#𝔩𝔢𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔯𝔬 ⸻ ft. emmett alsford

[endlesswoes]

Over the few months Leandro had gotten to know Emmett, it’d become endearing just how wholesome and genuine the lad was. A fresh innocence that not many possessed coming into Arcadia and if so the end soon approached - be it figuratively speaking or set in stone. The boy carried such a beacon of light that it drew him in. Reminded him of all those adolescents back at his home church. Having been a youth pastor for most of his life, he learned to mind them well. It made Lea want to go out of his way to ensure his safety or protect him in any way he could. Even if for the moment the only way he could do so was simple chatter. 

“Is that so?” he asked, intrigued though mostly happy to learn that Emmett wasn’t hiding in a room somewhere avoiding the world. That the young man had given himself a sense of purpose in being in Arcadia and found ways not just to pass the time, but aid in whatever minuscule way everyone did daily. Not enough to make a difference, but enough to foster change. “What have you gotten done so far?” Lea went on to ask, a professional at small mindless talk. “We’ve actually been thinking, if God allows, of building a treehouse out back. If that’s of any interest to you.”

Of course, it would take months for that task to be fulfilled - what with all the snow covering the ground on top of all the materials they needed to gather - but it was something to look forward to. Every few months Lea would come up with some lengthy task to obsess over with his kids in order to shield them to the horrors around them. Unimportant and seemingly a waste of time to others, but he refused to let his children think their future only held death. This treehouse was a moderately simple task he set to keep them hopeful and looking forward to waking up the next day. “Granted we don’t have a tree too close, so it’d have to be a little further from town, but it’ll give the kids and us something to do for the next few weeks. Aside from… you know.” The walk to the diner wasn’t too far away, but the chill in the air cut straight through his pants forcing a shutter out of the old man.

Emmett nodded, with a small smile. He'd be happy to wait in the church. His mother would have been proud of him for expanding his horizons, and being a little sociable. She was usually the one that made him feel bad about it before, but if he was in good standing with a pastor, that was better in her eyes than just some kid his age he met on the street, not through their church.

Still, there was comfort in the familiar and Leandro had been nothing but kind to him, even if Emmett felt he was intruding a bit sometimes. He didn't see many people in the church, but he made sure when he was there, spending a lot of time, he would do something to make it better. There was no painting, but if it meant fixing the siding or making sure a gutter ran straight, he would do it, no questions.

When Leandro came out, he stood again, actually happy to have company for once. "Things are alright," he answered politely. Not much activity by way of the cinema. He was still toiling incessantly at the projectors, worried about messing them up further but also absolutely positive he could get one to work. Someday. That was all that really took up his free time. "I'm just trying to fix some things up. I was going through the town, and I found a house that didn't have anyone in it - they had a garage and I found a toolbox with some nails, so... slow and steady, I guess." The best way he could think of to stay sane.

[endlesswoes]

“Yes, of course.” Leandro replied, dropping the bottle of water he’d just finished off into the nearest bin before holding open the door to his private quarters, “Why don’t you give me about ten minutes to clean up and I’ll meet you back up here? While you wait, if you’d like something to do and you do not mind of course, would you grab some boxes from inside the closet behind you and move them towards the entrance? I have someone from the communal house coming to pick them up.” 

Offering one last smile, Leandro opened the door and made his way down to check on his - still sleeping - children, before heading into the shower. Had it been any other day and he’d have woken them so they could join in, but their schedules were pretty packed as of late so Lea decided to leave them instead. Lupita was old enough to take care of Diego on her own now, and would enjoy the increase in responsibility. 

Wrapping up his morning routine, he made way back to the front of the church. “How are things going for you, son?” he asked, placing a hand on the younger male’s upper back as he ushered him out of the church and into the morning’s cool breeze. A single glance up warned of an upcoming disaster that Leandro wasn’t equipped enough to comprehend.

Emmett rubbed some of the sleep from his eyes, now that he was in the presence of another. He even stood up, leaning on the back of the pew to steady himself. It was probably more polite that way anyway, to not be slouching or anything. He shook his head. Emmett did not eat yet, his appetite wasn't what it used to be before arriving here. French toast sounded good, if not a little filling, so maybe he'd be able to settle with some toast and coffee, if that was an option.

"Can I join you?" he asked. He wasn't totally sure if an invitation was implied in there, his anxieties often taking over and making him believe that he wasn't welcome in certain places for... well, no real reason he could think of. Emmett felt more comfortable talking to Lea than others he met here, and he knew the sole reason was each of their proximities to the church. The man could often find Emmett trying to fix any shingles or thinning out patches of the walls outside, just because. "Unless you were meeting someone, or something."

[endlesswoes]

“Good morning, Emmett. How are you this morning?” Leandro asked, unintentionally bypassing the younger male’s question with his own greeting. It wasn’t too incredibly early for him to have risen. Leandro had taken up running each morning, usually before the rest of the town began to roam, in order to clear his mind before the day began. He didn’t wander too far out in case he was needed back immediately, but each day he added a little more distance to his sprints. 

It wasn’t until years spent in Arcadia that finding someone inside of the church, by the time he returned, surprised him. Ever since he first arrived he took notice of the lack of consistency around. Understandably so, with everything going on around them, but at first he thought it strange. Leandro couldn’t comprehend why everyone would turn their back on God when they needed it most, but then experiencing death night after night and month after month made it much clearer. 

Over time he learned to seek out the people and provide his comfort whenever accepted. Ensuring to offer only comfort and positive thoughts as opposed to giving answers to occurrences he had no knowledge of. With Emmett it wasn’t much different, upon his arrival, but over time it excited Lea to see him continue to show. “No, not yet. I planned on heading there soon. Have you?” he asked, gulping a few mouthfuls of water. “I believe it’s French toast this morning. A favorite around here.”

By now, after four months in this purgatory of a place, Emmett should have been venturing out more than he did. After all, he had grown up within a small community of like minded people, the same since he was a baby - wouldn't it be natural for a young man to have the kind of curiosity that beckoned many his age? The urge, the itch to branch out?

The fact that those instincts weren't there made Emmett feel like he was way out of his limit, more than he already thought. He still felt like he had to close himself off. He knew he was shy, he always knew it, but this was different. They were all stuck together, and still he couldn't bring himself to venture out to others very often. What was he so afraid of? Perhaps it had something to do with how little he knew of himself - the rug had been ripped out from his feet and somehow still he was falling.

The lonely church that stood in town was really one of his only respites, although he was quite biased with his choice of comfort given his personal history and because it was the first place he ran too when he arrived at Arcadia. It protected him that first night, but now it just stood as a place for him to be alone with his thoughts. Not too many people crossed through its walls, unless they needed the protection. Now, it served him as a nice place to just collect his thoughts, and occasionally a project to try and fix whenever required. The doors opened from the back of the church and Emmett looked over from where he sat in the pew - knees at his chin, absently staring out into the wind. It was still early, and he was still waking up somewhat. "Good morning," he called, knowing the list of people that could have walked through those doors was slim. "Did you eat?" *// @endlesswoes