High [Boy X Boy]

5 - The Band Shirt Covers The Tears

(Song Recommendation: None.)

"I know what you're doing, Rookie." Vulture crossed his arms after Link had suggested a few stores that he had heard of. "... H-Huh?" Link tilted his head, anxious and confused. "... You're just mentioning cheap stores and knowing you, we'll go somewhere and you'll pick out cheap clothes."

"I-I'm sorry-" "What have I told you about apologising?"

Link's voice swiftly fled away like a breathless intake of polluted winds. "... I-I don't know what else to say." "Then don't reply at all, I couldn't care less. Come on." Vulture snapped his fingers and led Link through the large city. Link was almost running to keep up with the male in front of him. It was hard enough already considering the clothes he had been "forced" to wear were heavy and almost impossible not to trip over. He wasn't to complain about style but more to the fact about how uncomfortable he felt wearing a large pair of dark blue jeans in general that he had to hold up and an oversized red shirt with lots of graphic designs printed over the front and back. "What size shoe are you?" Vulture asked, turning to Link after the two had been walking for about ten minutes. "... I-I don't know."

Vulture rolled his eyes and grabbed Link's wrist to pull him into a random shoe store. The store felt like a ghost town due to nobody being in it which surprised Link due to how populated New York's streets were on a day like this. "Just look around and tell me if you find a pair that you like. I'm going to get something to measure your feet with." Vulture nudged Link's shoulder and walked off. Link barely hummed a reply as he turned to the wide variety of boxes of shoes. They all came in a variety of colours and, in Link's opinion, were quite pretty.

His fingertips barely grazed over a black pair of boots when a kind and warm voice enacted from behind him. "Are you okay there, sir?" Link turned around quickly, holding up his jeans. "... A-Ah... I am, t-thanks... Just... L-Looking around and stuff." He used his free hand to scratch the back of his neck as he forced to grin the weakest of smiles.

The sudden social interaction had frightened him but stood before him was a tall female with long wavy brown hair and bright blue eyes. She seemed kind and friendly but Link had some sort of feeling about humanity and the fact that he wanted nothing to do with it.

Then what made him feel so safe about living with Vulture and so unsafe talking to a kind store clerk?

"I see. If you'd like any help then feel free to call me over. My name is Jane." The clerk smiled and tapped her badge before walking away.

Link turned back to the pair of shoes he had been keeping an eye on. He picked up one of the shoes and held it with both of his hands. He ran his fingers over the smooth leather of the shoe, enjoying the wonderful and calming feeling of it. As he hooked his finger under the bright yellow laces, a hand squeezed his waist. Link almost dropped the shoe as he snapped his body around again. "Do you like that pair?" Vulture asked, holding a foot measuring device in one hand and holding his other hand to his hip.

"... N-No, I was just looking at it..." Link put the shoe back to pull up his jeans again and untuck his shirt. "... Right. Measure your feet, I'm going to look at a few pairs of shoes... Might get a pair for me." Vulture handed the plastic device to Link and walked away.

Link anxiously sat down on a sofa and pulled up the long jeans to reveal his dirty bare feet. His heels were bleeding from the rocks he had stood on and too much dirt had built up between his toes. He was going to grab a pair of socks before leaving but Vulture had come into the room so quickly and dragged him out that he didn't have the time.

He pressed his foot to the device and pulled down that weird blue "lever."

Six.

"... Is that small...?" Link pulled his foot away nervously, picking up the device to leave it beside him as Vulture approached him once again.