[Zombie in a Box & Gladis] Breaking Habits

[Gladis]

 

Name:

Silas Petrovich

Age:

22

Gender:

Male

Role:

Convict

 

Things had not gone according to plan, that much was for sure.

 

Letting out a heavy sigh, Silas leaned back in his seat. The room was cramped, the chair uncomfortable and the youth himself terribly bored. Even so, he seemed surprisingly calm for someone who'd been taken into custody. He knew things would work out for him eventually. They always did. It was far from the first time he'd been caught, though admittedly it had gone quite some time since last. Only a few years ago he'd frequnted this place like other people their favourite coffee shop. Shop lifting, drugs, illegal raves, vandalization, even prostitution... if you could think of it he'd probably done it. His very name spelled trouble.

 

It was the creaking sound of the door being opened that pulled Silas out of his thoughts. Glancing up the great the incoming officer with a cheeky smile, he was surprised to find that he knew the face of this man all too well. How many hours hadn't they spent talking in this exact room? Silas imagined it had to be quite dissapointing to see him here again, after all this time. But that wasn't something he'd let himself be bothered by. Quite on the contrary: his smile turned into a michevious grin as he greeted the older man with a nod.

 

"Yo, long time no see, old man. Did you miss me? I'm sure you must've. Things seem to have been awfully dull around here, without my charmingly wonderful presence to brighten your days."

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Name: William Solace

Age: 28

Gender: Male

Role: Police officer

 

William stepped into the police station, pulling off his jacket to replace it with his uniform. His shift was only just about to begin. He preferred working night shifts, as weird as it was. He was very much an owl either way - sleeping during the day was simply better for him.

 

Greeting the secretary, he walked into his office, pouring himself a cup of coffee before walking towards the convicts to check whether they got any new faces. As his gaze fell upon the sole man sitting behind bars, William truly couldn't stop the heavy sigh that parted his lips. "God, why are you here this time?" He groaned softly, sipping his coffee before sitting down by the cell, leaning back against the wall. "For the record, I don't think anyone would miss you, even if it has been rather boring without such an annoyance as you around." He grumbled softly, continuing to slowly drink his coffee.

 

"I thought you got better. You haven't been here for so long, Silas... What happened?" William asked as he turned his head towards the victim. Honest concern shone through in his voice, still hidden slightly by sarcasm and general tiredness coming from the man. He couldn't help it. He hated seeing young people do such things - and, in his eyes, Silas was still young. He could still get help.

[Gladis]

Silas carefully watched the police man's every movement, the smile never once fading from his lips. There was something amusing about the way he reacted, even though he was well aware that there was nothing funny about it. Even Silas could tell the man was tired. Worrying about him getting back into trouble was probably the last thing he needed.

 

"Oh you know, just the usual." He started, pushing his hands into his pockets as he shifted slightly in the chair. "I think I can expect a heavy fine for battery in the near future." There was no point in denying it. After all, his actions had been caught on security cameras. Now, if he did indeed get fined, that would be a problem. There was no way Silas could come up with that kind of money that quickly. Not legally, anyway. He'd been doing so well recently, too. Getting off the drugs, cutting ties with the people that had clearly been a bad influence on him – even getting himself a proper job. Even if the last one would probably turn out to be rather short-lived. He'd definitely been on the right track. And then this just had to happen, fucking up every bit of progress he'd made.

 

As he allowed these thoughts to sink in, his smile began to falter.

 

"I think he ended up at the hospital with a couple of broken bones and a pretty severe concussion. But you know, I don't really regret it. The son of a bitch deserved worse." Clenching his fist, he bit down on his lower lip, a plethora of emotions flashing through his grayish blue eyes. He'd just wanted to do the right thing, yet ended losing control and going totally overboard with it. If they hadn't pryed him off the man when they did, he might even have ended up accidentally killing him. That was not a felony he wanted attached to his name.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

William let out a soft groan, closing his eyes as he heard the other admit what he'd done. He leaned his head against the wall, comfortably crossing his legs instead. The man's eyes opened slowly as he listened to Silas describe exactly what he'd done. "What did he do to piss you off so much?" He asked, looking over at the young male, taking a sip of his coffee. "And immediately, do you have proof of what he did?" The policeman asked, holding the cup in both hands. He wanted to help Silas, he really did. If there was an actual good reason for beating the shit out of someone, maybe he could get the "victim" arrested as well.

 

"I'm just glad you didn't get here because of theft or something... How's your life going aside from this?" William asked, turning to face the other man fully. He ran a hand over his messy hair, eyes closing for a moment when he realized he didn't brush it this morning... Nor did he shower. He didn't want to. He felt tired no matter what he did or didn't do. The coffee wasn't helping, either. Quite frankly, he barely got himself to go to work at all. He knew he had to, of course, but some days he just didn't see the point in doing anything at all. Maybe he needed to take some days off, relax, perhaps travel somewhere. Get himself working properly again.

[Gladis]

Parting his lips to let out a soft sigh, he ran a frustrated hand through his loose, longish blond hair. "I don't know if you know, but I recently managed to get a job. Nothing fancy, just your every day clerk at the local convinence store. There was this girl working part-time there as well. She was real nice, actually. Pretty cute too." He hesitated. "I'd been suspecting it for a while but I didn't know for sure. That the manager was harassing her, I mean. And then I caught him in the act. She was crying, telling him to stop but..." he trailed off, anger flashing through his eyes. Just thinking about it was enough to make his blood boil.

 

"I couldn't just stand by and watch it happen. I don't know. I guess I lost it. My mind went blank and my body just kind of moved on its own." He could still so vividly remember how his fist had sunk itself into the man's face – and how frightly good it had felt. "But I guess it didn't just end at that." It was clear that even though he'd claimed not to regret it, Silas felt ashamed for his actions. His gaze had dropped down to the his balled up fists on his lap, as he found himself unable to hold William's gaze right in that moment. "I wasn't thinking. I was just so mad, and I guess I ended up taking out my own frustrations on him."

 

Glad when William changed the subject, he almost instantly lit up.

 

"You should be proud of me." He declared with a smile. "I've been clean for almost two years now, and I moved out as well. That is probably the best decision I've ever made." His relationship with his parents had never been particularly good. "I've started working out too. To get rid of all that excess energy, you know." It showed. Gone was the scrawny kid from a few years prior. He still had a fairly slender build, but now it looked considerably more well shaped. It wasn't impossible that he'd grown a bit taller too.

 

"What about you? You look tired. Don't tell me you're not taking care of yourself."

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

William listened to the other explain what happened, his features turning grim. He would have lectured Silas about how it was wrong, but the man truly did look ashamed of himself... The fine would be enough, if he wasn't going to be put to jail. Then again, if all Silas had was that pisspoor job - and he certainly wouldn't get to keep it afterwards - how would he pay the fine?

 

Then, Silas began talking about what his life was at the moment. Truly, William couldn't keep a smile from slowly blooming across his face. He was proud of Silas, that was certain. Of course, then he had to ask about his life. "I'm fine. I'm the least of your worries." He chuckled lightly, reaching up to lightly brush over his hair again. "Look, I..." He bit down on his lip slightly, a soft sigh passing through his lips. "I'd hate to see you go down again because you were protecting someone." He muttered out, looking down at his coffee, trying to weigh whether the suggestion he was about to make was actually a good one. "I'll make sure to start an investigation about the harassment. As for you... I doubt you have the money to get out of this without jail time." William spoke, lifting his head to look at the younger man. "I'll pay for it. You have to promise to stay on the right path, however. Pay me back whenever you can... I can try to hook you up with a job somewhere too." William offered, downing his coffee once he was done talking. "Don't throw your life away, alright?"

[Gladis]

"You... you don't have to do that."

 

Whatever he'd been expecting William's reaction to be, this wasn't it. It certainly wasn't anything he'd been daring to hope for and quite honestly, he felt conflicted about it. Obviously he didn't want to go to jail. Spending any amount of time behind bars was torture. Besides, getting his life back on track once he finally got out would be insanely difficult. What wasn't there to say that he wouldn't just end up falling back into his old habits? He'd worked so very hard getting to where he was now. But that didn't mean he felt like it was okay for William to bail him out.

 

"It's my own fault for ending up in this mess. I fucked up. I fucked up real bad. Besides, you've already done so much for me. More than I could ever repay." He was referring to every time William had bailed him out or gone easy on him in the past. "I don't like like being indebted to people anyway. Besides, I..." he trailed off. Arguing about it wouldn't get him anywhere. William only wanted the best for him and he was kind enough to offer his help. Silas would have needed to be an idiot not to accept.

 

"Thank you." He said softly, glancing up as he put on a slight smile. "Then the least you can do is let me buy you a cup of coffee once I'm out of here. Okay?"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

William shook his head, tossing the plastic cup away. "Just accept the offer." He muttered out, slowly standing up from the bench. "This is the last time I bail you out, though. Keep that in mind. I'm putting my trust into the fact that you won't be arrested again... If you do, next time you'll have to get out on your own." The man warned Silas, pushing a hand into his pocket. "I'll get you out when my shift ends." He told the other before quietly leaving the room.

 

At seven in the morning, William finally returned to the cell. He pulled out the keys and unlocked the door, allowing Silas to leave. The man looked dead tired. He presented Silas with his belongings, all in a plastic bag before locking the cell once more. "I put my number in your phone, and I have yours." The man told Silas, beginning to walk out of the room. "Do you have money for the bus and all that? Where do you even live? I could give you a ride." He suggested, lightly rubbing his eye before taking a glance at the coffee machine. He wouldn't be getting anywhere without a good dose of caffeine. William stopped and pressed the button, watching as the dark liquid poured into a disposable cup. He couldn't wait to get home and just sleep.

[Gladis]

Once William had left, the hours crept by at a snails pace. Silas didn't have anyone to talk to, and since he'd been stripped of all of his belongings he couldn't even get on his phone or listhen to music. Now and again he'd get up and restlessly pace around – sitting still for any longer period of time drove him crazy. There were also times where he'd attempt to catch some sleep, yet mostly in vain. The cell was simply too uncomfortable for him to be able to settle down. So when William finally came around to let him out, the sense of relief that washed over him was almost overwhelming. That joy, however, was shortlived.

 

"Wait, you opened my phone?!" Silas could feel the heat rise to his cheeks, as he felt like the mans actions was an invasion of his privacy – even if he'd meant well. Hoping the cop hadn't pryed around his stuff too much, he tried to swallow his embarassment as he relucntantly added, "Thanks, I guess..." Silas grumbled reluctantly. Having his number could be useful. He never knew what kind of trouble he'd get himself into in the future. Even though he tried to keep a low profile these days, he was the kind of person that trouble seemed to be attracted to. Besides, now he owed him a cup of coffee.

 

He stifled a yawn, stretching slightly to flex his sore muscles.

 

"I only live a few blocks away, so technically I could just walk. It's sweet of you to offer taking me home, though. Almost makes it seem like we've been on a date~" He seemed surprisingly cheerful for someone who'd spent all night in a cell, and as a result had to be dead tired.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

William didn't find the energy to actually react to Silas' freak out about the phone. The only thing he did was enter his phone number. That was it. Another person perhaps would have snooped around the pictures or text messages, but he really didn't have a reason why. The cop grumbled softly, letting the half-flirt pass through without making any damage to either one of them. "I'll give you a lift, then... Just let me drink my coffee." He muttered out, taking the cup before bringing it to his mouth.

 

William finished his drink in record time, throwing the plastic cup away again. "Alright, let's go. Which way do I need to go?" He asked, leading Silas to his car. He got into the driver's seat, stretching slightly to make sure he wasn't stiff anywhere. The man started the engine and turned on the radio to have at least some sort of sound. He hated driving in silence. "Feel free to put on whatever music you like." William encouraged the other, beginning to drive out of the parking lot. God, he still felt tired. At least now he was somewhat awake.

[Gladis]

Silas couldn't help but smile as he opened the door to enter the car, a sudden weird sense of nostalgia washing over him. "Haaah, this brings back memories!" He mused as he reached for the seatbelt, seeming far too happy for someone who was just recalling the many times he'd seen the inside of a cop's car. "Same old lady, huh? I see she's holding up well." He had no plans on letting the fact that William was acting like an old grump and that he'd gon almost twenty four hours without sleep bug him down, gently patting seat as he stifled another yawn. He didn't bother changing the channel though. The smooth jazz playing in the background was just fine.

 

"Uhm, if you continue straight ahead and then turn left at John's Cross you should be fine. I live in that really shitty looking run down part of the city. You know, with those lifeless looking apartment buildings from the sixties that feel like they haven't been renovated in ages? That place. Not exactly a kings castle, a guy's got to make do with what he has." Despite how he was slandering the place, Silas had actually grown fairly fond of his apartment. It didn't look quite as bad on the inside as it did on the outside and above all... it was his own. The one safe place he could withdraw into when nothing in the world seemed to be going his way. It was his fort.

 

"You know," he started, leaning his head against the window as he watched the world outside pass them by, "as a kid I my dream was to become a saxophon player. I used to love this kind of music..." he trailed off before sighing softly. "But I guess since my dad kept burning all the family funds on his gambling and alcohol, my parents couldn't really afford lessons – much less the instrument itself. Then again, I suppose it's fine. I doubt I would have ended up learnig it, even if they had been able to afford it. I don't think there's anything in my life I haven't been halfassing. Except for like... maybecausing trouble for you guys, I guess. I did put my heart into that." Silas was well aware that is bitter musings were probably the result his exhaustion, and that William probably had no interest in hearing any of it. "I'm sorry. Here you're being so kind to give me a ride, and all I do is talk your ears off. Feel free to tell me to shut up if I become a bother."

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

William let out a soft sigh once he realized he would have to put up with Silas' non-stop talking throughout the short trip home. Did he ever really stop talking? How did he not run out of ideas? "Yeah, it's the same one. I should be getting a change soon, however." He muttered out, beginning to drive as told. He probably would have offered Silas to stay at his place, but the situation wasn't that bad yet. Besides... He really didn't want to live with him. At all. Jesus, really, how could one person be this goddamn annoying?

 

William stared at the road ahead of them as Silas continued talking. Still talking. Still talking. God... William couldn't stop the quiet groan as he stopped by a red light, finally turning to face the younger man. "Who's fault is it really that you half-ass everything? Yours. If you want change, you have to actually do something. You already proved that you can, in fact, not get in trouble every two weeks. Means you can actually do something right. Start those goddamn saxophone lessons when you have a job again." He spoke in a somewhat harsh tone, a heavy sigh parting his lips immediately after. "You're not a kid anymore. I know you've got what it takes to reach a lot in your life." He muttered out, leaning back against his seat before beginning to drive again.

[Gladis]

Silas blinked. He hadn't exactly been expecting William to give him some sort of motivational speach. Especially not such a weird one at that. The message in and of itself wasn't bad. It was more the way in which it was delivered that was... less than stellar. It was so obvious that he was annoyed, though understandably so. Silas had always had a tendency to get on people's nerves, even as a child. He didn't mean to, of course, but that hardly ever mattered. Still, William wasn't wrong. Nothing of what he said was wrong. Perhaps that was the most frustrating part of it all. Either way his harsh delivery was enough to shut the blond youth up. Letting out a heavy sigh himself, he kept his gaze locked on the world outside. He couldn't face the older man – didn't want to.

 

He regretted having opened his mouth, because surely as right as William was, the truth still hurt. Silas was more than a talkative person, but he rarely talked about himself. It had been his attempt to open up to the older man, though in hindsight he could see that the timing had clearly been off beat. Besides, wasn't this exacty the kind of reaction he'd been expecting?

 

"I never said I wanted to change. I'm perfectly happy with the way my life is now." Silas response after a long pause in silence was curt and simpel, his tone of voice just a tad frosty. He knew he was being unfair. It was clear that William only had his best interest in mind. He shouldn't be getting worked up over this. Then again, keeping a level head wasn't exactly a characteristic he was known for. "It's almost ironic that you're telling me I'm not a kid anymore, when that is exactly how you've been treating me this entire time."

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

"Are you really happy?" William asked quietly, shaking his head. "At least don't lie to yourself." He muttered out, speeding up slightly to still make it through the green light. He scoffed slightly at Silas' following words. "Maybe if you stopped acting like a kid I wouldn't treat you like one." He replied, coming to a stop by the other's house. "Still... Call me if you need anything. Unless it's bailing you out. If you get arrested one more time, feel free to delete my number altogether." William warned the younger man, rubbing his eyes in tiredness.

 

"Just... Look, if you want help changing something, I'm here for you. I'll try to find you a job as soon as I can." He promised quietly. William really did only want what's best for Silas. If he came across as rude or mean, it was really because he cared. He just didn't know a better way to put his feelings through other than being a tad harsh. Well, maybe more than a tad.

[Gladis]

Was he? Silas had to take a moment to consider William's question, though deep down he already knew the answer. Of course he wasn't happy with the way things were. The cop didn't even know half the story, and it seemed even he could tell he wasn't happy. That didn't mean Silas still retrained his dream of becoming a saxophone player from his childhood, but there were other things he yearned for. Like company, for example. It wasn't as though cutting ties with the source of his problems had magically solved everything. He may have managed to more or less get his life back on track, but in exchange he'd had to sacrifice most of his interpersonal relationships. Never before had he felt so lonely – so left to his own devices as he did now. Maybe that was what it meant to be an adult, but if so... he didn't like it.

 

Letting out another sigh, his expression softened as anger was replaced by guilt. He hadn't meant to react like that, and he truly appreciated what William had done for him.

 

"Don't worry, I'll make sure to keep my ass out of trouble from now on. I..." he hesitated, "I'm sorry for overreacting... thank you for everything. You have no idea how grateful I am," he said it so softly, it was almost hard to believe this was the same guy who'd been getting kind of mad just moments ago. Gathering his things, he opened the door and got out of the car, turning around to face William one last time, his lips quirking into a tired smile. "A good night to you, sir." He paused, realizing that wasn't quite right. "Uh, well, I mean morning." Just the way to ruin that perfect exit line. Well, it was fine. All Silas really cared about right then was getting home so that he could make up for lost sleep. He was just about ready to faint.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

William let out a tired sigh before managing the smallest of smiles. "Get some sleep." He muttered out simply before finally driving away. God, he wanted to get some sleep so much... Home sweet home. William didn't even bother with putting on sleep-appropriate clothes. All he did was throw off whatever he was wearing down on the ground along with piles of other clothes. He got into his bed, where the sheets hadn't been changed for months and blissfully fell asleep. It was safe to say he wouldn't be waking up until much later that night.

 

A few days after Silas' release, on William's day off, the two planned to meet for a coffee. William barely managed to bring himself to actually go. It was a free day that he could have spent in his bed... But, fine. He wanted to see how Silas was doing. Hell, he even forced himself to actually shower before leaving the house, which he thought of as an achievement. After eating a sandwich for breakfast, William got into his car and drove off to the cafe they'd decided to meet in. Immediately, he ordered himself a coffee, finding a place to sit while he waited for Silas to show up. He already had a job offer for him in case things weren't going too amazing for him himself.

[Gladis]

The very moment Silas slid the key into the lock to unlock the door to his apartment, he could tell something was wrong. Though he could swear that he locked it before leaving, he was surprised to find that it was already open. "Strange..." He grumbled, unable to shake that strange feeling of suspicion slowly building in his gut. With a tired sigh he slid the key back into his pocket, openening the door to step inside.

 

Almost instantly he was greeted by the familiar 'meow' of a greeting. His worries washed aside for a moment as he crouched down to gently give the calico cat a few loving strokes.

 

"I'm sorry I didn't come home last night, sweetie. I'm sure you must have been lonely." He yawned, then paused as he came to another realization. "And hungry. Give me a sec." Standing up he slipped off his shoes and took off his jacket, tossing it aside onto the couch as he made his way towards the kitchen. Despite his absence, it seemed like Diana had forgiven him. She followed along, stroking herself against his legs as she tried to get his attention. Unfortunately, she did not succeed. Silas was too caught up with the fact that both her food and water bowls were full, even though they really ought not to be. It was then that suddenly a pair of familiar arms wrapped around him from behind, pulling him against an equally familiar chest, a hot breath ghosting across his neck.

 

Silas did not have to look to know who it was. His former puzzled expression turned into one of obvious irritation. "The fuck are you doing here?! How did you even get inside? I thought I asked you to return the key..."

 

"Oh, I did," the intruder mused and Silas could only imagine the coy grin he had to be wearing, "but before that I had a replica made. Never know when it may come in handy."

 

Of course he had. He'd always been a sly bastard like that. Sighing the blond youth tried to pryed his arms away, swirling around to face the slightly taller man. He was a fairly handsome individual, with fair skin and long red hair which hung losely around his shoulders. Colorful yet intricate tattoo's covered what was visible of his arms. He had piercings in several places; two over his left eyebrow, one in his ear and Silas knew he had one in his tongue as well. And just like he remembered it, he was wearing that awfully irritating smirk.

 

The blond youth very much felt like punching the guy, but did his best to keep his composure. He wasn't worth losing it again.

 

"Don't look at me like that," the redhead dropped down on the nearest chair, casually propping his ellbow on the kitchen table before resting his cheek against his palm, never once taking his piercingly gray gaze off Silas. "You couldn't lay a hand on me, even if you wanted. But I suppose you've always had a bad temper. You used to be quite troublesome, always jumping into fights way out of your league. But I guess that's part of what made you so cute in the first place. Always playing though-"

 

"Fuck off, Damian," Silas certainly wasn't in the mood to be reminicing about their past, and he was beginning to lose patience. "I'm done with your shit, I don't want to see you. We broke up more than a year ago, you have no right to be here."

 

"Not even to see my cat?"

 

"If she's your cat, take her back." Of course, Silas didn't really want him to but he was starting to get pissed. First Damian had practically just left her in his care, and now he was trying to claim that she was still his cat? Asshole. Besides, she was way more attached to Silas now than she'd ever been to Damian. He'd fight him if he tried.

 

"Sorry, no can do. You know Ellen's allergic to cats."

 

"Right, so why don't you go bother your actual girlfriend? I'm too tired for this... just leave." All Silas had wanted was to sleep. Not deal with this crap. Especially not after everything that had just happened.

 

Damian reached out, taking a firm grip of Silas wrist as he pulled him onto his lap. The blond youth was too tired to even protest. Though Damian's lap was just about the last place he wanted to be, there was something comforting about the familiarty of it. Though his grip around his waist was unyielding, the movements of the hand that slid under his shirt were gentle. Silas tensed.

 

"You've been working out. So firm now. I like it..." Damian purred, before moving on to lightly tug at Silas' ponytail short. "And you've let your hair grow out. It's cute."

 

"Damian." Silas warned as he felt the hand travel down from his chest to the zipper of his pants, all the while trailing gentle kisses along his neckline. "I told you, I'm too tired. What is it you're actually here for? If it was just sex you wouldn't have come here. Especially not at this time. Besides, I'm sure your girlfriend would have done just fine in my stead. Isn't that what you got her for?" Silas was unable to withold the slight taunt in his voice, his lips twisting into a wry smile. He knew all too well how Damian functioned. That was also he the reason he wasn't the least surprised when his comment caused the grip around his waist to tighten to an almost painful degree, teeth digging into the soft skin of the connect between his shoulder and neck. Try as he might to withold it, a sharp hiss slipped past Silas' lips, his hand grabbing on to Damian's arm, pushing his nails into it in protest. At first the redhead seemed surprised, then he chuckled, before finally deciding to let go.

 

"You're kind of like a cat yourself." He mused, watching Silas as he walked around the table to grab a seat for himself, deliberately putting some distance between them. "Maybe that's why you and Diana get along so well..."

 

"Do you really enjoy wasting my time that much?"

 

"I think you're cute when you're angry. Even cuter when you're crying."

 

"Get to the point or fuck off." Silas could feel heat rise to his cheeks, though whether it was in irritation or embarassment was hard to tell. The blond himself would of course always insist on the former.

 

"Fine..." Damian leaned back in his seat, that cunning smile remaining plastered on his features. "I need you to do me a favor. Nothing big, just storing some of my stuff for the next few days. I'll come and pick them up in a week."

 

"... storing what?" Silas could feel Damian's powerful gray gaze boring into him. It was a silly question, of course. If his ex was involved it couldn't possibly be anything legal. What other reason would he have to make Silas take care of it? The police was probably on to him and he needed to put his 'wares' somewhere they wouldn't find them. That was the most reasonable conclusion he could come to.

 

"You're better off not knowing." As he spoke, the red haired youth pulled out a pack of cigarets from his pockets, taking out two. "Want one?"

 

"I've been trying to quit."

 

"How's that been working out for you?"

 

Silas let out a heavy sigh, reluctantly taking it. Satisfied by his non verbal answer, Damian pulled out a lighter, first lighting his own before moving on to the blond's. In some regards, he was still far too easily tempted. Silas was sure Damian could tell. It was almost frustrating, how he still seemed to be able pull his strings, even after all this time. Was he truly that easy to manipulate? Or was Damian just too good at getting other people to act according to his wishes?

 

"I don't want to..." The blond said vaguely, knowing he'd end up regretting those words. Damian had his ways of persuading people, after all. Still, he knew he couldn't get involved with this. If he did a favor for him now, he knew he'd be stuck. There was no way Damian wouldn't ask him for favors again. That was how he worked.

 

"Oh?" The redheads lips twisted into a cruel smile as he leaned over the table, slowly beginning to close the distance between him and Silas. "Then I suppose you won't mind if I take back my cat?"

 

Silas tensed, his gaze instantly traveling to the fluffy creature who now comfortably laid spread out on the kitchen floor. After he'd taken care of her for such a long time, taking her away from him was just mean. Then he paused, remembering their earlier conversation. "You said you couldn't take her back."

 

"Exactly. It would be a shame if I were forced to put her down because of allergy, don't you think?"

 

That bastard. Silas' expression changed into one of uncontrollable anger in a matter of seconds, his knotted fist slamming down onto the hard surface of the table. The sudden noise and vibrations surprised Diana, causing her to spring up from her comfortable spot and quickly slip out of the kitchen. Perhaps that was a good thing, because even if Silas had tried he wouldn't have been able to keep his voice down.

 

"D-don't you fucking dare!" He yelled, getting up from his seat as he reached out for Damian with a trembling hand, holding on to the cig with the other. The redhead, however, remained perfectly calm, casually placing the cigarette between his lips, the string of smoke slowly rising towards the ceiling.

 

"Oh, it is entierly within my right to do so. She's registered under my name, after all."

 

"This is blackmail!" Silas exclaimed, exasperated.

 

"Don't look at it like that. If you cooperate with me on this, maybe I'll consider handing her over to you. How does that sound?"

 

"Screw you!" Silas was boiling, yet at the same time saw now other way out of this. Diana was only just a cat, but she was a cat who'd come to mean a great deal to him. To know that he might get put down over such a silly reason... it was a thought he couldn't bare. Not having that fuzzball snuggle up to him when he was feeling down, or lick him in the face in the mornings to wake him up, or greet him at the door every time he got home... how lonely wouldn't he have felt without her?

 

"Do we have a deal?"

 

Just as quickly as he'd flared up, the anger seemed to seep out of him. He sunk back down into his chair in utter defeat, letting out a disapproving groan as he inhaled the soothing smoke, shutting his eyes.

 

"Fine, but only this once. Now please leave. I need to crawl into bed and hibernate for the rest of the day."

 

"It's always nice doing business with you." Damian mused pleasantly, getting up from his chair. "Of course, I'll make sure you are compensated for the trouble. I imagine you'll need it, now that you've lost your lousy part-time job." He pushed the half used up cigarette butt into the clean and empty ash tray on the table, turning his back on Silas before giving a small wave of his hand as a way of goodbye. "I'll drop by tomorrow, then."

 

And with that, he was gone.

 

***

 

Just thinking back on what had happened a few days prior was enough to put Silas in a foul mood. He hadn't looked inside the boxes Damian had made him hide under his bed yet and he wasn't planning to do so in the future. It was probably true that he'd be better off not knowing what he'd gotten himself into. Not that it made him feel any better about it. The entire ordeal, along with what had gotten him fired from his own job, had kind of thrown his life back into chaos. It had been hard to keep away from his old habits, like the bottle or illegal substances. He knew where to get them if he really wanted to. The thought had certainly crossed his mind. Yet he refrained. He wanted William to remain proud of him – he wanted to continue down the right path. After all, he'd worked so hard to get there in the first place. And yet when things like Damian happened, it was hard to feel like his life would ever truly change. Well... now wasn't the time to be thinking about that. He actually had something to look forward to; even if it was something as simple as meeting up for a cup of coffee.

 

Though he certainly felt a bit worn out, Silas had tried his best to make himself look presentable. His blond hair was neatly pulled back into the usual short ponytail, and he was wearing one of his finer looking shirts. It was black and a nice fit to his gray coat and jeans. Even the shoes he'd chosen looked slightly less worn than his usual pair. He didn't know why but he supposed he wanted to make a good impression on William. Especially after that blunder the other day. Still, he'd opted to keep the glimmering silver ring in his right ear.

 

As he stood before the coffee shop, he drew a deep breath, trying to brush all of his worries aside as he put on his usually friendly smile. He pushed open the door, the sound of bells filling the limited space as he stepped inside. It was a small but cozy cafe that William had chosen. Very modest in nature – perhaps a lot like the man himself. Glancing around, he quickly located the person in question, where he was seated at one of the tables. He acoknowledged him with a wave and a smile, before heading over to the counter to order a cup of coffee for himself.

 

Before long he was pulling out the chair opposite of William's from under the table, setting down his steaming cup of coffee as he sat himself down.

 

"Hi. I'm sorry, I hope you didn't wait far too long." He let out a mildly awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his head. "The subway was closed down because of an accident." Apparently someone had thrown themselves onto the tracks. "So I had to walk by foot. How are you?"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

William only gave a slight nod in Silas' direction when he walked into the cafe. Finally. He waited until he got to the table with his own cup of coffee to lean in closer, looking into his eyes. "I heard about it. You owe me two cups of coffee now." He spoke, a light smile crossing his face as he leaned back against the sofa, shaking his head. "I'm no better or worse than usual. How are you holding up? Any luck with a job?" He asked immediately, aiming to first get rid of the main business before they could move on to some lighter form of communication.

 

"I have a job offer for you, if you're having trouble finding one yourself. It's nothing amazing. A friend of mine recently opened up a cafe and they're searching for staff members urgently. I assume they won't exactly want you as a waiter due to your aggressive nature, but you could work with cleaning or making food. Either way, it would get you some money. In the end you could climb up to a higher position." William explained, looking down at his half-empty cup of coffee. God, why did he still feel tired? He could still remember how one time in university he mixed a cup of black coffee with red-bull. That was a night. Maybe it could help now, too... Though he doubted his body would handle it as well.

 

"Oh, and... I figured you'd want to know. That guy you punched has been sued several times before for sexual assault. If this girl agrees to testify against him, he's going behind bars." William added, taking a big gulp of his drink before finally looking up at Silas. "Thank you. One criminal less on the streets." He murmured, looking around the cafe. He felt a bit out of place, but that was how he felt everywhere. At least here was quiet and warm. Nothing stressful, nothing loud, nothing overly tiring but himself and his own exhausted mind. The man seemed to zone out. He stared through the window, holding his cup of coffee in both hands. Even on his day off the circles underneath his eyes were more than just visible.

[Gladis]

"Doesn't that mean I'll have to ask you out again?" Silas asked, grinning at the thought. He'd always enjoyed spending time with the cop. When he was younger most likely because he instilled a sense of stability in his life that he lacked back then. His good for nothing father had hardly been any support, and his mother had done an equally bad job of being there for him. Damian and his friends had been the solution, at first, but considering where that had gotten him, well... it kind of speaks for itself.

 

Silas was well aware that William probably had a lot of other problems on his plate right then. He would have needed to be an idiot not to notice how worn out was. Most likely, Silas was just a burden to him. Why did he even insist on helping? The youth knew it could only be out of the goodness of his heart, because surely he had nothing to gain. Still, it made him feel guilty. As though he were taking advantage of his kindness. He wanted to pay him back somehow, but with what? Money wasn't an option. He barely had enough to get by himself. There was his body but... something told him offering sexual favors as payment to a cop who absolutely believed in the right cause wouldn't work out. Even if Silas did think William would benefit from it. He didn't seem like he had a wife or children, even though he was starting to get around the age where that was becoming more relevant than ever. Surely getting some flare back into his life would make for a healthier looking William. It was tempting.

 

"What about a beer this time? Though it'd have to be on a weekend since I take my meds on week days..." Maybe a drink or two would get him to loosen up a little.

 

When he was asked about whether he'd been able to find a job, he shook his head, though his entire being lit up when William suggested he might be able to work at a cafe. That sounded like a dream job in comparison to the old place. "I suppose I've always been pretty good at cooking and baking." A strange hobby for the delinquent kind of guy. Still, he seemed excited at the prospect of getting to indulge in it.

 

As soon as his former boss was mentioned however, he sombered up a bit. A slight smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

 

"Thanks for telling me. That does make me feel a bit better about the entire thing." Though he doubted the girl would ever want to see him again. She was after all the one who had called the cops on him. Silas didn't blame her. In fact, he was grateful. He really might have ended up killing the guy if she hadn't.

 

"Uhm... William?" He asked softly, noticing that the guy wasn't quite with him anymore. "Are you alright?"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

William glanced up at the suggestion of a beer, a light smile crossing his features. "Why not? Just... Nowhere too loud. I'd much rather go to a smaller bar with less people than a big bar full of nineteen-year-olds with fake ID's." He chuckled, looking back down at his coffee. He tried to steer clear of alcohol as much as he could, but perhaps one night wouldn't do much harm. He doubted he could become addicted... Unless beer managed to take away his constant exhaustion. Who knows? Maybe Silas was pushing him towards alcoholism without even realizing he was doing so.

 

"I'll give 'em a call, tell them you want the job." William murmured, pulling out a small notepad with a pen that he always seemed to carry around with him. On one piece, he wrote down a number, a name and an address. "Here. I'll give them your number so they can set up an interview with you." He muttered out, tearing the note out to give it to Silas. He was sure the man would get the job. He wasn't really a bad person... He just seemed to have terribly bad luck.

 

William hadn't even noticed he was spacing out. He blinked a few times, turning to face the other. "Sorry." He apologized quietly, shaking his head slightly. "I'm just tired." He sighed quietly, crossing his legs underneath the table, leaning in closer. "I feel like I could sleep for a week straight and I would still feel exhausted." The man laughed quietly, running a hand over his messy hair. "Think I'm gonna take a week off as soon as possible..." He muttered out, more to himself than the other man. "Oh, right." He blinked, tilting his head slightly. "Are you still with that guy... What was his name... Daniel? Damian?" He questioned, fingers squeezing a bit tighter around the cup. He'd never liked that guy. He had a bad... Aura around him.

[Gladis]

"Sure." Silas said with a smile, glad that Willam decided to accept. Though he was now at a legal drinking age, it did still feel like the man considered him a child. Besides, his history with alcohol wasn't exactly great. Not that he ever made it as far as to becoming an alcoholic or anything, but William had seen him drunk at least a couple of times. Well, he did suppose that was in the past now. He could be responsible when he wanted to. "I'll try to find a place then. Small and quiet."

 

With a smile he accepted the note, instantly slipping into his pocket. He really didn't want to end up forgetting or losing it. This was, after all, one of a few chances for him to get a proper job. It was difficult for someone with a criminal reccord to get one in the first place, but he supposed that if William knew the people, it should probably be fine.

 

As William spoke, he frowned. That didn't sound good. Not good at all. And yet, what could Silas do to help him? He wanted to, he really did.

 

"Maybe you should..." he said hesitantly. Although, was that really wise? Then he'd just be at home alone without really having anything to do. Would that actually help him or make it worse? Maybe something had happened in William's life recently that Silas didn't know about. That was entierly plausible. Silas knew it wasn't his place to speculate about it. He was by no means a professional. Yet he certainly had the right to be concerned. He sighed softly, blinking when he was asked about Damian. Shaking his head, he flashed a small smile.

 

"No, we broke up more than a year ago. He..." Silas hesitated, absentmindly fidgeting with his fingers. Then he shook his head again. "No, nevermind. It's not really important." He took a sip of his coffee, recalling his encounter with Damian the other day. Not wanting to let it sour his mood, he tried to change subject. "What about you? Have you found your special someone yet?" He asked out of pure curiosity. It was only right that he inquire about William's love life, if William had done the same to him. Even if their reasons and intentions differed completely.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

William found himself relieved when Silas told him he'd broken up with Damian a year ago. That really was good news. The guy could find someone much better, that was certain. The question, however, threw him off a bit. William's lips parted slightly, just before a quiet laugh slipped past them. "No. Thankfully no one pulled the short straw yet." He chuckled, glancing down at his cup. To be fair, he wasn't even really looking for anyone. Even if he did, there was... A problem. Lately his libido was practically nonexistent. He couldn't even remember the last time he felt the need to masturbate. Silas asking that question accidentally brought more worries to William himself. Maybe he should see a doctor? What if something was wrong? He was too young to lose his sex drive yet.

 

"I feel like my life consists of work and sleep nowadays, so it's really not surprising anyway." William smiled, a tad sadly as he looked back up at Silas. Hell, the man looked miserable. Although he tried to at least work out regularly to keep his body at a good condition, he'd lost weight throughout a few months. Mainly because he didn't find the motivation to cook most of the time, and he often opted to just go to sleep without eating rather than order food and wait for it to come. It was incredibly unhealthy, of course, but he didn't find it overly hazardous yet. He could still function properly, so who cared? "Are you seeing anyone else now?"

[Gladis]

"The short straw?" Silas asked, raising an eyebrow as he set down his cup of coffee on the table, keeping his gray gaze fixed on William. "Dude, are you kidding me? You're one of the kindest and sweetest people I know. Sure you can be... kind of harsh at times, but that's just because you care. You're also not exactly being a ray of sunshine at the moment, but I'm sure you've got your reasons." He paused briefly to take another sip of his coffee. "Coming from a guy who's drawn the short straw many times, believe me, you're not one of them. I'd sure be happy dating someone like you." Someone who didn't just put up with him because he was easy to manipulate or had a pretty face. Someone who didn't constantly keep hurting him over, and over, and over, and over again... yet still expected absolute loyalty. Someone steadfast and loyal. Someone who loved him for who he was.

 

Though of course, Silas knew, that was a very naive way to think of love. Furthermore, this was not a time to be thinking about himself. He wasn't doing great, exactly, but William certainly seemed to be doing much worse. He looked pale and unkempt, and like he'd lost some weight too. Was he even eating properly? Since he'd just said he didn't have a partner, it wasn't like he had anyone to take care of him, either.

 

"No, I'm not." He answered, shaking his head a little. "But let's put me aside for a moment. William, what you're telling me doesn't sound good at all. Have you considered seeing anyone about it? I'm not a professional or anything but..." he trailed off, unsure of whether he should have said anything. He didn't want to upset William, but he was genuinly concerned. "You haven't properly taken care of yourself, have you?" He asked quietly. "I'm sorry I..." he looked down into his cup of coffee. "I-I know it's not my place to say these kinds of things..."

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

William didn't quite know exactly how to react. Hearing Silas say good things about him, even going as far as saying he'd date William... That, for whatever reason, sounded fake. The man pulled back, leaning against the couch as he looked at the other man. He didn't sound like he was lying, but... His words didn't sound like the truth. Did that even make sense? William never quite realized how badly he thought of himself, actually. He truly would have pitied anyone who dated him. The relationship wouldn't work out, because he didn't think he would be good enough for... Anyone. Perhaps that was another reason why he avoided dating at all.

 

William blinked a couple of times as Silas expressed his worry about his well-being. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Thank you for caring, but I'm fine." He said, simply like that. "I'm just busy. I'm physically healthy, anyway, so... It's all good." He chuckled lightly, although he seemed to be a tad distant. William's gaze wandered off somewhere, thoughts beginning to fill his head. "Why are you even so worried about me? You barely know me." William asked quietly, managing to focus his attention back on Silas. Did the other feel like he had to repay him? "You should take care of yourself first before worrying about me..." He added softly, downing the rest of his coffee in one go. Maybe he should schedule a visit to a doctor, however. Prophylactic, if anything. It must have been a year since his last visit.

[Gladis]

Silas tilted his head to the side, watching William carefully. He had a good point. Why did he care? It was true that he barely knew him, and yet he owed so much to him. It wasn't the only reason, though. That strong desire to pay him back somehow. No, Silas was just like that. He'd always been an overly emotional person. The kind that cries at sad movies and easily flares up when witnessing things that didn't seem quite right. When someone else seemed to be suffering, so was he. It was one of the things that made him so easily manipulated in the first place. It was also that kind of personality that had gotten him into trouble now.

 

"I may not know you well, but you still mean a lot to me. Not just because you helped me out this time, but for every time you've stood by my side. I..." he hesitated, not quite sure how to proceed. "Look, you've done more for me than both my parents combined. I have no idea why you even bothered, I certainly don't think I'm worth it. It's not like I would ever forget something like that..." he trailed off, nervously rubbing his neck. Somehow, he seemed a bit embarassed talking about this. "You're part of the reason I tried to get back on the right track, you know..."