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ALEXA
***
"Son you have to go home. You can't work for ten hours straight." Mr. Navaski clasped his hand on Bentley's shoulder to wake up the teenager from his tangled self on the floor, his hands absentmindedly working on the car above him. He was good, natural even but it was too late.
Bentley stopped his work and looked up at Mr. Navaski.
"Okay." Bentley didn't want to leave but he had to.
Bentley changed in the back, slowly, taking his time, stalling the time.
"Can you call my home if someone comes looking for me?" Bentley looked tired and wracked.
"Sure. Rest Bentley, whatever it is, it will work out in the end." Mr. Navaski couldn't understand what Bentley was going through but he had promised Bentley's dad that he would look after him like his own so he wasn't about to go back on his words.
***
Bentley called early in the morning the next day to ask if someone had come for him. But there was no one. He asked if Mr. Navaski could call him if there was someone and if he could take the day off.
Mr. Navaski agreed.
***
Bentley drove around the part where he had dropped Kieth several times. Then he also drove to the part near the garage. There was nothing there apart from closed shops, an open pharmacy, a crowded church with too many people and police cars in the compound than there was some franchise opening their shops.
Bentley knew Kieth wouldn't be just wandering outside for him to find him.
***
Bentley went to the garage in the morning and evening from the next day. In the afternoon he grabbed a bite from Mc'donald than resumed his search for Kieth. The snow was melting, the sun was coming up, it was easier for Bentley to cover more ground even if he had driven that part just yesterday.
Bentley was frustrated and worried about Kieth. Kieth wouldn't just disappear as he did in school. But if he was skipping school the teacher would be able to find him. This was mid-winter break, no one would even notice the absence.
***
The next day when Bentley opened the door to have a jog around the neighborhood, the first thing he noticed was Kieth- Kieth was walking to his house.
"You fucking shit head," Bentley shouted from his porch.
Kieth stopped in his track with wide eyes. Obviously, he hadn't expected Bentley to wake up early and find him.
Kieth had just wanted to gaze at Bentley's lovely house from afar but now Bentley had found him.
"Inside," Bentley growled when Kieth still stood on the sidewalk. "Now."
Kieth stumbled on the thin air but walked fast to Bentley.
Bentley closed the door behind him.
"Sit." Bentley pointed at the sofa.
Kieth obeyed looking down at his shoes, he had forgotten to take them off with Bentley practically pushing him inside, figuratively of course.
Bentley draped the blankets around Kieth's body, he was so sure that Kieth would be around the house every day that he hadn't even thought of putting his blankets back upstairs. He had actually slept on the sofa after coming late for two days, driving around the town does that to a person.
"Drink this. All of it." Bentley took Kieth's cold pale hands placing them around the large mug of hot chocolate with overflowing marshmallows and shredded chocolates.
Bentley's hands lingered over Kieth's hands but then he was back in the kitchen. He made scrambled eggs, poured two glass of orange juice.
"I can't drink orange juice over milk," Kieth said when Bentley placed the plate in his lap.
Bentley raised his eyebrows.
"But I will," Keith said munching on his eggs.
***
"You said many times, that you will do whatever I ask you to do, anything." Bentley set crossed legs and arms, facing Keith on the sofa. He had placed his scarf around Kieth when he saw Kieth's was dirty and little damp.
"Yes." Kieth didn't even hesitate.
"Than I want you to tell me what's going on," Bentley demanded.
Kieth's lips pinched shut, he started looking around not meeting Bentley's eyes.
"Hey, look at me." Bentley's voice was low and kind, he placed his hands on Kieth's blanket-covered one. He squeezed Kieth's hands. "You can tell me anything, I will always listen to you."
"I know." Kieth smiled.
Bentley sighed, he knew this already but still, he wanted to try. "Tell me when you are ready."
"Thanks, Bentley." Kieth moved forward setting on his knees to hug Bentley but instead, his legs got stuck on the blanket and he fell on Bentley's lap.
Bentley actually laughed ruffling Kieth's hair.
"I am so embarrassed," Kieth grumbled with his head lolling in the air and body stretched on Bentley's lap.
***
Kieth fell asleep with his head on Bentley's thigh, the blankets tight around him even with the heater Kieth was shivering. Bentley was worried, the weather outside was getting warmer, so warmer, but Kieth's body wasn't feverish so maybe he was just cold.
Bentley muted the movie he had playing, he couldn't even remember what was playing anymore but he kept it on just to stare at it absently as his hands buried in Kieth's dark brown soft dirty hair.
***
Bentley didn't say anything when the clock hit seven-thirty and Kieth was still in his house.
Kieth on his part grew confident and comfortable enough to not feel bad about crashing at Bentley's.
***
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