When I first saw Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome I was knee deep in trash. Literally. I was sifting through a dumpster behind the local grocery market for food. It's a common misconception that food is old on the day the sell by date says. Most stores toss the food out. The amount of food that the U.S. throws out could stop world hunger, so there wasn't any reason for me to go hungry.
Mr. TDS was walking out trash bags to the dumpster. I didn't see him or register that anyone was there until I had bags of trash hit my head and make me fall. I stood up quickly, getting my balance in check before I looked up and saw him. His mouth fell open in shock before he closed it with a snap and glared at me.
"You know, I'm supposed to report to my manager when I see rats in the dumpster."
I could feel my spine straighten and glare back at him.
"I only see one rat here and it isn't even close to the dumpster."
TDS looked at me before he threw his head back and laughed. He rubbed at his apron before he smirked at me.
"Lucky I'm the manager then, huh? You have five minutes to get out of there before I call the cops D.R."
He was already walking back inside before my brain decided to clear and make me speak without a filter.
"What did you just call me?"
He paused before stopped and turned to look at me.
"Dumpster Rat. Three minutes."
He walked back in with a slam. I stared numbly after him for a few seconds before I got in gear. I already found a decent horde before he came out. I threw it in my bag before I hopped out of the dumpster and walked away. It was usually a thirty minute walk back home.
By the time I crawled under the fence and walked the other five minutes down the abandoned path to the clearing it was dark.
"Oi!"
Everyone paused and looked up. There was a second before everyone walked up to me and held their hands out. Everyone got something and I gave the kids extras. Usually at the end there's only a little bit left for me, but I didn't have a problem with it. I like making sure everyone in the park got some food.
At the end of the night, I ended up by a barrel with Terrance standing next to me. I sighed a little and saw him glance at me.
"What's up, By?"
"I got caught today by the manager. I'm going to have to find another place to add to my list for a while."
He nodded his head. He rubbed his hands together.
"We can always send someone else to that one for a bit. How long do you reckon it'll take for him to forget your face?"
I suddenly felt tired, older than my age.
"I don't know. We talked a bit, anger was involved. Probably a month or so? I don't want to put someone else on it. The guy gave me five minutes to get out and gone after he caught me. I'll go tomorrow and give it a chance. Maybe go at a different time or something."
Terrance nodded his head, smiled a little.
"We appreciate what you're doing for us Byron. I want you to know that."
"It's the least I can do after-. After."
He nodded his head once more and walked over to his tent. I stared after him for a second before I looked down at the fire. I sighed again and went off to sleep. Another long day tomorrow.
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