Sweeter Than Fiction | ✓

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Rudy had to go to work the next day. He knew Archer wouldn't take his excuses of being sick and it was way to late to ask for a day off. they couldn't afford it either. Rudy had used most of his savings on those bills, much to Rosie's reluctance and now he basically had nothing.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" he asked for the umpteenth time as he shrugged on his jacket. Rosie was still in her fluffy pink housecoat.. She looked a mess, her eyes were heavy and bruise with lack of sleep. He should have been there for her.

"I'll be fine, Rudes," she insisted, smiling at him and knocking his jaw lightly with a soft fist," Stop worrying. Go to work you silly goose."

"Remember to phone me if you need me, okay? I'll come straight to you. Archer be damned."

"Just go," she laughed, pushing him out the door."Just... just hurry home, okay?"

Rudy nodded, looking directly at his sister and kissing her cheek before he was off once again.

He made it into work just two minutes before the start of his shift. He remembered once he'd been just five minutes late an had almost gotten fired after being shouted at from Archer for about an hour - though Rudy still wasn't sure if that's because he was swearing under his breath the whole time.

He shucked on his ridiculous uniform shirt, flinching as the cool of his name tag hit his bare skin and made his way through the stock room to the store, using his whole weight on the door as to open it, sighing into it and not giving in any effort and looked over to the desk where Miles already stood.

For a brief moment, Miles looked up, locking green with blue, and his mouth opened and his cheeks flushed as of he was going to say something. Rudy moved faster, ready to catch it, ready to hear everything Miles had to say and more.

Please.

And then it was gone. Miles blinked, close his mouth as he turned away, his eyes narrowed to the ground. Rudy almost fell to the floor with Miles' dropped gaze but instead sighed a little and made his way round the desk, being careful not to touch Miles as he slid past him to the next till, taking his place and not in any way ready to stand in the silence Miles and him were now making and the amount of customers he had to deal with.

His heart was tight and really, after last night and what day it was now, Rudy just wanted to break down and cry. He couldn't be in here today. Not today. He should of been at home with Rosie.

Rudy looked to his hands, they were shaking again, his nerves were shattered. Luckily there wasn't many customers in today for Rudy to piss of with his lack in spirit.

He couldn't wait to leave. He felt like he was suffocating.

Later when Kelly came in, complaining to anyone that cared to listen (which was no one) Rudy was trying to keep it together, he felt the hours drag on, between whatever wasn't happening between him and Miles and the nothing that was happening between them it was coming to a point where Rudy actually felt he was going to snap.

"Well you look like shit," Kelly observed as she came over, leaning on the counter and picking up a fluffy pen from the tin and started to stroke it absentmindedly.

Rudy frowned at her, not appreciating the comment. He had been up all night, not trusting himself to sleep. It was always bad at this time of year. The nightmares and the memories on repeat.

"Fine. Don't tell me, whatever. It's not like it's anything new. At least you actually acknowledge me, unlike some people." She snapped her head over to Miles who flinched and ducked his head, avoiding her eyes. Kelly clicked her tongue at the reaction, showing no hint of mercy towards the boy. "Well anyway, cheer up, okay?" She smiled and punched his arm a little bit. Rudy actually smiled, grateful, just the tiniest bit.

And then his phone rang, buzzing in his pocket. He reached for it straight away. There was only two people in the whole world that had his number and that was Miles and Rosie. As Miles was right next to him and hadn't text him as long as he hadn't talked to him, it had to be Rosie.

" Are you crazy? Lyndsay is right over there, you aren't allowed phones at work, what the hell-"

"Rosie? Rosie, what is it?" Rudy demanded down the phone as soon as he scrambled it out of his pocket and to his ear right after he almost broke his screen answering the damn thing, interrupting Kelly as he did.

There was a wail at the other end, a horrible noise that Rudy had only heard a few times in his life from Rosie and one that he really wish he had never heard in the first place. He heard Kelly ask who Rosie was, turning to Miles when Rudy sisn't answer, trying to get Rosie to calm down and tell him exactly why she was freaking out.

"I-I'm so sorry Rudy. I left the door open, I was a mess and I went for a- and he just ran out out of here and- and I've looked everywhere and I can't find him and I- I shitmotherfucker WHERE ARE YOU YOU STUPID DOG! GOD DAMMIT! Rudy he's gone. It's all my fault. I can't do this. I'm sorry. Legolas is gone, Rudy... I can't - i can't..." she started wailing again and Rudy's blood ran cold.

Legolas was missing. Missing.

Rosie was trying to talk to him but he was already lowering the phone. Kelly was talking to him, grasping his shoulders, shaking him a little, and when he turned, there was Miles, looking him in the eye again, his own eyes wide and concerned, his lips were moving, he was reaching out.

"Rudy," Miles said, his voice rocketing through the buzz in his ears and clearing out his head, taking Rudy out of a momentarily trance. "Rudy, what's wrong?"

"I've got to... I've got to go." With that Rudy was jumping over the counter, startling Kelly into a shriek as she jumped back to let Rudy run past her and out of the shop. He ignored shouts and the potential customer that was coming into the store that he almost ran over in his haste.

Legolas. His dog. His stupid little mutt was missing and all Rudy could think was:

even if I go out there to look for him, what if he was never found?

A/N: there was actually a whole lot more to this but it was getting pretty long and there was a lot more to put in so, sorry to stop there but there will be another chapter up pretty soon. There is all this angst that i honestly did not mean for, I don't know what happened.