Chapter Eight
The trips to the cafe became a thing, apparently.
Rudy wasn't sure how it happened really but soon they were meeting up early before they went to work and sometimes after work when Rudy knew when Rosie wouldn't be home and Mrs Dormar next door had Legolas - or rather he sat behind her couch, cowering in dear until Rudy picked him up. Mrs Dormar even didn't mind that he sometimes pissed himself there, as long as Rudy was there to clean it up when he got back.
Stupid mutt.
They were around each other so much that Rudy actually had a book collection now, a little small still but a small pile in the corner of his room that was mainly made up of book Miles would mention in the passing or actually recommend, some were even those Rudy would pick up himself. Any book that he actually read though and Rosie saw him she would give him this look. A look that wasn't unlike the look Kelly would give him on a daily basis.
Rudy knew that it was Miles that had gotten him to actually read. The thought of reading before was just so boring to Rudy. The fact he worked in a bookstore just added to the irritation of it all but Miles - the way Miles talked about books, like they were the only happiness in the world. Like there was nothing more fulfilling than sitting down and immersing yourself into another world and to be honest ,Rudy could see it now.
Even so, Rudy sometimes struggled. He'd never been much of a reader before and so sometimes he found himself getting... well, stuck. He slipped up and lost his place and got confused to where he was or what was happening in the story. It was irritating and frustrating and he felt useless and stupid.
Rudy knew Miles was catching on.
Everyday Miles would ask what book he was on or what chapter he had gotten to in the latest book he was reading and be able to elaborate in the last couple of chapters Rudy had read without even giving anything away by accident. It was as if the kid had some kind of photographic memory and Rudy kept thinking that this job was wasted on him. He was smart, seriously smart. Rudy was nothing compared to him and sometimes when Miles would ask him about his chapters and Rudy would have to say that he hadn't gotten so far that he would like because he couldn't read, that he couldn't understand.
Miles would always get him out of it, whether he knew it or not and Rudy would get this stupid feeling of irritation and slight shame settling in his heart and at the bottom of his stomach every time.
Still, the cafe mornings and nights continued and although Rudy felt small in comparison to the kid it didn't stop him from from enjoying himself; of feeling giddy every time their eyes would catch for longer that a second and if their hands brushed accidentally as they walked side by side.
He didn't understand why he just knew that on top of the dark feelings settling inside of him there was pure contentment with just being around the kid.
Annoying.
Miles was nudging into his side one day as they restocked shelves, while Mark and Kelly took the check-out, and poking his head over particularly small book stalls when Rudy was on the other side, making him snort as he imagined him to be tiptoeing to reach the height to give him a silly face or a shy smile.
Rudy especially hated restocking and displaying, being on the floor for customers in general and talking to them without the comfort of personal space behind the counter because somehow females, and sometimes guys, liked to lean in a lot and make him really uncomfortable to which Kelly would just laugh at because she was a bitch.
Rudy was about to whack Miles over the head playfully with a cheap Sherlock book just for something to do, something to cast those eyes back to his, when Miles was attacked with something green. Rudy had to actually flinch away quickly to avoid being taken down with him.
"Hello sweetie," the girl said as she swung herself round to face him, grinning just as wild as her hair that was standing in every direction and then down her back. Rudy recognized her straightaway as the girl that and left with Miles' number all those months ago.
"Nora!" he exclaimed in surprise, his face lighting up with joy. "You didn't tell me you were coming in."
She tapped the side of her nose slyly and jumped right into a story of a tv show that she had started watching which Miles joined right in with; Rudy forgotten.
Pissed, he edged away and over to where Kelly was, leaning over the counter with her head in her hand looking gleeful. Mark rolled his eyes as he saw Rudy approach and helped out a customer.
"Oh honey, you feeling a little bit of rejection?" Kelly giggled, her eyes crinkling softly until they were just a black gleam of pure evil.
"Shut up," he snapped, grabbing the brush from behind her and began to sweep the floor viciously and not glancing over to the two laughing teenagers.
"Do you know what's funny?"Kelly said, opening her big, unwelcome mouth again. When Rudy turned to glare at him he saw that she wasn't even looking at him at all but to Mark who was giving her an unimpressed look as he asked what exactly amused the almighty her. "I used to think that Rudy here, King Brooder, didn't show any emotions at all but now I see how totally obvious he is. Especially when he is jealous, I mean- ow!" Rudy had prodded her with the brush, hard.
The girl didn't leave for another hour or so, keeping Miles all to himself as he still made his way round the shop, stacking and displaying, she even helped carry books while Rudy stayed away from them at the other end of the shop and refused to look over at Kelly again who he could feel laughing at him.
Rudy couldn't make Miles laugh like that. He could hardly make Miles laugh at all - or anyone really, unless it was at him.
"He's starting to get wet and soppy, Mark," he heard Kelly say as he was fixing a display of biographies close to the counter. "I think he's actually sad. It's freaking me out."
When Kelly and Mark eventually swapped with him and Miles, she as still there, yammering away with an annoying high voice and scrunching up her ridiculous nose and giggling into her hands when Miles countered back at her with topics that Rudy couldn't follow or didn't understand.
Something was building in his chest; something hot and burning as well as cool and empty as he got customer after customer and listened to the laughs beside him, sometimes missing whispers that made him feel weird and self-conscious. It was almost dizzying and Rudy felt exhausted.
And then he snapped.
"You know, just because you're the boss' nephew doesn't mean you're privileged of getting out of actually working and talk to your girlfriend on the job." Rudy's voice was sharp and twisted and he regretted every word that came out of his mouth. He inwardly cringed as he felt them both turn towards him, mostly Miles. He glared hard at the till.
"Uh... rude much?" barked Nora.
"No, Nora. It's okay. Leave it." Miles tried to assure.
"No, No way. Not when this fucker can sit and whine just because he isn't getting his hole."
"Excuse me?" Rudy asked incredulously.
"You heard me," Nora raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips while planting her hands on her hips, looking full of confidence and sheer anger.
"No, seriously you guys. Stop." Miles held out his hands just hovering over both there chest."Rudy you need to calm down, Nora didn't mean it."
"Rudy?" Nora suddenly asked, blinking a little in what looked like surprise as she looked at Rudy. Rudy gave her a look as she stared at him then turned to Miles."This is Rudy?"
MIles blushed furiously and pushed at Nora."I think it's time you leave Nora, don't you have that thing?"
"Thing?" she repeated questionably and then grinned."Oh, the thing. Yeah. I will get right on that." She made a finger gun at Miles while winking before she glared at Rudy."Nice meeting you."
She sounded anything but pleased.
And then she left. And in her wake she left a heavy atmosphere that was suffocating Rudy. He couldn't bear to look at Miles. He knew what he did was him lashing out, he knew that. He knew it. He'd screwed up.
"She's not my girlfriend." Miles finally said after to what seemed an internal trap of silence. Rudy snapped his head up so fast that it cracked loudly and he hissed painfully, hands shooting up in pain to cover his neck, face burning. He looked over to see Miles smiling a little, trying not to laugh."She's just a friend," he said, assuring Rudy and if possible Rudy's face just burned all the more.
"Okay." he croaked, his voice barely above a whisper. He was struggling to breath.
He could see Miles cock his head a little as he leaned on the counter as he looked at Rudy."Okay?"
"Okay." Rudy said a little more firmly, nodding his head slightly like a child and willing his cheeks to calm down and get air into his lungs.
Miles suddenly gave out a bright sound of laughter, going on about how they totally had a Fault in Our Stars moment. Rudy didn't have a clue to what he was going on about. He just knew from Rosie's extensive crying about it that it was some sort of tragedy.
Still, even if he didn't get it, Miles did and that's all that mattered.
A/N: i am so tired it's unreal. Here's your (slightly late don't judge me) chapter people. Rudy has a lot of emotions, he just doens't know how to deal with them.