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asphaltcowgrrlTitle: Easier than Staying
Fandom: Romani Detective Original Fiction
Pairing: Andrej Zeklos/Zayne Reyes
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 873
Summary: Something goes wrong and Zayne finds himself waiting at a bus stop for his life to start over.
Author’s Note: Written for day 6 of the June challenge at 1_million_words. The day’s prompts were: at a bus stop, crimson, repeating, and massive. I think I hit all four, even if two of them are implied. Also, sorry for being so maudlin. I’m… struggling.
He sat on the bench and immediately stood again, rubbing a butt cheek with one hand. “Damn, that metal gets hot fast in June,” he grumbled. Honestly, he should have known better because he’d lived here in the desert long enough. Truth be told, his native Texas wasn’t much better.
Zayne looked at the metal bus bench again and sighed. He was tired to the marrow of his bones, but he couldn’t sit on that goddamned molten lava bus bench either.
“Ah, hell,” he said, giving in and gingerly sitting on the edge of the bench. He could feel the ire of the late afternoon sun through his Wranglers and idly wondered if he’d have a red mark on his ass later on.
Not that he’d have anyone to look and tell him, not after the blowout he’d had with, well, everyone he cared about, half an hour earlier. How was it that he could suck at everything in life except alienating everyone he’d ever loved?
“Fuck,” he grumbled, his hands dropping to his knees, his head hanging low.
He knew the answer to that question – he was a world class screwup. Heaven only knew, he’d been told often enough. His brother, his partners, his ex-girlfriends. It was even possible that that cute little stray cat Zek cared for thought that about him as well.
The sky was turning all shades of gorgeous as the sun started to set on the most miserable day of his life. The streaks of crimson were likely the same shade of his face currently, after trudging two miles in the triple digit temps. God, he hated summer sometimes.
A squeal of brakes filled the air, letting Zayne know that the CAT bus had arrived. He glanced up and frowned at its newer, sleeker appearance. Weirdly, he missed the old teal and magenta colors they flew once upon a time. Now, they were as dull and drab as his heart and somehow, he found that fitting. Standing, he climbed the steps and shoved the two dollar fare into the box. Making his way to the first empty seat, he collapsed and closed his eyes.
Ten minutes later, the bus stopped abruptly, but he kept his eyes closed, head back against the seat. It didn’t concern him, whatever was happening. Hell, as far as he was concerned, they could be hijacked, busjacked?, and he couldn’t care less. Just as long as the culprits let him sleep. It was easier than dealing with reality.
“Zayne,” a voice said, before a hand roughly shook his shoulder. “Wake up. Acum.”
His eyes snapped open at the simple command in Romanian. “What? Why?”
“Because I am worried about you,” Andrej said. He stepped past Zayne’s knees and slid into the empty spot beside him.
The bus jerked into motion again and Zayne sighed. “Why are you riding on the bus with me?”
“Because Trish left me at the bus stop,” he said, watching Zayne’s face. “I asked her to help me find you.”
“Why?”
“Is that all you can say,” Andrej asked. “But the answer, again, is because I am worried about you. I have never seen you give up and walk away like that.”
“Well, there was no point in staying and arguing.”
“You did not have to argue,” Andrej said, “but you could have stayed. I wish you would have stayed. Jay and Hilary and Trish felt awful after you left. They had not meant to make you run.”
“I didn’t run,” Zayne muttered, petulant and hurt by the truth.
“You could have stayed,” Andrej said again. “Next time, please don’t go.”
Shoulders slumping, Zayne nodded. “Okay, I’ll try to stick it out next time,” he said.
“Good,” Andrej said. “As much as I love Jay and as much as Hilary and Trish mean to me, you were the first.” He leaned over and rested his head on Zayne’s shoulder. “My first friend in this country. My first partner. Honestly, you were my first love, too, but I have never told anyone that before.”
The corners of Zayne’s mouth turned upwards. “I’ll never tell,” he said. And he wouldn’t because that was something no one could take away from him – from them. It was enough, even if the narco did manage to edge him out of Andrej’s life in the end, they’d always have this.
“Te iubesc,” Zayne whispered, eliciting a soft chuckle out of Andrej.
“Of all the things you could have learned, I am happy that those were your first words.”
Smiling, Zayne wrapped his arms around his best friend, his partner, his love. “I can’t think of anything else I’d rather tell you in your native tongue than how I feel about you.” He kissed Andrej’s forehead and closed his eyes again. There wasn’t much he could offer the man in his arms, Rosewood was definitely the better prospect, always had been. But what he could do was sit here and keep him close, loving him until he wasn’t able any longer. It wasn’t much, but it was the best he could offer.
“Never leave me again,” Andrej said, curling deeper into the embrace. “Promise me.”
“I promise,” Zayne said. It was one promise he’d never, ever break.
Fandom: Romani Detective Original Fiction
Pairing: Andrej Zeklos/Zayne Reyes
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 873
Summary: Something goes wrong and Zayne finds himself waiting at a bus stop for his life to start over.
Author’s Note: Written for day 6 of the June challenge at 1_million_words. The day’s prompts were: at a bus stop, crimson, repeating, and massive. I think I hit all four, even if two of them are implied. Also, sorry for being so maudlin. I’m… struggling.
He sat on the bench and immediately stood again, rubbing a butt cheek with one hand. “Damn, that metal gets hot fast in June,” he grumbled. Honestly, he should have known better because he’d lived here in the desert long enough. Truth be told, his native Texas wasn’t much better.
Zayne looked at the metal bus bench again and sighed. He was tired to the marrow of his bones, but he couldn’t sit on that goddamned molten lava bus bench either.
“Ah, hell,” he said, giving in and gingerly sitting on the edge of the bench. He could feel the ire of the late afternoon sun through his Wranglers and idly wondered if he’d have a red mark on his ass later on.
Not that he’d have anyone to look and tell him, not after the blowout he’d had with, well, everyone he cared about, half an hour earlier. How was it that he could suck at everything in life except alienating everyone he’d ever loved?
“Fuck,” he grumbled, his hands dropping to his knees, his head hanging low.
He knew the answer to that question – he was a world class screwup. Heaven only knew, he’d been told often enough. His brother, his partners, his ex-girlfriends. It was even possible that that cute little stray cat Zek cared for thought that about him as well.
The sky was turning all shades of gorgeous as the sun started to set on the most miserable day of his life. The streaks of crimson were likely the same shade of his face currently, after trudging two miles in the triple digit temps. God, he hated summer sometimes.
A squeal of brakes filled the air, letting Zayne know that the CAT bus had arrived. He glanced up and frowned at its newer, sleeker appearance. Weirdly, he missed the old teal and magenta colors they flew once upon a time. Now, they were as dull and drab as his heart and somehow, he found that fitting. Standing, he climbed the steps and shoved the two dollar fare into the box. Making his way to the first empty seat, he collapsed and closed his eyes.
Ten minutes later, the bus stopped abruptly, but he kept his eyes closed, head back against the seat. It didn’t concern him, whatever was happening. Hell, as far as he was concerned, they could be hijacked, busjacked?, and he couldn’t care less. Just as long as the culprits let him sleep. It was easier than dealing with reality.
“Zayne,” a voice said, before a hand roughly shook his shoulder. “Wake up. Acum.”
His eyes snapped open at the simple command in Romanian. “What? Why?”
“Because I am worried about you,” Andrej said. He stepped past Zayne’s knees and slid into the empty spot beside him.
The bus jerked into motion again and Zayne sighed. “Why are you riding on the bus with me?”
“Because Trish left me at the bus stop,” he said, watching Zayne’s face. “I asked her to help me find you.”
“Why?”
“Is that all you can say,” Andrej asked. “But the answer, again, is because I am worried about you. I have never seen you give up and walk away like that.”
“Well, there was no point in staying and arguing.”
“You did not have to argue,” Andrej said, “but you could have stayed. I wish you would have stayed. Jay and Hilary and Trish felt awful after you left. They had not meant to make you run.”
“I didn’t run,” Zayne muttered, petulant and hurt by the truth.
“You could have stayed,” Andrej said again. “Next time, please don’t go.”
Shoulders slumping, Zayne nodded. “Okay, I’ll try to stick it out next time,” he said.
“Good,” Andrej said. “As much as I love Jay and as much as Hilary and Trish mean to me, you were the first.” He leaned over and rested his head on Zayne’s shoulder. “My first friend in this country. My first partner. Honestly, you were my first love, too, but I have never told anyone that before.”
The corners of Zayne’s mouth turned upwards. “I’ll never tell,” he said. And he wouldn’t because that was something no one could take away from him – from them. It was enough, even if the narco did manage to edge him out of Andrej’s life in the end, they’d always have this.
“Te iubesc,” Zayne whispered, eliciting a soft chuckle out of Andrej.
“Of all the things you could have learned, I am happy that those were your first words.”
Smiling, Zayne wrapped his arms around his best friend, his partner, his love. “I can’t think of anything else I’d rather tell you in your native tongue than how I feel about you.” He kissed Andrej’s forehead and closed his eyes again. There wasn’t much he could offer the man in his arms, Rosewood was definitely the better prospect, always had been. But what he could do was sit here and keep him close, loving him until he wasn’t able any longer. It wasn’t much, but it was the best he could offer.
“Never leave me again,” Andrej said, curling deeper into the embrace. “Promise me.”
“I promise,” Zayne said. It was one promise he’d never, ever break.
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no subject
Date: 2019-06-10 10:56 pm (UTC)Sorry you're not having a good day.
*hugs*
no subject
Date: 2019-06-10 10:59 pm (UTC)Eh, it's more like a rough couple of months, but what can ya do? But thank you all the same. :)
*squishes*
no subject
Date: 2019-06-11 12:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-06-11 01:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-06-11 12:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-06-11 01:01 am (UTC)(And no, I'm not watching Lilo & Stitch either... LOL)
no subject
Date: 2019-06-11 06:43 pm (UTC)(AHAHAHA That's awesome. I haven't watched that in forever!)
no subject
Date: 2019-06-11 09:02 pm (UTC)(I love that movie! Ohana means family and family means nobody gets left behind!)
no subject
Date: 2019-06-16 01:58 am (UTC)(It's a good movie, I just haven't watched it. I'll have to see if I have it when I'm cleaning up my DVDs.)