Sweeter Than Fiction | ✓

Chapter Twelve

A/N: Dedicated to EliSummers for leaving the sweetest comment last chapter :) Thanks Dude !

Chapter Twelve

Miles was quiet again.

Not as much as he had been all those months ago when he had started the job and irritated Rudy to a point of hatred, but his eyes weren't meeting Rudy's and his words were hesitant and nervous.

Now Rudy, Rudy was a wreck. He had to stop himself from staring, from the sudden need to reach out every time he got a whiff of Miles next to him or every time he made a deep sigh, or even when he took a piece of his hair and slide it behind his ear with his small, but slender, fingers. It was irritating and in all honesty, a little sad.

He missed those long rants and discussions Miles would have with himself about the latest book, movie or TV show he had came across, those mutual glances as they got some weird customer ranting at the counter or when Kelly did something like attempt to flirt with Mark or shout at a customer before Lydnsay came running after her.

Despite the negative feelings that were beginning to take sharp pains in his chest, as if he was being continuously pricked by something sharp all around the same area, Rudy was sure he's never felt so sure of something in his life. He had thought long and hard last night, on his own, before Rosie came back in, shuffling and sighing before she practically fell on Rudy and sighed more on his lap as she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a great, big hug.

They had sat in silence, the only sound being Legolas who whined from the doorway entrance, conflicted about joining in the embrace and comforting his master and staying away from the she-devil that was Rosie.

Eventually, staring at the wall and the smell of vanilla coming from Rosie made it clear. He hugged Rosie tighter, his eyes squeezed shut as he went to say it out loud before he could stop himself.

"I like him," Rudy confessed, his voice higher than it had been since he was sixteen and his voice breaking; vulnerable and uncontrollable.

Rosie sighed in relief, her breath moving the hairs on his neck,"I know you do."

They sat in silence again for a beat, and then Rosie was untangling herself and sliding into the space next to him."So... you're gay?"

Rudy pursed his lips, thinking it over but not really coming up with anything except Miles' face. He sighed. "I don't know," he said simply.

Rosie made an appreciative noise, and thumped her head back onto the sofa and turning to him."It's okay if you are, y'know. I won't love you any less. If you like him, you like him. Simple as that. Like him for him and nothing else."

Rudy smiled and leaned into her before she pushed him away affectionately."Shut up," she laughed, not meaning a word. Legolas yipped at his feet, Rudy bent over to pick him up and he licked his hand, and pawed at his chest when he was up.

"Thanks," he said to his sister as she got up from the sofa again and out of the living room, casting a bright smile as she went back to her room again for the third time that night.

So now that Rudy was aware he had these feelings for Miles. Feelings he didn't know what to do with and they hurt. They hurt now that Miles was ignoring him and he didn't know how to just... to just turn things back to the way they were. Before the happening of not happening.

Rudy had his fists clenched at his sides, wanting to say something. Anything. Rudy had never been good with words, even before he was sixteen, although that had made it worse. he cursed his quiet nature now. He couldn't speak.

Thing was, he knew Miles was trying too.

Rudy was looking at Miles now, looking at his lips more often than he should have been and saw they way Miles would turn his head sometimes and open his mouth to speak, his eyes would flutter and glance and then he would turn away again, mouth snapping shut.

And it went like that the whole day.

At the end of their shift Miles couldn't get away fast enough, shoving on his clothes and stuffing them into a bag and practically running out the store with a hasty goodbye. Rudy let his head fall, resisting the urge to punch his locker. Repeatedly.

Kelly came out from the toilets, fully dressed and makeup fully applied. She gave him a side eye as she opened her locker, rummaged around a bit. "Hey, do you have a pen I could borrow? All mine are missing." Rudy ignored her. They worked in a freaking bookstore. There was writing utensils in every freaking corner of the place. After a few beats, she sighed and rummaged in her locker a bit more before swinging her head around and spotting one on the floor. Picking it up, she wrote something on her hand before flinfing the pen in her locker and looking at Rudy again.

"What's up, Buttercup?"

Rudy ignored her again. He didn't need her nose poking into his business like she always did.

"You and Miles had a little falling out? it's weird to see you not talking," she tried again, trying to bait him. When she got nothing Kelly frowned and glared at him."Don't you dare ignore me, Sampson. C'mon, tell me. Don't close up."

Rudy looked at her for a moment, her brown eyes wide and sincere, before he turned away. He closed his locker, narrowing his eyes. "I can't. No."

It's not that he was totally adamant to telling Kelly,even if she was a nosy, irritating bitch, but he had just told Rosie the night before, he wasn't ready to confess his feeling out loud again.

Surprisingly, Kelly just smiled at Rudy and reached to pat his head but found out quickly she couldn't reach that far so settled for his shoulder instead. "It's okay, big guy. Just know that I'm here whenever you want to talk."she rubbed his shoulder a little."It's okay," she said again, her voice full of assurance.

But Rudy wasn't sure that it was.