Looking Out For You {{Consulting Criminal + Sebby Moran}}

Sebastian kept his eyes on the ground as he walked, concentrating on the stone he was currently kicking along with him as a distraction. It helped to keep his mind off whatever might have been troubling him lately, and in this case, it was his parents. Again, they had been arguing and screaming at each other for the umpteenth time this week when he left, unable to bear or block out the noise. Covering his ears barely helped either.

There only was one subject they ever argued about now, and it was money. Sebastian's family was not very well off, which was not surprising. He hated it. Both of his parents worked, and yet, money was ever an ongoing problem.

The blonde only snapped out of his brief daydream when he accidentally bumped into a smaller figure, although it had been the other way around. Sebastian looked down at the dark haired boy, having been startled by the force he ran into him. Wherever he had been going, he seemed to be in a rush. "Watch it, kid." he shoved him out of annoyance, not meaning to be as rough as he had been.

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-JM ♥

The young brown haired boy staggered backwards, barely managing to catch him self. "Who do you think you're talking to? Your really in trouble now" said the brown haired boy. The young boy stared at Sebastian for a second, then gave a cruel smile. "Oh, is Sebby upset because mummy and having a little money trouble"?

Sebastian watched unforgivably as the younger boy stumbled away from him after he had pushed him. He had to stop himself from smirking at his words, though his face remained expressionless, giving nothing away whatsoever. He was taken aback, however, by what the other said next and he stared at him in disbelief.

"How did you -" Sebastian stopped himself from asking how he knew about his family problems, his eyes narrowing suspiciously as he glared at him. The boy didn't look as though he was from Sebastian's area. He could be from the richer estate, considering how well dressed he was. The blonde crossed his arms defensively and retorted, "My name is Sebastian; not Sebby."

He wasn't quite sure how the boy knew him at all to be honest, yet he never bothered to ask how he knew his name or anything about his family.

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-JM ♥

The young boy smiled, glad to have Sebastian's attention. "Oh, you'd be surprised if you knew everything I did". "If your wondering how I know your poor, which I'm sure you are, your clothes give it all away." Said the young boy, grinning a Sebastian's shocked countenance. "Your shirt is two sizes too large, which means it's a hand-me-down from your father, obviously,and a rather worn one at that, telling from the missing button second from the bottom." Said the the young boy. "Furthermore, I can tell your parents are fighting because whenever you leave your house, you seem upset."

The boys smile faded, but kept his gazed fixed on Sebastian. "I know that your parents fight because I watch you." The young boys tone turned solemn with his next words. "Daddy is always busy with work, and when he isn't he is always going to parties or anything that doesn't involve me" Said the young boy, his gaze no longer fixed on Sebastian, but on the ground. "Mummy is always either out with friends or going to parties with daddy". "The only time I ever see them is when my teachers call them to my school to tell them that I the worst student they ever taught." Mummy and Daddy always leave me with a nanny, but of course, she couldn't care less about me." "Everyone in my neighborhood my age either thinks I'm a freak or is afraid of me.

The boy had turned his face back to Sebastian, now wearing a look of loneliness. "So, as you can imagine, it gets quite boring for me". Said the young boy, his tone starting to lighten up a little. "So one day, I decided to leave my neighborhood. Look for something new and exciting, so I went to your neighborhood, the place that mummy and daddy say is full of nothing but filth, and I saw you. You were walking out of your house, and as you opened the door, I heard yelling, and you looked sad, so I deduced that your parents were fighting." "So I continued watching you, and the same thing would happen everyday. Your parents would fight, you would leave, and I would sit in the shadows watching you."

The boys tone suddenly shifted from a solemn monotone to the cocky tone he used when first addressing Sebastian. "But excuse me, I forgot my manners. The names Jim, Jim Moriarty. And by the way". Continued Jim with the same cocky tone, and the smile that he had worn before "I'll call you Sebby if I feel like it".

His clothes. How could he not have known it was obvious by looking at him? Sebastian was surprised by how much the boy knew of him, seeing as he appeared to be much younger than Sebastian was himself. He was certainly smarter than what he had anticipated, though he was incredulous by how much he had found out about him. Sebastian was tall for his age and nearing six foot the older he got, as he took the height from his father.

He was slightly creeped out by the sound of someone watching him, but he remained silent without commenting and listened to what the boy had to say for himself. Sure, it was weird, so no wonder some people were afraid of him. Sebastian was not easily intimidated; therefore, he was not scared. The sound of the boy's parents was not very positive either; they didn't sound nice by all means if they left their son all the time.

Sebastian, on the other hand, was quite close with his mum and dad, when they were not busy arguing. He didn't have any siblings, so they were the only people he could talk to around the house. He hated his area because of the people in it, including some who were alcoholics and others that sold drugs in alleyways. It was a rough area, which was likely why Sebastian was rather violent himself.

"You're not a freak... Jim," he tried out his name, liking it. It suited the smug boy and his strange nature. Upon being called 'Sebby' again, Sebastian said nothing to avoid an argument. He didn't like it, but guessed he would have to deal with it. "Where were you going anyway?" he asked, watching Jim with a curious expression.

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-JM ♥

Jim was absolutely shocked by Sebastian's response. Jim looked down and said "Th-thank you Sebby". It was the first time anyone had been nice to Jim. Usually he started a conversation off by revealing some embarrassing or private fact about the other. Jim could tell he liked Sebastian. " And to answer your question about where I'm going" said Jim nervously "there's this quiet spot under a tree about a half mile from here where I go think. It's all I ever do when I'm not watching people. Do...Do you want to come with me?"

Sebastian noticed Jim's shocked expression, assuming he never received many compliments. He was not quite sure why he had said it, especially after he had been insulted and embarrassed because of the problems he suffered at home. Jim might have been a freak, but Sebastian didn't mind. He was considered one himself at school and in his neighbourhood for being so abnormally tall for his age.

He considered Jim's question, not sure why he would want to spend time with him. He was grateful for the offer nonetheless. "Uh... I suppose I could come, if you want." He had only just met the boy, but what harm could it do? He wasn't all that bad. Sebastian knew his mum would worry if he was out too long, just like she always did. He reminded himself to not stay long, not wanting to get in trouble with his parents for worrying them.

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-JM ♥

Jim smiled at Sebastian's response. "Good, let's go. I can tell by your face that you're worried about time. It won't take long at all, I swear." Jim was happy, very happy, to have someone not only pay attention, but positive attention as well. "I have to be back soon too or my parents will find out that I left and hit me. That's what they do with the little time they have for me. They think it will make me behave, but it just makes me hate them. They must be stupid. Anyway, that's why I was in such a rush" said Jim back to his smug voice.

It didn't take long to reach Jim's thinking place at all. It was a rather pleasant spot, a small hill with a a single tree, facing the wealthy area with it's back to the woods. Jim sat down under the shade and invited Sebastian to sit next to him.

Again, Jim could tell what he was feeling by observing his expression and so Sebastian tried to hide any emotion and wore a blank mask. He didn't like anyone knowing so much about him. The boy could tell anyone for all he knew and he would be teased, surely. But then again, he might not tell anyone and keep it to himself. He had done that so far, hadn't he? Jim was awfully strange, and yet Sebastian was following him to a place that was unfamiliar to him.

"Do you feel sore?" he asked as they reached the tree Jim had been talking about. Sebastian looked around himself out of curiosity, realising he had never been here before. For someone who had memorised every street and road there was to London in his years of living there, he had no idea that this one tree had been here the whole time.

He seated himself next to Jim as gestured, leaning back against the bark of the tree. "Your parents must not be nice, are they?" he questioned, not meaning to sound rude, if he did. His own parents wouldn't dream of lifting a hand to him. His father might have at times, but he wouldn't get a chance if his mother happened to be in the same room.

"You must be bad all the time if they hit you to make you behave." Sebastian shrugged, running a hand through his dirty-blonde hair. He only wished he knew the time so he could be back by a specific hour, just to stay on the safe side.

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-JM ♥

"Sore? No, I'm fine" said Jim as Sebastian sat beside him. Jim could instantly tell that Sebastian had never been here before. Not many people knew about the tree at all, as most people didn't bother to stray outside the area, and there wasn't much game to hunt in the woods. Jim loved the spot though, because it was out of society. Jim found the small hill while he was playing a game of "hide and go seek" with his parents (more like a 4 hour search that Jim eventually got bored of and came back home, only to receive another beating). It was one of the only places he could go without being considered a freak.

"You've never been this far out of your area, have you" asked Jim, already knowing the answer.

Jim's face filled with utter disgust at the mention of his parents. "No, they're not nice at all" said Jim in a cold voice. Jim picked up a fallen twig, violently snapped in in half, and threw it down the hill. Jim could give you a whole list of reasons of why he hated his parents. They were greedy, two faced, and hobnobbing to say the least.

Jim couldn't help but smirk at Sebastian's last statement. "Clever deduction" Jim remarked with a sly Cheshire grin as he plucked a leaf from the branch hanging low above and started twirling it by the stem between his finger and thumb. Saying that Jim misbehaved all the time was a very true statement. Jim had a very intelligent mind and it was not occupied easily as an average boy's mind his age. So, he created little "activities (which could range from drawing on the walls to purposely spilling paint on his teachers brand new dress) to occupy it. He would love to see the reactions of his victims, and sometimes see how long he could go without getting caught (his record was 6 months).

"By the way, it's 5:15, if you were wondering, which I know you were by the way you were stroking you hair, we should probably get going" said Jim as he tore the leaf from the stem, dropped it on the ground, and stood up.

Distracted by the scenery and this newly found area, Sebastian barely caught Jim's question. "No." he muttered, though it was not the first time he had wandered off as far and further from what his mother forbid. She didn't want something happening to him, of course, he knew that. He hated to worry her, but the boy was always losing track of time any time he found a new, exciting place that he had never come across before and therefore forgot all about it. Maybe he could show Jim sometime, if the other was interested. But that all depended on whether or not he would see him again, though he hoped he would.

The blonde watched warily as he snatched a twig from the ground and snapped it, wanting to say something that might calm the other's sudden mood, but unable to come up with any positive words or things to say to him. Sebastian was awful at comforting people about certain problems they might have. He didn't have to worry about it for too long though as Jim then smirked at what he had said, his rage gone as quick as it had happened.

At the sound of the time, he hastily got to his feet, knowing he was to be back at half five at the latest for dinner and would never make it back in time. Having a sudden urge to ask Jim a question, he blurted it out before he could stop himself or think twice about what he was saying: "Do you want to come to mine?"
Now that he thought about it, it had been a stupid question. After all, he had only just met the boy, yet he could not help himself but find him fascinating, if not intriguing. He was different than anyone Sebastian had ever met before, and he wanted to try for an amiable approach to this possible new friend of his.

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-JM ♥

Jim thought the question over in his head. If he went home, he would be fed his normal bland dinner, or forced to some overly expensive restaurant with nothing on the menu for children and minuscule portions. Boring. If Jim went with Sebastian, however, then he would be treated to a new experience. He had never seen the inside of Sebastian's house, or met his parents, and was now filled with a new sense of curiosity. Intriguing. "Sure, that sounds great, as long as it's OK with your parents" said Jim, his tone turning to smug to joyful. Jim knew that he might not be welcome in Sebastian's house, or his parent might be fighting, but Jim didn't care. It only added to his curiosity. "I just have to check in with my parents. They wont mind if I check in, if anything, they'll be glad to have me out of their hair. You head home and I'll be there in a minute or two. Unless, of course, you would like to come with me". Jim wasn't completely sure why he extended such an invitation, but he just thought that it was the polite thing to do. This was the closest that Jim had ever gotten to someone, and he wasn't about to short live it.

Sebastian's once placid expression broke out into a pleased grin when Jim accepted his offer and decided he would come over for a while. At least he would have someone to spend his time with, other than walking around on his own most of the time. "Yeah, it'll be fine," he reassured, knowing very well his parents would not mind. His father would be away to work by now anyway. His mother, on the other hand, would likely welcome Jim as though he were a relative. She was easy-going.

Sebastian was ready to leave when Jim's words made him halt any further movements. His house? He could only imagine what the boy's house must be like. A grand one too. He was not sure whether Jim's parents would like him any more than their son, but he let his curiosity get the better of him. "I guess I could come with you." he smiled lightly, looking forward to it.
Sebastian would be late getting back, but surely his mother would be reasonable when he explained he had been with Jim.

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-JM ♥

"Come on, let's go then!" Said Jim excitedly as he started down the hill. He was very glad that Sebastian was coming with him, but also a bit scared. There was the high probability that Jim's parents would treat Sebastian like filth, but Jim quickly disregarded his fear. He really liked Sebastian, and at least wanted him to know where his house was. Besides, Jim didn't know why, but for some reason, he felt more secure around Sebastian.

After about 2 minutes, Sebastian and Jim finally approached the Moriarty estate. Out of all the impressive (and rather pricey) houses, this one was possibly the most expensive. The brick "house" (more like a small mansion) was incredibly elegant, complete with tall white pillars, multiple large windows, and a black metal gate that was regularly polished. Jim removed from his coat pocket a small gold key and unlocked the gate. Jim and Sebastian trailed up the long stone pathway to the black door that perfectly matched the black window shutters. Jim took the silver knocker by the handle and rapped the door 3 times.

There was the sound of footsteps and the door opened. Behind the door appeared a man no younger than 38, with his short tidy dark brown hair greased back, and an expensive looking blood red tie and dull grey suit which perfectly matched the piercing glare of the dull grey eyes that he wore upon his long, stern face.

"There you are boy. Dress yourself in your finest suit, your mother and I are going out to eat, and since the nanny is on holiday, I guess we're just going to have to bring you aren't we?" Said the stern man in an intimidating voice that perfectly matched his glare.

"And as for you" said Jim's father, turning to Sebastian "I have no earthly idea why your with my son, but this is the Moriarty estate, not a soup kitchen. I suggest you return to the putrid rat infested trench you came from" said Moriarty's father with even more malice than he had used with his own son.

"His name is Sebastian, and he is not filth father" spat back Jim, with each and every word filled to the brim with a special type of hatred he reserved for his parents, particularly his father. "And I would have you know he has not come to beg for food, but that he has been polite enough to invite me to his home for supper". Jim had turned red in the face with anger and clenched his fist, barely managing to bite back all that was on his mind. Jim was not the least bit intimidated by his fathers tone. It had been used by him so many times that Jim had become accustomed to it.


At Jim's first words, his father looked so mad that he could murder the boy. But as Jim finished, his look of pure anger turned to a short lived look of pleasant surprise. Not only he have the boy he hated so much out of his hair, but it would also be one less meal to pay for (not that he didn't have the money, of course, but because he hated feeding such an "unappreciative little brat"). There was the chance of a Jim being caught in the presence of "such a low class child", but almost every wealthy man or woman was either at home sunk deep into a velvet plush couch, or at an expensive restaurant gossiping over the latest fashion while sipping red wine from fancy glasses.

"I should strike you right now for your ignorance, but if you wish to be someone else's problem and not mine, then so be it. But so help me God if you are back later than eight-thirty, you will never set foot outside of the house again. Is that understood?" asked Jim's father, being sure not to show any joy in his voice.

"Yes father" said Jim, having a hard time not trying to sound like he wanted to murder the man.

"Very well. Now be off before I come to my senses and change my mind" said Jim's father in a rather cold voice and stepped back in the house, closing the elegant door behind him.

Jim and Sebastian wasted no time in exiting the wealthy area. Jim was very embarrassed at how his father had acted. Choosing his words carefully Jim apologized to Sebastian. "I'm sorry about what happened" said Jim in a nervous voice as he blushed red. "If it matters at all, I don't think your filth at all...Sebastian" said Jim, using Sebastian's actual name for the first time. He was on the very verge of tears, which be only more embarrassing to him. He just hoped that there was a chance that the two could still be friends.

Sebastian eagerly followed Jim down the hill and onto the path toward his street, looking rather forward to it. He had never been to that particular area, as most would look upon him as an outsider, regarding to how he looked in comparison to all the snobby rich kids with their fancy houses and clothes. In saying that, he did not mean any offence to Jim, but it was true. Sebastian wasn't jealous; he just didn't fit in with them and belonged elsewhere.

Entering the estate and approaching the Moriarty residence, the blonde gaped at the sight of Jim's house, unable to help but exclaim about its impressiveness. It was bloody huge. Following Jim through the gate, he took his time in getting a good look at everything, immensely fascinated. He then felt embarrassed about bringing Jim to his own house, as it was nothing like this. It was like comparing a castle to a pigsty as far as he was concerned. Although his house did happen to be clean; a pigsty was only an example.

Sidling up to the door, Sebastian stood a little behind Jim, watching curiously as a well dressed man in a professionally tailored suit opened the door in a matter of seconds. Undoubtedly Jim's father. They were the spitting image of one another, except in younger and older form. The other had been right about how horrible he was, but he was taken aback when the man turned to him and spat in his face. He didn't know whether to be angry or upset at the offensive statement. Sebastian instinctively stared down at his scuffed trainers, somewhat ashamed of himself for looking like 'filth', apparently.

He respected Jim for standing up for him when unable to himself, a part of him wishing he had refused to come. When Jim's father disappeared, he dared to look up and was glad to get out of that particular estate and head toward his own house. "It's all right," he smiled when Jim apologised to him just as they rounded a corner to Sebastian's street at last. "You don't have to be sorry."

Sebastian led Jim up to the front door of his less appealing house than the other's, then pushed his way through into the hall and allowed Jim to step through after him. Icing sugar wafted through the house, evidently coming from the direction of the kitchen. "Sebastian?" He heard his mother call as the door closed behind them to indicate their arrival. A woman appeared, who looked very much like Sebastian himself, her face etched with relief at the sight of him. "What did I tell you about wandering off?" she scolded, though her tone was gentle. "You had me worried sick."

Sebastian was then pulled into a tight hug and complained, making a disgusted face when his mother released him, only to plant a kiss to his forehead and warn him not to do it again for the umpteenth time. She only then noticed the young, dark haired boy that was standing in her house and looked to her son questioningly. "Oh, and who's this?"

"This is Jim," Sebastian introduced him and grinned. "He's my friend." His mother smiled at Jim in welcome. She could tell he wasn't from around here, though didn't ask any questions that might make her appear to be nosy. "Can he stay for dinner?" Sebastian pressed on, happy when his mother accepted and disappeared back into the kitchen to set everything out, leaving the two to do what they wanted until then.

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-JM ♥

Jim was surprised by Sebastian's response. He had just been humiliated for the second time, and he still wasn't mad with Jim. "Thank you" sad Jim with a light smile. When the two entered Sebastian's house Jim could tell that Sebastian was embarrassed. In all honesty, Jim preferred Sebastian's house to his own by a long margin. Jim's house felt so large unwelcoming, Sebastian's house was very clean and emitted a very homey and welcoming feel, and the homey feel was complemented nicely by the scent of the icing, thought Jim, the aroma making him realize his once unnoticed hunger . Jim couldn't help but smile at the scene of Sebastian embracing his mother. Deep down he wished his mother would do the same. He was torn away from his thoughts when Sebastian's mother questioned Sebastian about him. He was pleased when he was welcomed to dinner without any questioning (he definitely knew that Sebastian's mother had questions, but still thought it polite that she wasn't nosy). When Sebastian and Jim were dismissed, Jim turned nervously to Sebastian and said "Thank you for being so nice Sebby. I'm sorry that i was a prat earlier. I just expected you to be like...Like the rest of them".

Once his mother was out of sight, Sebastian rubbed his forehead where she had kissed him, slightly embarrassed by it because Jim was there. He wondered if she had done it deliberately, though shoved the thought away. His cheeks were tinted a light pink now, and he only hoped Jim would not notice and simply think it was Sebastian's natural skin colour. To avoid that and distract the other, he changed the subject away from his mother, "You weren't a prat.."

Although Jim had insulted him with his words, Sebastian had quickly forgotten about it until now. He really did like Jim. He did not have many friends around his own area and his mother preferred him to stay away from them, but Jim was different, even from the ones around his estate who would likely tease Sebastian for being considered a lower classed citizen that themselves. He had a nasty temper when triggered, but he was wiser in knowing not to beat the little shits that made fun of him because it would only result in more problems.

"Dinner's ready, boys." his mother interrupted and Sebastian gestured for Jim to follow him into the kitchen. The plates were already laid out on the table, each holding a large portion of steak, vegetables and roast potatoes. Sebastian's mother wasn't sure how much Jim ate, but she had served him the same amount as everyone else, as their family did eat a lot. For the most part, it was mainly Sebastian and his father who ate constantly if you so much as let them get away with it.

Seating himself at the table, Sebastian waited for Jim to join him and picked up his cutlery to begin slicing the steak into smaller morsels for himself. "So, Jim," Eleanor Moran started, taking a sip of her glass of water, "How long do you wish to stay? It wouldn't be a problem if you slept here, seeing as it's not a school night." she doubted he would, however, as Jim had not brought anything to stay over with but himself. Sebastian glanced over at him, talking with a mouthful of meat;

"Yeah, would your parents let you?" he asked and swallowed, noticing the exaggerated look his mother gave him. She had warned him before never to speak with his mouth full, but he never seemed to listen and kept his eyes on Jim expectantly.

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-JM ♥

Jim thoughtfully chewed on his last piece of tender steak. Surely his parents wouldn't mind (they would be thrilled, actually to have "the little brat" out of their hair, as long as they knew he wasn't slandering their name). But, Jim didn't want to be a trouble to Sebastian's family. After carefully considering his reply, Jim swallowed the steak and said in his most polite voice "No, I don't think the would mind, as long as I let them knew. Not tonight of course, and only if your mum said it was okay".

Sebastian reached for his glass and took a drink of water, helping the food to wash down easily. He waited on Jim to answer, watching the other's thoughtful expression as he ate. Sebastian stabbed at a piece of carrot with his fork, transferring it to his mouth before he went for another. He wondered what Jim's parents would think of letting him sleep over with the likes of Sebastian, considering the insults he had received from the boy's father on first meeting him already.

"You'd be fine with it, Mom, right?" Sebastian looked to his mother, a little disappointed Jim had refused. Then again, he barely knew the boy and had only met him today. He was letting his mind get the better of him.

"If that's what you want, love," she replied, slicing into the steak. "But only if Jim's parents allow it too."

Sebastian half-doubted they would. The blonde should not be hanging around him in the first place. If that was what Jim's father was like, he did not want to imagine how his mother would be either. Maybe she was a bit nicer, but still horrible. And Sebastian was certainly not the best example to be friends with.

"Do you think they would let you stay next week?" he pressed on, eyes moving back to Jim. Perhaps if he helped ask, they would probably let him, although that might not be the best idea.

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-JM ♥