Safe

The diner was relatively quiet at night.

There were only a handful of patrons, mostly of the older sort who had gotten off of another day’s work, taking the time to grab a bite and drink. There was an exception, however, as a young kid and his guardian sat at a side booth.

The boy quietly sat on the wall bench across from Otto, absentmindedly poking at the table. There wasn’t a hint of life in those eyes. They were completely dull. The lighting made his brown eyes appear more like black dots, and the dark circles under his eyes accentuated the look.

He was only ten, yet he looked utterly exhausted and defeated, carrying the weariness of someone thrice his age. He hardly acknowledged anything going on as he continued to mindlessly poke at the table. The coat he borrowed from Otto made him look like some hermit crab who had tucked itself into a shell far too big for itself. Periodically, he’d adjust the coat, trying to keep as much of himself hidden away as possible, as if the cloth might offer some of the safety he so desperately craved.  

Otto couldn’t help but feel guilty. The kid’s state wasn’t his fault, that was on Norman’s head, but there was still a part of him that constantly ate at him for not helping enough. Not preventing the “incident.” He never had a hope of stopping that from happening, but something constantly said that if he had only arrived at the lab sooner that day… if he managed to catch Norman before he went through the procedure…

He sighed. Pondering the what-ifs wouldn’t fix anything. Yet it was constantly playing in the back of his head, even after three years at this point.

“Martin,” he called out to the boy, voice quiet and soft in an effort not to spook him. He could be flighty at times.

The kid froze for a second—as if he perceived the mention of his name as some indicator that he was in trouble—before settling down again, dull eyes looking up to the adult. He didn’t speak; he merely tilted his head to the side, expressing mild, fleeting curiosity.

Otto gave him a small smile, trying to reassure him somewhat. It was risky for him to be here, Otto knew that. He had deliberately gone against Norman’s wishes so he could take the kid out, and he was sure he’d get into another fight over it.

But right now, he just wanted to provide some solace for the kid. Normalcy. Even if it was only temporary.

“Do you want to get some food? I can ask for a menu, and you can point out what you want,” Otto suggested.  

Martin stared blankly at him, stuck in a momentary bit of decision uncertainty. Fortunately, his stomach answered for him, letting out a small grumble.

“So, that’s a yes,” the other remarked with a light chuckle.

After another second of hesitancy, the kid finally nodded, a faint hint of a smile on his face (mainly out of embarrassment).

Otto got up and told him not to wander off before heading off to the counter to get a menu.

Martin silently watched him. It was… strange. The kid still wasn’t sure how to feel about this person, but he did know that the man was a far cry from Norman and how that man treated him, and that was enough to put him a little more at ease. This man was good. Safe.

After a short while, Otto headed back over to the table, menus in hand, and went back to his seat, sliding one of the menus over to the kid.

“Just point to what you want,” Otto stated. “Don’t worry about the price, get what you want.”

Martin nodded before picking up the menu. It wasn’t particularly extensive, only one sheet of laminated paper with breakfast and lunch items on the front, and drinks and sweets on the back. The child scanned the paper over, eyes attentive to the text. The list might’ve been small compared to most restaurants, but for him, it seemed impressively large, and tantalisingat that. After double and triple looking the menu over, he set it down and pointed at one of the breakfast items, looking up at Otto to signal that he had made his choice.

“Oh.” Otto smiled, looking at the other menu. “Classic breakfast… waffles, bacon, eggs, and hash-browns… Okay, what about a drink?”

Martin flipped the menu over before pointing at another time.

“Tea?” Hm. Not a choice Otto would expect a kid to make, but he wasn’t going to tell him no. “Alright. I’ll make the orders, okay?”

Martin gave a more energetic nod before pulling his arms back into the coat, his spirits lifted just a smidge by being able to get some proper food.

Otto looked around the diner, spotting one of the waiters making her rounds around the place. He signaled to the individual, politely trying to get her attention. It took a second, but eventually, he got the attention of the fellow, and the waiter headed over to the table.

The waiter looked tired, likely from working so late, but after noticing the kid, she quickly put on a more pleasant attitude, likely not wanting to be grouch in front of a little guy. Poor buddy looked tired too after all.

“Can I help ya two?” she sweetly asked. “It’s a bit late to be out and about, ain’t it?” she added, glancing over at Martin.

Martin hesitantly nodded before anxiously covering himself with the coat again.

“He doesn’t talk much,” Otto spoke up, trying to keep the poor kid from getting too distressed. “And yes, it’s late. We just got to the area after a bit of a road trip, and we haven’t eaten yet. Lucky to find this place open.”  

Of course, the explanation was a lie, but he said it so calmly that it was perfectly convincing. He made sure to add a touch of weariness to his voice, like he was truly exhausted after the “road trip.”

The waiter gave a nod of understanding. “Sorry, bud. I’m not trying to spook ya,” she said to Martin before turning her attention to Otto. “I can get that. The road can be tiring, can’t it?”

“Tell me about it,” Otto replied. “Especially when we got here. Think we spent an hour just being stuck in traffic.”

That earned a small laugh from the waiter. “Traffic’s the dang worst,” she agreed. “Takes ya half an hour to get around the block.”

After another soft chuckle at her own remark, she shook her head, getting back to her job. “Aight, conversation aside, what y’all want?” she asked, fishing out a small notepad and a pencil from her pants pocket.

“Ah, well, for him—“ He motioned over to Martin. “—he’ll have the classic breakfast and a strawberry tea. I’ll have the chicken club sandwich and a coffee.”

“Sugar an’ cream for the coffee?” she questioned.

Otto nodded. “On the side, please.”  

“Aight.” Once she was done writing the orders down, she put the notepad and pencil back into her pocket. “I’ll have those out for y’all shortly,” she said before heading off.

————————————

The kid had laid his head down on the table, using his arms as a pillow of sorts. He hadn’t quite fallen asleep, but he had zoned out, the world around him seemingly muted as he stared off into space. However, his dull trance was broken abruptly by a comforting, warming scent.

Food.

And the affable voice of the waiter sounded shortly after the smell hit him.

“Sorry for the minor hold-up,” she said, carefully placing the tray of food and drinks onto a nearby empty table. “Weren’t expecting any orders larger than a drink at this hour, so it took a little longer.”

Martin sat up straight, staring at the food like a pleading cat. Still, he didn’t speak, but something about his look suggested that he would try to snatch the food himself if it wasn’t served soon enough.

“It’s quite fine,” Otto replied with a smile. “Happy to know the cooks didn’t decide to throw us out for ordering food.”

“Ehh…” The waiter rolled her eyes. “They might’ve tried if they could get away with it,“ she commented, her tone only partially joking.

She got to work putting the items out. First were the drinks—with the cream and sugar for the coffee plus a straw for the tea—then the plates of food, and lastly the silverware to go with it.

“There ya go,” she said after setting the last of the items down. “Will that be all?”

“We should be good,” Otto answered with a polite nod.

Though hesitant, Martin also looked over at the waiter and tried to give a smile and a polite nod. Both actions were small—the smile was rather faint—but he did try.

The waiter gave him a smile in return before saying, “I’ll leave y’all be then.”

She took the empty tray and headed off once more.

Without a pause, the kid turned his attention back to the food, eyes wide in amazement and borderline disbelief over the assortment of items. He gave another nod to Otto before quickly nabbing the utensils and taking a bite of the hash browns. His eyes lit up with utter joy, and a genuine, bright smile appeared on his face. Promptly, he began to gobble up the food, not taking a second of pause. Otto could scarcely get him to slow down; the best he could do was to tell Martin to chew thoroughly in hopes that the kid wouldn’t accidentally choke on anything.

Otto, in contrast, didn’t eat much at all, more or less picking at it. He mainly focused on the coffee. Considering the day he had had, he needed the caffeine. A pack of sugar and a few scoops of cream was all that wasneeded. Enough to keep it from being too horribly bitter but not particularly sweet either. Frankly, he needed that bitterness to help keep himself alert.

Otto had almost finished his drink when he heard the light clatter of utensils as Martin put them off to the side. The kid’s plate was completely wiped clean; nothing but a few crumbs were left behind. It couldn’t have been more than a few minutes…

“Good food?” Otto light-heartedly asked, putting the cup down again.

Martin gave a more cheery, energetic nod, a closed smile still on his face. Carefully, he took off the paper wrapper on the straw and put it into the cup of tea. Then, he took the glass and better snuggled into the large coat he wore, taking small sips of the drink.

Otto gave an amused sigh before finishing his drink.

Part of him knew they should get going soon enough, but another part of him simply wished to linger there a while. Savour a moment of calm normalcy. But he’d rather not have them overstay their welcome any further, and the kid would certainly need to rest.

Otto waited until Martin was finished with his drink before turning his attention to the rest of the diner, signalling the waiter from earlier who was now doing short rounds to check on the remaining patrons. The waiter didn’t take long to notice him, and she promptly headed over.

The exchange was quick. Otto used cash to pay for the food, and the money was swiftly whisked away by the waiter who gave a polite, trained “thank you.”

After all was said and done, he got up from the booth, the kid promptly following his cue.

“C’mon. Let’s head home,” the elder stated before heading out, making sure the kid stayed beside him.

The two got to Otto’s car. Martin promptly hopped into the passenger side while Otto got into the driver’s seat.

The kid, after buckling, looked over at the other with a concerned expression, a worry on his mind that his mouth wouldn’t say.

Catching the stare, Otto paused for a second before lightly shaking his head.

“No, we’re not going back there. Not tonight. Promise.”

If he could spare the kid from being brought back to that sterile place for a little while longer, he was going to do it.

Martin seemed to understand, and his concern visibly eased. He turned his attention to the large coat around him, choosing to play with the sleeves now.

The car hummed to life as Otto turned on the ignition. He buckled himself before reversing out of the car’s parking space and heading off.

The car ride was mostly quiet and uneventful. Martin kept himself preoccupied by focusing on the jacket, messing with buttons, poking at pockets, and fidgeting with the zipper for the small clicking sound it made. Occasionally, it sounded like he was mumbling to himself, but unfortunately, Otto couldn’t make out any proper words.

After a short trip (well, short in distance, traffic didn’t make it short in time), they pulled up to an apartment building, parking on the street.

Realising they had stopped, Martin looked out the window and peered at the building, a look of wonder on his face. He looked back at Otto before excitedly pointing at the building.

“Yes—“ Otto softly laughed. “—That’s home. Well, my home.”

Otto turned off the car before unbuckling and heading out. Then, he walked over to the passenger side and opened the door for the other.

Martin eagerly unbuckled his seatbelt and hopped out, still staring at the building like it was a one-of-a-kind wonder.

“Let’s head inside. Less chilly indoors,” Otto said.

Martin nodded and quietly followed the other as they headed over to the elder’s apartment on one of the upper floors.

Upon getting to the door, Otto unlocked the door and let the other in first before heading inside himself.

The interior wasn’t anything particularly special, nor was it very sizable. It was an open space that had been roughly divided into a living room, a dining area, and a kitchen. The only things that were closed off were a single bedroom that split from the living room, a bathroom next to the bedroom, and a closet next to the kitchen. Any decoration was limited aside from a few fake flowers placed in pots, a few paintings, and a decorative rug in the living room. What it lacked in decor, however, was somewhat made up for in colour. He had taken the time to incorporate more earthy tones in his small home, using soft greens, browns, and blues. Even with little in the apartment, it managed to feel warm and snug with calm, gentle colours.

The kid immediately went to pointing and making strong hand gestures to his surroundings, all while looking at the other and tapping his foot joyfully.

“Yes, you can go look,” Otto replied with a nod.

Without a second of hesitation, Martin ran off, the mini speedster swiftly going to examine every bit of the area. He was careful though; despite zooming around, he took serious care to make sure he didn’t bump into anything or knock something over. All he would was stop at whatever caught his interest and stare very intently at it with the seriousness of a scientist before eventually moving on.

While the boy kept himself busy, Otto went to the kitchen, fetching two dark blue mugs from a rack next to the stove. It was cold out, so a nice, warm drink would be perfect.

He opened a cabinet, its hinge giving a short whine, and fished out a simple silver kettle. His movements were calm, falling into routine. The tap was turned, the water hissing as he filled up the kettle. Once it was filled, the tap was shut off and the kettle was put onto the gas stove.

The stove gave a rhythmic clicking sound as one of the knobs was turned; the clicking gave way to a short foom as a tiny ring of blue and orange flames appeared under the burner grate. With the water set to boil, Otto opened one of the kitchen drawers to reveal a plastic box with a loose assortment of tea packets, the packets haphazardly arranged into sections (although a decent few were displaced here and there). Humming to himself, he looked through the collection. Something caffeine-free would be better for the kid. Safer too.

He settled on herbal teas: blueberry for Martin and mint for him.

As the water boiled, the kettle slowly began to hiss before steadily rising to a sharp whistle. As soon as it began its high-pitched song, Otto took it off the active burner and placed it in an inactive one before switching the stove off.

The packets were opened, and the bags were placed in their respective mugs before Otto carefully poured the steaming water into both. The steam twisted and snaked in their air, giving off comforting hints of the tea’s ingredients.

“There we go. I think they just need to sit for a few min—Oh!”

Otto abruptly jolted seeing the kid appear in the kitchen. Or maybe he had been there for a little while, and he didn’t notice. Regardless, the kid hadn’t made a single noise, instead watching the mugs with intrigue. Only when the other voiced his surprise did Martin look over at him, tilting his head to the side with mild confusion.

Otto shook his head, taking a second to get over his brief spook.

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry,” Otto assured him.

Other than the jump-scare…

“Um, these have to steep for a few minutes,” Otto told him, motioning to the mugs. “How about you go sit down in the living room, and I’ll bring them over in a few.”

Martin’s gaze went back to the mugs, his attention on the dancing steam. With a hint of reluctance, he nodded and wandered over to the living room.

“Like a ghost when he wants to be,” Otto quietly muttered with a roll of his eyes. Not that the boy ever meant any harm doing so; he doubted he even realized how off-putting it could be. It was odd, but, well, he couldn’t blame the kid for being like that, now could he? Part of him worried about if he’d grow out of it though.

It was normal to worry about a kid, right?

Even with what they were doing.

…

Otto’s hand tensed for a moment.

Turning his attention to the mugs, however, took his mind off of things. It had been a short while; the teas should be done.

Making sure not to accidentally burn himself, he took the tea bags out and tossed them into the trash can. Afterward, he got the mugs and made his way over to the living room, being cautious as to make sure he didn’t spill either of them. When he got there, he found Martin already on the grey-blue couch, having tucked himself into the corner and using the coat as a blanket. He sat up straight seeing the other arrive with the tea, giving a small twitch of his nose.

“They’re still hot, so be careful,” Otto said, putting the cups on the umber brown coffee table in front of the couch. He placed one closer to Martin and the other closer to himself. “That one’s yours. I got you a blueberry tea.”

Shuffling himself over to the edge of the couch and closer to the mug, Martin gave a small, appreciative nod. Heeding the other’s warning, he waited a few minutes before gingerly trying to pick up the mug. His movements were a bit clumsy, but he was trying earnestly not to spill anything or to burn himself.

“Do you need some help?” Otto asked, a light expression of concern on his face.

The kid shook his head, focusing on the cup. As soon as it was at a more comfortable temperature to hold, he made his way back to the corner of the couch, holding the mug close like a hand warmer. He took a couple of sips and quietly hummed out of contentment. It was short-lived, but it was enough to nearly get Otto to gasp—though, thankfully he managed to catch himself before he did so. Making any sound was a rarity; sometimes he forgot Martin could do so.

Otto took a seat next to the kid and picked up his own mug, taking a drink himself.

They both sat in silence for a pause, a cat and a kitten side by side. It was calm. The kid was happy. That was enough to put Otto at ease.

He heard a clink as Martin put his mug back on the coffee table. The kid then awkwardly scooted over to the other and proceeded side lean against him. He stayed very still, acting like a statue that had been tipped over. He didn’t say anything, choosing to instead fiddle with the coat’s arms. The way he lingered suggested he wanted a crumb of affection, but the child couldn’t communicate it well.

The other took note of this and, in a gentle tone, asked, “Do you want a hug?”

Martin didn’t respond at first, still frozen, hiding his face. After nearly five minutes of pause, the boy, although with great tentativeness, nodded before promptly trying to make himself even smaller, the embarrassment of answering the question clear.

Otto gave a reassuring smile before putting his mug on the table and wordlessly putting his arm around the other, pulling the kid into a gentle side hug. Martin stayed motionless for a little while longer before slowly relaxing, allowing himself to properly rest against the other.

“Safe.”

The word was half mumbled by Martin, his voice weak.

The sight was enough to tug at Otto’s heartstrings. The word broke him. This poor kid… He was well aware of how dangerous the child technically was—Norman and he shared that knowledge—but he was a child. Someone who just wanted to be comforted after all that.  And he couldn’t figure out how to give back the normal life Martin deserved. He was trying, but it felt like it was always setback after setback, and Norman didn’t help. The amount of fighting they continued to get into even now…

He instinctively held onto the other a smidge tighter, trying hard not to let his emotions get to him. He needed to be calm. If not for himself, then for Martin.

Looking down at the kid, he noticed that the boy had closed his eyes and begun to drift off, his breathing slow and steady as he faintly snored.

“You’re safe,” Otto muttered with a sigh. He was one man, but he’d help the kid. He’d figure something out. He’d fix things.

“You’re safe.”