(A/N: I skipped the rest of the school day because Rob wasn't in any of it so who would want to read it lmao)
As the last bell of the day rang, you flipped your book shut, put everything in your backpack, and proceeded to leave. You didn't have a locker yet, so you didn't have anything else to bring home.
As you walk down the street, leaves falling off the trees, you see a familiar face walking down the opposite side of the street. You leap to the curb, checking for cars before you run across the road, calling out for Rob. "Rob! Hey, Rob!" You yell, waving your right arm at him. He turns around, his expression lighting up as he sees you.
"Oh, hey! What... What are you doing here?" He asks, walking and talking.
"Well I was walking home, but my parents don't get home from work until about 9pm, so I have hours to kill." You shrug.
"Huh. Well, I'd offer for you to come to mine for a bit, but there are a couple of reasons why I won't." Rob replies, observing a butterfly flying across his field of view.
"Which are...?" You prompt, curiously.
"Well, one reason is the fact that I literally only met you today so we're basically strangers. Not that I think you'll kill me or anything, just... yeah." Rob awkwardly chuckled.
"And what's the other reason?" You ask, gesturing for him to continue. His static grows dark.
"I, uh..." he pauses for a good few moments, struggling for words. "Um...." He clears his through, clearly buying time. "I don't really have a home.." He says, slowing down to a halt.
You step up right next to him and place your hand on his shoulder. He glitches and slightly jumps, but after he realises that it's just you, he settles.
"What... What do you mean?" You ask, watching as his eye starts to dampen.
"I don't have a home." He mumbles, looking down at the ground.
"I.... I'm so sorry. Where... do you live, then..?" You ask, moving your hand up and down his upper back.
"Everywhere and nowhere." He says, walking away from you and towards a bench. You follow, and sit next to him.
"Well... you can come to mine, if you want. I'm sure my parents will be understanding.." You say, mentally organising the spare bedroom.
"Are you sure? I can't imagine some girls parents allowing a random homeless dude that the girl just met to crash at their place." He says, half his eyebrow raising up.
"Eh, I'm an only child so they'll know that I'm lonely. Besides, I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing that you're out in the street somewhere." You reply, a reassuring smile growing on your face.
"Really?" Rob says, not really sure how to respond to you.
"Of course!" You say, a slight blush appearing on your cheeks.
"Wow, thanks..!" He says, his static shortly flashing to coloured bars. You thought he looked really cute like this, and you couldn't help yourself. You reached forward and wrapped him into a tight hug. He jolted, his arms raising up. After a few seconds, though, he hesitantly returned the hug, somehow seemingly unaware of how to do so.
After what seemed like half an hour, you finally let go and pull away from the hug.
"Wow, what... What was that..?" He asks, the coloured bars fading into view again. As he noticed them, though, he immediately brought his hand up and tried to cover them.
"It was a hug." You say, wondering if he knows what it is.
"I know, but... Why? Nobody's ever really done that to me before..." Rob replies, his hand falling back down onto the bench. The coloured bars were still there in place of his usual static, though.
"Wait, what?" You say, startled. "But what about your parents?"
"I, uh... Don't worry." He says. His eye slightly widens as he tries to change the subject, "Hey, we better get going to your place if we wanna be set up in time. We've already been here for...." He pauses, checking the time on his phone. "An hour."
"Okay, sure!" You say. "It's just a few streets down."
