lost boys & death vibes -

    “Hey. I’m Detective Bradley, E.H.P.D. Homocide Division. Thanks for coming down.”

     Bradley extends a hand to the boy in the blanket for a friendly ( but firm ) handshake, before he sits down. His goal is to put him at ease—that’s why they’re in the soft interview room, decorated with blue armchairs and colorful pillows, rather than handcuffs and flickering fluorescent lights. The safer eyewitnesses feel, the more they’ll talk.

     “I just have a couple of questions to ask you, and then you can be on your way.” Not that the kid looks like he has any place to be–most people found wandering around in the South Side don’t–but that’s not what Bradley is here for right now. “You want a cup of coffee or anything, before we get started?”

@aidanmurillo

-- “Yeah, I... I know who you are,” Aidan muttered, shifting uncomfortably where he sat. It was a nice room but something about it didn’t feel right. He wasn’t usually a witness, he was the suspect. And aside from that, Aidan was a Murillo after all, he had to know the police in town, it helped considering his lineage and his race. He didn’t want to be here, he didn’t want to talk, he just wanted to go to Alex’s and get high and hide his problems away. “Uh...” He paused, thinking about coffee. It wouldn’t be anything like at the shop. “I’m fine. What do you want to know?”

     alex’s amusement was obvious, and despite the pout he was offered, he shook his head. “we’ll see,” he repeated, booping aidan on the nose. “but if you want to try and persuade me… i won’t say no.” before he had the chance to slink off and dig through his stash, he was ( almost ) surprised to find himself pulled into a a kiss—a real one. “i promise i’m not doing it to be an asshole, bonito,” he mumbled against his lips; “i just want to have time for you to appreciate it.” squeezing his hand, he pulled away and stepped back into his bedroom, digging through where he hid his stash and grabbing what he wanted. slipping back into the main room of his apartment, he pulled a few ( non-alcoholic, for once ) drinks from his fridge before making his way over to the couch. sliding one of the tabs over to aidan, he popped his own into his mouth and leaned back, obviously comfortable. “enjoy,” he said, offering a wink.

-- “I think I can persuade you,” Aidan mumbled, a small grin tugging at his lips nonetheless. “Whatever you show me or give me, you know I’ll like it, loser. I like you after all, my standards can’t be that high in what’ll impress me.” He Once Alex was next to him on the couch, Aidan made a point to move closer to him. He took the tab carefully and popped it into his mouth as well. He settled back into the couch and stared at Alex for a moment. It had been a while since he had last taken acid, it wasn’t usually his thing, he only enjoyed doing it when Alex was around because the man had more of a grip on things, or at least that’s how it appeared. Aidan reached out and nudged Alex’s arm before moving closer to him so that he was practically in his lap. “What’s up?”

“The false sense of damn hope that college gives you.” Noah chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. “Should have known the world was shit when the only job I could land was back in this town. But at least I got away. You’ve been stuck here.”

-- “I think being somewhere that’s not East Haven just gives you a false sense of hope,” Aidan grinned briefly, though that quickly faded at the mention of him being stuck in the terrible town. “It’s uh-- it’s been okay... Like, sure, I’d rather leave but... Someones gotta run the shop and my parents have other business things to do so... Yeah. Not like I could get into college anyway. Not lucky like you. What’re you doing back here though? Where are you working?”

     alex nodded, able to understand. he didn’t talk about most of his issues either, and likely never would. of course, in that moment aidan’s were much more pressing than any of his own. “what else about me matters?” he asked lightly as aidan leaned up against him, a soft smile stretched across his lips. “i like to think i’m good with animals, too. if i’m wrong, none of them have told me.” he paused to give the dog another pat on the head, which earned him a small tail wag. “if it ever wasn’t okay,” he took aidan’s hand, squeezing it gently; “all you have to do is ask. i don’t have anything to hide from you.” alex cleared his throat, rising from his seat and moving to pull the other man along with him. “okay, but first… we’re moving to the couch. the floor isn’t any space for story telling. especially not when it’s supposed to make you feel better.”

-- There was a moment where Aidan wanted to ask more, he wanted to know more about Alex. The man was important to him. But his fuzzy, intoxicated brain couldn’t find the right words so he just let Alex take charge. “Animals can’t talk, niño tonto...” He spoke, a soft giggle leaving his lips. “Ah, it’s okay, mi cariño, everyone has something to hide.” He squeezed Alex’s hand back gently, letting him pull him from the floor. Aidan stumbled on his feet briefly once he was up, but leaned on Alex for support. He was warm, he was safe, he was good, and Aidan was extremely appreciative of that. When he was high, there was nothing wrong, not with himself, not with Alex, and not with the town. He could just lose himself in the man and let his mind wander to nicer things. “I’d let you tell me a story anywhere, anytime.” But he moved to the couch carefully despite that, making sure he didn’t make any missteps. Once they had both settled on the couch, Aidan pulled a blanket across their laps and leaned into Alex once more.

It had been a few days since Christian had found the body of a random stranger holding Julianna’s key in their hands, and to say that Christian was doing better was a total lie. It was hard when reporters and police, and parents, and random townspeople were at your doorstep wanting information or constantly checking in on you. He knew he needed to leave though and so he finally got up and did just that, driving straight to the South to talk to Aidan. If anyone would understand what they key represented, it would be the male. Once he had reached the Murillo household, he took a deep breath. He hadn’t been here since the funeral and honestly? It was pretty difficult to see it in front of him, knowing what was in his wallet. He had to do it though so he just got out and quickly walked up to the door and knocked, waiting patiently for anyone to open the door. @aidanmurillo

     “i think most people could agree with that,” he teased, offering a playful smirk. it was clear that there was more behind the statement, but he thought the both of them would agree that it wasn’t a topic for sober minds. things were much more easily addressed ( or forgotten ) when they were high on the drug of the day, and that was exactly how the both of them liked it. his smirk stretched into a wide grin as aiden begged for him to take him to whatever surprise he had, and he waggled his finger almost comically. “you’re so demanding, fofinho,” he chided playfully, nudging at him with his shoulder; “you need to be more patient. if we have time, i’ll show you the surprise today. if not… we can see if we have time some other day.” he winked exaggeratedly, just to show how much he was enjoying aiden’s impatience. his smile softened as a kiss was pressed to his cheek, though he quickly composed himself to be more mischievous once he was pulled into the apartment. “okay, make yourself comfortable,” he continued, pulling his hand away; “i’ll go get the stuff, and then the real fun can start.”

-- “I think you’re right about that,” Aidan laughed. Though that laugh and grin quickly turned to a pout as Alex denied him what he wanted. He was impatient and eager to find out what Alex was hiding from him. “Please, please, please? I’ll do anything.” He followed the man into the apartment, nodding as he was told what to do. Before Aidan let Alex disappear to grab the days drug of choice he grabbed the mans hand and pulled him close, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. “I really meant anything, y’know. But you can continue to be an asshole and make me wait if you really want.” He grinned and let go of Alex’s hand, moving over to the couch to settle in and get comfortable to get high.

“Well and it’s like…we finally started to get back to being normal human beings from whatever this feud going on has turned us into and now he’s here trying to stir up drama again. But why?” Beckett asked, watching the male as he started painting the wall. “I’m sorry that you’ve had to deal with shit from whoever it is though. i’m sure it hasn’t been the most pleasant of experiences.”

-- “I guess stirring up drama is the only thing anyone knows how to do well,” Aidan just shrugged his shoulders as he took a step back. “It’s whatever honestly, nothing that I can change on my own. Kinda just hoping it dies out, y’know?” He asked as he turned his attention to Beck. He wasn’t close with the other per say, but they had plenty of run ins in the past, knowing more about each other than either could say they wanted. “You think the green is a little much?”

     “here’s to hoping you do,” he said, watching the way aidan’s hands roamed over the dog. the canine in question seemed to be enjoying the attention, even without being fully awake. “you’ve spent too much time in that shop lately. you need a break from it.” his eyes trailed over from aidan’s hands to carefully search his face. “well… do you think talking about it would help?” alex didn’t really expect aidan to take him up on his offer, but he figured it wouldn’t hurt to try. after all, isn’t that what friends ( or whatever they were ) for? after a moment of silence, he finally moved to sit beside aidan and the old dog settled on his chest, reaching over to gently pat it on the head. “i don’t know what i’d say about me,” he admitted, offering a small smile; “you already know everything there is to know. all the important things, anyway.” would aidan realize he knew next to nothing about him? maybe. it was good thing he was too high for it to matter. “how about…  i tell you this one story my dad told me a long time ago?”

-- Aidan just nodded in agreement. Anytime he spent too much time in the shop he could feel his muscles tensing and his mind getting incredibly frazzled and everything just got... Worse. “I don’t think talking about it will help, Alex,” he mumbled, his voice softer than usual. When Alex settled next to him though, he moved closer so that he could lean up against him, finding comfort in the other man. “I don’t think I know everything... I think I just know pieces of things, like your job and that you like dogs and you’re good with animals, I think you’re good with animals.” He stopped petting Cãovelho with his hand closest to Alex and reached for his hand to hold. “It’s okay that I don’t know much about you though. It’s okay.” Aidan’s gaze briefly went up to Alex’s face before turning back to the dog. “Tell me the story, please.”

“Jesus, you leave for ten years in hopes that the town and people would get better and you come back to this.” Noah said and shook his head “Has anything about this place gotten better?”

-- “What makes you think that absolutely anything about East Haven would ever change, hermoso?” Aidan laughed and gave him a gentle nudge. 

“I mean, I totally agree.” The teen said, nodding along with the statement of the other. “But it’s kind of hard when the police can’t find anything to tie back to the guy.” Beck said with a shrug. “Something happen to you?” he asked curiously.

-- “Yeah, they’re good, I’ll give ‘em that. I want them to stop though,” Aidan grumbled as he looked through the bag of spray paint, wondering where the bright green was. “Few things, actually,” he sighed heavily, finally finding the green. He stood back up straight and uncapped it, throwing the lid off to the side, he’d grab it later. Aidan started to create a zig-zag sort of shape, like a green lightning bolt. “Leave the town alone, we got enough problems already, y’know?”

“I get it doing something illegal is better than doing something illegal to intoxicate yourself. I don’t one hundred percent support it, but I support it. All i can really say is don’t start huffing it, and I won’t have to go all doctor on you. Take it from Christian you don’t want me droning on about medical facts” she warned mostly joking as her lips twisting to a smirk “Who are the police supposed to be focusing on?”

-- “Yeah, it’s definitely better. I... I like it, I think? My head is clear at least, well, clearer than it normally is,” Aidan laughed a bit. “And yeah, you’re great and all, C, but I think med facts might make me pass out as I stand here right now.” He brought the can of paint up to the wall and started creating a big blob of color on the wall, briefly turning to flash Casey a smirk, “the Concerned Citizen. He’s freaking me out a bit, I’ll be honest, but he’s a fuckin’ pussy hiding like this. Though, I guess there’s some reason to it, since he doesn’t want to be caught or anything.”

    “as fun as scaring your family would be, you’re right. you’re much more fun when you’re alive,” he said, a teasing note in his tone. “who else would i be able to get high with?” admittedly, there was more to aidan’s company than getting high ( and then fucking ), but there was nothing more dangerous to admit in public than feelings. especially not when one of them had such a high profile in the south side of town. that would practically be placing a gun in his mouth! “yeah, a different surprise. i think you’ll like it… if we have time,” he continued, offering a wink. clearly he didn’t intend to elaborate further. “that’s one way to put it.” he had a feeling that most wouldn’t be quite as appreciative of his adventurous nature as aidan was. finally approaching his apartment, he pulled his key from his back pocket and slid it into the door, throwing it open for aidan to step through. “after you, bonito.”

-- “I’d generally like to stay alive, I think.” Aidan just flashed Alex a grin, it wasn’t like they’d ever get anywhere close to the truth of that statement, at least not sober. It was too heavy, too intense. It was too much for Aidan to deal with. Besides, there were already so many thoughts running through his head, it wasn’t like he needed another hard to deal with one on top of it all. His thoughts were already swimming with dread of his family and his own existence and the fact that he and Alex had to be so secretive all the time, Aidan didn’t need to question whether or not he needed to be alive as well. “Okay, now you got me all curious, Alex, you can’t just say shit like that and add ‘if we have time’ onto it. You gotta show me this surprise now,” he said, tugging on his hand gently like a young child might when they wanted something, as if that’d do anything to sway Alex one way or another. He waited as Alex opened the door before kissing him on the cheek and grabbing his hand once more, pulling him in after himself. 

    if he hadn’t been aware that aidan was high, he might’ve been worried about how exhausted he seemed, especially considering the ordeal that he’d been through. but knowing that seeing him calmed down was better than any alternatives, he chose to keep from hovering too much. aidan didn’t need that from him. shoving the batter into the oven, he set the timer and made his way back out of his tiny apartment kitchen, leaning against a wall nearby. “maybe you can come by and help me with training some of the dogs, then. if you always know what they’re thinking, you’ll be better at it than i am,” he teased, watching as his friend began to drift off beneath the old dog. the canine in question didn’t appear to mind too much, and in fact had seemed to decide that a nap was a perfect way to spend the occasion. “we can talk about anything you want,” he replied, watching his friend almost curiously; “and after the brownies are done you can have ten of them.” or more, but even with all the munchies in the world it was better to start more slowly. 

-- Aidan just made it a point to focus on Alex’s movements, he followed him as he moved around the small apartment, taking in all the small things from the way his legs shifted and hands lifted. It wasn’t much but it was enough to keep Aidan awake. “Mmm, maybe I will, if I get time away from the shop,” he mumbled, scratching behind the dogs ears gently. “Sweet, sweet boy...” He hummed softly. “I don’t really know what I wanna talk about, I mean... All that’s on my mind is this fucked up shit, I can’t get it out of here. It’s... Awful, Alex.” He sighed heavily and looked to his friend, the exhaustion on his face and in his voice was more than apparent, though it wasn’t clear if it was from this whole ‘Concerned Citizen’ situation, or if it was just from general exhaustion from life. “Can you talk about something? Like, tell me about stuff I don’t know. About you or... About any random thing.”

“Not exactly something from the prescription pad, but sometimes self medication is all you need”

-- “Honestly, Casey? That’s the best answer I’ve ever heard. This is self-medication and it’s probably the healthiest form I’ve ever done, so like, at least I’m not getting high or something. And it’s just some harmless street art, the police have gotta focus on that coño total de mierda.”

“Illegal, but definitely healthy”

-- “Not really concerned with legalities. Like... The police department has other shit to be focusing on anyway, like the Concerned Citizen. Whoever that fuck is... They gotta stop, it’s getting out of hand. They need to be brought in already..”

“Healthy, yes – legal, no.” Bailey admitted as she looked at her best friend. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

-- “Legalities have never concerned me, Bailey,” Aidan said, a mischievous grin pulling at his lips. He shook the spray paint can that was in his hand and started on the wall in front of him. “And I mean... There’s not much to talk about. This whole... Concerned Citizen thing has my anxiety heightened to like, a thousand, and I ran into a couple dead bodies about a month or so ago and my parents? Y’know what they did Bailey? They told me to just ‘get over it’.”