Work Text:
They move slowly, in step with one another, heads tucked together. Their hands hold each other, feet in tune with the other’s motions. It’s a slow waltz, one that they both know from somewhere neither remembers.
Their steps are muffled by the socks they wear, cold floor deflected by wool. The kitchen is chilly, but not unbearable. It pulls them closer to one another, the younger’s head against the other’s shoulder, the other’s head resting atop the younger’s own.
Loving can heal
Loving can mend your soul
And it's the only thing that I know
I swear it will get easier
Remember that with every piece of ya
And it's the only thing we take with us when we die
Nick Nelson dons a soft grey sweatshirt, black joggers, and white crew socks. Charlie Spring wears orange striped socks, blue pyjama bottoms, and a 2016 Kent Jr. Rugby Camp t-shirt. He swims in it, a bit.
Charlie’s right wrist is bandaged, a plaster covering half of his forearm. He has dried tear tracks on his cheeks, and he shivers every so often.
Nick also has dried tears on his cheeks. The tips of his ears are red, and his mouth is set in a thin line.
The radio in the corner of the room plays on softly. The clock on it reads 1:37 am.
And if you hurt me
Well, that's okay, baby, only words bleed
Inside these pages you just hold me
And I won't ever let you go
Wait for me to come home
Sarah Nelson sleeps peacefully in her bedroom, unaware of the two boys awake in her kitchen. She isn’t aware that Nick is home, having thought he would be in Leeds for the weekend. Charlie has spent the night, feeling the older boy’s absence just as much as she did.
Nick knew boarding a train at four pm wasn’t bright. It was nearly seven hours of journey between Leeds and Kent.
He couldn’t bring himself to care. Not when Charlie needed him.
When I'm away
I will remember how you kissed me
Under the lamppost
Back on 6th street
Hearing you whisper through the phone
"Wait for me to come home.”