the rooftop / g.d

9

REN'S POV

Grayson has family issues. He seemed off at the cafe. His family doesn't live in New York. Does that mean he left them? Or did they leave him? I highly doubt the latter.

I feel sorry for Grayson. He's all alone in the city. He got fired and received an eviction notice on New Year's eve.

He has no one to talk to. His family isn't around. He lives alone in his apartment.

The more I figure him out, the more I realise we have a lot of things in common. We're both alone in the apartment building. We were stuck alone tonight with no plans. No family around.

It seemed as though I hit a nerve when I asked him why he wanted to be with me tonight instead of his family. I feel bad for it.

He asked me about my living situation. He's trying to figure me out too.

What happened with his family?

Do I want to tell him about mine?

We left the cafe in silence. It seemed as if both of us were in deep thought. Who's going to break the silence first?

We walk along the sidewalk, sounds of cheering and partying can be heard. It makes our situation even more... shitty.

I peer down at his wrist to check the time. Just over one hour left till midnight.

I sigh inaudibly, wondering what to say to him. I clasp my hands together nervously. 

Should I tell him about my family? Will it make him feel better? I want to be open with him. But it's personal.

I decide I want to know more about him.

"How often are you alone?" I hesitantly ask.

"Always." His answer breaks my heart. I was right.

We turn our heads, making eye contact and we stop in our tracks.

I stare at him, the night lights hitting his face in all the right places. Grayson may be unstable, but he's insanely beautiful.

I peer down at our close hands. I bite my bottom lip, moving my left hand to his right. He needs comfort.

Our skin touches and I get chills. Then, our fingers interlock and I squeeze his hand to let him know silently that I'm here and that he's not alone.

"Me too." I admit and begin walking. He walks closely next to me, our hands intertwined.

"You left them. Your family." I state, stating ahead as we walk. I want to know more about his past. But I can tell how much it's clouds his mind on the daily. 

"It's like you can read my mind." He gasps.

"I'm good at reading people." I shrug.

I turn and look to my left, spotting the nearby skatepark. We're close to the apartment building. I smirk. It's my turn to pick something to do to night.

"Do you skate?" I ask, pulling him in the direction of the skatepark which remains empty for the night. Usually, it's filled with people. I should know. I spend majority of my free time here.

"As in skateboard?" He mumbles nervously.

I nod, losing my grip on his hand and grab a nearby silver skateboard. The streetlight illuminates the ramp dimly.

"Uh no." He answers and I stare back at him. He looks nervous, scared even.

I give him a smile. "I'm gonna teach you."

He lets out a laugh. "I hope you're kidding. I'm the least coordinated person on the planet." He uses hand gestures to emphasise.

"Of course you are." I say, walking up the small ramp, stopping at the edge. I place the board down. "You've never tried it, that's why."

"I'm more of a biker kind of guy." He answers as we waits at the end of the ramp. Clearly.

"Who are you? Clay Jenson?" I laugh.

"Who?" I roll my eyes. He hasn't seen it.

"Come up here." I tell him but he refuses, crossing his arms.

"I'll watch." He sits on the nearby bench.

I can't seem to tear my gaze off him. The way he's sitting there, his knees spread apart, the way his tense arms are crossed over his broad chest.

"I'll watch too." I mumble quietly to myself. I force myself to look away from him and slide down the small ramp effortlessly. I flip the board, landing a kickflip. 

I stop in front of an amused Grayson as he praises me. 

"Nicely done." I bow shortly before smirking. I sit next to him on the bench with a sigh. "How'd you learn to skate?" 

"My brother." I gulp. Before he got himself fucked up. 

Grayson peers down at me, somehow noticing my shift in mood. How does he do that? We've known each other for two hours and yet its like he can tell when I'm feeling like crap. 

"Okay, your turn." I pipe up before he can ask me more questions. 

I grip his bicep as I stand, forcing him to stand with me. I swear, for a split second I could see Grayson stare at my lips. I can't help but stare at his for a couple seconds before my eyes connect to his. 

That was... weird. And yet, I liked it. 

"No way." He protests and I roll my eyes. 

"You'll be fine. The ramp is tiny." I gesture to it before kicking the board up, my right hand grasping it. 

Gray looks down at the skateboard before shaking his head. "Ren, seriously. I don't think-" 

"Gray, its New Year's Eve. You wanted to save my night. This is how." I bite my bottom lip, shoving the board into his hands.