Welcome Back to Black Rock [Private]

[DigitalPopsicle]

Spotting that flash of worry, Oscar's heart skipped a beat. Jack was concerned for his well-being, and that in itself was incredibly sweet, even if they hadn't been shyly flirting with each other for the past hour. The blonde was just... really nice. A breath of fresh air in what had been turning into a dark and troubling time for the tattooed male. The hand brushing his hair out of his eyes was soft, he wanted to lean into it and just stare into those stormy eyes.


The snort and snicker that came from his mouth wasn't a very attractive one, but it was honest. He couldn't help but laugh as Jack mimicked his ridiculous action as a way of trying to make him feel better. Another endearing point. The man was currently racking up quite a high tally just for being gentle, kind, and sweet. But he caught the yawn, and wondered if Jack had stayed up all night tending to him. Had the man even slept at all? Now that he looked, there were slight bags under the man's eyes that he managed to see just before he turned away and was heading to the living room.


Right, home. He still had to go home. It was early enough in the morning that a day of sleeping and a shower would hopefully make him feel well enough for work. Perhaps if he could mention to his co-workers, or his manager, about what happened maybe they'd cut him a little slack. Rare chance of that happening. He'd just have to stock up on painkillers at the grocery store. Oscar sighed quietly as he followed the blonde, but he smiled instead when Jack's gaze turned back on him briefly.


"Well, I dunno how far you walked carrying me, but I didn't live too far from where I got grabbed... Least I don't think so." Oscar trailed behind him, sitting on the sofa to awkwardly pull his own boots on, his co-ordination a little bit off as the angle he was looking at made him feel slightly dizzy. "I remember I was walking home 'cause I didn't live that far away. It's on Long Acre Street."


In theory if his phone was charged up he'd just pull up the map application and use that to find his way home, but he hoped with the way Jack was pulling his boots on as well that the man was going to walk him home like a gentleman. Another thought that made his heart flutter, and another point on the tally of how wonderful he was being.


"Hey, how's your wound doing?" Oscar asked, leaving his shoes unlaced for the moment while he tilted his head and looked at the blonde, recalling earlier the marks that looked like Jack had been sliced with a broken bottle. "You don't need to come out if it's hurting, y'know."


A subtle question. He was checking to see if the man was actually coming out with him to walk him home, and showing concern for the other's wounds.

 

[FaithWynters]

At least Oscar knew that Jack really meant to leave. As he walked into the living room, the dark haired man sat on the couch and grabbed for his shoes. It was a good thing to, because that meant that Oscar was ready to leave. While it was an unsettling idea to Jack, who had taken care of Oscar all night, he knew that he needed to take his own rest. He still had work tonight that he needed to deal with.


“Well then its not far then.” He spoke quietly as he finished tying up his boots. It seemed that Oscar live just out of the bad neighborhood that Jack lived in and into another good one. He had walked him farther than the walk to his home was. “We’re on Falcone Street right now.” Where Oscar had gotten attacked was about the place where he should have turned onto Long Acre, if Jack wasn’t mistaken. They could take some shortcuts and get there sooner.


“It’s maybe a twenty minute walk, if we have to wait on pedestrian signs and stuff.” His shoes were tied, and he moved to slowly get up off of the floor. It was then, as the question was posed, that he remembered the cuts. He felt a slight twinge of pain at the thought. It was probably all psychological. One of those, it-doesn’t-hurt-until-you-think-about-it wounds. It was feeling better, but the area was still tender.


“It’s fine. I’m sure I’ve had worse by angry straight men.” He let out a quiet chuckle as he lifted the material of his shirt and looked down to it. It was probably a mistake to show him the wound if he wanted him to think it was fine. The three cuts were still very obvious across his pale skin, but the area in between and around the swelled up little slices in his flesh had turned into a deep red-ish purple of a bruise. It wasn’t a good sight to look at, so Jack dropped the cloth and turned around, walking toward the opposite side of the living room.


“It’s really worse than it looks. I’m more worried about getting you down from the fifth floor without your toppling over on yourself.” He gave another quiet chuckle as he stopped, and knelt down. “I mean…I need to make sure that you get home okay and my injuries aren’t that bad.” The large pack that sat on the floor was still open from where he had taken things out of it before. He began zipping zippers and clasping up locks until the large bag was closed again. Then he pulled it up with himself, and turned it so that he could slip it on his back. He never left the house without this thing and he wasn’t going to start doing that now.


Now, he was ready, but Oscar was still sitting quietly on the couch with his shoes untied. Was he still dizzy? Is that why the laces hung limply from the shoes he had managed to slip on his feet? He tilted his head to the side slightly as he watched him. If that made his head spin still then the two might need to take longer getting him home.


“Uh…Do you need help?” He started walking back toward the couch shaking his head at himself. “Sorry, I should have thought that bending over would still make your head swim a little.” His words were soft and he didn’t wait for an answer from Oscar before he knelt down and pulled one of his feet on his leg so that he could begin tying it.

 

[DigitalPopsicle]

Falcone Street. He was right, it would only take them about twenty minutes or half an hour walking, maybe an hour if he was really struggling to walk. Oscar was tempted to rustle up what cash he had for a taxi just so he didn't have to walk, but he'd be on his feet and staring at computers all day come Monday morning so he figured he would probably be best trying to cope with his head injury as best he could in the mean time.


A look of concern didn't leave his face though with the brief sight of Jack's wounds. It made him feel guilty that he was making him help him home with a nasty bruise like that. But if Jack insisted he was fine, he supposed he'd have to put up with it. Oscar really did want him to walk him home, after all. That comment about 'angry straight men' made the man wonder if Jack had been beaten up because he was gay, something he could relate to in terms of high school. He wouldn't push the issue.


The bag had him curious though. Jack was making motions to bring it out with him. Did he really need all the stuff that was in there? Oscar hadn't even seen anything that was inside it but surely he didn't need all of it, unless he was going on an errand of some sort after dropping him off. Again, another issue he didn't push. It wasn't his business to pry and part of him didn't want to scare off the blonde with his invading questions.


"I'll be fine. I'm walking around near perfect now, and I have painkillers at home for when these wear off. " Oscar assured him, managing to get one of his boots laced and tied tightly. "And don't worry about me here. I'm gonna have to do it on my own when I get home anyway."


He spoke with a grin, but didn't stop Jack when his foot was pulled into his lap and his boot getting tied. It made a small blush rise to his cheeks as thoughts of Cinderella losing a shoe and other silly fairytale stories unloaded into his mind. Jack really was being his Prince Charming at the moment, with rescuing him and even going so far as to put his damn shoes on for him. He'd wake up tomorrow and this would've all been a dream.

 

[FaithWynters]

By the time that Jack had gotten over to Oz, one of his boots had already been tied. It did take him a little longer, but that was understood. He shouldn’t expect Oscar to be completely dexterous after taking such a bad fall. He wasn’t trying to make him, but the fact that he could and that he was trying on his own was a step in the right direction. Jack still felt that he needed to help; he didn’t want to put too much pressure on him at one time.


“Just don’t get too carried away with the medicine, okay?” He glanced up from his hands for a moment before looking back to the work that he had doing. It was just a shoe, and he tied it tightly with ease. When he had completed his task, he let the foot down easily onto the carpet and he slowly helped himself up off of the floor.


As they were both fed and they had their shoes on, Jack assumed that Oscar was ready to go. He couldn’t help the thoughts as they danced across his mind. Man, he would sure miss the face of his tattoo blanketed comrade. He hadn’t been here long, but Jack had grown attached to the feeling of someone just being there. Someone unknowing and unjudging who could just be a smile or a conversation. It was welcomed with open arms, but now it was going to be snatched away. His jaw tightened at the thought, but he forced it into a smile. He turned away from Oscar and started walking toward the door.


“I guess we’re ready, huh?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to be cooped up in the apartment much longer—that stain on the floor was driving him crazy. So, Jack walked steadily across the room, pulled open the door, and locked the handle’s lock behind him. He held it open, and waited for Oscar.


“The stairs are off to the right.” He smiled and felt the cold wood on his fingertips, trying to distract himself.

 

[DigitalPopsicle]

Standing once his boots had been firmly laced, a wave of dizziness washed over him as Oscar stood up too fast. It was gone quite quickly, but it still made him sway in place for a moment as he got his bearings. He made a very quick mental note to take it easy moving around. If anything he was probably still hungover from the amount he'd drunk the previous night on top of his head injury, so it wasn't surprising that he wouldn't be 100% fine even after a fine meal and a dose of painkillers.


Speaking of which. "I won't, don't worry. I'm the king of painkiller cocktails when I wanna be." Oscar joked, his hand rubbing up and down a tattooed arm in both a motion of nervousness and disappointment. He didn't want to leave yet, but he needed to get ready for work, and he couldn't think of any more excuses to stay. But the thought of leaving his number with the blonde was a definite plan in his mind.


Walking out of the apartment when shown the way, Oscar hovered near the door shortly after to watch Jack locking up his apartment after they exited, slowly shuffling in the direction of the stairs with his eyes firmly stuck to the other man and his lithe form. He'd miss him. He'd need excuses to visit him again or see him again in general. With his cell phone dead he couldn't even write down the blonde's number right now, but at least he was being offered to be walked all the way home. A very gentlemanly act that made his heart flutter. Jack was sweet. Awkward, adorable, and sweet.


"Lead the way, my liege." The tattooed man joked with a bright yet soft smile, waiting for Jack to join him before moving down the hall.

 

[FaithWynters]

Jack couldn’t help the way his face scrunched up slightly at Oscar’s words. The king of painkiller cocktails…It sounded like an unhealthy—and possibly deadly—thing to be messing with. For quite a bit of time, Jack said nothing. He rolled the image and thoughts around in his mind as he locked up the dead bolt on the door and the knob itself.


“I just hope that is a careful way of handling your illness.” He only mumbled the words at first, for fear of saying something that would over-step his boundaries with Oscar. Jack didn’t want to seem overbearing or pushy. He was simply worried about the way his handsome friend might treat himself. It was an obvious worry and one that he hoped would be understood by the opposite that stood behind him. He turned around slowly, a soft smile dancing across his lips. It was a wonderful feeling to know that he would turn around and the person there wasn’t a thief of a mugger. He was a normal—possibly—hopefully—turning into more in the future—kind of person. Jack didn’t find many of those around here.


“Shall we?” He assumed that the tattoo—clad man had been waiting for his guidance so Jack took the lead in walking down the stairs. He moved slowly, as to not rush Oscar, and turned and made his way backwards so—if Oscar fell—Jack would be right there to catch him and protect him from another injury.


“Wouldn’t want you getting hurt again—now would we?” He shot up another flirtatious smirk. While he wanted nothing to harm the well-being of his new companion he probably would have given anything to be able to further enjoy this man’s company in his home again. Jack hoped silently to himself that Oscar agreed.

 

[DigitalPopsicle]

Chuckling lightly, Oscar offered him a reassuring smile as he heard the quiet words of concern, following closely behind him as they began to walk and exit the building. "I just can't miss any days of work, so I've gotten used to taking painkillers and medicine to throw at any illness or pain I get at work. It's mainly headaches because I'm on the computer so long. Usually when I forget my glasses." He explained, still a little dizzy as they moved but it was bearable. "I promise, I don't do anything dangerous like overdose. Least on purpose."


His heart skipped a beat when Jack turned to guide him down the stares, keeping a close eye on him by turning backwards. It was a slower pace, but the man was grateful. He wanted to spent as much time as possible with the blonde, so of course he wasn't just going to race home. Maybe he'd play up the dizziness slightly, use it as an excuse to stop and take breaks and talk to him more. No, that'd be unfair and dishonest. He'd give him his number, and pray to the god he didn't quite believe in that they're speak or meet again.


"You're a true gentleman." Oscar teased, and together they slowly managed to make their way to the ground floor without incident, the blonde guiding him through the main doors and down the battered street.


The neighbourhood wasn't all too bad, just a little cracked and rough around the edges. Things were cheap, and where things were cheap it was never anything like a palace. The building they'd just come out of was probably one of the better looking ones on the block they now walked down, and he could vaguely recall where he was.


"Sorta know this area... Wouldn't get lost completely on my own though." The dark haired male admitted with a small chuckle to his companion. "Good thing I have my Prince Charming to guide me home, huh?"

 

[FaithWynters]

It took Jack short measured steps to get down the stairwells that led to the first floor. Since he was going backwards, he was careful to know where his feet were going to land before the landed, so that he didn’t fall. It would be pretty awkward if he had turned himself around to help Oscar, and Jack ended up falling down the stairs. Jack wasn’t sure what Oscar would do—or what he would do for that matter. The embarrassment would be enough to send him back within himself and Jack was sure that conversation would be over.


So, with every step, they made it slowly and carefully down the steps. Jack said very little, he just listened to the words that flowed from Oscar’s lips and nodded. His mind spun with thoughts about what he was saying. The area that Oscar lived was better than his. It was not the Hollywood Hills by a long shot, but it was better than where they were now. The slight comments about work were enough to show Jack that Oscar probably worked a lot more than he did. If not a lot more than under much more taxing circumstances. Yes, Jack’s work was very dangerous, but he had grown use to the stress and injury. Normal people couldn’t handle stress like those of the order had been conditioned to handle the stress. Jack felt another twinge of pity for him. Drugging oneself up so that they could continue to work blindly for people was no way to live.


“I am no gentleman.” Jack finally had something to say—he had pushed out of his thoughts and now watched the sidewalk as they continued toward Oscar’s home. “I just know what is necessary to ensure the posterity of a friend” He couldn’t stop the words as they flowed out of his mouth. They were so awkward sounding. It sounded as if he were writing The Declaration of Independence or something. It was horrible. He could feel a slight heat creep up his neck and toward his face. He shook his head.


“What I mean, is that my mom raised me right.” He shrugged. Yeah. That was a lie. He had no real understanding of who his parents had been and why they were gone. He never asked those questions—they were unacceptable to direct at anyone who might know. So, he didn’t know if they were alive, or if they were dead. He assumed they were dead, but by what means? It was all things he didn’t understand. All silly things he couldn’t explain. They continued again, and Jack said nothing for the longest time. He just absently shoved his hands in his pockets and walked slowly beside his friend as he hobbled on the sidewalk.


“Wouldn’t want you getting mugged again on your way home, would we?” Jack shot another smirk towards Oscar to hide the thoughts that circulated freshly in his mind. He just hoped that he could push them away for a few more minutes and act normal, then he had all the time in the world to think. Almost as if it had been called upon, another yawn spread across his features, and Jack raised his hand to cover his mouth. His eyes threatened to water, but he shook the feeling away. There would not be all the time in the world to think when he got home. There would be all the time in the world to sleep.

 

[DigitalPopsicle]

Jack's way of speaking was another endearing quality that Oscar found he liked. When he was used to people sounding either rough as a Hell's Angel biker, or as pompous and upperclass as ones who go to country clubs, having someone who spoke like that and actually seemed genuine with what they were saying was both refreshing and appealing. It was just adding more and more things to the tattooed man's 'list of things he liked about the handsome stranger', which was growing steadily longer.


Though the slightly flat was he spoke about his mother didn't fit right with the rest of his speech. But he wouldn't push it. Oscar figured that Jack just had a bad relationship with her or something along those lines, which wouldn't be unheard of in his social circle.


His cheeks felt warm with how he blushed at Jack's comments though, how he seemed concerned for him and to somewhat care about him. It all could still be a trap, a rouse that would end up not being real or maybe he'd never hear from the blonde again. But at least for a few hours Oscar had these moments that made him feel wanted again.


"You're too kind." Oscar teased, pretending his blush was being put on, cupping his cheek and waving his hand in a dismissive and dramatically feminine gesture. A pang of guilt struck in his chest when he noticed that yawn. "Sorry if I kept you up all night." The dark haired man apologised, looking a little sheepish now but still offering a gentle smile. "I really appreciate your help, y'know."


Litter and cracks were scattered across the cement of the sidewalk, looking as run down and worn out as the buildings around them. But no one else was out yet, with is being early morning and most people more than likely recovering from their previous night's antics, so the walk was quiet and pleasant with no one around to bother them. Oscar was tempted to take hold of the other male's hand to add to their peaceful moment, but perhaps that would cross an unspoken line. Maybe Jack wasn't comfortable with affection, or touching in general, and he'd hate to step over boundaries. Maybe just giving him his number would suffice...

 

[FaithWynters]

The walk was a pleasing one. Usually, Jack would walk in a way from location to location in search of things. Now that he wasn’t searching, he could enjoy the atmosphere. It probably wasn’t the best thing to be around, since the sidewalk had begun to crumble and liter seemed to plague the streets, but it was a new experience. Jack couldn’t even think of a handful of times that he had been able to enjoy the feeling of the world around him. There was work and there was sleep. There would be the occasional meeting with the Order’s elders, but nothing more would draw him away from his routine. This was a refreshing change. It was a change that Jack new would only last a few more minutes, but that was enough for him to be content.


He had long ago accepted the fact that while he worked, there would be no time for relationships. The Order did not particularly enjoy their people branching out and being around others who could find out their secrets. It was understandable, Oscar had almost gotten killed last night. Such a story would be something that might make him fear living in this town for the rest of his time. It wasn’t feasible to work for the Order and be with someone. The thought of how many lies would be made, stacked on one another, made Jack’s stomach twinge in discomfort. That was no way to have a relationship. So, for the longest time he just kept away from people. He wouldn’t even have a conversation with the woman at the grocery store. Now, though, after seeing what had happened with Oscar, he was wondering if that content feeling would last. Would he continue to long for this personal interaction? Jack really didn’t know. He hoped he could just forget about the whole thing and everything might return to normal. Something in his mind told him it wasn’t going to be that easy.


When the apology came from Oscar’s lips, Jack was once again pulled from his absent state. He glanced over to him a moment, a soft smile forming on his lips. Oscar didn’t know that he often came home like this. He was unaware that his days were filled with sleep. Jack noticed some of the same dark circles beneath Oscar’s eyes. He shook his head again, and he looked down toward the pavement.


“I work nights. So, I can get all the rest I need when I get home.” He wanted to stop walking. He had a very strong urge to wrap an arm around Oscar. “You needed the rest more than I do” It was out of nowhere. It was something he was unsure how to cope with. He looked up to see where they were. Good. Almost there. Jack raised an arm and pointed to a building that was growing more and more near every step they took.


“That’s your stop, right?” He posed the question to Oscar as he looked over the building. It was a lot nicer looking than the one that he had been living in—hell—would probably be living in the rest of his life. It wasn’t some condo in New York, but it was nice. Jack was a little jealous of Oscar, but, of course, he wouldn’t let that show to his new friend.