Sweeter Than Fiction | ✓

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

After Rudy climbed four flights of stairs he was faced, for the second time that day with his boss, Mr. Archer who was glowering down at the two of them in a white wife beater, a pair of socks with holes in them, a navy blue pair of boxers as if he had gotten out of his bed, and his few strands of hair that usually swung over his bald head limped pathetically over to the right like wilted flowers. He was still terrifying. Miles not so fazed as Rudy was as he was mumbling under his breath and making circles on Rudy's shoulder with his finger.

Rudy had silently handed over Miles, who was reluctant to let go and had to be practically dragged of by Mr. Archer before Rudy could all but run back down the stairs again but not getting down one without hearing Miles' exaggerated goodbye before silenced by a slamming of a door and a clang of metal as the old knocker that seemed to be on all of these doors rattled against it.

Rudy had known Miles had known Mr. Archer when he first started working there but he had never expected them to live with one another.

That had been a shock. And now he was even thinking that he was going to get fired for not taking care of his... Son? Rent Boy?

Rudy pulled a hand over his face, determined not to think about it has he pulled out his keys and opened the door to their tiny apartment.

Legolas came bounding out from the living room as soon as he closed the door, all flapping ears and tongue and he jumped for Rudy.

Rudy picked up the thing and it instantly snuggled into his neck and out again, tongue still hanging out and it's tail wagging harshly at the sight of his master.

"Rough night, little buddy," he sighed, crossing his arms and letting Legolas go in the crook of it."I'm just hoping I ain't got fired when I get back."

Legolas, probably sensing Rudy's bad mood, whimpered sympathetically and pawed at his chest and licked his knuckles as if to comfort him.

Rudy snorted and made his way into the living room to find the TV still on, a menu page on display showing the cast of Firefly and Rosie curled up on the couch asleep, again.

He looked at her for a moment, saw her looking so small and so young all of a sudden with her golden hair so much like Rudy's hanging over her face and her arms tucked under her head. Something stirred within him, a fierce protectiveness and sadness, before he shook it off and put Legolas down before making his way over to Rosie and started to lift her up in his arms to take her to bed.

The second hopeless person he carried that night.

She mumbled and grumbled sleepily but let him do it and Rudy groaned a bit at the weight of her but managed to get her into her poster covered bedroom and pull over her hideous yellow bed covers over her already sleeping form. Legolas was waiting patiently at the door, his head cocked.

Just as Rudy was about to turn off the light as he said an almost silent "goodnight," to his big sister he looked over to her bookshelf and for some unknown reason noticed Storm Front in between Twilight and The Hobbit.

Without thinking, Rudy walked over to it, picked it up and left the room before turning off the light to his own, Legolas plodding tiredly at his feet.

~*~

Rudy didn't see Miles until his next shift on Tuesday.

Rosie had coaxed the whole story out of him and she had laughed at Rudy's expense.

When Miles saw Rudy in the locker room he had entered when Rudy had just pulled on his bright red polo shirt and had all but froze and flushed and ran back out again. Rudy stared as te door swung closed, Matt laughed beside him, shutting his locker.

"What'd you do now,man?"he asked, patting his shoulder as he passed. Rudy slapped his hand away and grunted before sighing.

Looks like the were back to the start again.

They stood side by side at the counter for the rest of the day. Miles was back to his quiet self, mumbling and tripping over his words. Even so Rudy could feel the glances pulled his way but never caught them in time when he did the same.

Rudy even gave him a way in, looking towards him when a woman asked about a book in her hand which Rudy knew Miles had been singing praises just four days ago. He didn't take and instead Rudy turned back to the woman who was giving him an unimpressed look before he tried remembering what Miles had said about it and reciting it to her.

It was then Miles actually looked at him, eyes slightly wide and surprised for some reason.

"What?" Rudy snapped at him. He blinked and flushed.

"It's just that you- uh, never mind."

Silence.

Rudy started tapping on the wood of the counter, avoiding the eyes of Kelly who had been glaring at him all day since he got it.

"Thank you."

It was a sound barely above a whisper but like the night, the book store (save for that regular creepy guy in the corner) was dead and Rudy caught it.

He knew it was for taking him home. it was no big deal, it wasn't like he just leave him in the bar on his own, wasted out of his own body.

He wouldn't even do that to Kelly. (She who was now attempting to throw pens at him which he was gracefully ignoring, even when he was almost hit in the eye.)

"He's my uncle," Miles started up, looking at him and looking away." My Uncle Archie. I live with him."

Nephew.

Rudy could now rest easy knowing that his boss wasn't a complete sicko. Just enjoyed giving them all over time and making their lives a mystery and not using Miles' butt against his will. Not that he cared. It would just creep him out knowing... Or not knowing.

So he nodded and tried not to snort knowing that his boss' name was Archie Archer.

"I'm also really sorry- I don't remember much but I know that was...uh... Yeah."

"Totally wasted," Rudy supplied with a smile, or as much as he could smile but it probably turned out more as a grimace than anything else. Even so it didn't seem to fazed Miles who blushed an grinned a little before getting a customer.

It was easier after that. Miles' smile was back and flashed at customers, although not a bright as last friday but it seemed it was more somehow. Just more. He was even flashing them at Rudy which always made him hesitate a bit, just sort of looking at him wondering what sort of expression to put back but always ended up turning away.

At the end of Rudy's shift Miles even turns to say bye which startles Rudy quite frankly and nods numbly at him, ignoring Kelly's cackling behind a bookshelf.

He picks up the next Dresden Files book before he goes because as it turns out Rosie didn't follow the series and doesn't even so much as look at Miles because Rudy just knows he is looking at him.

A/N: I thought I'd give y'all this before I start hell tomorrow aka school. Please pray for me