bambi eyes || tradley

18. my only home

James wasn't lying. The ride of the curly-haired boy tumbling around the back of the dark van, wrist bounded together and duct tape muffling his words felt like it'd last forever. With each second that passed, Bambi was terrified that he wasn't just exagerrating. Everything about this situation terrified him. Brad wasn't sure where the two boys were taking him, and as far as he remembered, he'd never come in contact with a person who was stronger than him. He hadn't come in contact with much people since he awoke in Tristan's flat, but James was strange.

After two naps, the van unexpectedly came to a halt. Bambi thought maybe there was just another streetlight, but then he heard cardoors slamming, followed by the sound of James and Connor's voices mixing together into a conversation outside the dark space. The brown-eyed boy helplessly lied on his side, knees pulled to his chest as he waited for something to happen. For a while, it was just him sitting there before light seeped into the darkness of the van and Connor's silhouette appeared in front of one side of the van door.

The dark-haired boy shook his head at the small boy rolled into a fetal position. "Really, James? You tied him up?"

"He was annoying me!" the man defended from afar.

"He's a human being, not an animal." Connor crawled into the dark space, gently pulling the duct tape off Brad's mouth. It made his lips burn. "I'm sorry about him. We're not here to hurt you."

"I want Tristan," the curly-haired boy quietly repeated from earlier as Tristan's friend attempted freeing his arms.

"Would you feel better if I rung him for you?"

Brad shook his head as the rope loosened and the curly-haired boy was able to wriggle himself free. "A phone is no longer in his possession. Just take me to him, please. I need Tristan."

"How about we head inside and get to know each other first? James, Joe, and I've been waiting to talk to you."

"I do not know of a Joe."

"You'll see who he is."

"No, I do not want to see! I do not want to do anything unless Tristan is here!"

Connor let out an exasperated sigh. "I understand that, but -"

"I will bite you!" he threatened. The dark-haired boy jumped back as Bambi angrily pulled his eyebrows together and opened his mouth.

"James!" the blue-eyed boy anxiously called, scrambling out the vehicle. The twenty-year-old easily climbed out after him. "JEMS!"

Connor ran off in fear, disappearing into a rectangular building as he shouted the name of the man the curly-haired boy strongly disliked. The small boy took in his unfamiliar surroundings with sad eyes; though, there wasn't much to take in. The ground beneath his feet was only made of gravel and the building was isolated. Brad wondered how far off they were from the city. It felt like a thousand miles.

He already didn't like it here. He wanted to be back with Tristan - his home. Being away from his home made him feel terrible, like the night he was so worried about not ever finding his family. He was still worried about not finding out where he came from, but he realised he was comfortable with Tristan. He was kind of like having family, and Brad realised if he never found them he'd be okay with it just being the two of them - Tristan and him. The blue-eyed man was enough.

But now he was so far away from him. He didn't even know where he was, and he was scared and lonely.

"Hello." Bambi jumped as a hand dropped on his shoulder. He turned his head to a tall, blue-eyed man with brown hair that reached his neck. "Let me guess: Connor and James abandoned you?"