It Only Hurts If I Breathe

[Garrett Speelers]

Garrett sat down in front of someone's mailbox. He didn't know whose and he didn't care. He knew he was close to Faye's house. He'd walked in a familiar direction, but didn't want to go to her in his condition.

He'd finally gone home after the party where Blane had called his dad. It was two nights and a day and a half later, but he'd gone home. He'd assured Faye and Desmond that he'd explain to his dad that he'd been at the party because he was helping out the ACS at school, that he'd listened to his father.

As he'd expected, his father hadn't given him the opportunity to explain before he'd started swinging.

He'd come into the house, on the alert in case his father was in the living room again. The coast had seemed clear, and he'd made for the stairwell. However, his father seemed to have planned ahead and when he'd gotten up four or five stairs, he felt a hand grab onto his tie and yank him backwards, and send him tumbling down the few stairs. He looked up in time to see his father towering over him, see the shoe aimed for his side. He felt the pain as it connected with him.

Then he was being hefted to his feet by the same tie. His father had grabbed the front of it this time, and the wight of his body on the school supplied tie was suffocating him slightly until he was standing upright.

"Out with your little fag friends again?" his father said right into his ear. Garrett could feel his breath on his earlobes: if he light a match he was sure there would be some sort of explosion, it smelled so strongly of whiskey.

"Wait," he said quickly. "I can explain. I was doing it for---"

His father cut him off with a sharp smack on the mouth. He tilted his head to to the side mockingly at his son.

"I didn't ask you that, now did I?" he said. "I don't give two shits about why you were out there. I told you to stay away from those little queers, didn't I?"

Garrett didn't respond, and for that he received a smack upside his head. "Didn't I?" his father repeated again with another smack.

"Yes," Garrett spat.

"That's what I thought," his father said. "Now I don't think it's sinking into that thick skull of yours. (here his father wrapped his knuckles on the top of Garrett's head) So maybe I need to knock some sense into you."

Garrett shook his head slightly, implying he'd already gotten the message, but that was a mistake. His father's eyes widened slightly.

"What?" he said dangerously.

"Nothing," Garrett replied flatly.

He still held onto Garrett tie, and used it to pull him away from the wall and then swing his head back into it. Garrett chose to clutch at where the tie was bruising his neck instead of his head.

"Don't you ever, disrespect me like that again!" his father snarled, whacking his head with every word from disrespect on. "Do you understand me?"

Garrett nodded his head silently, feeling tears well up in his eyes, but refusing to let them fall. "I said do you understand me?" His father repeated, knocking him into the wall again. "Yes, sir" came his reply, through a bleeding lip.

"Now get the hell out of my sight," he spat, letting go of the tie. He kicked his son onto the floor. "Don't come back before I'm asleep, I don't want to see your ugly face again tonight."

With that, Garrett had picked himself up off the floor, and scrambled out of the house. He'd wandered until he'd found this comfortable looking mailbox.

He felt tears start to trickle out of his eyes, but quickly wiped at them. He wouldn't be a pussy about it, he wouldn't give his father that satisfaction. He bit back his lip and gave a little gasp of pain, remembering to late that it was cut open and bleeding. He felt around on his body, not caring that people looking at him might think he was feeling up his body.

His side was going to bruise. He lifted up his school white shirt and sure enough, the hint of bruise was already forming, the purple outline of a shoe print appearing just below his ribs. His back was going to be sore tomorrow from the fall down the stairs and his ass already smarted from having it kicked out of the house more or less. His neck had a slight bruise in a circular shape from the tie and a rope burn had started to form. His lip was bleeding and his right cheek was too, which only added to the pain from the already present bruise on his cheek.

He ran a hand through his hair, the only thing that seemed still in tact. He pulled a cigarette out of the pocket of his grey pants, and put it to his lips, ignoring the discomfort he felt at placing it on the cut. He shifted the cig over so it wasn't directly on the wound, and lit it with his navy blue lighter.

The only thought that comforted him was that he had some stage makeup from all his halloween costumes in his room.

[Faye Prewett]

((ooc- is it night, or afternoon? Either way, the main points of my post will stay...))

Faye needed a jog. It was one of the things that helped her to stay in shape, as well as keep her emotions in check. Whenever she was depressed, or angry, or upset, then she would go for a jog. She never really had a set track to follow, but she'd turn on her iPod and just run until she was calm again and in control of whatever she happened to be feeling.

This night's jog was brought on by yet another argument with her parents. Garrett had spent the past few days living with them, and while they had been kind towards him while he was a guest, they were still skeptical of him as Faye's boyfriend. She knew they were only trying to protect her, but she had to make them understand that she could take care of herself. Instead of starting yet another huge fight, she decided to go for a run to clear her head and allow her parents to think things through as well. She had been out for at least half an hour, and despite the cool breeze had worked up quite a sweat.

It was in this condition, wearing sweat pants, a baggy hoodie, and hair pulled back yet matted down with sweat, that she came across the hunched figure of Garrett. The streetlamp on the corner shed enough light for her to recognize him, and her first reaction was to try and hide her own appearance.

"Garrett! What are you doing here... I was just out for a run--" she started, moving the hood over her face to try and hide the sweat and grossness, when she realized that she wasn't the only one who needed to hide their appearance.

"Oh, Garrett--" she started, unsure of what else she could (or should) say.

[Garrett Speelers]

((It's roughly 5-6 pm. . .he had to stay after school and then walk home, and he probably took his good ol' time getting there))

Garrett blew out smoke, staring without really seeing at the house across the street. And then he heard a voice calling to him. He turned to look at her without even thinking, although he wasn't smiling like he usually was when he was around her. He quickly looked away, embarrassed to be seen in his current state. He pulled his collar a little higher and felt his shoulders and head droop slightly.

He wanted to say something to break the awkwardness, something to make this seem less intense. Like, at least my hair's all right or it could have been worse, but he just couldn't find the words. He settled with merely flicking the ashes off the end of his cigarette and watching them go from glowing red to grey to white flaking ash while he thought.

"You were out for a run?" he said swallowing hard. "Nice. Exercise. I just . . . thought I'd get some fresh air. . ."

[Faye Prewett]

Faye saw the bruises before he had a chance to hide them from her. Even if she hadn't, the way he pulled up his collar and tried to hide any exposed areas of skin gave away that he had something to feel ashamed of. Something he thought he had to hide from her.

She just stood there, not knowing what else to say, watching as Garrett matched her silence by taking a great interest in his cigarette's ashes for a while. She followed his gaze, knowing that eventually one of them would have to say something. Garrett was the first one to say anything.

"You were out for a run? Nice. Exercise. I just . . . thought I'd get some fresh air. . ."

"Do you need to come back to my place for the night? Do you need anything?" she asked, ignoring his comments towards her exercising. She knew that he hated showing this side of his life to her, but they were dating now, and he would have to start opening up to her more. She knew that this was probably going to be the biggest boundary for the both of them to overcome, but it had to be done.

"Is there anything I can do?!?" She couldn't help but feel a bit helpless in the situation, other than moral support. It wasn't like she could take on his father or anything... but she just wanted to help.

((ooc- ljkldsa;jfdsknbleargh that was crap, sorry. But I'm sick, so deal with it. lol))

[Garrett Speelers]

Garrett still found himself being surprised by Faye. The first surprise had come when she'd agreed to go to he homecoming dance, then still spoken to him after being pushed around by his father, and the biggest surprise had bee agreeing to go out with him, but here she was, not making excuses to leave after seeing his battered form. A part of him wanted to get up and just kiss her; of course that could be the adrenaline from the beating talking.

"No, I don't think there's much you can do," he said smiling weakly, his voice a low rumble. He attempted a sort of chuckle. "Somehow I doubt your parents would approve of me crashing with you like this."

He took another puff and winced when the cigarette re-split his lip. He brought his left hand to his mouth and wiped the blood with his index finger. He took a moment to collect himself and heaved a sigh.

"I just have to wait until 11 or so to go back," he assured her, in a would-be-careless voice. "Once he's asleep, I usually slip in."

[Faye Prewett]

"No, I don't think there's much you can do,"

These words hurt her more than Garrett knew. It was in Faye's nature to be helpful. If there was any way she could help out a friend then she would do it, no questions asked, even if it wasn't in her own best interest. Faye knew that she was privileged and thought that the least she could do was use some of her good fortune to help others when she could. It wasn't in in her nature, but rather it was Faye's nature to be helpful! She hated feeling helpless, especially in Garrett's case.

"Somehow I doubt your parents would approve of me crashing with you like this. I just have to wait until 11 or so to go back. Once he's asleep, I usually slip in."

Faye was perceptive; she didn't miss the blood wiped from his lip. "Garrett, you're bleeding." Faye couldn't help but point out the obvious and appear as the ever-clichéd worried girlfriend role. The concern was hard to keep from her voice as she continued in a tone which implied that her mind was made up already. "You need to wash the cuts before they get infected. Come on, my house isn't that far away. My parents won't be home until seven, and I'll explain... well, I'll tell them something. They're still too unsure of this whole situation to be angry with you, and they can't help but trust me."

It was true. Ever since Faye had come home hours late from the Homecoming dance with a torn dress, broken shoe and a cut on her arm, well, they had done more than just frown upon her new relationship. Just the same, she seemed to be able to explain that Garrett was a great person, that he was nothing like his father, and she had gotten her parents to see that someone shouldn't be judged because of their parents. He had spent an awkward weekend at her house just a week or so ago during which time her parents kept a close enough eye on them to make sure they weren't 'doing anything' but never really talking to either of them unless they had to. Her parents were trying to seem supportive but it was clear to her that they still wished she'd just date one of their friend's sons; one of those boys who was already accepted to Harvard and looking at future Law Schools or Med programs. To see their daughter with a smoker with an abusive father broke their hearts a little.

Faye tried her best not to think of all that, though it was always in the back of her mind. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up." Her tone implied that she hoped he would agree and go with her, but was questioning so that he had the option that, if he really wanted to, he could say no and stay on his own until later tonight. She didn't want to force him to do anything he didn't want to.

[Garrett Speelers]

"It's nothing--" Garrett began to protest but gave up with a defeated sigh.

Faye went on to explain that her parents wouldn't be home until seven and that they'd be able to understand the situation. He really wanted to believe that, too. He wanted to believe that her parents would be able to accept him for what he was, without worrying over Faye. They had to realize he would never let anything from his life affect her negatively.

He glanced down at the blood on his finger and lightly touched the slight trickle on his cheek. Before responding, he took another long drag from his cigarette.

"I guess, I look pretty bad, huh?" he said lightly, getting to his feet with a grunt. "As long as you're sure it's cool, I guess I can come clean up a bit."

[Faye Prewett]

Faye was unaware that she was holding her breath until she had to let it out again. Every time she went on one of her 'I'm determined to help you' rants she ended up terrified that Garrett would refuse her help and turn her away. She knew that he was very independent, that he wanted to take care of himself, and she was fearful that her constant tending to him would annoy him and end up ruining their relationship. Just the same, she was his girlfriend, and as such it was her duty to make sure he was alright. She would've done the same had they not been dating, though. That's just the type of person she was.

Relieved that he agreed to come with, Faye smiled slightly before suddenly becoming aware of her appearance again. Pieces of her hair were plastered to the sides of her faces with sweat and her jogging sweat pants were far from flattering. She tried to nonchalantly pull back her hair into a tie she had around her wrist to do some personal damage control.

"I guess, I look pretty bad, huh?"

"It could be worse," she pointed out. "And I'm sure it'll be fine. Do you think you'll need stitches? I could give you a lift to the hospital if you want to get those cuts looked at."

[Garrett Speelers]

"Your hair looks nice" Garrett tried reassuring Faye, noticing her pull it back into a ponytail. It seemed somehow out of place in the conversation, but he didn't really care at this point. He gave a small shrug and blew smoke out of his mouth.

"It could be worse, and I'm sure it'll be fine. Do you think you'll need stitches? I could give you a lift to the hospital if you want to get those cuts looked at."

"No," GArrett said quickly. "I mean, uh, no thanks. I don't want to go to the hospital: I'll be fine. I just need to clean them up a bit to make sure nothing gets infected like you said."

Garrett's insurance company was under his father's name, and the last thing he wanted to do was have them call up his old man. Also he really didn't like hospital in the first place: they gave him the creeps.

[Faye Prewett]

"Your hair looks nice"

"Thanks." Faye blushed a little but tried to hide it by looking down at her feet for a moment as she finished pulling her hair back into the messy bun. She was a little shocked with how insistent he seemed on not going to the hospital but she understood. A lot of people just didn't like hospitals, and while she had no problems with them she realized that if she had to go there it might have been a different story. Also, then he'd have to explain what happened or lie and that wouldn't be fun for him.

"Right. No problem. We have some antibiotic stuff you could put on, and probably some bandages..." she trailed off not really wanting to talk any more about his injuries. "Hey, do you watch Prison Break? Or anything else on tonight? You could hang around for a little while and watch some television if you wanted."

Faye knew that he wouldn't be able to go back to his own home for at least four more hours and hated the idea of him walking aimlessly around neighborhoods or something like that. She just wanted him to know that if he needed a place to wait around at he could always stay with her, but she didn't want to make it sound like he couldn't take care of himself. She knew he had other friends, like Desmond, or his brother... plus, she just enjoyed spending time with him!

((ooc- that was so lame. Haha! Sorry. My brain is mush today.))

[Garrett Speelers]

As she mentioned their medical supplies, he noddeds stoically. He attempted to take another puff of his cigarette --careful to avoid the cut now that he knew Faye had noticed it--, but noticed he'd reached the end. He shrugged and tossed the butt to the ground, crushing it beneath his black, school appropriate shoes ((Just remembered he's still in uniform, lol)). She then brought up Prison Break or any other shows he might be interested in watching while at her place.

"I've only watched a couple of episodes of Prison Break," he admitted. "But what I've seen is pretty good. I wouldn't mind stick around to watch it."

He would have probaby agreed to watch anything with Faye. Well maybe not anything, he had his limits: nothing woud make him watch Sex and the City again. but he really just enjoyed excuses to be around her, without having it be a social event. Besides the past couple of days he'd spent crashing, he really hadn't spent much time outside of parties and dances with her. He kind of like it.

((Are we going to have an actual thread in her place?))

[Faye Prewett]

((Yeah, an actual thread would be fun. We haven't really posted them having any fun lately, haha! ^_^ I was going to wait until Marisa made Faye a house, hopefully, but if not we could just start it in the neighborhood section like this one))

Faye watched the faded cigarette crush under Garrett's school shoes and shook her head a little. Her parents always knew when she had been around him because of the smell of smoke on her clothing. She had noticed it but found that it didn't really bother her. A lot of the high school kids smoked now, it was hard to avoid, and it wasn't like it effected her any. She had never bought into the whole 'second hand smoke can kill you' lines. But since neither of her parents smoked it was obvious when she walked in the door if she had spent any significant amount of time with him. That thought made her smile a little, because she knew her parents would know he was there before they ever saw him. Well, then would just have to get used to it.

"I've only watched a couple of episodes of Prison Break, But what I've seen is pretty good. I wouldn't mind stick around to watch it."

Faye's grin widened. "Great!" she said. The last time they had really been alone had been their first 'date', after the dance. He had crashed at her place over the past weekend but her parents had seen to it that they were well aware that they were always being watched so they couldn't try 'any funny stuff' as her father so eloquently put it.

They arrived outside of her house and Faye paused to find her house key in her sweat pants pockets before unlocking the door and stepping inside.