Love Virus

Chapter Fifteen

February 7, 2020

Recommended song: Wildfire by SYML

Garrett's POV

He was trying hard to control himself but the tears kept coming.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry" he kept saying, breaking Alfie's heart further.

"It's ok Bear. You're safe now" he reasurred him with his voice and his soothing touch.

"I ruined our date" Garrett said looking down.

"You ruined nothing Bear." He placed a soft kiss on his lips. "Bear. I am here. I am not going anywhere".

Garrett turned to him, his face drenched with tears, his eyes swollen and red. He looked so vulnerable.

"Promise?" He sounded like a little child and Alfie wondered what hell this man had gone through.

"I absolutely promise." He said, holding out his pinky finger.

"You're not mad?" Garrett looked down.

"Bear. I promise I'm not mad. Would you be mad at me if I cried?" Alfie asked, knowing the answer.

He responded quickly, wide eyed. "No, no never".

Alfie just smiled at him. "Let's go home Bear".

They grabbed a cab back to the apartment and Alfie led him up to his apartment. Garrett followed silently. 

"Alfie?" Garrett questioned. Alfie looked at him waiting for him to continue. "Can you play something for me?"

Alfie gave him the biggest smile and ran to his room to get his violin. Garrett recognized the song and it eased his ache in his heart. Wildfire by SYML was one of his favorite songs. Alfie sang beautifully and the meloncholy song sounded even more poignant with Alfie playing it on the violin.

Darling, please take my hand
Please get up, rise to stand
I can't be the one to sing your song

'Cause I believe it's not your fault
Don't be scared, you are my rock
Nothing's gonna hold you down for long

Sometimes we break so beautiful
And you know you're not the only one
I breathe you in, so sweet and powerful
Like a wildfire burning up inside my lungs

Garrett lay on the couch, he was on his stomache and his hands under his cheek. He watched Alfie with wonder. Eventually he closed his eyes and let the music wash over him.

He found himself in a mental space that he didn't recognize. Increasingly he had grown more comfortable with Alfie, to a point where he felt safe. It was beyond that now, his mind was floating to a complete state of peace as Alfie played and sang to him. Is this what peace feels like? He wondered as he slowly drifted off listening to his Alfie sooth his troubled soul.

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Alfie's POV

He watched as his bear finally succumbed to sleep. Playing a little more quietly, softly, slowly until he stopped altogether. He lay his instrument back in it's case and walked over to the couch. He sat down and moved closer to Garrett, carefully lifting his head so it lay in his lap. He pet his hair and rubbed his back softly, offering his bear comfort as lay sleeping.

He watched his face, relaxed and soft, and wondered again what horrors his bear had lived through. It pained Alfie greatly that he had suffered not only from his parents but from his classmates.

He recalled the conversation from earlier when Garrett broke down.

Why didn't anyone help me? I was just a kid. People knew what was going on Alfie. Lots of people. Neighbors, teachers, aunts, uncles, grandparents. Nobody helped us."

Alfie shook his head sadly, not knowing the full story but enough to know that his bear was in pain. He led a life that Alfie couldn't relate to.

Alfie's family was warm, giving, caring, supportive, generous. His school life was mostly positive except for the occasional bullying but it never escalated beyond words. His life was privileged. He never went without food or any of the basic things in life.

He lived in a nice home, went to a nice school, had nice friends, a nice family. Suddenly he felt out of touch with his life compared to Garrett's.

He had always been there to help others, was it enough? There were many other 'Garretts' suffering in silence with the same circumstances as he had. How can people turn a blind eye? He couldn't help him then, but he would sure help him now, he vowed to himself.

There wasn't even a question in his mind that he was over his head, that Garrett suffered too much trauma. No, he wasn't going anywhere. Garrett deserved all of the love and support that he could give him.

Gently he shook his shoulders a bit to wake the sleeping giant. "Bear. Let's go to bed" he whispered. Without a word, Garrett woke and followed Alfie to his bedroom. He removed his clothes, keeping his shirt and boxers on and climbed into the bed.

Alfie removed his clothing, put on a pair of pajama pants and got into the warm bed. They automatically moved closer, wrapped their arms around each other. Alfie snuggled closer, putting his head on Garrett's hair chest and Garrett put his head on top of Alfie's, kissing the top of it.

"Good night Bear" he whispered.

"Good night darlin' " Garrett whispered back.