No Roots |Virgato|

Chapter 4: Let Me Tell You

Joel: Can you come over? We need to talk.

Chris sighed, dropping his phone onto the kitchen counter before back tracking and checking he hadn't scratched his screen. There was no scratch, but the glowing text message from Joel remained. It was 2 AM and two days after he pathetically stormed away from Joel and he had just finished his shift.

He hadn't messaged, he hadn't called, but he had thought about the younger boy nonstop. He knew he was being a child, running away from his feelings because he's a big stubborn toddler who doesn't know how to confront his demons.

"Wassup, man?" Richard chimed in, bringing two bottles of beer in and popping the caps off them against the counter seamlessly, handing one to Chris, who took it with a weak smile. "For fucks sake, have you still not spoken to the poor kid?" he scolded, putting his bottle down and sitting on the marble countertop next to Chris. Chris shook his head, too embarrassed to actually admit he was being shitty and not talking to the most precious boy out there.

"What the fuck, Chris? I told you not to hurt him," Richard shook his head before taking a long chug of his lukewarm beer.

"I know," Chris muttered before sipping his own drink. "I just - I think I've really fucked up, Richard," he confessed, furrowing his brow before chancing a glance at the younger guy.

"In what way?" Richard pried firmly, meeting the brunette's gaze.

"I think I really fucking like the kid," Chris whimpered petulantly, staring at Richard for some sort of reassurance, but instead being greeted with a breathy laugh and a shake of the other boy's head.

"Well then yeah, you have fucked up, but not because you like him," Richard retorted. "But because you won't let yourself like him," he continued. "You've always been so determined to not settle down and not like someone, but I don't fucking understand? Joel is so kind, funny, intelligent - I mean, he's the full package and you're still pushing him away!"

Chris sighed before running a hand firmly across his face, "I know Rich. I don't need a fucking lecture to know that I'm being a dick," he responded glumly, chugging his beer and setting the empty bottle down on the counter, suppressing a belch from the speed he drank it.

"Well then, sort it out, Chris. You can't run away forever - especially when you're hurting one of my best friends and he's done nothing wrong," Richard sympathizes, resting his hand on Christopher's shoulder to rotate him towards himself. "Please, dude - just go and see him and tell him how you fucking feel." Chris knew Richard was right - he knew he needed to admit his feelings but fuck, why does he find it so hard?

Chris picked up his phone, the message still glaring at him, sighing before opening it and typing a response.

Chris: Give me 15 minutes.

Joel breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that Chris had replied, throwing the textbook off his lap that he was reading through and grabbing himself another vodka and lemonade from the kitchen. He knew he's pushed Chris too far the other day, but he also knew how he actually intended the question to sound and how Chris interpreted it incorrectly. Joel wasn't as delicate a person as people made him out to be. Sure, he was easily manipulated because he would bend over backwards to help people, but he kept himself guarded in the same way as Chris did, refusing to allow people to hurt him if he could avoid it.

Joel knew that he could get over excited and say things in the moment that could scare Chris off, but all he truly wants is to help the older boy figure out who he is and what he actually wants from life. Joel knows what he wants, and so far, he's worked hard enough to get it, and that includes having Chris in his life, so he isn't going to give up after one miscommunication.