Chapter Text
It was the third time when the young boy pressed the button above his bed, calling for a nurse but no one has come, maybe they were busy with someone more seriously injured than the blonde boy who’s sprained his ankle. Doubt of his pain Liam got out of the bed, as he really was in need for some pain killer, his ankle hurt so badly he just wasn’t able to fall asleep. Once he slipped of the bed, he hissed grabbing hold of the bed’s edge before he slowly began to limp out of his room. The corridor was empty but in seconds Liam’s eyes cast onto an older boy walking out of another room. He was about to ask him whether he knew where did all the nurses go but he declined to do so. Even though the dark haired male obviously saw him, still his eyes were blurry and like in mind he wasn’t even there but in body. So instead of talking to him Liam waited till the other walked away and soon disappeared from the view and he began to limp towards the other direction, finally after a few minutes he’s bumped into one of the nurses who escorted him back to his bed, giving the painkiller he asked for after she’s written it down onto his medical record.
Liam felt it was rather strange, he got the painkiller, but still wasn’t able to sleep, for some reason the mysterious dark haired boy’s image stuck in his eyes. He rolled onto his side, pulling the blanket more on himself and breathed out quietly. “I went too far this time.” He whispered to himself, knowing he could only thank himself that he was in the institution. He went too far this time, the school’s psychologist, teachers, everyone agreed on that he needed a more serious medical help now. He bit onto his lower lip when he felt the warm teardrops running down his face. He quickly wiped them off but it didn’t end the tears, he buried his cheek onto the white pillow which stank from disinfectant and cried himself to sleep.
Despite from the night crying, Liam wasn’t exactly in a bad mood, moreover he had some kind of slight excitement in the bottom of his stomach to go and look for the mysterious boy. He quickly had his rolls with cheese served for breakfast before he got out of his room and began to walk along the corridor slowly, couldn’t do it differently as he was still limping. He peeked in through each door’s glass in hope of spotting the boy he was looking for. When he glanced inside the last room’s open door he smiled as the dark haired male was there, he was a bit nervous about being spotted, so Liam awkwardly waved at him but remained behind the door’s frame watching how a nurse just gave something through an injection to him.
“You know I’d hate to tie you out to the bed Stiles, but if you do something like yesterday night I will have to.” The nurse in her early forties pulled the needle out of Stiles upper arm and held onto the boy’s arms as he was about to protest and get up. “No, you’ll sleep a little now, okay Stiles?” The nurse said pulling the blanket on him before she’s got up.
“I…I can’t…I need to…I…” The dark haired boy mumbled however the strong medicine he’s got has kicked in within seconds and he was fast asleep.
Liam hid behind the door while the nurse has left the, and just then he walked inside the room, smiling slightly as he now knew the boy’s name. Stiles. He felt like some weird stalker which he clearly wasn’t, and already planned to talk to the strangely named boy once he’ll be awake bit later on. But now that he was in the room only few meters from the other, he wanted to stay just a little. He limped over to the bed’s end, placing his left hand on the metal bars of the bed. Once he’s ran his eyes onto Stiles’ face, he felt like a tight squeeze was made around his heart and belly at the same time. He watched those dark eyebrows, then the beautiful long eyelashes, the area being rather dark around it. Liam thought he probably had sleeping problems, what was the reason for him to be in here? He glanced down at the medical report attached to the bed’s end, but wouldn’t have done such thing to read it. Liam looked back at the boy gazing at his prettily lined nose, light pink full lips, and he found the several small moles on his face really cute. Liam gasped a bit startled when he heard someone on the corridor and after taking one last look at Stiles he’s left the room to go back to his own room.
The rest of the day was horribly boring on the ward, Liam spent most of it on the corridors to check whether Stiles was awake or not, also watching some boring shows on the only television in a common room with the other patients. As the dinner time was coming Liam walked again towards the boy’s room and smiled up wide as he saw him sitting at the edge of his bed. He blinked a bit nervously when Stiles cast his dark brown eyes onto him, just like as if he’d sensed his presence, and limped a few steps inside.
“Hi…I’m Liam…do you mind if I come in?” Stupid question, as he was already inside, but he never was really good at talking, but the other’s slight nod calmed him down. “It’s just rather boring here, there’s not anyone else I’d want to talk to.” He shrugged and limped a bit closer to the bed.
“Believe me you don’t want to talk to me.” Stiles whispered on his veiled voice and held tight onto the edge of his mattress.
“Let me decide that.” Liam replied back immediately and glanced down at him once he was close enough. There was a long silence between them, the older boy staring numb at the floor, onto his thin barefoot while Liam remained beside him and tried to think about what to say.
“What happened with your leg?” After a while Stiles asked still not looking up at Liam.
“Well…I got rather pissed off on one of our lessons and shoved some desks on the floor, kicked the teacher’s table till it cracked. I’m lucky my ankle isn’t broken….and you?”
“I stabbed myself, cut it all the way along my stomach.” Stiles said without any emotion and eventually looked up into Liam’s slightly shocked eyes. “I’m not suicidal. I had a plan with this.” He lifted up his grey tshirt showing the big bandage on his stomach then rubbed his eyes a bit.
“And why are you here? I mean not on this ward but in Eichen House?” Liam asked and watched how the older boy was rubbing his eyes, he couldn’t decide whether he was about to cry or he was just sleepy.
“Sadistic personality disorder, mild schizophrenia, delusional…you still think it’s a good idea to talk to me?” Stiles tilted his eyebrows and nervously kept gripping tight onto the mattress.
“I have IED, and this is a mental house, everyone has different illnesses.” Liam shrugged and sat down beside Stiles on the edge of his bed, hoping the other didn’t mind. “I know the look what you get from people when it turns out you have any sort of mental illness and you’re taking medicines. No matter if it’s IED, bipolar, schizophrenia; most of them think we’re all just crazy. Why do you think I’d judge you?” Liam said and watched how the tight grip loosened, Stiles slowly letting go of the mattress and just rested his slim hands on his knees. “I just saw you and thought you’re around my age and it’d be cool to talk to you.” Liam simply said and watched as Stiles ran his slightly shaky hands along his dark brunette curls.
“Still you should stay away from me. No one wanted to be my friend, and believe me, it’s for reasons.” Stiles said and his numb look showed emotions for the first time now, Liam felt like in Stiles’ eyes the difference reflected from what he’s said, he saw the sadness, loneliness and craving for a friend in the other’s slightly glassy eyes.
“I don’t care.” Liam said honestly and gently held onto Stiles’ left hand, holding onto it for a while as they looked into each other’s eyes for several minutes without saying anything.