1x4 was a sickly child. Always had been.
He’d been cursed with this perpetual illness from since he was born, solely because he was created as a taboo by the God of Creation; Telamon. Telamon had deemed 1x4 unworthy from the start, which in turn awarded 1x4 with this disability he’d have to live with for the rest of his life.
It wasn’t even sure whether the boy would end up a God like his father when he grew up, or would even be immortal. His future was undefined, blurred far too much at the edges to make out anything for sure.
Most people shied away from 1x4—not so much shy away as actively avoid. In the rare times that 1x4 was seen in public, almost always all alone, people actively avoided stepping in his path or even coming within five feet of him. 1x4 was clearly upset by this avid distancing, as he was only a young boy, & didn’t know if he’d done anything wrong to deserve this.
However, on the recent years to come, there was always one person to walk by his side.
John Doe.
John was a lonely boy himself. He didn’t have many other friends other than his sister, & even she seemed to be always seething at him for whatever reason. For whatever reason, he’d never been truly afraid of 1x4; perhaps it was the fact that John could easily see through the guise of demonised-taboo-boy the public donned over 1x4, or maybe it was how the two were so similar at heart? John himself didn’t know, but he knew one thing…
He was grateful to have 1x4.
Oh, 1x4 was such a kindly boy, it always came as a shocker to John to hear the rumours revolving the kid. 1x4 laughed at every single one of John’s awful jokes, no matter how half thought through they were. He always was a little clingy, clutching onto John’s arm as crowds grew too dense around them as they moved through the city. John didn’t find himself quite minding 1x4’s instinctive clinginess, despite his hatred of physical touch when it came from others.
He even often found himself holding 1x4 back in turn, just to comfort the boy, he told himself, as they moved through & past groups of people that sneered & frowned down at 1x4.
John knew that 1x4 was ill. It usually wasn’t much of a hinder to his health, yet in recent years as both 1x4 & John approached their mid-teenage years, just a few weeks prior to 1x4’s 17th birthday, 1x4 was suddenly admitted to hospital under critical condition. John hadn’t even stopped to listen to what the nurse said his condition was; he immediately rushed to the hospital on foot, arriving at the door of 1x4’s hospital room, panting like a man that had just ran a marathon.
1x4 was lying in the hospital bed, all alone. No Telamon, no Brighteyes. Looking so pale & weak, his arms strapped up to these odd & scary-looking machines John didn’t recognise.
“…John?”
“Yes—yes, 1x4?! I’m here! I’m here now!”
“Don’t… don’t shout. It hurts..”
“Right, right… sorry, I-I’m sorry…
Are… are you okay? You look so…”
“Weak?”
“..yeah.”
“I… fell. Collapsed, I think. The doctors think it’s getting worse.”
“…what?”
“I’m sure it’ll get better soon, though. It doesn’t usually get too bad.”
1x4’s promise fell flat.
His sickness did get worse. He ended up being confined to his hospital bed, & was eventually moved to one of the bottom floors so he could have a better view of the world outside. John visited 1x4 at the hospital every day after school without fail.
One afternoon, John was late to his usual visiting routine to 1x4’s hospital. He’d been caught up at school due to some overdue schoolwork he’d had to complete, & was now rushing to the boy’s hospital room down the hall, hoping that 1x4 hadn’t gotten too lonely without him.
He entered the room, only to find 1x4 nowhere in there. The hospital bed was empty, the covers pulled back like he’d gotten out himself. John’s eyes shot to the window—
& there was 1x4, dancing out in the falling rain, having the absolute time of his life.
“1X4!” John cried out in worry as he rushed outside after 1x4, right into the rain.
“You shouldn’t be out here! You’re sick, & it’s cold!”