No Other One, Chapter 42
Title: No Other One, Chapter 42
Author: Duckie Nicks
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Yelina Salas, Horatio Caine, the whole Caine family
Author's Note: WARNING: SPOILER FOR SEASON 6.
Summary: Almost two decades ago, Horatio made a decision that would change his family forever. Will they ever forgive him? Will he ever tell Yelina how he feels? This is an alternative to the beginning of season 6. A Horatio and Kyle story; H/Y romance in the future.
Previous Chapters: Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24, Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27, Chapter 28, Chapter 29, Chapter 30, Chapter 31, Chapter 32, Chapter 33, Chapter 34, Chapter 35, Chapter 36, Chapter 37, Chapter 38, Chapter 39, Chapter 40, and Chapter 41.
Disclaimer: I don't own the show.
“Careful the things you say; children will listen.” - Stephen Sondheim
Horatio and Ms. Bennett had disappeared into her office once again, leaving Kyle with Yelina Salas. Well, with his aunt, he supposed. But the blond couldn’t really think of her that way. Because… okay, first of all, he didn’t really know the woman. And secondly, it had only been a couple days ago that the two had met, and he’d pretty much asked if she’d planned on molesting him at the time.
Was he supposed to apologize for that?
Kyle quickly shoved the question aside. He wasn’t above saying he was sorry, but… for whatever reason he felt justified in accusing her of those things at the time. She’d been following him, he reasoned. He’d had every right to be suspicious of her, especially since she was spying on him.
Even if he was wrong about his actions then, it didn’t really make sense to dwell on it now. Because nothing that had happened would matter if his caseworker was telling Horatio now that this parenting thing wasn’t going to pan out.
At that moment, Kyle wished he had some sort of idea of how this was going to go. If he was headed to prison, then he would have liked a head start in running from the authorities, he thought grimly. Or if they were gonna toss him back into foster care, well, the blond would like to know that was going to happen too.
Not that the teenager was really thrilled to be thrown into the Caine family or anything.
In all honesty, Kyle wasn’t too sure how he should feel about Horatio. And, if Yelina was any indication, it wasn’t like the rest of the family was any easier to be around.
He slowly slid his eyes over as inconspicuously as possible to look at the woman sitting next to him. Try as he might, he couldn’t figure out what she was thinking - or what she might have said to Ms. Bennett; Yelina’s face gave away nothing, which sucked.
Everything about her was too relaxed to tell him anything other than the fact that she seemed confident about what was going on. And that meant nothing to him, because Kyle didn’t know if she wanted him gone or to stick around. Both options, he thought, seemed equally likely.
No, he corrected himself. He was pretty sure she’d want him gone from her life completely. But then, if that were true, he wondered why she’d stuck around after her interview.
So he was back where he started, no closer to knowing what to expect. And that meant he really was going to have to wait to hear what his future entailed. Which made Kyle feel absolutely powerless; didn’t other kids have some control over what happened to them? It just seemed so… wrong - that he had to sit here and wait like some oblivious prey about to be devoured by a predator.
Feeling his nerves begin to rattle, stretch and awaken inside of him, the blond quickly pushed the thought aside. Swallowing hard, he told himself that worrying over what was going to happen was useless. And more importantly, Kyle understood that this wasn’t the worst thing he’d ever been through. Hell, it didn’t even come close, which meant… he could get through it.
Whatever it was.
He’d survived a lot, and this would just be one more thing.
But… knowing that he needed to calm down and relax was a lot different than actually being able to do so. And when Yelina turned to look at him, and their eyes met, Kyle knew staying calm would be impossible.
The teen hadn’t noticed it before - he supposed he’d been too distracted by her following him at the time to care. But face-to-face, Yelina Salas was intimidating. It was hard to explain why. Her features were soft and feminine, her supple cheeks framed by loose dark curls. And that wasn’t scary at all. But the way her green-speckled eyes bore into his was so intense that Kyle couldn’t help but feel a little unglued.
No, scratch that.
It made him feel… all sorts of weird things that didn’t make sense - shame, fear, loneliness. And despite a stubborn part of him feeling as though he should continue to meet her gaze, he couldn’t help but look away first.
His eyes focusing on anything but the woman next to him, he didn’t back to look at her until her soft tones filled the air. “Are you wondering what I told her?” she asked gently.
Her question was the last thing he expected from her, and it threw him off balance. The answer in his head was yes, but all he said, trying to sound as uninterested as possible, was, “Not really.” It was a lie, a pretty obvious one, and one that she seemed to see through. However, Kyle had no intention of saying yes, of asking her for something.
She raised an eyebrow in response. “I’ll tell you,” she offered simply.
“I don’t care.” It was another obvious lie. But the blond sort of understood that he wasn’t going to have an open conversation with this woman. It was just too weird and too soon, and also, Kyle wasn’t sure he had it in him.
“Somehow I don’t think that’s true,” Yelina drawled out slowly.
He was about to tell her to shove it when he saw an opening in the conversation. “Well since you’re so intent on saying what you do or don’t think, why don’t we hop off the merry go round? Tell me what you said.” Kyle tried to make it sound as though he was more fed up than interested, but he wasn’t sure he succeeded.
Nearly suffocating silence fell over them, and the longer they didn’t talk, the surer the teenager was that she had seen beyond his ploy. And Kyle noticed how she looked as though she was debating whether or not to tell him now, which sort of confirmed what he suspected.
But after a moment, she began talking anyway. “Your caseworker asked if I thought you should stay out of prison.” With what seemed like conviction, Yelina said, “I told her yes.”
Something about her words, though, didn’t sit right. Kyle thought back as quickly as he could to the previous night and what Horatio had told him. What the redhead had said at the time had stung, and replaying it in his head, the teenager realized it still hurt. Horatio had said… that Yelina was mad that Kyle existed. She was pissy over something that the blond had absolutely no control over, something that he would have never chosen for himself.
She hated him for what he was.
And if that were true, why would she miss the opportunity to stuff him in a jail cell?
“Why would you say that?” he asked before he could stop himself.
Her eyes raked over him almost immediately, making him want to squirm in his chair. “Why wouldn’t I say that, Kyle?”
His stomach instantly tied itself into knots.
She’d turned the question back onto him, and he had no idea what he was supposed to say. That Horatio had said she was pissed? That Kyle himself wasn’t even sure how true that was anymore?
He didn’t know what to tell her, so he shrugged silently.
Yelina leaned forward a little, cocking her head sideways so she could get a better look at his face. “No reason?” she asked, her lips turning upwards into a sympathetic smile. When he didn’t give her an answer, the brunette said softly, “Okay.”
At first Kyle thought she might just be saying that so he would let his guard down. His suspicions weren’t entirely unfounded, he told himself. After all the way she said “okay” was the same way his caseworker and cops said it; the teenager had come to understand that that tone rarely actually meant that the conversation could be dropped or would be. Instead it was usually used to lull him into a false sense of security.
But not this time, he guessed, as Yelina asked him, “Are you hungry?” Before he could answer, she offered, “I saw some vending machines when I walked in. I can get you something if you’d like.”
The idea of food right now when his stupid caseworker could be filling out the paperwork to send him back to jail… there was absolutely nothing appealing about it. He shook his head earnestly.
“Thirsty?” she asked.
It was almost… mind-boggling to Kyle how she was behaving. People didn’t act like this towards him, not unless it was to get something they wanted. And he just didn’t get it. Why would she act like this if she were really pissed that he existed?
He didn’t know, didn’t want to ask, and he certainly didn’t want to tell her that a drink would help alleviate the feeling of sandpaper in his mouth.
In the end, it didn’t matter though. Whether it was his hesitation in answering - or something else she saw in him, he didn’t really know. But she patted his knee lightly before standing up and telling him, “Come on.”
His throat seemed to close up at the kindness. It was absolutely the last thing he’d ever expected from her. And unable to speak, he had no choice but to follow her. Which was okay, Kyle thought, because he’d rather just go along than fight her over a drink. His footsteps were tentative behind her. Not once, though, did Yelina turn back to make sure he was following her. The blond supposed that she was just confident (or arrogant). Which rubbed him the wrong way a little, but he continued down the hallway anyway.
When they reached the vending machines, Yelina asked him, “What would you like?”
Kyle shrugged. Once again, the results of foster care were being thrown in his face. Before that had become his life, his mother had asked what he’d wanted, he could recall. But her life had been difficult enough, what with Him in the picture. And the boy had always eaten what she’d given, always tried to do what she’d said. Not that it mattered in the end…
And foster care - well, they didn’t care if you had personality quirks or a particular dislike for something. Either way, he’d been expected to eat or drink what they’d said, and he had done that. Perhaps not all too willingly, but Kyle had caught on fast.
He could still do it, of course; he’d done it last night when Horatio had suggested hamburgers, which just the thought of made Kyle nauseous. But it was weird - even the smallest things like “what do you want for dinner” felt like tests.
So he told Yelina quietly, “I don’t care.” The teenager could only hope that it didn’t sound as petulant as he thought it did. And, garnering another intense look from her, he chose to ignore her by staring at the pictures of the sodas in the machine instead.
There were the typical options available, Coke, Sprite, and the like; only one soda stood out to him: Mello Yello. He’d never heard of it before, and his dark eyes naturally fell momentarily on the bright, obnoxious packaging. And he supposed it was that slight pause that made Yelina think he wanted that. Because before he could look away, her thin index finger pressed the button for a Mello Yello.
His “thanks” was mumbled, as he leaned down to grab the soda. But almost immediately Kyle felt… guilty, like he should give her more. Of course, part of him thought it was completely lame that he should feel this way; it just wasn’t natural for a person to feel so indebted because of a soft drink.
“You’re welcome,” Yelina said clearly, so in contrast to how he’d muttered his own words. And that just seemed too add to this almost suffocating feeling of inadequacy.
Here he was, Kyle thought, afraid of what his future might hold. Afraid of Horatio and how that would go, afraid of her, and a sense of weakness allied itself with the rest of his emotions. And automatically, his being began to reject it.
He wasn’t stubborn, but he wasn’t going to be weak. He would not give into it, the teenager told himself angrily.
Tapping his fingers on the aluminum can, Kyle asked again, “Why would you tell Ms. Bennett those things? Why would you do that?”
But once again, he thought frustratingly, Yelina responded, “Why wouldn’t I say those things, Kyle?”
“Why do you keep staying that?” If she wasn’t going to answer his questions, then he certainly wasn’t going to answer hers.
“Because,” she said gently, though irritation was subtly beginning to creep into her voice. “Most people would simply be grateful that I’d lauded them. You’re not, and I want to know why.” Waiting, Yelina leaned against the vending machine.
But he wasn’t going to just… tell her. “You first,” Kyle told her.
“All right,” she said easily, giving in in a way that was pretty shocking to the teen. “Though I think you’ll be a little disappointed with my answer,” Yelina warned, folding her arms across her chest. “I told your caseworker what I did, because… it was the truth.”
“That’s not an answer,” he countered, folding his own arms across his chest to mimic her own. “Just because it’s the truth doesn’t mean you had to admit to it.”
“Kyle, I said it, because, not only is it the truth, but it’s also something that I believe to be true.” She paused for a moment but continued, licking her lips. “What would lying accomplish? Hmm? Would it make this impossible situation any easier? Better?” She shook her head, dark curls springing to action. “That wouldn’t help any of us.”
Any of us, he repeated to himself mentally. The blond wondered if he was included in that - the us part. But he didn’t ask her about it.
“Now your turn,” Yelina said, interrupting his thoughts. His brown eyes, ready for the challenge, found her green ones. “Why do you think I would tell Ms. Bennett anything different?” Her lilted accent teased him, making him feel the need to speak.
He shifted on his feet uncomfortably. Even if she had been honest with him, Kyle wasn’t so sure he was ready to do the same. “Because,” he started to say. “Because… well, why wouldn’t I?”
God, the answer was lame even to his own ears, but he didn’t know that he could tell her about what Horatio had said.
“That’s not an answer.”
“Too bad,” Kyle told her petulantly. “You didn’t actually think I was gonna tell you the truth, did you?”
She frowned before shrugging her shoulders. It was obvious to Kyle that Yelina was pondering his words. And finally, she said, “Yes… I kind of think I did expect that. I just… don’t see why you should lie.”
“I’m not lying.” His voice was taking on a whiny quality that even he could hardly stand.
“Not exactly telling the truth,” she countered. The tone of her voice was honest, taunting in a way. But… there was something soft about it as well. And though it didn’t seem like her intent, Kyle once again felt that shame grasp hold of him.
Needing something to fidget with, he looked down at the can of soda still in his hand; he’d almost forgotten that he had it; the cool aluminum had since warmed up slightly. Once more the teenager tapped the top before popping the can open.
Kyle took a sip of the neon liquid, which he’d never had before… and nearly gagged at the syrupy sweet flavor. What the hell was that supposed to be, he wondered, as he forced himself to swallow.
Bizarre.
And even weirder still was, when he peaked at her from behind his lashes, seeing Yelina frown at his reaction to the drink.
“I’m not lying,” he repeated. “I just don’t get why you would… do that - help me, I mean.” He sounded as exasperated and confused as he felt.
She took a step closer to him. “It was the right thing to do. And I had no reason not to.”
“You’re pissed,” he blurted out. “And you don’t like me, so why bother?” As soon as the words were out, Kyle regretted saying them. He shouldn’t have said them, he thought, immediately feeling awkward at the sad look she gave him.
“Kyle,” she began to say. But her voice trailed off, as she noticed something. And turning to look, the teenager could see Horatio walking down the hallway towards them.
At that moment, whatever nervousness he’d been feeling before seemed like nothing in comparison to the way he felt now. His palms were sweating, he could tell, despite the semi-cool can in his hands. And despite just taking a swig, his throat felt constricted, his mouth dry.
Was this the end?
Was he going to prison?
Glancing from Horatio to Yelina, Kyle had no idea. And then, as he came to a stop in front of them, the redhead opened his mouth and said quietly, stoically, “We’re… good.”
The breath he hadn’t realized he was holding rushed out of his lungs and mouth loudly. But if the two adults in the hallway noticed, they didn’t say anything. Because, despite being together over this custody thing, Kyle had somehow been forgotten.
Horatio looked intently at Yelina, whose own eyes had darkened so much that she looked completely different from only moments ago. The teenager had never had the chance to really pay attention to how they interacted. But now, he had a front row seat, and it was impossible to miss how guarded they were with one another. In the short time he’d known him, Kyle had never seen Horatio look so… sad, so regretful. And the brunette looked like a coiled snake, ready to strike at any moment.
But what followed was little more than small talk, starting with Yelina’s strangled, “Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Horatio told her earnestly.
There was a moment of awkward silence before she finally said, “Now that that’s over with… I have to get back to work.” Her heels clicking on the floor, she started to walk past them towards the main entrance.
“Yelina…” Horatio nearly whispered, obviously trying to stop her.
“Don’t,” she warned.
And the redhead let her go, but not for long, because seconds after she disappeared out of Kyle’s own sight, the man turned to him and said, “Give me a minute.”
Before the teenager could say anything, Horatio left. And though the social worker had apparently approved of… this situation, once again, Kyle was left all alone.
End (43/??)
Author: Duckie Nicks
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Yelina Salas, Horatio Caine, the whole Caine family
Author's Note: WARNING: SPOILER FOR SEASON 6.
Summary: Almost two decades ago, Horatio made a decision that would change his family forever. Will they ever forgive him? Will he ever tell Yelina how he feels? This is an alternative to the beginning of season 6. A Horatio and Kyle story; H/Y romance in the future.
Previous Chapters: Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24, Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27, Chapter 28, Chapter 29, Chapter 30, Chapter 31, Chapter 32, Chapter 33, Chapter 34, Chapter 35, Chapter 36, Chapter 37, Chapter 38, Chapter 39, Chapter 40, and Chapter 41.
Disclaimer: I don't own the show.
“Careful the things you say; children will listen.” - Stephen Sondheim
Horatio and Ms. Bennett had disappeared into her office once again, leaving Kyle with Yelina Salas. Well, with his aunt, he supposed. But the blond couldn’t really think of her that way. Because… okay, first of all, he didn’t really know the woman. And secondly, it had only been a couple days ago that the two had met, and he’d pretty much asked if she’d planned on molesting him at the time.
Was he supposed to apologize for that?
Kyle quickly shoved the question aside. He wasn’t above saying he was sorry, but… for whatever reason he felt justified in accusing her of those things at the time. She’d been following him, he reasoned. He’d had every right to be suspicious of her, especially since she was spying on him.
Even if he was wrong about his actions then, it didn’t really make sense to dwell on it now. Because nothing that had happened would matter if his caseworker was telling Horatio now that this parenting thing wasn’t going to pan out.
At that moment, Kyle wished he had some sort of idea of how this was going to go. If he was headed to prison, then he would have liked a head start in running from the authorities, he thought grimly. Or if they were gonna toss him back into foster care, well, the blond would like to know that was going to happen too.
Not that the teenager was really thrilled to be thrown into the Caine family or anything.
In all honesty, Kyle wasn’t too sure how he should feel about Horatio. And, if Yelina was any indication, it wasn’t like the rest of the family was any easier to be around.
He slowly slid his eyes over as inconspicuously as possible to look at the woman sitting next to him. Try as he might, he couldn’t figure out what she was thinking - or what she might have said to Ms. Bennett; Yelina’s face gave away nothing, which sucked.
Everything about her was too relaxed to tell him anything other than the fact that she seemed confident about what was going on. And that meant nothing to him, because Kyle didn’t know if she wanted him gone or to stick around. Both options, he thought, seemed equally likely.
No, he corrected himself. He was pretty sure she’d want him gone from her life completely. But then, if that were true, he wondered why she’d stuck around after her interview.
So he was back where he started, no closer to knowing what to expect. And that meant he really was going to have to wait to hear what his future entailed. Which made Kyle feel absolutely powerless; didn’t other kids have some control over what happened to them? It just seemed so… wrong - that he had to sit here and wait like some oblivious prey about to be devoured by a predator.
Feeling his nerves begin to rattle, stretch and awaken inside of him, the blond quickly pushed the thought aside. Swallowing hard, he told himself that worrying over what was going to happen was useless. And more importantly, Kyle understood that this wasn’t the worst thing he’d ever been through. Hell, it didn’t even come close, which meant… he could get through it.
Whatever it was.
He’d survived a lot, and this would just be one more thing.
But… knowing that he needed to calm down and relax was a lot different than actually being able to do so. And when Yelina turned to look at him, and their eyes met, Kyle knew staying calm would be impossible.
The teen hadn’t noticed it before - he supposed he’d been too distracted by her following him at the time to care. But face-to-face, Yelina Salas was intimidating. It was hard to explain why. Her features were soft and feminine, her supple cheeks framed by loose dark curls. And that wasn’t scary at all. But the way her green-speckled eyes bore into his was so intense that Kyle couldn’t help but feel a little unglued.
No, scratch that.
It made him feel… all sorts of weird things that didn’t make sense - shame, fear, loneliness. And despite a stubborn part of him feeling as though he should continue to meet her gaze, he couldn’t help but look away first.
His eyes focusing on anything but the woman next to him, he didn’t back to look at her until her soft tones filled the air. “Are you wondering what I told her?” she asked gently.
Her question was the last thing he expected from her, and it threw him off balance. The answer in his head was yes, but all he said, trying to sound as uninterested as possible, was, “Not really.” It was a lie, a pretty obvious one, and one that she seemed to see through. However, Kyle had no intention of saying yes, of asking her for something.
She raised an eyebrow in response. “I’ll tell you,” she offered simply.
“I don’t care.” It was another obvious lie. But the blond sort of understood that he wasn’t going to have an open conversation with this woman. It was just too weird and too soon, and also, Kyle wasn’t sure he had it in him.
“Somehow I don’t think that’s true,” Yelina drawled out slowly.
He was about to tell her to shove it when he saw an opening in the conversation. “Well since you’re so intent on saying what you do or don’t think, why don’t we hop off the merry go round? Tell me what you said.” Kyle tried to make it sound as though he was more fed up than interested, but he wasn’t sure he succeeded.
Nearly suffocating silence fell over them, and the longer they didn’t talk, the surer the teenager was that she had seen beyond his ploy. And Kyle noticed how she looked as though she was debating whether or not to tell him now, which sort of confirmed what he suspected.
But after a moment, she began talking anyway. “Your caseworker asked if I thought you should stay out of prison.” With what seemed like conviction, Yelina said, “I told her yes.”
Something about her words, though, didn’t sit right. Kyle thought back as quickly as he could to the previous night and what Horatio had told him. What the redhead had said at the time had stung, and replaying it in his head, the teenager realized it still hurt. Horatio had said… that Yelina was mad that Kyle existed. She was pissy over something that the blond had absolutely no control over, something that he would have never chosen for himself.
She hated him for what he was.
And if that were true, why would she miss the opportunity to stuff him in a jail cell?
“Why would you say that?” he asked before he could stop himself.
Her eyes raked over him almost immediately, making him want to squirm in his chair. “Why wouldn’t I say that, Kyle?”
His stomach instantly tied itself into knots.
She’d turned the question back onto him, and he had no idea what he was supposed to say. That Horatio had said she was pissed? That Kyle himself wasn’t even sure how true that was anymore?
He didn’t know what to tell her, so he shrugged silently.
Yelina leaned forward a little, cocking her head sideways so she could get a better look at his face. “No reason?” she asked, her lips turning upwards into a sympathetic smile. When he didn’t give her an answer, the brunette said softly, “Okay.”
At first Kyle thought she might just be saying that so he would let his guard down. His suspicions weren’t entirely unfounded, he told himself. After all the way she said “okay” was the same way his caseworker and cops said it; the teenager had come to understand that that tone rarely actually meant that the conversation could be dropped or would be. Instead it was usually used to lull him into a false sense of security.
But not this time, he guessed, as Yelina asked him, “Are you hungry?” Before he could answer, she offered, “I saw some vending machines when I walked in. I can get you something if you’d like.”
The idea of food right now when his stupid caseworker could be filling out the paperwork to send him back to jail… there was absolutely nothing appealing about it. He shook his head earnestly.
“Thirsty?” she asked.
It was almost… mind-boggling to Kyle how she was behaving. People didn’t act like this towards him, not unless it was to get something they wanted. And he just didn’t get it. Why would she act like this if she were really pissed that he existed?
He didn’t know, didn’t want to ask, and he certainly didn’t want to tell her that a drink would help alleviate the feeling of sandpaper in his mouth.
In the end, it didn’t matter though. Whether it was his hesitation in answering - or something else she saw in him, he didn’t really know. But she patted his knee lightly before standing up and telling him, “Come on.”
His throat seemed to close up at the kindness. It was absolutely the last thing he’d ever expected from her. And unable to speak, he had no choice but to follow her. Which was okay, Kyle thought, because he’d rather just go along than fight her over a drink. His footsteps were tentative behind her. Not once, though, did Yelina turn back to make sure he was following her. The blond supposed that she was just confident (or arrogant). Which rubbed him the wrong way a little, but he continued down the hallway anyway.
When they reached the vending machines, Yelina asked him, “What would you like?”
Kyle shrugged. Once again, the results of foster care were being thrown in his face. Before that had become his life, his mother had asked what he’d wanted, he could recall. But her life had been difficult enough, what with Him in the picture. And the boy had always eaten what she’d given, always tried to do what she’d said. Not that it mattered in the end…
And foster care - well, they didn’t care if you had personality quirks or a particular dislike for something. Either way, he’d been expected to eat or drink what they’d said, and he had done that. Perhaps not all too willingly, but Kyle had caught on fast.
He could still do it, of course; he’d done it last night when Horatio had suggested hamburgers, which just the thought of made Kyle nauseous. But it was weird - even the smallest things like “what do you want for dinner” felt like tests.
So he told Yelina quietly, “I don’t care.” The teenager could only hope that it didn’t sound as petulant as he thought it did. And, garnering another intense look from her, he chose to ignore her by staring at the pictures of the sodas in the machine instead.
There were the typical options available, Coke, Sprite, and the like; only one soda stood out to him: Mello Yello. He’d never heard of it before, and his dark eyes naturally fell momentarily on the bright, obnoxious packaging. And he supposed it was that slight pause that made Yelina think he wanted that. Because before he could look away, her thin index finger pressed the button for a Mello Yello.
His “thanks” was mumbled, as he leaned down to grab the soda. But almost immediately Kyle felt… guilty, like he should give her more. Of course, part of him thought it was completely lame that he should feel this way; it just wasn’t natural for a person to feel so indebted because of a soft drink.
“You’re welcome,” Yelina said clearly, so in contrast to how he’d muttered his own words. And that just seemed too add to this almost suffocating feeling of inadequacy.
Here he was, Kyle thought, afraid of what his future might hold. Afraid of Horatio and how that would go, afraid of her, and a sense of weakness allied itself with the rest of his emotions. And automatically, his being began to reject it.
He wasn’t stubborn, but he wasn’t going to be weak. He would not give into it, the teenager told himself angrily.
Tapping his fingers on the aluminum can, Kyle asked again, “Why would you tell Ms. Bennett those things? Why would you do that?”
But once again, he thought frustratingly, Yelina responded, “Why wouldn’t I say those things, Kyle?”
“Why do you keep staying that?” If she wasn’t going to answer his questions, then he certainly wasn’t going to answer hers.
“Because,” she said gently, though irritation was subtly beginning to creep into her voice. “Most people would simply be grateful that I’d lauded them. You’re not, and I want to know why.” Waiting, Yelina leaned against the vending machine.
But he wasn’t going to just… tell her. “You first,” Kyle told her.
“All right,” she said easily, giving in in a way that was pretty shocking to the teen. “Though I think you’ll be a little disappointed with my answer,” Yelina warned, folding her arms across her chest. “I told your caseworker what I did, because… it was the truth.”
“That’s not an answer,” he countered, folding his own arms across his chest to mimic her own. “Just because it’s the truth doesn’t mean you had to admit to it.”
“Kyle, I said it, because, not only is it the truth, but it’s also something that I believe to be true.” She paused for a moment but continued, licking her lips. “What would lying accomplish? Hmm? Would it make this impossible situation any easier? Better?” She shook her head, dark curls springing to action. “That wouldn’t help any of us.”
Any of us, he repeated to himself mentally. The blond wondered if he was included in that - the us part. But he didn’t ask her about it.
“Now your turn,” Yelina said, interrupting his thoughts. His brown eyes, ready for the challenge, found her green ones. “Why do you think I would tell Ms. Bennett anything different?” Her lilted accent teased him, making him feel the need to speak.
He shifted on his feet uncomfortably. Even if she had been honest with him, Kyle wasn’t so sure he was ready to do the same. “Because,” he started to say. “Because… well, why wouldn’t I?”
God, the answer was lame even to his own ears, but he didn’t know that he could tell her about what Horatio had said.
“That’s not an answer.”
“Too bad,” Kyle told her petulantly. “You didn’t actually think I was gonna tell you the truth, did you?”
She frowned before shrugging her shoulders. It was obvious to Kyle that Yelina was pondering his words. And finally, she said, “Yes… I kind of think I did expect that. I just… don’t see why you should lie.”
“I’m not lying.” His voice was taking on a whiny quality that even he could hardly stand.
“Not exactly telling the truth,” she countered. The tone of her voice was honest, taunting in a way. But… there was something soft about it as well. And though it didn’t seem like her intent, Kyle once again felt that shame grasp hold of him.
Needing something to fidget with, he looked down at the can of soda still in his hand; he’d almost forgotten that he had it; the cool aluminum had since warmed up slightly. Once more the teenager tapped the top before popping the can open.
Kyle took a sip of the neon liquid, which he’d never had before… and nearly gagged at the syrupy sweet flavor. What the hell was that supposed to be, he wondered, as he forced himself to swallow.
Bizarre.
And even weirder still was, when he peaked at her from behind his lashes, seeing Yelina frown at his reaction to the drink.
“I’m not lying,” he repeated. “I just don’t get why you would… do that - help me, I mean.” He sounded as exasperated and confused as he felt.
She took a step closer to him. “It was the right thing to do. And I had no reason not to.”
“You’re pissed,” he blurted out. “And you don’t like me, so why bother?” As soon as the words were out, Kyle regretted saying them. He shouldn’t have said them, he thought, immediately feeling awkward at the sad look she gave him.
“Kyle,” she began to say. But her voice trailed off, as she noticed something. And turning to look, the teenager could see Horatio walking down the hallway towards them.
At that moment, whatever nervousness he’d been feeling before seemed like nothing in comparison to the way he felt now. His palms were sweating, he could tell, despite the semi-cool can in his hands. And despite just taking a swig, his throat felt constricted, his mouth dry.
Was this the end?
Was he going to prison?
Glancing from Horatio to Yelina, Kyle had no idea. And then, as he came to a stop in front of them, the redhead opened his mouth and said quietly, stoically, “We’re… good.”
The breath he hadn’t realized he was holding rushed out of his lungs and mouth loudly. But if the two adults in the hallway noticed, they didn’t say anything. Because, despite being together over this custody thing, Kyle had somehow been forgotten.
Horatio looked intently at Yelina, whose own eyes had darkened so much that she looked completely different from only moments ago. The teenager had never had the chance to really pay attention to how they interacted. But now, he had a front row seat, and it was impossible to miss how guarded they were with one another. In the short time he’d known him, Kyle had never seen Horatio look so… sad, so regretful. And the brunette looked like a coiled snake, ready to strike at any moment.
But what followed was little more than small talk, starting with Yelina’s strangled, “Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Horatio told her earnestly.
There was a moment of awkward silence before she finally said, “Now that that’s over with… I have to get back to work.” Her heels clicking on the floor, she started to walk past them towards the main entrance.
“Yelina…” Horatio nearly whispered, obviously trying to stop her.
“Don’t,” she warned.
And the redhead let her go, but not for long, because seconds after she disappeared out of Kyle’s own sight, the man turned to him and said, “Give me a minute.”
Before the teenager could say anything, Horatio left. And though the social worker had apparently approved of… this situation, once again, Kyle was left all alone.
End (43/??)