Chapter Nine
Rudy felt Nora came to the bookstore every other day just to spite him... and to also actually see Miles because it seemed the two actually thoroughly enjoyed each other's company. She'd even resorted to sneaking around the store and hiding behind books to avoid Lyndsey as the manger she-devil had began to notice the loud girl's visits to the store and never actually buying anything irritating the hell out of Rudy while she was at it.
He ignored her most of the time but she was more persistent and ten times more annoying that Kelly was, and that was saying something. He said as much to Kelly when he was feeling particularly prickly and earned himself a slap and a forceful assurance that he actually loved Kelly very dearly.
The clouds were dark and and gray. In retrospect, it should've been pretty obvious that he Scottish weather would turn against them just at the second they left The Bookshop.
"Feels like rain," Miles said obviously, looking up to the cloudy cry through the gap of the alley only to flinch as one big droplet hit just under his eye. He scrunched his nose and wiped the water away furiously, slightly flushing.
Rudy had to hold back the fond smile that threatened to break through while looking at him before he too was hit by a droplet, then another and another until a layer of rain came down the alley way like stampede and drenched them in a second.
The two boys looked at each other then ran, trying to outrun the beast when it was already too late. The streets were filled with the continuous thuds as the rain and the slaps of Miles' thin shoes and clatters of Rudy's boots as they looked for cover. They both stopped at the nearest bus shelter and sagged against the hard plastic box, hair dripping over their faces and clothes pressed against them, soaked through.
Rudy looked as Miles shook his dark hair that was plastered against his face, shaping around his green eyes where rain water dropped from his heavy eyelashes like caught tears. Those eyes caught him and made it so that Rudy couldn't look away. There was also something familiar as he looked at Miles; drenched and pathetic looking but radiating positivity.
"Your hair!" Miles exclaimed, his mouth open as he stared at Rudy slightly. Rudy's hand went to his hair which was hanging over his face and to his neck on one side. He took one golden, dripping strand of hair and looked at it with disdain as if judging why it couldn't fight against the rain and stay up on his head instead of flopping like a limp noodle.
Miles reached out as if to touch it, Rudy froze watching him until he thought better of it and put down his hand again. "It's weird to see it down."
There was just the noise of the rain battering against the plastic shelter then the unmistakable whooshing and whining pull of a bus.
Rudy looks behind him and back again."That's my bus."
"Oh..." Rudy couldn't help but feel pleased at the obvious disappointed tone that Miles didn't even try to hide.
"Yeah." He simply said back, eyeing the bus as it approached slowly.
Miles shivered a little," I mean I- I was going to ask if you wanted to go for another... uh coffee? or something. Hot chocolate. But, uh, I guess if that's your bus then I guess-"
"Want to come back to mine?" Rudy asked before he could even think. He didn't want to say goodbye just yet. The bus pulled up.
Miles looks up at him, his green eyes glassy and wide.
"For hot chocolate... or something..." he added quickly. Rudy felt tingly and numb all at the same time spread through his entire body to his cheeks.
Miles grinned. "Yeah, alright."
~*~
It was a bad idea. It was a stupid idea.
They both sat on the bus, still dripping wet and shivering. they didn't say anything as they sat side by side, thighs just touching but the warmth spreading through Rudy like wild fire. He sat with his hands together on his legs and his head down looking at them as he interlocked and locked his fingers together over and over again as Miles looked out the window, a smile still playing on his lips and his hand laying out on his lap.
Sometime during the ride Rudy stared at the hand and then to his own but though better of it and locked his hands again.
When they got off at Rudy's stop he started to freak out more.
They passed every graffittied building and glassed covered ground with haste - or rather, Rudy did and Miles quickly followed, carrying his smaller legs as fast as they could go. Rudy was silently glad for the rain and cursed it at the same time. He looked around the area that he had lived in for some years now and nervously back to Miles, looking for a judging look or face of hesitation. The rain made them walk quicker but it also made it look even more dreary than it usually was.
They rushed up Rudy's close stairs; Miles' sneakers squeaking on the floors as they turned corners on each of the floors.
Rudy's hands were shaking as he delved into his denim jacket pocket for his keys hanging from a fair amount of key chains he got (stole) from the store.
He went to his door; a faded blue thing, it's paint peeling off at every corner which a rusted numbers 233 and a mail box and unlocked the door.
A bad idea.
As he stepped into his narrow hall way he could suddenly see every cobweb and crack, the faded colour of the walls. There was probably dishes in the sink and the bathroom was yet to be cleaned. Dear god Rosie probably had a bra hanging about somewhere. She always did.
Stupid.
Rudy looked around to Miles who was still waiting outside, head cocked as he looked instead. When he noticed Rudy looking and he smiled a small smile and hesitantly stepped over the threshold.
Rudy felt exposed. Naked. He felt the most shaken he had in a while. It was as if he was showing Miles some part of him - in a way he was, really. It was here that he was mostly himself. It was here that he was safe and now Miles was here with him.
He moved around Miles to close the door, brushing against him almost too closely. As he went to lock the door he noticed white letters sticking out of the letter box and the start of bright red letters stamped across the front of them. Rudy snatched the letters and stuffed them into his coat pocket before lockign the door and turning quickly to Miles again.
"Uh... My room is just through here..." Rudy pointed down the hall, which was obvious; there was only one hall in the whole apartment full of doors that led to different rooms. The first door on the left.
Rudy cringed inwardly as he looked at the familiar door with Ruby's Room, Keep Out, Princess Sleeps Here because apparently Rosie had looked everywhere for Rudy but unfortunately had to settle with an alternative and stuck it on his door before he could say anything about it.
He squeezed past Miles again and quickly opened his bedroom door, ignoring Miles' obvious snicker as Rudy couldn't cover the sign fast enough and took a look around. He thanked his stars he wasn't like his sister and actually cleaned up after himself so his room didn't look that bad save for a few tattered chew toys and the pile of books he accidentally knocked over trying to grab Legolas this morning for jumping on his face.
Legolas. Shit.
"Uh... yeah, sorry," Rudy said hurriedly, squeezing past Miles."Could you stay here just for like a second, I gotta just go next door. Sorry." He ran out then back in a again in the same breath." There's uh, clothes you can borrow in those drawers and a towel on the radiator"
He ran out the flat again and to the next door and chapped quickly. It took a moment but the white door was opened and an elderly woman with silver hair pulled tight above her head with a golden, glittery scrunchy and a warm smile.
"Hello dearie, you're a little late today," she managed to scold him while still looking at him fondly. Before he could apologies she waved her wrinkled hand," No matter, no matter. The poor thing has missed you. I also made cookies for you and you and your sister." She turned away and shuffled over to her living room where Rudy could already hear Legolas whinging and scraping at the door for him.
"Mrs Dormar, you didn't have to, really," Rudy said although really he was drooling.
As soon as the living room door opened the small, fluffy thing leaped lieu he always did onto Rudy who had his arms ready to catch him.
"Hey buddy," he cooed slightly, scratching his ears as Legolas headbutted him repeatedly and gnawed at his shirt. Mrs Dormar was already coming in with a plastic tub of goodies.
"Thanks," he mumbled to her, trying to get Legolas away from licking his face while taking the tub.
"You just get back to that friend of yours next door." She grinned toothily and Rudy didn't even ask how she knew about Miles and left with a grateful nod.
"Don't fuck this up for me, okay bud?" Rudy whispered to Legolas before entering his apartment again. Then paused and looked at his dog who looked back at him.
Fuck up?
Fuck up what exactly?
Miles was sitting on his bed when he went back in, Rudy's clothes practically drowning him but at the same time falling off him like water and exposing skin. Collar Bones. He was sitting on his bed, with Rudy's books now nearly stacked against it again and Miles. on his bed holding out a tattered bunny rabbit plush with an amused grin, his legs crossed and his small feet poking out of a ripple of Rudy's joggies.
Rudy flushed but didn't go to grab it off him but cleared his throat instead to which Miles gave a satisfying jump and looked around sheepishly to Rudy and held up the bunny.
"I hope you don't mind me on your bed," Miles said in a rush, blushing at his words as they caught up with him. "I - uh, there was no chairs so I just..."
"it's fine,"Rudy got out and crossed the room to sit next to him." That's Jack." He nodded to the rabbit that had been with him for many years now and couldn't find it in himself to throw out. He couldn't."My parents bought me him when I was younger."
Miles' eyes fluttered a little and he smiled down to the toy in hand and gingerly put him back onto his place on the bed, the crack just in between his two pillows. Legolas in that moment sniffed loudly, probably obnoxiously trying to get Rudy's attention.
Miles gave a weird noise that all but startled Rudy and distracted him just long enough to notice Miles reaching out to touch Legolas before he could say anything.
"Wait he doesn't like strang-" and then the weird thing happened. Legolas: dog that honestly peed himself for three weeks straight every time someone turned on the TV, the dog that hid whenever Rosie had been in the room until last year. Rudy's timid little fur ball actually voluntary popped his head out from the crook of Rudy's arm and reached his little head out so his nose touched Miles' hand and then after a few sniffs was leaping onto Miles.
Miles was giggling. Miles was sprawled out on his bed, giggling, while his anti-social mutt was licking and jumping on him as if he was some giant ice-cream. It wasn't as if the teacup size dog could actually overpower the smaller boy but it sure as hell looked like it.
Rudy was frozen. He didn't really say much until Miles composed himself and Legolas was less excitable and was perched between the two boys, snuggling into Miles thigh.
"What's this cutie's name," he cooed brightly but looking at Rudy thoughtfully.
"Legolas," he said and Rudy swore Miles squealed quietly under in breath.
"Like the Elf?" he mused, leaning back to rock as if he didn't know already.
Rudy shrugged like didn't know when he did. It was Rosie that had named the dog after her favourite Lord of the Rings character who she didn't shut up about, even now, and watched over and over again and making Rudy hear about him all the damn time and watch it over and over again. Even so he could see Miles' eyes shine that way he got when started on about books or if Rudy interjected (rarely) and put in his point of view.
They ended up watching Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring anyway after Miles ended up nagging him to watch it and over-exciting Legolas by jumping around his room and making Legolas do the same and fall around in the same amount and munched on Mrs Dormar's cookie (those of which Miles made another appreciative noise when he bite into them which had Rudy almost falling off the table and feeling hot all over). They were almost at the end when Rosie came in, swearing her head off and cursing her boss' future children until she noticed Rudy had company and didn't even have decency to be embarrassed and just grinned as she asked if he was Miles.
"So your the kid I've been hearing about non-stop, huh?"
Miles shot up, looking between Rosie and Rudy looking way too happy."What? Really?"
"Though, he has been sort of quiet on the topic for a while now. I can understand why now."Rosie's eyes flashed to Rudy who glared at her before she looked at what was playing."Oh my gosh this is my favourite part! Scooch over, cute thang," she sang to Miles before she all but jumped onto the couch, almost squashing Legolas who yelped at her and took refuge on Rudy's lap.
Rudy avoided both of their eyes the rest of the night. Well he tried. But he couldn't ignore them as they started to gush about all things nerd and it was having a double-whammy of what he had to put up with Rosie, only shutting up when Rosie noticed Legolas nosing as Miles' hand and went into her bedroom in a huff.
Rudy snorted when she slammed the door and assured to Miles he did nothing wrong, she was just a sore loser.
"I've gotta get going," Miles sighed, sounding more than just a little disappointment and shifted out from his position on the couch, slowly moving his thigh away from Rudy's where they had ended up somewhere during the movie and hadn't really moved away, until now that is. Rudy already felt cold and weird as he got up with Miles to walk him to the bus stop.
"You don't have to," Miles said as he zipped up his jacket.
"I know," Rudy said, smiling a little as he looked down at him."I want to."
Rudy tucked his hands into his coat pocket, ignoring the sharp crumble of letters that were still there and looking to the sky while he listened to Miles yammering on as usual all the way to the stop that would take Miles back into town.
"You know, you never fail to surprise me, Rudy Sampson." Miles grinned at him."First a sugar loving addict and now I find that you own a purse dog named after a Sindar Elf of the Woodland Realm and that your hair is like - naturally curly and wild when not tamed."
Rudy's hands automatically went to his hair which was curling around his fingers but he was smiling despite his hate for his hair. "I hope they're good surprises," Rudy said, just as the bus Miles was to get on pulled up. He said it casually, playfully tried to rest is unease that as crawling inside him.
Miles made a humming noise."Me too," he said before stepping onto the bus.
Rudy watched it pull away after Miles payed and took his seat, waving at Rudy until he was out of sight and leaving Rudy with a smile still on his face. It seemed Miles was making him do that a lot nowadays. Smiling.
Stupid.
A/N: woo longest chapter yet... and I sort of hate it. Writing the start of relationships are hard, I just want them to kiss and get down with it already. Also work is hard. And school. School sucks. I might/probably come back and switch a few things around in this but yeah. Happy reading!
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