Dying Light ~ Tate Langdon

07 | Compliments

Violet and Hazel were walking through a shop just down the road from their house.

"I know you're hanging out with Tate after his sessions" Violet smirks.

The brunette laughs when Hazel doesn't respond. "I'm not telling dad, obviously. Or mom. I also know that he stayed over after you scared Leah" She states, raising her eyebrows, clearly implying something.

"It wasn't like that!" Hazel laughs, lightly slapping her twins arm. "He wasn't even under the blanket"

"God, you're so into him, Hazel. It's painfully obvious" Violet insisted.

Hazel's cheeks flushed a hot red. "Yeah, I think so"

Violet smiles triumphantly. "Knew it"

"Whatever. I can't date him anyways" Hazel says, remembering him and her fathers conversation.

'I met someone'

"He met a girl and he likes her. I heard him telling Dad about it" Hazel groaned.

"But he didn't say anything to you about it?" Violet queries.

"He asked me if I wanted to know who it was. I said no" Hazel replies.

"What if that was your opportunity?" Violet asks. "I want you to listen in on his session again today. It's at 3. Maybe this time, don't put your ear on the door. He'll never know you were there"

Hazel noes. "You're right, he may be more open if he doesn't think I'm listening"

...

It had come time for Tate's session. Hazel set up her computer to playing some random movie that she could easily act like she was watching when Tate comes back to her room afterwards.

She sat beside the door, notebook in hand. Hazel was very determined to find out what Tate's secret was.

Hazel heard a phone vibrating. "I'm sorry" Ben apologized, and the ringing stopped. Hazel assumed he had turned it off.

"So, what do shrinks think about, when a wildly brilliant patient doesn't talk to punish said psychiatrist?" Tate questions. "I bet you think about sex"

"Do you think about sex alot?" Ben asks Tate.

Hazel was thrown off by this. Much different then last time.

"I think about one girl in particular. Your daughter, Hazel" Tate admits. Hazel almost chokes. "I jerk off thinking about her. A lot"

"I'm not comfortable with you talking about my daughter, Tate" Ben stated.

He likes me.

"Don't you wanna know what I think of her?" Tate asks. "I think of her long brown hair, her deep brown eyes. How her soft lips would feel against mine as she runs her hands through my hair, making her purr like a kitten"

"Do you turn to these thoughts to comfort yourself in times of stress?" Ben questions.

"Actually, yes" Tate answers. "I jerk off alot to make the visions go away. The blood and the carnage. I want the thoughts to go away, but you're not helping me"

He thinks Dad isn't helping him.

"Well we've only been working together a few weeks now" Ben replies.

Tate laughs. "Well, you're sexual, right?"

Hazel hadn't realized how horny Tate really was. Guess it comes with being a teenage boy.

"Hazel told me about the affair with the girl in Boston. Not much older than her, she said" Tate admits. Hazel felt her stomach drop. Why would he say that?

"Our time is up" Ben stated.

"Bullshit. I don't accept that" Tate protests.

"Our time is up for today, Tate" Ben repeats, more stern this time. 

Hazel runs back to her room, flops on the bed and acts like she'd been watching the movie.

She hears footsteps approach her room. It was either Tate or her father.

She turned around and saw Tate's figure standing. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, lock the door" Hazel tells him as he does so.

He walks in and sits on Hazel's desk chair.

"Weren't listening today?" Tate asks. "I didn't hear you"

"Nope. I've been watching the movie" Hazel says, referring to her now paused laptop.

Tate nods.

"That's good" Tate nods. "I don't your father likes me that much"

Hazel giggles. "Tate, he doesn't like a lot of people. Don't take it personal"

Tate nods.

"Thanks for staying over the other night" Hazel says. "You were gone when I woke up"

"I had to get home before Mom got on my ass" Tate shrugs. "I would've told you but I didn't want to wake you"

Hazel's mind was still flooding with what he had said about her. I mean, he has to like her right?

"How'd your session go?" Hazel asks.

"Good, I suppose. I don't think I'm getting anywhere" Tate admits. "I just want to get better, Hazel. I've been wanting the medicine to work. I want to be normal. For you"

"What?" Hazel asks, her voice just above a whisper.

"Hazel, I just really don't want to scare you away" Tate says. "My mother is already scared of me I think" His eyes start to swell up.

"Tate come here" Hazel says, holding her arms out.

Tate practically jumps on her bed and wraps his arms around her torso, resting his head on her chest. Hazel puts one hand on his back, and the other in his hair, gently rubbing his head.

He had began crying. "It's okay, Tate. I'm not afraid of you" Hazel says quietly.

She was surprised at how vulnerable he was being around her. Never in her life would she have thought Tate would be crying into her shoulder. She found it endearing, how comfortable he was around her.

Tate had eventually stopped trembling and just laid there as Hazel traced shapes into his back.

He had fallen asleep soon after. Hazel kissed his forehead, and held him to her chest, simply letting him sleep.

Authors note ;

THE CUTIES