No Roots |Virgato|

Chapter 6: Home (Epilogue)

Joel drove the two of them to Richard's bar, listening to a debating radio station throughout the journey. Joel was having a great time, making small comments in response, but Chris couldn't really keep up with the discussion the angry women were having, drifting in and out of a light sleep despite the short journey. After parking the car, the two of them arrived at the bar just in time for Christopher's 9 PM shift, Lily and Megan squealing in delight when they saw Joel.

"Oh my God, Joey!" Lily wailed, running up to the black haired boy and smothering his face in little kisses, the black haired boy giggling in response as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him tightly. "I've missed you so much," she squeaked in his ear, Joel saying he had missed her too. Chris walked over to the bar, high fiving Richard as he pulled some glasses out of the dishwasher for the evening shift. The girls continued to fuss over Joel, saying how, despite it only having been a few weeks, he looked 'so grown up' and 'like a real lawyer'.

"I guess you two have kissed and made up?" Richard chimed, smirking at Chris. "Or should I say, you've finally gotten your head out of your ass and realized Joel's a bit of a steal?" he continued to tease, jabbing Chris in the rib gently with his elbow.

"Fuck off," Chris smirked before smiling gently, "Yeah, we're just taking things steady, you know?" he followed up with, placing some pint glasses he had dried on the shelf behind the bar.

"I'm happy for you," Richard beamed, rearranging Christopher's placement of the glasses because the car has to be organized a certain way. "You two look good together," he hummed, mainly to himself but Chris heard the statement and smiled to himself. Joel walked over and sat on one end of the bar stools, the girls coming to join Richard and Chris behind the bar, Lily popping a cap off a beer and handing it to Joel as Megan skipped a song on the playlist they had on in the bar.

"So, how's work, kid?" Richard smiled at Joel, propping his elbows on the bar in interest. "You look pretty wiped out if I'm being honest," he said sympathetically, Joel nodding in response.

"It's pretty hectic at the moment because of the court case I'm on. It's some petty Wall Street thing that's gotten out of hand because big egos are involved," he chuckled, taking a sip of his beer. "It also doesn't help that Chris turns up at like, three in the morning most nights," he teased.

"That's only because you invite me!" Chris chimed up in response, holding his hands up in mock honesty, the girls giggling in response. Lily walked over and leaned against the bar with Richard, Chris, and Megan flitting to the other side of the bar to serve people.

"Are you two, like, a 'thing' then?" she asked curiously, her eyes lighting up as she awaited Joel's response.

"Um, kinda," Joel shrugged. "We're keeping it casual and stuff for a bit - see how things pan out, you know?" he continued, Lily nodding before beaming and letting out a small squeal.

"I knew it! Your faces when you walked in together said it all," she smiled, taking a sip of her vodka and lemonade, Richard nodding as though agreeing with her.

"What do you mean?" Joel questioned, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket to smoke out back.

"You're both smitten, is what she means," Richard interrupted, Lily smiling even bigger as though she could get even more excited about the two of them. "I've never seen Chris keep someone around for longer than a day, so I'd say it's looking pretty promising - even if he doesn't always show it."

Joel hummed understandingly, sipping his beer before catching Christopher's eye, the two of them smiling as the brunette finished serving and walked back over to the side of the bar Joel was sat at.

"Going for a smoke?" Chris asked the black haired boy, stuffing his hands in his pockets to find his own cigarettes. "Am I alright to pop out for one quickly?" he turned to Richard, knowing that the other man would let him. "It's still quiet anyways," he continued, Richard giving him permission, the two boys heading out back to the benched smoking area.

"The smoking area had large picnic benches sat underneath old brass lanterns, Richard's 'industrial' style décor spreading from his home into his bar. The two boys sidled next to each other on a bench that was free, other people scattered in various places on other benches.

"Joel - I really wanna say something but I'm worried it's gonna come out all wrong," Chris sighed, lighting his cigarette and taking a heavy drag. Joel turned to face Chris and crossed his legs on the bench, his loose pink blouse folding in his lap allowing him to twiddle his fingers in the soft material.

"Go for it," Joel hummed, raising his head slightly to look at Chris as his heart began to pound against his chest, his fingers fumbling with the pink material even more as his mouth went dry. Chris took a deep breath to steady his own heartrate, his fingers shaking slightly as he held his cigarette between his fingertips.

"I really like you," he mumbled before diverting his eyes to the red brick wall. "And I'm gonna stay in New York for the foreseeable future because, um - I'm - for fucks sake, I'm just... not ready to leave you yet," he finished, closing his eyes as he nervously took another deep drag of his cigarette.

"Good because I don't want you to go," Joel weakly smiled in response, reaching his hand up to rest against Christopher's cold cheek as he turned the brunette to face him. "I really like you, too, but that doesn't mean you have to run away," he continued, the older boy resting into his palm slightly as their eyes met under the twinkling fairy lights, the moment cliché beyond belief.

"I'm not running this time," Chris hummed in response, shuffling closer to the black haired boy's crossed legs. "And I'm not planning on running any time soon," he admitted, offering Joel a drag of his cigarette, seeing as the younger boy had not yet lit his own.

The two of them sat in peaceful bliss as their cards were now all on the table - nothing between them as feelings had finally been admitted. The black haired boy took the cigarette Chris had placed between his lips and crushed it into the ashtray before cupping both of the brunette's cheeks and bringing their chapped lips together.

Joel tasted like cigarettes, and so did Chris. But Joel tasted sweet, gentle, and homely, while Chris tasted like freedom and a cold winter's night. The black haired boy pulled away and rested his head against Christopher's before humming, "You're so precious, and you deserve to feel like you have a home," before opening his eyes to meet Christopher's. "Let me be that home," he finished, his hands still pressed against the older boy's cheeks.

"I think you always have been," Chris whispered, pressing his lips gently to Joel's as though he was confessing his sins, the gaze between them as the kiss broke speaking verses as they weakly smiled at one another. Chris normally builds a home and waits for someone to tear it down, packing his life up in boxes, heading for the next town running, but this time nobody was coming to tear it down, and he was no longer running.