Hopeless Skies [ Jessi9559 ]

Lukas scrambled back across the street, ignoring the shouts of 'Thief! Stop him!' from behind and narrowly missing being run down by horse and carriage, tripping and landing on his knee with a shout of pain. He clutched the sack of stolen goods to his chest and climbed back to his feet. A quick glance behind him showed his pursuers were giving up and he dashed down a dark alley, crossing over a couple buildings and crawling into a tiny makeshift shelter at the end of that alley.

"Klaus... I'm back. And I have bread," he said with a grin, finding his brother buried in the thin, dirty blankets they'd stolen weeks ago. They were identical twins - matching black hair, blue eyes, and the same silvery-furred ears and tail. Klaus was paler than usual, cheeks flushed with the fever that had set in last night. His breathing sounded labored and there was a slight raspy sound with each breath.

Lukas made a soft whining sound in the back of his throat, curling up against his twin and pressing a chunk of stale bread into his hand. "You need to eat... I'll try and get something for your fever later." He nudged Klaus' hand with a worried look when Klaus only stared at the bread, smiling in relief when he finally took a small bite. He reached up to gently stroke his twin's drooping ears, humming softly as he rubbed his cheek against Klaus' head. He ignored his own growling stomach. He hadn't eaten in two days, but he hadn't been able to steal much and his brother needed all the strength he could get.

Losing Klaus to a fever was simply not an option. They hadn't escaped that horrible place just to... lose here. He'd have to find something to help Klaus' fever later once his knee stopped throbbing.

Griffen shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat. His head bent forward and his everyday snarl was fixed in place. Only today his black look was for real. His brown eyes so dark they nearly were black narrowed yet again. How was he to finish his art with no model? This was the third one in two weeks who had run away claiming him a vicious brute. Women. He snorted, they all were so focused on themselves that when someone finally yelled at them to stop fussing they reacted as if they had been struck. Griff shook his head and turned a corner in the street, plowing right through couples out for a stroll. Was it really too much to ask them to stay still for one hour!?
“Stop thief!”
The shout cut through his thoughts and he looked up in time to watch a child duck around a corner. The men in pursuit had given up and were now bent in half, huffing and puffing like billows. Griff shook his head and glared at them. What man would give up on a thief so easily. With a shake of his head, Griff stepped out across the street to see what the kid had stolen and hopefully get it back.
Coming around the corner his eyebrows shot up. There sitting in a pile of what looked to him like rags were two small kids. He frowned again and looked a little harder, and seeing they weren’t just kids. Two silver ears perched on top of both heads and two shimmering tails. Griff stared for a long moment. Tails? He shook his head, and returned to his purpose here.
“What did you steal?” He growled. Crossing his arms across his burly chest.

Lukas glanced up as he heard someone walking towards them, growling low in his throat and flattening his ears as he shifted to block Klaus from view as much as possible. He glared at the man and pulled a small dagger out of his pocket. It was dull and not likely to do much damage, but he'd make it work somehow. "Go away," he hissed. "I only took food for my brother. He was going to throw it away anyway." Who was going to waste coin on stale bread?

He tensed as Klaus coughed behind him, a soft whine escaping him as he glanced back at his twin. Klaus felt hotter than before, eyes bright with the fever, and Lukas dropped the knife, wrapping himself around his brother. "I'll get you some medicine, just get better, okay?" he said, glancing up at the stranger with a pleading expression. He knew better than to trust strangers, but his brother needed help. "Please... Please help him. I'll... I'll do anything, just please don't let him die!"

Griff’s scowling face softened at the sight of the pair. Taking a few strides forward he knelt beside the two boys and reached a hand out to the paler of the two. The fever was already hot enough to burn his skin as he brushed his hand over the poor boy’s cheek. Griffen scowled again. It was the damned weather no doubt. Wet springs always brought fever with them.

Griffen took off his coat, a warm brown muslin, and placed it around the boy’s shoulders. It was much warmer then the blankets he was curled up in and much cleaner. Wrapping one arm around the frail body of the boy he lifted him into his arms cradling him to his broad chest. Hoping the extra heat of his body would seep into the body of the young boy he nodded to the silver eared twin.

“Com’on he growled and headed back to the street. Overhead the dark clouds were gathering still thicker and a low growl of thunder could be heard. Griff took long strides intending to be home before the rain came and made the other twin sick. He didn’t have the money for a cab fair and he didn’t feel like wasting his money on one of the old nags and carts that littered the street. Four blocks later they reached his home. Reaching into his pocket he fumbled with the key until the door slide open silently. Just as they step inside the rain started.

Inside the house was very simple. The walls were split halfway up by a wooden trimming that ran all the way around each room. The lower half of the walls were painted a burgundy red color and the top, an eggshell white. Some of the floors even had carpet but the rest all a dark oak flooring.

Lukas hissed as the man moved closer, but he was desperate enough for help he reluctantly released his twin and let the man pick him up. Despite them being seventeen, they were both slim and frail from the past three years of living on the streets. They'd been doing fine up until a few weeks ago when the weather started changing. Winters had been rough, but... after a couple years of lack of food or shelter, they'd worn down and become susceptible to the elements. He scooped up the dagger and the sack of food along with the few possessions they had and trailed after the man with his brother.

Klaus hissed and made a pathetic mewling sound in his throat as he was picked up by the strange man, reaching for his twin and only relaxing when he sensed Lukas following close behind. He stared up at the man who'd given him his coat, clutching the stranger's shirt and burrowing into his chest. He smelled good. Nothing at all like the stained blankets and filthy streets he'd known for so long.

When they reached the house, Lukas glanced around as if waiting for a trap, ears flicking back as he slipped inside and looked up at the sky as the rains started to fall. It was a strange sensation, watching the rain and not getting wet. "You can help him...?" he asked softly, staying close to his twin and fingering the dagger he still held. He couldn't help looking around to check for escape routes or find the quickest path to the kitchen for a raid before they had to run if necessary, though he knew Klaus wouldn't be able to get away in his condition.

Griffen led the way to his bedroom, the only truly furnished room in the house, and softly lay the boy down on the bed. Tucking him under the thick quilt that he kept for cold nights he left the room, “No I can’t.” He growled, his voice gravely from stress and annoyance at once again being useless. “But I have a friend who can.” Charles owed him a favor anyway. Heading to the hallway he picked up the telephone, of the latest add ons to the house. At least having genius friends came in handy once in awhile. When he finally get ahold of Charles he explained what was happening and the older man promised to be there in a flash.

Griff sighed and returned to the bedroom, “What was the last thing you both ate that wasn’t stolen bread?” He growled, looking the one fairly healthy boy over. A strange aroma was beginning to permeate the room. Griff took on whiff and knew what it was. Shaking his head he motioned for the boy to follow him and lead the way to a bathroom. A large tub sat in the middle of the room, “Take a warm bath while we wait for Charles.” He commanded and reaching into a closest pulled out his own towel and tossed it to the kid.

Lukas followed to the bedroom and crawled up onto the bed beside his twin, stroking Klaus' ears as he looked around. His ears flattened again at the mention of not being able to help and he wondered if he'd been hasty, but at least they were inside. Being out in the rain with Klaus in this condition would have only made things much worse.

He glanced up when the man returned and shrugged at the question. They were always eating something stolen or... out of the garbage behind the taverns. Sometimes the lady who ran the fruit stand in the market would give them overripe fruit, but only when her husband wasn't around. "A long time," he finally murmured, growling softly at the thought of leaving Klaus' side, but it wouldn't do to anger the one who was maybe going to help them. He tucked his twin in and followed after the man, blinking at the tub as his ears flicked forward. A bath? He was really able to take a bath? He'd been dirty so long he didn't even remember what it was like to be clean and immediately stripped out of his torn and filthy clothes, running the tub full of water as hot as it would go and climbing in with a long moan.

He sat and soaked for a good ten minutes before finding the soap and scrubbing himself half a dozen times, refilling the tub three times before he finally felt clean. His skin was far paler with all the grime gone and his ears and tail were nearly white. He picked up the towel and dried himself, eyeing the filthy clothes with a wrinkle of his nose before wrapping the towel around himself instead of dressing and sneaking back to the bedroom with his twin. Maybe they'd get lucky and could get some clothes out of this man too.

Griff was in the kitchen making one of the only things he knew how to make. Chicken broth soup. It had been one of his favorite things his mother made when he was a child and even now he couldn’t help but remember how excited he had been when he would come home to that smell. A rare smile flashed across his face as he filled three bowels to the brim with soup.

Heading to his room carefully with the bowls lined up on the plate, he poked his head into the bathroom which had been left opened. He frowned again, the boy wasn’t in there. With a sigh he noticed the dirty clothes. Well at least the kid had since enough not to wear them anymore. They were probably covered in fleas and pestilence. He kicked the door to his room open and walked in.

He frowned a little again at the sight of the two brothers curled up together on the bed. The one really didn’t look to well now at all. “Here.” He huffed, setting the tray clumsily on the bed. “Try and get him to drink this. Charles should be here any-“ A loud thumping at the door signaled the surgeon’s arrival. Griff sighed and went down to usurer his old friend up to the bedroom.

Charles looked like a man more fitted run a bakery shop than be a surgeon. His face was ruddy and always smiling, his belly round and an air of good cheer always seemed to follow him. Even Griffen’s cranky face eased a bit as the doctor told a joke. The moment he stepped into the room he tottled over to the bedside and greeted the two cats as if it was perfectly normal for his friend to have two stray cat people in his house.

Lukas hummed to his twin, the soft whines from Klaus worrying him to no end. They were finally indoors in a warm house and soft bed, he should be getting better not worse! He glanced up as the man returned and stared at the bowls, mouth watering as he caught the smell of the soup. His stomach growled and ached fiercely at the promise of a hot meal, but he ignored it and picked one up to hold to Klaus' lips instead. "Drink this. It'll help," he said softly.

Klaus whined again and tried to turn his head away. He wasn't hungry and only wanted to sleep, but he was too hot and ached everywhere and the bed was too soft.

"Klaus," Lukas said with a gentle growl, tipping the bowl to splash a bit of the soup on his twin's lips.

Klaus made a pitiful sound and flicked his tongue out. That tasted... really good. He tilted his head towards the bowl and reached up to grasp Lukas' hands as he sipped the broth, finishing half of it before slumping back on the bed and looking up at the second strange man. He didn't have the strength to fight back and trusted Lukas to keep him safe if the men tried to hurt them.

Lukas flattened his ears as he looked between the two, sitting next to his twin and stroking his ears. "You're the one who can help him?" he asked, staring at the supposed doctor.

Charles, the ever good natured, chuckled warmly. “Yes I can help.” He said as he reached into his bag and withdrew a stethoscope and several other strange tools of the trade. Pealing the covers back a tad he slide an arm around the boy’s small frame and lifted him up. Pressing the stethoscope to his chest he listened to the reedy breathing and frowned. Pulling out a little notebook he jotted down a few notes. Looking back at the boy he turned to Griff. “Don’t you have a few of your old sweaters about?” He questioned jerking his head toward the two boys.

Griff jerked an eyebrow up. He hadn’t event thought of that. Taking two strides across the room he yanked open a drawer in his old dresser and pulled out two of his old favorite sweaters. One was a faded blue, so old that most of the coloring was gone, but the yarn was still good and war. The other was a deep green and looked as if it had never been worn before. It had. Once. Then never again. He tossed the healthy boy the sweaters and went back to his post by the door, arms folded, and leaned against the frame. Frowning again he looked the two boys over. It wouldn’t do to keep calling them the healthy and sickly twins would it? “What are your names.” He barked out. His voice deep and rough. He flinched inwardly knowing how it sounded but outwardly seemed unaware. The doctor even jump before flashing him a glare. “Griff.” He scolded. Griff ignored him.

Turning back to the twins the doctor reached into the bag once more. “Now tell me,” he said, turning to the twins, “What else has your brother been suffering from? Besides a fever, malnutrition, and difficulty breathing?”

Lukas tried to keep his eyes on both men at once, ears twitching wildly before flattening as the one touched his brother. He shifted to sit behind Klaus and propped him up against his chest. Klaus' skin was hot to the touch and he hardly noticed the chill in the air with his twin leaning against him. He glanced to the one by the door when he moved and caught the sweaters with a look of surprise. They were actually being given clothes? And they looked warm and well made. Words of thanks died in his throat at the sudden demand for their names and he narrowed his eyes, pulling on the older sweater and leaving the one that looked new for his brother.

"What's yours?" he growled back, wrapping his arms around Klaus. He would have helped his twin into the other sweater, but... he was still filthy and needed a bath before he put on clean clothes. "He was fine until the change in weather..." he murmured. "He lost his appetite before the fever set in." He reached for the half-empty bowl of broth and coaxed Klaus into taking a few more sips before glancing at the doctor. "Can he have a bath? It's been... a long time since we've been clean," he said softly.

He slanted another look towards 'Griff' and huffed. He hated giving their names out to strangers, but they were being cleaned and fed and even given clothes. "I'm Lukas. And this is Klaus."

Charles nodded and put away his stethoscope and other equipment. “It seems to be nothing more then a case of influenza. As long as he stays nice and warm for the next week or so with plenty of rest and hydration he’d be right as rain.” The cherry faced doctor said smiling at the twins. Getting up he handed Griff a bottle of liquid. “This is a new medicine from out west. It’s said to be the cure for the influenza. When he wakes up give him a couple spoonfuls and let’s see how he does.” He gave Griff a thump on the shoulder before turning back to the boys. “I’ll be back tomorrow to check on him. You know where to find me if something goes amiss.” The last was said to Griff just as he disappeared into the damp afternoon.

Griff turned back into the room and looked the boy over. He frowned. “I’ll get some water and he can have a sponge bath for now. A realy bath would chill him too much.” His voice growled out as he disappeared into the hallway. He returned shortly carring a bucket of steamy hot water and a far sized wash cloth. Making his way to the bed he sat down with a plop. Dunking the towel into the water he pulled it out, wringing out the water and motioning for the boy to undress his brother. Then he noticed the still full soup bowel. HE frowned again, “You didn’t like it?” he growled.

Lukas stared at the bottle of liquid and barely restrained himself from grabbing it and pouring the whole thing down his twin's throat. His ears flicked and he tightened his arms around Klaus, rubbing his cheek against his twins' ears with a soft soothing purr. He perked up a bit at being able to clean Klaus; even if it wasn't a proper bath, he'd feel better being cleaner. "Klaus, can you sit up for a little bit?" he asked softly.

Klaus made a pitiful mewling sound, but struggled into sitting, leaning heavily against Lukas and watching the man who'd saved them as he brought the bucket in. He was supposed to bathe in that? He reached for his twin and curled into his chest.

Lukas flicked his ears back as Griff sat on the bed, curling his arms protectively around his twin. He didn't want anyone else touching Klaus, especially when he was sick and couldn't try to defend himself. "I'll bathe him," he growled back, blinking and glancing to the bowl. He'd almost forgotten he had food and his stomach rumbled loudly at the reminder. "I'll eat when Klaus is bathed," he said. His brother came first. He was healthy enough and it wasn't like he hadn't missed a few meals before. He tugged the rags of Klaus' shirt off and dropped them beside the bed before holding his hand out for cloth.

Griffen’s stealy heart was touched by the sight of such love between the two boys and for a moment, his hand itched to draw the scene before him and he clutched his hand tightly around the sponge lest it take to its own devices and begin to draw.He roughly shoved the little boy’s hand away and point to the soup. “Eat.” He snarled and returned to begin washing the grime off the frail body of the other twin. Was he slowly wiped away layer on layer of filth he began to realize just how skinny and fail the body of the silver cat was. His eyes narrowed and he nearly growled in his throat. He could count every rib, plain as day and if he had any gift of music, he was sure he could have played a jig on the boy’s backbone which stood up like a mountain ridge on the skin of the boy’s back.
He turned a hard look on the other twin and looked him over with the same cold fury. “How long have you boys been on the streets?” He demanded, his voice low and even. Dangerous but not threatening. Yet.

Lukas' ears flattened to his head with a soft growl at the order, though he was starving, and what kind of pervert would try anything with someone as sick as Klaus? He glared with a look that clearly promised bodily harm if Griff tried anything and reached for the bowl. His eyes fluttered closed and his ears pricked forward as he took a sip, groaning softly at how good it tasted. And it was warm. And fresh. That alone was enough to make it one of the best meals he'd had since he could remember.

Klaus stirred at the unfamiliar touches of a wet sponge, blinking at the man with a curious flick of his ears. He could feel Lukas behind him so he didn't struggle as he was..cleaned? He was really being bathed? It felt... strange, but good. He reached up and weakly squeezed the man's fingers with a smile before drifting back into a doze.

Lukas drank the entire bowl of broth and what little was left in Klaus' within a few minutes, setting the bowls aside before settling behind Klaus again. His fingers stroked his twin's ears and he eyed Griff a long moment at the question. "I don't remember... A few years." Too long. He wasn't sure how they'd survived until now.

The weak smile of the kitten sent a pang of… something through Griffen’s heart. His head bowed slightly and he managed a fleet smile of his own. The sudden change in his normal cranky scowl dramatically, it softened his hard jaw and brought a warmth to his eyes normally hidden by his dark brows and furrowed lines. His big paw of a hand lightly ruffled the boy’s hair and he gave this kitten a little gentle scratch behind the ears. But the words of the other kitten quickly brought back the scowl as he turned back to the other boy. “Years?!” He demanded. Not loudly but with enough force that it could have been mistaken for anger. In reality e was incredulous. Who left two boys to live alone on the streets? Especially two boys like this? Everyone knew of the strange murmurs of people of certain interests. Many of which would pay dearly for a pair of kittens like these. His hand, still wrapped around the sick twin’s shoulder, Klaus he reminded himself, tightened a fraction before gently laying the boy down.

“And all this time you boys have been on the streets?” He growled as he looked over the slight bodies and thing arms of the boys. It would explain a lot. “You boys have no home?” He asked frowning again, a half formed insane idea forming in his head. It had been a long time since he had had a companion, and his sisters were always dogging him to make some friends… Maybe…

Lukas growled softly in response to Griff's reaction. "Yeah. So what?" He sneered and wrapped his arms protectively around his twin, glad he smelled a bit more like himself rather than the streets, though the scent of sickness made him feel ill himself. He grabbed the sweater and got it on Klaus before wrapping around him to keep him warm. He didn't like the way the man was looking at them or acting like it was a big deal that they'd been on the streets so long. No one else had ever cared, why should he?

"Not anymore... We live in whatever shelter we can find before someone chases us off." He shrugged and settled the covers around Klaus, studying Griff from the corner of his eye. "We can... really stay here until he's well again?" he asked softly, almost afraid the answer was going to be no. He tried hard not to yawn, but he had a warm bed and full belly and his twin was on the way to recovering. It was hard to keep his head up and his eyes open. When was the last time he'd really slept? A few days, at least.

Offended, Griff huffed, “What kind of question is that.” His brow came down over his eyes like a thuder cloud and he pushed up from the bed, picking up the bowls of soup and muttering to himself. What did this cat take him for? He thought angrily, who forced a cat out into the wet and cold when it was already half dead?! Snarling, he made his way back out of the room and down the hall and stairs to place the bowls in the kitchen. On his way back up the stairs he grabbed a few extra blankets and made his way back to his room.
From the doorway he sucked a breath of pure surprise in. Cuddled down under the covers, the two kittens made a perfect picture. Griffen’s hand itched to sketch it out and he growled again and shook his head. Like hell the kittens would allow him to sketch them.
“Here.” He huffed and gently placed the second blanket over the cats before turning to put another log on the fire and curl up in his favorite chair with the other blanket.

Lukas relaxed completely when he sensed the man leave the room, cracking a bleary eye open when he returned a few minutes later. A deep purr escaped him from the added warmth of another blanket and a hotter fire. He blinked as the man settled in the chair rather than going to his own room, absently wondering if...they'd been given the only bed. His arms tightened around Klaus and he stared at Griff over his twin's head a moment before speaking.

"Aren't you going to bed?"

Griffen blinked an eye, already half asleep. Jutting his chin out at the bed he mumbled, “That is my bed.” Before pulling the blanket up further around his chin. It was hard to be upset about loosing his bed to two kittens, especially when he though about how sick the one was and how skinny they both were. He frowned. How had they lived on the streets? He opened his eyes a slit again and looked the two over once again and stifled a yawn. “You can stay here till you want to leave.” He mumbled out, his eyes drifting close again.

Lukas tensed and glanced at the covers wrapped around the both of them. Not only had they been taken in off the streets, but... they'd been given his bed too? He slanted a last, wary glance towards Griff, afraid to ask if he wanted the bed back. Klaus needed a warm place to sleep and he just hoped the man didn't try to join them and... do things to them once he gave in to his fatigue and couldn't keep watch. "Okay..." he said softly, closing his eyes.

He was fast asleep within minutes, wrapped tightly around Klaus and snoring softly ever few breaths. No matter how wary he was of Griff, even feeling relatively safe and warm was enough he was out until woken or fully rested late into the next day.