothing more than air. Crap. He hadn’t considered that possibility.

Face hidden behind his knees, the ghost boy wept, great heaving sobs, but for whatever reason neither Blaine’s parents nor his sister came barreling into the room to demand if he’d gone crazy. Which could only mean one thing. They couldn’t hear the ruckus, which also only meant one thing. Or maybe two. One, Blaine was crazy, totally insane. Or two, he was a clairvoyant. He was hoping for the latter. If woo-woo existed, he’d rather know about it than be kept in the dark.

He thought.

“Um…so…” Blaine began, wondering how to distract the ghost boy from his grief long enough to find out who he was. “Has anyone ever seen you before? You know, like, seen you?”

It was a while before the boy had calmed down enough to reply. When he did, he raised his head, eyes still streaming, and said, “No,” in this horrible little whisper that made Blaine’s chest compress in sympathy. “Just you. Just…you.”

“I’m…sorry,” Blaine offered lamely, not knowing what else to do. He’d never had to consider what he’d say to a ghost who’d spent God only knew how many years trapped and alone with his obviously gnawing grief. Carmen would know what to do, but he didn’t want her to find out…didn’t want to share Ghost Boy with her, and he didn’t know why, which made him twitchy.

Ghost Boy studied him carefully, then said, “Why you?”

Blaine shook his head. “No idea. I don’t make a habit of talking to dead people.”

Ghost Boy recoiled as if Blaine had struck him. “Well…at least you’re honest.” He huffed a dejected sigh and slid a finger along the bridge of his nose, which Blaine now realized was the color of strawberry ice-cream. Beneath his eyes hung charcoal smudges, and his cheekbones were grazed with ribbons of red. His lips moved apart as a layer of agitation glossed over his features. His hands steepled over his nose and mouth in an obviously habitual move.

“Heh’CHnxgsshhiph!” The sneeze was slow, drawn-out, and reminded Blaine of the consistency of molasses, the feel of the thick syrup as it sluggishly oozed through his fingers.

Ghost Boy’s head fell back, then slowly pitched forward with another syrupy sneeze. “Hisshhnggthh’chh!” The sneezing seemed to leech his energy, and he sort of faded, became more transparent.

“I didn’t know ghosts could sneeze,” Blaine burst out, then wanted to punch himself. It seemed he was incapable of sensitivity.

“I had a cold when I died,” he said, gingerly rubbing his swollen eyes. “And every day since.”

Oh. That was…interesting. “When…did you die?” Blaine asked, then thought, How am I so cool with this? There must be something seriously screwed up in my head. It occurred to him that he was having some kind of weird-ass dream, and that none of this was really happening. He found he liked that idea a lot.

Ghost Boy flickered like a faulty hologram, and the expression that came over his face was one Blaine would never forget; it spoke of a bone-deep misery so thorough that he was past feeling afraid, past anger, imprisoned in a well of despair. His chapped lips parted in a silent scream, and he was gone. There was no poof, no sparks flying. He was simply there one instant, gone the next.

As Blaine stared at the empty corner, he was left wondering if Ghost Boy had ever really existed at all.

------

“Honey, scrambled eggs or pancakes?” Blaine’s mom asked as he hunched into the kitchen the next morning. She was standing by the stove, spatula in hand, while his dad and sister sat at the table, snarfing down food.

“Both,” he said, plunking down next to Carmen, who didn’t acknowledge him.

“I should have known,” his mom commented, piling pancakes onto a plate. “You’re going to make yourself fat.”

Carmen snickered through a mouthful of eggs.

Blaine patted his stomach. “Not a chance. I’m teenage guy. We’re supposed to eat twice as much as everyone else, in case you hadn’t heard.”

“It’s true,” his dad conciliated, placing his newspaper aside to eye his wife’s rear with a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

“Dad!” Carmen shrieked, stabbing a fork at the man. “I’m trying to eat, here!”

“I second that!” Blaine exclaimed. “We should not have to be subjected to your dirty mind at the breakfast table!”

Blaine’s mom laughed, plopping a full plate down in front of him. “Oh, honey. You should be happy for us! Besides…” She winked coyly at her husband. “If your father can’t resist me, who am I to complain?”

“Exactly!” His dad grinned, wiping his face with a napkin.

“Oh, darling, you missed a spot,” his mom said, advancing on his father in a way Blaine found totally disturbing.

Thankfully, the doorbell rang, giving Blaine the excuse he needed to bolt from the room before he had to witness the gruesome seen about to take place. Carmen was right on his heels, her expression horrified.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have slipped dad that love potion,” she muttered under her breath, frowning.

Blaine stopped walking to gawp at her. “You WHAT!?”

She burst out laughing. “God, Blay, you’re so gullible!” She shook her head. “I can’t believe you actually fell for that.” With a toss of her hair, she cruised past him, her eight-mile-long hair tailing her like a witch‘s cape.

------

That night, Blaine lay awake in his bed, wondering if tonight he’d have the same dream, or maybe a different dream involving his ghost? His ghost? He scoffed. This house was messing with his mind. He’d even thought he’d caught a glimpse of something in the mirror after he’d showered. How cliché was that?

On the upside, he now had Toby to serve as a buffer between him and Carmen, which meant she wouldn’t be trying any of her voodoo-hoodoo on him. On the downside, Toby was so shy he barely spoke, so Blaine spent half the time listening to himself rattle on, and, really--despite what his parents and sister thought--he didn’t like his own voice that much.

Restless, he turned onto his right side, refusing to allow his eyes to open. He knew once he opened them, sleep would be impossible. It was this house. It felt somehow alive, like it was watching him. It gave him the skeeves…

…as did the sudden surge of electricity that suddenly swelled beside him, a throbbing collection of icy wind.

He opened his eyes and saw a face looking back at him, a face he recognized: Ghost Boy.

“God!” He bounced upright, hands flying out in front of him in an automatic gesture of ‘stay the heck away from me!’

Ghost Boy winced, shut his eyes. His head rested on a pillow, his mussed hair tumbling haphazardly over his brow. His breathing was loud and sort of spongy, like there was water sloshing about inside his lungs. He brought a crumpled fist up to his face, moving as though he were solid instead of…well, whatever a ghost was made of.

He puffed out a soggy breath, then released one of his syrupy sneezes. “Hug’nnxsshhttchu!” The repercussion of the noise cascaded down the length of his body, then seemed to slither back up as another, deeper sneeze escaped. “Ehhiggtthhschh’uh!” He groaned, coiled in on himself.

So. Either he was asleep or…last night hadn’t been a dream. Blaine forced himself to calm down before his heart spontaneously combusted. Would it still be considered spontaneous if he knew the reason for its combustion?

“Please,” Ghost Boy whispered as crimson tears rained down his cheeks.

Blaine stopped feeling sorry for himself long enough to get a good look at the ghost. Even for a dead guy, he looked…bad. His cheeks were hollow, his face so washed-out his brown eyes appeared gray.

“Hey now,” Blaine tried. “Don’t cry. It’s…” Not okay. “How can I help?”

Faded eyes met his. “Lie with me…please.” A bloody tear dripped onto his top lip. “I want to feel your warmth.”

So…that was a bit creepy. Wasn’t it? Then why did he so badly want to do just as Ghost Boy asked?

“Okay. Yeah.” He lowered himself back down, unable to ease his tense muscles. He was ready for anything at this point.

Ghost Boy inched closer until there was no space between them. “I can’t touch you,” he murmured, “since you’re alive. But I can feel you.”

Blaine exhaled slowly, said, “I can feel you, too.”

------

Edited April 24, 2011 by Scion

[Quite Contrary]

Woah! This is....really, really cool. I have to admit, I was kind of skeptical at first, but the way you have this set up is really interesting. I like the way you describe Sin's ghostly-ness. Sick for all eternity? Wow....that would kinda suck. Poor guy. I really like this though. Never thought a ghost would tug at my heartstrings...

[Tassielli]

"I can feel you" slightly creepy. But cools. okaysssssss. ermmmmmmmmmmm. yeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh. This is just gonna be really short blab cause I have this huge report due on tuesday, but still. So just cause I need someone to talk to cause no ones video chatting rite now- Imma blab to you. So, I got back from spring break today and i went into my dorm and my roommate had changed the layout of everything. And my dorm isn't just a room- its got a living room, two bedrooms and a kitchen (with no oven. WTF?). Now, i like things to stay the same and NOT change, so I stood in the door screaming for about to hours. I went back and read some of your older stories and some things make a lot more sense now. But yeah.....SCION IS THE AWESOMEST!! I don ;t know where your going with this if they cant touch- wheres a story without hugging?- but it's still really good so far. Great job chiki! BYE!!! (Okay- maybe that wasn't so short but i need blab time!)

[Tassielli]

Okay- I remember that topic and stuff- but I'm cant remember where to find it- cause I'm a ditz and crazy and feeling really stupid cuz i used to know where it was but i forgot like always okay bi

[sneezytwilight]

I'm on the Awakening...More towards the beginning.

Now your story, I really like this update. Can humans catch cold from ghosts?....hmmm I guess I will find out.

[cupkake]

I love ghost stories , and I think I'm already in love with this one.

Ahh, Sins a little cutie I must say,

"I had a cold when I died and everyday since" thats PERFECT .

I really do want to know more about him , heh and I really want to know where this is going ,

hah I can't wait for tomorrows update

[Ciuty80]

Faded eyes met his. “Lie with me…please.” A bloody tear dripped onto his top lip. “I want to feel your warmth.”

So…that was a bit creepy. Wasn’t it? Then why did he so badly want to do just as Ghost Boy asked?

“Okay. Yeah.” He lowered himself back down, unable to ease his tense muscles. He was ready for anything at this point.

Ghost Boy inched closer until there was no space between them. “I can’t touch you,” he murmured, “since you’re alive. But I can feel you.”

Blaine exhaled slowly, said, “I can feel you, too.”

i love this story!!! and i love this passage!!!

and i do REALLY hope you will do something about the "I can´t touch you" thingy!!!

that´s a BAAAAD torture if you are not able to touch someone if you want to!!

please more!!!

[iety]

I absolutely love this concept. I'm a sucker for creepy things, especially when forlorn ghost boys are involved.

[Scion]

Quite Contrary: I know what you mean. I'm actually not a fan of ghost stories. I'm glad you're starting to like this one! And yeah, sick for all eternity lol. Poor boy. But anyway, thank you!

Tassielli: I can't believe your roommate did that! I would murder my roommate if she did that lol. That seriously sucksss. And yeah, I figured I wanted the ghost character to be creepy since he's a ghost haha. And thanks! You're an awesome writer, btw! And yeah, the no touching thing. You know that can't last! Happy endings, remember. Yepyep, a story NEEDS hugging.

sneezytwilight: Ahh, okay. Well, each book in that series is better than the last. Also, I love Chloe lol. And Derek in the second/third books. I didn't like him much in the first. Anyway......Thank you! And, um, I think maybe humans can catch colds from ghosts lol.

cupkake: Haha, awesome! Glad you like Sin and ghost stories. I've never written one before, but I'm having lots of evil fun with it. Thanks.

Ciuty80: Aww, yay! That makes me soo happy! Thank you! About the no touching...you KNOW I can't leave it that way for long! What's a story without touching and hugging and cuddling?

iety: Lol, thank you! Forlorn ghost boys are pretty irresistable.

Part Three:

Blaine didn’t get much sleep that night. Every time he would start to drift off, Ghost Boy would let loose with one of his thick, longwinded sneezes, which were not only very loud, but also strong enough to make the entire bed shudder. The sneezes were intermingled with marshy chest-coughs.

He wished there was some way he could help, but he doubted a ghost could take Advil or drink tea--not that he even knew how to make tea. Maybe Carmen would know, he thought. She always took pity on Blaine when he was sick, and whipped him up this mysterious brew that tasted like seaweed but always made him feel better. Then again, he was alive and Ghost Boy…was not.

“Hehhggnnsshhuff!”

That did it. No more trying to sleep. Blaine opened his eyes in time to see Ghost Boy’s brows fold in on themselves and his nostrils flare before his face receded behind his hands and his head cracked toward his chest.

“Uhhixshtthhuuggh!”

“Bless you,” Blaine said.

Muddy eyes flipped up to his, then hazed as a cobweb of irritation lined his brow. “Heffsshhnxchhgguh! Ugh.”

“Bless you,” Blaine repeated as Ghost Boy lowered his hands and sniffed, trying to dam the waterfall of snot trying to seep out his nostrils.

“I don’t like sneezing,” Ghost Boy said in this serious, mournful voice that would have been funny if it weren’t so, well, mournful.

“I can imagine it would get old after--how many years?”

A prickly cough. “Two years now, I think. It’s hard to be sure. Time feels so…eternal, when you’re dead.”

Blaine nodded against the pillow. He wanted to ask how Ghost Boy had died, but he figured that would be a bit…tactless, so he said instead, “What’s your name?”

Ghost Boy appeared startled. “My...name?” For a moment, he looked panicked, and then his expression smoothed. “Daniel,” he said on a sigh. “Daniel Sinclair. But people call me Sin. My friends liked to rag on me for being ‘too nice,’ or ‘too honest’ or some such, so they found it amusing to call me Sin.”

Blaine’s lips kicked up at one corner. “That is kinda funny. Totally something I’d come up with. Besides, you kinda look like a ‘Sin,’ all dark and mysterious.”

Confusion walked across Sin’s face. “Dark and mysterious?” He rattled out a skeletal laugh. “Right. Because I’m dead. I suppose all dead people are mysterious.”

“I don’t think so,” Blaine said, “…not that I’ve met many dead people--or any, besides you. But…no, there’s something about you.”

“Hm,” Sin mumbled. His mouth stretched wide, and for a beat Blaine thought another sneeze was on the horizon, but Sin simply yawned, flashing bright white teeth and pink tongue.

“Lemme guess, you were tired on the day you died?”

“Comes with the territory, I guess.” When Blaine stared at him blankly, he elaborated, “Being sick always makes me tired.”

“Oh, right. Yeah, me too. Crazy tired. Good thing I have a sound immune system.” He grinned, but received no smile in return. “I’m sorry, I--”

“No, don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault I’m dead,” Sin said in his swampy, congested drawl.

“Sooo, I didn’t put my foot in it?”

Sin’s tight expression eased some. “No. No, I’m just glad you can talk to me at all. It’s been so long I almost don’t know how to act…”

“Act however you want,” Blaine offered. “I, uh, I won’t judge you or anything.”

“BLAY! WHO THE HECK ARE YOU TALKING TO!?”

Blaine flinched as Carmen stormed into the room, her eyes snapping with temper. “I know you’re a complete weirdo, Blay, but come on! If you have to talk to yourself, at least keep your voice down to a dull roar!”

“Ummm…” Blaine looked to Sin, who was still laying next to him; Carmen was oblivious. “Yeah, sure. I’ll try to keep it down. Guess I didn’t really need to use that megaphone.”

“You better,” Carmen threatened, unamused, “or I’ll turn you into a toad.” With that, she spun and flounced out of the room, smashing the door closed behind her.

“So, that answers that question,” Blaine mumbled.

“Heeisshhnnugg’chh!”

Blaine glanced at Sin, who had his hands already in place, waiting to catch the next drawn-out sneeze. “Hehh…” He blinked, sniffed, made a little helpless noise in the back of his throat. “Hexsshtchhishugg!” His body flickered, began to fade.

“Hey, wait!” Blaine said, trying to grab hold of Sin’s arm, which of course didn’t work, and his fingers melted right through the ghost as though he weren’t even there; this thought was unreasonably disturbing to Blaine.

“I’ll…be…back…night,” Sin said, his voice wavering in and out, his eyes locked on Blaine’s. Then he vanished completely.

Blaine pulled the covers up over his head, feeling cold and lonely and praying that he’d heard correctly, that the next night, Sin would be back.

------

In the morning, Blaine slugged into the bathroom for a shower, which he took in record time. He was brushing his teeth over the sink when it happened. He glanced up into the mirror and saw a face; Sin’s face.

With a garbled gasp, he leapt back a step, spraying toothpaste across the room. “Sin!?” he squeaked.

The ghost boy’s reflection nodded morosely, gave a shrug. He motioned to his mouth, then shook his head.

“You--you can’t talk?” Blaine asked.

Sin shook his head.

Blaine drew in a deep breath. This was…wrong. If he only saw Ghost Boy at night, he could pass it off as a dream, but if he started seeing him during the day, then that meant, well, he couldn’t hide from reality. Either he really was insane, or he could talk to ghosts. Neither of those two options appealed very much.

He regarded Sin with morbid curiosity as the ghost tilted his head back, clamped a hand over his nose, and jolted forward with a silent sneeze. Even with his hand as a shield, a small collection of spray splattered across the mirror.

“Bless you,” Blaine said dumbly.

Sin nodded, the nod turning into a bob of the head and another soundless sneeze; more wetness dappled the mirror.

Mesmerized, Blaine reached out a hand to see if…his fingers came away wet. For some reason, this made him smile.

Yep. He was definitely losing it.

His mom‘s voice echoed off the walls, snapping him out of his trance. “HONEY, BREAKFAST IS READY!”

Blaine placed his palm to the mirror’s surface, waited for Sin to do the same. He felt it, then, a tingling of energy that somehow managed to be both hot and cold at the same time. “So…that’s kinda cool…in a totally freaky, ‘I’m most likely insane’ sort of way.”

Sin gestured to his ears, shook his head, frowned.

“Oh. So, less cool, then.” He took his hand away reluctantly. Slowly, he mouthed, “I’ll see you tonight?”

Ghost Boy squinted, then nodded. “Tonight,” he mouthed in return.

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[Tassielli]

Yay!!!!! i think.... So he can't talk? Whats going down with that? Oh and maybe I'm an okay writer. I actually majored in English Literature my senior year of High School, and I thought about majoring. My teacher actually told me i should, but I didn't, because I'm just really worried that someone will give me a flamer (Which is a coomet where some =one basically outs the whole thing down and tells you its horrible in amean way, in case you didn't know). So yeah.... And they touch, eventually? Yay! I'm a really hug-gy person and don't see the point of life with out hugs. oohhhhh, coes he come back to life? Cause that would be awesome! Is this Alan's Sin? Cause i don't think so, cause he had a sister named Jamie, and Alan was still living in his house. But hey, maybe i missed something. Oh yeah, YOU are the freaky good writer persony thing. You continue to wow me with your stories! Great story, by the way! Bye!

[sneezytwilight]

yeah, I like Derek better in the 2nd.

Wow I really like this story...How Blaine is struggling to accept that he does see ghosts. Now I get to start my spring break projects for school...fun

[Ciuty80]

this is wonderful, how both act...sooo awwww and ohhhh and uuuwwaaahhhh

this made me feel a pleasant shiver ran over my back and goose pimples (don´t know if you know it^^) over my arms

there is so much warmth in their acting that make me feel happy and sad at the same time

touching, cuddling and hugging is soooo important like breathing!!! (for me sometimes )

i´m SOOOO excited how you will manage it...i have 3 options in my mind

i´m so agitated which one you will chose

can´t wait for more!!!

[Quite Contrary]

Ok...I'm officially confused and intrigued. What's going on with Sin? Also very curious to see how he gets some...substantialness to his body, I guess. Cuz Sin needs some major hugs, clearly. He's so sad Oh, and I have to say this cuz I'm an english major dork but..."Marshy chest-coughs"? OK, that is a freaking cool description. Just saying. Definately liking this story a lot, very interested to see what happens next!