Killing Crows

Gunshots

"Where were you?" Seth placed his bag on the hook beside the door, he pushed his glasses on his head while he rubbed his eyes. Seth looked cold, his face was red and his eyes were watering, he mumbled something in french to himself before putting his hands in his coat pockets.

"Just looking around" August mirrored Seth.

Seth's face scrunched up in a grimace or maybe it was just the cold, because the second August looked, Seth had replaced it with a joyful one; he smiled softly and had an eyebrow raised.

"What'd you see?" He pulled the coat down so it was off his shoulders, the Top buttons of his shirt were undone, the neck hole was wide and nearly half way off his left shoulder, he played with the cross that hung around his neck. August tried to keep his eyes off Seth's exposed shoulder.

"Just some pictures, who's the artist?" August tilted his head.

Seth sucked on his bottom lip looking anywhere but August's face, Seth tugged on the cross; sliding it across the chain. August watched as it slid to the left then the right. August wasn't particularly christian but he knew the bible he read it a few times with his mother, she liked to have a schedule of something to do. The older August got the more he understood why his mother hated that house. How she still loved that man even when she died was something August could never understand. A shiver ran up his spine; remembering how that house looked every Sunday after church he could still feel the sharp pricks in his feet from the floor covered with needles. He remembered how his mother would cry yelling at August to get the kit; The 'kit' was a small black bag with a needle and a small bottle of Naloxone, everytime August would run slower, prepare the needle slower and hand it to his mother. Sometimes he wanted to leave the air in the needle and watch as his father never woke up, but seeing such a distraught face on his mother broke something inside of him. Seth's voice brought him back to reality.

"I painted it. It used to be a small photo" Seth answered, placing his glasses back on his nose, chewing on the cross. He didn't sound especially proud or happy about the gorgeous paintings of his own family, then again it looked like someone else didn't really like it. Seth walked away before Augustus could ask about the various slashes cut into the pieces. August watched as Seth walked away, the coat swaying behind him.

August waited a minute before following Seth in the same direction, finding him in his room, sitting at a desk with a laptop open, he was typing away while writing notes on a piece of sage green paper. His coat was discarded on the floor, his shoulder fully exposed, Seth sat with a leg up his head tilted slightly towards it. August walked up behind Him, his copy of 'Romeo and Juliet' laid to the left of his computer a stack of colourful sticky notes sat atop it, the shelf above his desk had various books and textbooks, some of which August recognised, 'The iliad', 'Midsummer's night dream' and other William Shakespeare plays, and mythology based books, The textbooks were all literacy. August looked over Seth's head at his screen. A long piece of writing was on the screen, he guessed it was some sort of essay for his university because of the notes he was scribbling down on the green paper.

August pulled Seth's shirt over his shoulder, "you'll get cold" he whispered before grabbing a book. Seth watched him carefully as August turned a page, reading briefly through the pages, a piece of paper fell as he turnt the last page, Seth snatched it out of the air hiding it under his computer. August's eyebrows knitted together in confusion though before August could say anything about it Seth shifted, the collar of his shirt falling back off his shoulder, August ignored it this time, he placed the book back, turning and looking around the room; it was still messy and colourful, the setting sun filtering through the green curtains casting a emerald glow in the room.

"My mum will be here soon" Seth interrupted his thoughts, August turned to face the french man, he was facing August now. His skin was golden in the light, dotted with freckles, his features were particularly feminine and soft, long and lean. August noticed a tattoo that peeked out from the black button up, he tilted his head trying to figure it out. Seth caught his line of sight and unbuttoned his shirt until his left pectoral was completely bare, August felt his face heat up slightly. The tattoo was Icarus falling etched in ink into Seth's golden skin. August thought the tattoo was very appropriate for someone studying literature. Seth flustered, and began to button his shirt without saying anything.