[IC] ❀✿❀✿Spring in Autumn

[LetterA]

☆ the park played the same songs ☆

with the leaves whispering loneliness
the metal rungs of the swing set
singing a song of solitude



"What's your name?"
"What's it to you?"
Let's make a place to belong.

---

Scully "Babyface" Vagabond

A soft chill passed over the town, the mid-noon surprisingly quiet. Birds called to each other in the cloudless sky, the surrounding neighborhood silent, people at their respective schools or work. All except one- a small boy who walked through the streets with his bag over his back, his mouth wrapped and nibbling on a chocolate bar.

Babyface reached the park in short time, instantly making his way to the empty swings. The chains rang against one another as a small gust of wind blew, the dark haired boy dropping his bag beside the set and finishing with a tired slump into the seat. He winced, his thigh hurting something nasty, the wince causing another wince when he affected the bruising cut underneath his left eye. It was small, and wouldn't scar, but warranted enough pain that Babyface thought he deserved a break.

It was only a few weeks into the school year, and Babyface already skipped three days, his sneakers kicking into the wood chips as he slowly swung back and forth, continuing to nibble on his chocolate bar. "I should've gone to school today," he said to no one as the crisp autumn air blew wistfully past his freckles.

[cerozer0]

Scully "Wildchild" Vagabond

---------

A phone call and a signature, that was all it took to get Wildchild out of academic prison. Two simple actions, but both formed a very heavy presence in the eyes of his mother, whom had to travel all the way from work to pick him up. She was angry to say the least, practically fuming as she tugged at the back of his sweatshirt with enough force to lift him from the ground for a few seconds. Neither spoke, neither made eye contact, they simply walked away from the school building in complete and utter silence, the only sound being the birds that twittered in the trees above the street. Wildchild glared ahead with blurred vision, tears threatening to fall but held back by his sheer stubbornness, and his breath came out heavy as he was dragged by his iron-gripped parent. Her tense handling wasn't doing wonders for him, if completely honest, his entire body was aching with injuries. Red stood out against his white tee-shirt, blood that had since stopped dripping, and his right eye had already begun to blacken and swell. A split lip filled his mouth with the taste of copper, and his cheeks were flushed with exhaustion. He truly did look like a Wildchild now, an angry, devious, delinquent. The silence grew with each rushed step, and then his mother lifted her head, raven black hair tumbling in the autumn wind, and with a tight voice she questioned,

"Why are you always picking fights?"

And Wildchild, ever so angry, let out a loud growl and spat back,

"What's it to ya?" And instantly a hand connected with the back of his head and he was released from her grip, crumbling to the sparkling sidewalk instantly. His tongue clicked, curses bubbling to his lips but they were withheld, and instead he rose his golden eyes up to glare at the taller woman. She glared back with the same intensity, her pointed nose risen with the upmost disgust, and after a second of glares she muttered,

"I'm going back to work. Get home, now." And then with a stiff nod she turned and walked down the rest of the street, finally vanishing around the right turn. Wildchild watched her go with lips tight, and once she was out of view he stood, spitting a mixture of blood and saliva into the grass beside him. A cocky smile curled at his lips, though the split lip instantly started to ache at the slightest movement, and he began a steady stride down the hill, instantly loosing himself in thought,

Home, huh? Hell no. Helllllllll no. Don't feel like getting my ass beat tonight.

He made sure to turn left, following the mostly unfamiliar suburban street with dull eyes. Unfocused eyes. Thinking helped dull the pain, though it also seemed to blind him to the rest of the world. The beautiful, fucked world. It was a nice day, cool and warm at the same time, and the musical birds tweeted above, their shadows dancing in the afternoon sun with the grace of smoke. Wildchild walked through this beauty with his hand tight around his bag and his hair shielding his bruised face, all while his mind sang with images of the things he enjoyed. Cooking. Video games. Playgrounds. Books. The good things that made his life feel okay. By the time he looked up from his happy place, though, he realized he was somewhere far beyond his small household.

"Ah, this place..." He muttered, shoving both hands into his jean pockets as he stepped gingerly off the sidewalk and down the grassy incline, towards the hopefully empty playground at the bottom. He glanced around at the silent landscape, feeling rather at home though he had never really been in this part of town, and as he turned towards the swing sets to sit down he froze.

Someone else is here...

Wildchild heard the clinking of chains, and he saw the slow moving shadow of an occupied swing move to and for in the wind. A boy, probably younger then him, sat with his mouth closed around a chocolate bar. He was pretty, there was no other way to describe him, this kid was extremely pretty even from a profile glance. Most definitely girly. Probably adored by all the chicks in class. Or... Maybe not? He continued his long stare at the rounded face, focusing on the odd red mark under his eye. Might be a bully victim, he'd be easy prey for the asses at his school. Looking closer after that thought, Wildchild realized this kid definitely didn't go to his school, he was completely unknown. And that meant he didn't know Wildchild or his reputation.

Could he be... Friendly perhaps?

Wildchild approached with
purpose burning in his eyes, and as he made his way to stand in front of this beautiful boy with his bruised and angry face thoughts filled his mind. Thoughts that he'll mess up, get attacked, get embarrassed, and they all built up within him until he finally just blurted out,

"Your eye looks like shit."

[LetterA]

Scully "Babyface" Vagabond

Sweetness in his mouth, Babyface had been enjoying the silence, letting his feet rest and allowing the wind to push him back and forth. The park was his favourite place to skip to, given it was the total opposite of his house and the chance of him running into anyone was close to none. He'd come across the place last year, and though he wondered about it's frequent emptiness, he didn't care enough to investigate. Babyface was just glad he could half a place to swing without being pushed off.

His attention drifted but came to at the sound of crunching leaves, turning his head warily in fear. Before he could reach for his bookbag and run, however, the figure appeared before him, a boy similar in age, looking far more battered and worn. Far angrier, too.

There was a moment of stillness that, to Babyface, seemed to last forever. His mind went on panic mode, his body too busy locking in fear to respond to any fight or flight impulses. He didn't know this kid, no way did they go to the same school, but was it something about Babyface that made him universally targeted? And, before the dark haired eighth grader could so much as take another breath, the stranger spoke-

"Your eyes look like shit."

Had he heard that right?

"Like you're one to talk," giggled Babyface, his eyes widening and covering his mouth, the comment having slipped out by chance. Pulling his hands away, the young teen tried to apologize, commenting shyly, "I mean, you, too. You look..." He didn't know how to finish the sentence without getting beat up, offering a wince to end his statement instead. Babyface reckoned he should've gone to school that day- it was better to be bullied by familiar faces than by a random... wild child he met in the park.

[cerozer0]

Scully "Wildchild" Vagabond

---------

At the Pretty Boy's first comment he felt his fists clench, eye twitching with a sudden need to deck this stupid brat over such a little response, but as an apologetic look replaced his giggle and he attempted to rephrase his remark Wildchild sighed. A long, deep breath, calming him slowly, blowing away the red that had threatened to claim his vision once again. He looked down at his old sneakers shyly, rubbing the back of his head gingerly before glancing up once more, a half-smile and a wince painting his face,

"Yeah, I look like hell, huh?" The smile fell as his split lip crackled with pain, and he instead turned his attention to the swing beside Pretty Boy. Without asking to sit he simply walked up and stepped up onto the swing, hands wrapping around the chains while he took a moment to balance both of his feet before glancing around the rest of the park. Autumn was upon the town already, proven by the rotting, colorful leaves that covered the green-ish earth and floated through the chilling breeze like dancers. Halloween would come soon, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas. The school year was already quickly flowing passed him, and even now, after the initial few weeks he had yet to gain any friends.

His reputation was horrid, that was the main reason. The way he spoke and looked just drove people away, and the constant bruises he never allowed to heal fully just seemed to spook any who might have been even the slightest bit interested in him. No doubt this kid was probably terrified of his sudden appearance as well. Wildchild glanced back down at the Pretty Boy, pursing his lips slightly,

"Are you scared of me, Pretty Boy?" He wondered out loud, hands tightening around the chains as he leaned forward to meet the other's eyes, his own appearing golden in the sunlight.

[LetterA]

Scully "Babyface" Vagabond

Babyface glanced up, after two beats without a beating, just in time to see the stranger's eyes fall to the ground a pained smile forming at his lips. It was only then did the young boy notice the cut on the lips, Babyface wincing as he could almost feel the pain as well. At the wild child's comment, he decided to keep quiet this time, realizing too late that it'd been a while since he talked to another boy. Or child his age, period. At least, without getting kicked in the stomach anyways. Babyface's eyes fell to his grass-stained jeans, wondering perhaps if the other boy wanted to kick him in the stomach. Maybe this other boy was same-- maybe he... no, from the tell-tale wounds, this kid definitely had been kicked in the stomach before.

Chains beside him rattled in the empty air, the feminine boy allowing himself a sideway glance, and the sight of the wild child looking larger than life almost took his breath away. It was then that he understood, no, they weren't the same- similar, perhaps, with their mirrored bruises- but not the same. Babyface was small, thought the child to himself as his grip around the chains of his swing tightened. This stranger, this boy, he was bigger both in size and in presence. Just the thought of it almost made Babyface shrink into himself, if not for the other boy asking him something.

Large, doe brown eyes met with the glittering golden hue that was the stranger's, and for a moment, Babyface was more mesmerized than scared. Then, as the question seemed to finally hit him, his faint brows furrowed into a confusion. Pretty Boy was a nickname he was familiar to, having been called that before the name calling and taunting escalated. Still, though, it almost seemed foreign. "It's Scully," he said, trying to recollect his thoughts, before adding, "And a little. But you haven't hurt me yet, so it's okay. You're okay."

His eyes fell down to his lap once more, feeling embarrassed at his rambling, the sinking feeling of awkwardness only getting worse. Rather than his pretty face, Babyface thought, it was probably because he was so socially inept that he was bullied. Glancing up at the stranger once more, he took another shot at communicating:

"Uhm, and I'm okay. I mean, I'm nothing... to be scared of."

[cerozer0]

Scully "Wildchild" Vagabond

---------

He would have smiled at the response, if not for his new found knowledge of the Pretty Boy's name. Scully. No fucking way. Impossible. Scully was a name he thought was much too stupid to give to one child, let alone another. Wildchild nearly toppled as his mind swarmed with reasons for why this kid had the same first name as him, but in the end he simply smirked and let out a soft, rough chuckle, leaning back and then pushing forward as he begun to swing. The kid seemed nice enough, didn't really react violently to his greeting nor run away at the first sight of his probably mad face. If he could just keep up the pace with his stupidly inept social skills, maybe he'd finally have a chance of getting a new friend. Wildchild turned his head to the sky as he thought of the kid's response over and over again, right until he blurted out,

"Who said I'm not gonna hurt ya? Just because I haven't made a move yet doesn't mean I'm not gonna." The swing creaked as he pushed forward with his feet, the wind tussling his rather explosive bangs and lifting his hoodie up and around him like a cap. After a second of silence and smirked, glancing down at 'Scully' with a smile that mostly shown through his eyes,

"I'm kidding, though. I'm not gonna pummel ya or anything," and after the other's noting how he was nothing to be scared of, Wildchild laughed, loud and pure, "obviously you're nothing to be scared of! Look at you! You're prettier than any girl in my school!" He didn't seem to realize that could be considered an insult, and with a devious smirk at the ground he suddenly jumped from his perch. His kicked at the air feebly, watching the colors of fall swirl around him before landing sloppily a few feet away, a puff of wood chips and dust forming around his ankles. Wildchild turned quickly, the devious glint still apperent in his gaze, and he held out a bruised hand,

"Scully, right? I'm Scully, too, Scully Vagabond. Nice to..." He stammered slightly, only the slightest dusting of pink appearing on the bridge of his nose, "nice to meet ya!"

[LetterA]

Scully "Babyface" Vagabond

The silence after his reply served only to make Babyface even more embarrassed, sure that he'd driven away the only other kid willing to talk to him by being stupid and awkward. His worries were slightly alleviated, however, glancing up to the sound of soft chuckling of the child beside him. As the chains creaked loudly from the force of swinging, Babyface himself started to once more slowly swing back and forth, pushing his weight back and forth between his heels. Admittedly, he'd tensed at the strange boy's first statement, but relaxed once more at the assurance that he wasn't gonna get beat.

Maybe this guy wasn't all that bad, Babyface decided, before wincing and flushing at the “pretty” comment. Something akin to pride bruised in his heart, but the beautiful boy found nothing in him that pushed him to argue. He'd never liked his face- he wished he was cooler, with eyes sharp as opposed to large and soft, with a jawline that was more defined than soft- he wished he looked more like... the strange boy jumped off the swing, Babyface wincing his eyes shut to try and miss what would be no doubt a painful end. But instead, the stranger stood and turned, just in time for a gust of wind to rush past his hair.

Babyface wanted to be like him.

He nodded his head when his name was mentioned, lifting a soft pale hand in return to shake hands, pausing at the Strange Boy's name. Scully was strange enough but... Vagabond? Was this a joke? “I- I'm Scully,” managed Babyface with a flush, half-expecting his usual crowd of bullies appear from the woodworks and laugh and jeer, as his strange name was also used as ammunition in his daily routine. As his soft hand met with the Other Scully's raw one, he almost felt something ache of loneliness in his heart- Please, Please, Please, he wished to no one, Please don't let him be a new student in my school who's actually a bully please-.

“I'm Scully Vagabond, too, actually,” he said, offering a small shy smile, still wishing quite hard, “Nice to meet you, too.”

[cerozer0]

Scully "Wildchild" Vagabond

---------

"... No shit? Scully Vagabond? That's beyond weird!" He gripped the other Sully's hand lightly, wondering if it may break if he tried to hold it any tighter, and offered the best smile he could manage. Now, this was easy! Talking to this guy was simple and fun and made Wildchild feel not so wild anymore. In fact, just being around this pretty boy made him feel almost... Calm. Serene. He'd kill to be like that all the time, nice and soft and easy to approach. That would easily curb all the stupid harassment and loneliness he was left to deal with in that hellhole. He took a moment to inspect the prettiness of other Scully's face with narrowed eyes, noting his freckles and dark eyes and round face. Yes, this Scully was beautiful, effeminate and kind. A stark difference from Wildchild's angular face and razor sharp tongue.

Maybe he wanted to be more like this pretty boy.

More soft, more sweet. He'd be flocked with friends, too kind to turn away even the most angry looking fellow. He'd have no rage to let out nor a parent who looks on at him with suffocatingly nostalgic, angry eyes. He'd be... Like. Wildchild blushed once he realized he was staring and with a rather violent motion he slipped the other's hand away and shoved both bruised knuckles into his sweatshirt pocket. He turned to glance up at the sky again, watching the afternoon blue sit lazily above, and then a sudden thought sprung into his head.

"Dude, why aren't you at, like, school? It's like..." he glanced down at his watch, taking a few moments to read the time before raising his head once more, "One-O-Five. I'm pretty sure most schools are still in session." His head cocked in confusion, black bangs tumbling over his left eye rather ungracefully.

[LetterA]

Scully "Babyface" Vagabond

Babyface blinked in surprise, his large eyes gazing over the other Scully's smile before his eyes wandered down to their touching hands. The pretty boy flushed again, this time from something akin to embarrassment, but different to his usual one. His heart clenched, and for once it was the good kind of clench. With the simple touch the eighth grader could feel himself rise up again- he could do this, he could make friends. And, as fate would have it, thought Babyface as he glanced back up to giggle nervously, they had the same name.

He flinched in surprise when his hand was tossed aside, Scully stuffing his hands in his pockets. Babyface's smile faltered, and wondered- for the first time in his short life- if perhaps there was something wrong with his face. A silence fell over between the boys, the swing creaking as the wind shifted Babyface back and forth, his eyes following after Scully's and gazing upwards into the sky, jumping when his new friend(?) spoke up.

“Uhm,” started Babyface as pink tipped pale fingers lifted to his lips, pinching at pink chapped lips. He mumbled something incoherently before repeating, “I didn't wanna go today. So I skipped.” Looking over the other boy, he tilted in deference, piping up an unsure, “I could say the same thing to you, though...?”

[cerozer0]

Scully "Wildchild" Vagabond

---------

He even stutters like a chick. What the hell.

Wildchild smirked at the other Scully's response, falling into the swing beside him again. Most kids didn't skip, especially not the quiet ones, but from the darkening scar underneath his new friend's (right, right?) eye he could only assume it was because of a fight. Perhaps bullying, but who would want to hit such a soft face? He kicked his legs slightly, allowing the swing to move slightly, and he kept his eyes on the other Scully's profile, completely forgetting the question that had been uttered from his pink mouth until he realized that he was being stared at with eyes full of expectancy.

"Oh, uh, I was uhm..." He turned away, rubbing the back of his head and wincing as he attempted to bite his lip. Why was this so embarrassing? Well, maybe this small girly-boy would be frightened by the fact that he had gotten into a fight with three other kids. Maybe he'll run when he realized that the bruises on his face aren't the only ones. But... Maybe lying isn't best either. He wouldn't want to lie to someone he just met. Putting up his defenses again, telling him to lay off and stick his nose elsewhere always seemed shut up others, but also send them running for help. The stress of how to explain his two day suspension built with each passing minute, forming in the silence as constant sighs and jittering movements until he finally blurted out:

"I got sent home because I was pu- I mean I kicked the shit out of some assholes. Nothing serious. Heh." He flushed, then forced a smirk, throwing his arms behind his head as if he were some cool kid leaning against a wall, "taught them a lesson. They're probably worse off than me!" His laughter came out like a cackle, faked and dark, and then he allowed himself to lean forward, staring at the wood-chipped earth with narrowed eyes.

"Why didn't you go today?" Wildchild glanced up from behind his bangs obviously unaware that the kid might not want to answer such a personal question.

[LetterA]

Scully "Babyface" Vagabond

The small pauses in conversation were getting so frequent that Babyface found himself getting used to them, awkwardness of the silences slowly replaced by simple calmness. He let his eyes glance now and again at the other Scully, and sure enough, the dark haired boy started to speak. Though, from the shuffling, Babyface wondered if maybe he'd touched a nerve, about to retract his question until the other boy spoke up.

“Woah,” was the involuntary response from Babyface's pink lips, forming into a surprised 'o'. He glanced down at his sneakers, trying not to think about how cool the other Scully was- beat up other people? His grip tightened slightly around the chains of the swing, it clinking under the pressure, Babyface unable to help himself from thinking- I wish I could do that.

He looked over at the other Scully and couldn't help but giggle, forgetting how contagious laughter was. There was another pause afterwards, the lighter haired boy pushing himself to swing slightly back and forth when Scully asked: “Why didn't you go today?”

Babyface pressed his lips together, stopping mid-swing, woodchips scattering as his heels dug into the ground. What? Wait, what was he supposed to say? He wasn't as cool as the other Scully- if anything, his reason was lame. And he couldn't say he fought kids either, what if the dark haired kid wanted to fight him for fun? The pale boy's cheeks flushed as he thought with embarrassment the real reason he skipped- he was bullied. Ugh, no, no way he was going to admit that to a stranger. Especially when that stranger seemed like he'd make a nice friend.

Offering a sheepish and small smile, Babyface commented, “I wasn't feeling too well.” Adjusting himself on his seat, a crumpling in his hand reminded him of the wrapper from the chocolate bar he'd been eating earlier. Tucking it away, Babyface half-lied, “I got into a fight, and I didn't feel like seeing them, you know?”

[cerozer0]

Scully "Wildchild" Vagabond

---------

Wildchild nodded at the other Scully's response, kicking his legs back and fourth as he got into the rhythm of swinging, and he allowed a comfortable silence to fill the air. For the first time in a while, Wildchild felt extremely calm. It was his first time speaking so casually to a complete stranger, his first time feeling extremely welcomed to talk to this person. So many firsts, it felt kind of poetic, and he softly smiled at the swirling scenery around and the sky filled with clouds and birds. The silence soon grew suffocating, though, and Wildchild slowed his swing and turned back to the other, curiosity growing in his eyes,

"So, where do you go to school?" He dug his feet into the wood chips, pointing in the direction that where he came from, "I go to Jefferson Memorial up that way. It's pretty small for a middle school, and I'm pretty sure you don't go there." A sudden gust of wind stops any other thought he wishes to utter mid-sentence, and his bangs wag furiously as the fall breeze passes with the ferocity of a roar. Leaves tumbled through the air like clouds, billowing off the park trees and coating the greenery and playground in yellows and reds and oranges. Wildchild pulled his hoodie over his head, over exaggerating a shiver as his eyes gazed across nature's majesty with growing curiosity.

I wonder what the rest of this part of town is like.

He stepped off from the swing, gazing across the playground to the road and houses and trees beyond. He then turned to the other Sully, nodding towards the street with a small smirk,

"Hey, let's go walking. Know any cool places to hang?"

[LetterA]

Scully "Babyface" Vagabond

Babyface was glad to see that Scully didn't press further, letting his gaze fall back to his lap as he slowly pushed himself back and forth on the swing. He let his mind drift a bit, wondering if maybe he could meet his new friend another day, or if perhaps this was a one time thing, his attention coming to as he heard beside him the creaking of the swing slowing. Babyface glanced just in time to catch Scully's eyes on his, feeling himself flush against his wish- there was something about eye contact in general added with the other boy's rattling gold eyes that made Babyface want to look away.

At hearing about the school though, the light haired boy's eyes lit up, commenting, "Yeah, no, I'm in the next town over." He pointed opposite of other Scully, thinking to himself that it was no wonder he didn't know about Babyface. He was a total stranger! "I go to Roosevelt, actu-" his sentence was drowned by the roar of a wind, his eyes closing as it rushed by. Long brown hair tickled past his face, sending a slight hum of pain against his cheek where his open wound was.

Opening his eyes once more, Babyface finding the other Scully to have hopped off his swing. He didn't know what made him do it, but he stood up as well, his swing clattering behind him and lightly knocking against the back of his knees. "Walking?" repeated Babyface as though trying to make sure before his mouth shaped an o in understanding. Leaning to grab his bookbag, he nodded and bounded after the other Scully, blushing as he became too aware of how he was walking- was he walking too much like a dork? God, he totally was.

"Uhm," started Babyface, trying to distract himself from even trying to pace his breathing, "I know about a nearby forest with a lake...? It's kind of cold though..." And as though on cue, another soft breeze brushed past.

[cerozer0]

Scully "Wildchild" Vagabond

---------

"Are you kidding me? It's not that cold."

Wildchild tilted his head at the sight of the blushing boy, but thoughts to question his redness vanished as the other spoke of a nearby forest. That'd be interesting to navigate! The soft breeze failed to chill him, instead blowing his bangs softly from his eyes and vanishing behind the skyline like a distant memory. Wildchild nodded at the poetic thought, a sly smirk painting his bruised face, and then he turned to the other Scully, jogging in place lightly as if to visualize his excitement.

"Come on, man, lead the way!" He would have kept up his constant jumping if not for his aching legs and a sudden chirp from behind. He glanced back after a sudden stop and felt his shoulders rise in horror at the sight of a rather fat pigeon wandering towards the curb. He inched away slightly, feeling panic rise in his throat, but after a sideways (and somewhat horrified) glance at Babyface he puffed out his chest, closed his eyes, and stomped in the bird's general direction. Hoping the sudden reaction to the hopefully unseen bird was casual yet assertive, he opened one eye and laughed a heavy, forced laugh. The pigeon was gone, thankfully, and with slight embarrassment he shoved his hands into his sweatshirt pockets and once again yelled,

"Hurry up!"

[LetterA]

Scully "Babyface" Vagabond

Babyface flushed at the comment, mumbling embarrassedly something along the lines of, "The water'll be cold, though...", before letting it go. If Scully had wanted his opinion, he'd ask for it. Probably, right? The freckled adolescent lost his train of thought as the bruised boy called him on, Babyface rushing forward to lead the way.

He slowed as he neared the other Scully, wondering what he was up to. The boy had slowed down, then made brief eye contact with Babyface. At first, the effeminate boy wondered if perhaps he'd done something wrong- god, he knew it, he totally did walk weird- but then he saw Scully chase off the pigeon. Oh? Oh... Oh! Was it a quick lesson, maybe? In terms of intimidation? Babyface's milk chocolate brown eyes searched the vicinity for any nearby birds to try it out on before he flinched at being called for. Well, maybe he could try it some other time, he thought, calling out a sheepish and high pitched, "Sorry," wincing at the crack in his voice.

The freckled teen started beside Scully finally, leading him to forest, meanwhile keeping his eyes out for birds and waving them along, feeling one part silly and one part brave while doing so, every so often giving a small smile towards Scully.
"There," he called out, as they neared the woods, fixing the straps of his bag over his shoulders. The trees towered over the two boys, light barely seeping in through the branches, their feet crushing fresh fallen leaves.

"You ever climbed a tree before?" asked Babyface curiously, his eyes up at the sky rather than on the ground despite the uneven footing- this was familiar to him, after all. Practically a second home.

[cerozer0]

Scully "Wildchild" Vagabond

---------

Wildchild watched as the other Scully chased off the birds of the surrounding suburbs, feeling one part amused and one part glad because now he didn't have to worry about those stupid winged freaks poking out his eyes. He grinned back at the smaller one's constant small smiles, ignoring the slight pain he received every time he stretched his lips too far, and then he turned to stare around at the trees that suddenly started to appear in the distance. Woods, a forest. He could just imagine all the critters and smells and unfamiliar things within the woods. A feeling of uncertainty made him wish to ask to go somewhere else, but he swallowed the thought and quickly followed after Babyface. He much preferred closed spaces, televisions, and darkness to the outdoors and the faces that constantly glare or hide from him.

"There,"

Wildchild turned his eyes forward, blinking at the sight of the large forest before them. The other Scully turned to smile at him and then vanished into the expanse of trees, and with a slight gulp and then a wide grin he followed after, leaves and branches and trash crunching under his feet. Towering trees, the smell of trapped water and animals and plants, yep, definitely unfamiliar stuff. Wildchild stared up through the colored leaves, blinking as sunlight filtered through the spaces and blinded him momentarily, and then the sun seemed to vanished entirely behind thick branches. The trees were huge and the branches thick, ti would be awful to get caught in a place like this at night probably. Even now the shade was pretty dark. He jumped slightly at the other Scully's question, and with a slight dusting of blush he quickly replied,

"Y-Yeah, obviously! Have you?" He was lying, a bad habit picked up from not wanting to get slapped by his mother, but hopefully the other Scully wouldn't notice.

[LetterA]

Scully "Babyface" Vagabond

As the forest wrapped around the two boys, Babyface only felt more and more at home. The sound of birds and crickets filled the silence, and for once he didn't feel awkward talking to a person- or rather, not talking to a person. His eyes turned back now and again to look at Scully as he followed behind, and his enjoyment slowly shifted into something more calm as he watched the features shift on the dark haired boy's face. His eyes seemed to narrow even more, and for a beat Babyface wondered if perhaps he wasn't a fan of nature hikes.

The worry lasted for only a moment, however, lightness returning to Babyface's face at Scully's reply-- surely someone who liked to climb trees liked nature, right? It didn't even occur to him that Scully said nothing about liking tree-climbing, or that other Scully was bad at lying. Babyface was much too busy being overwhelmed with the idea that someone liked climbing trees as much as he did.

Leaves rustled under the weight of Babyface's dropped book bag, the fair haired boy making his way to a tree. His fingers trailed the trunk, before starting for the next tree and doing the same thing. He stopped at the one, turning to the other Scully and waving him over, sunlight peeking past the leaves and acting as spotlights over his freckles. "This one has a really good view," he said, pointing to the tree where his other hand was still rested against. "I always get it confused with the other one, which is bad cuz that one's got a nest."

Smiling bashfully, he nodded to the tree, "Wanna head up first?"

[cerozer0]

Scully "Wildchild" Vagabond

---------

He watched the smaller boy wander around the trees, fingers delicately stroking against the rough bark, and his head tilted ever so slightly. How odd, though the explanation of why Babyface had decided to pet the trees did help to calm Wildchild's curiosity. Without really noticing it, Wildchild let his mind wander as the silence continued. His eyes scanned undergrowth, browning in the autumn's cold, and sun splotches that rained down from the leaves. He held out a hand to catch one of the spots, examining his bruised palm under the sun's healthy glow, and then his fist closed and he winced at the sight of bloody knuckles. He'll be aching tomorrow.

Creatures sounded far off in the brush, deer and mice most likely, kicked at the dead leaves that coated the earth to reach the hopefully-still green sprouts below. Birds cooed periodically, causing him to tense and then sight in relief whenever he realized they were merely frolicking through the tree tops above.

Babyface soon spoke up again, finding what Wildchild assumed to be "his tree". He stared up at the colorful foliage that it produced, then turned to stare down at the waving, freckled boy below it. Wildchild wandered forward, allowing his bag to drop next to the other Scully's, and as the smaller boy spoke his eyes focused on the sunlight that splotched his face. Freckles. Cute. A need to count them entered his mind momentarily before a question filled the air. Wildchild thought for a moment, then shook his head, a little to slow to be natural.

"N-Nah, you head up first, Pretty Boy!" Realizing he hadn't given an explanation he turned, jagged bangs falling to shield his eyes as he sputtered out, "I-I'll be down here to catch you if you fall." A stupid, but endearing excuse. This kid seemed pretty dopey, so he'll probably fall for it.

[LetterA]

Scully "Babyface" Vagabond

And fell for it he did. Babyface's baby face flushed with embarrassment, and though one part of him was slightly offended that Scully would think he'd need catching, another felt really really happy someone was there to even offer. He had fallen before after all, and perhaps having the dark haired boy around would be helpful.

Coughing to cover up his hint of joy, Babyface turned aside and wiped at his face. He tried to brush the blush off like dirt, only making the redness worse. Rather than continuing to focus on his face- he did too much of that outside the woods- Babyface focused himself on the matter at hand: the tree.

"Alright, well, I'll start us off then," said the light haired boy, wincing as his voice cracked. Reaching for the tree once more, he seemed to instantly calm, the familiarity of it his saving grace. Wordlessly, spare a few grunts and- "Dont grab that, not for too long, anyway"s, Babyface made his way up the tree, resting on the first solid branch he reached.

Pointing his hand to one slightly above and in front of him, he called down, "You can come up now, I think I'm good. Sorry I can't catch you." He paused, looking around at the crisp autumn scenery. An idea struck him, and he added a quick, "Maybe if you gather leaves?"

[cerozer0]

Scully "Wildchild" Vagabond

---------

Wildchild's eyebrows rose at the smaller boy's obvious happiness, a smile parting his chapped, bruised lips. This damn kid was cute, most definitely a chick magnet, dammit! He stood back slightly, hands poised in the traditional "spotter" position, and watched with instant amusement and surprise as the kid clambered up like a monkey. He grimaced, feeling slightly embarrassed that he couldn't do half of what this kid was showing off, but quickly returned to a poker face when the other Scully began speaking again.

He nodded at the way the smaller boy climbed, taking note of which branches to grab on to and which to ignore, and after a silent second of thought he nodded. How hard could it be? A smile threatened to meet his lips again, but it faded to a frown when he heard Babyface's confirmation for his ascension. Instantly a cold wave of anxiety claimed his suave stance and he stiffened, staring up with uncertainty. The light-haired boy's idea of laying down some leaves let him release a small chuckle, but it was stilted and harsh.

"I-I'm sure I'll be fine without them. Yeah, mmmmmhmmmm...." He closed the small distance between him and the tree, running his fingers against the rough bark. His mind was telling him to simply turn and say he couldn't do it, but... This kid didn't know him. This kid probably thought he was cool as shit, and nice and suave to boot.

can't let this mask fall too

He jumped up, bruised hands clutching at the rough bark, and in the same fashion he saw when watching the other Scully climb, he shimmied up the log. By the time he had reached where the other Scully sat he was somewhat panicky, face flushed and shoulders rising with excitement. He managed to snag his foot onto a small, somewhat flimsy branch, and as he shifted his weight to and fro, perfecting some kind of balance, he rose one of his arms, teeth clenched but obviously asking for a helping hand up to where his friend sat.