The Tiffany Box- ONC 2021 Shortlister

12- Rise and Fall

When Eli opened his eyes the first thing he saw was the kitten sitting on his chest. The animal's deep purring filled the spaces of pain the fall had left him with, and in its place, a gentle sense of calm came over him.

"Uh, I've never dreamed of a cat before so you can't be in my head." Casting a look around, Eli realized he was not in his motel room. Scrunching his brow, he tried to understand where he was and how he ended up there. A one-night stand? No. I always remember the people I've kissed let alone saw naked. As confusion mounted, the kitten walked up toward his face and bopped its nose with his, pulling Eli out of his thoughts. "H...hey you mini-monster." A smile inched up Eli's face. Up close, he noticed the cat had its eyes closed. Two fine lines stood where shiny kitty eyes should have been. Sitting up, he winced as a throbbing pain came momentarily to hammer on his head. But as soon as it began it stopped. Eli scooped the kitten and began to pet it. "I'm glad D'Art's more of a homebody, I don't think you and he'd be best buds."

A dribble of the now-nearly transparent goo ran down Eli's temple. Reaching up, he rubbed the gunk between his fingers with a curious frown. "What the flying fuck is on my face?" To answer his question, the kitten looked up and mewled long and loud. When Eli saw there was similar goo around the kitten's eyes he raised a brow. "I'm really hoping this is some kind of ointment," he uttered as the recollection of him getting lost in the dust storm then falling came into his mind. He remembered tripping and a nasty pain that followed. "Mini-monster, if this ain't ointment I don't even wanna know..." Sliding his feet off the side of the bed, Eli rose with little trouble. Though as soon as he took a step, the world turned upside down. "Ok, this isn't good..." Steadying himself against the bed, he let himself find his balance before trying to walk again. With the kitten in his arms, walking out of the room was finally successful.

As he entered the small kitchen, he set the cat down and saw reddish dust fall from his hair. Making a face, he knew he needed to wash up, but not until he saw that the person who took him in was not a sandwich short of a picnic. Tiptoeing towards the bathroom when he heard the shower working, Eli touched his finger to his lips when the kitten mewled and zig-zagged dexterously around his feet. Before he placed his palm on the semi-open door, Eli whispered to the cat, "How do you not bump into things? I have working eyes and I fell."

Leaning his ear to the door, Eli listened. Whoever was inside made no noise. He half expected someone singing or at least the sound of movement coming from within, but it just sounded like rain falling on tiles. Maybe they forgot the water on? Pushing the door open, Eli stepped inside the bathroom. Steam floated everywhere, filling the room with a thick mist. It was not until he was a foot from the shower when he saw a waterfall of platinum-white hair streaming down a very pale wound-covered back which led down to the soft curve of an ass that made Eli yelp. "Holy saint Simon on a pogo-stick!"

The man who had been leaning against the wall motionless and oblivious jerked his head around in silent shock.

Eli watched as the water rained down the other's face. The man in front of him reminded Eli of a painting rather than a person. "Ohmigod," he said wide-eyed. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..." Though Eli's lips continued to move, no sound came out.

"That's ok," said a gentle voice.

Eli quickly brought a hand to cover his eyes, fearful if he didn't he'd keep starting like some perv. "I'm reaaaaally so–"

"It's ok," said the other again. "It's my fault for not locking the door. But you were out cold. I didn't think you'd wake so quickly. I mean..." the water was switched off and the room filled with a momentary hush. "What I want to say is I'm glad you're awake. You hit your head pretty badly when you fell in my garden."

"This your house?" Eli asked not removing his hand.

"Yah."

"I got lost. I've only been in town a few days. I wanted to..." Eli stopped before he told a total stranger why he was out in the dust storm.

"I put some ointment on your head. You had a pretty bad cut."

Eli heard the man stepping out of the shower and he hoped he'd grabbed a towel, a huge one to wrap around himself. "Thank you for taking care of me."

Though the pale man shrugged, Eli did not see it. "I'm Haven."

"Eli."

After a few moments of what Eli thought sounded like a towel dropping and something being picked up off a squeaky rack, Haven spoke, "I'm dressed, Eli. You can lower your hand."

In the softly fading mist, Eli lowered his hand to see Haven dressed in a pair of low-rise trousers that looked too big for him and a simple white t-shirt that tried desperately to reach the waistband of the grey slacks. When Haven's wet hair dripped on the shirt, Eli saw the way it turned transparent.

"Haven?" In the too-warm room, Eli began to feel unsteady again. Seeing Haven in the shower had added to his dizziness.

"Yes?"

"I think I may pass out," he said as he touched his fingers to his head. "Just letting you know in case I..."

As Eli began to lose consciousness, Haven rushed to him and grabbed him before he fell to the floor. "I got ya," Haven whispered as the weight of Eli fainting nearly brought him to his knees. "I got ya."

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