🇪🇸 / [ 🇬🇧 ]
The screaming inside the apartment complex sounded muffled from the car, but both voices were clear enough. The redhead came outside, slamming the door, and nearly ran down the front steps to the car. He didn't even look at the boy when he got in, he just rested his forehead on his hands over the steering wheel and closed his eyes.
"Fucking bitch," he hissed after a couple seconds of awkward silence. "I hate her."
"Hey, dont—" The boy tried to put a hand on his shoulder but the redhead recoiled immediately. "... Sorry."
He sighed, barely opening his eyes. "It's just that even today..."
"I know, you don't have to tell me." He lowered his gaze. "Maybe next time I could... Come with you? When she's like this?"
"I don't want you in the middle of that," he answered bluntly.
"Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if--"
"If what? If you're standing there while we're fucking screaming at each other? What do you get out of that?"
"N-nothing. Just... maybe if I'm there she would hold back—"
"Are you even listening to me? It doesn't work like that," he snapped. "You don't have anything to do with it, if you're there she'll get even angrier cause I'm making her look bad. You don't have the slightest idea about these things, because you don't fuck everything up like I do. You could never understand."
The boy sank in his seat, embarrassed.
"But I can try," he answered after a moment, "it's the least I can do."
There was another silence. The redhead sighed deeply, without lifting his head, clearly trying to hide his tears.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, voice coarse. "I'm sorry for being such a piece of shit."
"Alan..."
"I already know her, it shouldn't affect me so much. I shouldn't be using you like this."
"I don't think you're using me." He frowned. "I came along to support you."
The redhead finally looked at him, unreadable. "Why are you like this with me?"
"Like... what?" He stared back, worried.
"Like I'm worth jackshit. Why are you always so... nice to me?" he insisted.
"Why do you still think you don't deserve it?" He smiled.
"Cause... I'm..." He shook his head, at a loss for words. "Cause nobody..." They stared at each other for a moment. The boy never changed his expression, unconformably soft. "... I guess there's some things I can't understand either." He chuckled, resigned, before leaning down to kiss him.
They were both startled when there was a knock on the window. The redhead rolled it down when he saw who it was.
"Am I interrupting something?" asked the burly youngster.
"Not at all, asshole, what do you think." Smirked the redhead.
"Um, hi Kevin." The boy waved awkwardly, and barely received a forced smile in response.
"I could hear you from two blocks away, what's up."
"Same shit as always." The redhead shrugged. "I'm the worst son in the history of the world for not picking her up from rehab today."
"Right, now tell me something I couldn't have guessed," he joked.
"You asked." He shoved him playfully. "At least this time it was just her, god knows where my step-dad is... But get in, we were about to go for a ride."
The youngster gave a gesture with his head to the boy, who immediately understood. "Oh, right," he muttered, stepping out of the car and getting into the back seat, while the newcomer replaced his post riding shotgun.
"Well, what do you guys wanna do now?" The redhead started the car.
"It's your birthday," replied the youngster while lighting a cigarette. "We should be asking you."
"Junkyard," he said plainly. "I wanna break something."
"That's the Alan I know!" he guffawed, patting him on the shoulder. "Yanny, you're paying!"
The boy rolled his eyes with a smile. "That's why I always have cash on me."
