SMF Chapter 9,5 - Ceasefire
Don opens his apartment door and steps in. He could immediately smell the aroma of coffee. With an odd side odour in it. With sigh Don closes the door behind him.
After realizing the man of this household was back, younger man turns his eyes toward the one walking in. "Welcome back," Free says quietly. Since it was the first time Don had went out while he was awake and up, he should at least act polite like this. Free himself was standing in kitchen, waiting this weird looking coffee maker doing its thing.
"Making your famous sugar coffee?" Don shows a smile and puts his bags on the table, eyeing what the kid was now doing.
"All your beers have went missing all of a sudden," young man states out and turns his eyes back on the machine. Patiently waiting. "Other than having just water, this is my plan B."
"I removed all the alcohol from here because you can't drink any with the medication you are having," Don explains, walking at one of the largest closets in the kitchen, opening it. There was no way he hasn't already considered how kid might act here when Don wouldn't be around.
"You brought back the mirror and knives but not beer?" Free tsihs, laughing a little. "Beer is the most dangerous thing now me to have?" Dons way of thinking was quite extreme.
"It is," older man answers surely, carrying a small box looking machine next to the coffee maker. "You are not planning to hurt yourself, right? So having sharp objects in here are not an issue anymore. But you drinking beer is." Don turns to look Free smiling. "You want to make a deal?"
"A deal?" younger repeats carefully, giving a suspicious look.
"Let's trade. I will drink that coffee of yours and you will try mine," other explains. "Or, try it 'my way'. Since you are in my street now. Was it?" He smirks. Free doesn't answer. Just glances him annoyed. Don search a box from the nearest closet, takes a coffee capsule and adds it inside the machine. Then he fills the tank with water. Places a coffee cup on the dosing area. Turns the machine on.
Free was staring the other machine bubbling and steaming. Not long and all the sudden the cup was full of hot drink. Don moves the full cup in front of Free, then takes another cup to himself and pours this sugar coffee in. "I brought you clothes," he then says while petting Frees hair, moving toward the kitchen table with his sugar coffee, sitting down.
"I told you I don't need 'em. You fucking deaf?!" Free clicks his tongue, being pissed off now. Yesterday Don mentioned his intentions of buying Free some clothes to wear, since kid was now wearing Dons clothes which were way too big. Free should have changes. Of course politely refusing, since he didn't want to grow his debt, Free thought he had made his point clear already. More of favours like that was just making him feel uneasy. "You making me sell my organs here..," he quietly adds.
"Please, don't sell your organs to anyone. You owe me nothing," Don calmly says back, ignoring what kid said first. He has used to do as he pleases. Could stand insults. "Stop waisting your energy to something that childish. You need clothes when you plan to leave. Can't run away butt naked now can you." He points out the rest with a wider smile, being actually quite amused from kids offended mood.
Free sighs, gives up. Somehow this man always find the way to make things go as he want. The stubborn one here was the older. "You are freaking me out..," younger says and takes his coffee. There has to be something Don was aiming. No one gets anything for free. Staring Don, Free tried to read this guy.
No freaking way there was no trick behind this..
The nice smell cut his thoughts. Free found himself staring the cup on his hands. He sniffs it, then takes a gulp. Damn, this shit taste good..
"Like it?" Don asks after seeing the fast change of kids behavior and look. This kid was quick to change his moods. Clearly he found his drink captivating when he had to take another gulp right after the first one. "That's called Latte. Some add tastes like vanilla in it too. To make it even sweeter."
"Latte? THIS is latte?" Frees bad mood was instantly gone. The way how genuinely kid showed his amazement surprised Don. Was it this easy to calm him? Just like that Free had drop his guard. Don should have offer this kid a cup of latte the first day they met.
Dons phone ring. "Well, it's capsule latte. The real one should taste even better. There are more different taste capsules in that box if you like to try. I will later show you how to use it," he says while searching his phone out from his pocket, answering it. "Yeah?"
"I already saw how you used it..," Free mumbles and turns to look the box full of organized capsules. He raises his eyes, opens one of the closets and takes another cup. Repeats what Don just did and got himself another 'coffee'.
The capsula was green but the look of it was dense and black. Smelled very strong. The taste was way too strong. Who the hell likes to drink this?
Don watchs quietly how Free takes another cup out, uses the machine again with a new capsule. This clearly didn't satisfied him either so young man takes a fourth cup.
"Sure. Send me an e-mail," older man talks to the phone, trying to keep his calm while watching that scene in front of him. "I can at least check it for you. My hands are not that tied." Finally he ends the call and keeps staring the younger.
"You have bigger mugs?" young man suddenly asks before Don could say a word.
"No.."
Free gets slowly down, bewaring to not break his already broken back skin more, eyeing the insides of one of the drawers and after choosing he takes a plastic baking bowl out. He mixes his different coffees in that bowl and supporting it with both hands, being careful with the broken fingers, he takes a taste of it. Grinning once, he stares the bowl and drinks again. Okay, it's drinkable. Looking very satisfied now, Free turns and walks toward the living area, planning to keep where he had left; watch some TV.
Dons eyes follow him going. Then he turns his look toward the mess Free has left behind him.
Sigh. Kid has surely settled down.
- - - -
Free wakes up when Don sits next to him on the couch, already checking his body temperature from his forehead. Young man was instantly awake, first feeling charged, then lowing his guard down, sighing out annoyed, staring the man with tired eyes. What, it was just Don. Nothing to freak out here..
"It's time for your medicines," Don says then quietly, removing the back of his hand. "Your body temperature has risen again."
"That's why you woke me?" younger moves on his side and closes his eyes. "Wake me up only if you wanna have some wrestling while naked. Else, I'm not interested. Leave me alone."
Already used to this kids wicked tongue, Don ignores his words and stands up. "Tomorrow my day offs are over. I will be gone for a while. That might be the best time you to leave," he announces straight. "Still I don't recommend you to go out when your body is in that state. But if you will go, take all the medicines with you. You know how many you take and when. Find someone to help you change your bonds. If you can't, at least keep your back dry and clean, let the skin breathe. You understand?"
Free has opened his eyes by now and was staring Don, quite surprised. Suddenly man was giving him instructions. But very varying way. What, should he go or not? Which one was it.
Since Free was not giving him any reaction back, Don continues. "Food too. Take anything you want. Those clothes I brought too. You understand?"
Still no answer. They were staring each other in silence. Until Don sighs and knees down in front of Free. "You are just making this easier for me. If you can't confirm you will be okay by yourself I will chain you in here until I'm sure you will.
Do you understand that?"
Now Free tsihs. "Yes, I get it.."
Being usually so tender and nice toward him, Free would have never guess there was this side of Don too. Speaking like he was joking, but still it felt like he was not. Like man knew exactly what to say to make kid respond.
Now Don shows a smile and gets back up. "Good."