“The doctors ‘ill take care of ‘em.” Winnie soothed, forcing himself to stand. He was a little wobbly at first, but regained his balance fairly quickly. He did a slow 360° spin, looking around, testing out his eyesight again. “This is the bluest the sky’s been my whole life.” He murmured softly, a tired smile resting on his lips.
Anthony raised an eyebrow.
"Was your eyesight really that bad?" he asked dubiously, attempting to rub a bloodstain from the edge of his sleeve.
Winston looked back at Anthony to respond, fixating on the other boy’s eyes again. “I guess so. You don’t really think about it like that while your eyes are bad. I just had to squint a lot to read and draw. I owe you a real lot for helpin’ me out so much.” He drew his attention back up to the sky again.
Anthony's interest was piqued when Winston mentioned drawing, but he remained silent. He'd shown enough weakness for one day…
Soon enough, an ambulance with the Guard's signature crest on one side pulled up beside the chain link fence. Anthony and his grotesques worked to help the nurses transport the agent into the back, letting Winston have a small break.
Winston watched Remedy, along with his creatures, help load the agent safely into the ambulance. Meanwhile, Winnie sat on the ground, tending to the minor cuts and bruises that laced his arms, chest, legs, and back. At a few spots, blood had soaked through his shirt, but he decided the wounds were too minor to address. It was finally time to go home. He had a pizza to make, and then he could collapse and sleep.
(skip to when they get home?)
(👍)
Anthony leaned against the wall, watching Winston struggle with his keys. After a long, tiring commute over to the other boy's building, they had finally arrived. He felt a bit strange—this was to be the place he called home for the next few months until the Alliance was in place to attack the Guard. It was also the nicest roof he'd had to sleep under in…. a while. A long while.
Winston fumbled to unlock the door, exhaustion making him sloppy. “It’s uh… it’s not much, but I promise it’s a good place. Once you get used to everything, at least. My Ma probably left for work by now, but maybe you can meet her tomorrow night?” He sighed in relief as the door opened up into the living room/kitchen area.
"I'm flexible," Anthony murmured wearily. He pushed himself from the wall he'd been leaning against, but froze in the doorway.
Undamaged walls. A stable roof. Flooring that wasn't about to cave in—furniture. A kitchen with a tap and running water. He drifted through the doorway, lips parting to let through an exhalation of awe,
Winston was stunned as he saw the look on Anthony’s face. No trace of a scowl on his face as he look around the tiny apartment with enough awe to make Winnie bashful. He closed the door with a gentle click as soon as all the grotesques were inside, unable to hide his proud smile as he turned the lights on. “Welcome home, Remedy.”
"There are locks on this door…." Anthony murmured in shock trailing his fingers over the wall closest to him. "And the windows aren't cracked. You have—You have heating." He closed his eyes for a few seconds, as if ensuring that this wasn't a dream. "And plumbing. And electricity."
By now, he'd dropped his act completely, too surprised to keep up a stony façade. "I—Are you sure you want me to stare here?"
To say Winston’s heart melted on the spot would be a severe understatement. Every nurturing instinct he had kicked on at once as he stared at Remedy. He couldn’t even speak for a moment, still registering everything in his head. “Course I want you to stay here.” He replied gently, suppressing the urge to hug the dangerous mercenary.
Clearly struggling to maintain a shred of dignity, Anthony shook his head in disbelief. Samuel bumped his head against his older brother's hand, trying to milk the rare moment, and another grotesque brought him his small bag of belongings. "Could–Could I use your shower?" he asked after a moment, still wide-eyed and very much in awe.
“Course you can. Do you mind wearing some of my clothes for tonight? I’ll do laundry tomorrow.” Winnie smiled feeling affection stir in his chest, although he didn’t quite realize why just yet. “C’mere, Ill show you my room and you can pick out some clothes, okay?” He coaxed, staring to walk towards a plain door on the far side of the room.
Anthony shook his head firmly, slipping his coat off his shoulders. Without it and the mask, he looked more…. human. Approachable. Normal, even.
"I have a change of clothes in my bag," he answered, his voice taking on some of its usual emotionless quality. "But thank you."
Winston opened the bathroom door, beckoning for Remedy to follow. “Everything you need is in here. Towels are in the cabinet on the top shelf and soap is in the shower on the ledge.” He instructed, already prepared to baby Remedy while he was in such a fragile state.
"Thanks.." he murmured, ogling at the taps and showerhead in amazement. A completely dumbfounded expression was currently dominating his face, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. Not when Winston was letting him live in an apartment that had a refrigerator, furniture, heating, electricity, plumbing, and a intact walls and ceilings.
Winston wanted to take a picture of the innocent look on Remedy’s face and treasure it forever. He had a feeling it wasn’t one that people got to see often, if at all. “I’ll be right outside if you need anythin’ at all. Take your time, I’ll watch over all the critters.” He gently patted Remedy on the shoulder, not wanting to overstep his boundaries.
Anthony could only nod, clearly dazed as he tentatively tested the water from each tap. He flinched away from Winston's hand, but the movement was automatic, as if he'd barely registered the contact.
Winston smiled, taking one last look at Remedy before leaving the bathroom and shutting the door behind him. He immediately got to work, grabbing a soft blanket out from the closet and placing on the couch so Remedy could curl up and relax after his shower.
Anthony drifted around the bathroom for a few minutes, letting his fingers trail over the walls. Eventually, though, he undressed and got into the tub. It took him a while to figure out how all the different knobs worked—this was vastly different from the swimming pool showers he'd snuck into occasionally, but even those visits had been sparse die to how recognizable his face was—but once he did…. He wanted to stay there for hours, feeling the blessedly warm water washing his skin clean of blood and grime.
To bide his time, Winston perched on a stool in the kitchen, trying to avoid getting grim and dirt everywhere. After Remedy came out of the shower, Winnie planned to take a quick one himself before getting right to dinner.
Anthony emerged from the bathroom several minutes later, clean, dry, and very satisfied. His hair, which was still wet from his shower, was slicked back in a half-assed effort to keep it from blocking his vision, but overall…. he seemed pretty normal at first glance. A simple grey t-shirt and sweatpants was all he wore, and the time spent beneath the flow of warm water had significantly loosened his tense muscles. The only thing separating him from Winston was the look in his eyes. Skittish, wary, apprehensive, even afraid. They darted around constantly, as if expecting danger from every direction, but none ever came. He was safe.
For now.
Winston perked up as he heard the shower stop, signified by the creaking of pipes and some extra water dripping from the ceiling into the plastic bucket his mother had set down. He slid off the stool, stretching as he waited to greet Remedy.