Chereads / Change For A Twenty? / Chapter 9 - Flowers Die in Even The Prettiest Vases (9)

Chapter 9 - Flowers Die in Even The Prettiest Vases (9)

MASSIVE TW FOR S/A!!

Please read at your own caution.

"--alling asleep on the job again?" 

Greyson's eyes shot open and he sat up in short fright. Elise stared at him in mock disappointment

Greyson stared at the cash register in front of him. His feet ached from standing and his mind was foggy from fatigue. He gripped on the counter in front of him for stability. 

"Sorry." He replied. 

Elise sighed, "It's a slow day anyway, just try to keep your eyes open when customers are here." 

There was an odd undertone in her voice. Greyson stared at his co-worker and tried to decipher the look on her face. 

"Sleep problems?" She asked vaguely. It wasn't blunt like her usual questions of concern. 

"Yeah." Greyson lied. 

Yeah, if you counted staying up until two hours before his shift trying to comfort the practically torn Louis. Greyson swore it was as if his words of comfort flew through one ear and out the other. He hated to recall last night. 

Greyson didn't think going to some party as Derek's plus one was even close enough to warrant Louis's scale of reaction. But Greyson guessed Louis heard some of Greyson's words through his incoherent sobbing if Louis thanked Greyson over text just a few minutes earlier. 

Elise didn't press, for once, and Greyson was grateful though he knew she probably had her suspicions. 

The front door bell rang and in came a customer. Greyson sighed and forced his eyes from closing. He pretended like he didn't notice Elise's gaze as she trotted off to stock.

–+–

The drive home was quiet, when Louis picked Greyson up from work. The radio played quietly over the sounds of breathing and the game Greyson was playing on his phone. 

The roads were empty that Thursday night. The stoplights worked without fault and Louis stopped at every stop sign. They passed busy store plazas and schools and jaywalkers, before they neared their suburbia-located apartment. 

When Greyson exited the passenger seat, his feet felt as if they would melt into the ground. 

Louis trotted ahead of Greyson.

Up the flights of stairs and across raised concrete, Greyson stayed at least two yards behind Louis. 

They were quiet as they entered their apartment. 

Louis took off his shoes, hung up the keys on a small rack, made for four. 

Louis sat on the couch and sighed of relief as he turned on the TV to some action movie. 

Louis didn't look at Greyson, acknowledge his presence, or even breathe in his direction. 

Greyson reciprocated with whatever maturity he had retried eating at his chest. It was the adult thing to talk about everything, wasn't it? They weren't in highschool, petty fighting over small patches of jealousy.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he flinched at the way even that was loud in the silence of their apartment. 

Greyson checked if Louis had looked over, out of instinct or maybe fear from the day before. But Louis's attention was full on the TV. 

The message was from Derek.

Derek: The theme for the party is y2k 🙃

Greyson kept his face as expressionless as he could be, reading Derek's message. He didn't want Louis to see. He didn't want a chance of a repeat of last night.

He had forgotten he agreed to go in response to strong emotions. It was a heat of the moment decision. But wasn't it rude to ditch two days before? Derek had been so kind to Greyson so far, so wasn't it time to return the favor?

Louis still watched TV without even a faltar in Greyson's way.

Greyson was too tired to really care. 

–+–

The room was dark with night. Greyson had claimed the bed tonight, Louis seemed to rot on the couch as the night went on.

Greyson was sleepy from the heaviness of his eyes and the weakness of his bones. 

So when the door creaked open, in the unsure hours of the night, Greyson didn't want to open his eyes. Greyson didn't want to move. 

He heard footsteps that matched Louis's weight slowly trudge towards… the bed? Greyson's side in particular. 

Greyson groaned with exhaustion, realizing such. 

He just wanted to sleep. 

Louis's footsteps came to a close right next to the edge of the bed. 

He stood over Greyson like this was a horror movie. Unpredictable. 

Greyson opened his eyes then, perhaps questioning his safety.

"..Lou..?" Sleep edged Greyson's voice as he began to sit up, feeling too vulnerable lying down at Louis's mercy.

Louis's dark hard unexpectedly pushed Greyson's shoulder back down. 

Greyson froze at the contact. 

Did Louis want to get in the bed? 

Greyson began to move more towards the other side of the bed to make room for Louis. Perhaps the move was also for his own anxiety. 

Louis placed one knee on the bed, then the other. The bed creaked below his weight.

Greyson waited to hear the rustling of Louis getting under the comforter. 

Greyson waited, but Louis only crawled closer to Greyson's side.

Greyson shifted farther towards the edge of the bed, trying to replicate the distance they had both had all day. 

Louis only crawled closer. 

It was when Louis placed one arm over Greyson and next to Greyson's head everything became tense. 

Greyson's eyes fully opened, the possibility of Louis's intentions slowly becoming more clear. 

Greyson shook his head and tried to shove Louis's arm away.

"Louis… No…" Greyson tried to add some urgency in his voice. 

Louis brought his other arm towards Greyson's face and cupped his chin. 

Greyson attempted to sit up. His body shooting awake like a sprinter. 

"Louis! Get off!" His groggy voice persisted. 

But Louis's strength seemed infinite when Louis's legs were either side of Greyson. And when Louis tightened his grip on Greyson's jaw and slowly got closer, Greyson beat against his boyfriend's chest. 

He pushed, sometimes successful in making Louis move, but felt weak when Louis met Greyson's lips with his. 

Greyson shook his head rapidly and punched at every in-range part of Louis as he could. 

The room was dark and Greyson could only see Louis's figure above him at that moment. The door to their bedroom was closed. Greyson had locked up the apartment door. Louis tried to pry Greyson's lips open with his tongue. 

Greyson immediately bit Louis' tongue in that moment, hard. 

The other gasped above him, and some strength left Louis's body in the moment of weakness. 

Greyson immediately raised his fist and punched Louis square in the eye. 

"What the fuck! Get off of me Louis!" Greyson cried out, as Louis fought to grab Greyson's wrists with the hand that wasn't holding his own cheek. 

Greyson's heart was beating out of his check when Louis successfully scored one of his wrists and pinned it above his head. Louis got close to Greyson't face, squishing Greyson's other arm in between their chests. 

"Lou! Stop! Stop it!" Greyson practically yelled with all the might his exhausted body had. 

Louis's free hand came off his probably bruising eye and began down towards the bottom of Greyson's pijama t-shirt. 

When Louis's hand slipped under Greyson's shirt, a sudden burst of strength came over Greyson. Was this what they called the strength of the moment? 

Greyson, with one big push, shoved the other off of him just enough so his upper body was freed. 

Greyson sat up and shoved the rest of Louis off the side of the bed with everything he had. His whole body shook as he heard a thud from Louis hitting the floor. 

Greyson only froze for half a second, before he rushed off the bed and out of the bedroom. 

He darted through the kitchen and towards the front door, quickly undoing and faltering at the locks at the door for just a moment. 

Louis's footsteps were beginning to come from behind, or at least Greyson thought he heard something. 

Greyson didn't look back when he opened the front door and dashed out with all the strength he had left in his legs.

Louis didn't come to the front door Greyson had slammed shut behind him. And didn't try to open it when Greyson held the knob from moving. 

The crickets were loud and the sky was extra black. The air smelt of cigarettes and grass and the yellow night lights of their apartment floor flickered to attract mosquitoes and moths. Greyson felt like a dead bug when he collapsed onto the ground below him. 

His breath was heavy as he tried to process anything. His hands shook uncontrollably in front of him and the adrenaline wore off faster than Greyson needed it to. It was like he was unable to stand from the floor, he felt so weak. 

His eyes darted towards the door just two away from where Louis was. Derek. 

Greyson needed Derek.