Patient Love│Ziall Horlik AU *Trilogy*

Chapter 9 - That We Could Be More Than Friends

          Charlie had never ridden in the front before, Dadda always told him it was unsafe. And on top of that, he had never been in a muscle car. Not that he knew what that was, he just heard dadda saying he wasn’t aloud in fast cars.

          Yet he was. His hand was intertwined with his long lost best friend who had the peddle to the floor, the car roaring down a long stretch of winding road that led away from the city. "Richard where are we going? Dadda's going to get worried about me."

          Richard squeezed Charlie’s hand reassuringly, glancing over at the boy. "Don’t worry, I...I called him. He said it was okay."

          Charlie knew that didn’t sound like something Dadda would say, but he trusted Richard. He was his best friend, who wouldn’t trust their best friend? Friends don’t lie.

          "Do you know what kind of car this is Charlie?" Richard asked, changing the subject on the boy who shook his head, still distracted by the shiny scull knob on the strange stick that stuck up from the middle of the car.

          "It’s a Chevy Camaro. Do you like fast cars Charlie?"

          Charlie nodded, giggling. He liked Richards’s car. It was fast and blue and Charlie loved blue. Charlie also loved Richard, so anything Richard said was okay, Charlie would go along with. "Do you want to go faster?" He whispered into the blonde’s ear, soft smirk spread across his cheeks.

          Charlie nodded and held onto Richards hand tighter who took a turn around the small hill and drove faster.

          Once they reached the top of the hill, Richard pulled off the road, making Charlie panicked shortly, a small cry leaving his lips. "R-Richard I don’t like this." Charlie told him, sniffling. He was scared and he didn’t know why but Richard told him everything was alright and stopped the car at a cliff, looking over part the city.

          "C'mon," He told the younger lad and climbed out of his car, dragging the  small lad with him, carrying him in his arms and setting him on the hood of his 1969 Chevy Camaro SS, before climbing on himself.

          The hood was warm against Charlie’s skin and he liked it. The radio still played quietly in the car, even thought it was shut off, the lights out and engine resting as Richard grabbed Charlie’s hips, dragging him across the hood and letting him rest on his chest.

          And Charlie stayed like that, breathing in gently against Richards’s skin, who was just so happy to have his best friend back, maybe something more as his heart almost busted, a full grown bird trying to escape his ribcage when Charlie began tracing his fingers along Richards abs.

          "Whys your tummy all hard Richard?" He wondered curiously, pulling the dark shirt up, exposing it to the warm summer night air. "I work out sometimes. You know, lift heavy things?" The elder explained, still playing with Charlie’s soft curly hair.

          "How come my tummy isn’t like that? I lift heavy stuff! Dadda lets me help with the groceries!" He giggled, lifting his shirt and poking his baby fat. "I can see. You’re so strong; I bet you have all kinds of girls after you." Richard half joked, already knowing Charlie was the outcast.