●be mine, valentine●

chapter four

Valentine tiptoes across the small apartment when he hears the door unlock. He'd be worried if he didn't already know it was his best friend, Avery, coming over to watch Luca while he worked his night shift at the diner.

He quickened his pace, moving to undo the multiple dead bolts keeping the door nice and secure. As soon as they were removed Avery swung the door open, letting out the softest of squeals. He knows by this time of night that Luca is asleep not too far away.

"Oh my goodness, I missed you soooo much!!" Avery whispers as he flings himself onto Valentine, wrapping him up in the tightest of hugs.

"It's only been two days silly." Valentine giggles quietly but hugs back nonetheless. He makes fun but he counts down the days just like his bestie. After all, they had a really close connection.

They'd met at a tough time in both of their lives when they got roomed together in the same domestic abuse shelter. It was only four months ago but they got along quickly, either because they had shared trauma or, Valentine's favorite thing to believe, they were just meant to find each other.

They were in close quarters in the shelter, sharing a small room with only two twin size beds. Valentine was worried at first because he had Luca with him. He didn't want Avery to get mad at him for having to share the small room with a child as well. But Avery surprised Valentine when he ended up falling in love with his little one, quickly adopting him as his honorary nephew.

They both worked together to find their jobs at the diner, although Avery chose day shifts while Valentine chose nights. And they found apartment complexes right by each other so that they could help each other get through the days just a tiny bit easier.

Valentine's convinced that without Avery's help he never would have dug himself out of his depression post Christopher.

"Okay. Tell. Me. Everything." Avery squealed as loud as he could with Luca asleep so close by.

"I got the job." He whispered, a wide grinning spreading across his face as a blush arose.

"Well, duh. I knew you would. But what happened? Where is it? How're the people? Are they nice to you? Because if they're not I swear..." Valentine shook his head as he let out a small sigh, this was gonna take a while. 

-

"He did what?" Avery practically seethed as Valentine finished telling the story of the eventful day.

"He slammed the door, Avie, I already told you." His best friend still looked back at him gobsmacked.

"Who the hell does this guy think he is?"

Valentine almost whimpered as he muttered, "Both of them are my bosses." He could feel the anxiety squeezing in his chest. It wasn't even his first day today and he'd already messed up. "They didn't do anything wrong, I was the one watching them. They probably think I'm such a freak." He felt a tear roll down his cheek as the event replayed. It hadn't been that big of a deal earlier today because he had Luca to distract him but now that he thought about it he couldn't make it go away.

"Oh, babes." Avery leans forward, giving Valentine the biggest, most comforting hug he could muster up. "I love you so much, you know that?" Valentine nods, wiping at his eyes in an attempt to look a little less pathetic. "Yes, that's really embarrassing but it's gonna be okay. I'm sure they'll completely forget by Monday."

Valentine didn't say anything, he just leaned further into the hug and let himself relax, if just for a second.

"Were they hot?" Avery asks out of nowhere a moment later, making Valentine burst into a fit of giggles. He smiled, Avery always knew how to calm him down.