Shiny Metal Pacca

Pacca’s breathing slowed down even more as he felt Elliot relax. He felt like he was wanted in this world again, and that made him unconsciously hug Elliot too him. It was a wonderful feeling and Pacca didn’t want to let it go just yet. So he laid quietly with Elliot for a few more minutes longer.

He had no idea what to do. Cringing, he hid his face, sighing. 

Pacca takes the card and opens the door while trying not to jostle Elliot too much. He makes his way over to the bed and sits down on it before laying down whilst still hugging him, sighing quietly to himself and going back to smoothing his hand up and down Elliot’s back. 

Elliot knew. He knew there had to be something soft and kind in there. It was in everyone; or at least he hoped as much. You just had to dig to find it…

Pacca gently hugged Elliot at the fond memories as he walked down the hall, tracking his way back to Elliot’s room. He was very careful in taking the long way around to avoid the room that Elliot had found earlier. As he approached the room he nudged Elliot gently with his shoulder. “I need your key card.” 

Pacca sighed, relieved that Elliot was taking him up on his offer. He adjusted his grip on the smaller boy as he stood up. Carefully picking Elliot up like a toddler, having no trouble in lifting him off of the floor and into his arms. Pacca smoothed a hand across Elliot’s back before he pulled him close to his chest so he could  get a proper hold on him.

Pacca gently hugged Elliot at the fond memories as he walked down the hall, tracking his way back to Elliot's room. He was very careful in taking the long way around to avoid the room that Elliot had found earlier. As he approached the room he nudged Elliot gently with his shoulder. "I need your key card." 

"S’only fair…" Oh gods, he wasn’t joking.

"Want me to take you somewhere..?Get you somethin’ to drink?" Pacca offered quietly, hoping to get more then one word answers from the boy.

Daring a glance back up into Pacca’s eyes, he nodded curtly. “My room.” he said. “Water…” 

"S'only fair..." Oh gods, he wasn't joking.

Pacca frowned and slowly closed his eyes, still stroking and cooing to Elliot. He didn’t mind when Elliot took a hold of his wrists, and just tried to concentrate on evening out Elliot’s breathing by matching his own calm breathing with the gently strokes on his cheeks. 

"Sorry…"

"Want me to take you somewhere..?Get you somethin' to drink?" Pacca offered quietly, hoping to get more then one word answers from the boy.

Pacca hushed and cooed quietly to Elliot. Stroking his cheeks with his callused thumbs. Trying to sooth the empath.

Slowly, the empath shut his eyes as Pacca’s face came closer, and he felt the taller boy’s warmth against his face, the warm hand cupping his cheek. Oh. Breathe. He should probably be breathing. He only realized, with Pacca so close, that he’d been holding his breath. Sucking in a breath almost like a gasp, he breathed shakily, still a little too quickly, and he raised trembling arms, grasping Pacca’s wrists in his hands and holding onto them tightly though he didn’t move, if only to ground himself. 

"Hey… Look at me." Pacca dipped his head down and tried to make eye contact with Elliot. He brushed Elliot’s bangs out of his face, trying to get him to look at him again.

Looking up at Pacca, he blinked slowly, his arms hanging limply by his sides. “I’m okay,” he repeated, but at this point, his words sounded so empty that it had no real meaning. “I’m okay… I’m okay…” His hands and face were clammy with a cold sweat. He swallowed hard. “I’m sorry. Don’t worry. I’m okay.”

Pacca hushed and cooed quietly to Elliot. Stroking his cheeks with his callused thumbs. Trying to sooth the empath.

"You okay?" 

Gripping the sides of the can shakily, he leaned over it, staring into its depths. A cold sweat gripped him, and he trembled almost violently and squeezed his eyes shut. He might… was he going to…? He gritted his teeth and swallowed back the wave of nausea, and then felt his legs give out underneath him and he fell to his knees, forehead pressed against the trash can’s side. “I’m okay,” he said again, and then again, softly, like a mantra to himself. “I’m okay… I’m okay… I’m okay…”

"Hey... Look at me." Pacca dipped his head down and tried to make eye contact with Elliot. He brushed Elliot's bangs out of his face, trying to get him to look at him again.

At least it was quiet in here. 

"You okay?" 

"Why arn’t you trying to hurt me?" He looked more like he was accusing Elliot of having the intention of harming him than just asking his a question.

"I think… Everyone should be kind to everyone," he said slowly, his voice soft. "I know that’s not how it is, but…" he shrugged. If he, by himself, could put a little more kindness into the world, then he was at least making something of himself, right? "I don’t want to hurt anyone…"

"Sorry..." He spoke much quieter than before and a weak, apologetic smile pulled on his lips.

"Why?"

Elliot tilted his head, brows raising. “Why what?” he asked, the question confusing him. 

"Why arn't you trying to hurt me?" He looked more like he was accusing Elliot of having the intention of harming him than just asking his a question.

He was almost surprised when he felt Elliot touch his shoulder and he quickly blinked his eyes open to look up at him. His lips pulled into a worried frown as his brain raced to try and think of a reason for Elliot to be treating him so nicely.

"Don’t look so scared. I’m trying to help you, not hurt you," he said gently. 

"Why?"

"I-I…I really don’t know." Pacca admitted after finding the bed by bumping into it with his knees. He stood at the side of the bed, thinking about something for a moment before reluctantly letting go of Elliot’s hand and carefully laying on the bed.

Once in the bathroom, he took his cup (a plastic thing he’d found on the counter when he first came here) and filled it with cool water, bringing it back to Pacca and offering it to him. “Here, let me help you sit up so you can drink this,” he reached out for Pacca’s shoulders with one arm, ready to pull him into a semi-sitting position and to support him if he did choose to sit up. 

He was almost surprised when he felt Elliot touch his shoulder and he quickly blinked his eyes open to look up at him. His lips pulled into a worried frown as his brain raced to try and think of a reason for Elliot to be treating him so nicely.

"O-okay…" Pacca stumbled over his single word and turned to face the bed a bit too quickly for his head to adjust. A striking headache shot through him, making him stumble a couple steps but not let go of Elliot’s hand.

"I asked you this earlier but I’ll do it again- do you need any water or something? I could get you food from the cafeteria if you need it. Probably." ‘Probably’ because he would have to make sure he remembered the way to the cafeteria. If he could, he could get them both something to eat, and they could share a meal here in his room. 

"I-I...I really don't know." Pacca admitted after finding the bed by bumping into it with his knees. He stood at the side of the bed, thinking about something for a moment before reluctantly letting go of Elliot's hand and carefully laying on the bed.

Pacca’s brows knitted together in confusion. What? What was he doing..? Why was he doing this? How does he still not hate him after the crap he just put him through? Pacca stared down, through his foggy vision, at his held hand and very slowly, ever so carefully, curled his fingers gently around Elliot’s hand. He looked back up at Elliot, confusion still written on his face. He wanted to ask Elliot something, but he couldn’t find the words for it.

Elliot took the curling of Pacca’s fingers as a sign of this. Elliot steadily held his gaze for another long moment or two, then gave a little pull on his hand toward the bed. “I said ‘come to bed’, not ‘stare at me like I have an extra head’,” he said gently. “Standing and staring are not going to help you get some much needed rest.”

"O-okay..." Pacca stumbled over his single word and turned to face the bed a bit too quickly for his head to adjust. A striking headache shot through him, making him stumble a couple steps but not let go of Elliot's hand.