Time After Everything || a Sequel to Saving Myself

XXXIV

Erick was an early riser, Scorpius noticed after two days of waking up later than him. But Scorpius oddly enjoyed Erick's tiny, grimy flat. Even if the neighbour might be dead, Scorpius found it quite calm there.

Albus and Erick seemed to make it seem much worse than it really was. Scorpius loved living with Erick.

There was nothing to worry about there. He got to sleep curled up next to Erick, breathing in his cinnamon scent. He got to lounge about, his head resting lazily on Erick's shoulder or thigh.

And Erick didn't appear to care that Scorpius had lied to him initially. Not once since yesterday had he even mentioned the incident with Albus.

Scorpius scrubbed his head with a towel, making sure his hair was mostly dry before stepping out of the bathroom and into the living room. But he halted when he saw Erick with his backpack, hastily folding the clothes he had packed and placing them into the bag.

"What're you. . ." he began, but trailed off when Erick held the bag up to him.

"Scorpius, " he said, "I think you need to go home."

Scorpius took a sharp breath, glancing down at the bag in Erick's hand before looking up at Erick again. Tears stung the back of his eyes and he cursed himself. Not now. God, don't start crying now. "Why're you doing this?" he asked, his voice cracking at the final word.

Erick's arm dropped, and he took a step towards Scorpius, frowning when the younger boy took a few steps away, shaking his head. "Scorp, listen to me."

"No, you're trying to get rid of me." Scorpius's breath was broken into segments as he tried to keep his tears under control. "You---you don't want me here. You told me that you didn't care that I lied!" He swallowed thickly. "I thought you wanted me here. . ."

"I do want you here, " Erick told him. "But I want you to fix things with Al. And your fathers."

Scorpius shook his head. "No, Erick, I want to be here---with you and I don't want to go back."

Erick grabbed his wrists, saying, "Scorp, just listen. Please."

"No, you---"

"You have people that care about you. You have Al and Harry and Draco---"

Scorpius tugged his hands away, covering his ears and loudly saying, "I can't hear you, you jerk!"

With a frown, Erick pulled his hands away, telling him, "You have a chance to fix things, Scorp! I don't."

Scorpius wrinkled his brow in confusion. "What do you mean? You can always go back. . .live next door to us. . .and come over like you used to, even if it's just to hang around with Albus."

Erick guided him over to the couch, sitting down and running his hand over Scorpius' palm, a gesture that seemed to calm him down a bit. "Remember when I stayed at your house for a bit? Before I moved here?"

"Yeah, " Scorpius whispered back. "I hated that, you know."

"There was. . .an incident. Where I couldn't stay at my father's home anymore."

"An incident?" repeated Scorpius softly and curiously. "About what?"

Erick licked his lips and turned away. "Vi and I were having an argument and Ron---my father---got involved. Too involved for my taste."

"Why were you two arguing?" Scorpius added, "You and Violet."

Erick sighed. "It was after she kissed you and I just got mad at her. She. .she said that it was a good thing that she did it. And she only did it to make me mad."