The Naughty List | MxM

-7- Deep Talks

The rest of Caleb's shift dragged on, he served customer after customer, made small talk with his colleagues, and was generally bored, all he could think of in his head was Jason, he'd be seeing him again soon, after work if he kept to his word.

Hours soon passed and Caleb clocked out, he took his coat, said goodbye to Ebony with a hug then left out the front door, he looked around expectantly hoping to see Jason nearby, however couldn't spot the blue pickup truck anywhere, he waited on the side of the road for a good 15 minutes before giving up.

Sighing Caleb set off back home feeling disappointed and shivering slightly from the cold, but suddenly he jumped hearing a loud honk from the other side of the street, a familiar blue pickup truck pulled in, Caleb smiled widely rushing across the road and hopping in.

"Thought you stood me up" Caleb joked settling into the passengers seat as Jason watched a smirk appearing on his face.

"I wouldn't do that, I may be a thief but I'm not a monster" he replied teasingly "you look good in your work uniform, it suits you" he added pulling out from the side of the street and beginning the drive back home, Caleb flushed bright red looking out the window at the icy roads and snow covered rooftops.

"Can't handle a bit of attention hm?" Jason teased looking over at Caleb for a second before turning back to the road.

"Thanks" Caleb replied flustered making the man laugh slightly, however Caleb was feeling guilty over the way their last meeting in the truck had ended "I just wanna say, sorry for bolting on you when you asked about my Dad, it.. wasn't cool of me I was being a jerk, sorry"

Jason shook his head reassuringly "It was an understandable reaction, very understandable, I wasn't hurt, if I'm gonna be honest I thought you'd want nothing to do with me after we'd finished" Jason confessed hitting the breaks abruptly as a light turned red.

"Appearing at the Café kinda put a spanner in the works for that plan" Caleb answered with a small smile, he was glad about it though, even if the things they'd done scared him a bit.

"If you need someone to talk to about your dad, or your self harm, I'm here for you Elf" Jason said uncharacteristically softly as the light turned green and he started forward again.

"I- I don't think I'm ever gonna be able to stop, not whilst I'm in that house" Caleb replied honestly, if truth be told he couldn't see himself stopping even after he got out. If he ever got out.

Jason sighed sympathetically "You're stronger than you think, I broke into your house and you managed to get me to leave without laying a finger on me, no offence but I could've easily beaten you senseless and stolen what I wanted, but you stopped me" Jason explained with look of grandeur on his face.

Caleb scoffed slightly "Yeah well, for someone who tried to rob me, you seem to have softened" he noted quietly, Jason nodded his head humming in agreement tapping the steering wheel with his fingers a couple times.

"Y-you said you used to cut?" Caleb asked quietly, worried bringing it up would make Jason angry.

"Yeah, long time ago, when I was like 15 until I was about 19, I'm 26 now. Haven't done it since 19" Jason told him stonily.

"How did you stop?" Caleb inquired fragility lacing his words and his voice shaking slightly, he wanted nothing more than to find another way to satisfy his need, but he didn't see it happening.

Jason looked at the road ahead not displaying any emotions on his face "It took a lot, I had to get stitches multiple times, even got taken in as an inpatient for a few months, but eventually things just fell into place for me. I started therapy, got a job, and a puppy" he explained with a slight smile creeping onto his face at the mention of the puppy.

"And if I can get that help, you can too Elf, don't lose hope" Jason added as they pulled up beside Caleb's house.

Caleb nodded, he'd heard that one a lot, however this time it felt different coming from a survivor, from someone who wasn't just paid to pretend to care for a few hours a day then fuck off to their mansion, Jason's words felt real.

"One more question" Caleb replied nervously, Jason nodded giving silent permission so Caleb continued "if everything fell into place for you, why did you try rob me? And Christmas presents of all things?"

Jason looked away with a heavy sigh "Vet bills, she's really sick at the moment. Got hit by a car, it was all my fault I looked away for a few seconds then... bam, she was hit" he told Caleb regret filling his eyes.

Caleb nodded understandingly "I wish I could help" He said feeling around in his pocket for any spare money, but the thought of Jayden stopped him, he had to get out that house with Jayden, he couldn't be giving away his money left, right and centre.

Looking at what he was doing Jason smiled but shook his head "You need your money, keep it Elf, I'll see you tomorrow okay? I'll come get a coffee when it looks less busy, maybe take a cake and sit in with it, maybe spill something so you have to come over and clean it?" Jason planned out with a smirk "Make you bend over to pick up something I dropped maybe?" He added seductively.

Caleb laughed opening the truck door "Leaving, leaving, going, gone" he told Jason flustered giving him a wave and shutting the truck door firmly, he then turned walking into his house with a sigh. He could hear from upstairs Jayden was playing games on his switch, and it sounded like his dad was in the kitchen drinking.

"I'm gonna regret this" Caleb whispered to himself kicking his shoes off then heading into the , his Dad was stood by the fridge, an array of beer bottles and cans were resting on the side some scattered across the floor.

Caleb reached down picking them up one at a time placing them into the recycling bin, however as he turned around he was met with an immediate blow to the face, he clutched his eye in pain as it throbbed.

"Don't be late home next time Faggot, there's a good boy, now fuck off" Mr Walters ordered shoving a bowl of cold, undercooked pasta into Caleb's hand, Caleb did as he was told snatching the bowl and rushing up the stairs into his room, he rested the bowl on his desk looking in the mirror at his face, the skin around his eye was red turning purple and blue, it looked pretty bad and would definitely look worse in the morning.

Caleb sighed looking at his reflection and slowly tracing his finger over the other bruises on his face feeling the familiar feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness entering his system.