Crisco is for Sissies[M]

[TruthSayer]

"Mrs. Davenport," Dr. Sommers said, smiling reassuringly. "Keeping patients overnight who have suffered a concussion is standard precaution. It is very, very likely that Marcus will suffer no adverse effects from this, and that he'll be able to go home tomorrow. Family is more than welcome to stay with him; I'll make sure the room he's assigned to has proper accommodations for both of you if you both wish to stay. Marcus'..." She looked hesitant for a moment, searching for the right word before proceeding, "friend will have to go home, however. He and the rest of their friends may return tomorrow at nine, during normal visiting hours.

"With your permission, I'd like to get the paperwork started for Marcus' admission. If one of you would please come with me?"

Inside the room, Raa sat on the gurney with his knees bent, Marcus held against him between them as he rubbed a gentle hand in small circles on his back, the fingers of his other hand playing with Marcus' fingers as he listened to him talk. He breathed deeply and evenly, cheek against Marcus' hair, smelling the sharp sting of the antiseptic they had used to clean Marcus' hair and his cuts, the sterile tang of the white bandages, and the barest hint of Marcus' shampoo beneath it all.

Memorize it, Raa, he thought, taking a deep breath and holding it. Memorize it so you never let it happen again.

"He is disgusting," he muttered from atop Marcus' head. "Him, for what he did to you, and what he did to you was disgusting. You're not gross. You're none of the things he said; you, Marcus Phillip Davenport III, are absolutely beautiful inside and out." He brought Marcus' hand to his lips, resting his lips against them as his eyes slid closed. "And I love you. I love you so... so much." The ache deep inside, which had faded from the terrified agitation it had been when the cop was in the room, and Marcus was so close, and Raa hadn't been able to touch him yet, that had drifted away into near nothingness when Marcus was finally in his arms, blossomed into the sort of sweet pain that clouded every sense, spreading outward throughout Raa's entire body as 'I love you' echoed in his mind like a prayer. He supposed that it was stupid for him to think so keenly on the future as young as both he and Marcus were; still in high school with Marcus a year-and-a-half away from graduation, but Raa knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had no future without Marcus in it.

"I'll love you forever."

[Tammika]

"I don't want to stay here, Raa, but I know my parents are gonna make me." His mother walked in as he spoke, the look on her face confirming his words. Marc had gone with the doctor to start on the paperwork and to call the neighbors. Sam would be a wreck when she finds out, so he asked if they would wait until they came.

"Marky baby, I'm gonna stay with you overnight here. Just for observation, God knows I don't want to take you home and have to bring you back up here should something happen but I.. I just want to be sure you're okay. All right?"

"Mom I don't like it here I wanna go home please?" His voice was painful for Sherry to hear and she came closer grabbing the hand he held out to her. Her eyes lingered on the bruises on his wrists and the red on his lip where his rings were. He was still clinging to Raa.

"I know baby, but the doctor and your dad think it's best." She was unsuccessfully trying not to cry as she touched Marcus' cheek and even rested a hand on Raa's knee, giving him a comforting squeeze too. "I know both of you are a wreck right now.... and I'm so sorry Raa I tried but they said you can't stay the night."

"I want to go home mom, please? I'm fine. Please I can't stay in this place. I want to take a shower in my bathroom. I'm tired of some many people coming in here and.. I just can't I can't mom.." his breathing increased and he started to shake with fear and anger, holding on tight to Raa as if someone was trying to pull him away. "I can't please mom..." he kept repeating it until it turned into a whimper as he fell dead asleep curled up against Raa.

Sherry watched her son for a moment then lifted her eyes to look at Raa. "I'll say it again. Thank you for looking out for him, taking care of him...loving him. I can't explain the amount of peace I have knowing Marcus is with someone like you Raa. The two of you fit together so well and I've never seen him so happy. Truly happy not the show he puts on most days. Whether you accept me saying so or not I think you have turned into a truly remarkable young man, despite the amount of hate dumped on you. Don't sell your self short, sweety."

[TruthSayer]

Raa really didn't to leave. The thought of it made him nervous, but he didn't know what else he expected; he wasn't Marcus' family, and even if Marcus had been allowed to go home, he wouldn't have been allowed to say with him anyway.

He squirmed out from beneath Marcus' weight, trying to move as less as possible, and laid him down gently, pressing a kiss to his temple before he turned to Mrs. Davenport, watching her for a moment before he stepped forward and enfolded her into a hug, pulling her tightly against him. Normally, he wasn't one for extraneous touching from those he didn't know well. Normally, he was unsure of how to act around his friend's mothers, no matter how long he'd known them; he'd known Julian's mother since he was twelve, and he still found himself stuffing his hands in his pockets with awkwardness when she was around.

But this wasn't Julian's mother, this was Marcus', and her eyes looked just her son's when she cried. "He'll be okay," Raa said. She smelled flowery, sweet and clean just as he imagined a mother would, and for a split second, he allowed himself to imagine it was Ummi that he wrapped himself around, Ummi's scent that he inhaled deeply. "You're a good mom, Sherry."

He stepped back, arms dropping to his sides, and offered her a quick smile before he walked out of the ER pod just as the Nurse's Aide that would transport Marcus to his room walked into it.

"Excuse me," he said, "What room will he be in?"

The Aide smiled at him, bright teeth sparkling under the harsh light. "Room 347B on the third floor."

"Thanks," Raa said, and stuffed his hands in his pockets as he walked through the double doors separating the exam rooms from the main emergency room.

"He okay?" Julian asked immediately, he and Tonya, and Derrick and Gwen standing from the row of chairs against the far wall they occupied.

Raa shrugged. "They're keeping him over night."

"Jeez..." Julian said, running a hand through his hair.

"You guys go home," Raa said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Aban's coming to pick me up."

Julian nodded, and he and the other three left the ER in the sort of silence that loomed heavy around the worried.

Raa waited until they were gone, then pulled his cell out of his back pocket, flipping it open and scrolling through the phone numbers there until he found Aban's. He typed out a simple message, saying he wouldn't be home tonight, sent it, and flipped the phone shut before stuffing it back into his pocket. He turned toward the automatic door that lead toward the main hospital and walked through it, following the signs to the food court.

There was no way he was leaving until Marcus was.

OOC: Ummi: arabic for 'Mother'

[Tammika]

This was the first time Raa had ever done anything other than give her wary looks, so when he hugged her she was pleasantly surprised, almost to tears again. "Thank you Raa, you mean the world to us." She whispered softly to him just before she let go.

*****************

"How come you didn't tell me, daddy? You could have come and got me last night!" Sam's face was red from crying and her fists were balled up at her sides as she all but screamed at the news her father gave her when he picked her up early that morning.

"Samantha, it was late and you were at a friends so we just went straight to Marky-"

"But daddy you passed me on the way out, you could have stopped. I should have been there with him, he's gonna be mad at me, that I was with my friends while he's stuck in the hospital!"

"No he's not Samantha calm down, Marky is fine and we will bring him home today. Okay?"

"I wish Raa had broke more than the shithead's nose." She folded her arms across her chest and tried to be mad at somebody, anything, but all she kept thinking of was Eric hurting Marky. Her hands flew to her face and she cried again. Mr. Davenport ignore the foul word, mostly because he agreed with her. They pulled into the hospital parking lot at eight in the morning and he had to hold Sam's hand to keep her from running the entire way to Marcus' room.

Sherry was standing in the hall in front of the door when Sam came flying into her arms crying a wailing the same thing she just said to her dad. "Whoa whoa Sam, relax, he's fine okay, come on look at me honey. You can go in in a minute okay?

"Okay."

Marc kissed his wife and walked into the room to give Marcus a change of clothes.

[TruthSayer]

Raa had finally managed to nap sometime around dawn, laying his head on his arms on top of the table he'd managed to snag near the corner windows, though he wasn't really able to truly rest due to the amount of traffic that drifted in and out of the food court at all hours. He bought a coffee and a cressant around seven, though the cressant ended up in little pieces on a napkin that he swept into a trashcan when he finished his coffee. He went to the restroom off the food court, and cursed softly when he looked in the mirror and saw the thick smudges of black eyeliner that surrounded his eyes, making them look small and tired as it highlighted how red the whites of his eyes were. He cupped handfuls of water to his face, scrubbing his eyes harshly until the kohl was gone, and used his finger to scrub water across his teeth. He dunked his head under the flow, soaking his hair in hopes of getting some of the gel Gwen and Tonya had used on him, and dried it until it was just this side of damp under the hand dryer on the wall, running his fingers through it in the hope that the puffiness it had acquired would smooth out, but when he looked in the mirror again, he gave it up as a lost cause; he looked like Derrick and Gwen had last night, except his afro had a lot less volume.

He looked at the clock on his phone, noting with irritation that it was only eight, but decided to head up to the third floor anyway. When he got there, a nurse stopped him as he stepped off the elevator.

"I'm sorry, sir, but visiting hours aren't until nine," she said, and she actually looked sorry about it.

"I'm here for Marcus Davenport," Raa said, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he tried to look convincingly innocent.

"Are you family?" the nurse asked slowly, giving him a penetrating look.

Raa nodded. "His brother," he lied smoothly. "I'm adopted."

She looked as though she didn't believe him, but didn't question him on in. "He's in room-"

"That's okay," Raa said, smiling sweetly. "I already know." He glanced at the plaque on the wall that gave which direction which rooms were in, and headed off towards Marcus', steps slowing when he saw Mr. Davenport and Sam outside the room. His shoulders hunched as his hands stuffed themselves deeper into his pockets.

[Tammika]

Sam spotted Raa the second he rounded the corner, in seconds she closed the large gap between them by running full speed down the hall, earning hard looks from a couple of nurses, until they saw the look on her face. Just before she reached him she did little jump and slammed into him wrapping her arms around him sobbing into his shirt. Her whole body shook as she as she released what she'd held back with her parents. "Ohmygod, Raa! Thank you thank you, so much for saving Marky! If you hadn't been there... that that thing would have hurt him!" Most of what she was saying was muffled in his chest.

Both Marc and Sherry were totally surprised. Sam rarely let her emotions flow, especially to someone outside of the family, and the amount of emotion in her voice made Sherry choke up again. Marc slipped an arm around his wife's waist and she leaned her head on him. They waited a moment and then walked into the room.

"Was that Sam? Is Sam here?" Marcus was fully dressed in baggy khaki pants, a long sleeve black shirt and a green hoodie pulled over it. He was physically hiding himself in his clothes, even going so far as pulling the hood up over his head. His dad didn't jerk it off like he usually did.

"Yeah she's coming, she tackled Raa in the hallway."

[TruthSayer]

Raa caught her reflexively, taking a stumbling step back to steady himself so her flying hug didn't end up with him on his back. Her feet dangled inches from the floor, her arms were crushing his sides, and her tears wet the front of his shirt, and for a long moment Raa stood stock still, his hold on her awkward as he stared wide-eyed at the top of his head. Then his expression softened, and put his hands under her arms, lifting her higher up and wrapping his arms around her as he held her tight, arms trembling around her as his heart clenched.

"Anytime, little sister," he whispered, voice thick as his eyes closed.

[Tammika]

"Tackled...Raa?" he looked at both of his parents. "You serious?" But he cold hear her crying through the open door. He went to the door to see for himself and was surprised that what he saw made him smile and cry. Sam clung to him worse than he did and since she was smaller she had wrapped her legs around his waist. Marcus waved to Raa, his fingers barely visible since the long sleeves of his hoodie came all the way to his second knuckle.

"Hey you, quit making all that noise in the hallway, I'm not dead."

"Marky!" Sam hopped down but slipped her hand in Raa's dragging him over to the room. When she was close to Marcus she let go and hugged him gently afraid he might break. More tears flowed from both of them.

"I'm fine now Sammy, please don't cry, 'cause I'll never be able to stop if you don't. He sat down in one of the chairs by the door and lifted her chin making her look him in the eye. "I'm okay, all right?"

"All right."

He said it for himself as much as her. He didn't sleep very well despite the painkillers. Normally something as mild as Tylenol made him drowsy, but nightmares had kept him from closing his eyes for very long. "I'm coming home today, so even though it will be after lunch time will you make me waffles?"

"Yeah." After another long hug she moved over her mom knowing Raa would want to stand beside Marcus.

[TruthSayer]

Raa smiled when he saw Marcus, eyes doing a quick sweep over him as tough to make sure he was really there, and held tight to Sam's hand when she dragged him down the hall. He stood in the doorway, one shoulder leaning against it while Marcus talked with his little sister, feeling an unbelievable swell of adoration for his boyfriend settle in him, the implacable ichiness that had settled over him since he'd left Marcus last night fading beneath it. He could breathe easier, and his heart didn't pound so painfully in his chest.

When Sam moved away, Raa knelt in front of Marcus, forearms on Marcus' knees, and looked up at him, eyes tracking over his face. The bandage was still in place from last night, and his lip where Eric had split it was slightly swollen, ringed with a pale bruise. Raa's brows drew together in a concerned frown as he lifted his hand to cup the side of Marcus' face, thumb sweeping lightly under the dark smudge beneath his eye.

'You alright?" he asked softly, head tilting to the side. "You don't look like you slept at all."

[Tammika]

Marcus shook his head slightly, "No. I didn't sleep." He took in Raa's face for a minute before leaning his head down on his shoulder. "I keep seeing his face every time I close my eyes." The sentence was barely a whisper. A soft sigh barely audible. He wasn't sure how long he sat like that with Raa, but realization struck Marcus as he stared down at Raa's pants.

"Raa? Did you go home?"

[TruthSayer]

Raa's hand slid to the back of Marcus' neck, fingers massaging lightly as he listened to him speak. He sighed, turning his head to press his lips into Marcus' hair. He listened to him breathe for a long moment, felt the soft steady thrum of Marcus' heartbeat in his temple beneath his lips.

When Marcus asked if he'd gone home, he was silent, unsure of what the right answer would be. Finally, he shrugged, shifting back so he could look Marcus in the eye.

"Would it help to have someone else to look at?" he muttered softly, feeling a worm of unease work its way into his gut, but he shoved it down ruthlessly; this wasn't some guy he'd just met asking, this was his boyfriend, who was hurt and afraid, and Raa would do this for him. "Sherry?" he asked a little louder, turning his head toward her. "Do you have a camera on your phone?"

[Tammika]

Camera? Raa? The two words didn't belong in the same sentence. Confusion clouded Marcus' face expression as he stammered out an answer. "What do you mean... someone else, wait, What do you?.... Are you sure Raa?" A mixture of emotions came over him as he realized what Raa was about to do. "You don't need to do that Raa.." Marcus' hand covered his mouth and his eyes teared up.

"Yeah, it has a camera.."

[TruthSayer]

Raa summoned up a smile, trying to make it look as genuine as possible, and pressed a quick kiss to Marcus' forehead as he stood, hands balling into fists as he stuffed them in his pockets to hide the shaking.

"Would you take my picture?" he asked Sherry, and slumped back against the wall behind him, body facing her, though he couldn't look in her direction.

His knees felt like jelly, so he locked them stubbornly, toes pressing hard into the floor inside his boots. His breathing wouldn't slow down, so he held his breath, the action making his heart pound harder, a painful, rapid staccato that rebounded off the backside of his ribs with each beat. His ears rang with the clicks of a camera, much louder but no less frightening in memory than they had been in real life, phantom flashes of the camera blinding him for a moment, the low hissing tone of a man's voice falling on his skin like the damning lashes of a whip.

Raa closed his eyes and clenched his teeth, forcing himself to breathe slow and even, to recall the grounding scent of Marcus' hair instead of the stench of that man's breath; the shade of his blue eyes instead of the stale white walls of the principal's office; the feeling of his arms around him instead of the unforgiving hardness of the chair he'd been forced to sit in until even his thighs went numb, feet dangling inches from the floor.

When he opened his eyes, didn't look at Sherry, refusing to acknowledge the motion of her pulling out her phone from the corner of his eye as he kept his gaze locked on Marcus. He wouldn't be able to smile, but at least if he kept his eyes on Marcus he wouldn't look like he was looking down the barrel of a loaded gun, either.

[Tammika]

Sherry hesitantly pulled out her phone, her eyes shifting around to see her own doubt reflected in everyone face, but before she had a chance to do anything Marcus hopped up and stood in front of Raa. "Whoa whoa, wait a second. Raa are you sure about this? I mean, hey you know I'd love a ...picture of you but...I don't want you to make yourself.. " Marcus grabbed his each of his fists into his own and attempted to force him to relax. "Not with that scared face expression, it would make me sad every time."

A brief flash of the mischievous Marcus flickered on his face as he looked from Raa to his mother and back. Sherry's nervous smile took on a subtle change and as soon as he leaned in and kissed Raa on the cheek she took the picture.

[TruthSayer]

Raa's hands were clenched so tightly his fingers ached when Marcus managed to unfurl them, the flesh on his palms an unhealthy white, but he still managed to force a tight smile. "I'm okay," he said through his teeth.

Raa's eyes widened when Marcus leaned in, his head jerking to the side so that when Marcus' lips pressed against him, it was against the side of his slightly open mouth. Marcus had never kissed him in front of his family before. The shock alone of it was enough to make Raa forget about the camera leveled at him, the little click of the shutter sound inaudible as blood rushed to his face and he shot a nervous glance at Mr. Davenport.

[Tammika]

"Oh that was priceless." Marc raised his eyebrows but gave Raa an extremely sympathetic look. Being at the mercy of both his wife and Marcus was a cruel fate he wouldn't wish on anyone and he had a feeling they weren't done. His suspicions were confirmed when He saw his wife wasn't putting the camera down yet. He noticed the nervous glance Raa gave him, and only gave him his signature blank stare, though a little softer than usual.

Marcus couldn't help but laugh at Raa's shocked face. It almost felt odd to laugh as if he hadn't heard himself make that sound in ages. He closed his eyes and leaned his head on Raa's, locking both his arms around one of Raa's still giggling as he nuzzled his cheek. As soon as Raa's face softened the slightest bit Sherry took another picture. "Oh perfect," she whispered and snatched her phone out of Sam's reach. "No, ma'am. Raa will see this before anyone." She stepped forward and handed him her phone. "I took two. You really didn't have to do that. You spoil him rotten you know that." Her eyes teared up knowing how much it took for him to do that. "I'll be right back." She rushed out of the room and Marc followed after her dragging Sam with him.

"But I don't-"

"We'll be right back Sam. Come on."

Marcus ruffled her hair as she went by him. She smiled and he winked at her. When only Raa and Marcus were left in the room Marcus tugged on his arm. "You gonna look at them?"

[TruthSayer]

Raa snorted quietly, holding the phone with the display against his palm so he wouldn't see the pictures. His hand still shook slightly, and his heart still beat funnily in his chest, aftershocks of his stupid fear, and he laughed softly at himself, puffing out a breath of air through his lips.

He shook his head and slipped the phone into Marcus' hoodie pocket. "Those were for you. Besides, I'd rather look at you," he muttered, a smile pulling up the corners of his mouth as he wrapped an arm around Marcus' waist, turning to face him fully as he pulled them flush together. He... couldn't look at pictures of himself, at least not right now. Right now, he needed the warm homecoming feeling of Marcus' arms around him. "You're more interesting, anyway."

[Tammika]

Yes, this was good, to forget all about Eric and drown himself in Raa. It was easy to do with him right here in front of him, pressed hip to hip, chest to chest. For an instant he remembered how it felt to dance with Raa ... without a shirt. His arm around him made a purring sigh vibrate in his chest. "Mmm mom's right. You spoil me. Thank you, babe, the one I want to look at is you." Draping his arms around Raa's shoulder he leaned in and kissed him softly on his warm lips. Even this light pressure hurt his bruised bottom lip. Silent tears ran down his face at the reminding pain. Until he healed every ache was going to be a painful reminder. It made him realize what had been taken away from him.

"I want it back Raa." His voice was shaky and he knew his sentence was random and most likely confusing, but he kissed Raa again anyway. The pain was awful but the taste of Raa's mouth quickly drowned it out. Softly he whimpered into his mouth. "I needed that so bad. I need you so bad. I love you. God I love you so much. Don't let me go, please."

[TruthSayer]

A quiet little moan escaped Raa at the taste of Marcus' lips, a heady ambrosia that he would never get enough of.

"You're mom's wrong," he whispered, "I don't spoil you nearly enough."

He leaned into the kiss, arms wrapping tight around Marcus' waist, massaging the skin of Marcus' back with his fingertips through the thick, heavy fabric of the hoodie, until he felt hot tears on his lips. He pulled back, watching Marcus with concern, brows drawing together in a frown at the confusing words Marcus said. He leaned back when Marcus went to kiss him again, one hand slipping up between them to cup the side of Marcus' neck.

"Shh, I've got you, I'm not letting you go," he said softly, thumb caressing the side of Marcus' jaw. "Want what back?" He was afraid to ask, of what the answer might be, but knew that he had to; he couldn't help Marcus if he didn't know where to start. "What is it, baby?"

[Tammika]

"It was perfect... No one has ever made me feel the way you make me feel. God, Raa sometimes I have a hard time breathing from just looking at you. Everything makes me think of you in some way and ... he ruined it. It's like he took all those beautiful feelings away.. he stole them and left his in their place. He put his hands ... w-where... you haven't even touched ...and I hate that." Marcus buried his face in Raa's neck, the only signs of his crying were more tears and his trembling breath.