Blackbirds

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

​He was hitting plastic baseballs around in the yard. Chester was going through one of his phases again so Mike had come out to try to swing. He still had deadly hand-eye coordination but his swing was weaker. He kept trying to tell himself that it would get better but with only five weeks until the championship game, he was worried that he wouldn't make it. He wouldn't be the material he had been before. He took a deep breath and swung again, the bat connected with the plastic ball which went sailing up over the roof into the front yard. Mike sighed. He'd been hitting the ball over the roof all day but it always landed in the grass. Never in the neighbor's yard across the street. It wouldn't get anywhere. He walked back to the front yard and saw the teenager that lived next door looking over at him. That kid was rude as fuck. Mike picked up the ball and tossed it in his metal hand once before setting the stuff next to the door and heading inside. Thankfully, the kid hadn't said anything.

He sighed and walked into the living room. He heard the whimpers and cries of pain coming from Chester's room. He'd been researching the withdrawal symptoms of the three drugs and he knew that Chester was going through too much. If him getting better meant that Chester would be put through this unbearable pain, he didn't want to play baseball anymore. He just wanted his friend to be alright.

​"Mike!"

​This was what happened every day. Chester would eventually call for him to come in his room. He'd find a trembling mess of a man looking for the only comfort that he had. And Mike would give it to him. He walked slowly to the bedroom and saw Chester sitting there with tears running down his face. He looked so upset. Mike sat down next to him and wrapped his good arm around the other man's shoulders.

​"I'm sorry," Chester managed, "I don't mean to waste your time. I just...I can't deal with it."

​"You're not wasting my time," Mike said softly, "You're my friend and I'm going to keep you safe ok?"

​Chester nodded slightly and then buried his head into his chest, "You make it go away."

​Mike smiled slightly. He didn't like touching people with his mechanical arm. He felt like it would be weird for the other person. Mike slowly laid down on the bed and brought Chester with him.

​"You just need to get some rest," Mike said softly. Chester squirmed around next to him before cuddling against his side.

​"Hold me?" he asked quietly. Mike frowned at him.

​"I am," he said as his arm was still around Chester.

​"With both," Chester said in the same tone. Mike slowly moved his other arm to hold onto Chester loosely. He gasped as Chester grabbed his hand and held it tightly.

​"There's nothing wrong with being different Mike. It doesn't mean you're any worse than anyone else. It doesn't mean you can't do the same things that other people can do," Chester whispered. Mike slowly wrapped his fingers around Chester's warm hand and he saw Chester smile slightly before closing his eyes.

​"Ches? Can I ask you something?" Mike asked softly. Chester nodded with his eyes still closed. "You told me that you were using drugs because you were dealing.....Ches, what were you dealing with? Was it your dad?"

​Chester shuddered in his arms, "Have you ever really trusted someone Mike? Trusted someone so much that you thought you knew they would never let you down?"

​Mike nodded slightly. His friends. His family. He had people like that.

​"And then they do....they take your heart and tear it out. They take advantage of your trust....of you...," Chester whispered, "I had a family friend you know? And whenever my dad was on one of his rants or rages, my mom sent me over to his house. He told my parents that we just played games the whole time and at first that was what we'd do."

​Mike looked at Chester who had his eyes shut and his hand gripping tightly onto Mike's. Something terrible had happened. Something awful.

​"And then it got weird. He'd start acting strangely towards me. He started saying that only special boys got to have what he gave to me. Only people who were special got it. I didn't understand that he wasn't supposed to do things like that to me until I was a little older, like thirteen or fourteen, and then I was so disgusted with myself. I was such a disgusting person. But he didn't stop either. It just got worse and I couldn't tell anyone because I thought people would hate me for it."

​"Ches....you couldn't control it. It wasn't your fault. People shouldn't hate you for something you can't control."

​"You were my only light. No matter how bad it was, you always made me feel better when I saw you. Until you started pushing me away too."

​He knew he'd been wrong to push Chester away like that. Chester sighed softly before finally opening his eyes and looking at him.

​"The first time......I was nine years old and he said we were going to play a new game that we'd never played before. He said it would be fun. He said all I had to do was lay on the bed on my back and count to thirty with my eyes closed. I only slept in my underwear and a t-shirt and you know how kids love to stay in their pajamas all day. I didn't know that he planned on throwing them on the floor and shoving his dick in me when I was nine," Chester whispered. Mike couldn't believe what he was hearing. He held Chester tightly and sighed as Chester broke into another round of tears.

​"It's ok Ches. You don't have to say anymore."

​Chester nodded and then cuddled against his chest again, "Maybe eventually. Just not now."

​Mike nodded and stroked his hand through Chester's hair as he held Chester's hand with his other. To think that Chester had gone through something like that was unimaginable. He had been dealing with this his entire life without anyone to talk to except for Mike. And Mike had stopped caring about Chester at a time in his life.

​"It's time for you to be able to have someone care again," he said softly. Chester looked up at him again and then smiled slightly.

​"Ok," he said.

​That was the first day that they slept in each other's arms but there was nothing romantic about it. Just two friends that needed the comfort of each other. Of course, Mike wouldn't have minded if he was able to kiss his friend and hold him against his chest and tell him that he loved him. Because he did. Chester's breathing was even next to him. He smiled and then gently pressed his lips to Chester's temple.

​"I love you Chester," he whispered.

​"That's so insane," Mike laughed as Chester pulled his hood off to reveal platinum blonde hair. Chester smiled at him.

​"Isn't it awesome? I love it," Chester said with a laugh.

​"It's so outrageous."

​"I wanted to change it. Brown was so boring," Chester said. They were once again sitting on the playground but this time it was raining lightly on them.

​"Why do you think we always come out here?" Mike asked softly. Chester shrugged.

​"I don't know. Maybe it's cause this was where we met."

​"Yea maybe. Everything just seems to happen here."

​"Yea I guess," Chester said softly. They sat there and the rain started to pick up. Chester shivered and Mike noticed he wasn't wearing a jacket, just a sweater.

​"You're crazy for not wearing a jacket."

​"Yea I know. I'm kinda tired," Chester yawned. Mike smiled at him and wrapped him in a hug.

​"Then go to sleep," he said. Chester sighed and then closed his eyes. His platinum blonde hair was plastered to his head from the rain. Mike lifted the sleeping boy off the ground and then carried him to a covered place on the playground. The rain pattered above them but they sat there together, huddled in the corner. Chester was sleeping soundly against him. It was silent apart from the rain. Mike smiled slightly. It was perfect.