Boylesque (🇬🇧)

Lost in glitter

With a firm click, the main door closed behind Alec's new landlord Mr Scott, leaving him alone in the amenable silence of his new apartment.

With his main goal achieved and nothing requiring his immediate attention, Alec leaned his weight against the door behind him, a contented sigh left his throat and echoed unnaturally loud through the otherwise quiet apartment. The bag he carried slipped from his shoulder, slumping to the floor and landing next to his feet with a dull thud. Alec scanned the expanse before him, taking in his new home. His very first apartment...

A low, warm rumble bubbled deep in his chest, slowly making its way out of his throat, he chuckled to himself. He now had his very own apartment. A life of his own. Finally... He couldn't withhold the smile that spread wide across his face.

Alec stood immobile against the door for a short time, just enjoying the thought of being entirely in control of his own life, for the first time the master of his fate. There was no one here to tell him what to do or how to behave. He could stand stark naked at the window while howling his joy at the full moon in the dead of night if he wanted to. Nobody would judge him for it. Nobody would criticize him. Well, maybe his neighbours would, but they were strangers, so he shouldn't care about their opinions, should he? Okay, maybe he should start with something a little less wild as a statement of freedom, something that wouldn't make his neighbours think he was a lunatic.

Alec shook his head with amusement at his thoughts. He detached himself from the door with a huff and collected his travel bag from the floor, he crossed the room with just a few strides and tossed the bag on the sofa. Which was upholstered with some kind of washed-out grey material, a curiously odd-looking white spot on the right armrest drew Alec to lean in and take a closer look. He scrunched his nose as multiple scenarios crossed his mind. It was probably better to not imagine what it might be. Matching decorative pillows rested along the back of the sofa, giving it a fairly cosy appearance. Overall it seemed okay, although, Alec feared it might break if he were to sit down on it.

Alec opened his bag and took out the framed picture that had decorated his bedside table for the past few years. It was a photo of himself and his siblings. The picture had been taken three years ago in his parents' garden during a warm summer day. Izzy was resting against his back and beamed into the camera with a hearty laugh. She had been just about to put a pink flower in his hair. Max was trying to escape Jace's insistent teasing and was half-hiding behind Alec. The big grin on his youngest brother's face showed, however, that he had been having fun. It had been one of the days when Alec had been really happy and he silently thanked his father for capturing that moment with the camera for eternity.

Alec walked over to the bed that was half-hidden behind an aged folding wooden room dividing screen and placed the framed photo on the small side table next to his new bed, looking at the photo for a few more moments, a small smile curled his lips upward.

He wrenched himself from his reverie a few moments later. Removing the canister that contained his savings from his bag. Alec turned in a circle scanning the room for a suitable location for which to hide it. He frowned when he couldn't spot anywhere appropriate. Then his eyes landed on the bathroom door and an idea popped up in his head. He found an undamaged plastic bag in one of the cupboards in the kitchen and securely wrapped up the money box. When he was sure it was watertight, he carefully placed it in the toilet cistern.

He had barely put the lid back in place when his phone began to ring. Alec moved quickly into the living room and fished his smartphone out from the inside pocket of his leather jacket.

"Hi, Jace."

"Hey, buddy. Are you okay?"

Alec cautiously sat on the sofa, suitably surprised and flabbergasted that the old thing supported his weight. Although it creaked dangerously, it didn't break in half as he'd imagined.