east of eden 𑁋 salvis.

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Travis spent the night at Sal's place. He didn't know why, but he did. He slept squished between Larry and Ashley on the floor of Sal's bedroom, although slept would be generous wording. As comfortable and accepting as Travis had learned Sal's home to be-when Henry wasn't around, at least-Travis had to unfortunately learn the carpet is not so comfortable.

Although Travis didn't complain of course, he was lucky he was even getting a bed for the night. When he initially snuck away from home, he figured he'd be stuck on a bench outside a 7-11, or maybe even be stuck at Lake Wendigo, leaned against a tree and attempting to sleep. He didn't think he'd be in Sal's apartment, sleeping on his floor, squished between two people who were supposed to hate him.

Really, Travis didn't think he'd even be calling Sal Sal, or thinking of him as a boy. Travis didn't know what had happened that'd caused that, really. Just, suddenly, Sal was a boy in Travis' eyes. Or pretty damn close, anyways.

When Travis woke up in the morning, it was to the smell of burning food. He was covered in a sheen of sweat, burning hot. Although that wasn't surprising, there were 10 people in a room built for one-plus a cat. And Sal's room was small, of course everyone in there was probably dying of heatstroke at this point.

Travis sits up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. It's then that he realizes that he was wearing a short sleeved shirt yesterday-which meant everyone saw the marks. The cuts. The word. Everyone saw it. Travis almost wanted to breakdown again just knowing that, but he composed himself. He couldn't be breaking down every time something went badly. He had to do as his father taught him, and persevere.

Travis slowly stood, being careful not to wake the two teens tangled around him. If he's learned one thing during this sleepover, it's that Larry fucking loves to cuddle in his sleep, for some reason. Travis tried not to question it. He didn't want to question it.

The blonde stretched once he was stood, looking over to the bed to see if Sal was still sleeping-only to learn Sal wasn't in the bedroom, apparently. Fantastic, now Travis has to go on a scavenger hunt.

So he does, figuring out the burning food smell in the kitchen is from a very drunk Henry Fisher attempting to cook. The man almost falls as he turns to wave at Travis, and Travis, too distraught about the fact Sal had to deal with that everyday, didn't wave back. He figured Henry didn't deserve a wave back anyways.

Travis searches the rest of the apartment before figuring Sal must be outside, smoking. It's the only place he'd be. So Travis slips on his shoes and a jacket-it's been getting cold recently, winter's coming-and he goes outside.

Except Sal isn't there either, not in the front or the back. Travis almost gives up the search, figuring Sal must have gone on a walk or something, until he comes across a treehouse behind the apartment building. Just looking at it gave Travis multiple feelings: one being nostalgia, he used to play in that treehouse with Larry. Almost every day, after school, Travis would go over to Larry's house to escape the wrecked "home" he had, and he'd play in the treehouse that Jim built, just for him and Larry.

The second feeling was that Sal had to be in there. No way he wouldn't be in there, he's Larry's best friend and he's nowhere to be seen, this is the last "indoor" structure left in Addison Apartments that he could be.