you and i

5

"How much do you have?"

"6"

"And when did you get your last one done?"

"3 months ago,"

"And have you considered getting any more?"

Now, this is when Angelo stopped walking. He felt like he was being put into a therapy session.

Everything he said was being decoded into Elliot's mind and Angelo hated that. It was like his words were being taken from him as he learned more and more about him.

"Why are you asking me that?"

"Because I-"

"No" Angelo stood in front of him stopping him from moving any further.

"When I asked for your help, I meant for you to explain to me how you managed to say the things you did to me back at the cemetery. But right now, I am being profiled by you and I never asked for you to do that and I certainly do not want you to"

Frustration has started building inside of him as words started rolling off his tongue.

"If you are here to try and figure me out it's not going to happen. So, stop it with the integration and help me like you said you will"

He spoke through gritted teeth and balled-up fits. He couldn't help but suspect that Elliot was one of those people who like to barge into one's life, only to use it to their advantage. But he wasn't going to let anything like that happen to him like before.

All he really wants is Elliot to help him, but it seemed like he wasn't doing what he promised.

Elliot nodded before looking up to meet his gaze.

"Could you say that we have taken a path that we never have before?"

Angelo looked at him like he has said the most obvious thing he has ever heard and felt annoyed that he was ignoring the things he has said previously. He was about to give a sarcastic remark but got cut off.

"There are so many ways to get to the place that you want to go to; many paths, trails...and methods"

Now Angelo was slightly catching on to what he was saying.

"Remember how I told you to adhere to my methods" He watched as Angelo nodded slowly. "Well, I need you to trust that I will give you what you truly want and for that to happen, I needed to gain your trust by bringing you here and asking you many questions"

The confused look on his face made Elliot elaborate on what he has just said.

"Answer me this. Why did you tell me about your tattoos and piercings?"

"Because I knew that even if I tried to get out of it, I'd have to answer anyway"

"Then why did you give me an honest answer?" Angelo glared at him feeling frustrated since he himself didn't know the answer to that. He also felt that Elliot knew him more than he knew himself.

"Isn't it because you wanted me to know? Because you trust me enough to tell me the truth instead of making something up to hide your true self from me"

"I don't fuck trust you"

"Yes, you do. You have the moment you followed me all of the ways here. Look around, don't you notice anything?" The sign at the end of the road read Clover Street. And the house they were in front of was Elliot's.

Angelo took a double-take since he wasn't even paying enough attention to his surroundings at all until now.

"How did -'

"You followed me around on a path that you didn't even know with a stranger like me because you trusted me. You may not have been consciously aware of it yourself, but it's true, isn't it?"

There was a long pause before he spoke again as Angelo sided with the fact that he did trust Elliot, at least to some extent.

"Trust is weird like that, even I wasn't aware of myself trusting you"

"You don't trust me. No one does, so there is no way that you can"

"I trust you" Angelo scoffed thinking how ridiculous it was for someone to say that to him of all people.

"And how do you know that?"

"Because I wasn't hesitant to start a conversation with you, normally I do not speak unless I am spoken to, and I am mostly a mute at any public gatherings since I choose not to say anything. But when it comes to you, I can start talking like it is not a problem for me and I didn't notice that until after you left my house yesterday"

They looked at one another with expressions that neither of them could read. Angelo's curiosity for Elliot just seems to increase as time goes on and he couldn't quite control how he felt.

"My methods may be strange, but I will lead you to what you need the most"

"And what is it that I need?"

"Well for starters. A mutual trust"