1632 words

Chapter 18 - How it Used to be

How it used to be. Something a lot of people can say, whether used to be meant yesterday or many years ago. So much can change.

I've probably said it before, but my life changed in a matter of minutes. Everything breaking around me, but maybe it's being fixed. What the future holds, we will never know.

I fix myself and go down the stairs, where I see him at the bottom. He's talking to Halo and my mom, my mom very obviously checking out River. He smiles at her, but sees me coming down the stairs.

He gets up from the couch he was sitting on and walks up to me. "You wanna show me around?" He asks and I nod, signaling to the bathroom the kitchen and the living room downstairs before walking up the set of squeaky stairs.

"Welcome to the upstairs, you've climbed mount bad memories to get here so welcome." I say looking up at him from where I stand on the ground.

That's when Kingston runs up the stairs, something new in his eyes before he sees me and there is relief. Kingston's arms go down to my thighs and he picks me up.

"You're supposed to be on bed rest, so I'm your bed. Continue." He says and I shake my head. My crutches dropping to the side as we move down the hall.

"This is, uh, lets skip it." I say but River opens the door to reveal a floral room. Perfectly intact from the last time she was in it. My sister. My dad never sold any of her stuff, he loved her. It's still weird to even think I have a mom.

"Is this your room?" He asks and I shake my head, "I-it's my sister's room." I say shyly as usual and he looks me in the eyes, slightly surprised as I put my arms around his neck and rest my head on his shoulder.

"Where's your sister?" He asks and My eyes go wide.

Kingston can tell where this is going, his mom died and he knows this feeling. "River you can't just ask that, man."

I shrug, "Depends on what religion you believe in." I says and he immediately put the pieces together. Kingston's fingers run through my brown hair slowly as we walk out of the room, him knowing I'd rather not be in there.

It's weird to be in somebody's arms though, it's just.. weird. Nobody wants to hold me, though I love it. Or at least used to love it, but I like being in his arms.

He walks down the hall a bit more, walking past an empty closet to my room. "This your room?" River asks making fun of himself, "Yep." I say popping the 'p'.

He opens the room and Kingston quickly sets me down in the bed. Sitting down next to me at my knees. "It's completely different. Me and my sister painted the walls when we were younger, a bunch of different colors swirled together in an old dark green." I say and he looks around.

"I bet you would have liked it better that way." Kingston says, laying back so his head is in my lap. I nod, looking around the completely white and grey room.

Kingston looks up at me as I look around. "I could guess what's in the other doors, but I won't and we'll just sit here." He says and I chuckle,

"We will have to go downstairs soon though, but I don't like bedrest much and I'm used to pain so we're doing things." I say and he chuckles, shaking his head but River just looks around.

"When are you going home?" Kingston asks River ask and he shrugs, "I do not know, stuff is happening back at home." He says, and suddenly it explains why he cared about me being in he hospital. All that caring about me is bull crap.

Not with Kingston though.

"You want to go watch a movie downstairs before we go shopping, then after that I'll make dinner. You can help if you'd like but I know you suck at cooking." I say and he springs up looking me dead in the eye

"No I do not!.. I'm French.." He says the last part quietly and pouty. "And I'm Italian. Doesn't mean I'm a good cook, asshat." River says and Kingston squints are River.

"You wanna fight?" He says jokingly and River nods with a smile on his face.

"Go downstairs and start a out of water, okay River?" I ask and he groans. He walks down the stairs restlessly.

Kingston lays down on top of me, making sure not to put any pressure on my stomach.

Our faces resting inches away from each other, his cold minty breath fanning over my face. I put a smirk on my face as I snuggle into the sheets, "I haven't had a blanket like this in forever." I says and he flips to lay down next to me.

"Are you saying the hospital blanket was not satisfactory, because just saying I am pretty sure multiple people have died in that." He says and I hit his shoulder as I slowly get up from the bed.

The pain in my stomach is unlike one I've felt in a long time, my body sore everywhere from previous beatings. Or, my last beating.

I slowly get up from the bed and exit the room, grabbing my crutches because of the pain I felt and slowly and painfully walk down the stairs. River watching me closely from behind, his hands wrapping around my waist every time I almost fall.

As soon as I get to the living room I collapse on the old couch, everything hurting. "Darling, get some rest okay? You've already walked too much today, I'll take you shopping with River tomorrow. Then your mom and Halo are getting a Christmas tree." He says and I nod

"Will you cook dinner, I love cooking but I'm really tired... and it kinda hurts to move.." he nods, his body resting a throw blanket I've rme as I lay with my face in the cushion. Darkness slowly taking over me.

-

"I made some dinner.." a voice quietly says from behind my head, I move quickly. He got in. He got in.

But River is crouched in front of me, a plate of spaghetti resting in his hands as Kingston's voice is laced with concern. "Are you Okay?" Kingston asks and I nod and rub my eyes. Old habits die hard.

Slowly I grab the plate of spaghetti and rest it in my lap as River sits at my feet. My chest rising up and down slowly to the beat of my breathing.

We walk down the stairs a painfully, Kingston helping me most of the way down so I can eat at the couch.

I must say, the spaghetti is the best I've ever tasted.

The scratching of plates fills my ears in the comfortable silence. Soon River grabs our empty plates and puts them in the kitchen making me realize I slept most of the day, an empty Christmas tree stays in the corner with only white lights lining it.

River comes back in, "I've gotta go, King will you stay with her?" River asks and Kingston nods, grabbing a couple of movies and looking at me to ask me to choose before he realizes where my eyes are. "Halo and Belle went and got a Christmas tree, I stayed here with you. You were really tired." He says and I chuckle,

"I can't argue with that." I say and looks at him, my eyes switching between him and the Christmas tree me and my sister used to decorate.

He holds three movies in front of me, old movies like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. One of my favorites, I point at it and he smiles at me, I don't feel like using very many words right now if that makes since.

The time is seven pm though I'm still very tired, with an injury and all I think it's okay that I sleep though. He goes into the bathroom and comes out with a pair of shorts he must of brought here on him. His abs on full display for my eyes to see, I'm still human even if I'm dysfunctioning.

He holds to me his other clothes, a pair of sweatpants and a large band tee. I pick them up and look at him. "What do I do with these?" I ask, honestly confused.

He smiles at me, a genuine smile. His nose scrunching up and his eyes full of amusement. "Where them, you don't have any pajamas." He says and I nod, going into the bathroom.

I take off my clothes revealing my horrid body before I put on his, his comforting scent enveloping my senses. I exit the bathroom where he lays down where I was laying on the couch.

When he looks towards me he smiles, before patting the seat next to him on the couch. I walk over before plopping down, putting my crutches next to the couch.

The movie starts playing while Kingston eats popcorn, though me eating so much after so long do barely eating makes me a little sick. So I lay down, my head eating on the side and my feet resting on Kingston's lap.

I can't like him. I can't like this feeling in my chest. I can't like being with him on my couch. I can't like his perfect smile.

I just... can't.

Anybody else I wouldn't act like this with, but I'm not willing to jeopardize what I have for stupid feelings.

The movie plays with my mom and halo upstairs, but I'm too tired to listen as I slowly drift off to sleep.

The moving of something makes me half way awake, though I'm not registering what's happening. Something moves behind me and a pair of hands wraps around my waist.

Breathing on my neck with a minty cool feeling that makes me know who it is, but I don't register anything as I go back to sleep. Feeling comfortable for the first time in awhile and not completely alone.