"Oi! What the bloody hell are you lads doing over there?"
The lanky ginger stalked over to the alley and stopped a few feet away from our (apparently not-so-hidden) hiding place. His eyes turned to slits as he scrutinized our faces. I fumbled for a second, not knowing exactly how to handle this confrontation.
Richard, thankfully, regained his bearings faster than I did. He slowly stood and gestured to Alex. "Pardon us, but my friend here just had a quarrel with his sweetheart and wanted to see if she was doing alright. Missy has a bit of a drinking problem when she's stressed."
"I wanted to make sure she didn't drink herself silly after she stormed out of our home. I made a, uh, slightly misplaced comment about her weight." Alex gave a bashful smile.
The newcomer cocked his eyebrow at the excuse. "Right, and you thought checking on the bird from a dark alley across the way was the best idea?"
The three of us looked at each other. I didn't know whether he was joking or seriously suspicious of our situation and it seemed like the guys were in the same limbo.
"Ya gotta give 'em lassies space, they're bloody mental." He shook his head with a grin, prompting relieved laughter from us. "You gentlemen plannin' on heading in or what?"
"Oh, no, I don't think I can face her!" Alex said a bit too loudly. "Gotta give her space, just like you said, right?"
He nodded at me and glanced at the guys. "M'names Seamus."
Holy shit, suspect confirmed.
"I'm John." I nodded at Seamus. God, he's so young. How can a kid be as messed up as his reputation suggests?
"Name is Richard." Rich followed John's lead. "This lovesick fool is Alexander."
Alex meekly waved at Seamus.
"You two sound like Yankees. These outliers, are they your friends?" Seamus tilted his head at me and Alex, questioning Rich.
"Yeah, got a problem, son?"
Seamus lightly shook his head with an amused look. "No, sir. Just curious is all."
"Right."
"Well, good luck with your lady issues, mate." Seamus chuckled.
He gave a lazy two-fingered salute and moseyed back across the street. The three of us watched him move away until his silhouette disappeared through the pub's door.
"Jesus." I didn't even notice I'd been holding in breath. An involuntary shudder ran through my body. "That was a greatly unnerving experience."
"You did just fine, John." Alex gently squeezed me on the shoulder.
"I don't like that lad." Rich pursed his lips. "He's too smug. Bit of a knob."
I let out a weary sigh. "Let's just go home, guys."
"I'm with you, way too much interaction with that… kid." Alex mumbled, throwing his pack over his shoulder. I grabbed my pack and we all exchanged tired glances. Goddamn, I'm ready to go.
I took a deep breath. "Let's get the hell out of here."
/
"Boys, I'll be back sometime tomorrow to get more done. Tonight, however, I need to go home and spend some time with my lovely bride." Richard announced as he strode into the living room.
He had a small pack slung over his shoulder and a giddy look in his eyes. It's been a few days since he was home last, I bet neither Rich nor his wife are enjoying that side of things too much.
"I've gotta give her a snog, et cetera, before she runs off with another dashingly handsome bloke." Richard gave a sly wink and walked towards the door. "Try not to get into too much trouble while I'm gone, eh?"
"No promises." Alex gave a goofy smile and threw his arm around my shoulder. Oh, gosh, what am I in for?
"That's what I like to hear. Have fun, boys!" Richard waved farewell and slipped out the door, shutting it behind him.
Alex and I had been sitting on the couch since we got back from Crowley's an hour or so ago. We weren't quite lying down but we were getting there, considering how tired we both were.
"I think we should hit the hay early."
Alex yawned, steadily picking his body up off the sofa. I shifted away so he could get up. His eyes stayed shut for a few seconds once his mouth closed. My eyes dragged across his slightly swaying frame. His eyes were held up by intensely dark bags. His mouth hung in a weary frown. His shoulders hunched forward. This man needs to sleep.
"I think that's a great idea, Alex." I nodded, standing up beside him. "Let's go to bed."
His fingers interlocked with mine and a soft smile graced his features. His drooping eyes showed a slight shimmer. With a wink, he gave a soft tug to my hand and led me to our upstairs haven.
"Shit, we really need to start taking care of this room." Alex sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.
Ah, never mind, 'haven' was a bit of a stretch.
I sighed. "I can't believe this is what we actually slept in last night."
The bed sheets were crumpled in quite the display on top of the bed. Random articles of clothing had trickled out of our bags in a halted waterfall. Old papers that had been crumpled to death were thrown about. The single desk was bathed in used mugs and a light dusting of… well, dust. It smelled of stale tea and whatever the opposite of fresh and delightful was. Decaying and un-delightful. Is un-delightful a word?
"No, it isn't, love." Alex yawned.
"Oh, I didn't mean to say that out loud." We both chuckled and Alex resumed his journey to the bed.
His hand pulled mine and we reached the edge of the mattress. Alex turned and sat down while keeping a firm grip on my hand. I shuffled closer and he spread his legs so I could stand closer.
"Hi, sleepyhead." He mumbled as I planted a kiss on the top of his head.
His long arms wrapped around my waist and he pulled me closer. I ran my fingers through his hair, undoing the small ponytail he had in. I dropped his hair tie onto the bed beside him and combed my fingers through his soft hair.
He hummed in response and buried his head in my chest.
"How about we lie down?" I suggested, smiling down at him.
His protest was muffled against my clothing, but I got the gist.
"Why not? You're tired, I'm tired, the bed is right here…"
More muffled words.
"Alex, I know my chest is very comfy vertically, but you'll be even more comfy on it horizontally. Please?" I giggled.
A sigh and one more muffled word.
"Good boy, now let go so we can lie down together." I smiled as he pulled away and showed his face. His flaming cheeks and tiny pout could damn near end me.
"I'm only agreeing because you're incredibly comfy to cuddle with." He muttered, scooting further back onto the bed.
"Oh, I'm positively fine with that."
He took both my hands in his and roughly tugged me towards the bed. I fell at the sudden force and landed smack on top of him. The wind got knocked out of both of us, prompting laughs.
"Oh my god, Alex, I didn't mean to body-slam you!" I couldn't breathe, my laughs were stealing all of my air.
He snorted. "I meant for you to. You weren't close enough for my liking."
Our laughs turned to comfortable silence as we settled into each other. I was lying on top of him now and he held me tight while I grabbed a fistful of his shirt in my hand. I lowered my head into the crook of his neck and sighed.
"I love you, Alex."
"Not as much as I love you, John." He hummed, running his hands up and down my spine.
I couldn't help but shiver at his touch. The simplest of actions felt like magic when it was him doing it.
I tilted my head back so I could brush my lips against his jawline. He let out a small moan and that just pushed me further. I moved my body a bit, giving me fuller access to Alex's face. I brought my hand up and curved it around his blushing cheek.
"Hi." He swallowed, his eyes glazing over as we looked at each other.
I smiled at his sudden dazed look. "Hi, baby."
"You wanna know something?" He mumbled, lowering his line of sight to my lips.
I gave a slight nod.
"I'm gonna kiss you until you can't remember your own name." He whispered, bringing one of his hands to the back of my neck. He pulled me closer until our lips were barely brushing against each other.
"Is that a promise?"
"You're damn right it is."
God, I can't wait to forget my name.
A/N: . . . Hi. I'm back. I'm still alive (unfortunately? fortunately? who knows at this point) and depressed as ever. I finished my sophomore year of college, barely, and I'm now trying to figure out adult shit. I'm moving out of my brother's home in January and have to find an apartment, keep working on my degree, and somehow keep my depression from delaying all that shit. So, I haven't had time or energy for writing. I've gotten a little bit back into it (as you can tell by this chapter being published) and I'm forgiving myself for taking over seven months to update. Life gets rough and sometimes I can't keep on top of my stories and that's okay. I appreciate you so much if you've come back for this chapter, you're fantastic. I'm hoping to write chapter 21 before September but I'm not going to be pissed at myself if I can't stick to that goal. Things happen, depression worsens, etc. I can't keep being mad at myself for not updating this story regularly, and I appreciate you for understanding that.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I can't believe it's been over four years since I began this story. That's insane. I began seeing a therapist and psychiatrist, I grieved my mother, I graduated high school, bought my first car, started college, sold my first car, bought my second car, worked a few fun job throughout, dated some people, made best friends, got cats, turned 21, and did a ton of other things. This story has been a constant in my life that I am so grateful for. I'm incredibly grateful for everyone that has been reading and reviewing this story. I appreciate the feedback so much and your words of kindness. If you enjoyed this chapter, or just want to say hi, please leave a review! I love reading them and replying, hearing from my readers is an absolute highlight of any day.
Thank you so, so much for living life with me. I hope to see you again in the next chapter. :)
thatwritermadeofpotatoes