@Rainy_day_artist_classic group
“Nope,” Melissa whispered, resting her head in his lap once he was sitting. “I don’t have work or anything. I’ve got the day off.” She murmured, looking up at him from her place.
“Nope,” Melissa whispered, resting her head in his lap once he was sitting. “I don’t have work or anything. I’ve got the day off.” She murmured, looking up at him from her place.
"Sounds good to me…" Lucas huddled up next to Melissa on the couch, sighing shakily. "I've been such a nuisance since I've been here…"
“Lu, you know that’s not true.” Melissa whispered, reaching up to hold his face. Sitting back up, she gently started rubbing his cheeks with her thumbs. “I love you, and want you to be okay.”
"B-But I've caused so many problems…" Lucas buried his face in Melissa's shoulder. "Why do you guys still keep me around? I'm of no benefit to you…"
“I don’t keep you around for my benefit, Lucas.” Melissa insisted, keeping him close to herself. “I keep you around because I love you. I want to take care if you, and make sure you’re okay.”
"But you shouldn't have to…" Lucas whispered weakly. "I'm just a waste of resources… I'm sure your parents are getting sick of me being around."
“But I’m not.” Melissa whispered, resting her head on his. “And even if I shouldn’t have to, I want to. I want to be here for you. I want to take care of you.”
"Why, though?" Lucas asked, his voice still shaky and meek. "Why do you want to put this much work into taking care of me?"
“Because I’m in love with you. I can’t imagine having to live without you,” Melissa insisted, pressing a soft kiss to his head. “I hate even thinking about it, I love you that much. I can’t even explain it, just know that I really am in love with you.”
Lucas sighed shakily and held tighter to Melissa. "I-I love you too, Mel… so much… that's why it's hard to let you guys suffer for my sake."
Melissa gently started running her fingers through his hair as they sat there. “Lucas, I know you aren’t going to believe me, but you’re not making us suffer.” She insisted, pulling back so she could look at him.
"How am I not? Just last night I worried your father by getting high and needing to go to the hospital. That's both stressful and expensive. Neither of which is very kind of me to force him through."
“But you didn’t chose to do that. It’s not your fault, and you should know that. She came after you, and… well you know. It’s not your fault what happened to you.” Melissa insisted, holding his face in her hands. “And besides, I’m helping him with it. It’s not him paying for it all from his money.” She insisted, kissing his forehead before burying her face in his shoulder.
Lucas sighed shakily, still seeming upset. "B-But I'm the one who should have to pay. You… y-you guys shouldn't have to deal with any of this…" He hiccuped and held tighter to Melissa, trembling a bit. "I just… I… I feel so horrible about it…"
Melissa quietly rubbed circles into his back, pulling back again to look at him. “Lucas, for the time being, you can’t take care of yourself. You need help, and that is okay. We just want to help you get stable,” She insisted, keeping eye contact with him as she spoke. “Maybe some day we can pay him back, but today is not that day. For now, you just need to let us handle it.”
Lucas looked up at Melissa weakly, not seeming entirely convinced. "B-But I should be stable…" He whispered. "I'm… I'm seventeen years old, for god's sake… I should… I should be able to take care of myself…"
“But you weren’t taken care of for years. You were physically and emotionally abused, you don’t need to force yourself to be okay. You need help.” Melissa insisted, rubbing his cheeks with her thumbs.
A couple of tears rolled down Lucas's cheeks and he closed his eyes, still trembling. "But I can't— k-keep doing this to you guys… you've… you've done so much for me, a-and this is how I repay you…"
"Shhhh… it's okay," Melissa whispered, kissing his forehead again. Pulling him closer, she buried her face in his shoulder. "It's okay. I love you, you don't need to apologize. Or being upset."
Lucas drew in a harsh, wavering breath, gripping Melissa more tightly. "P-Please, Mel… I'm sorry… I… I-I just… I feel bad about it…" He whispered shakily.
Melissa kept him close to herself, rubbing circles into his back. "Shh… come on, try to relax." She whispered, nuzzling against his cheek some. "You're okay, you don't need to be sorry."
Lucas buried his face in Melissa's shoulder, not reacting when Cody huddled closer to him. "I love you so much… I love you, Mel… I don't want you to go…"
"I'm not going anywhere, I promise." Melissa whispered, resting her head against his. "I'm here for you, and I don't plan on leaving. You're gonna be okay."
"I need you…" He whispered shakily. "I-I don't… I don't know what I would do without you… I'm sorry you have to deal with me…"
Melissa pulled him closer to herself, leaning back against the couch. "I don't have to deal with you, I chose to. And I do it because I love you."
Lucas trembled a bit more in Melissa's arms, his breathing sharp and shallow. Cody whined worriedly at him and lay down on his back to comfort him.
Melissa was being gentle as she could be, playing with his hair and rubbing his back. “You’re okay… I promise.” She whispered, kissing his shoulder.
"I-I'm sorry…" He whispered in reply. "I'm so sorry… I'm just the worst, Mel…" He held tighter to her, still quivering.
"Shhh… no you're not. You're wonderful, and I love you." Melissa insisted, tucking his head under her chin. "It's okay… you're okay…"
Lucas buried his face in Melissa's shoulder again, not seeming to really hear her all that well. Cody edged closer, still worried about Lucas as he whispered apology after apology.
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