Firebug: Ch. 26 - Taking a Turn

"Get out," Nurse Flanagan spat, "Now."

Theo's head whipped back and forth, glancing frantically from his exhausted boyfriend to the older woman and back. He was so stunned - so confused - by her sudden shift in demeanor, he couldn't think. Eventually, he managed to choke out a single, befuddled word.

"Why?"

The prickly old nurse gave no answer. At least, not verbally. Her hard-as-flint green eyes kept darting to the stone on her coffee table, the muscles in her saggy jowls jumping in agitation. Without another word, she got up from her overstuffed chair, pulling her faded pink chenille robe tighter around her scrawny frame, and stomped to the door. In under a minute, she'd unfastened the slew of deadbolts on it.

"I didn't sign up for this," she grumped, "Out, Kid. I won't ask nice again."

"No."

Theo blinked in surprise, not realizing the word had burst from his own lips at first. His hands itched and tingled as they clamped down tighter on Roman, holding his boyfriend almost as desperately as he held his wavering courage.

"We came here for answers," he continued, dropping his gaze to the stone just for a moment. Already, the brilliant swirls of blue and white within it were beginning to fade, dulling to the matte black it was before. "That stone... what is it? What do those colors mean? Please, tell me."

Nurse Flanagan looked up at her flat's low, popcorn ceiling, taking a deep breath. Although she didn't appear outwardly religious, it seemed for a moment she was praying. After a few more minutes of silence thick enough to be cut with a welding torch, she shut the door again and put her back against it.

"It's a Scrying Stone," she muttered, "Every Elemental was given one back in the day. Now, though, they're almost as rare as we are."

She paused to take another breath, her arms folded tight across her narrow chest. When she spoke again, her tone was quieter. More guarded. Almost as if she were trying not to weep.

"If and when an Elemental decides to have a child, there's no way to tell if their... abilities... have been inherited until the kid hits puberty. Some don't want to know until then. But others... They can't sleep at night unless they find out. That's what the Stones are for. Even if its put in a baby's hand hours after birth, the Stone reveals all."

Roman lifted his head off Theo's shoulder slowly, startling the blond half to death. He seemed a bit more alert than before - which Theo perceived as a positive change - but his worries were not quelled entirely. Roman was still trembling quite noticeably, sweat mingling with the traces of blood on his upper lip.

"What does it say about me?" he asked, his voice soft and slightly hoarse.

Nurse Flanagan hesitated before answering. The woman was normally a steel vault, unyielding and unbreakable in every way. Theo expected she would maintain her silence indefinitely, apart from insisting they leave again. Instead - albeit very reluctantly - she answered Roman's question with one of her own.

"What do you know about your parents?" she grumped.

"My parents?" Roman murmured, brows furrowing in confusion, "What do they have to do with-?"

"Because it's almost impossible for an Elemental child to be born to someone 'un-gifted'," Nurse Flanagan said flatly, "...especially one like you."

"Like him?" Theo shook his head, "I'm sorry, I don't follow. What makes Roman so special? I-I mean, for an Elemental?"

Nurse Flanagan passed a hand through her frizzy curls again, appearing more agitated by the moment. "It shouldn't even be possible," she muttered, "The whole reason they passed that law was to prevent shit like this! You shouldn't exist!"

"Why not?" Roman wobbled to his feet, staring down the nurse with cool determination, "Enough with the cryptic double talk, Lady. I want a straight answer, now!"

A crack of thunder nearly sent Theo right out of his skin. His head whipped toward the kitchen behind him, drawn to the window over the sink. There were no storms forecasted for that night as far as he knew, yet torrential rain and wind battered the glass. It beat against the window so viciously, Theo feared it may break. Instinctively, he reached for Roman's hand for comfort. At the last second, though, he resisted. Theo vowed he would never hurt Roman again, and he didn't want Roman to worry about accidentally harming him. With a dry gulp, he gripped Roman's jacket sleeve instead.

The moment Theo's sizzling fingers wrapped around Roman's arm, the howling wind outside eased to a soft gutter. Within a minute, it had all but stopped. Coincidentally, Roman's ire seemed to ebb away along with it.

"I'll be damned," Nurse Flanagan scoffed, "You can control it. Color me impressed, Kid."

Roman blinked at the older woman, looking just as confused as Theo felt. "Control what?" he asked, "I didn't do anything. Your faucets didn't even drip. Are you gonna tell us what the heck is going on here, or not?"

With a roll of her eyes, Nurse Flanagan shuffled back to the coffee table and snatched up the Scrying Stone. Her face pinched in discomfort as she squeezed it tight, a soft groan leaking from her throat when it suddenly glowed to life. This time, however, it turned a solid, fiery orange.

"Fire is my element," she said, exhaling deeply as she let the Stone drop onto the table, "If I could control Earth, it would be some shade of green; Water, blue or purple; Air, white or grey. Does that answer your question?"

Roman was clearly as puzzled as ever. It surely didn't help that the poor bloke was running on fumes, overtaxed physically and all but drained emotionally. After studying the raindrops lingering on the kitchen windowpanes, however, Theo believed he was starting to understand.

"It turned blue and white," he recalled, mostly thinking out loud.

"Huh?"

"The Stone," Theo clarified, chafing Roman's arm absent-mindedly, "When you held it: blue and white, not just blue. But... that would mean-"

"...I'm both," Roman said, his breath catching as the puzzle pieces finally clicked into place, "Hydro and Atmos. Is... Is that even possible?"

A quiet, weary chuckle let Theo of its own volition as he shook his head. "After falling in love with you, nothing surprises me anymore," he admitted, "Even in the Elemental world, you're exceptional."

A tiny, shy smile tugged at Roman's lips, but it didn't stay there for long. "That doesn't make any sense, though," he said, settling back down onto the couch with Theo, "If I can manipulate air as well as water, then my parents should be able to as well, right? I mean... that's how this Elemental stuff works, isn't it?"

"Give the kid a gold star," Nurse Flanagan raised her cocoa in a toast, taking a long sip of it afterwards. "So, my question still stands: what do you know about them? Cross-Breeding has been outlawed for hundreds of years for good reason. They must be exceptionally strong to have had a kid as powerful as you... and exceptionally connected to still be alive this long after your conception."

"Th-They... I dunno," Roman muttered, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously. "Whatever abilities they have, they've managed to hide it all from me and my sisters. Nonna too. Until I met Theo, I didn't have a clue that Elementals even existed."

Without warning, Roman's entire body listed over sideways. Before Theo even had an inkling what was happening, his boyfriend's head landed softly in the hollow of his neck and shoulder. When Roman's quaking arms encircled Theo's waist next, the Brit was fit to burst with heartache.

"I'm tired, Bello," Roman mumbled into Theo's coat, "Can we go home now? Please?"

"Not in that shape, you can't," Nurse Flanagan sighed. "C'mon; I've got a spare bedroom. It's late, and we all need some shut-eye."

Even if he were in a position to protest, Theo knew there was no point to it. He hadn't the strength to carry Roman down nine flights of stairs to the car. The way Roman swayed when Theo helped him off the couch, it seemed highly unlikely that Roman could walk under his own power either. Whether Roman was aware of that fact or not, however, was difficult to say.

Theo knew the olive-skinned teen hadn't been sleeping well lately. Now, weeks of sleepless nights all seemed to be catching up to Roman at once. It took all of Theo to half-drag half-carry Roman into the spare bedroom, because he'd passed out on his feet. By the time his head hit the pillow, Roman showed signs of life again, blinking deliriously at the Brit. Before he had the opportunity to ask any questions, Theo silenced Roman with a kiss.

"You're alright," he promised, "Sleep, Romeo. I shall be right here when you awake."

Roman nodded his silent understanding, allowing his heavy eyelids to close again. As he rolled over, his hand found Theo's automatically. The feverish tingles under Theo's flesh cooled in an instant at Roman's touch, putting him more at ease than he'd been in weeks. He'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be so calm. So utterly at peace.

"I've never seen the like."

Theo startled a bit, turning toward Nurse Flanagan's voice. She stood in the doorway with an armload of blankets and an extra pillow, traces of a grin playing on her puckered lips. Whatever she found so amusing, however, was lost on Theo.

"What is?" he whispered.

"You two," the old nurse winked, "Hydros and Pyros ain't exactly bosom buddies. Fact is, they hate each others' guts. You and him, though... that's something else. He's the yin to your yang, literally. You balance each other out perfectly. It's... kinda amazing."

"Amazing?" Theo mused, chortling softly at the notion, "Really? Who would've thought...?"

He wasn't sure if he'd finished that notion or not. Theo's own weariness was rapidly gaining ground, making it difficult to keep his thoughts organized. The next thing he knew, Nurse Flanagan was taking off his shoes and coat for him exactly as he'd done for Roman. In a blink, he was under the covers with his snoozing boyfriend.

"Sweet dreams, Kid," she whispered, ruffling his curls as she pulled the blankets up to his chin.

It was a strange feeling. The last time Theo had been tucked in like that... well, he didn't remember exactly. Vaguely, he recalled a woman's cool touch on his cheek; the softness of her lips upon his brow. For a moment, he was certain he could smell cherry blossoms wafting over his bed. Then, a lullaby softer than silk upon his ear.

"Goodnight, Theodore..."

Theo snuggled tighter against Roman's frame, his eyes stinging under his closed lids. "Goodnight," he mumbled back softly, "...Mummy."