ELIAS ALVAREZ
Phoenix
Posts: 46
Age:
20
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Single
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Mar 31, 2024 18:43:39 GMT
|
Post by ELIAS ALVAREZ on Feb 9, 2021 0:06:11 GMT
It had been a few months since Elias had moved in with Antonio, Ethan and the girls. For the first time in a long time he was settled and the truth was that he couldn’t even remember the last time that he had felt this at ease. More than anything he wanted things to stay this way but he knew that they wouldn’t. It had never worked out for him no matter where he’d ended up despite the assurances of the social workers that the next place would be different. They had given up on telling him that they were going to try their best to find him his forever home a long time ago and Elias couldn’t blame them. He knew that he was damaged goods, he had been through so much and no matter how hard he tried to push everything that had happened down deep he just couldn’t seem to shake it. Antonio had suggested counselling since he hadn’t felt ready to open up to his foster family and some of his teachers at the Salvatore School had as well but the truth was that he just wasn’t sure that he was ready to open up to yet another stranger about what had gone on in his life. He had done that in the past and it had helped for a while after Kelly died but then he’d had to move on and something even worse had ended up happening. So many strangers had come into his life over the years and had pretended to care about him but he knew that none of them did. Antonio and Ethan had taken him in because he was friends with their daughters and he knew that they cared about him but after everything that had happened he knew better than to get his hopes up that this time might be different and that he might be allowed to stay. Even with that in mind he knew that he wanted to make the most of the time that he was able to spend with them. He had been getting closer to Adelina and Gabriela during the time that he had been living with them and he had been getting closer to Antonio and Ethan as well. He had never been very good at connecting with people for some reason but with them it seemed so natural and he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were starting to feel like family to him. Elias knew that he needed to find a way to stop himself from feeling like that because it would only make it that much more difficult for him when he eventually had to move on like he always did but they had given him a safe place to stay, they had replaced everything that he’d lost in the fire and provided him with so much more and they had given him a family. In a way it felt like he had found what he had been searching for his whole life and he knew that he would always remember his time with them. That night Elias had fallen sound asleep from the moment his head hit the pillow. He was tired after a long day at school but it was the weekend and he could finally rest and have some fun with the family. The nightmares should have subsided by now and there were nights when Elias’ brain switched off without making him relive what had happened the day of the fire, the day he died, and without making him revisit everything that had happened the night that Kelly was attacked but that night wasn’t one of those nights. Thankfully the sun had always started to rise by the time the nightmares entered full swing but Elias still found himself waking up in a cold sweat, unaware that he had been crying out in his sleep. ETHAN ALVAREZ
|
|
ETHAN ALVAREZ
Phoenix
Posts: 211
Occupation:
Firefighter
Status:
Married
Partner:
Antonio Alvarez
Played by:
Noe
he thought about wanting to feel like he had been made for something more than dying.
Last seen May 6, 2024 22:05:18 GMT
|
Post by ETHAN ALVAREZ on Feb 9, 2021 15:58:56 GMT
| E than had experienced nightmares quite a lot when he was brought back to life for the first time. It probably had everything to do with the way he had passed away. It left behind a stain of trauma in his soul, making it hard for him to push past it but he did. Ethan had always had little faith in himself more faith in others, but despite the low credit he often gave himself, he had managed to push through it. It wasn't easy at first as these types of trauma tend to stay with you for a while, but it got easier and easier to deal with it rather than succumbing to it. Ethan had a family now. He had Antonio, the girls and Elias. They filled his heart with so much love and made him feel like he was an important person. He had felt like a disappointment all thanks to his parents and their lack of care in him and whenever they would focus on him, they would scold him and act like he was an annoyance more than an actual son. He was convinced they had never even loved him. Ethan thought, for the longest time, that there was something wrong with him. That he was broken. But then Antonio entered his life again and he realized slowly but surely that there was nothing wrong with him, all the problems resided within his parents and from there on, he had made a promise within himself to never be like his parents. Ethan woke up pretty early, choosing to head outside for a jog which lasted about thirty minutes. Then he came back home, closing the door quietly behind him since it was still six in the morning. The young firefighter soon made his way upstairs where he made his way to the bathroom so that he could have a quick shower to freshen up. After his shower, he took the time to get dressed and once he was done, he made his way downstairs where he made himself a cup of coffee to help him wake up. Thanks to his work, he was more than accustomed to waking up really early but he had today off so there was no need for him to wake up this early but he still did it anyway and so, he found a couple of things to keep him busy for the time being and once the sun was out, he made his way upstairs to check on Elias because there was something nagging at him on the inside and it was something he couldn't ignore. So he just decided to check on him and when he found the younger awake, looking sweaty with tear stains running down his cheeks, he felt himself grow concerned almost immediately. "Hey," Ethan called out in a soft voice, taking a few steps into the room to enter it. "What's up, kiddo? Are you okay?" His concern was clear in his voice as he looked at the younger, his head tilted slightly to the side. "Was it a nightmare?" Ethan questioned as he moved to sit on the edge of Elias' bed, his concerned eyes focused on the younger. |
credit to nat of adoxography.
|
|
ELIAS ALVAREZ
Phoenix
Posts: 46
Age:
20
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Single
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Mar 31, 2024 18:43:39 GMT
|
Post by ELIAS ALVAREZ on Feb 9, 2021 23:23:11 GMT
For a long time when he was younger Elias had genuinely believed the social workers when they had told him that his forever family was out there. He had seen other kids get adopted time and time again and each time he moved to a new foster home they told him that this time would be different but it never was. Elias had come close to being adopted once, his foster parents had come so close to signing the papers only to realise that they couldn’t do it after they learned that they were going to be having a baby of their own at long last and that there were complications with the pregnancy. Elias had loved the idea of becoming a big brother but it hadn’t worked out like that and despite a few occasions where he had found himself living in a group home with a few other boys who were in the same situation as him and when he had lived with Kelly he just hadn’t found that connection. Ever since he was young he had found it difficult to connect with people and in the past each time he had found himself starting to get closer to them in the end they had only ended up leaving him behind. When he moved to Mystic Falls he had felt sure that he’d just had to get through his final year in foster care and then he would age out of the system. That thought and the realisation that he hadn’t wanted to leave behind the only two friends that he’d made in a long time had seen him sticking with the foster parents he had been placed with even though he had known that they were in trouble and it had ended up getting him killed. The social workers had told him while he was in the hospital that there weren’t any other foster parents or group homes in Virginia who could take him which meant that his only option was to be sent off to another State yet again. He had resigned himself to the fact that that was what was going to happen when he was discharged from hospital but Antonio and Ethan had taken it upon themselves to give him a place to stay and ever since then he had been doing his best to make sure that they didn’t end up regretting that decision. He tried to be the model house guest so that they wouldn’t send him away too soon but the truth was that with each passing day he was starting to feel more and more like this was too good to last. For the first time in his life it felt like he had found a family that he was actually born to be a part of but given his track record he knew that it wasn’t going to last, it never did. In a few months he would be turning eighteen and he knew that when that happened he would find himself out in the world on his own and even though he had known that it was going to happen he couldn’t deny that it was still a scary thought. There were still months before that would happen, though, and for now he was just taking it one day at a time. The nightmares hadn’t subsided like he had hoped they would but he had found himself getting better at hiding them. That night had been a particularly bad one, however, and as Elias sat upright in bed he knew exactly what had happened. His body was still covered in a cold sweat and he could feel the tears running down his face but he could also feel how sore his throat was so in a way it was a relief to see Ethan alone at the door. He knew that he could have easily woken Antonio, Adelina and Gabriela as well and he didn’t want that so he was glad that he hadn’t. As Ethan asked if he was ok before asking if it was a nightmare, Elias shook his head. “I’m fine, it was nothing,” he lied as he quickly wiped his tears away. This wasn’t the first time that one of his foster dads had checked on him after a nightmare, they almost seemed to alternate which one of them it was and this time it seemed to be Ethan’s turn. Catching sight of the time showing on the clock on the dresser, Elias wiped a hand over his face as he tried to drive away any lingering tiredness, certain that he couldn’t stand to close his eyes and have another nightmare that morning. “What are you doing up so early?” he asked, hoping that he hadn’t woken the man up. ETHAN ALVAREZ
|
|
ETHAN ALVAREZ
Phoenix
Posts: 211
Occupation:
Firefighter
Status:
Married
Partner:
Antonio Alvarez
Played by:
Noe
he thought about wanting to feel like he had been made for something more than dying.
Last seen May 6, 2024 22:05:18 GMT
|
Post by ETHAN ALVAREZ on Feb 10, 2021 23:28:15 GMT
| E than wanted to do everything in his might to protect the younger boy. He had suffered and lost more than enough people to last him a lifetime. That mindset had never changed, not even for a day ever since they had taken Elias in. He quickly became family and Ethan cared about him quite a lot. He knew that Ela cared about him a lot, too. Ethan was happy to see him close with the girls because he could tell they liked having him here and saw him as a brother. Ethan considered himself the luckiest man alive for having such a wonderful family but the fact that Elias was still suffering on his own like this was more than enough to tug at his heart strings because he never wanted to see this boy suffering like this. He looked like he had been crying in his sleep, his shirt clinging onto his skin which gave away that he'd been sweating too. It must have been a terrible nightmare for him to look like this. He didn't even want to imagine what it could have been about. Ethan could tell that Elias was anything but okay. He didn't look the part. The tears gave away more than enough, honestly. It broke his heart to see Elias struggling like this. It made him feel overwhelmed with the urge to protect him but there was little that he could do about this. It was something that Elias needs to deal with. He wondered if he would be against the idea of meeting a therapist, maybe. There was nothing wrong with meeting someone like that especially if it could help him sleep better at night. "Are you, though?" Ethan questioned in a soft voice, blue eyes still focused on the younger boy. "You don't look okay," He said, his voice still showing his concern for the younger man. What are you doing up so early?
Ethan looked over at the time before his shoulders lifted and dropped in a quick shrug. "Force of habit, I guess?" He answered, his eyes finding the younger again. "I usually wake up around this time for work, anyway. I guess I just don't know how to shut off that habit on my day off," He said with a small chuckle leaving his lips. Ethan didn't really mind that he was up this early, he usually found things that kept him busy anyway, so he barely felt the time pass. "I have a feeling that you might not want to go back to sleep. What do you say I make you something to eat, hm?" Ethan suggested, wanting to do anything that he possibly could to make sure that the younger's distracted enough from those thoughts and he also knew that nightmares do have the tendency to linger behind for a while, unforgotten. The thought of leaving the younger to try and get some sleep again didn't sit well with Ethan because he worried his nightmares would come back in full force. |
credit to nat of adoxography.
|
|
ELIAS ALVAREZ
Phoenix
Posts: 46
Age:
20
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Single
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Mar 31, 2024 18:43:39 GMT
|
Post by ELIAS ALVAREZ on Feb 11, 2021 22:36:53 GMT
Elias was used to moving around all the time and the truth was that he wasn't sure how to feel settled in one place like this. His last foster parents were an absolute wreck but he had actually made friends in Mystic Falls and considering that he had less than a year to go until he turned eighteen he had felt sure that he could tough it out until then. He had done some things that he wasn't proud of in order to clear the debts they had accumulated and he had thought that was the end of it bit somewhere along the way they had ended up getting on the wrong side of some very bad people and they had paid the ultimate price, as had Elias. It had been a few months since the fire and he moved in with the Alvarez family and they had made him feel more welcome than anyone ever had before. For the first time he felt like he actually had two parents who cared about him and two younger sisters as well but he constantly feared that he was going to overstay his welcome. They had done so much for him and he felt more at ease with them than he had anyone else before but in the back of his mind was his constant mantra that this was only another temporary home. For once he wanted that not to be the case because he really was a happy with them but he had gotten his hopes up before and he knew better than to do that again. Perhaps it was the thought that he would have to move on again soon that had he nightmares still plaguing him in full force, Elias wasn't sure but the one that night was awful although more than anything he was embarrassed that it was bad enough that Ethan had felt the need to check on him. Antonio had already suggested counselling but Elias had politely refused. He had gone down that route before and it had helped for a while but this was different. He didn't even know how to talk to someone outside of the family about what had really happened that day and the truth was that he just didn't have the energy to lie to anyone else. He had already been through that with the police and hospital staff as well as the social workers and he knew that he couldn't do that again. He also didn't want Antonio and Ethan to have to pay heavy therapy bills when they had already given him so much so he knew that it just wasn't an option. Talking to Ethan, though, was an option. He was a phoenix too and Elias knew that the guy wouldn't judge him so he knew that he needed to just say something and see what happened. In the past he had known that it was for the best if he just kept his mouth shut but the people he had in his life now were so much better than the ones he'd had in his life before so he knew that he had to at least try and open up while he had the chance before he was made to move on again. That was easier said than done, though, and he didn’t say anything as Ethan said that he didn’t look alright before nodding as Ethan said that he was up early as a force of habit. “That makes sense. Isn’t Antonio normally the same?” he asked, pretty sure that normally they both got up early. That morning it was earlier than usual though so he couldn’t blame Antonio and the girls for still being asleep. As Ethan offered to make him something to eat, Elias felt a smile form on his face. “That would be good, thanks,” he admitted before realising that it was now or never. "You're right, it was a nightmare. This one was worse than I'm used to," he explained as he looked over at the man. "How much did the social worker tell you about my past?" he asked, not sure just how much his foster dads knew already. ETHAN ALVAREZ
|
|
ETHAN ALVAREZ
Phoenix
Posts: 211
Occupation:
Firefighter
Status:
Married
Partner:
Antonio Alvarez
Played by:
Noe
he thought about wanting to feel like he had been made for something more than dying.
Last seen May 6, 2024 22:05:18 GMT
|
Post by ETHAN ALVAREZ on Feb 13, 2021 0:45:40 GMT
| T hat makes sense. Isn’t Antonio normally the same?
Ethan nodded his head a few times at Elias' question. "Yeah, pretty much." He revealed with a small smile resting on his lips. "I do hope he's still asleep, though. It's always good to sleep in every now and then." Some habits were just hard to break. He felt sleepy, but not to the point where he needed to get up right now and go to bed. It was something he could easily silence with some coffee and something to keep him distracted, like talking to Elias for instance. "Sometimes it's just hard to shut off that part of our brain. I woke up today and almost got dressed for work," Ethan said with a chuckle falling from his lips. That would be good, thanks, You're right, it was a nightmare. This one was worse than I'm used to, How much did the social worker tell you about my past?
Ethan felt a small smile touch his lips when Elias agreed to eat something with him. "Okay. I gotta warn you though, I'm still taking lessons from Ela and Toni when it comes to cooking, but I feel like I've been making a pretty good progress." Ethan said with a half-smile resting on his lips which slowly faded when Elias admitted that what he'd been going through was a nightmare. He was quiet as he listened to the younger, his concerned eyes focused on him. Ethan nodded his head slowly to let the younger know that he was still listening to him, his lips pursing together before he finally parted them. "Do you wanna talk about it? It might help," he offered, not wanting the younger to think that he didn't have any other choice but to reveal what his dream had been about. "Not much, actually." Ethan looked over at the younger, nodding his head once. "I don't know much about it. But I would love if you told me about your past. You absolutely don't have to, by the way. I don't want you to think that you have no other choice but to tell me." Ethan assured the younger, his eyes softening a little bit. "Whatever you choose to tell me will be safe with me. I won't judge you or make fun of anything that happened, I hope you know that, kiddo." |
credit to nat of adoxography.
|
|
ELIAS ALVAREZ
Phoenix
Posts: 46
Age:
20
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Single
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Mar 31, 2024 18:43:39 GMT
|
Post by ELIAS ALVAREZ on Feb 20, 2021 21:43:30 GMT
Elias had spent time at the Alvarez house before Antonio and Ethan decided to take him in, they hadn’t had to do that after his foster parents were killed but he couldn’t deny that he was glad that they had done. Adelina and Gabriela were his friends and he had honestly thought that he would only be there for a few days until a space opened up at a group home of a foster placement became available but days had turned into weeks and weeks into months and Elias couldn’t deny that he felt settled. For the first time in a while he felt like he had a safe place to call home and he knew that it was only a matter of time before that was taken away from him but he wanted to enjoy it while it lasted. Antonio and Ethan had stopped him from having to move to another State and they had helped him transfer to the Salvatore School so he could learn more about being a phoenix. They had gone out on a limb for him and that was more than anyone else had done for him. One thing Elias had learned over the years was not to show any sign of weakness. If he had done that while he was living in a group home then he knew that the other kids would have eaten him alive so he had learned to keep things to himself. He knew that he didn’t have to do that now but it was still a hard habit to break. “It is,” Elias agreed. “I haven’t heard anyone else moving around so he probably is still asleep,” he nodded. He had been hoping to catch up on a little sleep that morning himself but it just wasn’t meant to be. As Ethan spoke again, Elias couldn’t help but laugh. “I bet the people you worked with would have been surprised if you had showed up today,” he chuckled. He had noticed that Antonio and Ethan tended to make sure that they had their days off together and Elias really couldn’t blame them for that. “I’m sure you have but I honestly don’t want you going to any trouble on my account, I’d be happy with cereal,” Elias assured him. He still felt like he would have to leave if he even made one wrong move given everything that had happened in the past but he was starting to wonder if he perhaps needed to have more faith in them than that. They had already let them stay longer than he had thought they would but Elias knew better than to get too comfortable. Every home he ended up in was only temporary but he already knew that this one would be the hardest to leave when the time came. As Ethan asked if he wanted to talk about the nightmare, Elias hesitated. He didn’t really want to talk about it but bottling it all up clearly wasn’t helping so he hoped that talking about it might help. He wasn’t at all surprised when Ethan said that he didn’t know much about his past, the social workers seemed to have lost interest in him a long time ago. “I do know that,” Elias nodded before a sigh escaped his lips. “I’m not sure exactly what happened to my birth parents but the social worker told me that I was left outside a fire house somewhere when I was a baby,” he began. They had never told him where so he had no idea that it was actually the same fire house that Antonio and Ethan worked at now. “By the time I was ten I’d lived in ten different foster homes all around the country and a group home. I was almost adopted once but the couple put me back into the system when they found out they were expecting a child of their own and there were complications with the pregnancy,” he continued. Elias didn’t want Ethan to feel sorry for him or anything like that but he needed to confide in someone and he trusted both his foster parents so he knew that he had to give being open with someone a try. “Every time I was told that this time would be different but it never worked like that. I never found a home I could really call my own. I continued moving around a lot and when I was thirteen I moved into a place where I had a foster sister called Kelly. My foster mom was nice enough but her boyfriend not so much. He tried to force himself on Kelly to show off in front of his friends one night but I fought him off. She escaped but the guy wasn’t happy and he tried to drown me and Kelly’s body turned up a few days later. The police said they didn’t know if he was responsible or not but I know it had to be him,” he explained. Some kids who ended up in care were lucky and found families that were the perfect fit for them but Elias had never been that lucky. “A few moves later and I ended up here and you know what happened after that,” he shrugged, knowing that Antonio and Ethan already knew about the fire. “Pretty tragic, huh?” he asked, a humourless laugh escaping his lips. That wasn’t all of it, there were plenty of other things that had happened over the years that he hadn’t told Ethan or Antonio about but he had talked through what had happened with Kelly to an extent during his therapy sessions and he knew that he didn’t want his foster parents funding out about that part of his life from anyone else if he could help it. “That’s why I’m so grateful to the two of you for taking me in even if I’ll probably have to move on soon.”ETHAN ALVAREZ
|
|
ETHAN ALVAREZ
Phoenix
Posts: 211
Occupation:
Firefighter
Status:
Married
Partner:
Antonio Alvarez
Played by:
Noe
he thought about wanting to feel like he had been made for something more than dying.
Last seen May 6, 2024 22:05:18 GMT
|
Post by ETHAN ALVAREZ on May 13, 2021 2:24:18 GMT
| I t is, I haven’t heard anyone else moving around so he probably is still asleep. I bet the people you worked with would have been surprised if you had showed up today,
Ethan nodded his head a few times with a relieved sigh falling from his lips. "Okay, that's good, then." He said with a gentle smile resting on his lips, his eyes moving to Elias before a chuckle left his lips. "True. You know, I actually did this before, but my excuse was that I was running low on sleep and instead of going to the fire department, I went to the police station and started heading for the lockers until I realized everything was completely different." Ethan had a lot of his mishaps but you know what, he didn't regret any of them. They rarely ever caused anything bad to happen, so. I’m sure you have but I honestly don’t want you going to any trouble on my account, I’d be happy with cereal, I do know that, I’m not sure exactly what happened to my birth parents but the social worker told me that I was left outside a fire house somewhere when I was a baby, By the time I was ten I’d lived in ten different foster homes all around the country and a group home. I was almost adopted once but the couple put me back into the system when they found out they were expecting a child of their own and there were complications with the pregnancy. "Woah, woah. Just cereal? Nope, we can't have that. The Alvarez family is notorious for its insatiable appetite. We can't have you just walkin' around with a bowl of cereal." Ethan shook his head a few times as he pretended to be disappointed about the whole 'bowl of cereal' thing before his lips stretched to form a smile. "I'm serious though, kiddo. I'll make something for you and it'll be delicious." He promised in a soft voice, eyes focused solely on the younger boy. He was quiet as he listened to Elias, his expression turning into one of sadness as he continued listening to his story. It was probably the saddest thing he'd ever heard in such a long time and it made his heart fucking break for him. He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve to feel so unwanted. Every time I was told that this time would be different but it never worked like that. I never found a home I could really call my own. I continued moving around a lot and when I was thirteen I moved into a place where I had a foster sister called Kelly. My foster mom was nice enough but her boyfriend not so much. He tried to force himself on Kelly to show off in front of his friends one night but I fought him off. She escaped but the guy wasn’t happy and he tried to drown me and Kelly’s body turned up a few days later. The police said they didn’t know if he was responsible or not but I know it had to be him,
Ethan listened quietly to the younger boy as he spoke, his brows furrowing a little bit as he gnawed worriedly on his inner cheeks. It was his first time hearing any of this and it really showed him just how much Elias had actually struggled in life and even now, he was still struggling with everything that had happened to him. It made him feel so angry at the world for putting all of this on the shoulders of an innocent boy who just wanted to live with a happy family. To have a place to call his own. But no, life truly just wanted him to keep suffering and it made him feel so ... upset. His eyes widened as he continued hearing Elias' story, whispering a soft' fuck' under his breath when he realized that Kelly had been murdered by that man. "Where the hell is he? Someone like him should be in jail." The edges of his lips were tugged down in an unpleasant frown. "This isn't right." A few moves later and I ended up here and you know what happened after that, Pretty tragic, huh? That’s why I’m so grateful to the two of you for taking me in even if I’ll probably have to move on soon. "You didn't deserve to be put through any of this, Eli. You're still so young but you've lost and struggled so much. I'm really sorry." Ethan wasn't doing this out of sympathy or guilt, he just truly felt sorry for him. His heart was breaking for the poor boy and he had no idea how to help other than by offering him a shelter like this one. "But you know, you're really strong. Anyone else would've been broken by now. Anyone else would have struggled to get up each morning but not you. You're still filled with so much life and I promise you that Toni and I are going to try everything we can to make sure that life gets easier for you from here. I promise." Ethan reached out to gently let his hand rest on top of Elias' hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "You're not alone anymore, Eli. We've got you." There was a promise lacing his words as his spoke, his eyes focused solely on the younger boy. "So trust us, okay? Trust that we won't let anything bad happen to you again." |
credit to nat of adoxography.
|
|
ELIAS ALVAREZ
Phoenix
Posts: 46
Age:
20
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Single
Played by:
Emma
Last seen Mar 31, 2024 18:43:39 GMT
|
Post by ELIAS ALVAREZ on May 22, 2021 21:09:46 GMT
Nightmares weren’t anything new for Elias, he had been dealing with them for such a long time now that it was more unusual for him to go a night without having a nightmare. It wasn’t a great way to live but it was all that Elias had. He’d been through therapy before and it had helped him for a while but eventually the nightmares always managed to creep back in and that was something that he’d had to learn to accept. Normally if his foster parents knew about the nightmares they never let on but he had learned pretty quickly that Ethan and Antonio were different. To them he wasn’t just someone that they needed to have around so that they could earn some extra money, they genuinely cared about him and the girls did as well. They were the closest thing to a real family that Elias had ever had and he knew that he didn’t want to lose that but he still couldn’t help but feel like even they were going to be taken away from him sooner or later. For now he knew that he just needed to make the most of his time with them while it lasted and he wanted to do just that. Nodding as Ethan said it was good that it didn’t sound like Antonio or the girls were awake just yet, Elias couldn’t help but laugh at his next words. “I bet they wondered what was going on when a fire fighter showed up for work at the police station,” he chuckled. He could almost picture their faces but Ethan didn’t seem to mind that it had happened at all and Elias was glad about that. It was easy to get caught up in the mistakes you’d made but Ethan didn’t seem to be that kind of person and Elias couldn’t deny that he admired him for it somewhat. Elias had meant it when he’d said that he would be happy with cereal. It was early and they were the only ones awake so he knew that he really didn’t want Ethan going to any trouble to make him something. “It’s not a problem, I’m used to it,” Elias assured him as Ethan said that he couldn’t have him walking around with a bowl of cereal. He was used to having to fend for himself a lot of the time when it came to making something to eat and more often than not he went for something simple so that he could keep out of the way of his foster parents. Some of them had liked them eating together as a family occasionally but he had always known that he wouldn’t be with them for long and he had always been proved right. Living with the Alvarez family was different, Elias could see that they genuinely cared about him and that was something that he wasn’t used to at all. As Ethan insisted that he would make him something to eat and that it would be delicious, Elias felt a smile form on his face. “Alright, I’d like that,” he admitted. “Thanks.” He hadn’t wanted Ethan to go to any trouble for him but he seemed pretty adamant about it so Elias knew better than to argue. “Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked, knowing that he might as well make himself useful if he could. Opening up about his past wasn’t something that came easily to Elias. He was used to putting on a mask for those around him but Ethan hadn’t been anything other than nice to him and it was the same with Antonio and the girls so he knew that if he could trust anyone then it was them. He could see the emotions written all over Ethan’s face as he explained what he had been through. Elias didn’t tell him everything but he told him enough to help him understand and as he asked what had happened to the guy that had killed Kelly and said that someone like him should be in jail, Elias shrugged. “As far as I know he’s still out there. I told the police that it had to be him but to them she was just another foster kid who ended up getting into trouble. They weren’t interested in finding out what really happened to her,” he explained. That had hurt but he had eventually come to realise that he shouldn’t have expected any different. He had been looked down on for being in the foster system himself so he knew what it was like. Kelly had deserved so much better but back then there wasn’t anything that he could have done to help find the guy that was responsible and now it had been years since she’d died so he knew that any leads would have run cold a long time ago. As Ethan said he didn’t deserve to be put through any of it and that he was sorry, Elias shook his head. “It’s ok. I turn eighteen this year and then I’ll finally be out of the system,” he said, trying to make his voice sound more confident than he felt. After what had happened with the first foster parents he’d had in Mystic Falls he was scared of being on his own but he knew that it was going to happen soon so he needed to get used to the idea. As Ethan said that he was strong, Elias shook his head. “I don’t feel strong,” he admitted. The nightmares had returned and they were worse than ever this time and the truth was that he had no idea how to get rid of them. He really did feel like something in him was broken but he wasn’t ready to admit that out loud. “Thank you, I appreciate that more than you know,” he said sincerely as Ethan said that he and Antonio were going to try and make sure that life got better for him from here and said that he wasn’t alone anymore. “I do trust you,” he added, knowing in his heart that it was true. “It feels like I’ve finally found a real family and I don’t want to lose you guys,” he said even though he knew that it was going to happen sooner or later. “Thank you for letting me stay as long as you have.” It was only meant to be for a few days until the social workers were able to find another placement for him but it had turned into something much longer and he hoped that he wouldn’t end up overstaying his welcome. ETHAN ALVAREZ
|
|