I found myself walking to the same store the next morning. I figured that he wouldn't be working morning shifts if he just worked the night before. I did a quick sweep around and inside the dumpster before I decided it was worth looking in. I jumped in with only a little effort and started sifting. It must have taken me three minutes before I noticed anything different.
There was more food here than normal. One bag had a bunch of cans and another had plastic silverware and coffee. Coffee! Coffee would make anyone in a better mood I felt it instantly make me grin. I hurried and unbuckled one of the heavier bags and started filling it up.
A slam echoed in the alley. I held my breath in hopes that I was just imagining things. Three seconds later eyes peered over the edge and crinkled up like they were smiling at me. I sighed and stood up.
"Well if it isn't DR. I thought for sure I scared you off last night."
I shrugged and smirked at him.
"Takes more than that to run me off for good."
TDS smiled at me, grinning like he found a gold mine.
"You're great. Listen, I'd take you for a cup of coffee but I'm afraid the stench would kick us out before we ever walked in."
"I don't drink coffee."
TDS frowned a little at that.
"Tea then."
"I don't drink."
He glared at me.
"How do you stay hydrated?"
"Sarcasm."
He blinked before he smiled at me again. I tried focusing on the fact that he was a jerk, ignoring his attractiveness unsuccessfully.
"Nice. Are you sure I can't buy you a coffee or something?"
I glared at him.
"I don't need your charity, dude."
He stared at me, his eyebrows crinkling in confusion.
"It's not charity when you're interested in someone."
I stared at him and, though I tried to fight valiantly, felt a blush heat my face.
"I don't have time to. It sounds nice and thank you, but I really don't have time."
He nodded, as if that was a perfectly sound explanation and had more details in it.
"That's fine. Maybe some other time? Or could you do it now and I promise that more food will be out here sooner?"
I couldn't help if just staring at him made me look and feel like an idiot. Kindness, besides the friends at the park, was not something I'd become accustomed to. Especially before I found the park, when I was living with- them it was different.
"Alright. Where should I meet you?"
An hour later I found myself sitting across from TDS with a cup of green tea in my hand and staring awkwardly down at it, waiting for him to talk.
"My name is Cole. Short for Coleridge."
"My name is Byron. Short for Byron."
He laughed a little at that and I felt some of the tension vanish.
"I knew someone named Byron when I was younger. Lived next door. He disappeared when we were 14 or 15."
I took a deep breath and exhaled. Sipping my tea, which was still hot, I grimaced.
"Really? What are the odds of that?"
He looked at me, continuing to do so as he sipped his coffee. He took a deep breath before he started talking again.
"'For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,
And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed;
And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill,
And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!'"
I felt the tears gather in my eyes and looked down at my tea once more. I blinked my eyes and looked up at him. I breathed deeply.
"Really?"
He reached out for my hand and, without thinking, I gave it to him.
"They're gone, By. I tried to find you after, but I thought you'd gone out of state or something. I couldn't find you. It was couple of years ago. You should go to their lawyer and claim their assets, whatever the bank hasn't sold yet to cover the bills. I- I missed you, Byron."
I smiled sadly at him.
"I missed you too. Believe me I did but I had to leave."
He smiled sadly at me.
"I know. Was it better?"
I nodded my head and took my hand back to grip my cup.
"I didn't think I'd find you again. You looked familiar but I didn't want to hope. For all I knew Cole, you'd finally married Valerie and ran off to college together or something. I met people or rather, they found me and it's been good."
Cole took a deep breath.
"I want to help."
"No. I can't let you-"
"I want to Byron and you can't stop me. Whatever I have to do to keep you in my life now, I'll do it."
I couldn't help but smile at him. I missed him so much. I laughed a little, in relief and happiness.
A little later, watching a movie and laying on his sofa, my head in his lap, I looked up at him and smiled softly. Gripping his hand tightly and looking into his eyes I recited softly, remembering as I did so about how long ago we battled with words of others.
"'I told her how he pined: and ah!
The deep, the low, the pleading tone
With which I sang another's love,
Interpreted my own.'"
And he leaned down to kiss me, like I had hoped in most of my teenage fantasies he would. In the end, he did save me like I wished he had from the start.
A/N: I know this was slightly confusing, I'm sorry. Bryon grew up in an abusive household and Cole and Bryon were best friends when they were younger. Basically, By ran away after a particularly bad night. The people who live in the park are homeless and they saved Byron that night.
Cole is letting Bryon know that his parents passed away and he has their things for him from their will.
LGBT short story challenge for 2014- RaeKitano
Prompts for this challenge were -
Start story with - When I first saw him\/her
Include an insult
Include a surprise
Include a poem
Poem 1: Stanza #3 from "The Destruction of Sennacherib" by Lord Byron
Poem 2: Stanza #9 from "Love" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Sell By: Poem
Start from the beginning
