It took him a while to recover and hug Desmond back, but when he did, the hug was tight and crushing. He swore he could hear Shaun’s breath hitch. They cleaned up shortly after, and Desmond made sure the rest of the day was spent just recording. He used Shaun’s laptop to video record him helping Ezio make lunch, he and Shaun cuddling on the couch, went and bought a small disposable camera and took pictures of everything. He did have one bad hallucination, where he thought Shaun was Leonardo, and Cesare had beaten him up, but it didn’t last too long, and he was back to normal in under ten minutes.
Before evening came rolling in, he walked across the street and knocked on the door of the young boy. Shaun stood behind him protectively. The young woman answered the door, and he smiled.
“Is he here?”
“Kyle? I’m afraid not. School here lasts until dinner time.”
Desmond frowned and scratched his head. “Oh.”
She smiled warmly and placed a hand on his shoulder. “He was so excited about that picture.”
“Um… About that picture…”
She blinked. “Is there something wrong?”
Desmond briefly explained to her what he was going to do, and she looked worried. She pursed her lips once he was done. He was staring at the ground, holding Shaun’s hand tightly. Shaun had moved beside him and had taken his hand when he had started trembling, his voice wavering. She nodded.
“Why don’t you go pick him up at school? I’m sure the other kids would love to take pictures with you. That is, if you want to. I’ll send you a copy of mine. How does that sound?”
Desmond looked at her with a weak smile. “Thank you, ma’am.”
She hugged him once. “Right, school should let out soon.”
Desmond nodded and turned to Shaun. “Let’s go get him.”
He held Shaun’s hand the entire way there, looking around at everything. Shaun looked grave as they walked along the dusty street. The general store owner asked him how he was doing, and he responded with a smile and a nod. They neared the tiny school, a simple wooden building, with maybe two or three rooms. With only a few kids, however, a big one wasn’t necessary. He knocked on the door of the tiny place and pushed open the door a crack.
Inside there were maybe ten desks, with three of them empty. The kids in their seats looked bored. The teacher had stopped helping one of the older kids and looked the door. Desmond smiled weakly.
“Is Kyle here?”
Immediately, a small voice piped, “I’m here!”
He opened the door all the way and looked for him. When he saw the boy, he was all ready out of his seat and barreling toward him, and Desmond scooped him up and threw him in the air. The boy shrieked in glee as he was caught.
“Hey kiddo. Thought I’d drop by.”
“I told you I met him!” he shouted at one of the older boys, who looked shocked.
“Your mom said I could come pick you up.”
The little boy giggled. “We’re not done with school yet.”
Desmond looked at the teacher. “Sorry…”
She rose. “I… It’s okay, Mr. Miles—”
“Please, just call me Desmond.”
She nodded. “I suppose we can end for today. It is close to the end of the day.”
He smiled warmly. “Thanks, I’m sorry for any inconvenience.”
She smiled back. “There are none. All right, you’re dismissed.”
He spent the next hour bombarded by the small group of kids and answering questions. When he was finally done, he had Kyle in his arms and Shaun at his side.
“I’m so excited!”
“Well, I had to say good bye to my best friend.”
“Goodbye?” Kyle looked horrified.
“I’m leaving tomorrow.”
“Why?”
“Because I need to go see my doctor, who lives a long ways away.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not feeling too good, and he’s in charge of my medicines.”
“Why?”
“Because, uh…”
The boy looked expectant as they reached his house. His mother was on the porch, smiling.
“Did you have fun today?”
“Yeah!”
Desmond set the boy down.
“Will you come back?” he asked, looking at him.
Desmond offered a weak smile. “Yes, but I might not remember you, so I need you to make sure you remind me, okay?”
“Why won’t you remember me? Do you have problems remembering things?”
The assassin ruffled the boy’s hair. “I’ll explain it when you’re older.”
Solitary Spectors 6 [1/2]
Before evening came rolling in, he walked across the street and knocked on the door of the young boy. Shaun stood behind him protectively. The young woman answered the door, and he smiled.
“Is he here?”
“Kyle? I’m afraid not. School here lasts until dinner time.”
Desmond frowned and scratched his head. “Oh.”
She smiled warmly and placed a hand on his shoulder. “He was so excited about that picture.”
“Um… About that picture…”
She blinked. “Is there something wrong?”
Desmond briefly explained to her what he was going to do, and she looked worried. She pursed her lips once he was done. He was staring at the ground, holding Shaun’s hand tightly. Shaun had moved beside him and had taken his hand when he had started trembling, his voice wavering. She nodded.
“Why don’t you go pick him up at school? I’m sure the other kids would love to take pictures with you. That is, if you want to. I’ll send you a copy of mine. How does that sound?”
Desmond looked at her with a weak smile. “Thank you, ma’am.”
She hugged him once. “Right, school should let out soon.”
Desmond nodded and turned to Shaun. “Let’s go get him.”
He held Shaun’s hand the entire way there, looking around at everything. Shaun looked grave as they walked along the dusty street. The general store owner asked him how he was doing, and he responded with a smile and a nod. They neared the tiny school, a simple wooden building, with maybe two or three rooms. With only a few kids, however, a big one wasn’t necessary. He knocked on the door of the tiny place and pushed open the door a crack.
Inside there were maybe ten desks, with three of them empty. The kids in their seats looked bored. The teacher had stopped helping one of the older kids and looked the door. Desmond smiled weakly.
“Is Kyle here?”
Immediately, a small voice piped, “I’m here!”
He opened the door all the way and looked for him. When he saw the boy, he was all ready out of his seat and barreling toward him, and Desmond scooped him up and threw him in the air. The boy shrieked in glee as he was caught.
“Hey kiddo. Thought I’d drop by.”
“I told you I met him!” he shouted at one of the older boys, who looked shocked.
“Your mom said I could come pick you up.”
The little boy giggled. “We’re not done with school yet.”
Desmond looked at the teacher. “Sorry…”
She rose. “I… It’s okay, Mr. Miles—”
“Please, just call me Desmond.”
She nodded. “I suppose we can end for today. It is close to the end of the day.”
He smiled warmly. “Thanks, I’m sorry for any inconvenience.”
She smiled back. “There are none. All right, you’re dismissed.”
He spent the next hour bombarded by the small group of kids and answering questions. When he was finally done, he had Kyle in his arms and Shaun at his side.
“I’m so excited!”
“Well, I had to say good bye to my best friend.”
“Goodbye?” Kyle looked horrified.
“I’m leaving tomorrow.”
“Why?”
“Because I need to go see my doctor, who lives a long ways away.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not feeling too good, and he’s in charge of my medicines.”
“Why?”
“Because, uh…”
The boy looked expectant as they reached his house. His mother was on the porch, smiling.
“Did you have fun today?”
“Yeah!”
Desmond set the boy down.
“Will you come back?” he asked, looking at him.
Desmond offered a weak smile. “Yes, but I might not remember you, so I need you to make sure you remind me, okay?”
“Why won’t you remember me? Do you have problems remembering things?”
The assassin ruffled the boy’s hair. “I’ll explain it when you’re older.”