By the end of the week Basil had crawled from his shell just a bit. His general posture had loosened, he was talking more, and Jaxsen had even managed to get a smile or two from him. Jaxsen, to his credit, did what he could in keeping the other boy distracted; something Basil was quite grateful for. He didn’t want to be stuck in his thoughts all day. He had enough trouble at night when he was trying to sleep. It was on such a night that Basil lay awake, hands behind his head, sorting through his thoughts, when a sudden, very small, scared whimper emanated through the dark to his right. His eyes had adjusted enough to see Jaxsen’s face in the sliver of moonlight pouring gently in through the window.

He lay still, waiting, watching, wondering if he would need to wake his friend or not. Jaxsen’s breathing accelerated as his face scrunched up in pain unknown to the room’s other occupant. 

“No, please.” Basil turned over to his side facing Jaxsen. He wanted to reach out but didn’t want to frighten him further.

“Jaxsen. Jax, can you hear me?” He felt kinda stupid for talking to Jaxsen, who was clearly still asleep, but he didn’t know what else to do. Jaxsen stopped moving so much at Basil’s voice. His frown deepened and he bit his lower lip.

“Basil?” Jaxsen’s voice was small, fear laced within the name.

“Yeah. I’m right here. Right beside you.” Jaxsen’s right hand shot out to make contact with Basil. Basil wondered for a moment if the other boy had awakened until he spoke again.

“Don’t let them get me, Basil.” He inhaled a shaky breath before tears fell warm down Jaxsen’s cheek. “They’re coming. They’re gonna get me, Basil. Don’t let ‘em get me.”

“Come here, Jax. I’ll keep you safe.” Basil gently tugged on Jaxsen’s hand before in his nightmare-fueled frenzy, Jaxsen scrambled into Basil’s arms. Clutching onto Basil as if he’d vanish if he let go, Jaxsen slightly quivered in Bail’s hold.

“Sh, now. You’re alright, Jax. You’re safe, I promise.” Jaxsen tried to bury himself further into safety as Basil tightened his hold instinctively around him. “You’re safe,” he repeated. “You’re safe. They won’t get you anymore, Jax. No one can hurt you now.” Softly he ran his fingers over Jaxsen’s covered back and he concentrated on the texture of skin beneath the soft, red cotton of Jaxsen’s shirt. He wondered if Jaxsen’s back matched the parts of his arms and legs that were visible. If Basil went by the sense of touch, he’d have to agree with that assessment. He looked down at Jaxsen’s profile and gently smiled. Jaxsen had relaxed, his face smooth of any distress, his hand loosely gripping Basil’s shirt.

“Good night, Jax,” Basil whispered and closed his eyes, his last thought a curiosity as to why holding another boy in such a way didn’t feel as wrong as his mother always said it was.

“Hey, Basil, you wanna go see a movie tonight?” Jaxsen questioned as he came into the living room where Basil had his homework spread out over the coffee table. 

He looked up and smiled. “Sure. What?”

Jaxsen plopped himself down on the couch next to Basil, who was seated on the floor, his legs crossed under the table.

“Um, I have no idea,” Jaxsen answered with a chuckle. “Mom and Dad are going and said if we wanted to see our own movie we could.”

Basil smiled. “Sounds good to me. Just pick something when we get there?” 

Jaxsen nodded, picking at a jagged fingernail. “Yeah. Think you’ll have everything done by nine?”

Basil looked at the mess of open books piled on open books, and loose papers covering every square-foot of the surface area. “Probably. Most of it is done already. A lot is just extra credit. I’ve been trying to just…kinda…stay busy, ya know?”

Jaxsen nodded. He did know.

  “Do you like scary movies?” Basil asked as they read through the list of movies displayed behind the tellers.

Jaxsen averted his eyes. “N-not really. B rated ones aren’t scary, but…” he shrugged.  “But, um, if you wanna see one, we can.”

“No, it’s fine. Narrowing down our options is all,” Basil said quietly in his ear before slinging a meaty arm around Jaxsen’s smaller shoulders. He pulled him closer and grinning down at him said, “Don’t sweat it, Jax. No worries, okay?”

Jaxsen looked up at him and smiled shyly. “Sure?” He looked worried but at Basil’s smile it melted away.

“Promise. How about a comedy?” Jaxsen smiled and nodded.

“Okay, boys,” Sebastian said as the four of them gathered off to the side. “I want you to meet us right here when your movie is over. Don’t wander off, either of you.” Sebastian gave them each a stern look that soon melted into a smile.

“Okay, Dad. We’ll meet you here. You’ll probably be out before us, though, since yours starts first.” Sebastian nodded and checked the tickets one more time.

“Here.” Sebastian handed them each a ten dollar bill. “Go play some games until your movie starts.” Jaxsen smiled cheekily at Sebastian.

“Thanks, Dad.”

Sebastian smiled and ruffled his hair. “Have fun, boys. Remember, right here,” he reminded loudly to their retreating backs. Smiling at Nizhoni, he took her hand and led her to theater number seven.

“Betcha can’t beat me at a game of air hockey!” Basil challenged as they walked over to the table. 

Jaxsen smiled. “You’re probably right. I’ve never actually played before.”

Basil’s mouth dropped open slightly. “Really? Holy shit, man. Well, I’ll teach you, it’s easy.”

Jaxsen smiled, sharing in Basil’s enthusiasm. They played three games before going to get their drinks, popcorn and candy to share.

“I still think you played before,” Basil grumbled good heartedly as they took their seats. 

“Just beginner’s luck, I swear.” Jaxsen laughed and grabbed some popcorn from the container in Basil’s lap. Basil smiled. He’d never tell him he had just let him win. It was his secret. Jaxsen’s smile made it all worth it. 

On average Jaxsen smiled more and more, but Basil wanted to always keep him smiling. Throughout the movie Basil kept side-glancing over to his left to get a glimpse of that smile. Basil frowned before turning his eyes back toward the screen once more. He laughed at the appropriate intervals but the plot faded as Basil once more glanced to his left. Jaxsen’s eyes stayed glued to the screen, seemingly unaware of Basil’s uncertain train of thought.

Basil sighed. The house was dark, quiet. The streets outside were still, not even the occasional coon was out strolling this night. The whole world seemed to be asleep. Everyone but Basil. Thoughts flooded his head as he tried in vain to clear it, to sort it out, to do something with it before it drove him mad. 

He pulled his thumb from his mouth and examined it. He bit the nail too short again. He sighed heavily, dropped his hand, and began chewing on the other one. What’s wrong with me? Am I wrong? I must be if I listen to Mom. I’m so fucking confused. Mom always said it’s wrong. Boys are supposed to like girls…

Basil rolled over onto his side facing Jaxsen, excogitating the sleeping boy next to him. Jaxsen was on his left side facing Basil, his hands curled loosely under his chin, his knees drawn slightly up so that he was minutely touching Basil’s shin.

He is beautiful. Am I allowed to think other boys are beautiful? He’s been through so much. I just want to make him be happy…and not so scared. Basil reached out and gingerly touched the tips of his fingers lightly to the back of Jaxsen’s hand. Jaxsen smiled in his sleep and sighed contently. Why do I feel this way when I look at him? Why does my pulse quicken when I touch him, and why did that little subconscious smile give me butterflies? I wish he would notice me…like he notices Melissa.

Basil swallowed the lump that formed in his throat, already feeling the pangs of rejection yet to be delivered. Maybe this is why Mom hates me. Maybe this is why she says such mean things to me. She knows. She knows I’m like him. Basil bit down hard on his lower lip; the tears came anyway. With his hand still atop Jaxsen’s, Basil fell asleep, Jaxsen’s face glowing in the moonlight, his last vision before slipping into slumber.

Sebastian opened his eyes to find he’d become bathed in bright afternoon sunlight. He was dressed and standing in a field of lilies, the colors mixing and melting together in the wind. It reminded him briefly of an LSD trip when he was a teenager.

“Daddy!” The voice echoed in the field coming at him from all sides. “Daddy, help me!” Sebastian began to panic as the voice blasted in surround sound.

“Jaxsen! Where are you? Jack?”

“Daddy!”

Not knowing which way to run Sebastian picked a random direction and pumped his legs as quickly as he could. Jaxsen’s screams of terror rang out, closer, amidst the tree line that appeared before him. As he ran through the field of lilies it changed, transformed to a place that would always be burned into his memory. The grass, the weeds and the multi-colors of nature faded to a diamond made of dirt, grass, and bases. Sebastian found himself launching off the pitcher’s mound in a race he knew he would fail to win.

“Danny!” Sebastian called, willing his legs to move faster, willing his son to get out of the way. The car struck him and the boy was lifted up and over the car. Time stood still as Daniel’s broken body lay in a bloody heap of torn flesh. When finally Sebastian arrives he lifts his son into his arms, the boy’s blood staining all it contacted.

“Danny? Oh, god, Danny. Hold on, baby, okay? Just hold on.” Sebastian, clutching Daniel to him tightly, ran from the baseball field that saw the death of his eight-year-old son. As he ran the field of lilies materialized once again around them.

“Daddy!” Jaxsen’s screams, full of undiluted terror lifted from the trees, vibrated through every blade of grass, echoed within every crow’s caw.

“Daddy…” Sebastian looked down at Daniel, pale in his arms. “I love you, Daddy. Dawn is coming, Daddy. Don’t let dawn destroy you.”

“Danny?” The boy’s eyes closed a final time as his blood dripped off his father’s elbow.