radar love // baby driver

pt. 3

Sara had quickly learned that Baby was a very, very good driver. That, and he also had good taste in music. There were multiple iPods lying around in the car; one that was pink and glittery, another that was quite worn down, and then the one he had plugged into the speakers. Sara had so many questions for the male beside her, although before she could utter one, a familiar tune filled the air. She turned her head to face Baby, a smile creeping at the corners of his mouth. "I haven't heard this song in forever." She said in amazement, a feeling of nostalgia washing over her. "It's a good song." Baby added in, and that comment alone made Sara chuckle.

"I've got a few songs, I think. Probably like five or so" Sara realized, trying to think about what other musicians composed music with her name in it. "You, however, you have all the songs." She was still fascinated by the fact that his name was Baby. It somehow fit him, though. "Yeah, I guess so." He agreed with a slight shrug of the shoulders, both of his hands on the wheel as he continued to maneuver the vehicle. Sara wasn't entirely sure where he was taking them, albeit she really didn't mind where they went. She was just glad to spend more time with him.

When I feel cold, you warm me.
And when I feel I can't go on, you come and hold me.
It's you and me forever.
Sara, smile.
Oh, won't you smile awhile for me, Sara?

The car had finally stopped, and Sara watched as Baby pulled out the keys and shoved them into his jacket's pocket. He took his sunglasses off then, his brown hues pouring into her own. The way he was staring at her made her feel dizzy, but strangely enough, it was a nice kind of dizzy. She felt like she was going to break out into a ridiculously huge grin because of this, and therefore made the decision to break eye contact. She looked out the car window, furrowing her eyebrows as she took in her surroundings.

"Where are we?" She asked, turning her entire body to face Baby once again. He was already looking at her, but seemed rather embarrassed once he had regained her attention. "My place. I've got to grab something real quick, if that's okay." He was lacking confidence then, and Sara wasn't sure why. "Of course." She immediately reassured him, opening her door as she exited the vehicle. She tugged her purse over her shoulder, analyzing the graffiti that was spread among the building's exterior. The apartment complex was similar to her own, actually. Baby joined her on the sidewalk, walking up the steps as he held the building's glass door open for her.

She thanked him under her breath as she stepped inside the lobby. More drawings were on the walls, and there was also an elevator. It seemed that Baby was set on taking the stairs, and so Sara followed. No words were exchanged as they made their way to his door, and with a fumble of the keys, he opened it up and stepped inside his apartment. She shut the door behind them, her gaze falling upon an elderly man. He waved at her, and despite her sudden nervousness and confusion, she returned the gesture. "This is my dad, Joseph." Baby's voice echoed from the other side of the room.

Joseph faced Baby then, as they communicated through sign language. Sara, however, was not fluent in the language as she watched their exchange from afar. She set her purse down on the wood floor, scanning the room. Records were hanging on the walls, band posters too. Near the window was a table, and on it were a bunch of tapes and other audio-recording devices. It was obvious that Baby was a fan of music, but Sara wondered whether he created any of his own or not. It surely seemed like he had the equipment to. She was tempted to ask the question, but bit her tongue instead. He and his father continued to go back and forth, and from Baby's facial expression, it seemed that he was getting rather annoyed.

If you feel like leaving you know you can go.
But why don't you stay until tomorrow?
And if you want to be free, you know all you got to do is say so.

Baby grabbed yet another iPod that was next to his other musical instruments. He walked into the small kitchen, opening a cupboard and pulling out a plate. "I'm going to make him some lunch and then we can go." He explained, tossing the loaf of white bread onto the counter top. "Take your time." Sara sat on one of the bar-stools, watching as Baby prepared toast for his dad. "So, tell me a bit about yourself." Sara urged, her curiosity getting the best of her. Joseph continued to flick through the tv behind them, and she did her best to ignore the sound of the channels changing constantly.

"I'm a driver." He stopped, and Sara couldn't help but frown at this. "Okay, you're a driver. What exactly does that entail? Pizza driver, or like–" Before she could finish her sentence, Baby laughed softly and shook his head. "No, I just drive people around." She still didn't understand, but decided not to push it. "Alright, so you're a driver and you clearly appreciate music. What else?" Sara hoped that she wasn't being too pushy, especially because she felt Baby's resistance in revealing things about himself. She really was interested in knowing more about him, but she didn't want to put any pressure on him. "I've got tinnitus."

Sara remained silent, certain that he would elaborate and continue telling her things about him like he was reading off a list or something. "I got into a car accident when I was little – my mom and my dad too. I really miss her. But, uhm, – I've got this noise following me around. So, I drown it out with music. I don't need music all the time 'cause when I'm around certain people, it can be really quiet. Almost like it's not even there." He had finished making the toast with peanut butter, placing it on the side table next to Joseph. They communicated once more, and Sara could only assume that Baby told him that they'd be leaving.

"Ready?" Baby questioned, and Sara immediately hopped off the chair and grabbed her purse, but not forgetting to wave goodbye to Joseph. In a matter of two minutes, they were back in the familiar comfort of his Subaru. He re-winded the song back to where it was before they left, pulling the strap of his seat belt over his chest. Sara did the same as the car's engine started. "I'm sorry." She said suddenly, confusion evident on Baby's face. "For what?" He responded, his eyebrows raised. "About your parents. I can't imagine what that must've been like for you, Baby." She avoided eye contact, and instead focused on his hand that was resting on his leg. She wanted to reach out and hold it, intertwine their fingers even, but Sara resisted. "It's okay. Thank you, though." And with that, he put his foot on the gas.

Author's note: Anotha' one! I know the story is kind of progressing slowly, but it will pick up once I establish the relationships first. There's a lot more I want to explore between Sara and Baby before I get into all the other characters, and of course, all the action!