Friend [standalone]
Title: Friend [standalone]
Author: ipanicdaily
Pairing: Alex/Nate; tiny sliver of Gabe/Brendon.
POV: 3rd
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: As real as me succeeding in feeding Pete Wentz to a wood chipper.
Summary: "My mommy says you don't give presents to get somethin' in return. You give 'cause you want to make someone happy." Alex leaned closer to Nate. "I wanna make you happy, Nate."
Warning: Not really a warning but; kid!fic.
Beta: lilrainforest
Author Notes: This was written for my wife, lilrainforest, 'cause she loves Nalex. It's only about 3,ooo words long and is mainly just a kid!fic full of fluff, but that's okay.
For my prompt 'Teddy Bear' on my prompt list (located under my tags).
For as long as Alex could remember, which doesn't go much farther than two years back, his mother would buy extra gifts to wrap and take to the local orphanage. She would tell him, "Everyone deserves a merry Christmas," as he sat and watched her fold then tape the brightly colored paper over the items; labeling with a gender and an age group. It was never under 5 though, because the orphanage near them didn't take really little children. "And Santa can only do so much," she would add, because Alex was only seven and to him, a fat man in a red suit still traveled around the world in a reindeer-pulled sleigh to deliver gifts to good children in the world from his elf-run workshop at the North Pole.
He stopped making cookies though because Santa was fat enough and magical or not, the reindeer had enough to pull.
This year, however, was the first time Alex accompanied his mother to deliver the presents. Most people would buy them and drop them in boxes placed in various stores, but Mrs. Suarez believed in the personal touch of hand-delivering. Plus, it made her gifts a complete surprise because not even the orphanage aids knew what was under all the paper.
It took Alex a considerable amount of time to get his mother to agree to let him go, too. Being only seven, with a still innocent, developing mind, Mrs. Suarez was apprehensive to her son witnessing the poor conditions of the house due to no funding, and even more so to all the children left with a parent or relative to unconditionally love them day in and day out. But Alex begged and promised to be good, he really wanted to help make Christmas nice for the orphans, and Mrs. Suarez couldn't deny Alex the chance to help make someone's life better.
The ridiculously adorable pout may have had some influence too.
Christmas Eve morning was when they went to deliver the gifts. Alex had one gloved-hand held tightly in his mother's as they walked the snow-covered streets, and the other keeping a firm grip on his most favorite teddy bear that he never left home without; even when going to school. He had the plush since he was a baby. The bear was once light brown with soft, curly fur, but a few years of wear and tear gave it a more grungy appearance. It still had never ripped or lost an eye, though.
New York City was always busy, especially around the really big holidays, so Alex kept tight to his mother's side as they walked, slapping his boots in the slush on the sidewalk with his head tipped down to prevent the cold wind from stinging his skin. The orphanage was only a few blocks from their apartment so it wasn't too far to walk, but Alex was bundled with layers and accessories to keep him as warm as he would be when he visits relatives in Florida. He didn't mind being all wrapped up, but when the wind caught his scarf just right, it kind of strangled him.
The orphanage was a large, multilevel stone building covered in chipping red paint, set back in a small fenced-in courtyard the children could play in during nice weather. There was a plaque by the entrance gates, but Alex couldn't read it because wind- blown snow was stuck in the crevices of the engraved letters. Mrs. Suarez temporarily released Alex's hand to push the handle of the black-iron gate up, a rusted noise echoing out as she pushed it back enough to allow both inside; taking Alex's hand again as they headed for the steps to the door.
"Remember," his mother started as she gave the door a sturdy knock, "Be on your best behavior or Santa won't come tonight." She didn't really need to remind him because Alex only disobeyed her once or twice in his life. Alex nodded. He knew Santa was watching. "Stay close too," she added right before the door pulled back to reveal a woman dressed in a long black dress and black head covering. "Merry Christmas, Sister." Mrs. Suarez smiled. Alex had never met someone named 'Sister' before- he only knew of the one bear in the books he learned to read last year.
"Merry Christmas," the woman replied, stepping back to allow them entrance. The building wasn't as cold as outside, but it wasn't as warm as Alex's home either. The floors were tile with a few rugs and a large staircase that greeted anyone who entered. "Your donation is a blessing from God, indeed. Sadly, our numbers are increasing but the donations are decreasing." Sister sighed with a shake of her head as she closed the door and joined them in the foyer.
"Well my son and I are always happy to help bring Christmas to the children." Mrs. Suarez continued to smile.
"Its people like you that remind me not all of God's children are wrought with sin. Please, let me take you to our tree," Sister said, starting towards a large room to the side of the stairs. Alex and his mother followed, Alex looking up towards the second floor; catching sight of a boy peeking around the corner so half of his face was showing, disappearing the moment their eyes met. Alex's head turned as he walked, staring at the wall, hugging his teddy bear tighter until his head refused to turn anymore and forced him to look ahead.
The room they entered was the equivalent of a living room, containing a tree not-so-grand as Alex's; it didn't have nearly as many decorations and wasn't quite as full. Beneath it rested some gifts, Alex's mom hand bending down with the bag of gifts to add them to the tiny collection. Alex stood quietly to the side, Sister smiling at him; Alex looking away shyly. "Please, let me give you something warm to drink for your generosity," she said as Mrs. Suarez finished and stood up; bag empty.
"Oh, no, you don't have to." She smiled, pocketing the bag. "We're just fine."
"Please," Sister repeated, almost with a begging tone. "We can not accept such generosity then turn you back to the cold without something warm for your trouble."
"It was no trouble," Mrs. Suarez assured her, the room holding silence before she sighed and gave a small, "Alright." Mrs. Suarez followed Sister to another room, Alex watching, unmoving, wondering if his mother forgot him. She didn't tell him to follow. After standing alone for a few moments, Alex turned around and walked back to the stairs, keeping tight against himself, looking up again.
Nothing.
Releasing his teddy with one hand, Alex grabbed the cold railing and began pulling himself up the large concrete steps, guiding with one foot then letting his other follow, going nice and slow. He had never been in an orphanage before. Of course, he knew that children without parented lived here, because a boy in his class was once an orphan until he got adopted. His best friend, Gabe, actually.
When Alex got to the top of the stairs, his arm instantly left the railing to wrap around the teddy bear again, head turning both ways to see what was up there. It was two identical halls, lined with doors. Next to Alex was another flight of stairs leading to another floor, but Alex didn't want to go too far away from his mom, just in case. "H-hello?" Alex's voice was small and scared, no one beyond five feet able to hear him.
He jumped when he heard a noise to his right, head snapping to that direction to locate the source, finding nothing but empty space. Though scared, Alex was curious, and began to inch down the hall, past all the closed doors. About halfway down, however, the door wasn't closed; not completely. It was open just enough for Alex to be able to see inside with one eye, leaning close against the wall to do so. Alex's teddy bear was bent in half as he held tightly to his chest, breathing so quietly and not moving that it was as though he wasn't even there.
Inside the room, on a bed that looked nowhere near as comfortable as Alex's, sat a little boy; smaller, and probably younger, than Alex. He had short, messy brown hair, and an outfit consisting of a long sleeve white shirt, blue-gray pants, and a blue-gray sweater vest on top. The boy sat cross-legged on the bed, staring sadly down at what Alex guessed to be a picture; tears slipping from his eyes.
"Hello?" Alex quietly engaged the boy, gripping the handle of the door and pushing it open more. The boy jumped, eyes widening, and quickly scurried to the corner of the bed; grabbing the edge of the thin blanket to throw over his curled form. Frowning, Alex took a few steps inside, the floor creaking beneath him. "Why are you hidin'?" he asked, cautiously approaching the bed. The boy peered over the top of the blanket, only for a second or two, and Alex realized it was the boy that had been looking down at him earlier.
"I'm...my name's Alex..." He stopped in front of the bed, seeing another empty bed on the other side. "I...I saw you earlier...lookin' down at me..." Alex looked down at the dirty floor. The boy remained silent and hidden. "My mommy brought presents for the or-" he stopped himself, realizing the boy was probably an orphan himself. "The kids that live here so they can have a merry Christmas tomorrow."
"Go away," the boy said from his cloth-cocoon; voice terrified and shaky. Alex only frowned more.
"Why are you-uh scared-uh me?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. "I won't be mean to you," he promised, taking another step closer. "I wanna be your friend." Alex decided, loving having many friends. No one ever said someone couldn't be friends with someone who didn't have parents.
Gabe got parents now and is still friends with an orphan named Brendon who he told Alex was like his little brother. Alex always wanted a little brother-but his mommy said it takes a mommy and a daddy to make a baby, and love, and Alex didn't have a daddy anymore. That's why the whole orphan thing confused him. If they don't have a mommy or a daddy, how were they born?
He would have to ask his mommy or Gabe.
Slowly, even slower than slow motion, the boy dropped the blanket from his face and looked at Alex; afraid, but curious. Alex stood still and stared back, letting the boy study him with tiny movements of his eyes. When the boy's body loosened up a bit, Alex smiled again and went completely to the bed. "What's your name?" he asked, growing increasingly warmer in his winter attire.
Some things were more important though.
"N-Nate," the boy shakily replied.
"Do you live here?" The obvious question came out of Alex's mouth before he could catch it, Nate's head giving the most miniscule of bobs. "Do you like it here?" he asked after, Nate responding with a tiny shrug. The blanket fell completely from his body to reveal his arms wrapped around his legs, the picture, old and torn, sitting between two of his fingers. Alex could see two people in the photo and part of what looked like another person, abandoning his stuffed toy again to point to the photo and ask, "Who're they?"
Nate silently replied by pulling the picture out of Alex's sight, face falling. Nate's head dropped down to look at the picture again, tears slipping down his smooth cheeks more. "I didn't mean to make you sad," Alex said quietly, pulling himself onto the bed; knees bumping into the metal frame as he did so. "I'm sorry; please don't be sad." Alex felt like crying himself.
With a few sniffles, Nate released his legs and brought one hand up to wipe his eyes, sliding the photo delicately beneath his pillow and patting the pillow down. It obviously meant a great deal to him. "What's it like being an orphan?" Alex asked, sitting back on his ankles, facing Nate.
"Sad." Nate gave a one-shoulder shrug. "Lonely," he added, looking down at the bed.
"Aren't the other orphans your friends?" Alex's head cocked again. Nate shook his head. "How come?" Alex couldn't understand why the other orphans weren't Nate's friends if they were all sad and lonely. If they were friends, they wouldn't be so sad and lonely because they could do stuff with each other.
"'Cause I'm little," he mumbled. "Only this many." Nate held up one hand, fingers spread out.
"I'm only this many," Alex said, letting the bear fall down as he held out both hands; one matching Nate's, and the other with only two fingers sticking up like a peace sign. "That's two more than you." He picked his bear up again. "But I don't want to be mean to you 'cause I wanna be your friend."
Nate looked up at him, looking not so sad. "I've never had a friend a'fore." Nate informed him, Alex lighting up both inside and out.
"Friends are the best!" he chimed, smiling boldly. "They're who play with you and talk to you and do all kinds of things with you!"
"Like what?" Nate let his legs stretch out, almost touching Alex's knees.
"Uh..." Alex looked around the empty room. Nothing to do. Then he looked down at his teddy bear. It felt right. "They give each other Christmas presents!" he threw his arms out, over the plush over. The five year old only stared at it, unmoving. "This is my most favoritest teddy bear that my daddy gave to me when I was a baby, but now it's yours," he said, feeling confident in his decision. "My mommy says the best gifts are the ones that aren't bought 'cause they're the most special and I didn't buy this." Alex justified himself.
"I...I don't have anything..." Nate looked ready to cry all over.
"That's okay." Alex smiled, still holding the bear out. It had always been a safety device, really, but suddenly, he didn't feel the urge to hide behind it anymore. "My mommy says you don't give presents to get somethin' in return. You give 'cause you want to make someone happy." Alex leaned closer to Nate. "I wanna make you happy, Nate."
After another minute of being frozen, Nate snatched the bear and clung to it for dear life, burying his face in the matted fur. He nuzzled the bear, Alex watching curiously. "Thank you." Nate's voice was quiet and uneven again. When he was satisfied with his hugging, he laid it ever so carefully on top of his pillow, pushing onto his knees and crawling to Alex to hug him next; wrapped around his heavy winter coat as much as his small arms could reach.
Alex didn't hesitate to hugging Nate back; he loved hugs.
"Alex! Where are you?" his mother's almost frantic voice rang out.
"That's my mommy;" he told Nate as they separated. "I have to go." Nate frowned, looking sad once more. "But I can ask my mommy if I can come back to play with you sometime." he suggested hopefully. "The teddy can keep you company until then! He likes having friends too!" Alex smiled. Nate just sat there for a minute, before giving a tiny smile.
"Does the teddy have a name?" he softly asked Alex.
"I just always called him 'Teddy'." Alex shrugged. He never did give the animal an actual name.
"His name can be..." Nate's nose scrunched up some as he thought, eyes brightening as he came to a decision. "Al! 'Cause that's short for 'Alex' and I don't wanna forget that you gived him to me."
"That's a good name." Alex nodded.
"Alex?!"
"I gotta go." Alex frowned, sliding off the bed to the floor. "I'm glad you're my friend now, Nate." He ran to the door, stopping in the doorway to wave to Nate, saying, "Bye," then running to the stairs.
"There you are!" his mother exhaled as he began down the steps, Sister right beside her. "What did I tell you about leaving my side, young man?" she scolded, pulling him into a hug regardless.
"I made a new friend, mommy!" Alex smiled up at her; their coats keeping them from being too close. "His name is Nate and he's this many!" Alex held up his hand.
"Little Nate is our shiest, newest child," Sister said with a nod. "Very kind and sweet, but mistreated due to his resigned nature. The other children pick on the poor child and say he's deaf or mute." she sighed.
"Some kids are naughty," Mrs. Suarez said while adjusting Alex's hat. "You all set to go, baby?" Alex nodded, taking his mother's hand.
"Thank you again," Sister said as they headed for the door. "The children are sure to have a lovely Christmas."
"Wait!" Alex suddenly stopped, eyes widening. "I forgot to tell Nate merry Christmas!" He pulled his hand from his mothers before she had time to react.
"Alex, we don't have-"
"I have to tell him merry Christmas 'cause he's my friend!" Alex exclaimed, already scaling the steps again. His mother sighed heavily, Alex reaching the top and running to Nate's room.
"Nate! I forgot to tell you mer-" Alex stopped as he reached Nate's room, seeing the boy lying curled on the bed, head on the pillow with his eyes shut; face buried in the top of the bears head while hugging him even tighter than Alex ever had. "Merry Christmas," Alex whispered with a smile, grabbing the handle to the door and quietly pulling it shut.
"You all ready now?" Mrs. Suarez asked as Alex headed back down.
"Uh-huh," he said, nodding. His mother reached out for him, taking his hand with a stronger grip so he couldn't take off again, heading for the door.
"Merry Christmas and God bless," Sister said, holding the door open. "You are both welcome over whenever you wish. The children love company." Alex's smile grew wider than the Grinch's heart at the end of that one movie he watched every year.
"Merry Christmas to you too, Sister," his mom replied, both stepping back into the cold snowy weather. His moth guided him down the path to the gates, pushing it open to leave. "Where's your teddy, baby?" Mrs. Suarez stopped and observed, holding the gate open.
"I gave it to Nate," he proudly answered. His moth gave him the most warm, loving look.
"That was very kind of you," she said, bending down to kiss his head before taking his hand. "I'm sure you made Nate very happy. Giving feels better than getting, doesn't it?"
"Yep," Alex said with another nod. "But I got a gift too." He glanced back at the orphanage; unsure of which window was to Nate's room.
"Oh?" His mother prompted him for another answer. "And what was that?" she asked when he didn't say anything.
"I got the best gift of all," Alex said, looking forward, cold wind starting to sting his face. Nothing could bring him down from his warm happiness though. With one more glance back at the tall building growing smaller as they got further away, Alex held grinned and stopped on the corner with his mother.
"I got a new friend."
A/N-- Next on my list is Brendon/Ryan porn for my incestress-iancé, stfu_pwentzz, cuz I kept texting her dirty Rydon shit while she was working and apparently made her so hard that she demanded I make it a story.
So that should be coming to a computer near you soon x3
xoxo Tabi
Author: ipanicdaily
Pairing: Alex/Nate; tiny sliver of Gabe/Brendon.
POV: 3rd
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: As real as me succeeding in feeding Pete Wentz to a wood chipper.
Summary: "My mommy says you don't give presents to get somethin' in return. You give 'cause you want to make someone happy." Alex leaned closer to Nate. "I wanna make you happy, Nate."
Warning: Not really a warning but; kid!fic.
Beta: lilrainforest
Author Notes: This was written for my wife, lilrainforest, 'cause she loves Nalex. It's only about 3,ooo words long and is mainly just a kid!fic full of fluff, but that's okay.
For my prompt 'Teddy Bear' on my prompt list (located under my tags).
For as long as Alex could remember, which doesn't go much farther than two years back, his mother would buy extra gifts to wrap and take to the local orphanage. She would tell him, "Everyone deserves a merry Christmas," as he sat and watched her fold then tape the brightly colored paper over the items; labeling with a gender and an age group. It was never under 5 though, because the orphanage near them didn't take really little children. "And Santa can only do so much," she would add, because Alex was only seven and to him, a fat man in a red suit still traveled around the world in a reindeer-pulled sleigh to deliver gifts to good children in the world from his elf-run workshop at the North Pole.
He stopped making cookies though because Santa was fat enough and magical or not, the reindeer had enough to pull.
This year, however, was the first time Alex accompanied his mother to deliver the presents. Most people would buy them and drop them in boxes placed in various stores, but Mrs. Suarez believed in the personal touch of hand-delivering. Plus, it made her gifts a complete surprise because not even the orphanage aids knew what was under all the paper.
It took Alex a considerable amount of time to get his mother to agree to let him go, too. Being only seven, with a still innocent, developing mind, Mrs. Suarez was apprehensive to her son witnessing the poor conditions of the house due to no funding, and even more so to all the children left with a parent or relative to unconditionally love them day in and day out. But Alex begged and promised to be good, he really wanted to help make Christmas nice for the orphans, and Mrs. Suarez couldn't deny Alex the chance to help make someone's life better.
The ridiculously adorable pout may have had some influence too.
Christmas Eve morning was when they went to deliver the gifts. Alex had one gloved-hand held tightly in his mother's as they walked the snow-covered streets, and the other keeping a firm grip on his most favorite teddy bear that he never left home without; even when going to school. He had the plush since he was a baby. The bear was once light brown with soft, curly fur, but a few years of wear and tear gave it a more grungy appearance. It still had never ripped or lost an eye, though.
New York City was always busy, especially around the really big holidays, so Alex kept tight to his mother's side as they walked, slapping his boots in the slush on the sidewalk with his head tipped down to prevent the cold wind from stinging his skin. The orphanage was only a few blocks from their apartment so it wasn't too far to walk, but Alex was bundled with layers and accessories to keep him as warm as he would be when he visits relatives in Florida. He didn't mind being all wrapped up, but when the wind caught his scarf just right, it kind of strangled him.
The orphanage was a large, multilevel stone building covered in chipping red paint, set back in a small fenced-in courtyard the children could play in during nice weather. There was a plaque by the entrance gates, but Alex couldn't read it because wind- blown snow was stuck in the crevices of the engraved letters. Mrs. Suarez temporarily released Alex's hand to push the handle of the black-iron gate up, a rusted noise echoing out as she pushed it back enough to allow both inside; taking Alex's hand again as they headed for the steps to the door.
"Remember," his mother started as she gave the door a sturdy knock, "Be on your best behavior or Santa won't come tonight." She didn't really need to remind him because Alex only disobeyed her once or twice in his life. Alex nodded. He knew Santa was watching. "Stay close too," she added right before the door pulled back to reveal a woman dressed in a long black dress and black head covering. "Merry Christmas, Sister." Mrs. Suarez smiled. Alex had never met someone named 'Sister' before- he only knew of the one bear in the books he learned to read last year.
"Merry Christmas," the woman replied, stepping back to allow them entrance. The building wasn't as cold as outside, but it wasn't as warm as Alex's home either. The floors were tile with a few rugs and a large staircase that greeted anyone who entered. "Your donation is a blessing from God, indeed. Sadly, our numbers are increasing but the donations are decreasing." Sister sighed with a shake of her head as she closed the door and joined them in the foyer.
"Well my son and I are always happy to help bring Christmas to the children." Mrs. Suarez continued to smile.
"Its people like you that remind me not all of God's children are wrought with sin. Please, let me take you to our tree," Sister said, starting towards a large room to the side of the stairs. Alex and his mother followed, Alex looking up towards the second floor; catching sight of a boy peeking around the corner so half of his face was showing, disappearing the moment their eyes met. Alex's head turned as he walked, staring at the wall, hugging his teddy bear tighter until his head refused to turn anymore and forced him to look ahead.
The room they entered was the equivalent of a living room, containing a tree not-so-grand as Alex's; it didn't have nearly as many decorations and wasn't quite as full. Beneath it rested some gifts, Alex's mom hand bending down with the bag of gifts to add them to the tiny collection. Alex stood quietly to the side, Sister smiling at him; Alex looking away shyly. "Please, let me give you something warm to drink for your generosity," she said as Mrs. Suarez finished and stood up; bag empty.
"Oh, no, you don't have to." She smiled, pocketing the bag. "We're just fine."
"Please," Sister repeated, almost with a begging tone. "We can not accept such generosity then turn you back to the cold without something warm for your trouble."
"It was no trouble," Mrs. Suarez assured her, the room holding silence before she sighed and gave a small, "Alright." Mrs. Suarez followed Sister to another room, Alex watching, unmoving, wondering if his mother forgot him. She didn't tell him to follow. After standing alone for a few moments, Alex turned around and walked back to the stairs, keeping tight against himself, looking up again.
Nothing.
Releasing his teddy with one hand, Alex grabbed the cold railing and began pulling himself up the large concrete steps, guiding with one foot then letting his other follow, going nice and slow. He had never been in an orphanage before. Of course, he knew that children without parented lived here, because a boy in his class was once an orphan until he got adopted. His best friend, Gabe, actually.
When Alex got to the top of the stairs, his arm instantly left the railing to wrap around the teddy bear again, head turning both ways to see what was up there. It was two identical halls, lined with doors. Next to Alex was another flight of stairs leading to another floor, but Alex didn't want to go too far away from his mom, just in case. "H-hello?" Alex's voice was small and scared, no one beyond five feet able to hear him.
He jumped when he heard a noise to his right, head snapping to that direction to locate the source, finding nothing but empty space. Though scared, Alex was curious, and began to inch down the hall, past all the closed doors. About halfway down, however, the door wasn't closed; not completely. It was open just enough for Alex to be able to see inside with one eye, leaning close against the wall to do so. Alex's teddy bear was bent in half as he held tightly to his chest, breathing so quietly and not moving that it was as though he wasn't even there.
Inside the room, on a bed that looked nowhere near as comfortable as Alex's, sat a little boy; smaller, and probably younger, than Alex. He had short, messy brown hair, and an outfit consisting of a long sleeve white shirt, blue-gray pants, and a blue-gray sweater vest on top. The boy sat cross-legged on the bed, staring sadly down at what Alex guessed to be a picture; tears slipping from his eyes.
"Hello?" Alex quietly engaged the boy, gripping the handle of the door and pushing it open more. The boy jumped, eyes widening, and quickly scurried to the corner of the bed; grabbing the edge of the thin blanket to throw over his curled form. Frowning, Alex took a few steps inside, the floor creaking beneath him. "Why are you hidin'?" he asked, cautiously approaching the bed. The boy peered over the top of the blanket, only for a second or two, and Alex realized it was the boy that had been looking down at him earlier.
"I'm...my name's Alex..." He stopped in front of the bed, seeing another empty bed on the other side. "I...I saw you earlier...lookin' down at me..." Alex looked down at the dirty floor. The boy remained silent and hidden. "My mommy brought presents for the or-" he stopped himself, realizing the boy was probably an orphan himself. "The kids that live here so they can have a merry Christmas tomorrow."
"Go away," the boy said from his cloth-cocoon; voice terrified and shaky. Alex only frowned more.
"Why are you-uh scared-uh me?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. "I won't be mean to you," he promised, taking another step closer. "I wanna be your friend." Alex decided, loving having many friends. No one ever said someone couldn't be friends with someone who didn't have parents.
Gabe got parents now and is still friends with an orphan named Brendon who he told Alex was like his little brother. Alex always wanted a little brother-but his mommy said it takes a mommy and a daddy to make a baby, and love, and Alex didn't have a daddy anymore. That's why the whole orphan thing confused him. If they don't have a mommy or a daddy, how were they born?
He would have to ask his mommy or Gabe.
Slowly, even slower than slow motion, the boy dropped the blanket from his face and looked at Alex; afraid, but curious. Alex stood still and stared back, letting the boy study him with tiny movements of his eyes. When the boy's body loosened up a bit, Alex smiled again and went completely to the bed. "What's your name?" he asked, growing increasingly warmer in his winter attire.
Some things were more important though.
"N-Nate," the boy shakily replied.
"Do you live here?" The obvious question came out of Alex's mouth before he could catch it, Nate's head giving the most miniscule of bobs. "Do you like it here?" he asked after, Nate responding with a tiny shrug. The blanket fell completely from his body to reveal his arms wrapped around his legs, the picture, old and torn, sitting between two of his fingers. Alex could see two people in the photo and part of what looked like another person, abandoning his stuffed toy again to point to the photo and ask, "Who're they?"
Nate silently replied by pulling the picture out of Alex's sight, face falling. Nate's head dropped down to look at the picture again, tears slipping down his smooth cheeks more. "I didn't mean to make you sad," Alex said quietly, pulling himself onto the bed; knees bumping into the metal frame as he did so. "I'm sorry; please don't be sad." Alex felt like crying himself.
With a few sniffles, Nate released his legs and brought one hand up to wipe his eyes, sliding the photo delicately beneath his pillow and patting the pillow down. It obviously meant a great deal to him. "What's it like being an orphan?" Alex asked, sitting back on his ankles, facing Nate.
"Sad." Nate gave a one-shoulder shrug. "Lonely," he added, looking down at the bed.
"Aren't the other orphans your friends?" Alex's head cocked again. Nate shook his head. "How come?" Alex couldn't understand why the other orphans weren't Nate's friends if they were all sad and lonely. If they were friends, they wouldn't be so sad and lonely because they could do stuff with each other.
"'Cause I'm little," he mumbled. "Only this many." Nate held up one hand, fingers spread out.
"I'm only this many," Alex said, letting the bear fall down as he held out both hands; one matching Nate's, and the other with only two fingers sticking up like a peace sign. "That's two more than you." He picked his bear up again. "But I don't want to be mean to you 'cause I wanna be your friend."
Nate looked up at him, looking not so sad. "I've never had a friend a'fore." Nate informed him, Alex lighting up both inside and out.
"Friends are the best!" he chimed, smiling boldly. "They're who play with you and talk to you and do all kinds of things with you!"
"Like what?" Nate let his legs stretch out, almost touching Alex's knees.
"Uh..." Alex looked around the empty room. Nothing to do. Then he looked down at his teddy bear. It felt right. "They give each other Christmas presents!" he threw his arms out, over the plush over. The five year old only stared at it, unmoving. "This is my most favoritest teddy bear that my daddy gave to me when I was a baby, but now it's yours," he said, feeling confident in his decision. "My mommy says the best gifts are the ones that aren't bought 'cause they're the most special and I didn't buy this." Alex justified himself.
"I...I don't have anything..." Nate looked ready to cry all over.
"That's okay." Alex smiled, still holding the bear out. It had always been a safety device, really, but suddenly, he didn't feel the urge to hide behind it anymore. "My mommy says you don't give presents to get somethin' in return. You give 'cause you want to make someone happy." Alex leaned closer to Nate. "I wanna make you happy, Nate."
After another minute of being frozen, Nate snatched the bear and clung to it for dear life, burying his face in the matted fur. He nuzzled the bear, Alex watching curiously. "Thank you." Nate's voice was quiet and uneven again. When he was satisfied with his hugging, he laid it ever so carefully on top of his pillow, pushing onto his knees and crawling to Alex to hug him next; wrapped around his heavy winter coat as much as his small arms could reach.
Alex didn't hesitate to hugging Nate back; he loved hugs.
"Alex! Where are you?" his mother's almost frantic voice rang out.
"That's my mommy;" he told Nate as they separated. "I have to go." Nate frowned, looking sad once more. "But I can ask my mommy if I can come back to play with you sometime." he suggested hopefully. "The teddy can keep you company until then! He likes having friends too!" Alex smiled. Nate just sat there for a minute, before giving a tiny smile.
"Does the teddy have a name?" he softly asked Alex.
"I just always called him 'Teddy'." Alex shrugged. He never did give the animal an actual name.
"His name can be..." Nate's nose scrunched up some as he thought, eyes brightening as he came to a decision. "Al! 'Cause that's short for 'Alex' and I don't wanna forget that you gived him to me."
"That's a good name." Alex nodded.
"Alex?!"
"I gotta go." Alex frowned, sliding off the bed to the floor. "I'm glad you're my friend now, Nate." He ran to the door, stopping in the doorway to wave to Nate, saying, "Bye," then running to the stairs.
"There you are!" his mother exhaled as he began down the steps, Sister right beside her. "What did I tell you about leaving my side, young man?" she scolded, pulling him into a hug regardless.
"I made a new friend, mommy!" Alex smiled up at her; their coats keeping them from being too close. "His name is Nate and he's this many!" Alex held up his hand.
"Little Nate is our shiest, newest child," Sister said with a nod. "Very kind and sweet, but mistreated due to his resigned nature. The other children pick on the poor child and say he's deaf or mute." she sighed.
"Some kids are naughty," Mrs. Suarez said while adjusting Alex's hat. "You all set to go, baby?" Alex nodded, taking his mother's hand.
"Thank you again," Sister said as they headed for the door. "The children are sure to have a lovely Christmas."
"Wait!" Alex suddenly stopped, eyes widening. "I forgot to tell Nate merry Christmas!" He pulled his hand from his mothers before she had time to react.
"Alex, we don't have-"
"I have to tell him merry Christmas 'cause he's my friend!" Alex exclaimed, already scaling the steps again. His mother sighed heavily, Alex reaching the top and running to Nate's room.
"Nate! I forgot to tell you mer-" Alex stopped as he reached Nate's room, seeing the boy lying curled on the bed, head on the pillow with his eyes shut; face buried in the top of the bears head while hugging him even tighter than Alex ever had. "Merry Christmas," Alex whispered with a smile, grabbing the handle to the door and quietly pulling it shut.
"You all ready now?" Mrs. Suarez asked as Alex headed back down.
"Uh-huh," he said, nodding. His mother reached out for him, taking his hand with a stronger grip so he couldn't take off again, heading for the door.
"Merry Christmas and God bless," Sister said, holding the door open. "You are both welcome over whenever you wish. The children love company." Alex's smile grew wider than the Grinch's heart at the end of that one movie he watched every year.
"Merry Christmas to you too, Sister," his mom replied, both stepping back into the cold snowy weather. His moth guided him down the path to the gates, pushing it open to leave. "Where's your teddy, baby?" Mrs. Suarez stopped and observed, holding the gate open.
"I gave it to Nate," he proudly answered. His moth gave him the most warm, loving look.
"That was very kind of you," she said, bending down to kiss his head before taking his hand. "I'm sure you made Nate very happy. Giving feels better than getting, doesn't it?"
"Yep," Alex said with another nod. "But I got a gift too." He glanced back at the orphanage; unsure of which window was to Nate's room.
"Oh?" His mother prompted him for another answer. "And what was that?" she asked when he didn't say anything.
"I got the best gift of all," Alex said, looking forward, cold wind starting to sting his face. Nothing could bring him down from his warm happiness though. With one more glance back at the tall building growing smaller as they got further away, Alex held grinned and stopped on the corner with his mother.
"I got a new friend."
A/N-- Next on my list is Brendon/Ryan porn for my incestress-iancé, stfu_pwentzz, cuz I kept texting her dirty Rydon shit while she was working and apparently made her so hard that she demanded I make it a story.
So that should be coming to a computer near you soon x3
xoxo Tabi