The Good Son - 3. Chapter 3: True Colors

Daniel sat on Geil's small bed, watching the young boy play with his toys on the floor. There was a chest of Legos to build up his logic, but he instead played with a T-Rex dinosaur toy.

It was a boring, daunting task of watching Geil play by himself, but if the child said anything, Daniel replied to him like he should, by society's eyes. It was the same for if the child asked a question; Daniel would answer.

Geil suddenly stood up from the floor and Daniel watched him as the boy walked across the floor. "Where are you going?" the teen asked. Geil kept on until he was at the bedroom door.

"Potty."

Daniel stood up and walked after the child. As the two left the room into the hallway, Daniel pat a door to his left, to make Geil look.

"What's this room?" Daniel asked, looking down at Geil. The child gave a small, confused expression before turning back to the hall and continuing down to the restroom. Daniel associated it with the boy probably not knowing. Then the teen knocked on the next door to it.

"What's this room, Geil?" He got the boy's attention again, the blonde child looking back at him with his light blue eyes. Geil looked from Daniel to the door, where he walked over to pat his hand against it like Daniel had done.

"That's big-boy potty," he said.

"So it's for the daddies?"

Geil smiled at Daniel and nodded, turning away from the teen to continue down the hall, but he was stopped when Daniel grabbed him.

"Why don't we use it?" he asked. Geil looked up at him again, tilting his head back to look at the tall teen.

"Daddy says no."

Daniel watched the child before shrugging. "That's alright." He dipped down to whisper in Geil's ear, "We'll just keep it a secret." He peered at geil's face and smiled kindly, making Geil feel a little more at ease with the idea. He then stood straight and stepped around Geil to the bathroom, where he turned the knob and pushed the door open. He flicked on the light.

The room was spacious and white, looking brighter because of the light that bounced off of the walls. There was a double sink with two sets of mirrors, and a large bathtub that looked like it could have some bubbling setting. The room smelled of cologne and shampoo.

"I can't reach the toilet," Geil said from behind Daniel. The tall brunette looked back at the child.

"...You will." He waved the boy in, waiting until the child hesitantly stepped into the room before shutting the door. He brought Geil to the toilet and helped him unbutton his pants when the child struggled. Then, once Geil slipped his pants and underwear down, he picked the boy up and sat him on the toilet.

The child was small for his size, and had to hold the sides of the toilet to support himself from slipping in. He watched Daniel with wide, scared eyes.

Once he had a good grip, Daniel let him go and smiled.

"See? It's alright."

"I-I need help," Geil whispered frightfully to his adoptive brother, but Daniel just turned away from him as if the words had gone unheard, and looked around.

"Just don't make a mess, hm?" With that, Daniel left Geil to walk to the bathtub, where he looked at the two sets of shampoo and conditioner, the bottles resting in a rack attached to the wall above. Grabbing one of the shampoo bottles, he snapped the cap open and sniffed the scent. It was a spicy fragrance that he knew well, because it was apparently the scent that most men preferred. He clipped it back shut and put it away, where he grabbed the other.

Opening the cap, he smelled the scent. It made him smile, and he smelled it again.

"Danul-"

"Daniel," the teen replied to the distressed boy left alone. The scent was fresh and light, soft unlike the harsh smells that everyone else was used to. He placed it back and turned from the bathtub, where he overlooked the child struggling on the toilet and walked to the sinks.

A toothbrush holder held two brushes, one green and the other blue. There was a tube of cinnamon toothpaste that lay beside it on the clean counter top. Daniel didn't mind them and looked at the mirrors. The left was a simple mirror on the wall, but the right had a handle. He reached out and took the handle, pulling the glass open and peering inside.

Prescription bottles sat on the shelves. Daniel took one to look at the label.

"Danul, I'm done," Geil spoke up, wiggling on the toilet as his arms became tired. His palms were getting clammy.

AMBIEN: Take one pill only when needed, do not take with food or alcohol; effects may last up to eight hours.

The bottle was relatively full, like it hadn't been used much, so it was either new or the prescribed didn't use it often. Daniel looked at the name on the label.

Mason, Arthur: Insomnia.

"Danul!"

Daniel opened the case and dumped a few capsules into his palm, where he could get a better look at them. That's all they were; white capsules with the medicine as a powder laying inside. He slipped the pills into his pants pocket. He started screwing the cap back onto the bottle-

Geil started crying.

And set it back onto the shelf, shutting the mirror-

"Daniel!"

Daniel ran to the toilet and snatched Geil up just in time to save him from falling in as one of his hands slipped. He set the child on the floor and smirked humorously at him.

"I wasn't going to let you fall in, silly," he said and knelt down so that he could pull up Geil's clothes, refastening the button. Geil wiped his wet eyes as he pouted heavily at his brother, who paid his distress no mind. "Come on, you aren't a girl, are you? Only girls cry," Daniel said and stood up again. He pat Geil's head of fluffy hair. Then he leaned over the child to flush the toilet. "Come," he grabbed the child's wrist and led him from the bathroom, shutting the light off again and taking the child back to his bedroom of toys.

In his own bedroom, Daniel sat on his bed and admired Arty's necklace, twisting the silver chain between his fingers.

It was something, alright. It was perfect, in condition so mint that it could have smelled like it. Snapping the locket open, the teen peered down at the child's portrait inside. The photo looked older, by the boy's hair style and shirt choice.

Daniel dropped the pill capsules over the boy's portrait and shut the locket before slipping off of his bed, where he sat on the floor to start tucking the jewelry between his mattress and box spring.

The bedroom door opened immediately after, and Daniel looked over to see Arty in the archway. He pat his bed, smoothing his sheet over as he examined Arty's face. It was indifferent, but contemplating.

"Hello Arty, I've just cleaned up- does it look good?" the teen asked. He furrowed his eyebrows. "...Is something wrong?"

Arty looked like he knew what he was going to say, but then he pressed his lips together like he were having second guesses. He puffed and shook his head. "Em, Geil said that you scared him. But... it was probably just nothing. ...Can I come in?" he asked, bringing a hand up to rap his knuckles against the doorframe. Daniel nodded.

"Yes," he said and smiled to Arty as the man stepped inside. The teen got up from the floor to perch on his bed. "Have you found your necklace?" he asked. Arty shook his head with a breath.

"Nope, not yet," he said in a tone that read his annoyance towards himself for losing it. He walked to Daniel's desk, and grabbed a pencil from the pencil cup, that was right side up unlike the others. He flipped it and put it back.

"It must be special to you."

"...Yeah," Arty breathed, "It was a gift from my younger brother." He watched the desk for a moment, looking at the things that sat on it, and then glanced over at Daniel. The teen offered a smile. Arty sighed loudly and waved a hand. "Jack comes home late from work today, and I don't have any good groceries for dinner. Do you feel like stepping out with me?"

Daniel stood up a little too urgently. "I would," he said quickly, his haste making Arty smile lightly in humor. The teen cleared his throat and added, "I meant yes, that sounds nice."

"Great," Arty replied through his smiling, "Don't forget a coat, it's even colder in the late of the day. I'm gonna go and get Geil ready, but you can just wait downstairs," he finished. Daniel nodded and the man left the desk to slip back out of the room, where he turned down the hallway to go to the younger child's room.

Inside, Geil sat pouting on his bed. Arty walked over and put a hand on the boy's head.

"Hey," he said, "I talked to him. Hop up and let's grab your coat."

Geil frowned. "Why."

"So we can get dinner, babe. Come on." Arty tapped his son's head and left to the closet, where he sifted through the hanging clothes for a coat.

"He didn't say sorry," Geil said from where he sat. Arty rose his brows and sighed, looking at the clothing.

"I think you're overreacting."

Geil blew a raspberry. Arty chuckled. He grabbed a jacket and brought it over to Geil, where he slipped the boy into it and buttoned it shut.

"It isn't good to hold grudges," Arty said and kissed Geil's head. When the boy still pouted, he started kissing his ticklish neck, making the boy start laughing.

l.l

"Alright; I'm not picky, so what do you boys want for dinner?" Arty asked Geil and Daniel as he strolled the grocery cart. Geil sat in the front seat of it, something he could probably do until he was eight, from his small body. Daniel didn't say anything, glancing at Geil and waiting to see what the child would say.

"Spaghetti!" he cried and kicked his legs, nailing Arty, but it would take something a hell of a lot stronger to get him down. Arty looked at Daniel.

"How about you? Spaghetti?"

Daniel nodded while he walked beside the man. "Yes, I fancy that."

Arty huffed a little laugh and nodded. "Alright, spaghetti it is, then. So, we need to get some fresh basil and tomatoes," he clicked his tongue while pushing the cart, glancing around at the aisles. Daniel couldn't help but smirk at the man.

"...Can you say that again?" he asked, looking at the brunette. Arty looked at him and furrowed his eyebrows.

"Hm? ...Basil?"

Daniel laughed. "Yes, you say it differently. It's basil."

"Well alright, now you're saying it funny," Arty laughed. "Is that how you say it in Scotland? Basil?"

Daniel nodded, looking forward with a big smile as he listened to Arty. "Yes, the whole UK. We both say it differently; I like how you say it."

Looking at Daniel, Arty smiled, but then he noticed something on the teen's cheek. He gasped and tapped Daniel's cheek.

"You have dimples! Oh, that's so cute- are they on both cheeks?"

Daniel was going to give Arty his full attention so that the man could see, but he dropped his smile when he noticed someone down the aisle, staring at them. He seemed more to be looking at Arty, though, so Daniel glanced at the man.

"Who's that?" he asked and pointed. Arty looked in the direction. The stranger averted his gaze so that he wouldn't be noticed, but he knew that he was caught, and looked back. He pulled a smile and started walking over.

"Er... that's Uncle Henry; Jack's brother," Arty replied somewhat hesitantly. Geil seemed to perk up immediately at the name, though, and craned back in the cart to look.

"Uncle Henry!" he squealed. The man walked over and slipped by Arty, grabbing Geil and picking him up from the cart. He hugged Geil to him.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite nephew!" Henry said, making Geil giggle in delight. He looked at Arty over the child's blonde head, his eyes a charming grey, while he had the same blonde hair that Jack had, only lighter. He was the younger brother, Daniel concluded, because he looked almost as old as Arty, maybe a few years older.

Arty reached out and grabbed Geil's from Henry, taking him back. "Yeah, but we've got to do dinner, don't we pal," he said to Geil, who looked ready to argue.

"I'll get it," Daniel spoke up. Arty looked at him with an expression that read something of, "no you won't," but Henry's face read that he agreed.

"Yeah Art, let him get it," the blonde said, looking back at Arty. Arty let out a small, almost unnoticeable breath. Henry looked back at Daniel. "You're the new adoptee, huh?" he reached out to ruffle Daniel's hair, but the teen ducked away, and looked at Arty again.

"I can get it?" he asked, looking at Arty's hesitant blue eyes.

"...But you don't know where it is."

"I can find it."

"Yeah Arty, he can find it," Henry said, watching the other man. Arty gave the blonde a look before looking back at Daniel.

"Okay," he gave.

Daniel gave the man a smile to reassure him before slipping away from the group and trailing down the aisle, where he turned into the next. It was a cereal aisle, by the look of it.

The teen walked down the boxes of cereal until he was at the estimated spot of where the adults and children were. There, he started grabbing some boxes from the shelf and setting them on the floor.

One box separated him from the others.

"Geil, go on and find your brother," he heard Henry say, but then arts voice sounded, harshly.

"No, Geil, stay here." Arty gave an exasperated sigh. "What do you want now? We're getting food."

"You," Henry said, "As always. Come over, I miss you."

"It was once, you-"

"Twice. Especially, Halloween," Henry said snidely. Daniel grabbed the last box and angled it, so that he could peer at them. Geil was a pace behind Arty, looking at things on the shelves while his father talked to his uncle, who stood a little close for comfort.

"You drugged me-"

"You drank it," Henry said, "When you already knew."

Arty glared at his brother in-law. "That doesn't make it right." Henry scoffed and shrugged a shoulder.

"None of it was right, but you enticed me, first- why do you always forget that?"

Arty glared daggers. "I," Henry stepped closer and Arty shoved him, "Hate you!" Henry caught Arty's wrist and the brunette cried out. Geil looked over.

"Daddy," the child turned back to the adults and walked to his father. It urged Henry to let him go.

"Two weeks ago," Henry spoke up to Arty, "How's the floor?" He smirked at Arty's burning face, but it was short-lived when the brunette spat in his face. Arty picked up Geil and slipped him back into the cart before strolling it out of Daniel's view. Henry wiped the spit with his coat sleeve.

Daniel stopped smiling to start putting the boxes back, failing to put up a few more because he had to hurry and get out of the aisle. Heading down, he stepped out just in time to be hit by a strolling cart. Arty scoffed loudly, at himself.

"I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" he asked, letting go of the cart's handle bar to walk to Daniel, where he started looking the teen over. Daniel shook his head briefly before holding up his empty hands.

"You were right," he said, making Arty look at him in full confusion, "I didn't find the basil."

Arty stared at the teen in question before giving an airy, stressed laugh. He shook his head and Pat Daniel's shoulder. "It's okay, we'll find it."

l.l

Arty put Jack's plate of spaghetti in the microwave, since he was still at work. After bathing Geil and putting him to bed, he washed the night's dishes and set them in the strainer to dry, Daniel already asleep when he peeked in at him earlier. He leaned over the sink, eyes closed as he remembered the scene at the grocery store.

Stress. It was just stress. He ran his hand through his hair before shaking his head. "Fuck," he whispered sharply at himself. He'd kick himself, but it bruise by how hard he wanted to.

He pushed off of the sink and left the kitchen, where he made his way upstairs and into he and Jack's bedroom. He still hadn't his necklace, either. To add to the stress.

He slipped his shirt off and tossed it into the laundry hamper in the bedroom, stripping from his pants and boxers and doing the same. From the dresser, he grabbed a towel and unraveled it before wrapping it around his waist. He then made his way to the bathroom in the house's darkness of the night.

He turned the bathroom light on and stepped inside, where he walked to the bathtub and perched against the rim to turn the water on, adjusting it to the temperature of his choice.

When that was done, he got up from the tub and grabbed the plug from its hook on the walk, slipping it underneath the water to stop the drain from drinking it up. The water ran warm.

Arty turned away from the bathtub and walked to the sink, where he looked at his reflection while the water filled up.

His hair was getting a little longer, but he didn't judge that as much as he did his eyes. He dropped his gaze to distance himself from his face, but it just led him to seeing something else. He reached into the sink and picked up the white pill that rested beside the drain. Looking it over, it was his. He exhaled and dropped it back into the sink, where he turned on the water and washed it down the drain. When it was gone, he shut the water off again.

He shook his head again and sighed, reaching down to pull his towel off so that he could bathe. He turned from the sink to the bathtub, but his eyes saw the open bathroom door, first.

"Jack?" he asked, even though he knew Jack wouldn't be back yet. He started putting the towel back on. Tucking it so that it would fall off, he walked to the door to peer out into the hallway, but there was no one there. He fired his eyebrows. "Babe," he called out in a hushed, agitated voice. There was no response.

He stepped out of the bathroom and walked to Geil's bedroom, where he peeked inside at the boy. He was asleep by all means, snoring softly while he lay sprawled on his bed, a leg on top of his blanket.

Arty glanced back down the empty hallway, at where Daniel's room sat. He pressed his lips together and shut Geil's door before stepping down the hall to Daniel's room, where he cracked the door open to peek inside.

Daniel lay sleeping on his side, his blanket pulled up to his shoulder while he breathed slowly with sleep.

"Daniel," Arty whispered into the room, "are you awake?"

Daniel rolled onto his back, which made Arty think he was awake and going to say something, but his eyes were closed, and he just pulled and arm from beneath his blanket to rest on his stomach, his chest moving with breaths.

Arty backed out of the room and shut the door again, the knob clicking softly. He reached up to put a hand on his forehead.

"You're so dumb," he mumbled to himself. He huffed and dropped his hand back to his side before leaving back to the bathroom. As he shut the door this time, he locked it. He looked at the tub and saw that the water was almost a little too full.

Daniel opened his eyes and looked up at his dark ceiling, where he smiled to himself.