Cousin and Guardian :: Cleverfox

[KingCrowley]

It was a cold Christmas eve night, Mikhael had really enjoyed seeing his young eleven year old cousin Crevan. He did see him often and the two of them were close, but he usually didn't get to see him much over Christmas. Mikhael really didn't like his Uncle Keegan, he was an ass to Crevan, always smacking him about and calling him nasty names.

Mikhael got up and rushed to the window, seeing the car pull out of the drive....with no Crevan in it. He frowned and shrugged it off, going into the kitchen where he saw a note.

Mikhael,

I can't look after the brat anymore, I have better things to do. He's your problem now.

Anger boiled inside the sixteen year old and he screwed up the note. How could a parent just abandon their child?! He sighed and headed upstairs to Crevan's room, not surprised to see him asleep. How was he going to tell his cousin this?

He walked over and sat down on the edge of his bed, "Crev...buddy." he said gently shaking his shoulder.

[CleverFox]

The holidays had never been great for Crevan and it had all started the day he was born.

Born on Christmas day and two and a half months premature Crevan had barely survived but the child was a tenacious one and somehow he had managed to pull through. His mother unfortunately hadn't been as fortunate and she died the day that he was born, which perhaps had been the cause for the hatred that his father harbored for him.

Crevan had never really known the answer to that one.

All he knew was that his father, he had never once called him dad and usually just called him by his name when speaking of him, couldn't stand the sight of him and took every chance to hurt or belittle him. It wasn't something that he understood, he was really smart but he was still just a child and he was tiny even for eleven years old, he looked more like he was eight.

He was currently sleeping in his room, unaware that anything was going on. At least until he heard his cousin's voice, that rousing him and he smiled slightly when he saw Mikhael, getting along really well with his cousin since the teen actually did stuff with him. "Khael," he said softly, obviously still groggy.

[KingCrowley]

"Hey buddy." Mikhael said gently and sort of got into the bed with him, pulling him to his chest and rubbing his back. Even though the kid's dad was an asshat, he was still the kid's Dad and he was sure Crev would be upset. "Um...Crevan..." he paused and then sighed, looking down at his adorable cousin. How anyone could ever hit him anywhere but his naughty butt when he deserved it was beyond him.

"How would you feel about living with me? Like....for the rest of forever?" he asked, looking into his blue eyes, the room was dark but the light from the window was enough to see that much. "Just me and you....?" he asked again.

[CleverFox]

Crevan looked at his cousin and he was surprised when Mikhael joined him in the bed but he didn't protest and instead just snuggled against his cousin. Cuddles were something that was an infrequent occurrence and he was a really loveable kid despite the things that he'd had to go through and he loved to snuggle. "What is it Khael?" he asked when he heard his cousin say his name and then sigh, that sort of worrying him. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.

When Mikhael went on to ask his question Crevan was surprised, the little guy shifting slightly so he could look at his cousin. "Something happened...didn't it?" he asked softly, not sure what it was that had happened but he knew that something had caused Khael to ask that question. "I...don't think we can stay just you and me..." he added softly, not sure what was going on and there was a trace of panic in his voice.

[KingCrowley]

Mikhael thought Crevan would be happy about the prospect of living with him but he could understand why the child was worried. "Yeah, something happened. Your....Dad asked me to take care of you from now on...he's gone." he told the kid as gently as possible and then he pulled him a little closer. "So I'm going to take care of you myself. I'll ring my parents tomorrow and let them know I need some weekly money we can both live on....everything will be okay Crev." he assured him.

"I get if you're upset...wanna snuggle in my bed with me?"

[CleverFox]

Crevan didn't have a problem with the prospect of living with his cousin, that was definitely an improvement over life with his father the sociopathic doctor, but at the same time Crevan was afraid. So he asked Mikhael what was going on and then he looked at his cousin when he said that his dad had left. "Took longer than I thought it would," Crevan said quietly, hurt that his father would just ditch him but he wasn't surprised really. "Khael...you're not gonna let anyone take me away right?" he asked, clinging to his cousin since he was afraid that child services would intervene or something now that his dad had left him.

When he was asked if he wanted to snuggle in his cousin's bed Crevan nodded, wanting that very much right now.

[KingCrowley]

Mikhael felt bad for the kid when he seemed to assume it was going to happen all the same. "I'm sorry buddy." he told him and then rubbed his back, shaking his head some. "I promise no one is going to take you away. I'm an adult and I have a job, I can easily provide for you." he told him and smiled a bit when he confirmed he wanted to snuggle in his bed with him. "Okay kiddo, c'mon. Let's have a good night's sleep and enjoy Christmas tomorrow, I got you some really neat things."

He carried him into his room and got into the double bed with him, holding him close and kissing his head. "Night buddy."

[CleverFox]

Crevan was really afraid that he was going to end up in the foster system now and that was the part that freaked him out the most, not that his father had left him which was sad. "It's not your fault...I mean he never wanted me," Crevan said when Mikhael apologized for something that wasn't his fault. He listened as his cousin promised him that no one was going to take him and he nodded his head, trusting Khael to tell him the truth. "Okay Khael...don' let 'em take me," the little boy said before he went on to confirm that he wanted to cuddle with Khael in his bed.

"You got me presents?" the little guy asked when Mikhael mentioned enjoying Christmas and that he got him neat things, that piquing the little guy's interest.

He leaned against his cousin who was more like a big brother to him than anything else as he was carried to Mikhael's room and he snuggled against his cousin once they were in bed. "Night Khael," he said softly, clinging to him as though he thought if he let go that Mikhael would vanish too.

[KingCrowley]

"Of course I got you presents!" Mikhael grinned, "I get you them every year but your Dad throws them in the garbage. I still have all those toys left in the attic though...but it was from when you were a baby....so you might not want those ones." he chuckled and then snuggled up with him in his bed, his arms wrapped around his little cousin. "Night buddy, I have to go to work tomorrow, so I'm gonna have you tag along with me. My boss won't mind as long as you don't leave my sight."

He never even considered leaving Crevan on his own at home, that was NOT happening.

[CleverFox]

"I didn't know that," Crevan said quietly, sort of surprised since his dad liked to torment him by giving him things and then taking them away. He didn't tell Mikhael that part since it was one of those things that he didn't talk about but he was interested in the whole gifts thing. "Thanks Khael," he said softly, hugging his cousin and clinging to him. "You have to work on Christmas?" he asked before adding, "What do you do?" He wasn't even sure what his cousin did for a living so he wanted to know just what it was.

He was a naturally curious child.