"I don't exactly care about God one way or the other, so he can hate or love all he wants, it won't change who I like." Hartley wasn't sure what the other boys were snickering at, but he assumed it had something to do with him making a fool of himself. Whatever, he could ignore that. At least he wasn't completely alone for the moment. He ignored the desire to ask what his real name was, because he didn't want to be shot down.
Instead he looked down at his hoodie and nodded. "Yeah. It's fine. Slowly drying."
"See, this is why you sleep under any kind of ledge or anything that's sticking out, even if it's not raining. Just in case. If you go around the alley of the Big Belly Burger and there's no one there, sleep under the sign and you won't get wet." Just speaking from experience. Axel had been here before, he knew how hard it could be and he knew what it must be like for Hartley. Well, to a degree. Axel had never been sheltered, never really lived a great life but Hartley? God, that kid was in for a culture shock.
"Do you know where the youth center is? Lemme guess, you tried the homeless shelter and they had no room? Not shocking, they fill up. Lots of adults. There's a youth center, mostly for LGBTQ kids but you get a mix sometimes. It's a lot easier to get a bed." Axel had used it once or twice, mostly when cops or gangs were after him. Just extra safety to have people with him who could be witnesses. "And they'll at least dry your clothes. I could take you there."
"You're skipping out early?" One of the guys asked, looking at Axel with great amusement because hell, since when did he help anyone? "Oh Axel, sweetie, since when did you give a shit?"
"Fuck off." Axel shot back bluntly, glaring a little.
"Thanks." Hartley smiled, even if it was a little unsure. Hell, he was unsure about all of this. Scared, lonely and he knew how easily this could get even worse. He crossed his arms loosely, then turned to the guy questioning Axel being nice to him. Was he supposed to speak up here? He liked that Axel wanted to help him, but he didn't want Axel to feel like he was a scared puppy in need. Even if he was. "I can go by myself."
Axel? Was that his name? "If you could just tell me where to go, please?"
"Nah, it's fine, I got this. Ignore those dicks. They're just bitter I won't give them the time of day." Axel rolled his eyes at those idiots and took Hartley's sleeve, yanking him along until he started to walk with him, ignoring the jeers behind them. Axel was in so much trouble later, skipping out on work and he really shouldn't do that, given all he owed but hell, he couldn't leave him alone. He'd make the money up later.
"Hey, could you take off your hoodie?" Axel asked as they walked along beside each other. "... Not cause I want to check you out. I mean I do, you're fine as hell but I just want to check something." Axel held out his hand for it, waiting for him to respond.
"Er..." That was a weird request. Was it a trap? A trap for what? "...sure, but if you just run off with it I literally only have a t-shirt and that's just mean."
Yeah, that would keep him safe. Whatever. Hartley grabbed his hoodie and pulled it up over his head, steadying his glasses with one hand as he pulled it off. He held it over his arm and looked at Axel in askance, pretty much completely clueless over what he wanted from him. "What did you want to check?"
"Okay in future, the right answer to that question is 'hell no, get the fuck off my stuff' because people are mean and they will leave you alone to freeze to death." Just so Hartley knew. Axel looked over the hoodie, checked the pockets to make sure Hartley had nothing in it then proceeded to remove his own jacket. He threw his jacket at Hartley and then began to yank on his slightly damp hoodie. "Swaps. Well, for now. Be careful with my jacket, it's very important to me. If someone asks you to take it off, don't be afraid to stab them for it."
He was joking. Kind of. He adjusted the hoodie and pulled the hood down. It wasn't too bad, he'd worn worse. "The center isn't far away, I know the guy who works there so I can probably get you an in."
"Hey, I only did it because it was you asking. You're different." This was only going to get worse, wasn't it? "To me, I mean. I know I don't know you, but I'd like to know you." Smooth. Very smooth.
But he was now wearing Axel's jacket and it was still warm. Still warm and smelled like Axel. Hartley wished that alone wasn't enough to make him smile. Talk about pathetic. Hartley wished he was brave enough to reach out right now and hold Axel's hand, but instead he just bumped shoulders with him.
"Thank you. I... I don't have a phone or anything, but-- Can we meet again? I get if you don't want to. It's just that you're kind of perfect. I'm sorry I can't invite you to anything."
"So you'll do anything for me, huh? Hot. I should have asked you to drop your pants." Axel teased as he walked alongside the other, his hands in his pockets, just wanting to make sure that he got Hartley somewhere safe until he had a game plan on what to do with him. That was if he decided to do anything. He knew he could just wash his hands on Hartley and never bother again but he was asking to see him again and hell, he was pretty hot.
Axel had never had a boy his age not only be into him but actually like him as a person too. He smiled despite himself and shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, we can. I'll be busy tonight but I could swing by the center some time in the future." Or, better yet, there was another option. "Or you can go to my dad's place. He actually owns an apartment not far away, I chill out there. If you think you can find it, I can give you the address and we could meet up."
And hopefully, just hopefully, James wouldn't scare him off. Or steal him.
"Sure. I can find an address." He wasn't used to this side of town, but it wasn't as if that suddenly meant he'd lost all brain cells. No, he just lost some of them whenever Axel smiled at him. "Just tell me where and when to be there. Anything for you, right?"
Hartley winked and chuckled, feeling as good about this as he could feel about anything right now. "So your name's Axel? I like that better than Alex. It's a cool name. Fits you." He was just glad to finally have something to call him.
Axel gave the address with some rather unsettling tips because this was just not a good neighbourhood. "Don't listen to anything the sobbing girl in the hallway says, it's a trap. Trust me, it's not worth helping her, you'll end up missing an organ or something and the guy with the dog that sits outside? I know he looks like he could use your money but he's a Neo Nazi and he mostly wants to use it to get new knuckle dusters. Oh and don't use the lift. It works but someone got stabbed in it and no one ever cleaned it. It's a horror show."
Yep, James certainly lived in a beautiful side of Central City. "Come over maybe tomorrow? If you can. I'll be there all day. If not, Friday works, I'll be there from noon." He didn't always stay but sometimes it was nice to have a family dinner and catch up on their many, many arguments. "Yep, Axel Walker. I usually use Axel, if people find out then I can just pretend I spelt it wrong." It worked more often than he'd have thought it would. "I'm glad you like it."
"Okay. ...unsettling, mind, but okay. I can do that." It sounded like a horror trip but, frankly, so had a lot of the things he had done and seen the last several hours. Hartley finally decided to be brave and so he put an arm around Axel, half expecting to be pushed away. "I don't regret it, you know. Making out in my room. I mean, sure, this sucks, but that was still the best thing to ever happen to me in that house. You were, I guess. So that's why I thanked you and I guess I still mean that. Thank you."
Okay. So. What did he do with this? Did he want to encourage the kid to think something was here or shut it down now? It wasn't so bad, having someone get close to him and touchy feely didn't always mean dating but he was definitely giving some strong 'I want you' vibes and that would make his job very tricky. Still, as with all things in Axel's life, hotness won over logic and hell, a pretty boy wanted him. He put an arm around Hartley in return and smiled. "Sorry I got you kicked out anyway. I figured you were closeted because you were clueless, not because your parents were dicks. I just wanted to awaken that gayness inside you. I figured it was a noble cause."
"Please. I've been gay for as long as I can remember. I wasn't lying though, I didn't really plan on scoring. I was focused on school and college, mostly." Which was another issue he had now, but not one he was ready to figure out while this tired and walking to the hottest guy he'd ever seen. "You were my first real kiss. So that was cool. Didn't think I'd have my first kiss with someone who could be a model."
"First kisses are rarely perfect so no matter how bad they end, as long as they're done well, it's passable. My first kiss shoved me against a wall, kissed me then threatened to kick my ass if I told anyone." Ah, junior school. What a time to be alive. Axel snorted in amusement at the memory and shook his head, wondering that boy still claimed to be straight or not. "And I know, right? It's not just the looks, my skin is literally flawless." Axel grinned and reached up, playing with Hartley's hair and trying to see if it would stick up on it's own. Kind of? He could totally fix his hair next time they hung out. And maybe changed up his wardrobe.
"Yeah, I had stuff like that happen. Just didn't get a kiss out of it first." Hartley smiled, because it was actually nice to have something in common with Axel, in spite of their clearly very different backgrounds. "Your skin is amazing. You smell really good too." Had he just said that? Oh god. "I mean. I'm wearing your jacket now and it smells like you and that's nice."
He was going to sink into the floor any minute now. At least he was desperately hoping for it. "Everything about you seems to be kind of flawless."
Well. He was a prostitute, evidently, he was a thief and he probably wouldn't be this nice to Hartley if he didn't think he was hot, but that didn't change how he made his heart flutter.
"I do smell nice. Most boys think they just can spray themselves down with some gross bodyspray and they'll be good. Nah, a good shower gel and aftershave is what you need." Axel wasn't going to pretend like he wasn't flattered, he was, he smelled nice and it was about time someone comment on it that wasn't James. And usually James only said it when he wanted something out of Axel.
"I'm not flawless. Trust me. Standing next to the handsome boy genius? Not feeling massively without flaws. Still, doesn't bother me much." Axel was a rent boy, he stole, he got drunk, high and he had an arrest record. He wasn't really dating material, not for a good boy like Hartley but he had his own unique charm. "I don't need to be perfect, I just need to be hot."
Axel grinned and leaned over, pulling them to a halt so he could steal a kiss. They were right by the center now, may as well take advantage. "And a pretty good kisser. That's always important."
"You're really hot." Hartley kissed back happily, having recognised that they were there. Signs and everything. So he hadn't been led into a trap and Axel still looked amazing. "Seems like I always have to keep thanking you, huh? Quite often for someone who isn't flawless. You're doing very well with me."
Hartley shrugged Axel's jacket off, holding it out to him. "Here. I... Are you coming inside? I can do it myself. I know you've better things to do than help me like this. But I'll definitely come to see you tomorrow."
"Nah, I should really go back but look, tell them you know Axel and James. Say we sent you here. Don't trust anyone, sleep with your stuff in your cot with your arms around it and make sure they dry your clothes. They can give you spares, God knows they get donations all the time." Axel removed the hoodie and tossed it back, shrugging on his jacket again and smiling at Hartley. The kid was going to be okay as long as he followed what he was told and maybe hung with Axel less. But they could work on that part later.
"I don't mind helping. For a pretty guy like you? I'd do anything." Axel winked and then bounced back, grinning at him, unable to help himself. "I'll be there tomorrow, we'll make food so come hungry."
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Instead he looked down at his hoodie and nodded. "Yeah. It's fine. Slowly drying."
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"Do you know where the youth center is? Lemme guess, you tried the homeless shelter and they had no room? Not shocking, they fill up. Lots of adults. There's a youth center, mostly for LGBTQ kids but you get a mix sometimes. It's a lot easier to get a bed." Axel had used it once or twice, mostly when cops or gangs were after him. Just extra safety to have people with him who could be witnesses. "And they'll at least dry your clothes. I could take you there."
"You're skipping out early?" One of the guys asked, looking at Axel with great amusement because hell, since when did he help anyone? "Oh Axel, sweetie, since when did you give a shit?"
"Fuck off." Axel shot back bluntly, glaring a little.
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Axel? Was that his name? "If you could just tell me where to go, please?"
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"Hey, could you take off your hoodie?" Axel asked as they walked along beside each other. "... Not cause I want to check you out. I mean I do, you're fine as hell but I just want to check something." Axel held out his hand for it, waiting for him to respond.
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Yeah, that would keep him safe. Whatever. Hartley grabbed his hoodie and pulled it up over his head, steadying his glasses with one hand as he pulled it off. He held it over his arm and looked at Axel in askance, pretty much completely clueless over what he wanted from him. "What did you want to check?"
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He was joking. Kind of. He adjusted the hoodie and pulled the hood down. It wasn't too bad, he'd worn worse. "The center isn't far away, I know the guy who works there so I can probably get you an in."
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But he was now wearing Axel's jacket and it was still warm. Still warm and smelled like Axel. Hartley wished that alone wasn't enough to make him smile. Talk about pathetic. Hartley wished he was brave enough to reach out right now and hold Axel's hand, but instead he just bumped shoulders with him.
"Thank you. I... I don't have a phone or anything, but-- Can we meet again? I get if you don't want to. It's just that you're kind of perfect. I'm sorry I can't invite you to anything."
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Axel had never had a boy his age not only be into him but actually like him as a person too. He smiled despite himself and shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, we can. I'll be busy tonight but I could swing by the center some time in the future." Or, better yet, there was another option. "Or you can go to my dad's place. He actually owns an apartment not far away, I chill out there. If you think you can find it, I can give you the address and we could meet up."
And hopefully, just hopefully, James wouldn't scare him off. Or steal him.
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Hartley winked and chuckled, feeling as good about this as he could feel about anything right now. "So your name's Axel? I like that better than Alex. It's a cool name. Fits you." He was just glad to finally have something to call him.
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Yep, James certainly lived in a beautiful side of Central City. "Come over maybe tomorrow? If you can. I'll be there all day. If not, Friday works, I'll be there from noon." He didn't always stay but sometimes it was nice to have a family dinner and catch up on their many, many arguments. "Yep, Axel Walker. I usually use Axel, if people find out then I can just pretend I spelt it wrong." It worked more often than he'd have thought it would. "I'm glad you like it."
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He was going to sink into the floor any minute now. At least he was desperately hoping for it. "Everything about you seems to be kind of flawless."
Well. He was a prostitute, evidently, he was a thief and he probably wouldn't be this nice to Hartley if he didn't think he was hot, but that didn't change how he made his heart flutter.
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"I'm not flawless. Trust me. Standing next to the handsome boy genius? Not feeling massively without flaws. Still, doesn't bother me much." Axel was a rent boy, he stole, he got drunk, high and he had an arrest record. He wasn't really dating material, not for a good boy like Hartley but he had his own unique charm. "I don't need to be perfect, I just need to be hot."
Axel grinned and leaned over, pulling them to a halt so he could steal a kiss. They were right by the center now, may as well take advantage. "And a pretty good kisser. That's always important."
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Hartley shrugged Axel's jacket off, holding it out to him. "Here. I... Are you coming inside? I can do it myself. I know you've better things to do than help me like this. But I'll definitely come to see you tomorrow."
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"I don't mind helping. For a pretty guy like you? I'd do anything." Axel winked and then bounced back, grinning at him, unable to help himself. "I'll be there tomorrow, we'll make food so come hungry."