Authors note:
Oof slightly angsty lol,,, ah well.
Like always, comments and votes are really appreciated! Let me know if you see any grammar/spelling mistakes and I'll change them.
Enjoy! :)
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One month later
The two of them had carried on driving around and staying in various inns and hotels. They'd hit a few more stores and were pretty loaded on cash now, too.
Although, they'd really only been living off of takeout food and fast food restaurants for the past couple months, and Sam finally decided to speak up about it.
"We should buy some ingredients and cook for ourselves"
They were currently in the car and driving through a random town (they had passed through tons and stayed at a couple). There were various road signs pointing to a large shopping centre up ahead.
"But I wanted to get Nando's tonight" Noah whined, coming to a stop at a red light and looking across at Sam, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.
"We've had Nando's three times this week" Sam deadpanned, looking at him with an 'are you serious' expression.
Noah sighed a long sigh, starting to drive again after the light changed.
"Fine, we can 'cook for ourselves'" He took a hand off the steering wheel to air quote Sam's earlier statement.
Sam sat back in his seat smugly, putting his feet up on the dashboard.
"You're too kind."
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They found a (huge) shopping centre and shopped for some summer clothes first, seeing as it was starting to heat up and most their clothes consisted of jeans and hoodies.
Then they found a grocery store and began to look around.
"So what are we making then, chef?" Noah asked, shifting a couple of the bags he was carrying in his arms (Sam had dumped them all on him).
"Well... it's Sunday! Let's make a roast" he shrugged, then grabbed a basket and walked to the vegetables.
"Sounds good" Noah replied, following.
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They had split up in order to get more ingredients faster, and Noah was on the way back to Sam with some food in his arms. He stopped, however, when he noticed Sam staring intently at something.
"What's up?" He dumped the food in the basket Sam was holding and followed his line of sight, which landed on a couple and their young daughter.
Noah turned his head back to face Sam, confused.
"Sam, what?"
Sam shook his head and looked away from the family. Then looked back at them again and frowned.
"I-nothing..just.."
Sam was clearly distressed about something, but couldn't get it out. Noah stepped in front of him (breaking his view of the couple) and rested a hand on his shoulder.
"Did they say something to you?" Noah asked, anger seeping in at the thought.
Sam shook his head and rubbed his eyes with shaking hands.
"No! No..no"
"Then what? Spill"
Sam took a deep, shaky breath and looked past Noah and at the group behind him again.
"I think... I think that's my dad"
"Wait, what" Noah turned round and looked at them. The man seemed to fit Sam's description of his dad (which he had told Noah back in their cell). Black (slightly greying) hair, tan, green eyes from the looks of it. Noah turned back to Sam who was still wide eyed.
Sam turned and walked away. Noah followed quickly.
"What do you wanna do...?" He asked, clearly concerned. Sam shook his head.
"Nothing. He left me, why should I make an effort?" Sam scoffed, grabbing random packets of food off shelves and shoving them in the basket angrily. He stopped walking and looked up at Noah.
"Besides. It might not even be him"
Noah didn't want to push it any further and just followed. Sam stormed off ahead, looking down at his feet and turning the corner onto another aisle.
Noah sighed and decided to try find some sweets or something in an attempt to cheer him up.
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Sam should've been paying attention, really, and looking ahead instead of at his shoes. He was just so... he didn't know what he was feeling. Anger? Sadness? He didn't know.
All he knew was that it looked like his dad was living it up with a new young wife and a new young daughter - without him, or his mum, or Evan and Grace. If that even was his dad.
What would he be doing here? In some town in the middle of nowhere. What, was he a countryman now?
Sam decided that he wasn't going to confront him. He... he couldn't deal with it. Not while he was already missing the part of his family which actually did care about him. If he didn't get any closer to the guy he could just live out the rest of his days in blissful ignorance and think it was just some random bloke that happened to look like his dad.
He sighed and carried on walking, not paying attention to anything. That was when he bumped into someone.
"Sorr-" he began, only for the apology to die on his lips.
He had bumped into the woman that was with his (supposed) dad.
"What, cat got your tongue?" She glared at him, flipping her long brunette hair over a tanned shoulder.
"No..?" Sam got out, surprised at her aggressiveness.
She shoved past him, trailing after her daughter.
"Then watch it next time" she snarled.
That was when the guy emerged from another isle, seemingly hearing his wife scolding Sam.
"This kid botherin' you, Mars?"
Sam turned to him and felt his breathing stop for a second. It was him. There was no way in hell that wasn't his dad.
His dad walked up to him, attempting to appear intimidating (although he only had a few inches on Sam).
Well, he obviously didn't recognise him.
"D-dad..?" He tried. He watched his dad's face for any slip of recognition. Sam honestly didn't know why he hadn't bolted it already, because really, what did he expect, an apology?
His dad's eyes widened ever so slightly, before he frowned again.
"What the fuck are you talkin about?"
Sam was trying his best to not start bawling right then and there. He took a step forward.
"It's me, Sam. Your son. The one you abandoned twelve years ago"
He knew his dad recognised him. He could see the shock in his eyes and the slight shake of his head. However, he wasn't met with the heartwarming hug he'd always hoped for when he was younger, he was met with something else.
"I don't have a son" his dad sneered, then turned around to join his wife, and that was that. Sam turned and bumped into another chest, although this one was a lot taller and a lot more familiar.
Noah grinned and lifted up a packet of jelly babies, shaking them.
"Got you some comfort foo-d.."
His grin dropped when he noticed who else was standing in the aisle.
He leant down and asked Sam what was going on. Sam told him everything that had happened in the past five minutes, and Noah scowled.
He stood back up, and made his way over to Sam's dad.
He grabbed his shoulder and spun him round, causing the woman to gasp.
"The fuck is your problem?"
The man shoved against him, scoffing.
"Could ask you the same thing"
The guy rolled his eyes and looked behind Noah to see Sam, then looked back to Noah.
"So you're with him, then?"
Noah stepped forward.
"Yeah, so better bloody apologise to him and start explaining yourself"
The guy crossed his arms and looked at Sam.
"Look, kid. I've said if before and I'll say it again" he sighed, clearly pissed off and wanting to leave "I don't want anything to do with you or your whore mother, so let's just pretend this little reunion never happe-"
He was shut up with a forceful punch to the jaw from Sam, who was beyond seething.
"How dare you call her that" he snapped, his fists still balled at his sides.
His dad stepped back and clutched his jaw.
"Heh" he spat a bit of blood out "at least I taught you how to throw a good punch"
"Fuck. Off." Sam spat.
He turned around and stormed off in the opposite direction, not wanting to look at him anymore.
Noah jogged after him.
"Hey-"
"Don't" Sam cut him off, leaving the basket he had earlier dropped. Noah shut his mouth and followed.
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Sam walked out of the shop and headed in the direction of their car, just wanting to be done with the whole situation.
Noah caught up with him, grabbing his hand and pulling him to a stop.
"Hey, we've still gotta buy that food-"
"There's no point" Sam's voice was wavering "hotel rooms don't even have ovens... it was a stupid idea. I'm stupid. Just forget it"
"You're not stupid, Sam. We could figure something out"
Sam snatched his hand back and crossed his arms, somewhat hugging himself.
"I said don't care anymore, we'll just go to bloody Nando's like you wanted to in the first place - I'm not even hungry anymore".
Then he turned and walked back to the car without another word, Noah standing there slightly awkwardly before sighing loudly and following.
How the hell could he fix this?
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When they got back on the road, Sam didn't say a word. He sat facing the window next to him with his chin in his palm, staring out of it.
It was a solid hour or so before Noah spoke up again, not really sure how to act in this situation.
"You...wanna talk about it?" He tried, glancing over at Sam. There were no other cars on the road so he didn't really have to pay close attention to it.
Sam shook his head, which caused Noah to frown.
"Come on Sammy, I'm worried about you"
"I'm fine, really" Sam mumbled.
"Sam-"
"I'm okay"
"Sam-"
"I just feel so dumb, alright?!" Sam snapped, "I feel so.. so stupid. For all these years I thought he still cared about me, that he would come back..." he could feel his throat tightening and he pressed the balls of his hands into his eyes to stop any tears escaping.
"But no. He's out here living it up with his new wife and his new daughter" he sniffed "and I don't even get to know why"
Noah was at a loss for words, but Sam kept going.
"That wasn't how it was suppose to go, Noah" Sam finally lifted his head out of his hands and wiped at his eyes with his sleeve "when I was younger I always planned it out in my head. I'd run up and hug him and he'd explain that he.. he was just... I don't know, but he'd apologise. He'd come back and live with us and we'd be a happy fucking family again" he took another shaky breath "he'd.. he'd come back and help out with the babies, and mum would get a rest because I could see how tired she always was. And it was his fault and...My last words to him were 'fuck off! God I'm so stupid!"
Noah pulled over on the side of the road and parked in some random field, before he leant over and pulled Sam into a hug. He was shit with words, but there's nothing a hug can't fix, right?
Sam wrapped his arms around Noah's neck and allowed himself to just let it all out, sobbing into his shoulder, while Noah rubbed his back comfortingly, whispering reassuringly to him.
After what seemed like hours, but was most likely only a few minutes, Sam pulled back and wiped at his eyes.
"Sorry" he attempted a teary grin and Noah just shook his head.
"What for. Sam, your dad's a fucking wanker if I do say so myself, and you have every right to feel this way" he gestured at his current state "and I'm here for you, alright?"
Sam nodded, then took a shaky breath.
"Alright, come on" Noah said, undoing his seatbelt and opening the door.
"What?" Sam said, beyond confused and frowning slightly.
"Follow me".
The two of them got out the car and Noah lead them out onto the field. The sun was setting now and the sky was a mix of yellows and reds.
He took Sam's hand and they walked up a hill which showed a view of miles and miles of greenery. Once they got to the edge, Noah turned to Sam and grinned.
"Okay, I saw this in some movie so I figured, why not give it a shot, yeah?"
Sam raised an eyebrow but waited for him to continue.
"Now" Noah carried on "just- scream, shout, yell, whatever. Get all your anger out, no ones here except us"
Sam narrowed his eyes up at him.
"Noah Parker, what the hell are you on about?"
Noah laughed loudly, putting his hands on his hips.
"No, really. Try it, it could help"
Sam rolled his eyes but decided fuck it. He was angry and really did wanna yell at something.
He looked out at the stretch of land, then looked back up at Noah.
"You do it too. On the count of three?"
Noah nodded and Sam counted down, then they went for it.
Sam had never really felt quite so crazy or idiotic in his life, yelling out at some random field in the middle of bloody nowhere, but Noah was right. It did help get his anger out.
The two of them shouted and cursed, Sam calling out a string of...colourful, swears aimed at his dad.
By the time they were done they were both flushed and laughing, and the sun was closer to being fully down.
"Well, that wasn't one of your worst ideas" Sam chuckled as they walked towards the car. He did feel a lot less mopey.
They got back into the car and Sam couldn't stop a small smile forming on his face.
Noah started up the car and side-eyed him.
"What?" He grinned, pulling back out onto the road.
"You" Sam laughed, tilting his head back against his seat "you and your crazy ideas"
"We wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for my crazy ideas" Noah replied, smirking.
Sam shifted in his seat to face him.
"No, I mean.." he looked away slightly, focusing on the road "I love your crazy, stupid, wild ideas. And I love you, I really do" he shook his head slightly, smile still on his face. "You'll be the death of me, Noah Parker. I've only known you, what, seven, eight months? And I've really fallen hard" he ran a hand through his hair, looking back at Noah.
"What's with this sudden love felt speech, huh?" Noah turned to him "not that I'm complaining. You've worked your way into my heart too, Samuel Hunter" he smiled at him, before turning back to the road again.
"Okay, enough mushy love talk, we've gotta find a place to stay".
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