Dont Stop Me Now ~Blue/Mattie~

[Deleted]

When Matthieu first got his diagnosis, he was crushed. It had started out as just slight headaches, dizzy spells and inability to concentrate. But when it escalated to black outs and what he thought were seizures, EEGs and a CAT scan showed it was actually a malignant tumor in his brain. It was revealed that the location made his tumor inoperable. The only thing they could do for him was...... keep him comfortable. The bright and chipper 'Nothing can bring me down' Mattie cried for nearly two weeks when he found out that he was dying.

That was a year ago, today. Mattie had come to terms with his fate and he was back to his bright chipper “Nothing Can Bring Me Down” attitude. In a way, he was thankful. He was more open with his feelings, he said what he thought, and nothing was taken for granted. He left his mother and little sister in France to move to England where there was a medical program for Cancer Patients who could not afford their medications.

He had managed to successfully enroll, landed a part time job as a delivery boy on bike, and got a fairly decent apartment. Granted it was only three rooms; Living room, kitchen, and dining area were one room, the bathroom down the hallway, and a bedroom with a beautiful balcony overlooking the street. It was more than he really needed. Any money he earned that was not spent of rent, food or medications was sent back home to his mother.

In his time in London, he had found two adorable kittens on the street. A precious silvery tabby that he named Princess, and a grayish blue cat he named Genie. It made his life in the apartment less lonely. Princess was the kind of cat who loved to lay in your lap and be petted all day long. Little Genie was more aloof and only wanted to be petted on his terms. Other than his cats, Mattie did not have much of a social life. He was often not feeling well enough to leave his apartment long enough to enjoy himself before his head began to hurt or nausea from his medications ruined social interactions. But it was okay. He could call his mother on the weekends to see how she was doing, talk to his little sister whom he adored. She was just so precious, even though she was far from a child anymore, she would always be his baby sister.

Mattie tried not to let things worry him. Worry only led to stress, and stress triggered migraines. But his mother's financial troubles made his heart twist with worry. He had begun to buy less and less food for himself so he could send her more each week so she could keep her house. He didn’t have much of an appetite anymore, due to his meds... So it was okay, Right? He didn’t care as long as his mother could keep a roof over her head. He would ignore her when she said he was sending too much and that she worried he was not taking care of himself. He would always cheerfully tell her that he was just fine and not to worry. But the fact of the matter was that he didn’t even realize he was starving himself. His meds just made him feel like was wasn't hungry and any time he ate, he felt sick. So, he barely ate. He didn’t exactly look sickly, but Mattie had become very thin.. But Mattie hardly noticed. He had always had a thin frame, very petite for a man.

The months rolled on uneventfully, other than slowly having to increase the strength of his medications,. Mattie was feeling restless and felt the urge to go for a midnight stroll in the park. He pulled on his jeans and shoes, slipping on his blue and black stripped sweater his mother had made for him. He gently caressed Princess behind her ear, Genie, as usual, was no where to be found. Probably hiding on top of his bookshelf again. He headed out, locking his door behind him and made his way to the park. His breath crystallized in soft puffs in the night air and Mattie fount himself staring at the stars above when something caught his foot and sent the man stumbling into the grass.

Mattie just smiled and rolled onto his back and folded his arms behind his head and looked up at the beautiful night sky. Why waste the opportunity to star gaze?

[Deleted]

His home had crumbled. Not Blue’s, because the Djinn didn’t much have a home, only a Lamp. His owner’s home – the place his master had grown up, where he had spent his days and the planet he’d fought for – his owner’s home had crumbled. Blue had only been to Gallifrey once or twice, and those times weren’t much by choice. Thankfully, the Djinn hadn’t needed to fight. He didn’t think he would have been able to – he had fought the Daleks before, he’d been involved in several plagues, and he’d had to deal with several Time Lords, but the weight of an entire species had crushed him.

Blue had gotten back to Earth as Gallifrey crumbled and constantly existed and nonexisted and the whole mess just made his head hurt. He was stranded on Earth, which wouldn’t have been such a harsh existence if he hadn’t seen what else was out there. If he hadn’t been Blue: The Cosmic Explorer, Earth would be nice. It would be his home, but instead he felt strange because he knew that no matter what happened, no matter what they did, it wasn’t going to matter in the future.

So he’d gotten a job as a bank manager and financial advisor. It was a boring existence – he collected packages, he helped people get out of their stupid little holes that they got themselves into, and sometimes he even occasionally got to pretend he was sentient, that he wasn’t on auto-pilot of numbers and interests. His boss liked him well enough to not cause any incident, and he was friendly enough to have acquaintances. He didn’t have an apartment – Blue didn’t feel it necessary. He didn’t need to eat, he didn’t need to sleep, and he certainly didn’t need an apartment. So his money just went to an account.

Blue slept in the park, when he did feel the desire to while away the hours unconscious. It was where his Lamp was located, although he spent only a few moments in the Lamp. It was as spacious as he needed, but he still hated knowing that Earth was going on around him. He hated it. He hated the boredom and the tedium of being locked away inside the Lamp.

“Blue?”

The Djinn startled, looking up guiltily at the woman who had called his name. The plump middle-aged lady sat across from him. “Blue, you’ve just been sitting here since three,” the woman, Lucille, said. She gestured at the clock. It was ticking closer to eight – 7:56 PM –, and Blue wondered if the Time Lords he had served had ever just looked at a clock and observed how wrong it must seem – for that energy to exist in so many places but very rarely kept accurately in those litt—

“You’re doing it again.”

He blinked. 8:09 PM. “Sorry, Lucille,” he said lamely. The dark eyes moved from the clock to the woman. “You’re closing, huh?” he asked, although it wasn’t much of a question. The sign on the door gave their times very clearly, and Blue had spent enough time in the little café to know their schedule inside and out, backwards and forwards and sideways and longways.

“Distracted?” Lucille asked, pushing forward a cup of coffee to him. His own was cold and untouched, as was the little sandwich he’d ordered. He ate out of habit, because if he did enough menial human things, maybe one day he would turn into a menial human and he wouldn’t have to pretend anymore. “You look like you have a lot on your mind.”

“I don’t know…” he said, taking a gulp of the bitter black coffee. “I just wish that life wasn’t so boring.”

Lucille nodded. “Well, it’s only as boring as you let it be, I imagine,” she told him. “Anyways, something good is about to happen to you.”

“How do you figure?”

“Your palms,” she grinned. “Your palms say it all.”

“I don’t believe in that sort of thing,” he muttered, a little unnerved by her gaze.

“You don’t have to believe in something for it to be true.”

And, as if on cue, Blue felt a familiar curdling in his stomach. His head went light and pain pinched at his spinal cord. He shifted uncomfortably and stood, wobbling as teal energy began to drip from his fingertips. “I-I… ouch! I have to go,” he said, running out of the restaurant. Lucille jumped up after him, yelling about how he’d forgotten his wallet. He ran into an alley and, thankfully, when Lucille rounded the corner, Blue was already ripped apart and being reassembled at the park.

Blue blinked and rubbed his head, looking around quizzically. A man was in the process of stumbling down – his new master, he could tell – and Blue expected for him to get back up and look around sheepishly. Instead, he remained laying down on the ground. The Djinn stepped forward, concerned for the man’s help. What if he was hurt? Already?

But no. It seems he was just star gazing.

Blue sat down next to him. “Hello… you’re my new master. I’m a Djinn. It was my Lamp you stumbled over,” he said blandly. He was nearly a million years old – he’d lost the penchant for dramatic entrances he’d had years earlier. “You name me and I grant your wishes. And I stay with you until you want to get rid of me… or until one of us dies.”

[Deleted]

Mattie stared up at the brilliant cloudless night sky and smiled. It was so beautiful, the endless swirls of blues and purples. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, enjoying the feel of cool air in his lungs. When he opened them again, there was a rather solemn thick haired man sitting beside him. He smiled brightly and moved to support himself on his elbows. He chirped softly to the new stranger "Bonjour! Did you stumble as well?"

But he replied rather dryly to his cheerful question “Hello… you’re my new master. I’m a Djinn. It was my Lamp you stumbled over,”. Mattie arched a brow at him and couldn't help but start laughing at him. "You either hit your head or that is the worst pick up line I have ever heard". He sat upright and drew his knees to his chest and hugged them lightly, still slightly giggling at the strange man. "I'm Matthieu! What is your name?"

“You name me and I grant your wishes. And I stay with you until you want to get rid of me… or until one of us dies.”

'Cuts right to the chase, doesn't he?' Mattie thought to himself, eyeing the nameless stranger curiously. But he couldn't be serious. Djinn weren't real. Just something from a story, right? He forced himself to stand, almost losing his balance for a moment, holding his head before straightening with a bright smile. "Well, Monsieur 'You Name Me'.... I dont have much need for wishes." He looked at the slightly taller man, studying his face. 'His eyes are so strange.. He seems so old.' Mattie pondered to himself. 'But his eyes also were quite beautiful. Maybe this stranger had what people called.. an Old Soul?'

He pondered the next part of his statement curiously. Stay with him? Was the fluffy haired stranger homeless? Okay, yes.. he was dressed nicely but still. He felt a pang of pity for him, if that was the case and began to pat himself searching for his wallet. Maybe he just needed a few pound notes for a meal. Sure, Mattie could spare a few quid. "How about I buy you something to eat and I walk you home? It's a nice night, non?" He didn't want to seem like he didn't care, because he really did.

And then the final part of his statement hit him. Until one of them dies.. His expression turned solemn for a moment before reminding himself that there was no point being sad about it. But that reminded him! He checked his watch. It was one of those old Micky Mouse watches where Micky's hands were the minute and hour hand. He sighed softly and went into his coat pocket and fished out a bottle of medication and popped back his dose with a disgusted groan. They tasted awful. But they kept him out of pain and that was important. Mattie wasn't afraid to die, but pain terrified him.

He chirped out an apology. He normally didn't take his medicine in front of others and hadn't stopped to think if it would make the strange man uncomfortable. He cleared his throat softly and rubbed the back of his head "Sorry.. I uh.. I have to be very erm.." he tried to think of the word, it wasn't an English word he used often. "Ah! Diligent!.. Anyway, I'm terrible at giving names. You should ask my cats... What does everyone else call you?"

[Deleted]

“Bonjour! Did you stumble as well?” the human asked cheerfully. Blue shook his head mutely. French? His previous owner hadn’t much liked the French… or Blue, for that matter. He felt a slight pang in his ribs – the remnants of being summoned, most likely. He sighed and looked back up at the sky, feeling a little jealous of the human ability to find beauty in what wasn’t beautiful. The stars weren’t very special – not to someone who had been elsewhere and knew other things. Or, maybe Blue was just too old for something like ‘star-gazing’. He glanced back towards the stranger and decided to cut to the chase.

He’d had many masters in his life, and each had taken the news differently. The humans nearly always demanded he did something mystifying and great, the Time Lords had mostly all heard of the Jinn and he hadn’t had a problem with them. Although, the Corsair and the Dark Lord had both had amnesia, so the two didn’t know any better than not to believe in strange men claiming to be genies. And, on more than one occasion, he’d had the occasional Time Lord interested in dissecting him.

So he’d had a lot of reactions, but none were quite like this human’s. He raised his eyebrows as the man began to laugh at him. “You either hit your head or that is the worst pick up line I have ever heard.”

Blue’s cheeks colored. “I’m not flirting with you!” he said, his voice cracking from embarrassment. He cleared his throat and looked down at the stone in his hands. He put it on the ground between them, watching as the man sat up. Blue wrapped his hands around his own knees, mimicking the human’s pose. He rested his chin on his knees. Why was he still giggling? He nearly tried to reprimand him, but a smile and a chuckle of his own escaped. “It isn’t funny! I’m being serious,” he said, hiding his own smile behind his knees.

“Well, Monsieur ‘You Name Me’… I don’t have much need for wishes.”

The Djinn rolled his eyes, trying his best to not grin at the Frenchman’s twist on his words. “Everyone can wish for something. You’re not any different,” Blue said. “You could wish for women, or money, or… anything, really. I just can’t take someone out of existence.” Much need for wishes? It was the wishes that always got them! It was why people put up with him – they could get anything they ever wanted.

Matthieu was giving him odd looks, the sort that Lucille gave him when he’d zone out and stare out the café’s window for hours. He tilted his head as Matthieu began to pat himself down. Blue wondered briefly if he was just trying to make sure Blue hadn’t done a vanishing trick with his wallet. “How about I buy you something to eat and I walk you home? It’s a nice night, non?”[/b][/color]

Blue shook his head. “I’m not hungry. The Jinn don’t need to eat. It’s just a luxury if we do,” he said, watching the human curiously. “Anyway, you’re my master. I should be the one taking you out for dinner. As for the ‘home’ bit…” Blue trailed off and waved a hand vaguely to the stone in front of them. “It’s as close as I have to one. So it wouldn’t be a very far walk, huh?”

He almost apologized for his statement because it seemed to have make the young man’s spirit dampen, but almost as soon as Blue had registered the change in his master’s emotions, Matthieu was grinning again. He peered at the watch contemplatively. “Am I keeping you from something? I can just be an ‘on-call’ Djinn, if that would suit you better,” Blue offered. Matthieu dug in his coat pocket again and brought out a bottle of medication. Oh God, was he a drug addict? Great. His master was a druggie.

Except normally didn’t druggies not grimace when taking their drugs? Or apologize? “Sorry… I uh… I have to be very erm… ah! Diligent!”[/b][/i]

“Are you sick? I could help that,” Blue said, peering at him with wide eyes. “I’ve gotten better about healing people… I’m still not the best at it,” he admitted. “It’s mainly the Ifrits who can heal and I’m only an Amir…” He wanted to look at the medication, but he knew humans mainly didn’t flaunt it around.

“Anyway, I’m terrible at giving names. You should ask my cats…”[/b][/i]

Blue looked delighted. “You have cats? Oh, I’ve never a master who likes cats before! They’re my favorite animal. They speak to strangers, then? A lot of cats I know are shy, even when I turn into one. What are their names? They can’t be more ridiculous than some of the names I’ve had,” he said, his grin no longer hidden behind his knees. “Once, I had a master call me Schnookums. And Fluffy because of my hair,” he said, patting his hair down self-consciously.

“What does everyone else call you?”[/b][/i]

“Blue. They call me Blue. But you’re not everyone else. You’re my master, Matthieu.”[/size]

[Deleted]

Blue’s cheeks colored. “I’m not flirting with you!” he said, his voice cracking from embarrassment.  “It isn’t funny! I’m being serious,” But Mattie just shook his head at the man with another giggle. “My apologies. I didn’t mean to imply anything. But, No one has ever told me I was their master before. So... You'll have to forgive me if I think you're either drunk or coming on to me... I don’t have much need for wishes.” He replied, trying to be polite, convinced that this man was out of his mind, adorable, but a loon.

“Everyone can wish for something. You’re not any different,” Blue said. “You could wish for women, or money, or… anything, really. I just can’t take someone out of existence.”.. Mattie was growing more and more skeptical with every word. It just wasn't possible. Rational logic told him so. Maybe he needed to take him to a hospital because this man seemed adamant that every word was truth. “Women are no good” he laughed softly. “I tried once but.. “ he trailed off with a shrug.. He had once attempted to be intimate with someone he liked... but when he got too excited and the blood started flowing, his head throbbed and the mood was killed. “As for money? Eh, I'm not so bad off. Have enough extra to send to my mother and sister every week” he chirped rather merrily.

Mattie looked to his watch, checking the time. “Am I keeping you from something? I can just be an ‘on-call’ Djinn, if that would suit you better,” Blue offered. “Sorry… I uh… I have to be very erm… ah! Diligent!” he responded, slightly embarrassed, after taking his meds and rubbing the back of his head as he looked at the man, a small smile on his thin lips. “Are you sick?” Mattie looked at him in the eyes for a moment before looking at his feet. Other than his mother and little sister, he'd never talked about it to anyone. It was an awkward thing to bring up. 'Hi! I'm terminally ill! How are you?'... Yeah, that was a sure fire way to ruin a conversation.. So it just never got brought up. “I could help that,” Blue said, peering at him with wide eyes. “I’ve gotten better about healing people… I’m still not the best at it,” he admitted. “It’s mainly the Ifrits who can heal and I’m only an Amir…”  Okay.. This man needed to see a hospital for sure. Maybe he needed meds that kept him sane, because he had apparently missed a few doses. He rested his hand warmly on the taller man's shoulder, avoiding answering his last question about his health. “Walk with me?” he requested cheerfully. “Anyway, I’m terrible at giving names. You should ask my cats…”

Blue looked delighted. “You have cats? Oh, I’ve never a master who likes cats before! They’re my favorite animal. They speak to strangers, then? A lot of cats I know are shy, even when I turn into one. What are their names? They can’t be more ridiculous than some of the names I’ve had,” he said, his grin no longer hidden behind his knees.“Once, I had a master call me Schnookums. And Fluffy because of my hair,” he said, patting his hair down self-consciously.. Mattie chuckled as he seemed to ramble. Okay, so he didn’t seem like the dangerous crazy.. just the excitable crazy. He decided to hold off on trying to bring him to the hospital and figured something to eat actually sounded like a good idea. He offered his hand down to the man to help him up to a stand. Not that Mattie was actually strong enough to pull someone to their feet, but it was a polite gesture, right?. “My cats are Princess... because she is so snooty!” He put his nose in the air to mimic some rich snobby woman. “And Genie.... Ironic, non?” He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head, embarrassed. Here this man was, claiming to be able to grant wishes, and he cad a cat named after a mythological creature who could do the same.

“What does everyone else call you?”

“Blue. They call me Blue. But you’re not everyone else. You’re my master, Matthieu.”

“Non! I like Bleu! It is my favorite color!! I'll call you Bleu! And you can call me Mattie, if you like. No one has called me Matthieu in years.” He smiled brightly. He went to take a step back down the park walk path but he seemed to wobble as if he had no sense of balance. Mattie quickly corrected and smiled “Ah.. My medicine works too fast. It is hard to find your feet when you feel woozy, Non?” Mattie didn’t want to say anything but his meds were a very powerful pain killer and he normally wasn't out and about when he took them.. He NEEDED to hurry home before he wasn't able to stand up anymore.

[Deleted]

Blue stared at the human, a little annoyed that he had to hold back a laugh as well. It was bad enough that Matthieu was laughing at him, but the stupid human’s laugh was contagious and now Blue wanted to laugh at himself. He seemed familiar – like someone you see every day and you notice something about them but not consciously. “Well you’ve never had a Djinn before, so I would suspect that is part of the reason you’ve never been a master before,” Blue said, trying to hold on to some shred of his dignity and pride. “I don’t drink alcohol. The Jinn lack the enzymes to break it down and process it,” he explained. In other words – they were the dictionary definition of a ‘light-weight’.

He did have to give the human some credit. Matthieu was at least the most polite master he’d ever had. His last one – the Time Lord, the Dark Lord – had verbally abused him from practically the moment they’d met. If the man’s sister hadn’t been there, who knew what would have happened? “Anyway, it’d do you good for you not to laugh. The Jinn are notorious for their wicked senses of humor… or what if I really were a psychopath?” he asked, putting a finger thoughtfully to his chin. “Psychopaths kill people, don’t they? Humans seem so silly to me, always killing each other…”

“Women are no good,” the man laughed. “I tried once but…”[/b][/color]

It’s the grin, Blue realized. The grin and the laugh – that’s what Blue recognized.

Blue’s ears turned pink and he looked down between them at the stone, flustered. Thankfully, Matthieu decided to spare him the details of his love life. Blue wasn’t quite sure he was ready to hear what had happened between Matthieu and the human woman. “I’ve never had a gay master,” he said, embarrassed. “Men! You can wish for men. I’m just your ever-faithful servant. I don’t really care what… erm, or whom… you do in the bedroom.” He paused and thought for a moment. “Or anywhere else that isn’t the bedroom.”

Just keep me out of it, he thought silently.

The human decided to point out another flaw in what Blue believed to be a very generous offer. “As for money? Eh, I’m not so bad off. Have enough extra to send to my mother and sister every week.”

How did he know this man? He was beginning to get slightly irritated, both with Matthieu’s refusal of his services and the familiarity. “You’re human. Humans like excess – excess food, excess water, excess entertainment, excess money. It’s human nature. You’re human,” Blue said adamantly. How was he so damn cheerful? And where the hell did Blue know him from? “Come on, you can’t be entirely selfless.”

Matthieu stared at him, and then his feet, and Blue faltered his speech for a moment before rambling about Ifrits and Amirs, unnerved by the man’s silence. What if it was a mental disease? That would explain why the human didn’t want to talk about. Blue didn’t think he could cure mental inflictions – he certainly couldn’t get the Dark Lord out of the rut he’d fallen in. And trust him, Blue had tried to make life better for that Time Lord. He looked down at his feet as well, embarrassed he had put Matthieu on the spot like that. “I was just curious…” he mumbled, his cheeks red. He wanted to help him because he was the servant and he loved his master, if only out of instinct, but Blue enough to keep his mouth shut about some things.

And apparently whatever disease – mental or not – Matthieu had, it was where the friendly human drew the ‘no-talk’ line.

Blue jumped when Matthieu put a hand on his shoulder, recoiling. All the memories of his owners hitting and slapping and kicking him came back at once. Maybe he’d offended the small Frenchman more than he had thought. But Matthieu didn’t seem to be trying to hurt him. “Walk with me?” the man asked cheerfully, and Blue released a nervous breath. He’d been positive that Matthieu was going to join the rather lengthy list of his abusive owners…

Although at this point, if Matthieu didn’t except his offer, he wasn’t going to be on any list of owners. Abusive or not.

Blue picked up the stone and held it loosely in his hands. “Walk where?” he asked nervously, pushing the stone into Matthieu’s hands. “I know how crazy this sounds and… and crazy people don’t realize they sound crazy, so then by default that means I’m not, right?” Blue pointed out hopefully, declining Matthieu’s hand and picking himself up.

Once he was standing, he took Matthieu’s hand in his own and looked around the park for the path. “If you like, I can change my Lamp into something more practical to carry around,” he said. “I’ll have to ask you not to rub it, though. It uh…” he trailed off and thought about how to phrase it delicately, although he wasn’t sure why since Matthieu was clearly past the demure stage. “Well, you know.”

“My cats are Princess…because she is so snooty!”[/i][/color] Blue watched, amused, as Matthieu put his nose in the air like snooty princess. He laughed. “And Genie…. Ironic, non?”[/b][/i] Blue stopped laughing, looking down at the ground sheepishly.

“I like their names,” he said quietly.

And then the man got rather excited over ‘Blue’. The Djinn watched with wide eyes, letting go of the man’s hands and taking a nervous step backwards. “Non! I like Bleu! It is my favorite color!! I’ll call you Bleu! And you can call me Mattie, if you like. No one has called me Matthieu in years.”[/b][/i]

Blue was his favorite color? Strange, he’d never been someone’s favorite color before. And why was Mattie pronouncing his name so funny? “Bl…eh?” he repeated, slaughtering the French pronunciation of ‘bleu’. “Mattie, how did you say my name?” he asked, trying to say it once more. What a strange language French was!

He stepped closer, alarmed when the man stumbled. He mentioned something about his medicine, and Blue frowned. “Oh…” The Mysterious Medicine. Blue held Mattie’s shoulder. “Do you need me to walk you home? It’s my job to keep you safe and happy,” he said. “But… I won’t mind if you don’t like me enough to keep me. It happens all the time. I’m used to it.”[/size]

[Deleted]

“ I've never had a gay master,” he said, embarrassed. “Men! You can wish for men. I’m just your ever-faithful servant. I don’t really care what… erm, or whom… you do in the bedroom.” He paused and thought for a moment. “Or anywhere else that isn’t the bedroom.”

Mattie's face went brilliant scarlet and he laughed rather uncomfortably. “Non.. I.. I'm not gay.. Not exactly. I like women too! I just... I just cant..” He looked up at the sky, once again trying to find the right words to use. He ran his fingers through his hair “Er.. close? Non.. Intimate.. I have trouble being intimate.” The virgin shifted to his other foot a little meekly, a light laugh at the awkward conversation he was having with the stranger. Since his diagnosis, he was pretty open with himself. Mattie decided to point out another flaw in what Blue believed to be a very generous offer. “As for money? Eh, I’m not so bad off. Have enough extra to send to my mother and sister every week.”

How did he know this man? He was beginning to get slightly irritated, both with Matthieu’s refusal of his services and the familiarity. “You’re human. Humans like excess – excess food, excess water, excess entertainment, excess money. It’s human nature. You’re human,” Blue said adamantly. How was he so damn cheerful? And where the hell did Blue know him from? “Come on, you can’t be entirely selfless.” But Mattie laughed at his slight annoyance, seeing the man become flustered was just a little adorable. “Sure I can! It's not so hard!”

Mattie ignored the question about his meds uncomfortably “I was just curious…”  Blue mumbled, his cheeks red. He wanted to help him because he was the servant and he loved his master, if only out of instinct, but Blue knew enough to keep his mouth shut about some things. And apparently whatever disease – mental or not – Matthieu had, it was where the friendly human drew the ‘no-talk’ line.

Blue jumped when Matthieu put a hand on his shoulder, recoiling. Mattie blinked curiously at him, looking down at his hand, wondering id he had offended the dark haired man “Walk with me?”  Blue picked up the stone and held it loosely in his hands. “Walk where?”  Blue asked nervously, pushing the stone into Matthieu’s hands. Mattie smirked a little as he looked down at the stone. He examined it curiously and absently trailed his fingers over it's smooth surface. “I.. Need to be heading home, actually. You could walk with me, non? “

“I know how crazy this sounds and… and crazy people don’t realize they sound crazy, so then by default that means I’m not, right?” Blue pointed out hopefully, declining Matthieu’s hand and picking himself up.

“If you like, I can change my Lamp into something more practical to carry around,” he said. “I’ll have to ask you not to rub it, though. It uh.. Well, you know.” Mattie arched a brow, a smile spreading on his lips. “You mean.. like this?” and his warm hands gently stroked the side, bringing the stone to his lips, about to kiss it. Surely the man was pulling his leg, so what was the harm in teasing.

But he stopped the impending kiss to the stone when he mentioned his name and he chirped a little excitedly. The Djinn watched with wide eyes, letting go of the man’s hands and taking a nervous step backwards. “Non! I like Bleu! It is my favorite color!! I’ll call you Bleu! And you can call me Mattie, if you like. No one has called me Matthieu in years.” Why was Mattie pronouncing his name so funny? “Bl…eh?” he repeated, slaughtering the French pronunciation of ‘bleu’. “Mattie, how did you say my name?” he asked, trying to say it once more. What a strange language French was! 

Mattie chuckled and repeated the word. “Bleu.. back of the throat.. Bleu. Or Blue, if you prefer.” He chuckled softly, enjoying the way it rolled out of his mouth. “Bloo.. Heh heh! Blooooooo- Ack!” and wobbled over his own feet. Blue stepped closer, alarmed when the man stumbled. Blue held Mattie’s shoulder.“Do you need me to walk you home? It’s my job to keep you safe and happy,” he said.“But… I won’t mind if you don’t like me enough to keep me. It happens all the time. I’m used to it.”

“Non, It's fine. I wouldnt mind the help.. or the company. But if I stay standing too much longer, you just might have to carry me” he chuckled being slightly flirtatious. Mattie smiled softly. As they started making their way down the walk path, Mattie ended up mostly leaning on Blue, not wanting to admit that he was seeing two of everything now. He pointed to the apartment complex just ahead. Mattie didn’t live far at all.

Mattie suddenly stopped walking and looked up at Blue. Perhaps it was the fuzzy feeling in his head or perhaps he was genuinely curious. “I'll tell you want. I will make a wish.. just to... em...Give you a test run.” he said chuckling. His deep brown eyes meeting Blue's.

[Deleted]

Blue tilted his head as Matthieu blushed. Well there certainly wasn’t a reason behind the reaction, was there? After all, he’d said he’d had no use for women. Unless Matthieu was into animals. Blue rather hoped he wasn’t – he wasn’t sure he could take a master that bizarre. “Non…I…I’m not gay… Not exactly. I like women too! I just… I just can’t…er… close? Non… intimate… I have trouble being intimate.”[/color] The Djinn quirked an eyebrow as the Frenchman shifted his weight to his other feet. Well… he certainly didn’t have much a filter when it came to talking about things like this, did he?

Then again… he was French. “There’s medicine for that, I think,” Blue said blithely. “Viagra, it’s called,” the Djinn grinned. “Also used for some heart conditions. Ask your local chemist for details.”

“Sure I can! It’s not so hard!”[/b] Blue shook his head. Honestly, how could a human be denying the wishes? If he were human and someone were offering him anything… well. Blue wasn’t quite sure what he would wish for, but he was sure he’d wish for something. Food, money, an escape from his Lamp, an escape from this world, or maybe even just a really nice tomato and grilled-cheese sandwich. The point was – he’d be using his wishes, not standing there and bantering about sexuality and selflessness with a ‘genie’.

He handed the human his Lamp, and immediately wished he’d kept it in his pocket. Matthieu ran his fingers over it, and Blue’s breath caught in his throat. “I… need to be heading home, actually. You could walk with me, non?” Matthieu asked.

Blue’s cheeks colored as he realized he was going to have to give a coherent response. He looked up at the man’s brown eyes with own, and offered to turn the Lamp into something more practical. Something that the human wouldn’t have to hold with the warm and long fingers that were trying to drive him crazy. His mistake was, Blue realized only after seeing the devilish smile that spread across the human’s lips, telling him not to do something. Humans were funny that way. They just didn’t do as they were told – if you told one that he could do it, he wouldn’t, if you told one that he can’t, he’d do his damndest until he could.

Humans.

“No, no, I’m really ask—”

“You mean… like this?”

The color on his cheeks darkened considerably and Blue’s words tangled in his throat. Matthieu stroked the stone, and Blue felt it at the very core of himself, from his toes to his soul. “Please, no,” he said, except he was fighting back between something akin to a moan and a shriek of if you don’t put my Lamp down this instant you’re going to wish I was a psychopath, so the words sounded a little breathy. And then the human raised the Lamp to his lips and Blue covered his face, shivering strongly and rambling about anything to try and distract the human from putting his lips on the Lamp.

Humans. Humans.

He breathed out a sigh of relief when his name caught Matthieu’s attention. “Back of the throat… Blah,” Blue frowned, frustrated. “Buhl… Bl…Bal… Blleegghh,” he tried again, managing to roll his ‘g’s. How was a human managing to say it so easily and he couldn’t even wrap his tongue around it.

“Or Blue, if you prefer. Bloo… Heh heh! Blooooooo- ack!”[/b][/i]

Blue hurried over to help, frowning. “No, I like the way you say my name. It’s different,” he said.

“Non, it’s fine. I wouldn’t mind the help… or the company. But if I stay standing too much longer, you just might have to carry me,”[/b][/i] his master said. Blue frowned and looked at the man, placing an awkward arm around him as he helped the man walk. He wasn’t opposed to carrying the young man home – Matthieu looked as though a feather could take him in a weight-lifting contest. Again, Blue suspected it was the ‘French’ in him.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to be carried through the threshold until after marriage,” Blue observed thoughtfully. “That is the human custom, is it not?” he asked. Matthieu was leaning rather heavily against him, which was slightly disconcerting because they had just met and yet Matthieu was comfortable showing him – a potentially crazy psychopath – where he lived. Not that he was complaining. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look like… well, you kind of look like shit,” he said bluntly. “No offense or anything.”

“I’ll tell you what,”[/i] Mattie said. Blue nearly tripped over his own feet as Mattie stopped walking. “I will make a wish… just to… em… give you a test run,”[/i] the human chuckled. A test run? Blue wanted to inform the rather confused human that he was not a used car and the Jinn didn’t give ‘test runs’, but the dark eyes were corroding at his defenses like hydrochloric acid.

“Well then, make your wish, but first…” He took Mattie’s hands in his gently and focused on his Lamp. The stone in their hands shifted and pulled and contracted until it was in the crude form of a necklace. “Here, now you can wear it instead of having to carry it around all day,” he said cheerfully.

“Now. About that wish. I’m supposing you want to wish for Viagra first, and then men and women, huh?”[/size]

[Deleted]

“I don’t think you’re supposed to be carried through the threshold until after marriage,”Blue observed thoughtfully. “That is the human custom, is it not?” Mattie looked at him, an eyebrow arched before making a 'Pfft!' sound in response to his remark. “You're not supposed to do a lot of things until you do something else, non? Tradition is an old fashioned notion now-a-days, Oui?” He smirked slightly and shook his head looking ahead at the apartment, still horribly uneasy on his feet. But atleast his vision was cooperating. His legs, however.. fully cooked noodles probably provided more support.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You look like… well, you kind of look like shit,” Blue said bluntly. “No offense or anything.” The solemn look on Mattie's normally cheerful face reappeared. He looked up at Blue with a crinkled nose. He muttered under his breath, the meds muddling his thoughts. “C'est parce que je suis en train de mourir.” But then he waved his hand like swatting away a fly. “But it's okay! I still have a few years to enjoy it while I can!” He had no idea how little sense that must have made, considering Blue only understood half of what he'd just said.

“I’ll tell you what,” Mattie said. “I will make a wish… just to… em… give you a test run,“ The blond man chirped thoughtfully. ”Well then, make your wish, but first…” He took Mattie’s hands in his gently and focused on his Lamp. The stone in their hands shifted and pulled and contracted until it was in the crude form of a necklace. “Here, now you can wear it instead of having to carry it around all day,” he said cheerfully.  Mattie looked down at what was once a stone and for a moment, felt as though he had no legs at all and his knees buckled. He just stared at what was once a rock, simply dumbfounded. This man was serious! Either that or the pharmacy had really screwed up his prescription again. Oh he hoped that wasn't the case.. The last time he had gotten the wrong meds, Mattie spent three days arguing with his cat, Princess, about Quantum Physics. He was not keen on a repeat of that episode.

“Now. About that wish. I’m supposing you want to wish for Viagra first, and then men and women, huh?”

Mattie looked down down at the lamp and back up at Blue. “You're serious.... You're really serious! Bleu, c'est incroyable!” Mattie suddenly seemed to find strength in his legs and stood on his toes to dot a kiss to Blue's cheek before losing his balance again, clinging to Blue's arm. “So.. How does this work? Do I actually have to say 'I Wish'?” His brown eyes looking up at Blue in absolute awe and wonder.

[Deleted]

Blue rolled his eyes. “I don’t think of it as old-fashioned,” he said defensively. It was the way that some people refused to admit the clothing style they wore as teenagers was ridiculous. Despite people thinking it old, at one point in Blue’s life, it had just been the ‘fashion’. “I’m quite a bit older than you,” Blue said thoughtfully. “So perhaps we just have very different senses of tradition. Of course, there are quite a few traditions I don’t agree with. Is ‘winter’ a tradition? I’d very much like to get rid of it.”

Mattie seemed like he was wobbling more than he was walking, and Blue was getting rather concerned. Was this normal for his new master? What if it was because he was dying? Maybe he should call an ambulance. He held his master a little awkwardly. “C’est parce que je suis en train de mourir,” Mattie replied. Blue looked down at the man curiously, the only word he could catch was ‘mourir’. Something about death? The man’s cheerful expression had been wiped from his face, his nose crinkled and his eyes solemn.

Blue felt a little shiver go down his body. He didn’t like when Mattie looked like that. But then it disappeared, and the smile was back and the stare wasn’t as icy. “But it’s okay! I still have a few years to enjoy it while I can.”[/b][/i]

To enjoy what? He’d mentioned something of ‘death’… Blue nodded slowly and smiled back down at him. “I’ll enjoy it with you,” he said lamely. He wasn’t about to give the man any more fuel to make fun of him again. He wasn’t going to admit that he had next to no idea what the human said. “Promise.”

The man told him he was ready to make his first wish – as a test run – and Blue agreed, first changing the Lamp into the form of a necklace. He waited patiently for the wish, a rather self-satisfied smirk on his lips. Instead of immediately wishing for everything he touched to turn to diamonds, Mattie’s knees buckled. Blue squeaked in alarm and held the human tighter. “Woah, calm down. This isn’t anything to go weak in the knees about, Mattie.”

“You’re serious… You’re really serious! Bleu, c’est incroyable!”[/b][/i]

He shrugged modestly. “It’s not much…” he said. The human shifted and seemed to grow, and Blue realized belatedly he must be standing on the tips of his toes to reach him. Blue clenched his eyes shut, afraid of what the human was going to do. He was so used to being hit and being hurt and…

Warm lips pressed against his cheeks, and Blue’s face flushed crimson. Had a master ever kissed him? “So… How does this work? Do I actually have to say ‘I Wish’?”[/b][/i] he asked, clearly unperturbed by Blue’s flustered state.

He shook his head. “No, but it helps.” Mattie was staring up at him like he was some sort of… of… well Blue had no idea, but no one had stared at him in such utter wonder before. “Does this mean you’ll be my master?” he asked hopefully. [/size]

[Deleted]

The man told him he was ready to make his first wish – as a test run – and Blue agreed, first changing the Lamp into the form of a necklace. He waited patiently for the wish, a rather self-satisfied smirk on his lips. Instead of immediately wishing for everything he touched to turn to diamonds, Mattie’s knees buckled. Blue squeaked in alarm and held the human tighter. “Woah, calm down. This isn’t anything to go weak in the knees about, Mattie.”

“You’re serious… You’re really serious! Bleu, c’est incroyable!” Mattie was still awestruck as his fingers lightly trailed over the lamp's surface. This was just too surreal for the Frenchman to fully wrap his head around, but the amazement in his eyes was beyond obvious.

He shrugged modestly. “It’s not much…” he said. The human shifted and seemed to grow, and Blue realized belatedly he must be standing on the tips of his toes to reach him. Blue clenched his eyes shut, afraid of what the human was going to do. He was so used to being hit and being hurt and… Warm lips pressed against his cheeks, and Blue’s face flushed crimson. Had a master ever kissed him? “So… How does this work? Do I actually have to say ‘I Wish’?” he asked, clearly unperturbed by Blue’s flustered state.

He shook his head. “No, but it helps.” Mattie was staring up at him like he was some sort of… of… well Blue had no idea, but no one had stared at him in such utter wonder before. “Does this mean you’ll be my master?” he asked hopefully. Mattie nodded and chuckled softly, still not fully grasping the way this 'contract' was supposed to work. “Sure.. But... Let's keep the whole.. 'Master' thing quiet... Someone might get the wrong idea. I would like to think of us as.. Friends, oui?” He let go of Blue just long enough to clasp the chain around his neck and patted the lamp softly, forgetting about Blue's.. 'issue' with the lamp being handled. “Okay, Bleu. I'm ready!” He smiled brightly, wrapping his arms happily about Blue in a rather.. overly affectionate hug. Mattie didn't seem to have a realistic concept of 'Personal Space'. “I wish.... For a Hat!” His bright eyes looked up at Blue. “One of those fancy Italian ones with the stripes.. I think it's called... a Fedora?”

[Deleted]

“Sure… But… Let’s keep the whole… ‘Master’ thing quiet… Someone might get the wrong idea.” Blue frowned and tilted his head. What sort of wrong idea would come with ‘master’? It was very simple, wasn’t it? Matthieu was the master and Blue was the servant. Oh, humans were so strange! Instead of arguing about it, however, he merely nodded and grinned. Yes – cheerful, Blue, that’s the way to win over humans. “I would like to think of us as… Friends, oui?”

Blue nodded again, a bit less enthusiastic. “Friends! Yes, that’s fine, Ma—ttie!” the human’s name cracked on his tongue as his face flushed red. He covered his mouth, embarrassed by the slight moan that had escaped. He looked down at his feet, his face now a bright cherry. “D-don’t do that! With the, the uh… the touching, I mean. I’m uh…” The Djinn squirmed uncomfortably and looked up at Mattie shyly. “I mean… please don’t do that,”

“Okay, Bleu. I’m ready!” The human said, wrapping his arms around the Djinn.

He shifted awkwardly, unsure what to do. “Mattie?” he asked, confused by the hug. Nonetheless, he enveloped the young man in an embrace as well. He’d never been very familiar with one of his masters, but he could tell that Mattie was a very… familiar… person. He ran his fingers idly through Mattie’s short hair, the other hand listlessly at his side.

Mattie stared up at him with bright eyes. “I wish…for a hat!”[/i][/color]

…

A hat? Out of all the things in the world, the human chose a hat? Blue stared down at him, bewildered. “A… hat?” he repeated dumbly.

“One of those fancy Italian ones with the stripes… I think it’s called… a Fedora,” Mattie continued.

Blue continued to stare at him. There was something wrong with this human. There was something actually wrong with this master. Why wasn’t he wishing for all the money in the world? Or for all the lovers? Or for… for anything, really? Why a hat? “A hat… right.”

He put his arms on Mattie’s shoulder so that the human couldn’t see his hands. The teal energy leaked from his hands, taking the shape of a fedora. He put it on the human’s head. “There’s your hat, Mattie. I think it looks very charming on you.” [/size]

[Deleted]

Blue nodded again, a bit less enthusiastic. “Friends! Yes, that’s fine, Ma—ttie!”  He heard his name crack on Blue's tongue and watched him cover his mouth, embarrassed by the slight moan that had escaped. Mattie looked down at him curiously, his head tilted to the side. ”Are you alright?” Blue managed to squeak out  “D-don’t do that! With the, the uh… the touching, I mean. I’m uh…”The Djinn squirmed uncomfortably and looked up at Mattie shyly. “I mean… please don’t do that" Mattie couldn’t help but laugh as he moved his hands from the lamp, suddenly understanding what he meant. A tinge of pink creeping across his pale nose. He hadn't realized he'd been molesting the poor man until just now. He reached his hand behind his head with an awkward chuckle before trying to dismiss the rather awkward situation.

“Okay, Bleu. I’m ready!”  He chirped happily ad he coiled his arms around Blue's waist once he was back on his feet. Blue seemed to shift awkwardly, unsure what to do. “Mattie?” he asked, confused by the hug. Nonetheless, the djinn enveloped the young man in an embrace as well. He’d never been very familiar with one of his masters, but he could tell that Mattie was a very… familiar… person. He ran his fingers idly through Mattie’s short hair, the other hand listlessly at his side. 

Mattie stared up at him with bright eyes. “I wish…for a hat!” He watched as Blue looked down at him with a perplexed look. He then wondered if he should have wished for something else. Maybe a hat was too selfish? When Blue awkwardly repeated his wish, Mattie nodded meekly. Blue put his arms on Mattie’s shoulder and shortly afterward, he put it on the human’s head. “There’s your hat, Mattie. I think it looks very charming on you.”

Mattie stared at Blue with a dumbfounded look, mingled with glee and wonderment. He didn’t even care what the hat looked like at the moment and he suddenly grasped either side of Blue's face and pulled him into a jovial kiss right on his uncertain lips. “You are brilliant!! Vraiment incroyable!!!” He then promptly nuzzled his head beneath Blue's chin, his arms wrapped firmly around his shoulders. Best.. day.. ever!

But the blissful moment was cut short when Mattie's head began to throb lightly and a trickle of blood came from his nose. Mattie immediately let go of Blue and stood on unsteady legs as he tried to cover his face, rather embarrassed by the blood. He looked up at Blue, one eye slightly squinting, as though trying to focus “I... Have have to get home.. Now. I really shouldn't be standing.” He almost seemed upset with himself for neglecting the time.“Please.. Help me.. my apartment. It's just across the road.. Number 12.”

[Deleted]

This master wouldn’t hurt him. He’d already poked fun at him, accidentally made him trip over the Lamp, and it wasn’t as though Blue was the most polite of jinn. Although he’d only known the human for less than an hour, Blue could say with a bit of confidence that Mattie wasn’t going to hurt him. Still, it was hard to undo a million years of abusive owners. He smiled at the ground between them, embarrassed by the expression of wonder on Mattie’s face. It really wasn’t that impressive, was it? Just a hat… even an older Amir could outdo it.

He drew a breath to ask Mattie politely if he wanted anything else – just because the staring was beginning to make the Djinn wildly uncomfortable – when the human took his face in his hands. His eyes widened, but he didn’t flinch away. Mattie pulled him into a kiss, and Blue remained still for a moment, unsure of what to do with his hands or his lips. Feeling incredibly awkward, he pressed into the kiss, giggling over the ridiculousness. He noted that there was a hot sort of melty feeling in the pit of his stomach when Mattie pulled away, but Blue dismissed it. How silly were these humans? Why would they kiss one another?

It hadn’t been an unpleasant feeling, though…

Mattie wrapped his arms around Blue’s neck and nestled his head underneath his chin. “You are brilliant!! Vraiment incroyable!!!”[/i][/color] the human insisted. Blue smiled at the words, although he didn’t know what they meant. He stroked Mattie’s back, uneasy from not knowing anything about what he should be doing. What was the proper thing to do after your new master kissed you on the lips and hugged you? What did humans do? What did the jinn do?

“Thank you,” he said finally, hugging Mattie tighter. He wasn’t so sure that the French hadn’t been curses, and maybe Mattie only kissed him to get on Blue’s nerves, but he still found himself… well, Blue wasn’t so sure what to call it. He didn’t trust Mattie, although certainly he trusted Mattie a great deal more than several of his other masters.

But he liked him. Mattie was a charming man, even if Blue didn’t understand him. And maybe it was because he didn’t understand him that Blue wanted to know more, because the frail human had captured his imagination and Blue was simply intrigued.

After just a few moments of standing there – just standing, with Blue’s chin resting on the human’s head and trying to figure out what about Mattie made him interesting – he noted something warm dripping on his shoulder. He blinked, and Mattie shot away from him, covering his face. Blue wiped the blood from his shoulder and licked it curiously.

“I… Have have to get home... Now. I really shouldn’t be standing,”[/i][/color] Mattie said, looking upset. Blue frowned guiltily. It was his fault that Mattie was out so late. If the human hadn’t found his Lamp, he would have gone back home eventually, and it would have been okay. “Please... Help me… my apartment. It’s just across the road… Number 12.”[/i][/color]

Blue nodded, except he still wasn’t sure what to do. He was tempted just to hold Mattie up by the shoulders and walk him over there, but… but Mattie said he shouldn’t be standing. Should he drag him? No, no, then he would get dirty and… and… Blue realized that he was just standing there, staring wide-eyed at the man who looked like he was about to pass out and he was bleeding. Oh man, oh man.

So Blue picked him up. “Sorry, I don’t mean to embarrass you,” he mumbled, knowing that he’d be pretty embarrassed if someone had to carry him around. He doubted that if he were a regular human he’d be able to lift Mattie around so easily, although the man was surprisingly thin – a little more so than Blue thought was normal, actually. But Blue got him to the apartment without much incident other than Blue stumbling over his own feet once and nearly cracking Mattie’s head into a wall once.

Once inside of the apartment, Blue looked around. He didn’t know whether Mattie would want him to remain in the apartment with him, or if Blue should just sleep inside his Lamp, or… well, Blue figured he ought to focus on getting Mattie into the bedroom. His cheeks flushed when he thought it, and he muttered out an apology even though Mattie couldn’t have heard it. Thankfully, human apartments were small and, narrowing down his options, he entered the human’s bedroom. A cat was sprawled on the bed and Blue set Mattie down next to the cat.

“Um… I guess I’ll just… go back to the park… or something…” Blue said lamely.
[/size]

[Deleted]

Blue picked him up. “Sorry, I don’t mean to embarrass you,”  Mattie shook his head softly as he was lifted, surprisingly easily into Blue's arms. Was he really that light? Oh perhaps it was that Blue was much stronger than he looked. Mattie did feel just a tad awkward, but it wasn't like he had a better alternative at the moment. “Non, Bleu. It's fine. I'm sorry to put you in this position.” But at the same time, a hint of pink made it's way across Mattie's pale face. The entry into the apartment became rather awkward as Blue seemed to have a slight issue. Mattie could only laugh as his head narrowly missed the wall. One he was laid to rest on the bed, his fingers idly reached to scritch behind Princess' ear, the feline purring loudly as she forced her head into Mattie's hand with a soft 'mew' and an eruption of purrs.

“Um… I guess I’ll just… go back to the park… or something…” Blue said lamely. Mattie gently grabbed the sleeve of Blue's arm and smiled up at him, his soft voice chirped “Dont be ridiculous. What sort of master.. er.. friend would I be if I put you outside like some stray dog? Stay here with me, wont you, Bleu?”As Mattie made his request, Princess was suddenly rubbing her head along Blue's arm and massaging her paws into his leg, she was declawed, so there was no little pin pricks to feel. Mattie looked at her slightly amazed and smiled “She's usually so shy. That settles it, you have to stay!” Mattie smiled brightly as he rolled onto his side looking up at Blue, those soft brown eyes meeting with Blues.

He chuckled a little, suddenly realizing how awkward it must all seem. “I have a very comfortable couch. You don't have to lay with me it's too strange for you. Wait.. do Djinn sleep?”