Fic: A Boy from Nowhere (10/?) Guy/Kyle (Green Lantern Corps HSAU)

[perpetual_motion]

Title: A Boy from Nowhere (10/?)
Author: Perpetual Motion
Fandom: Green Lantern Corps
Pairing: Guy/Kyle
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Guys, Dr. Sarrek, and a session.

Dis: Bullshit and lies.

Author's Notes: I meant for "Boy from Nowhere" to be a single, 1500 word story, but it grew, so I let it, and it fits in with other prompts for my dcu_freeforall table, so it's grown. The prompt for this bit is "following orders." And love to the people who kept me company while this part fought me: shoshannagold, lovefromgirl, amazonqueenkate, lasergirl, and phoenixofborg. You all rock.


Previous Parts: Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine



A Boy from Nowhere (10/?)
By Perpetual Motion

Guy spends the next few days alternately sleeping and trying to do his homework. He meets with Dr. Saarek on Thursday, his mom giving him a brave smile as he walks into the office.

"It's good to see you, Guy," Dr. Saarek greets him. The whole office is decorated in green and black, and Guy sits in a green armchair across from Dr. Saarek. "How's your week been?"

Guy shifts in his chair and looks around the office. There are books on every wall, and Dr. Saarek's desk has a stack of files on one corner. "It's okay," he says, when he realizes Dr. Saarek is waiting for an answer. "I just sleep a lot."

"Is that all you've done this week?"

"Pretty much." Guy shrugs when Dr. Saarek raises his eyebrows. "I get a headache when I read, and I get a headache when I try to play video games or do anything that requires effort."

"That usually gets better over time," Dr. Saarek tells him. "It must be frustrating."

"It sucks. I've got a history paper due, and I've got calculus to do, and I have reading for English and…" Guy trails off. "There's stuff," he says.

"You're going back to school on Monday, correct?" Dr. Saarek waits for Guy's nod. "Talk to your teachers about it. I'm sure they can work out a homework plan for you that would help you."

Guy looks at the bookshelves again. "I can do my homework."

"I'm sure you can, but if you're struggling—"

"I'm not struggling," Guy interrupts. "I can do my homework."

Dr. Saarek is silent for a moment. He taps his fingers against the arm of his chair. "It's okay to ask for help, Guy."

"I don’t need help." It comes out more vicious than Guy intends it. Dr. Saarek doesn't seem shocked, and Guy rubs a hand over his head. "I don’t…" He wonders how to explain it, years of his father barking at him to do his own goddamned work, to be a man. Men don't ask for help, his father always said. Any man who asks for help is a fucking sissy.

"What are you thinking, Guy?" Dr. Saarek asks, voice low.

"My dad's a dick," Guy says without thinking. He presses a hand to his mouth. "I didn't—I didn't mean that."

"No?"

"I didn't…" Guy looks at his hands, flexes them on his knees. "My mom cries at night," he says, and he doesn't know where the confession comes from. "She does it really late, and I think I'm not supposed to know, but I wake up at weird times because I'm sleeping so much, and I can hear her."

"Why do you think she cries?"

"Because…" Guy looks at Dr. Saarek. "Because her life fucking sucks."

"Does it?"

"If I hadn't…"

"If you hadn't?"

Guy digs for the end of the sentence. "I started it, sometimes," he says. "With my dad. I knew if I just stayed quiet, he'd leave me alone, but I'd—I'd say something to piss him off so he'd swing at me."

"Why?"

"If…if he didn't hit me, he'd hit her."

"Your mother?"

"Yeah."

"Do you think that's what makes her upset?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"I think she blames herself for me starting those fights."

"Why is that?"

"Because she's my mom."

Dr. Saarek cocks his head at that. "She's the woman who stayed married to your father for all those years."

Guy tries to sneer at him, but he can't get his lips to move right because of the wires in his mouth. "I know that," he snarls. "That doesn't mean she doesn't love me."

"It doesn't?"

"I'm not some stupid kid, doc. I know some stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"I know Dad made Mom sign over her paycheck to him. And I know that means she didn't have any money unless he gave it to her."

"I'm not following."

Guy rolls his eyes. "It means Mom didn't have the money to get away."

Dr. Saarek leans back in his chair, settles his right ankle on his left knee. "I'm impressed," he says after a moment.

Guy blinks at Dr. Saarek. "Why?"

"You said you've spent the week sleeping and trying to do your homework. It sounds like you spent some time thinking, too."

Guy bristles. "So what? I can think."

"I'm not surprised that you did think, Guy. I'm surprised at where those thoughts led you."

"Huh?"

"You're astute," Dr. Saarek explains. "And you've taken what seems like some very good advice and put it to use. That's excellent."

Guy shrugs, feeling embarrassed but proud for a reason he can't name. "Mom and I talked in the hospital. She said some stuff, and I've just…I've been thinking about it."

"That's very good."

"I was mad at her," Guy admits, "when I woke up at the hospital, and I was mad at everybody else, too. I thought—I thought everyone was being nice because they felt bad for me."

"What changed your mind?"

"Coach."

"Coach Kilowog?"

"Yeah." Guy narrows his eyes. "You've talked to him," he accuses. Betrayal fizzes through him. He's not sure if he's mad at Coach for talking or Dr. Saarek for asking.

"I've spoken with him," Dr. Saarek confirms. "I also spoke with your principal."

"Why?"

"It's standard procedure for me to meet with school officials when my clients are from family services."

Guy takes a moment to interpret that. "You were seeing if I got into trouble at school."

"Yes."

"And?"

"Your coach and your principal both mentioned a fight with a boy named Tommy."

Guy shifts in his chair. "Tommy's a dick."

"Coach Kilowog mentioned you were friends before the fight."

"We…no."

"You weren't friends."

"We were—" Guy presses his mouth closed. A sliver of pain radiates in his mouth, centering right near his jaw joint. "We were both football players. So we…hang out."

"Coach Kilowog mentioned he made you team manager."

Guy squirms in his seat. "Yeah." He watches Dr. Saarek watch him. "What?"

"You seem uncomfortable."

"I don't like people knowing stuff about me."

"People?"

"You. I don't like you just knowing stuff about me that I haven't told you. It's…"

"Yes?"

"It's a fucking cheat." Guy spits out. "It's not fair that you know all kinds of stuff about me and all I know is that you're some guy I'm supposed to talk to, and you're bald, and your office is green and black."

"What do you want to know about me?"

"Nothing!" Guy shouts. "I don't give a shit! I'm just tired of people saying shit about me! I'm tired of people assuming!"

Dr. Saarek's tone gives nothing away. "Assuming what?"

"Assuming…" Guy stares at the opposite wall. There's a bell on a shelf. It's bronze, and Guy can tell that something is engraved on it. "There's this guy I know," he hears himself say, "and I defended him, and Tommy thought…" Guy keeps staring at the bell. "I know he was just being an asshole, but he was right, and I…I didn't want to be."

"What didn't you want to be, Guy?"

"Gay." Guy breathes out, waiting for the head rush that comes with saying it. He feels relief, but no rush. "I'm gay." He says, and he looks away from the bell, looks at Dr. Saarek. "I told my mom and my brother, but I haven't—I'm not really…out."

Dr. Saarek nods. "I see. I appreciate you telling me, Guy."

"Yeah. Sure." Guy looks down at his hands. "Who do you have to tell about me?"

Dr. Saarek furrows his brow. "What do you mean?"

"Who hears about what I say in here?"

"Our meetings are confidential. All I can tell anyone outside of this office is that you are my patient."

"You don't say anything to my social worker?"

"Not unless you pose a danger to yourself or someone else."

Guy thinks that over. "What if I said I wanted to punch my dad in the throat?"

Dr. Saarek smiles a little. "I'd talk to you about it, and at the end of the discussion, if I honestly thought you'd punch your father in the throat, I would let the appropriate people know."

Some of Guy's defensiveness slides away, and he feels himself relax. "Oh. Okay." He leans back in his chair a little and wonders what to do next. "Do I keep talking?"

"I'd like you to."

"What do I talk about?"

"What do you want to talk about?"

Guy thinks for a moment. "There's a guy I know. Kyle. He's…we're friends. A little." He raises an eyebrow at Dr. Saarek. "But you probably know that."

Dr. Saarek chuckles. "I don't, actually."

"Coach didn't mention him?"

"He didn't."

"Huh." Guy digests that, feels himself smiling a little. The betrayal that's been low in his belly dissipates. "Okay."

"Do you want to talk about Kyle?" Dr. Saarek asks.

Guy almost says yes, but he swallows hard instead. He's been kind of a bastard to Kyle, he knows, not acknowledging him, not listening. Kyle says he's been a bastard back, but he's not been as bad, Guy thinks. Kyle, at least, has been trying to talk to him. "No," he says. "I don't want to talk about him." It's not much, Guy thinks, but it's what he can do.

"That's fine," Dr. Saarek says. He glances at his watch, then back at Guy. "We can call it a day, if you like."

"Aren't we supposed to go for an hour or something?"

"Usually, but I think for a first, official session, we've done remarkably well. Which I think earns us a break."

A part of Guy itches to stay, to talk about something, anything, knowing that Dr. Saarek can't say a word. "Okay," he says instead, because a larger part of him feels worn down and tired.

"I am going to issue an order before we split up," Dr. Saarek says as he stands and gestures Guy towards the door. "Call Kyle and spend some time with him before you go back to school."

"Why?"

"Because you mentioned him and then requested not to talk about him, which tells me if he's not very important to you, you want him to be."

Guy twitches. "That's creepy."

Dr. Saarek shrugs. "It's not mind-reading, Guy, just education and experience."

"Still creepy."

Dr. Saarek chuckles again as he opens the door to his outer office. He nods at Guy's mother and shakes her hand. "How are you, Peggy?"

"I'm doing well," she replies. She reaches out, touches Guy's shoulder. "Ready, honey?"

"Sure," Guy says. He waves goodbye to Dr. Saarek, lets his mother lead him from the office to the car. "Do you talk to him?" he asks as she starts the engine.

"Starting tomorrow," she answers. "It's required."

"Like me?"

She gives him a smile as she turns to check her blind spot. "Yes, like you. And Mace is going as well. On Mondays, I think."

"Why is Mace going?"

"Because it's good for all of us." Her voice catches as she clears her throat. "Because it can help."

Guy looks out his window and listens to his mother sniffle. "He said I should invite Kyle over this weekend," Guy says after a moment. "He said it was an order." His mother laughs a little, and Guy looks at her. Her eyes are bright, but he doesn't see tear tracks. "What?"

"An order," she says. "It's just…funny."

"Is it?"

She waves a hand at him. "I'm just being weird, honey."

"Oh."

"It's…" She shakes her head, and Guy suddenly sees himself in her, the way she's holding in everything, the set of her jaw. He'd always assumed he'd taken after his father, with his temper. "Let's have him over for dinner." She states, and Guy sees another flash of himself. She's fearless, he realizes, in small ways. He wants to hug her.

"Okay," he agrees. "All right."

Part Eleven

Comments

[shiny-glor-chan.livejournal.com]

Awwww. Guuuuuy. <3 Great chapter! <3

[perpet-fic.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Isn't he just so hard-working and trying so hard? :) I'm glad you liked it!