Soulmates - Salvis

IV : Gifts n Feelings

GIFTS N FEELINGS
CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

     It was now Christmas day. Travis hung back at Sal's apartment only a couple more times, he didn't want to go against his fathers wishes about not wanting to be seen around him.

But he couldn't help it, Sal was one of the good things that came from this awful godforsaken town.

He made him feel happy, like the way he feels happy when he hangs with Phillip. He feels like he has a friend, but he wouldn't necessarily call it that.

Even though today was Christmas, and it was meant to be celebrated with family and love, he got neither of that. He was sent to do another day of work, and since today was a holiday, Lisa would be spending time with Larry, Sal, and Henry, so Travis had to work alone.

He entered the building with a sigh, having to work outside of room 403, spots of.. Some kind of indescribable phenomenon laying on the floor outside of the trauma-filled apartment.

He felt like he was cleaning the same thing every day, but it was always misshaped every time. It was a brownish like substance, that could possibly be hazardous?

He flinched at the sound of his name, "Travis?" He turned to see a certain blue haired boy standing beside him,

"What do you want?" He asked as he tried to continue with his job.

"What're you doing here, working on Christmas?" Sal asked senselessly, curious as to why his father would even think about torturing his son on a holiday, that man is seriously messed up, for fucks sake he won't even let his son watch a simple movie, even if it's about fucking unicorns.

"My father made me. Even though I asked for a day off, he refused." He let out a sigh once he finished his dreadful sentence.

"That's fucked up." Sal muttered under his breath, even though the words were clear to the blonde; "it is what it is."

"Well, I have a present for you! Hang on a sec." Sal went rushing to his room, grabbing his wrapped up present and walking quickly back out to where Travis was.

He gave him the gift, the wrapping paper had snow flakes all over it.

Travis slowly opened his present, he felt to awkward to say anything, as he hasn't gotten presents in years, specifically from his father, knowing that made him confused why he'd get a present from someone he barely knows.

But he felt happy that someone would get him something, He felt an indescribable heart-pounding feeling in his chest, he didn't understand it, he didn't know if it was a sensation, or torture.

Once he tore open the wrapping paper, he found a notebook, particularly a sketchbook.

"A sketchbook? Why?" Travis asked, it had seemed a bit random to him.

"Well I've seen how you draw during art class, it's always really good, and I didn't know if you got to draw at home, so I thought of it as a good way to keep yourself distracted." Sal smiled friendly like under his prosthetic, the wrinkles showing up underneath his eyes proving so.

"Oh.. Thank you." Travis smiled a bit, he didn't really know how to thank someone.

Travis stopped getting presents from his father when he was 13, his explanation being 'you're not a kid anymore.'

He still has the stuffed animals his mother would give him, but they would stay in a box in the closet, only because if his father saw them out he'd call him a fag for being so girl like.

"Of course. Just wondering, when's your break?" He asked in hope, his head tilted to the side, hinting he had an enthusiastic idea planted into his mind.

"At six, why?" Travis asked curiously, he'd previously temporarily taken his attention off his job to take a minute to pay attention to the smaller boy in front of him.

"Well, I was hoping you'd stop by my apartment again for your break." Sal spoke in aspiration, he felt like he was working up to being Travis's friend and he was all for it. He felt a certain type of feeling for him that he hasn't for other people, it feels indescribable for him. He just knows he loves being around him.

"But wouldn't Larry be there?" Travis wondered with an irritated tone,

"Yeah, but it'll be fine! He won't do anything, you'll just be around til the end of your break. It's only like 30 minutes, right?" Sal asked; his desire only growing the more that time goes on without Travis turning down his suggestion.

"Yeah, but, I don't wanna somehow ruin something. I don't want Larry to be mad at me and have it effect the whole day. It's probably just not a good idea, Sal." Travis spoke in a disappointed voice, as much as he'd like to spend time with someone today.

"Please, just trust me. You're overthinking to much, it'll be fine." Sal tried to reassure him, as much as Travis wanted to believe that, simple words can't stop the mind of an over-thinker.

Travis let out a sigh before briefly responding, "fine."

Sal was about to walk away, but he momentarily spoke; "oh, and Merry Christmas, Travis." He had been so caught up in getting Travis his present and getting him to come over, he forgot to mention that.

But with that, Sal walked back into his apartment to go be with his family, he was happy to spend another Christmas with them.

Once Travis was done with his shift, he slowly walked up to Sal's door. He hesitated knocking, he could feel as if his heart was beating out of his chest.

He took a deep breath, and finally knocked. He heard shuffling around before the door finally opened, luckily for Travis it opened to Sal.

"Hey, Travis!" Sal greeted with the usual enthusiasm, "hey, Sal." Travis greeted back in a mutter,

"Let's just go to my room until the end of your break, alright?" Travis nodded in response, following the smaller boy to his room, avoiding eye contact with anyone on the way. Though he didn't see Larry out of the corner of his eye like he did with everyone else.

"You smoke?" Sal asked, giving a thought of something to do.

"No, I've never tried. And if I do I never wanted to for some reason keep doing it and get addicted, it's a sin." Travis spoke the last part in an aggravated mutter, he'd recently been speaking in a low tone, most likely to avoid sounding aggressive.

"You won't get addicted from doing it once. Even if you do it like, once every few days it's not an addiction. You can't be addicted unless you're doing it almost every second of the day." Sal explained, hoping to ease Travis's overthinking mind.

"Alright then, I guess." Travis's hesitance was easy to notice,

Sal took a cigarette from the pack in his drawer, opening the window across from his bed and gesturing Travis to come over.

Once Travis stood by the window, Sal started explaining what to do; "all you have to do is put it up to your lips, breathe in a bit, then breathe out the smoke. You might cough the first few times."

"I know how it works. My father smokes." With that, Travis took the lit cigarette from Sal's hand and let out a hesitated sigh before putting it up to his lips. He coughed a bit once he breathed it in, but gave it another try successfully without coughing.

They continued to pass it back and forth, Travis found it really weird he was putting the same cigarette in his mouth that Sal did, he found it.. Not necessarily gross, but weird at the same time.

Once it was time for Travis to go back to work, he said a short bye before walking out the door. He made eye contact with Larry, as he was walking past him to go into his brothers room; he gave him the usual glare he always did, full of hatred.

(a/n: i'm so sorry if this isn't detailed enough, this chapter was rushed since i'm finishing it late. the coming on chapters will definitely be better detailed and realistic, i'll try!)