STAY WITH ME

CHAPTER 3

EROS MILAN

When we got into my house, although he was hesitant, he let me take him in. It was difficult but I managed to get him to take off his clothes so I could give him a bath.

"Hey just get in, the water is warm, do you like bubbled? Well doesn't matter there are bubbles. If you need anything just call my name ok ." I said while making my way out of the bathroom. I hear his tiny voice although I couldn't make out what he said.

"What did you say?" He looked up.

"Where are you going?" he looked so scared like he didn't want to be left on his own, poor kid.

"Don't worry I'm going to the kitchen to prepare something for us to eat. What would you like huh?" He looks like he is thinking about what I asked but what he said has nothing to do with the question at all.

"Can I have what you gave me before."

"Do you mean the chocolate." He nods

"No you cant have chocolate, you have to eat food, something healthy and good for you, but I may give you ice cream for dessert."

"What's ice cream?" He asked me looking so confused and wet in the tub. I look shocked for a minute. This is a life or death situation, what kid doesn't know what ice cream is? Oh maybe one that has been on the streets for a long time. What happened to him?

"Well you have a long way to go my little friend because I am going to take for the ride of your life. I'll be right back ok, I am going to cook you the best meal you have ever had." He nods his head.

"Okay." I leave him there while I make my way to the kitchen. I really need to start asking him questions, like how long he has been on the streets, where are his parents?

How can he be all on his own at such a young age and nobody has ever thought of helping him. What about child services? I know I dont know how child services works but i hope it wont take a lot of time to get this resolved.

This is all so confusing for me, let me just finish making him his dinner and letting him rest or tonight, tonight is for the questions and maybe taking him to the police station to see if they can identify him.

I finish preparing pasta with a side of chicken and marinara sauce and salad. He should be done with his bath by now. When I get to the bathroom to check on him, I see him playing with the bubbles. I figure the water would be cold by now so I remove the plug to drain the tub and I get the towel to pick him up.

He has become familiar with me so he isn't fighting my touches neither did he fight me when I picked him up. I cuddle him into my arms while drying him up. He lets out a big yawn, and if he is not careful, he is going to swallow me.

"Woah there little guy, I can see you are hungry so come and eat ok and I will introduce you to the wonder that is ice cream." He nods his head as it is laid on my chest.

I take him to my room and get him dressed in my jumper and a new pair of boxers before taking him into the dinning where I set the table with the food I so heartily prepared. I set him down on the table and took my own seat at the table.

I put pasta and a whole lotta chicken on his plate and when I placed it in front of him, his eyes widened significantly. It was a generous amount of food in his plate and he looked shocked like he had never eaten this amount of food before.

"Is all this for me?" He asked looking at me with his eyes wide and tears in his eyes. 

I'm not sure eating a large amount of food is good for the body if you havent eaten for a while but he was just looking at the food like he could finish the whole pot if he could.

"Of course sweetie, you can have more if you like but I suggest you leave a little space in your belly for the ice cream." he nods and was about to start eating with his hand, I saw it coming and was a little confused till I realised that he probably doesn't know how to eat with a spoon.

"Uh-uh, come on, you have to use this." I gestured to the fork beside him before taking it in my hand and showing him how to use it.

"Do you get it or do you want me to feed you." He shakes his head taking the utensil from my hand and trying what I showed him, some spilt on his shirt but he got the basics and did better on his second try. As soon as I saw that he was alright, I proceeded to face my plate and eat my own food.

After we are both done with out dinner, I take the plates into the kitchen and stuff it into the dish washer and clear the table.

"Okay who is ready for some ice cream? I know I am." I go into my freezer to get the long awaited dessert, a chocolate cake ice cream. He looks excited at the idea.

"Are you ready." I ask while scooping one spoonful into his cup, so he tastes it and tells me how he likes it while scooping two spoonful in my cup.

He takes the spoon skeptically, scoops a tiny part of the cold dessert before putting it into his mouth. I'm sitting there at the edge of my sit watching him with rapt attention for his reaction. His eyes widen at the taste in his mouth.

"Yes!! Victory, another one bites the dust." I cheer and by the time I am done cheering, he has already finished everything in his plate and has already taken from mine.

"Hey, don't mess with a man's dessert." I say snatching my cup from the table.

"I'm sorry, but it is just sooo good. I want more ice cream." he says pleading with his bright blue eyes. How could I ever say no to those eyes, and the way he says it tugs at my heart strings.

"Of course you can, here you go." I put two more scoops into his cup, let him have this today at least if he leaves here tomorrow, he will remember this.

We were both done with our dessert and with a satisfied look on our faces we went to bed. I took him to my guest room and tucked him in for the night since the room was chilly. He looked like he couldn't believe that he was sleeping on a bed.

"You feeling ok, warm, cold?" he shook his head.

"I'm ok, just sleepy."

"Alright then, goodnight." Turning off the light, I leave the room and went to mine. i took a shower and got ready for bed. when I settled in I got my phone and sent a message to Krissy, although I know she wont get it but I told her everything that happened to me today, including how I met the little boy. Once I checked all my notifications on snapchat and i********:, I closed my eyes intending to go to sleep. Thank god it was the Friday, the restaurant can survive without me for a while.

"WEEKEND!!!" Exclaiming this out loud and getting up from bed so fast I think I have whiplash. Damn it, tomorrow is Saturday, do child protective services open on the weekend? Shrugging my shoulders I lay back down, I guess I will have to check with the police first.

I guess I was dreaming because I know I was sleeping but i felt my door open, my eyes spring open and I reach out for my metal bat at the side of the bed since I am the only one in this house. When I look at the door I see the little boy that I had named Mickey making his way into my room. I almost forgot my little visitor, what is he doing in my room.

"Hey little guy. Are you okay?" he shakes his head no.

"I don't want to sleep alone, I could hardly sleep on the streets because there were always bad men trying to get me." As he tells me this I open my arms for him to get in. He got in my arms and cuddled into my neck. I lay down with him in my arms trying to find a comfortable position on the bed.

"Its alright little guy, you're safe now. Now go to sleep, im not going anywhere." He nods in my neck, his head not leaving that position, while i run my hand through his white blond curls. i could feel him nodding off to sleep.

You know if anybody told me that I will be cuddling a kid at night at this point in my life, i would have kicked them in the face. I have never thought about children, heck I am not even in a relationship. But this doesn't mean I am going to want one anytime soon.

****

I woke up in the same position the next morning, with him in my arms and his arms around me. I lay there staring at him, I don't know why but I cant stop having these feelings in my chest when I look at him. Its like I feel this connection deep in my heart.

Seriously why would he, someone that has spent probably most or the whole of his life in the streets and has probably encountered everything wrong with the world on those streets just trust me, just like that.

When I look at him I feel like I have to protect him from the world. I haven't felt like this with anyone before except my friends, since I don't have any family so i don't really know what this feeling is.

Enough of this thinking, I need to go make breakfast before he wakes up. I manage to leave the bed without waking him up and go to the kitchen to cook. I made bacon, eggs and threw in some pancakes on the sides because i don't really know which one he will like or if he has any allergies.

I mean I don't think that even he knows if he has any allergies. We just gotta cross our fingers and hope for the best. Walking into the room, I was about to open the door to wake him up but the door opened before I could get to it.

It opened slowly and I looked into terrified blue eyes.

"Where were you? I was so scared. I thought you left me." He had tears running down his cheeks, and his eyes looked as clear as the ocean and that made me feel some type of way and I don't know why but I don't like to see him cry.

"Come here." I bend to pick him up with a little struggle because well he is not exactly a new born.

"I told you I wont go anywhere, as a matter of fact I was preparing breakfast for, are you hungry?" He nods while cuddling into my chest.

I take him to the dinning table and sit him down or well try to sit him down but he wouldn't let go.

"Hey buddy, you have to get off so I can get your food."

"No. Unless you promise not to go anywhere."

"Little dude, I promise I'm right here now sit tight I am about to blow your taste buds right off, not to toot my own horn or anything but I am kind of a whiz in the kitchen." He lets go but looks at me weird.

"What's whiz?" That caused me to giggle.

"That just means that I am so good at cooking." I set his plate of food on the kitchen.

"Here you go breakfast served for a king." I wait to see his reaction after tasting. I like to get feedbacks like I have said before, they kinda make me very happy and it makes me feel as though I matter.

"Sooo, how do you like it?" After swallowing, Mickey smiles at me and gives me a thumbs up.

"This is the best thing I have ever tasted, but I think that ice cream is better. Can I have that?"

"Well finish this and we'll see."

"Are you done with your food?" I ask Mickey and he nods. I take our plates and drop them in the sink.

"Come on lets go watch some tv, although we have to go to my restaurant later in the day to make sure they haven't burned my building down but other than that we have nothing to do today."

"So can i have the ice cream now, please?" Mickey begs me with those gigantic eyes of his and how could is say no.

"You cant have it right now but I'll tell you what, we could watch cartoons and other things on tv and you can have it as dessert in the afternoon, I can make you some popcorn for the movie or whatever."

He reaches up for me. I think he wants me to carry him and I oblige.

"Besides we have to wait till Monday so we can go to the police station and notify the authorities and then we find out what they are going to do about your situation, but I promise I'm going to make sure they take you to a good place." He comes out of his hiding place in my chest and shakes his head so fast I think he might unscrew it from his neck.

"No please, no don't let them take me please I beg you, they are the bad people don't let them take me."

"Bad people what do you mean? You have to tell me, how did you end up out there? Where are your parents?" Mickey doesn't answer me but keeps shaking his head as he begs me not to let them take him.

"Please, they are the bad people, they're going to hurt me please." I hug him to my chest.

"Okay I wont let them take you but you should know I cant keep you here without a proper process or something i wouldn't know I haven't been in this situation before but I promise the bad people wont take you. You just have to tell me why they are the bad people." Mickey shakes his head again from his position on my chest.

"No." I sigh.

"You have to tell me sometime. Maybe not now but you have to tell me, I need to know if you are in trouble so I can protect you properly alright?"

"Yeah."

"So enough of the sad talk, what do you want to watch?" He shrugs.

"I don't know, I haven't really watched tv before and the times I get to watch it is from the window of some store and a mean old lady always yells at me to get off her clean windows." That is just sad. So people have seen him and did nothing? What is this world coming to?

"Never mind that because today I'm going to introduce you to the greatest cartoon of all time, SPONGEBOB."