Chapter Five

After Miles' cheesy ass soulmate meeting of fate that had played out so well that Rudy could have probably found the exact same story line hidden in one of the cases or sleeves on Rosie's DVD and bookshelf the kid had been insufferingly happy.

And he was actually smiling at customers and talking at a normal human octave without any mumbling. It was as if aliens had just zapped up the mumbling emo kid he had worked with for the past few months and replaced him with a new and improved model.

Rudy was just pissed that it hadn't been him that was sucked up from this hell hole instead.

Now it was only he getting glares from Lyndsey as if to say "why can't you be more like him."

And it wasn't just that but apparently the kid was some sort of bookworm. Like he actually liked to read. Every customer that came up with a book he would comment on, telling them how great it was and they were going to just love it.

So apparently fated meetings had transformed him and had helped him find some hidden confidence that was making Rudy seriously twitchy. And even though the kid was talking and smiling, he was still basically ignoring Rudy's existence.

Rudy was pissed. And he remained that way for the rest of the day; both of them did.

When the shop was finally on lock up at five Kelly came bouncing out from the cookery book corner and over to them and telling them to hurry up and the last one out was buying the first round. Rudy didn't have to be told twice.

He quickly moved to the back were the lockers were as shucked out of his work clothes and shoved on a gray, fade t-shirt, a pair of tight fitting turn up jeans and his trusty demin jacket.

He made a show of ignoring Mr.Happy beside him, doing the same and putting on a shirt that he knew for a fact Rosie owned then a hideous green cardigan.

Without waiting in him, Rudy left through the back door and found Kelly, Mark and Greg already outside.

Rudy felt the dramatic change if temperature seep through his skin and curl around his neck and out of his mouth.

"Where's Miles?" Kelly asked while swiping a cigarette out of Mark's pack and taking a pink, glittery lighter out of her green parka. Rudy gave a careless shrug to which earned him a narrowed look from Kelly as she took a draw before she let go with a sigh, smoke curling up into the fading light of the sky and passing it over to Rudy who did the same.

Kelly and Rudy had managed to smoke half of it when Miles and Denise popped out together. The kid was still smiling.

The small group started to make their way to their usual Friday night bar, knowing that they'd meet other shift workers there as always.

In all honestly it had been the only thing Rudy had been reluctant to do when he started working at the bookshop. He hated people so naturally he hated everyone he had worked with. Kelly had lured him in with the promise of free beer (now it just seemed he was the one doing the rounds). Now he tolerated everyone a little bit more. Except for Kelly. He still hated her.

"Shit," Mark hissed when they arrived," the bouncers are checking ID."

The bouncers were in fact crossing their bulging, intimidating arms squeezed into tight black shirts and staring down at those that failed to identify themselves.

Rudy didn't see the big deal, he was nearing twenty now and he knew that everyone else was near enough the same. And then he remembered.

He looked round at the kid who was trailing at the back and hadn't been contributing much in anyway seeing as he had just been tapping into his phone for most of the walk with this stupid from on his face.

However, he must've felt eyes in him for the kid looked up that moment, big green eyes illuminated by the light of his phone.

"He's not getting in," Mark sighed.

"What are you talking about? Of course he's-" Kelly tried to argue.

"He'd be lucky if he was even allowed in a big kid play area, he looks likes freaking toddler!"

Rudy rolled his eyes and watched in amusement as his co-workers bickered about what to do. He heard the kid sigh and shuffle and then a harsh zipping sound and Rudy couldn't help but glance at him to see him rummaging about a ratty bagpack from his shoulders.

His tongue was sticking out in concentration as he dwelled deeper into the bag, his whole arm eaten until he smiled slightly as stopped altogether to pull out an even rattier looking wallet.

"He's eighteen, you stupid cabbage!"Kelly raised at Mark, hitting him hard on the shoulder just as Miles whipped out a Young Scots card.

Rudy blinked, and blinked again.

Eighteen. He had been so sure the kid was younger than that. He looked way too young to even be able to be out of school, but then it was logical with him working full-time at the bookstore and all. Rudy hadn't really realised until now.

So the group all huddled through and entered the bar.

They started right away on the drinks, even before meeting up with the rest. He and Mark ordered a pint of beer, Denise a vodka and coke. Kelly took two shots of straight vodka like she was in a freaking club before ordering two bottles of cider and thrust one into Miles' hands before walking over to the other side where there was seats and their other coworkers were seated already.

Everyone shouted greetings at each other, slams on the back and kisses on the cheeks. Rudy even nodded at a few that he could stand more than most like Fred from Wednesdays and Samantha that took anything she could.

Miles was edged in between Kelly and Denise for most of the night and Rudy became immersed in watching people dance to the tracks played, sort of all 80's rock to dance, and he was tapping his fingers on the table to the beat and hitting his foot off the floor. He went out for a smoke a couple of times, bought a round and watched everyone take a shot each to which he took with great ease. He was even flirted with a couple of times but retreated hurriedly to the men's room whenever it occurred.

Before he knew it, it was nearing midnight and everyone was getting ready to leave.

"C'mon," Kelly slurred." J'st one more." She held up a wavering finger, her eyes glazed and her hair a riot. Miles was leaning into her not looking much better.

"No," Mark said firmly, hoisting her up and making Miles slam his whole body onto the bench without her weight to support him. Kelly started laughing and Rudy winced at the sound but smirked anyway while miles moaned in pain but made no effort to get up. "God they're both plastered."

Rudy hand his hand on his beer glass, only a small amount of amber liquid at the bottom that he was stalling to save as he leaned back on his chair.

"You got him, yeah Rudes?" He heard Mark say, going out the door with Kelly practically hanging over him because she was too gassed to even walk on her own. Rudy gave a wave before he even thought about it and when he turned back to the table he realised everyone was gone. Everyone but him and a very, very drunk Miles.

He hated everyone. He was never going on for a drink with any of them again.

Rudy sat back, chewing on his cheek as he stared at the almost lifeless body as if it would just disappear on its own and leave Rudy alone but when it didn't he sighed, downed the rest of his drink and rocked onto his feet and stepped over Miles and without saying anything started to lift him up.

~*~

The kid was surprisingly light and Rudy could easily carry him on his back without a sweat. What he was struggling with was Miles snuggling into the crook of his neck where Rudy was seriously tickly, goddammit and he kept flinching away from him and trying not to make a sound.

"You smell good," Miles suddenly announced, swinging his head back so violently Rudy almost lost hold of him. "And you have stupidly annoying hair that sticks up and stuff, annoying... Stupid." He started to patt the top of his head and Rudy started grumbling, trying to shift him to get him to stop.

Before he had left the pub with Mr. Lightweight, Rudy had gotten Miles to tell him his address through a lot of coaxing and slaps on the face which he found was only a few blocks away thanks to google maps.

"Hey! Heeeeey!" Miles called even though he was right there." Why are you always so, so grumpy, huh? And grrr." Rudy was suddenly being blinded by hands in the shape of claws, he took one hand off Miles' thighs to bat them away and back again."Why don't you like me? Why do I have to- OH MY GOSH! A DOG!"

Sure enough a woman walking a huge golden retriever and looked warily at the two but also smiling in amusement at the drunkard on Rudy's back that was scrambling and struggling trying to reach it while Rudy grunted and held his grip on tighter to prevent him flying off.

Miles yelp and whacked him." Now it's gone!" He cried, whimpering a little and hanging his head back to see it walk off.

This continued for the rest of the way, even featuring a few generic pop songs famous in the 90's. Miles had basically told Rudy everything he really didn't want to know, and reminded him of every song that he wished had never been made before his phone called out that he had arrived.

A row of old-fashioned apartments was in front of him and a poorly lit doorway with a silver tray of buttons and names to it's left.

"What's the number of your apartment, kid?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," he mumbled and then laughed at his joke, heating the side of Rudy's neck in a way that it almost made him shiver.

"No, really. I do."

"3B you grumpy loser. And I'm not a kid! I am Miles."

"Yeah sure."

Rudy pressed it, frowning. There was a faint buzz and then silence before a voice crackled through.

"Hello?"

"Hello. I've got your- eh, Miles here. Really drunk."

There was a swear and a grumble and then another buzz that signified he had been let in. It was only then he saw the name just next to the apartment number.

"Archer"