"And in the end, we were all just humans... Drunk on the idea that love, only love, could heal our brokenness." -F. Scott Fitzgerland
This was stupid. He was being stupid.
Anders continued to argue with himself over whether or not he should show up at the abandoned bar again. He didn't know Mitchell. The guy could be a meth addict who'll murder him with a lead pipe for all he knew! But he needed a place to stay, and Mitchell was right when he said they'd be safer together.
Anders didn't realize how dark it was getting until the street lights began to turn on. Pausing and looking around to get his bearings, Anders realized he was just a few blocks away from the bar. While he was debating whether or not he should show up, it started to rain.
It's always raining here. He thought glumly.
Turning around, Anders saw a large trash bin tucked away in the alley behind him. After a brief yet disgusting search, he found a canoe paddle snapped in half. Boating was a big thing in Sequim. Feeling slightly more protected, the blond quickly made his way over to the bar.
By the time he got there and slipped inside, the rain was coming down in buckets. Mitchell wasn't there yet and Anders felt both relieved and disappointed at the same time. Walking over to where he was sitting when the brunette first appeared the night before, Anders settled on the cold ground, still clutching the paddle to his chest as his only weapon. It was cold, and there was nothing to do to pass the time besides counting ceiling tiles and thinking about life before he slept in abandoned buildings.
As far as childhoods go, Anders' wasn't the most ideal. Their mom left when he was still young and Mike refused to talk about it. When their dad was around he drank too much and yelled too often. It was shortly after he broke Anders' arm that their pathetic excuse of a parent left, never to be seen again. But things still weren't good. He and Mike fought constantly, even though they tried to remain civil around Ty and Axl.
If he was being honest with himself Anders knew he would have left eventually. No one wants him around after they get to know him, and no one needs him.
The sound of the rain began to lull him into a light slumber. There was something about the smell of rain that Anders found so wonderful. It was like he could smell all the horrible things being washed away and the world made new.
Suddenly he was aware of the presence of another person in front of him.
Jerking back Anders gasped and struck out with the oar at the dark figure crouching in front of him.
There was a grunt and Anders heard the person fall back and hit the hard floor of the bar.
"Ugh! What the hell was that?"
It was only after Anders was entirely awake that he recognized the Irish accent.
"Mitchell?"
Anders received a groan in response. The brunette was crumpled on the floor, pressing a glove-clad palm to his forehead. There was a worn backpack next to Mitchell, along with a brown paper bag.
"I think you broke skin!" Mitchell said, looking at the crimson droplets on his fingers.
"Sorry…" Anders offered. He sat up and attempted to console the brunette in some way, but he was unsure what to do. So he settled for awkwardly sitting next to Mitchell and resting a hand on the others knee.
They remained silent for a while, Mitchell applying pressure to his cut, and Anders listening to the rain.
"Sorry." Anders offered again. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
Sighing, Mitchell removed his hand, there was still some blood trickling down his temple, but aside from that it only stung a little.
"I get it, you don't know me, and I don't know you. Of course you'd take precautions. I honestly wasn't sure if you were going to show up."
"Me neither. Where were you?"
"Working. Also, I made enough money to get dinner." Mitchell gestured to the paper bag.
Anders stared at the package; his manners quickly forgotten as he tore open the parchment to reveal two deli sandwiches that were probably bought at the gas station a block away. His stomach growled at the sight.
Passing one to Mitchell, Anders quickly unwrapped his sandwich and practically inhaled it. Never before had anything tasted so delicious. Mitchell ate his a little slower, but the blond could tell that he was just as hungry as he was.
Sucking at his fingers after finishing, Anders leaned back against the wall, reveling in his full stomach. "Thank you."
Mitchell smiled, and Anders once again was captivated by it. Not even the shadows of the bar could hide the fact that the brunette was absolutely breathtaking. If things were different, if Andes' life had more stability and he didn't spend his days just barely scraping by, he might have pursued the brunette. But neither of them had the leisure to think about finding a boyfriend.
"Here." Mitchell dug around his worn backpack until he pulled out a thin blanket. "It'll probably get cold tonight."
Anders leaned forward and hesitantly accepted the blanket. "Are you sure?"
Mitchell tugged his jacket tighter around his shoulders. "You've obviously not had a full meal in a long time. I'd be willing to bet money that you haven't been worm in weeks."
"Thank you." Anders rubbed the material between his fingers. "We could share, if you want…"
Dark eyes met warm blue. "It's just we'll probably both be a lot warmer if we share." Anders finished.
Mitchell didn't respond for a short time, until he got up and moved next to the blond. They shifted closer to each other, trying to find a comfortable position against the wall; both strongly aware of the others close proximity. Anders made sure they both had an equal amount of blanket. Mitchell still smelled like smoke and rain, but there was another scent that wasn't there the night before, and Anders wasn't entirely sure he liked it.
They fell asleep that night to the feeling of a full stomach and the sound of each other's tired breathing.
O O O
Mitchell woke the next morning when a beam of sunlight shone through one of the boarded up windows and bore against his eyelids. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stretched. It was only then that he remembered the blond next to him. Anders looked so peaceful and much younger when he slept. The sun made his blond hair look like spun gold. Anders' lips twitched in a dream, Mitchell could stare at those lips all day if he had the chance. They were delicate and demanding to be kissed. But he couldn't. Anders deserved better than him. The blond was still young and untouched by the filthy world around him, and Mitchell would do anything to keep him like that.
Anders yawned against Mitchell's shoulder before shifting away from the brunette and lying flat on the ground, the blanket draped across his body. Smiling, Mitchell got to his feet and began digging through his backpack. He only had two pairs of clothes, and he needed to wash both of them soon. But he didn't have money for that. All his money was being stashed away until he had enough to find a small apartment, preferably in Seattle where business would be better. Fortunately that time was soon. Pulling out a black t-shirt, Mitchell shed his jacket and pulled off his grey tank-top before tugging on his other shirt. If he had another good night he could probably afford a cheap apartment and a ferry ticket to Seattle, two if Anders wanted to come with him.
"Morning."
Mitchell turned to find Anders propping himself up on his elbows, his hair messy and sticking up in random places.
"Morning. Did you sleep alright?"
"Better than I have in a while. Thank you for the food and blanket."
Smiling, Mitchell shrugged on his jacket.
"It's no problem. Listen, there's a Laundromat close by here that offers half-price after midnight. I've got a few errands to run, but if you want to get your clothes washed meet me there at 3:00 AM."
Watching the brunette's back muscles move under his jacket, Anders almost didn't catch what Mitchell was saying. "Um, thanks. Do you mean the Port Hadlock one?"
"Yeah, I'll have enough extra money for one load of clothes by tomorrow. See you then."
Anders watched as Mitchell slung his bag over his shoulder and slipped out into the sun again. It was only after a few more minutes of relaxation that he realized Mitchell had left his blanket with the blond. Smiling softly, he tugged the thin material around his shoulders and lied back down on the ground again, deciding to get a little more sleep before facing the day.
Just thought I'd contribute to the fandom with a classic Runaways!AU. Hope you guys enjoy!
Reviews are much loved!