Care giver (Malachy!Flynn, Ardal!Quinn) [Backstory]

[myeyesarehollow.livejournal.com]

Ardal was released from the hospital on Friday, and though Malachy was no longer allowed to visit Ardal there, seeing as how he had locked the Quinns from their son's hospital room just so he could have the chance to talk to Ardal; that didn't mean he wasn't waiting in Ardal's room shaking with a nervous and happy energy. When Ardal entered, hopping about awkwardly on the crutches he wasn't quite adept at using yet, he smiled in gleeful surprise. "Mal!"

"Hey!" Mal stood quickly, moving to support Ardal on his way over to his bed. "Here. How are you feeling?"

"Augh." Ardal lowered himself down to the mattress, but he smiled for Mal's benefit anyway. "Better for seeing you. This week was hell."

"Yes." Mal agreed heartily. "I didn't like not knowing how you were. It was shite. But you're up and everything!" His tone indicated his surprise at that. He hadn't expected Quinn to be up that soon. Frankie had done quite a number on him...

"It's not easy. Crutches are not fun. But I'll survive. I'm so sorry my parents are being complete twats. Do they know you're here right now?" God, if they didn't that meant Malachy had broken in and they could have him arrested.

Mal grinned cheekily and he shook his head. "Not yet! I don't care, Ardal. I can't stay away from you. I'm going to stay with you and make you feel better. I...talked to Frankie."

The colour drained from Ardal's face and he sat down quickly on the bed because all strength to keep him up had faded instantly at the sound of Mal's brother's name. "W..what did he say?"

Mal sighed and he went to lean against Ardal's window, his gaze wistful as he beheld the gray afternoon beyond the glass. "He said he would do it again if you...if we..." Mal shook his head and he looked back at Ardal. "If he sees us together again, he'll hurt you."

Ardal stared at Malachy, frozen in fear. He wasn't a terribly brave boy, not when it came to pain. And the beating he had experienced from Frankie and pals was pain like he had never known. "Mal..."

"Is it enough?"

Ardal's forehead wrinkled in worry then. He didn't understand what Mal meant, though he hadn't exactly spoken in a complete sentence. "Mal, is what enough to what?"

"Is Frankie enough to keep you away from me?" Mal looked up at Ardal then, his expression so hurt and vulnerable. Ardal's stomach twisted with guilt, just to think that he might be the case of Mal looking like that. He had never seen Mal look so afraid...

"No." The speed of his own response surprised Ardal, but a moment later, he followed it up with a firm nod. He had clearly meant it. "Mal, I don't care what they do. It doesn't mean I'm not fuckin' terrified, but...no. No it won't keep me from you. We can be sneaky."

With his smile renewed, Mal practically bounced across the room to join Ardal on the bed. "Really!?" he chirped, suddenly very eager. "I missed you so much." He leaned in to carefully kiss Ardal's lips. They were still slightly swollen from his ordeal.

Ardal sighed as Mal kissed him for the first time in far too long, he decided. When Mal pulled away because of an unwillingness to hurt the boy he loved so, Ardal gave him a cute little pouty face. "You stopped."

"You need to lie down. Come on, Ardal." Mal stood and he pulled the covers back so Ardal could inch up into his bed. He had a cast on his leg which made it difficult, but he managed it with Mal's help. Ardal had never seen Mal attend to someone like this before. It was a whole new side of him, and he really liked it. "Are you comfortable? Do you need anything?" It was new to Mal too, taking care of someone. He had supported Rage emotionally without realising it. But this was different. Rage was self-sufficient when it came to making sure all her other needs were met. Ardal was much more dependent and Mal liked that. He liked helping, and he liked the way it made him feel afterwards.

"No, I'm okay. And yes, I'm confortable. Mal..if my parents find you here-"

"Fuck 'em in their holes!" Mal hissed, and he moved to tuck Ardal in. "I don't care what they say-"

"What if they call the police, Malachy...?"

Mal studied Ardal for a moment and then he climbed onto the bed beside him. "I'll handle it. Ardal, do they know about us?"

Ardal bit his lip and then he shook his head. "I...I didn't know what to tell 'em. Are you mad?"

"No." The answer came quickly and simply. "And maybe we shouldn't tell 'em neither. What with what Frankie said. Maybe...we got to be careful now. It don't have to be him what sees us together, it could be one of his fuckin' cronies. It could be Rage... Your parents might tell my parents who would mention it to him because they don't like me bein' a fag either."

"Mal...don't say that.."

Mal blinked and then he looked sideways at Ardal. "Right. Sorry. Sorta habit from hanging out with Frankie. And listenin' to him all the damn time now. He won't let go of it. He's serious about this..."

Ardal nodded, his intention to keep from getting the crap beaten out of him again quite clear. "So we'll be sneaky?"

"Yeah. And if your parents ask, we're friends."

Mal nodded. "Okay." His injured hand snaked across the bedclothes until it found Mal's. There, it curled up against Mal's skin. "I don't like the idea of lying about you."

"It's to keep you safe," Mal breathed, suddenly distracted by the feeling of Ardal's fingers on his skin.

"I know. I still don't like it. You're important. It feels...wrong to lie about something so important."

"We'll tell them when you're not in danger." Mal leaned in to kiss Ardal's cheek and he lingered for a moment before pulling away. He didn't plan on leaving this room until Ardal was better again, but he didn't think it was going to be so easy to keep away from Ardal physically if he was around him all the time. And he didn't want to aggravate Ardal's injuries...he would just have to control himself, which was easier said than done.

"Alright. But, Mal..." Ardal looked up at his boyfriend, the words catching in his throat. It felt strange to feel this way about a boy, even now. But he couldn't deny that he did. And so, with all his teenage sincereity, he smile dand said, "I love you."

Mal blinked and then he swallowed roughly. "You l...lo...whoa."

Ardal sat there then, feeling like a complete ninny because he had bared his soul and now Mal looked confused and uncomfortable. "It's...it's okay."

"No! Ardal! I do too. I just can't...it's hard for me to say." He ran his fingers lightly through Ardal's hair. "You believe me?"

Ardal nodded quietly, but before he could dwell too much, his bedroom door swung open and Mal's hand pulled out of his hair so fast Ardal nearly got whiplash.

"Ardal, we brought you lun- What is he doing here?!" Susanna Quinn glared daggers at Mal over the platter of sandwich and crisps she was carrying. "How did you get in?!"

"Through the door!" Mal yelled, objecting to her tone.

"It was locked!" Susanna screamed, slamming the platter down on Ardal's desk so hard his pens rattled in thier metal holder and a few loose pieces of paper escaped to the floor.

"That's usually not an obstacle for me," Mal said, grinning. It was the wrong thing to say, but luckily Ardal interrupted him.

"Mam, Mal is my friend. I'm injured and I can't attend school and I need Mal to bring me my assignments. Besides, would you really want to deny me social interaction when you know it might stunt my intellectual and psychosocial growth? Why would you damage me like that when Mal is so kind as to offer? My own mother?"

Susanna stared at her son, as she always did when he did things like this. He had been outsmarting his parents since he was about seven, and she was quite sure he was some kind of idiot savant because he was so brilliant, but he insisted on associating with either no one, or filth like Malachy O'Reilly. She sighed and threw her hands in the air, indicating that she gave up. "Fine. When you end up arrested, you know who to blame. And you're not eating any of our food!" She yelled directly at Mal.

Mal raised his eyebrows, but for once it seemed like he didn't have a wisecrack at the ready. "O..okay..." What else could he say to that?

Ardal just gazed at his mother and the second she left, he gave Mal an apologetic look. "Mal...I'm so sorry-"

"It's okay. Here." Mal jumped up and he retrieved the sandwich from Ardal's desk. "Here's your lunch." He handed Ardal his food and he smiled widely to show he was okay with this.

"Mal...you can have some. Here." And in some kind of dreadful foreshadowing, Ardal set out to rip the sandwich in half with unsteady fingers, but Mal touched his arm lightly to stop him.

"You eat your sandwich. I already had lunch." It wasn't a lie. Mal wasn't hungry and he didn't want to eat half of Ardal's food just on principle. "You need your strength so you can heal. You eat and I'll read you the chapters you missed from History class. Okay?"

Ardal shot Mal an adoring look and he smiled widely. "As long as you realise you will eventually be rewarded mightily for this, Malachy O'Reilly."

Mal laughed as he went for his book bag. "I can be okay with that!"