High [Boy X Boy]

20 - Injecting Sympathy

(Song Recommendation: None.)

Link stood in the alleyway next to the hotel, his eyes on Vulture as he left the restaurant. He seemed calm with a cool expression as cold steam rushed from his lips when he exhaled another intoxicating breath. As Link pressed himself into the wall, he watched Vulture starting to approach another store. He soon left his sight, allowing Link to sigh in relief and look up at the hotel. He could see the window from his bedroom, pushed out on the metal stands.

As the light reflected from the glass and into his eyes to give him a shot of liquid blindness, he felt a tight grip on his wrists and within seconds of the harsh contact, his body was pinned to the rough brick wall.

"Under no circumstances do you ever leave without me. You could get yourself killed and out of all places you could be stood, you picked a place where you're most vulnerable! Someone could have taken you to their fuckin' base if I didn't find you first-!" Vulture shouted, attracting a little attention from those who passed by on the street next to the alleyway when his voice echoed through the abandoned darkness. With tears in eyes, Link nodded and looked down at the floor. His eyes met his dirty shoes as the memory of his right shoe, over-turned beside the cubicle toilet, appeared in his mind.

"Look, just take this and go buy some things from the corner store. I need to pick up that phone for you, whether I don't want to or not... You and I need to talk about... About what just happened." Vulture handed Link two twenty dollar notes and a ten dollar note. "I don't care about what you buy but please, make sure it's edible." Before leaving, Vulture hugged the younger male tightly and nudged his head into his neck. He felt Link writhe in his grasp, twisting and turning and trying to get away.

As Vulture pulled away, he yearned for more. The sight of Link, shaking and holding the small wad of cash left him breathless. "You'll get home before me so just use the spare key." The gang leader pushed a keycard into Link's pocket and flashed him a weak smile. Link, not able to reply with the same emotion, held the money close and trailed off to the corner shop next to the hotel. The automatic doors flung open as he approached them. He glanced back at Vulture nervously. The gang leader was stood on the street side with a cigarette in his mouth, cold and shaky hands in his pockets.

Vulture turned and looked up at Link. He smirked and waved. Link, with cheeks as red as cherry tomatoes, raced into the store and down one of the many confectionary-piled aisles. His eyes met a variety of colours, foods and sweets and snacks of all sorts that made him feel sick to his stomach. His eyes led over to the large packs of strawberries which he didn't hesitate to pick up. Link held two, the boxes shaking in his grasp from the nerves. He proceeded to put them down again. He figured Vulture might get angry if all he did was buy strawberries.

Not wanting to let the opportunity fly by, he still picked up one box before heading to the front of the store. It was full of young children who were buying electrifying blue drinks and sweet energy bars. "The red and blue one, please." A young child smiled as he pointed to a slushy machine. The store clerk complied with the child's request as Link nervously put the box of strawberries into a small shopping basket.

His face ran pale as the children eyed him and giggled at his wretched clothes and disgusting expression. "... W-What does he even like?" Link sighed and picked up a few random items and put them in the basket. He followed the ways of the junk food-filled children and tried to buy a few of the same items as them without seeming like a stalker.

Another ten dollars later, Link was rushing out of the corner store due to his newly-found fear of socialising with the cashier. He ran off to the hotel in his disgustingly wretched clothes with a terrible expression on his face; he simply wanted to be in the hotel room as quickly as possible.