Chapter Ten

Kelly was a pain the next day.

Actually, she was always a pain- she was just more of a pain and Rudy was ready to slit her throat with paper a it was the only near enough weapon near, if he had to.

Miles had told her that morning as they all got in, that he had been to Rudy's and before he could even get to the embarrassing things Rudy just knew Miles was ready to tell, Kelly broke out with whining and complaints about how she had never been to Rudy's house.

And it never stopped for the rest of the day.

"It's your fault, y'know," Rudy said to Miles as Kelly glared at them while stacking books, making sure to slam them in. "You shouldn't have mentioned it."

Miles sighed but gave a side smile while leaning away from the counter so his dark hair moved over his face and exposed those eyes."Curse my surpising nature to brag."

Rudy snorted, it was hardly something to brag about. Rudy kept thinking about his rundown flat and how it must have looked to Miles, even if he hadn't said anything. Rudy had never been embarrased about his situation, he still wasn't but it was still hard to think of someone knowing just how Rudy was living out from the store was strange.

But it was Miles.

Rosie was outside her room again that night when Rudy returned to the flat after seeing Miles off with Legolas wating for him a good distance away from the 24-year-old, agnst-filled, fluffy pink sock wearing girl who was glaring at the TV, wathcing as Bella finally said out loud what exactly Edward was. Like it was in anyway surprising.

When he came in Legolas yipped a little and bounded over, wiggling around at his feet as Rosie looked up and smiled widely, wiggling her pink covered feet. "So, Miles."

"Shut up." Rudy replied, crashing down on the sofa next to her and moving his arm so Legolas could jump and follow.

She snickered quietly, watching the movie a little longer before she leaned back and put her head on Rudy's shoulder.

"I like him, he's nice," she said.

"Yeah, he is." Rudy smiled and Rosie elbowed him playfully. Rudy smirked as he looked at her," Legolas also likes him, don't you bud?"

Legolas whined happily as Rudy scratched his ears and Rosie looked at the furball in disdain and called it stupid and turned to the TV again, sulking but not moving her head from his shoulder, but rather snuggling in closer and not saying anything furthur. Even so, Rudy knew that wasn't the only mention of Miles from her he was going to hear from now on.

He felt the bulk in his jacket pocket and a soft crinkle of paper which felt to loud to his ears, and of course, Legolas' as he perked up a little before putting his head back down on the side of Rudy';s thigh when there was nothing of intrest.

He didn't ask about the letters, not right now. He made the decision to take out money from his savings and force Rosie to take it later on.

Kelly finally came stomping over, distracting Rudy enough out of his thoughts, after giving Mark a full blown rant on Rudy (which Rudy was so obviously meant to hear, along with everyone in the shop, judging by her volume), her face in a scowl so sharp Rudy actually backed away a little.

"Because you so obviously don't value my friendship enough, you are buying rounds tonight," she said as she approached.

Rudy gave her an eyebrow which spoke: "no way in hell."

"Almost a year you've been here Rudy." she reminded him, as if it meant something." A year that I have so kindly called you a friend. You owe me."

"Fine." Rudy grumbled, more to just get her to shut up before she went all dramatic- well, more dramatic than she was usually.

"And then we can all go to your house next week and hang out- oh what's that Mark?" Shh said this all really quickly and Mark in question looked up from a Thomas and Friends book at his name."sorry, gotta jet."

And she was off. Escaping before Rudy could protest.

"She sort of scares me," Miles admitted as he watched her go and Rudy grunted in agreement, looking at Miles who grinned blindingly back.

Rudy wouldn't say that Miles sort of scared him too.

~*~

Rudy is drunk.

Well, probably. It would explain why he was up dancing with the rest of his collegues instead of sitting down and watching like he usually did and it wouldn't explain why his jaws sort of hurt from smiling too much.

It would explain it, it was just that he hadn't had anymore drink than he usually did.

The only other reason would be Miles. Miles who took one look at him and the next was dragging him up with other drunken dancers and breaking him out of his haunty exterior and getting him to move his arms a bit and then Kelly was jummping on him and then beside him, then Mark and everyone else.

The whole bar was in high spirits, all singing at the top of their lungs; swinging their arms, clapping their hands and stamping their feet.

Rudy was still jittery and lighter feeling than he had been in forever; before he was sixteen.

"Again, surprising me," Miles laughed heartily as they walked down the street, waving at Kelly as she was pulled into a taxi by Mark. "I didn't know you could dance, Kevin Bacon."

"I could say the same, Baby,"Rudy chortled a bit. Miles whipped his head round suddenly, staring at Rudy wide-eyed. Rudy panicked," I meant as in-"

"oh you meant as in-"

"Dirty-"

"Dirty Dancing- yeah. Got it. Jesus..." Miles sighed and then laughed again, a sort of a wheezy pathetic laugh that Rudy hardly heard as he was staring hard at the buildings they past in totally mortification.

Trust him to try and be funny and fuck up.

Miles was still laughing."I don't even know what I've laughing at. I must've had too much to drink."

"Those last two vodkas and cokes were just coke, " Rudy smiled, even more so when Miles went out to hit him and Rudy was able to defend off the feeble attack.

"I knew it! You suck Rudy Sampson. You suck."

"It's not my fault you're a total lightweight. Anymore vodka and you'd be on the floor."

"I hate you."

They both knew that wasn't true.

Even though Rudy had stopped Miles from drinking so much, the kid was still staggering a little and leaning a little to much into Rudy for his liking. It was making him feel weird. Atone point their hands brushed and Rudy's heart leapt into his throat, making feel warm all over. And stupid.

And he was blabbering. Blabbering about books. Quoting lines and paragraphs, giving out spoilers along with theories and praise. Rudy was tuning in and out, nodding and grinning but mostly kept looking at the way Miles' hands were talking just as his mouth was moving, and then just the way his mouth moved.

His mouth.

And then he was trying not to.

Not to think or notice.

It wasn't working.

And then finally. Finally. They came to Miles' apartment building.

"This is you then," Rudy pressed.

Miles didn't answer but looked to the buzzer to the door, to the top of the building and back to Rudy again.

The stars were back in his eyes. Shining so bright and burning holes into Rudy so that they were permanently fixed into his brain and every time he blinked they were their.

"Woah," Miles uttered a he swayed, grabbing onto Rudy's denim jacket for balance. Rudy's arms went out too, hovering over his waist but not quite touching. He couldn't breathe.

Miles let out a laugh,"whoops." He was grinning wide at his own clumsiness an leaning in even closer so his breath was felt on Rudy's face. Rudy couldn't help but think that Miles had to be on his tiptoes. And then it was gone just as Rudy's was as both boys became caught in each other's eyes once more.

And then Miles' eyes fluttered down to Rudy's lips and Rudy to Miles. Pink and lush. Miles was leaning even closer.

Closer and closer until they lips were just inches apart and Rudy's very heart was twisted around itself as he braced himself.

Rudy closed his eyes.

And then Miles sighed, almost sadly and cleared his throat, and then he was leaning away, his head dropping as his heels hit the ground. He rocked forward as if to hit his forehead off Rudy's chest but stopped at the last minute, clutching Rudy's jacket so tightly before he let go and was gone altogether.

"Goodnight," he said in a hasty whisper, taking out his keys and opening the building door and closing it behind him, leaving Rudy breathless and wide-eyed in the street, feeling the ghost of a kiss on his lips.

A/N: I'd just like to point out that I write most of this on my phone so minor mistakes are due to that. Sorry.