Rainy Day Blues

As the rain tapped away at the roof and rattled at the windows of his house, Linus could only breathe out a frustrated sigh as he leaned back in his chair. The slight strain of protest in his back at the different position had him humming softly, red eyes closing shortly after. A month. It had been a month since he had started this case and he had begun to feel the strain that it brought with it on day one. The days that followed never seemed to make it any better. It was difficult to get any sort of idea for it when there was barely any evidence anymore, and it certainly didn't help that no one in this strange little town was on talking terms with him ever since he moved here. The reminder of such a stigma struck a nerve. Never had he ever thought he'd find himself getting sore over something as minuscule as isolation but, honestly, he would've expected at least something close to a warm welcome when he came here. Instead, it was far from it. No one came to greet him off the boat, and no one answered the door once he knocked to introduce himself. Instead, the people gave him dirty looks on the street and refused to acknowledge him when he waved or flashed them a courteous smile. Heck, some women even went out of their way to avoid him when he'd offer to open the door for them. The thought of the last woman had his brow twitching. There was nothing Linus could have done, he was certain of it, to make this town treat him this way, but he sure wouldn't mind knowing. If only he could, but anyone he asked never replied to him. Instead, they walked away, they always did. The entire situation made him tired and soon he reached up to rub his face in his hands, as if his exhaustion could be easily wiped off. But it remained. It never seemed to leave him.

Even more so it clung to him with the massive caseload he was greeted with when he took up his position as detective. Cases as old as the hills were staked up to wazoo on a desk that had become less of a workspace and more of the station decor. They even got rid of the office where the previous detective worked and had made it something reminiscent of an interrogation room, something of which Linus could only wonder why they implemented. He took the cases home with him and ultimately set up an extra room to accommodate himself and his work. Honestly, it was beginning to feel as if he was his own private eye... a gumshoe that wasn't tied to law enforcement at all. The thought had him raising a brow, intrigued by the idea. While that was not very fashionable anymore, nor really common, either, he liked the possibility of doing things his own way, instead of by the book. Degaldo had been pretty strict when it came to the rules and regulations of things but here? Maybe he could do things a little differently.

He entertained the thought, or rather, the thought entertained him for some time as the rain refused to relent upon his soaking windows. However, an entirely different sound caught his attention as a knock came from his door. An eye lazily peeled open and he rose just slightly to listen once more, for all he knew he was just hearing things. No way someone was knocking at his door... but sure enough, he heard the sound again! Now, that, was the last sound he had expected to hear, especially when it was raining cats and dogs outside. A frown graced his face before he rose from his seat and made his way to the front door.

Stopping in front of the door, his hand reached for the knob before a thought came to mind. What if this was some sort of joke? Had the town resorted to those sorts of shenanigans, now? His hand twitched as it hovered just over the knob, but the much louder, more prompt sounding knock immediately drew him out of those thoughts.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming."

The cold copper met his warm hand as he twisted the knob and pulled open the door, eyes meeting... the house across the street from his. A frown graced his face before he found himself looking down there was the culprit, the source of the knocking. It was a kid, soaked to the bone, shivering like a leaf and with an eye as purple as a plum.

Red eyes locked onto a pair of baby blues and he watched as the kid stared at him with the same expression that Linus starred back at him. It was a look of shock, surprise and a tinge bit of worry. The child just continued to stare up at him, and Linus could only look the kid over before reaching over to grab him by his shoulder and nearly drag him into his house. Oddly enough, the boy didn't protest as Linus shut the door behind them.

Thoughts and words whirred through Linus's head as his gaze settled upon the young boy once more. What were you thinking, staying outside in this weather? Are you nuts? Where's your mother? And your father? So many questions he wanted to ask but one look at those blue eyes and his thoughts took a hard stop. He recognized that look, had seen it many times before. It was a look of fear, of vulnerability, a look the detective could only assume was because of his own presence.

But just because he was the black sheep of the Puffer Point fold didn't mean he was just going to throw this boy back out in the rain. Especially not with that eye.

That eye bothered him even more than the fact this boy was drenched to the bone.

It was only after a moment did he realize the boy was still standing there, shivering and looking up at him as if he were the same wretch that nearly devoured Hansel and Gretel. Linus only huffed out a soft laugh.

"Shut that mouth, kid, otherwise you'll be catching flies with that cold," the older man quipped. "And set down on the davenport, there. I'll get you a towel and some warm blankets. Might not hurt to take those wet clothes off, too, huh?"

He looked to the boy a moment and caught that look of confusion that rippled across his face, and soon Linus could only motion to the nearby sofa before wandering to a nearby door and making his way into the basement. He came back up with a couple of towels and settled back down by the boy, who had settled upon the couch after he had shed his clothes. They were a sopping wet heap upon his carpeting but he didn't really care. Instead, he maneuvered his way around them before looking down at the boy... then at the open spot on the sofa.

"The blankets are gonna be a minute before they're warmed up, just put them back in the dryer... Mind if I sit next to you?"

To Linus's surprise, the boy shook his head. He tossed the kid a towel before settling down close by, sinking into the cushion of his couch before looking at the kid's fair colored hair... then to that eye of his. Linus couldn't help but wince that the look of it. The color was an angry purple that bordered on black. Whoever socked this kid had a good arm... Though the detective sure didn't think that was a good thing.

The child was still shivering even as he was drying himself off. Linus could only frown upon the sight.

"Come here," The investigator prompted. He leaned forward, but the boy immediately pulled back, eyes wide as he looked up to the man close by. Linus couldn't help as his brow furrowed.

"I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to dry you off some."

The boy stared at him, and for a weighted moment all the two did was stare at each other as the soft sounds of jazz music came from the radio. Moments ticked away as if they were hours, and as time carried on, Linus felt the need to just get up and leave the child to his own thing. After all, he didn't want him touching him, it was obvious. The man gripped the towel in his hand and was about to rise from his seat before he heard a small and shaky voice.

"Okay."

Red eyes flickered back onto the boy before Linus watched as the boy leaned closer. There was another short moment where Linus was stock still, before he finally moved forward, towel in hand, and reached up to dry the boy's hair. He knew he needed to be gentle, the last thing he wanted to do was irritate that eye more.

Which reminded him, he needed to get this boy an ice pack.

After his hair seemed pretty dry, Linus got up and retrieved the blankets, as well as put the boy's own wet clothes in the dryer. Those would take longer, but those blankets should keep him warm until then. He threw the blankets onto the boy before going to his fridge and getting something for that eye. When he came back, the boy was nearly covered in those blankets, save for his face and his head, but he wasn't shivering anymore, thank goodness.

"Here."

The boy looked down at what Linus offered him and frowned.

"Frozen peas?" He asked with a hint of disgust.

"They're not for eating, they're for this," Linus pointed to his own eye. "It's not going to feel great but it'll help the swelling."

Again, the boy hesitated, but soon took the bag and placed it gently on his swollen eye, hissing at the initial contact but soon relaxing into his pile of blankets. Linus smiled.

"There. Feels better, doesn't it?" The lazy nod that he was rewarded with had the man huffing out a chuckle. "Good. Your clothes are in the dryer, so it'll be a while before you'll get those back. In the meantime, I'm making you soup, and you're going to eat it." That wasn't a suggestion.

"Yes, sir."

Not expecting that, Linus only raised a brow. Yes sir? No one ever called him 'sir'. Never liked the formality about it.

"The name's not 'sir', it's Linus. Detective Linus Sinclair."

The boy blinked up at him. "My name is Linnaeus Rhodes."

Linus could almost laugh at the situation. Not because of the kid and his current state, no, but by the fact out of all days, of all times, out of every chance of weather, this boy had come to him now, in the rain, in a place where Linus knew he wasn't welcome.