Jackets and Fingerless Gloves
Authors note: I give you all the right to get mad at me. I am so sorry this is SO late. I had life come his smash me in the face these past weeks. I sent the story to my one of my grammar friends (after I finally finished it) and she never got it back to me. So I did the checking by myself. I know there will be more then an acceptable amount of errors. If she gets it back to me then I will replace this one with the well revised one. I am so sorry guys. I hope this does not ruin the story for anyone.
When Charles and Erik were walking down the street it was like watching a child and a father walk together. Charles walked down the sidewalk looking everywhere while Erik followed with his shoulders hitched forward and hands in his pockets. Charles asked question after question, while proceeding to walk by every corner they should have turned down. Erik would yell out the answers to Charles's questions, tell Charles to turn, or yell stop before Charles walked in front of a car. Erik was tempted to buying a leash at the store and let Charles pick a collar for himself.
Charles was usually a man who was able to take care of himself just fine. However, in this situation he was just so overwhelmed that he did not care that he was acting like a child. He wanted to know everything about Oxford, about its streets, homes, and cementers. Erik and he walked by a street and Charles stopped mid step causing Erik to run into him. This was because Erik had hooked his fingers on the back of Charles jacket collar to make sure he does not get hit by a car. Charles stopped because the street was arches with tree in the stage in between green and yellow. At the end of the street was one of the buildings of Oxford. Charles almost went running to it. Erik ,however, wanted to eat dinner before midnight. He grabbed the back of Charles' jacket and yanked him back.
Charles let out a wine, "But, Erik!"
Erik groaned, "Not now my friend."
Charles stuck out his lower lip in pout, "What happens if that's one of my building. Also what am I going to do next week when I have to walk to school? I have no clue were to go."
Erik just noticed he was still holding Charles' jacket. He let his hand fall to his side, "That, first of all, is not one of your buildings. Second I will drive you." Erik did not know what has gotten in to himself today. For 15 years he has not opened up to anybody. Not even his girlfriends or to his few recent boyfriends. He decided to try out both when he found out he could never really open up to any girl so he thought it might be the gender. After the 5th boyfriend he found out it was just him.
Erik snapped out of it by the tone heard a British accent, "Really!"
"Yes really. I'll drive the way you would walk someday to show you just in case I can't take you one day." Erik said as he started to walk again.
Charles ran to catch up, "Wait, are planning to drive me every day?"
Erik nodded his head, "Yep."
Charles' stupid grin spread across his face, "Groovy, thank you."
Erik smiled at the small man with the big blue eyes, red lips, and flush cheeks. Again Erik looked like a shark. Only a little guard tainted his smile now.
For the rest of the walk Charles's voice was constant white noise. Erik however listened to half of what he said. That is more than most people and that gave Charles a warm feeling in his stomach.
When they got to the store Erik grabbed a cart and they went down every aisle playing the "do we need that" game. By the end they had a cart full of food half extremely expensive and the other half as cheap as possible. Erik turn to Charles with his eyebrows raised, "How are you paying for all of your expensive shit?" Erik asked.
"My friend, there are some things you do not know about me. One of them is that I don't like unnecessary cussing." Charles replied as he pulled out his wallet.
Erik looked a Charles with amusement, "I am a grown man. I have every fucking right to cuss when I want."
"Now you are just being excessive. I don't like you cussing because I know you are smart and have a stronger vocabulary." Charles smiled as he pulled out his credit card and handed it to the casher. He was paying for a 300 dollar grocery trip.
Erik stood there gawking, "There is now way I am letting you pay for all of that. You will be out of money by next week."
"I will never be out of money," Charles signed his name and grabbed 4 bags.
Erik grabbed another 3 and the 12 pack of beer, "Is there something you are not telling me?"
Charles chuckled as they started to walk the 20 minutes it took to get home, "Who would have thought that someone would be able to keep secrets from the man who lives in them? Yes, my friend, I have a bit of money. More than any man should actually."
Erik kept an eye on we're Charles was going but he had not made a mistake yet, "So your one of those rich wankers aren't you?"
Charles groaned at Erik's cussing, "Erik! No I am not. Do I look or act like one?"
Erik looked at Charles for a moment, "Maybe . . ." Charles gives him a look this is a mix of amusement and disgust. Erik chuckled, "No, not at all. If you are rich then why are you living with me? Not that I don't like it or anything."
Charles smiled, "I don't live in the fancy dorms because I wanted to try something new. Thank you, my friend, for not minding." Charles was a bit out of breath from the weight of the bags and the walk.
Erik nodded his head, "Good reason." Then Erik stopped walking.
It took Charles a moment to notice Erik stopped. He turned around and saw Erik staring into the window of a shop. He had set the beer on the ground and placed his hand on the window. Behind the window was a motorbike, a nice, slick, and black motorbike. Not a Harley, no it was more antique, more beautiful.
Charles walked up beside Erik and looked into the window with him for a moment. Then he looked up at Erik, "Do you have an attachment with this bike?"
Erik's shook his head, "No I just really like it. I want to get it someday. That's my big life goal at the moment."
"Have you been saving up money?" Charles asked.
"Yeah, for 2 years now. At first it was for a bike in general but when this one appeared in the window a few months ago I got attached to it."
"How close are you?" Charles was trying to think of a way he could help without just buying it.
"I am 1,000 dollars away. My life expensive a keep getting in the way." Erik said as he bent down to pick up the beer again. He always started to mope when he thought of how far he was away from his goal.
Erik started to walk again but Charles stayed and thought. Erik noticed Charles was not following and turned around "Hey, dude-".
Charles interrupted, "I pay for all of it."
Erik stood there for a moment, "What did you say?"
"I will pay for all of you life expenses like the food, the heating bill, your rent, all of it." Charles stated turning to Erik. Charles had his limit and planned on never going over it but Erik was important. Even though he had only known him for a day it had felt like a happy life time.
"You can't do that," Erik said, shocked and irritated.
"Oh, yes I can my friend. Remember I am rich." Charles said with a smirk as he walked to Erik. "Now we need to get home so you can make dinner before I naw my arm off. I need food and alcohol, I need alcohol.
Charles walked with purpose and Erik was right beside him chuckling. Erik had a feeling that Charles was going to be the death of him. He might like to meet his death.
They were about ten minutes away from home. Charles had started to walk slower from the weight of the bags. Erik was wishing he had brought gloves because his hands were getting cold.
Charles looked back and saw Erik face. He stopped walking and set his bags on the ground. Erik was about to ask what he was doing when Charles started to pull off his fingerless gloves. He turned to Erik and handed them to Erik. "You should wear these," Charles said.
Erik looked at the gloves and then back at Charles. "Why?" asked Erik.
"I can see from your face that your hands are cooled. I don't need then right now so you can wear them." said Charles shrugging his shoulders.
Erik smiled and took the gloves, "My friend, you have only known me for a day and you know me better than most."
"I am able to see many things about you," Charles said while picking his bags back up. He walked a bit faster than before cause his hands were cold now.
Erik was about to ask what do you know about me but then he changed his mind. That was a question for later. Erik kept behind Charles for the rest of the way home. Erik really wondered how this kid was going to Oxford but after watching Charles remember the whole way home in the opposite direction he understood.
Charles got to the door and looked back at Erik with an impatient face, "Keys!"
"Coming!" Erik said putting in an irritated tone but actually finding it quiet cute.