Without a Clue {Diall}

Chapter Forty-Four: The Certain Boy

Chapter forty-four word count: 5596 words

Helping Elliot settle Ollie back in his flat is pretty uneventful. Ollie fell asleep in the car, though, so Elliot carries Ollie from the car park while I follow behind with one of their bags. Elliot asks me to put the bag down in the bedroom, so I follow him, watching silently as he lies Ollie down on the bed. Elliot pulls off Ollie's shoes, sitting them on the ground next to the bed carefully. Elliot is so, so gentle with Ollie, tugging his loose jacket off and pulling the puffy duvet over his thin, fragile body. Ollie has had an incredibly hard time falling asleep recently, so I know Elliot's just doing all he can so Ollie can stay asleep and finally get some rest.

Elliot and I walk back to the car to get the other two bags, and I help him bring those in as well. Ollie shifts as we come in the second time, and whines a bit at Elliot, prompting him to come over to the bed.

"We're home?" Ollie asks, his voice raspy and dry. Elliot nods, sitting on the bed. Elliot leans over Ollie, pushing some dark curls off his forehead.

"Stay." Ollie says so quietly that I can barely make it out. He sounds so incredibly desperate for Elliot to stay with him. He sounds scared. I feel horrible just listening to him. Ollie's on some pretty strong pain meds right now. I remember how terrifying he told me that can be for him.

"I'll come lay with you in a bit, okay? Promise. I've just got to go finish your clothes and getting your medicine set up. I've got to call your Mum and update her as well." Elliot says.

"Later." Ollie mumbles softly, pulling at Elliot still.

"I can't do it later, Love. I'll be back soon okay?" Elliot says. Ollie just shakes his head and begins to cry. He'd be absolutely mortified by his reaction if he weren't so drugged right now, but the pain meds make him feel disoriented and it scares him. He wants Elliot to stay with him.

"Look, Elliot, tell me what you need done and I'll do it. I can let myself out after." I say. Elliot and Ollie don't have PAs and decided it would be too difficult to find one after becoming so insanely high profile recently. It's a bit scary for them to let a stranger so completely into their lives right now, and I can respect that, but I'm sure it's incredibly exhausting for Elliot in particular to be taking care of Ollie full time as well as doing housework and laundry and getting Ollie's meds together, among all of his other responsibilities. Elliot nods at my words and then returns his attention to Ollie.

"I'll be right back, babe. Just a few seconds okay? Just a second." Elliot tells Ollie softly, resting his forehead against Ollie's.

"Kay." Ollie replies, his eyes closing as he sniffles. Elliot gets out of the bed, pulling the duvet up over Ollie a little more. Ollie closes his eyes, allowing Elliot to go.

Elliot and I go into the living room, and as I look back at him, it's easy to see how tired he is. He needs help. He needs an assistant or Anne or just someone to come help with Ollie. It isn't normal for anyone to have to do so much with no one there to help out.

"You need some help, Elliot. Seriously. You're exhausted." I say. He just shakes his head, sitting down on the couch.

"No, no, it's fine. It's fine." Elliot says, but he sinks his head into his hands, almost in defeat.

"It's okay to need help, you know?" I say, and he just shakes his head.

"I'm supposed to be able to take care of him." Elliot says. I notice the tears on his cheeks then. I can't imagine how frustrated he is. This is a lot.

"Elliot," I say with a gentle sigh, sitting down next to him, "You are perfectly capable of taking care of him. You've just been doing a lot recently and it would make everything a lot less stressful if you had someone around to do the housework and stuff like that. I know you don't want to have to vet an assistant right now, but I'm sure Anne would be perfectly happy to come over and cook for you or help you finish the laundry so you can stay with Ollie." I say. That just seems to upset Elliot more.