Lorn lacked the energy to jerk his head up when the metallic door scraped the roof floor with a creak.
Steps approached, stopping nearby and then a soft thud. The rustling of paper bag and another thud as it was placed down by him.
Lorn finally raised his head from on top of his knees and glanced to the right at Verger, who was sitting cross legged. He snatched the bag and took the burger out of it, wasting no time in eating.
"You had the guts to come back?" Lorn murmured, his eyes that were bloodshot from lack of sleep glancing at the sunrise he's grown tired of.
"Four stages of anger: annoyed, frustrated, infuriated, hostile. Figured I'd wait 'till the last part."
Lorn took another bite, sighing in bliss as his stomach hugged it greedily. Wiping his mouth with a hand, he turned to look at Verger. He licked his teeth, opened his mouth.
"It's fine." Verger said beforehand, moving his glance from his lap to the sky. He looked mildly inconvenienced, as if his newspapers hadn't landed on the 'welcome' mat, not as if his best friend had broken his lamp and spoken shit.
"Nah, I was..." Lorn murmured, trying to avoid saying sorry. It just felt childish saying stuff like that. "It's just, I really can't deal with things that take me aback. Whether it is physical or psychical, I can't stand surprise elements. Tickle me and I'll tickle your mouth with my fist, it's just reflex."
Verger scoffed faintly. "I get it."
Lorn nodded, taking another bite. Glancing in the paper bag, he retreated a tall cup of coke and sipped from the straw. Verger took a few fries from a tiny box inside and munched on them.
Lorn observed as he did, and then grinned wickedly. "How many fries can you guys fit?"
Verger paused munching to lifelessly glance at him. "I don't know what they taught you in school, but people's jaws work the same no matter their sexual orientation."
"Fo' real?"
"Yeah not even kidding."
"Whoa." Lorn huffed, taking another bite and jerking the thing towards him in an offer. Verger glanced at the burger and bent in, taking a mouthful and chewing like a pig. "That wasn't sensual at all."
Verger rolled his eyes. "Dude seriously." he spat a couple crumbles.
"Jus' messing around, you owe me that much after leaving me here an entire night."
Verger smiled thinly.
"Did you get the lamp fixed?" Lorn asked.
The man shook his head with a sigh. "I didn't even leave the building. Went at Oasis's to return his keys and apologize for the whole deal. Then he spent the next hours explaining me his Illuminati research. Poor guy..."
Lorn hummed. "Already moving on to new friends, huh."
Verger looked at him that time, and Lorn looked back, both pairs of eyes searching each other. Verger was the first to glance away, looking at his lap.
"Would it..." he looked back at Lorn. "...be the case to?"
Lorn's eyebrows went pinched and he twisted his mouth in an uncomfortable expression. "You're asking if I'm fine with..."
"Yes."
Lorn sighed, picking at his burger. "Man... You shouldn't have said shit... You basically went 'I like dick' and then I glance down and go 'Hey look I have a dick' you know what I'm saying?"
"Well yeah but." Verger shrugged.
"You kissed me, man." Lorn took another bite of burger. "You got the hots for me don't you."
"I can admit you're attractive."
"But?"
Verger raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"There's a 'but' that should follow your statement as to assure me you don't fap to me or some shit."
"I don't fap to you. I fap to Peter Steele." (img to the right)
"Don't even care who that is."
Verger took his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it to show him the background Lorn had seen before but never thought to question.
"His eyes are photoshopped."
"Nu-uh they're that green."
Lorn shrugged, nose scrunched up. Turning to his burger, he finished it and threw the wrapper in the bag. Then, he took the coke and sipped from it.
"Well?"
Lorn looked at him from the corner of his eyes, an eyebrow raised.
"Are we cool." Verger deadpanned.
Lorn let go of the straw and pinched it. Moving it up and down, he observed the funny noise it made. "Of course, I told you already."
"Told me what?"
The straw's motion intensified. "You know... what I said after punching you twice that night."
"Well why won't you say it now. I mean it wouldn't be gayer than jacking off a cup of coke."
Lorn gawked at what he was going and laughed, then threw the cup hard enough to get it over the edge, a good few meters away.
"The scenery is too sappy." Lorn murmured, looking at him. Verger glanced back lazily. "All right fine: you know I love you, I wouldn't ditch you because of this... I just need some time to get used to it."
Verger finally smiled, a cheeky grin that reached his eyes. "Good." he rubbed his upper arms.
Lorn nodded, glancing at the goose bumps on his skin.
"I'm fine." Verger assured.
"Nah I'm not cold so just..." Lorn shrugged his (Verger's) leather jacket off, throwing it on his head.
Verger pulled it over his (Lorn's) hoodie, and took the hood out to let it on the leather back. The jacket went well with it, black on burgundy.
He then observed the sleeves that reached his knuckles and the way he could easily move around.
"You loosened it up." he scoffed.
"Well I mean..." Lorn chuckled, placing an elbow on his knee and flexing his bicep, head hanging low with his long hair covering the muscle.
"You are so metal right now." Verger stated, poking at his arm.
"I really hadn't meant to go for the look..." Lorn took a few strands between two fingers and observed them. "Should I get a haircu-"
Verger screamed loudly, and then they gawked at each other as it echoed between the dark, lanky buildings and towards the sunrise.
Lorn laughed that surprised laughter of his, eyebrows curved and mouth wide. "Dude!"
"I'm serious we're not friends anymore if you cut your hair." Verger shook his head. "I only befriended you for it. You suck as a person."
Lorn squinted, his smile straight. Tilting his head, he took a short breath.
"Hey Verger?"
"What."
"Drink an egg."
<><><><><><><>
"That looks so damn miserable." Lorn commented.
Verger was making a show of being devastated by dragging the lamp along by its cable. The poor thing slid on the concrete with sorrowful scrapes, two at a time to match the steps Verger took.
Verger looked at him from underneath his pinched eyebrows, remaining silent. Lorn had to laugh and felt the urge to poke his cheek, but instead swatted his head.
"Cheer up. Here." he took hold of the cable as well. "We're happily walking our lamp."
Verger laughed in a high pitched voice, glancing back and then laughing again. "We must look so fucking dumb."
"Who'd see us anyway, it's..." Lorn rubbed his face and glanced around. "Like, ten in the morning."
Verger grinned, swinging their arms and placing his other one in the pocket of his jacket. His eyes widened, and he glanced down upon retreating a lollipop.
"Oh really." he flailed it.
"When I bought the Mexicorn they didn't have change so they gave me that." Lorn justified. "You can have it."
"Why, 'cause you're straight and I ain't?"
"Yeah actually." Lorn rolled his eyes.
"Hah. Let's post it." Verger suggested. Around there they'd use the word 'post' when sharing cigarettes.
"Sure." Lorn chuckled.
Verger let go of the cable to unwrap the lollipop and then grinned sheepishly, glancing at Lorn. Leaning on a hip, he raised a finger and started jerking his shoulders.
"Sucking too hard on your lollipop oh love's gonna get you down!" he sang. (song to the side: Mika-lollipop. sorry)
"No fucking way." Lorn laughed wholeheartedly, glancing away.
"Say love, say love, oh love's gonna get you down!" Verger wiggled his fingers down his chest.
"I'm serious don't!" Lorn hid his face.
Verger moved ahead of him and walked backwards. "I went walking with my mamma one day, when she warned me what people say. Live your life until love is found, 'cause love's gonna get you down!"
"Why do you know that stuff!" Lorn wailed over the singing, wiping at an eye. "Stop!"
Verger wiggled his tongue over the lollipop then pointed it at him. "Sing with me. Come on, you have it in you."
"You're tired Verger just give me that..." Lorn tentatively reached for the candy, but Verger placed it in his mouth.
"Sing with me and I'll stop manifesting my inner flamboyance."
Lorn raised his hands, tugging the lamp closer. Sighing his hair out of his face, he shrugged and extended his arms. "Sucking to hard... on your lollipop-"
"Oh love's gonna get you down! Come on!"
"Sucking too hard on your lollipop oh love's gonna get you down!" Lorn yelled along with Verger, jerking the lamp around so that it'd join the dance party. Dance, more like wiggle of shoulders and hips and all that gay stuff.
And then he watched in awe as a shoe hit Verger square in the head.
The man gawked up, taking his lollipop out.
"Go home you faggots- the fuck, is that a lamp?!" a man screeched.
"You gonna do something about it huh?" Verger dared. "It just wants to integrate you prick!" his voice echoed yet again, and several more lights went on.
"What... what are you on?" the man asked curiously, scratching his beard. "Sounds fun..."
"Lollipop." Verger swayed the thing, then passed it to Lorn.
"Caramel flavored." Lorn added after taking a lick. "Hey you want your shoe back or..."
"Fuck that." the man groaned, retreating and closing the window.
Verger snickered, taking hold of the cable and walking along Lorn.
"Well that's something I'll bang my head against a wall to forget." Lorn murmured around the lollipop.
A couple steps later and they started humming the song.
--------
"I would like to plead for child custody." Lorn deadpanned once they reached the spot they first met in. From there, they'd have to go separate ways.
"Excuse, you?" Verger raised his eyebrows. "Your threw our lamp off a ten storey building, Lorn." he nodded. "You think the court will appreciate that?"
"I have connections." Lorn slurred sleepily.
Verger gasped. "You sly bastard." he jerked the cable out of his hand and let it fall down. "Let's settle this like men."
"You wanna do this?" Lorn positioned himself. Truth be told, he'd like to get the lamp and take it to an engineer friend of his to fix it up, but it'd have to be a surprise- because he hadn't done enough gay shit until now.
"Yeah bro." Verger jumped slowly, barely standing on his legs as it was.
Lorn scoffed, head dangling down. Verger took the opportunity and bent into him, getting a punch in his stomach.
The man gripped the spot and laughed, then jumped on Verger, an arm hooked around his neck as he started rubbing his cheek with his knuckles.
"Really what I am your younger sister?!" Verger grumbled, elbowing his chest.
"You'd like me rough?"
"Yes please."
--------
"Get well!" Lorn sighed after him, watching Verger sorrily drag his legs after him as he went. The man waved a hand, then used it to prop himself on the streetball court fence.
Lorn chuckled and walked away, lamp trailing behind him. By then its shade got crumpled like a big ball of tissue and its steel body that had bent from being thrown over the roof was scraped and the black was wearing off.
Rounding the last rusty metal garage of the row, he took a right and went for the entrance to his apartment complex but stopped on his tracks.
His dealer, Valentin, was there with two guys standing further away. One of them had a tall Mohawk, piercing and tattoos, and the other had a long face with even longer hair and matching style. They were smoking and chatting, but upon noticing Lorn they straightened up, as did Valentin from the stairs he'd been sitting on.
"Hi." Lorn greeted, moving the cable to his left hand to shake Valentin's. "My friend said you came in and helped me out back at the streetfight, thanks for that..."
"Don't mention it." the man said, grinning with the corner of mouth that didn't have a cigarette pinned there. His fish blue eyes moved to the lamp on the ground. "Care to introduce us?"
Lorn laughed, jerking the lamp closer. "It's ah... a long story."
Valentin nodded, then the grin was wiped off his face. "You know why I'm here."
Lorn's lips went thin and he fumbled with the plug. "You saw what happened, man. I didn't get money..."
"Look, we're not friends when it comes to this." he waved two hands. "I broke that rule by giving you the stuff without charging. And that's because you said you'd win the fight for sure."
"I was sure, the guy wears a skirt for fuck's sake, it was just that one moment-"
"It's called a kilt and I know, I was there but Lorn." Valentin moved a hand from the pocket of his long leather coat. "See these?" he pointed to the rings. "I hope you like them because it's the sight you'll see every damn morning in the mirror, imprinted on your face."
"Valentin..."
"I need the money!" the man snapped, then sighed, glancing down and twisting a certain ring. Black, with a silver cross on it. He looked up with a faint smile. "It's my boyfriend's birthday tomorrow, you know. I'd like to get him his first camera, he likes photography."
"That's great, man." Lorn frowned. "So you and Nigel are doing fine..."
"Yes." Valentin grinned. "I love him. And that's why, even if I have to kill you and sell your organs via black market to get him that present, I will do it."
Lorn sighed through his nose. Everything he's grown thinking about homosexuals (bisexual in Valentin's case) just kept being denied. Why couldn't they be the flamboyant dildos they were on TV instead of kleptomaniac weirdos or Satanic drug dealers?
"I'll have them whenever it is you're coming again."
"No, no, I hate Viscount Street. I'm sensible like that." Valentin glanced around. "You'll find me here." he handed Lorn a piece of paper with an address on it. "Tomorrow evening, when we're celebrating Nigel's birthday. You might as well stay for the party."
"Oh, okay." Lorn sighed, pocketing the paper. "I'm sorry for the trouble, I..."
"I understand." Valentin patted his shoulder. "Ress doesn't hold grudges either, it happens. Just make sure you get the money somehow."
Lorn nodded.
"Still, I..." Valentin extended his hands in a shrugging manner. "I have a reputation of keeping clients serious, and I just can't have anyone think I've softened."
Lorn sighed. "I... I guess it's a must... oh come on." he complained when the man took the cable from him and dragged the lamp closer before picking it up. Valentin squinted into the last drag of his cigarette before spitting it aside. He placed a leg behind him and raised the lamp.
Then he swung and hit, letting the lamp fall down along with Lorn. The man coughed into the ground, hands gripping his throbbing head while resting his forehead onto the cold cement.
"Aaah shit the light bulb broke during it hah." Valentin crouched down, moving his hair away. "Yes, that is a nasty cut. But I mean you pull it off." he patted his back.
"Just go, Valentin."
"Yes, all right. Tomorrow evening, right? Buy my boy something nice while you're at it. Like, panties, 'cause he hates them!"
"Fucking homos I swear..." Lorn sobbed.
<><><><><><><><>
Aaaah how I missed Valentin... can never quite get enough of him can we. He's from book Vices, for those who don't WORSHIP ME INTENSELY ENOUGH.