sunday_reveries I can't save you from yourself
ooc: Written with kevinwitherford
Dressed in a wrinkled shirt, jacket, gloves and baggy pants, Kevin Ford was waiting outside the main gates for Mercury. He paced the ground, walking back and forth and then up and down the streets, glancing around every now and then, worried in case someone else turned up instead. The last thing he wanted was for Dani or Emma to sweet talk him into returning to the school again. That would suck. He'd already tried to fit in; to be part of the damn group that still called themselves the Hellions, only it hadn't worked out.
Kevin had never liked it there. Never felt like he could belong. So after getting into another stupid fight with Julian Keller about a month ago, he'd packed his bags and left the school. Since then, he'd been living on the streets again; at bus depots, train stations, back alleys... He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a decent meal and he was starved. He'd left his tools behind and now he needed them. He figured if he could work on his art, he could at least try to make a sale.
Money meant food and shelter. And Kevin was desperate for both.
Cessily didn't run into any problems gathering his tools. No one bothered to check the tool shed and most of Xavier's residents were asleep so she had been able to slip in and out of the mansion without anyone noticing she was gone. At least she hoped that was the case. She'd made sure to double back once or twice in order to catch anyone following her. Only once she was certain no one was did she slide out of the gates and towards Kevin.
She tried not to look shocked at his haggard appearance and silently berated herself for not bringing food along as well. "Hey," she murmured upon approaching him. The last thing she wanted to do was startle the boy.
"I know. I look like shit," was his immediate response to her greeting. Kevin pulled his hood back and revealed the mess that was his hair. "Guess I could use a haircut." Like that was the only thing that was wrong with the way he looked. He was a lot skinnier and the dark circles under his eyes could rival Sally's even. "Thanks for coming out."
Cessily frowned and held out the bag with his tools. "Have you been eating?" What kind of question was that? Of course he hadn't. All she had to do was look at him to see that. "I can sneak back and get something for you." The kitchen should be clear at this point. "Or you could always come in."
She tried not to look to hopeful at that.
"No." He shook his head at the invitation. "I can't." Someone was bound to be up at this hour. And didn't he just see a streak of green fly past the school's compound not ten minutes ago? He was sure that had been Hellion. "I should probably get going." He took the tool bag from Cess and lowered it to the ground. He had to make sure he had everything he needed.
Kevin's hands were visibly shaking as he sorted through the items and after a minute of trying to get his tools in order, he looked up at her.
"Uh... maybe a quick bite?"
"I can be back in five minutes," Cessily promised and took a step backward. "Don't go anywhere."
She didn't wait for an answer before she slipped through the gate and along the grounds. Thankfully no one was up for a late night snack and she hurriedly gathered crackers, apples and a few bottles of water. She found some more odds and ends that no one should miss and put them all into a bag before slipping back outside.
Thankfully he had waited for her and she handed the bag off. "I brought extra."
"Thanks." Cess really was one of the rare few who actually cared for him. He hadn't even been that nice to her while at Xavier's. She seemed to always want to spend more time with him but he always told her he preferred to be left alone. Boy, did he feel guilty now.
As he took the bag from her, their fingers met and instinctively, Kevin pulled his hand back, afraid he'd end up hurting her like he did Laurie. Only there was no possible way that he could. She was the one person he could touch.
Awkward.
"You're welcome," she murmured and dropped her hands. Cessily sat down and leaned against the stone wall of the school. "What are you going to do, Kevin?" She knew trying to talk might cause him to quickly pack up and leave but she needed to chance it. "Do you have anywhere to sleep?"
She doubted it. He hadn't the last time after he'd left because of what Julian had said. And now again he'd left because of the Hellion. When Julian Keller returned from Africa she was hitting him.
Instead of leaving, he sat on the curb, unwrapped the sandwich she'd packed for him and took a big bite from it. Yum. He quickly wolfed down the rest before deciding to answer her.
"I have my things stashed behind some lockers at the train station. I'm gonna head back there and then..." He shrugged. "I'll figure something out." He was stubborn. Stubborn and adamant about surviving on his own. "Maybe I'll head down to the tunnels."
Boys were idiots and the ones she knew seemed to be stubborn idiots. Every single one of them. It was ridiculous. "The tunnels? Like where David made his own Danger Room?" That wouldn't be too far. Maybe she could scrounge together a pillow and blanket for him down there. "Or further down with the Morlocks?"
That could be dangerous. She had heard Sally talk a little about her experiences down there. Some of the Morlocks were openly hostile.
"I don't know. I don't... I don't have a plan." Yeah. Admit that out loud, Ford. He ran his fingers through his hair. "I just..." He grabbed his bags and got up. "I should go."
"You don't have to go," Cessily told him hurriedly but didn't move from her spot. She knew she couldn't make him stay if he was insistent on leaving. "And you don't need to have a plan. Not right away."
She sighed and looked up at the cloudless sky. "Will you promise me something though, Kevin? Just...let me know that you're doing okay when you can?" That way she wouldn't go mad with worry.
"Sure, Cess." He nodded once. "I'll be in touch." He hesitated only briefly before he took a step forward, placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled at her. "You'll hear from me. I promise."
He wasn't going to make her worry. Enough of that.
Cessily smiled back and forced herself not to step back when he touched her. That meant something didn't it? He wouldn't have done that before. "Thank you."
She would believe him for now. "I should get back before the others start to worry." Megan would probably be searching for her by now.
"Okay, go."
He watched her slip back through the gate and once he was sure she'd made it back safely past the damn sentinels, he turned around and headed toward the train station.
Dressed in a wrinkled shirt, jacket, gloves and baggy pants, Kevin Ford was waiting outside the main gates for Mercury. He paced the ground, walking back and forth and then up and down the streets, glancing around every now and then, worried in case someone else turned up instead. The last thing he wanted was for Dani or Emma to sweet talk him into returning to the school again. That would suck. He'd already tried to fit in; to be part of the damn group that still called themselves the Hellions, only it hadn't worked out.
Kevin had never liked it there. Never felt like he could belong. So after getting into another stupid fight with Julian Keller about a month ago, he'd packed his bags and left the school. Since then, he'd been living on the streets again; at bus depots, train stations, back alleys... He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a decent meal and he was starved. He'd left his tools behind and now he needed them. He figured if he could work on his art, he could at least try to make a sale.
Money meant food and shelter. And Kevin was desperate for both.
Cessily didn't run into any problems gathering his tools. No one bothered to check the tool shed and most of Xavier's residents were asleep so she had been able to slip in and out of the mansion without anyone noticing she was gone. At least she hoped that was the case. She'd made sure to double back once or twice in order to catch anyone following her. Only once she was certain no one was did she slide out of the gates and towards Kevin.
She tried not to look shocked at his haggard appearance and silently berated herself for not bringing food along as well. "Hey," she murmured upon approaching him. The last thing she wanted to do was startle the boy.
"I know. I look like shit," was his immediate response to her greeting. Kevin pulled his hood back and revealed the mess that was his hair. "Guess I could use a haircut." Like that was the only thing that was wrong with the way he looked. He was a lot skinnier and the dark circles under his eyes could rival Sally's even. "Thanks for coming out."
Cessily frowned and held out the bag with his tools. "Have you been eating?" What kind of question was that? Of course he hadn't. All she had to do was look at him to see that. "I can sneak back and get something for you." The kitchen should be clear at this point. "Or you could always come in."
She tried not to look to hopeful at that.
"No." He shook his head at the invitation. "I can't." Someone was bound to be up at this hour. And didn't he just see a streak of green fly past the school's compound not ten minutes ago? He was sure that had been Hellion. "I should probably get going." He took the tool bag from Cess and lowered it to the ground. He had to make sure he had everything he needed.
Kevin's hands were visibly shaking as he sorted through the items and after a minute of trying to get his tools in order, he looked up at her.
"Uh... maybe a quick bite?"
"I can be back in five minutes," Cessily promised and took a step backward. "Don't go anywhere."
She didn't wait for an answer before she slipped through the gate and along the grounds. Thankfully no one was up for a late night snack and she hurriedly gathered crackers, apples and a few bottles of water. She found some more odds and ends that no one should miss and put them all into a bag before slipping back outside.
Thankfully he had waited for her and she handed the bag off. "I brought extra."
"Thanks." Cess really was one of the rare few who actually cared for him. He hadn't even been that nice to her while at Xavier's. She seemed to always want to spend more time with him but he always told her he preferred to be left alone. Boy, did he feel guilty now.
As he took the bag from her, their fingers met and instinctively, Kevin pulled his hand back, afraid he'd end up hurting her like he did Laurie. Only there was no possible way that he could. She was the one person he could touch.
Awkward.
"You're welcome," she murmured and dropped her hands. Cessily sat down and leaned against the stone wall of the school. "What are you going to do, Kevin?" She knew trying to talk might cause him to quickly pack up and leave but she needed to chance it. "Do you have anywhere to sleep?"
She doubted it. He hadn't the last time after he'd left because of what Julian had said. And now again he'd left because of the Hellion. When Julian Keller returned from Africa she was hitting him.
Instead of leaving, he sat on the curb, unwrapped the sandwich she'd packed for him and took a big bite from it. Yum. He quickly wolfed down the rest before deciding to answer her.
"I have my things stashed behind some lockers at the train station. I'm gonna head back there and then..." He shrugged. "I'll figure something out." He was stubborn. Stubborn and adamant about surviving on his own. "Maybe I'll head down to the tunnels."
Boys were idiots and the ones she knew seemed to be stubborn idiots. Every single one of them. It was ridiculous. "The tunnels? Like where David made his own Danger Room?" That wouldn't be too far. Maybe she could scrounge together a pillow and blanket for him down there. "Or further down with the Morlocks?"
That could be dangerous. She had heard Sally talk a little about her experiences down there. Some of the Morlocks were openly hostile.
"I don't know. I don't... I don't have a plan." Yeah. Admit that out loud, Ford. He ran his fingers through his hair. "I just..." He grabbed his bags and got up. "I should go."
"You don't have to go," Cessily told him hurriedly but didn't move from her spot. She knew she couldn't make him stay if he was insistent on leaving. "And you don't need to have a plan. Not right away."
She sighed and looked up at the cloudless sky. "Will you promise me something though, Kevin? Just...let me know that you're doing okay when you can?" That way she wouldn't go mad with worry.
"Sure, Cess." He nodded once. "I'll be in touch." He hesitated only briefly before he took a step forward, placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled at her. "You'll hear from me. I promise."
He wasn't going to make her worry. Enough of that.
Cessily smiled back and forced herself not to step back when he touched her. That meant something didn't it? He wouldn't have done that before. "Thank you."
She would believe him for now. "I should get back before the others start to worry." Megan would probably be searching for her by now.
"Okay, go."
He watched her slip back through the gate and once he was sure she'd made it back safely past the damn sentinels, he turned around and headed toward the train station.