"I Just Want Out!"
By Tabby
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Perfect Tommy paced, his fingers tapping a painful beat on his brow. His eyes squeezed closed, and opened, and closed again.
"You're gonna ruin the floor." Reno mumbled not looking up from his paper work. He sat in the room's only chair, a note book, a clip board, and varies bits of paper sitting on his lap
Perfect Tommy stopped to glare at him. "What the hell are you doin' here anyhow?" he snapped.
Reno flipped a page. "Rawhide needed to get some sleep. Buckaroo sent him to bed for a few hours."
"Humph." the boy huffed. "And just where is Mr. high-and-mighty?"
Reno Nevada sighed, finally setting his papers aside. Leaning back in the chair, he looked up at his friend. "Why don't you sit down and eat something?"
"Why don't you just open the door and let me out?" Perfect Tommy growled back.
Reno rose to his feet. "Because letting you out is not what's going to help you."
"What the fuckin' hell is wrong with you guys?!" Tommy yelled throwing his hands in the air. "I'm fine! There is nothin' wrong with me!"
Again Reno sighed, but did not answer.
Perfect Tommy spun away. "Damn it!" he hissed. He looked at the door for a long minute. Then growled "Who ever said I needed you to open the door?" He covered the distance to the door in three steps.
Reno frowned. "Perfect Tommy..." he started, unsure if the boy really could get the door open without being buzzed out.
Tommy ran a finger around the opening edge, finding the slight bumps where the door magnets were.
Reno suddenly grabbed him from behind and spun him around to face him. "You are not leaving, Tommy."
Perfect Tommy yanked his arms free, slamming back against the door. "Back off!"
But Reno grabbed his arms again. "You are not going anywhere!" he repeated.
For a moment, Tommy stood ridged, his fists balling up. Then his eyes closed. Leaning back against the door, he slid down to the floor. He dropped his face to his knees and began to shiver.
Reno crouched down in front of him. "You're gonna be alright, Tom. We'll get you through the this." he promised, gently rubbing his shoulders.
Suddenly Perfect Tommy's head came up. He leaned forward and laid a gentle kiss on Reno's lips.
Reno froze.
"Let me out... please... I'll do anything..." Tommy whispered, his blue eyes fluttering as he looked up at his friend.
Taking a deep breath, Reno held it. "You are very tempting, I admit." he breathed.
Perfect Tommy smiled, leaning into him.
But Reno grabbed his arms and held him at arms length. "But I wouldn't do that to you."
Tommy frowned. "To me?" He shook his head. "I'm never hurt! It wouldn't... It's just ... only..." He tried to lean forward again, but Reno held him at bay.
Reno smiled. "Tommy, I'm your friend. And I'm Rawhide's friend. I would never do anything to hurt either of you."
"It wouldn't hurt me."
"You're trying to trade yourself for a way out." Reno shook his head. "I won't let you whore yourself."
Perfect Tommy yanked away. "What do you know?!" he snapped, starting to rise.
Reno yanked him back down. "I know you are a better man than that!"
He stared at Reno. In a shaky whisper, he said "You don't know me. You wouldn't say that if you knew me."
"I do know you." the writer assured. "I know you better than you know yourself just right now." His grip softened to soft rubs up and down the boy's thin arms. "Which is why we're keeping you here, safe, until you've worked that poison out of your system. Safe, with us, with people who know and care about you."
Perfect Tommy wrapped his arms around his legs. "I don't want to be safe." he whispered, resting his chin on his knees. "I just want out." He closed his eyes. "I want out..."
Reno sighed, a heavy, tired sound. He rose to his feet. "Come and sit with me. Eat something." He held a hand down to his friend.
Perfect Tommy's eyes rose to stare at the hand for a long, still breath. Then rose further until he could see the man behind the hand.
Reno Nevada smiled, a warm, reassuring expression, a silent promise that it really was going to be alright.
"I'm not hungry." Tommy whispered. He dropped his eyes again. "I just want out." He hid his face in his knees.
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