coming out of my cage and I've been doing just fine

[mostlyajerk]

Comments

[trickedya]

"That is the cutest fucking thing I've ever heard. Can you play for me some day?" He said some day in the hopes he'd get his ass out of here and Hartley would maybe at least humour him before turning him in. Iron Heights wasn't helping him, surely Hartley had compassion. Surely he wouldn't call the cops. He liked him. He said so! "I'll squeak along too."

He leaned back in his chair and laughed a little, not feeling much shame. "I internet stalked the shit out of you, Hartley Rathaway."

[mostlyajerk]

"What? Why?" Hartley felt the heat rise in his face, but he tried to ignore that. Always too quick to blush, he hates his genetics entirely too often. "Do I even want to know what you found out there?" He had no idea. It wasn't as if he had a Facebook, so anything about him on the net was outside his control. Worrisome.

"Anyway. I'd play for you if I ever get the chance, sure. I'd do it here, but people would stare."

[trickedya]

"Just stuff about you. I wanted to know about you but asking a billion questions when drunk in a club was hard and I forgot to get your number so I spent a long weekend researching you. Then I hacked into the Rathaway computer, got their account deets and donated a nice amount to the local LGBT shelter. Whoops!" Not because he felt bad for kids or he cared but because he hated homophobia and to disown your kid over that? Bullshit! "They changed their deets after that so I couldn't do more. I did buy a tiara though."

He looked beautiful in it. "Let people stare! They all think I'm weird anyway. That's why they stopped trying to fuck me." He rolled his eyes. "Can't say I hate it."

[mostlyajerk]

"That's the best use of Rathaway money. I've been very tempted to do similar things." He had done some things that were quite similar, but he wasn't stupid enough to talk about them while sitting in a prison. He wasn't a complete idiot. "Now you know so much about me. Congratulations. It's sad, actually, I can't remember the last time anyone really wanted to know more about me. You are a special boy, Axel."

[trickedya]

"Well, we have a lot in common, don't we? Or we did more before but ... I still feel like there's something. Don't you?" Maybe that was creepy but when Hartley looked at him, he saw understanding that he'd never seen and it tore him up inside because he wanted it. He wanted to reach out and touch him. He wanted him.

Special. He was special to someone. "You're so special, pretty Piper. So, so special."

[mostlyajerk]

"We have things in common, yes." Maybe not exactly the best things, but that might just make for more of a bond. Connected. Yeah, right. "I think I got lucky, I was pulled back before I lost control completely or I'd have ended up in here as well. I don't think that you deserve to be here forever. I do think that you should stop trying to kill people." Just to clarify that much.

[trickedya]

"I know. Probably not." A little self awareness, amazing and all but he can only do this with Hartley. A therapist came at him and it was all attack, he was perfect and they were wrong. He felt oddly okay with Hartley, like he was safe and it wasn't going to backfire. "Meds or no meds, help or no help, I won't get out of here legally. I'll always be a crook, Hart. I can't stay here."

[mostlyajerk]

"I was going to be on the run. But there can be lines you draw yourself. There can be a code. I break the rules other people have. The ones society has. But I won't break my own, not ever again." That was what gave him nightmares, remembering the things he had almost done. "We don't need the rogues to let us know where we should draw our lines. I don't need my parents to tell me. I have my own rules. I think you have them too, if you dig deep."

[trickedya]

"I dunno. I'm kind of a shitty person." Seriously. Off his meds and with his parents, any rules and standards went away but with Hartley, he kind of wanted to try. Maybe he could get something from him. Maybe he could be someone with him. Someone who could be special, who could hold rats and hear Hartley play the flute. Maybe he could behave for once.

"I'd try for you if anything. I think I can safely say that."

[mostlyajerk]

"Don't do things for someone, Axel. It never really works out. But I appreciate the sentiment." Hartley smiled a little, unsure what to really do with the way Axel looked at him. His heart hurt. There was no future with Axel and he had to be careful, Axel was far from sane. Yet here he was. "Do you have anything on the wishlist for when I come visit you next week?"

[trickedya]

"Jelly beans and more comics. Maybe another rat picture." Axel asked as he fiddled with the buttons on his uniform and bit his lower lip, considering his parting words. It was time to stop talking and he didn't want to. Not again. He really didn't. "I'll ask them today. About... meds and shit. Just asking so. Yeah. Maybe gummy worms too."

He'd have earned them!

[mostlyajerk]

"Then I'll get gummy worms for you too." Hartley tried to keep his voice and smile light, not wanting to pin too much meaning to this, not wanting Axel to feel as if he'd let him down if this ended up being an empty promise and not wanting to feel let down himself. It was easier like that. "Remember to smile for me next time, sweet boy. That's your task."