livinwal

It’s fine.

He owns 10 pair of jeans and shirts that look identical to his work uniform. It’s fine.

He spent half his salary on thrift stores. It’s fine.

He googles ‘road trip tips’. It’s fine.

Flambae and the others pick him up at 6. He loads Robert’s bags in Mandy’s car without question. Robert can’t quite stop himself from staring.

“I didn’t know your hair was curly.”

And Flambae’s shoulders raise and drop, securing the luggage safely. “No powers on the trip. No gel.”

“Looks good. It suits you.”

And as it turns out, Mandy’s car is conveniently full. So is Prism’s. So is everyone else’s.

And Flambae rolls his eyes, and looks at Robert almost like he’s apologising. “You can have the car and I can fly. Whatever you want.”

Robert wants them to go together.

There’s a certain tranquility, in the way Flambae drives. Like him and the road have this mutual understanding neither will betray the other.

That used to be him and the sky, Robert thinks.

“So. Why Miami?”

Flambae always has this eternal gentleness, when he speaks of his father.

“My dad and I used to travel a lot, when I was young. Miami was my favorite. He bought me a vacation home there, for my 30th birthday. It was my turn to pick this year, so.”

“Wow,” Robert teases, “Don’t pull a muscle with that flex.”

And Flambae scoffs a laugh, brief but honest.

“Well. It was supposed to be my last one. He went all out, I guess.”

For the remaining mile, neither of them speak again.

They all stop at a motel, and the staff knows them all by name. Prism is the one who explains they bunk.

Two people. One room. Cheaper.

Robert doesn’t even get to open his mouth before Flambae tosses the room key his way, back retreating to his car, despite Prism’s groans.

And Robert doesn’t know why he calls after him. He just knows his chest throbs with this strange, sweet warmth.

“You know, I don’t have cooties!”

It grows when Flambae calls back without glancing back.

“I’ve seen your 7 in 1!”

It grows when Robert watches that annoying, arrogant, cocky, infuriating meteor of a man sleep in his car, just so Robert can have his own room.