My thanks to Sylvain for the beta work.

Runaway

Part 14

Well, what was he waiting for? He didn't know. Micah had just given him the green light... only he hadn't, not really. He was forcing his hand, daring him almost. And it would be so easy to make for the door, collect his stuff and take off. With every step, he would tell himself he'd done the right thing, that he didn't need Micah, and Micah certainly didn't need him. But they were old and tried excuses now, weren't they? Ones he'd already reasoned against.

A few miles down the road, he would start regretting his decision, but would be too stubborn to turn around and come back, and so he would keep on walking, running as Micah called what he did, what he'd made a habit of doing when he was scared or when life got a little too tough.

He wouldn't have shed any pain in his time here; he would just have added to it, because he would have the pain of losing Micah, too.

"I don't want to go." The admission had taken him by surprise, he hadn't been ready to air his thoughts aloud, not when he was still turning them over in his head and especially not when he was so very wary of Micah's reaction. Which, it turned out, surprised him too, it really took him aback. Micah had just resumed his seat at the table, picked up his mug and started to drink the tea it contained... just like nothing had happened, only something had, something ugly and unpleasant.

There was no verbal comeback, no invite from Micah to join him, no further encouragement for him to go, so he just stood there, in a sort of limbo. He eventually realised the ball was in his court, he just wasn't sure what to do with it. The answer came, eventually, well it was staring him in the face, and so he, too, sat back down, ready as he ever would be to talk, and knowing the first thing past his lips had to be an apology. "I'm sorry."

"That was you getting all protective, wasn't it?"

He felt a rush of heat to his cheeks and had to look away, suddenly embarrassed, he realised with a jolt that it was exactly why he'd reacted the way he did, because someone had dared lay a hand on Micah, had got violent with him; his reaction had been extreme but, at least, he could understand it now.

"If you knew me better, Aaron, you'd know there was no need, I can look after myself."

He wanted to argue that point, because from where he was standing, Micah had looked in desperate need of some help, but then he didn't really know Micah, not like he should, the older man could have a black belt in karate for all he knew. "I want to..." he paused, struggling with another admission, having to force out the remaining words, "I want to know you better, I... I want to know all there is to know."

"You already know I'm sad, boring and righteous, so you're off to a good start!"

Micah was teasing him now, he could see a mischievous glint in his eyes, he was trying to put him at ease, wanting to make it easier for him to open up. Still, he couldn't see the funny side, he wasn't prepared to even try, he just wanted to somehow take back what he'd said, "I didn't mean that, I'm sorry..."

"I know you are, just like I know you're nothing like that idiot that's just been here. You're nothing like the Tom Bryant's of the world. With him, it's all to do with power, control, he wants to be the big man. If only he realised just how small his actions make him. With you, it's a build-up of emotion, not knowing how to control it, how to channel it."

"You don't have to make excuses for me, Micah..."

"I'm not, I wouldn't do that, I just want you to see there are reasons for the way you are, for the things you do, and that understanding a problem, getting to the root of it, is the best way of conquering it."

"Counselling?" That's what Micah was working up to suggesting, wasn't it?

"You've thought about it, then?"

"Tried not to more like! Paddy suggested it, he more or less ordered me to have it. Things were getting out of control... I was getting out of control. That last night at home... I wasn't home, that's just it. I spent the night in a police cell, for being drunk and disorderly, mouthing off at the cops. Paddy came to pick me up so I mouthed off at him, kicked his car door in. But he's like you, he won't give up on me."

"Whoever this Paddy is, I like the sound of him, he obviously cares a great deal about you."

He hadn't given Micah any details about his home life, he had let him believe he had two parents in the picture, that he came from an ordinary family. Well, there was nothing ordinary about his lot, nothing straightforward, it had been a right mess, or had been until Paddy had come along. "It's a long story."

"And one I'd like to hear."

"But, Micah, about before..." Were they just going to pretend his flare-up had never happened? Sweep it under the carpet? Was that the right thing to do?

"Let it go, Aaron, look at it as a hiccup in proceedings, don't let it become something else you hold on to and use to punish yourself."

He wanted to promise it wouldn't happen again, but he didn't want to make a promise that there was no guarantee of him keeping, as much as he wanted too. "Ok."

"Well, come on, tell me, what's Paddy to you?"

He sat back in his chair, wondering just where to start to answer that one.

/

It was Monday morning, another wet day, the rain pelting against the kitchen window, driven by a howling gale. As he stared out at the downpour, he reminded himself he could be out in that, trudging down some endless road or country lane, cold, wet and hungry, just like he had been when he'd first met Micah. Yesterday, Micah had saved him from that misery again, had saved him from himself.

The morning might have been a near-disaster but, the rest of the day had been good, better than good, they'd talked and he'd made sure it wasn't all about himself, he'd got to know more about Micah too, about his family, even a little about Matt, how he'd died, how he'd lost a hard-fought battle with illness. They'd only touched on that part of Micah's past, he was wise enough to know that it wasn't really the time to go down that path, but one day, soon, when it wasn't so much about him settling in... well, they would go back there, he'd make sure of that.

Micah was on the phone in the hallway, had been for the last ten minutes or so. It was only nine o'clock and it was already the third call he'd taken this morning, he knew they weren't social calls, that they were all in some way to do with his work. He knew Micah's work was going to keep him busy most of today, too, and that meant he was going to have to find something to do himself. There was only so much domesticity he was willing to expose himself to. He was itching to do some real work, he really missed working with cars, cars he was interested in, cars he understood. He planned on using Micah's computer to help hunt down a job, and according to him, the local paper came out the next day. There just might be something in that, there probably wouldn't be any mechanics jobs going, that was too much to ask for, but he'd take just about anything right now, he hated leaching of Micah, not that he saw it that way.

He was just about to take Micah's tea into the hallway when he walked into the room. He knew instantly Micah's mood had changed, something had knocked the smile off his face.

"What's wrong?"

"Same old, same old, the Bishop wants to see me."

"You in the dog house again."

"It looks that way."

"So, what have you done this time? Stolen from the collection plate?" He knew Micah would laugh at his teasing, and he did, but the amusement just didn't reach his eyes, and that told him he had to take this a bit more seriously, "You've got no idea what it's about?"

Micah wasn't sure how best to answer that question. Did he tell a white lie and say no, hope he could straighten things out before telling Aaron, or did he admit he did, and throw the younger man a curve ball in the process? Someone, and he had a good idea who––well, she did live just across the road and was a well-known curtain-shifter––, had talked! It had to be her, it had to be Milly Holden who'd reported 'the goings-on at the vicarage', the 'yob' he'd taken in, the one who yesterday had assaulted a parishioner!

TBC