"Postman Pat does have a van, doesn't he? He's a smart bloke, would be hard to lug all those parcels around by foot." Made sense. Holden noted the interest in Postman Pat and he was already plotting the birthday party. He was positive he had seen some Postman Pat stuff around various stores before. "We don't have a cat here, but we do have chickens. And two quails. You can meet them tomorrow, if you feel up to it. They give us fresh eggs, which is great."
Chickens? He had chickens. Like a farmer. He was really cool, he had so many nice things. That was why he wanted a nice boy. And he wasn't a nice boy, so he didn't think he'd get to stay long but... but maybe a van before he had to go. He squirmed in his seat and looked anxiously around, unsure how someone could be a good enough boy to get a postman van.
Nice people were the hardest, they hurt the most. "I can meet the chickens." Maybe. If they weren't too scary. He had never seen a chicken outside of TV before. "I've met a dog before. My mom's boyfriend had two dogs. They barked a lot." He didn't really like them, they weren't fun. "Never met a chicken."
"Chickens are fun to meet too. I'll take you to them tomorrow and we can feed them some treats. You just have to take a bath first today because they get scared when you don't smell like home." Or, you know, when someone stank the way poor Gideon unfortunately did. However, Holden didn't want to call the boy smelly, he just wanted to give him some proper motivation to get clean today without forcing him. "When you're done eating, I can show you your room. It's upstairs, next to my room. And from your window you can probably even spot the chickens, unless they are all in bed already."
Gunn finished his pie, grinning. This was going well. Holden really was good at this.
He really didn't want to take a bath but if he wanted to meet the chickens, he had to. He supposed he could dip quickly and then get out. He didn't know what to think of the room or what to do with all of this, he just felt a little sick. What if he wet the bed? What if he broke something? What if the chickens hated him and he had to leave? How did he make chickens like him?
He frowned nervously and then looked at Gunn. "You have to see my room too." And if it was too nice, maybe he could tell Gunn that it had be less nice so he didn't ruin it.
"Yep, Giddie. Can't wait to see it." Gunn got up, since he sensed that his presence was needed here. Still, this time he didn't take Gideon's hand, seeing how Holden was holding his out.
"Do you want to take my hand? It's up the stairs." Not that he doubted Gideon could walk it, he just wanted to try and get a little closer to the boy. He knew it would take a long time to properly gain his trust. "I got some clothes for you, but nothing special. Just clothes that a neighbour had from when her kids were little."
Better than the dirty stuff Gideon was wearing right now, there was that. "Up you go, son." That said he started heading up the stairs, hoping that Gideon would be able to feel less tense soon.
Gideon had to wait a few to make up his mind and then he held the hand carefully, wondering if he was a doctor or something. He seemed really nice so he had to be something like that. As they got up the stairs, he checked to make sure Gunn was there twice before they opened the door to his room.
When the light turned on, Gideon looked around in awe, wondering if this was really where he slept. He frowned and walked over to the bed, looking at the bedsheets. Forest friends - he liked that. He traced the rabbit with his finger for a moment.
"Yea, my boy. That's all yours." Holden smiled, leaning back against the desk that was in the room. He saw the awe on Gideon's face and it warmed and hurt his heart in equal measures. He wanted to make this boy feel so very loved, but obviously he knew he couldn't rush this. "If you look in the dresser over there, that's where your clothes are."
Gunn stayed in the doorframe, not wanting to overwhelm Gideon even more. What a nice room though, with such a cosy aesthetic again. Something to be said for country living for sure.
He looked in the dresser at the other clothes and wondered if he got to keep them if he had to leave. Gunn had his old stuff but he only had two changes of clothes left now, the others had been ruined over the passed month and had been tossed by his foster parents. Right now, he was wearing a second hand shirt from the last house and it barely fit him, it kept sliding off his shoulder.
He looked at Holden curiously. If he got to stay here, how long would it be nice before he ruined it? He didn't want to ruin it. It looks so nice. Like Greendale.
Walking over to Gunn, he pulled on his trouser leg until he was leaning closer to him and then he whispered. Child whispered, not so subtly. "I have to tell you something."
"What's up, kid?" Gunn lifted Gideon up in his arms and stepped out into the hallway, while Holden busied himself by looking through the bookshelf in Gideon's room. So, yes, he had been preparing this for a while. He wanted this so desperately, had wanted it for a while now. The important thing was not to rush things now. Be patient, not force anything.
All he wanted was for Gideon to be happy with him.
"It's too nice, I'm gonna ruin it. And if I ruin it, he'll be mad. And he's nice." And he didn't want to ruin what the nice man had for him. This was the best house ever and all he wanted was to stay in that room and watch the big TV downstairs, maybe play football and look at the apple trees. He didn't want to go back yet. "It's all nice and new. What if I wet the bed or I spill?"
He never had the awareness of being dirty before but now he did. His hands were sticky with apple pie and he got it on things already. "I got apple on the bedcovers..."
"Okay. Okay, let me try something. Yeah? Just trust me, Giddie." That said, Gunn turned to look at Holden, calling over to him. "Hey, Holden. I've got a question. Another charge of mine, this little girl, she keeps wetting the bed. Is that weird? What do I do?"
Holden's expression softened, putting two and two together quickly. "No, that's perfectly normal for a young child. Especially when big changes happen or other excitement. It's not a big deal, that's what washing machines are for. The important thing is to never be mad at the kid for it, just wash the stuff and make sure they aren't embarrassed. Accidents happen, just like mistakes happen. Like they say, that's why there are erasers on pencils."
"What if it's really nice sheets and she ruins them? Does she still get sheets?" Gideon asked, a curious kid in so many ways, more interested in how it all worked. He usually got scolded and had to sleep on the couch if he wet the bed. Except at home, where he just rolled over and kept sleeping. Mom didn't care but everyone else really did.
"What if her hands are sticky and she ruins the bedroom?" Like he was going to do. He just wanted to touch all the nice things but he couldn't, his hands left dirty smears on stuff!
"Well, then it's the parents' fault for not teaching her how to clean her hands properly. Like you and I are going to get nice and clean today, aren't we? And if the girl wets really nice sheets, then the really nice sheets can be washed nicely. Doesn't ruin them at all, washing machines are great that way."
Holden smiled, happy to relieve some of Gideon's stress here. He was hoping, anyway. "Maybe tomorrow, you and I can out a wash on and then hang the laundry outside. You'll see how fast it gets all clean and then dries. No drama at all."
Gunn hugged Gideon close for a moment, smiling. "See? Holden has it all figured out. He'll make sure you're good together."
"Okay." Gideon nodded and let Gunn set him down. He wiped his hands on his pants to try and clean them before he looked around. There were toys, books, stuffed animals. He picked up a bear and looked at it for a while, just really taking in that he could touch it and no one had yelled. He wondered who it belonged to. Was it his?
Gideon yawned and turned to Gunn, showing him the bear.
"Wow! Wonder who those belong to," Gunn said in awe, feeling a lot of satisfaction here. This was going to work out, he just knew it.
"Oh, those are Gideon's, of course. I love that little bear, I think you should give him a name, Gid. Or maybe it's a her? I'm not sure, you might have to ask." Holden considered the bear thoughtfully. "What I do know is that there are some toys waiting for you in the bathroom as well."
"Ohh, the intrigue." Gunn laughed. "Gid, you'll have a lot to tell me when I come by next week to check in, huh?"
"You can come back tomorrow." Gideon said without thinking because sometimes Gunn was like an adult and sometimes, he was like a friend. And right now, he was the only stable influence in his life. He looked at the bear and then tried to work out what it's name was. "I think it's called... Apple."
He looked at Holden cautiously, worried he may have the wrong name and misheard the bear and then he wouldn't be friends with the bear!
"He can come to the bathroom to look at the toys." So he didn't have to go alone.
"Then I'll be by tomorrow evening, yeah?" Gunn could just come after work. Whatever, this was worth it. "You'll have to tell me about the chickens and all that."
"Oh, he will. And Apple can tell you too. What a nice name the bear has!" Holden enthused over it, maybe playing it up a little. How could he not, with the uncertain look that little boy was giving him? "How about we say goodbye to Gunn and then we look into the bathroom?"
"That's a good idea." Gunn nodded. "I need to get going anyway, gotta get myself all clean." Well, it had been a long day. "I'll see you tomorrow, Giddie."
"Bye. I'll see you tomorrow." He was going to be alone with Holden. The safety net would be gone. He watched Gunn leave the room anxiously and listened to every step down. Holding the bear close, he looked up at Holden and heard the door shut downstairs. Now they were alone. That was usually when the nice people stopped being so nice and became meaner.
He felt tears come to his eyes suddenly because Gunn was gone. He was gone and he was alone and he didn't know if it was safe or not.
"Do you want to see the toys in the bathroom?" Holden crouched down again to hopefully seem less scary. Whatever, might be worth a try. Gunn was a giant and Gid trusted him, so maybe it wasn't as easy as that, but still. It might help. "There is quite a few rubber ducks, from what I remember. At least three. One of them wears sunglasses."
All purchased at the duck store their village inexplicably had. "And there is a book that changes colour in warm water."
Gideon nodded and followed Holden into the bathroom. It was a big bathroom, all nice and white, it looked very much like a picture book concept of a bathroom. He touched the one duck that was closest and then looked at the sink, getting onto his tip toes to just peer around and see what they had.
"I've never read a book before." He just knew they existed. He'd seen his other siblings do it but he never wanted to sit still and focus on it. "Neither has Apple. Apple doesn't really like baths either. He says they're too wet."
"Does Apple like baths any better when there's a lot of bubbles and they smell like strawberry?" Seemed like a good question. Holden started the bath, because he figured they were leading up to this. And because he could see how Gideon kept scratching, how he kept wiping his hands on his clothes. How he longed to be clean, whether he was aware or not.
He held out the bottle of bubble bath for the boy. "Here, you and Apple can smell. See if you like that, maybe it will make the bath a bit nicer. And then maybe I can read a book to Apple and you while you have a nice smelling bath."
He sniffed the bubble bath and then nodded his head, a small smile on his face. "It smells like bubble-gum." Well, the strawberry one that his mom always had. He didn't know if he missed his mom so much, she was kind of weird but he did miss his home quite a lot. "I live in the city." Gideon explained as the bath filled, watching it as he held onto the bear still.
"There's a park by my house with a sandpit and swings. I don't go there but I can see it when we go to the offy. And I have a big bed by the TV. I watch a lot of TV." He just felt he should share it, just because. "TV is boring when its not cartoons."
"I also like watching TV. I was thinking that today, after you've had your bath, we could sit downstairs on the couch together and watch something. I have a lot of videos, so I'm sure we can find something that's not boring." He wasn't sure whether Gideon would manage to stay up that long, but watching TV might help him feel more at home, as he said. Here was hoping. "There is a park here too, in the village. It's not too far to walk, so we can go there soon."
Finally he could go there without seeming creepy. "Do you need help getting your clothes off? The bath is getting there, look at the bubbles."
"No, I'm fine." He pulled his clothes off slowly, not having much issue shedding what little clothes he had before he looked at the bath and tested by putting his hand in it. Once he was sure it wasn't too hot, he got into the bath with Apple and tentatively splashed around. "What TV shows do you like?"
He set Apple in the water and the poor waterlogged bear started to sink. Gideon pushed it back up so it didn't drown. "I like Postman Pat, Noddy, Fireman Sam annnnd I like Thomas."
"Wait, I think Apple can't swim!" Holden quickly rescued the bear and securely set it on the side of the bath instead, perching in the corner. Didn't seem to have gotten too soaked yet, luckily, so hopefully it would dry quickly enough. Latest tomorrow, if it sat in the sun for a bit.
"And I like those shows too, you've got really good taste. I think my favourite show is probably Doctor Who, but I like a lot. Quite like Disney stuff too, always have." Ever since he'd discovered it, anyway. "Can I help you a bit with washing your hair, Gideon? And then I can start reading the book."
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gay90s2023-08-16 08:00 pm
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About the only thing he cooked, usually.
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Nice people were the hardest, they hurt the most. "I can meet the chickens." Maybe. If they weren't too scary. He had never seen a chicken outside of TV before. "I've met a dog before. My mom's boyfriend had two dogs. They barked a lot." He didn't really like them, they weren't fun. "Never met a chicken."
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Gunn finished his pie, grinning. This was going well. Holden really was good at this.
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He frowned nervously and then looked at Gunn. "You have to see my room too." And if it was too nice, maybe he could tell Gunn that it had be less nice so he didn't ruin it.
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"Do you want to take my hand? It's up the stairs." Not that he doubted Gideon could walk it, he just wanted to try and get a little closer to the boy. He knew it would take a long time to properly gain his trust. "I got some clothes for you, but nothing special. Just clothes that a neighbour had from when her kids were little."
Better than the dirty stuff Gideon was wearing right now, there was that. "Up you go, son." That said he started heading up the stairs, hoping that Gideon would be able to feel less tense soon.
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When the light turned on, Gideon looked around in awe, wondering if this was really where he slept. He frowned and walked over to the bed, looking at the bedsheets. Forest friends - he liked that. He traced the rabbit with his finger for a moment.
"This is mine?"
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Gunn stayed in the doorframe, not wanting to overwhelm Gideon even more. What a nice room though, with such a cosy aesthetic again. Something to be said for country living for sure.
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He looked at Holden curiously. If he got to stay here, how long would it be nice before he ruined it? He didn't want to ruin it. It looks so nice. Like Greendale.
Walking over to Gunn, he pulled on his trouser leg until he was leaning closer to him and then he whispered. Child whispered, not so subtly. "I have to tell you something."
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All he wanted was for Gideon to be happy with him.
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He never had the awareness of being dirty before but now he did. His hands were sticky with apple pie and he got it on things already. "I got apple on the bedcovers..."
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Holden's expression softened, putting two and two together quickly. "No, that's perfectly normal for a young child. Especially when big changes happen or other excitement. It's not a big deal, that's what washing machines are for. The important thing is to never be mad at the kid for it, just wash the stuff and make sure they aren't embarrassed. Accidents happen, just like mistakes happen. Like they say, that's why there are erasers on pencils."
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"What if her hands are sticky and she ruins the bedroom?" Like he was going to do. He just wanted to touch all the nice things but he couldn't, his hands left dirty smears on stuff!
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Holden smiled, happy to relieve some of Gideon's stress here. He was hoping, anyway. "Maybe tomorrow, you and I can out a wash on and then hang the laundry outside. You'll see how fast it gets all clean and then dries. No drama at all."
Gunn hugged Gideon close for a moment, smiling. "See? Holden has it all figured out. He'll make sure you're good together."
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Gideon yawned and turned to Gunn, showing him the bear.
"This room has toys in it!"
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"Oh, those are Gideon's, of course. I love that little bear, I think you should give him a name, Gid. Or maybe it's a her? I'm not sure, you might have to ask." Holden considered the bear thoughtfully. "What I do know is that there are some toys waiting for you in the bathroom as well."
"Ohh, the intrigue." Gunn laughed. "Gid, you'll have a lot to tell me when I come by next week to check in, huh?"
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He looked at Holden cautiously, worried he may have the wrong name and misheard the bear and then he wouldn't be friends with the bear!
"He can come to the bathroom to look at the toys." So he didn't have to go alone.
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"Oh, he will. And Apple can tell you too. What a nice name the bear has!" Holden enthused over it, maybe playing it up a little. How could he not, with the uncertain look that little boy was giving him? "How about we say goodbye to Gunn and then we look into the bathroom?"
"That's a good idea." Gunn nodded. "I need to get going anyway, gotta get myself all clean." Well, it had been a long day. "I'll see you tomorrow, Giddie."
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He felt tears come to his eyes suddenly because Gunn was gone. He was gone and he was alone and he didn't know if it was safe or not.
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All purchased at the duck store their village inexplicably had. "And there is a book that changes colour in warm water."
He felt that was especially cool.
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"I've never read a book before." He just knew they existed. He'd seen his other siblings do it but he never wanted to sit still and focus on it. "Neither has Apple. Apple doesn't really like baths either. He says they're too wet."
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He held out the bottle of bubble bath for the boy. "Here, you and Apple can smell. See if you like that, maybe it will make the bath a bit nicer. And then maybe I can read a book to Apple and you while you have a nice smelling bath."
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"There's a park by my house with a sandpit and swings. I don't go there but I can see it when we go to the offy. And I have a big bed by the TV. I watch a lot of TV." He just felt he should share it, just because. "TV is boring when its not cartoons."
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Finally he could go there without seeming creepy. "Do you need help getting your clothes off? The bath is getting there, look at the bubbles."
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He set Apple in the water and the poor waterlogged bear started to sink. Gideon pushed it back up so it didn't drown. "I like Postman Pat, Noddy, Fireman Sam annnnd I like Thomas."
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"And I like those shows too, you've got really good taste. I think my favourite show is probably Doctor Who, but I like a lot. Quite like Disney stuff too, always have." Ever since he'd discovered it, anyway. "Can I help you a bit with washing your hair, Gideon? And then I can start reading the book."
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