Kick Me Like A Stray

"Frankie, dayum, this is the third time this week. I'm not pressing you for an answer, but if I can help in any way now would be a good time to say so." He kissed my shin that he had just cleaned and bandaged; a remaining habit from when he would help his little brother when he scraped his knee or whatever.

Or that is what he had quickly explained the first time he had fixed me up, blushing and apologizing as he backed away. It was my elbow that time but, still, I was just lucky he couldn't hear my heart flutter. I knew he was just doing it out of brotherly feelings, but he kissed me with such a serene look on his face, proud of helping someone, I crushed a little harder each time.

"Yeah, unless you somehow can find me a place to live away from Asshole, yeah, no." It was nothing more than a ghost of a whisper out of my mouth.

He wasn’t meant to hear.

"Then you should move in with us, me and my brother."

‘What?’

"What?"

“You said you needed a place, and I have one for you. We have an extra room. Well, I can move into Mikey’s room and then you can have mine, It’ll work. I promise.” Face scrunched up in defiance, looking willing to move a mountain for me, hazel eyes glinting something feral. That face…. It took all my willpower not to just attach my mouth to his. I doubt that would go over too well, though.

“You would really? For a guy you barely know? I mean, we are friends, but I… and you just…. Really?” My voice may or may not have gone extremely squeaky at the end. It was a mixture of relief and disbelief.

“Haha, I know you more than you think. You don’t work with a guy for two years without learning some things. And besides, our music and comic tastes are beautifully compatible. It shouldn’t be too hard to deal with you.” He added an extra wink in case I didn’t get that he was kidding about dealing with me. He put his hands against his skinny-jean clad thighs as if to help himself up, but didn’t. Crouching that long must hurt.

“I…. we would have to sneak my stuff out. I don’t know how he would deal with that, and what if we get caught?” I couldn’t help my panic level rising. “What if I get you or your brother hurt? And I just…. I can’t. You are too nice.”

“Frankie, if your father is hurting you you need to get the fuck out of there, we will be extra sneaky. I swear. Now you are moving in with me, and that is final, I will not hear another word against it. You are living with me as of right now. We both have off the whole weekend and we can get you settled in. Mikey likes you; I have told him stories of our idiocy over the years.” His black hair swung over his eye as he stood up from his crouch and bent backwards to pop his back. Pink lips curled in a snarl, obvious hatred for the person he could now blame for two and a half years of broken bones, cuts, and bruises. The look of animal hatred in his eyes grew.

That probably should have been my first warning.

But then it was gone and the clock struck eleven and with explicatives pouring out of both of our mouths we went back to cleaning the dirty tables and closing up the restaurant.

“Come on, Mikey will wanna meet you for real. I drove and I know you walked, so come on!”

And we went.

Notes

I am so sorry it is late and short.