"Eh," Simon said noncommittally. "What I want is to go dig around heaven until we find them. I mean, all in due time and whatnot, but I'm getting impatient." He glanced at Razielle, tilting his head. "You do realize that by walking out of the bathroom without a shirt on I gave you full permission to stare?"
Raz nodded his agreement "yeah, it's weird not being the know, especially about something so important." He replied, typing in a few responses to some of his patients. His brows furrowed slightly in worry before snapping his attention back to Simon. He tested his head in his hand and arched an eyebrow. "Is that you openly admitting you want my attention?" He asked with a small smile
"Maaaaaybe. Just a little bit," Simon said, giving Razielle a sly glance. "What are you frowning about?"
Raz chuckled lightly "just a bit huh?" He teased, turning back to his computer and shrugging slightly "nothin, just worried about one of my kids from therapy. They're not doing too well." He explained with a sigh.
"Oh," Simon said, draping himself over the arm of the couch. "Are you allowed to go see them? That might make them feel better."
Raz chewed his lip in thought before replying to the email asking the kid to meet him in the office in half an hour. "Up for going out?" Raz asked, twisting around to look at Simon. "I'm not entirely sure if they'd be comfortable with a guest but it couldn't hurt to bring you along."
“Sure,” Simon said, biting back a comment about going on a date. He got up and put on his boots, then shrugged. “They can always kick me out.”
Raz stood and shoved his computer into a backpack. "Maybe." He missed, pulling on his pair of Converse and throwing on a jacket. "They kinda remind of you actually." He said, checking his phone as he lead the way to the building his office was in
“I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or insult,” Simon said, walking behind Razielle, his boots dropping heavily on the pavement.
"I said kind of. But the snarkiness and sass is uncanny." He laughed softly and yanked open the door to building and jogged up the stairs, worry starting to set in the closet he got to his ofice's floor. He shoved open the door to the stairs and came to a slow stop as he rounded the corner. He slowly walked to his office door, cute stickers of candy and animals decorating his name plate. A boy sat crouched down beside the door, head in his lap, spiky black framing his pale face. Raz slowly slide down beside him. "Noah?" He whispered softly
Simon stood awkwardly to the side, giving Razielle and Noah some space. He hovered protectively by the door, keeping hos gaze averted.
Noah gasped and glanced up, eyes widening when they saw Raz beside them. "I-im sorry." He whispered, glancing up at Simon and narrowing his gaze suspiciously. "Who's that?" He asked. Raz slung an arm around Noah's waist and helped him stand, the boy nearly a head taller than Raz. "He's a friend, is it okay if he stays?" He replied, nudging open the door and flicking on the lights in the room. Noah nodded slightly and settled in the cushions lining the room. "Yeah, he seems cool." He muttered, clutching a pillow to his chest and watching as his therapist scurried around the room, grabbing notes and his computer. "So are you two dating or something?" Noah asked, nodding to Simon and wiping away tears that stung his eyes
Simon gave Noah a little wave and sat in the corner, resting an elbow on his knee, shifting slightly. When Noah asked his question, Simon laughed. "Or something," he said wryly. "Why don't you be the judge of that, hm?"
Noah shrugged slightly "it's alright if you're not dating. Just glad that he finally has friends other than us broken kids." Noah muttered, gaining a glare from Raz. "What didn't I say about self deprication in my office?"
Noah rolled his eyes "it's not self deprication if I include all your other patients."
Raz plopped down into a bean bag chair in the center of the room with a clipboard and pen.
Simon snorted, then slapped a hand to his mouth. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t funny. Just- ignore me.” He tipped his head down, combing a hand through his hair.”
Naoh hid a small smile behind the pillow at Simon's laugh. Raz shook his head, hiding a small smile of his own, at least Noah wasn't crying anymore. "You gonna tell me what's been going on?" He asked softly, hating himself for being the cause of Noah's disappearing smile.
"Parents are being asshats again." He muttered, looking away from the both of them. Raz slowly set his notes down beside him "from what you've told me before, thymeyve been fmdoung better with accepting you."
Noah shrugged "yeah they were. Now they're not. Honestly it's not that surprising."
Raz nodded slightly, "isn't it? They've never really tried to accept you before. Maybe now they're unsure how to proceed and fell into old habits."
Noah breathed a laugh "sure, or they never really accepted me in the first place and only wanted to shut me up for a few months."
“What. . . if you don’t mind my asking, what are they so irritated about?” Simon said tentatively. “I don’t want to intrude, so just tell me if you don’t want to say.”
Noah glanced up at Raz and gave him a small nod. Raz looked over at Simon "his parents don't like Noah being goth alternative and gay."
"Subtly homophobic and narrow minded." Noah interrupted with a smile, rolling his eyes and shaking his head angrily. "They say it's a phase or that I'll grow out of it. 'you don't date enough to know if you like guys.'" he mocked in a high pitched voice. He huffed a harsh laugh "little did they know the therapist they sent me was also gay."
"Oh. Eck. That sucks. I can adopt you if that suits you," Simon said, only half-joking. "Parents are shitholes. Well, how old are you? Eventually you can just move out, right?"
"17" Noah replied. "They're threatening to evict me once I turn 18 if I don't 'change my ways.' I don't know what to do." He hugged the pillow tight, furiously wiping away tears. "I have a job but I can't afford anywhere to live, plus I can't go far cuz of school." He sucked in a shaky breath.
"You could live with me," Simon said. "Like, seriously. I would help you out. I know I'm sort of a stranger and stuff, but I would."
Noah slowly nodded, eyes flicking back and forth in indecision. "I know it's a lot but could I stay with you Raz, just for tonight?" Noah asked, turning to his therapist.
"I'm actually staying with Simon for now. But I think we can make some adjustments. I'll have to call your parents though." Noah nodded slightly and muttered a small thank you.
"You're welcome at my house whenever. Although get used to Razielle doting on you constantly," Simon said, retying his shoe. "And my cats."
That made Noah smile a bit "I'm used to it. The first time we met, I almost punched him for trying to take care of me and stuff like that. But then he kinda never stopped. Its actually kinda nice, having someone who gives a shit about you for once." He mused, glancing up as Raz stood.
"seriously, the similarities are starting to scare me now." He muttered with a grin, "I'll be right back, dont cause trouble while I'm gone. The both of you." He grabbed his phone and slipped outside to call Noah's parents.
Noah shifted in his bean bag chair towards Simon "so it's not 'jusr something's is it?"
"I will," Simon called after Raz. "Uh. . . You could say that," Simon said warily. "It's that easy to tell, huh?"
Noah shrugged "yeah It kinda is. I've never seen anyone interact with Raz like you do. And he's staying at your place now. That's a pretty big relationship jump." He teased. "Don't worry, he's pretty obvious too. It's not just younpining silently." He reassured
"Ha ha," Simon said, crossing his arms. "So you think he likes me? I mean obviously he does, but. . ." He fell silent. "Nevermind. I sound stupid."
Noah shook his head "nah, maybe a bit confident but not stupid. And yeah, I think he does like you. But both of you are too much of a wimps to admit that to each other. It's kinda cute actually." He shrugged with a smile "you'll figure it out eventually."
"I am not a wimp! I told him already! I was sort of drunk, so that doesn't really give me any points there, though. But he knows." Simon scowled at Noah.
"you told him while you were drunk? And you expected him to take that seriously?" Noah shook his head with a sigh. "So you haven't gone out or anything? Just to spend time together?" He asked curiously, sticking out his tongue at the scowl Simon gave him